you mean like zigging with undersized no-defense SG's when most of the NBA is zagging the other direction?
I'm pretty sure that most of us skeptical about Ayton at PF are skeptical about his defense a lot more than his offense. I don't think Ayton will deal well with PF's and stretch-4's like Lebron, Durant, PG13, Kawhi, etc. that are masters of dribble-drive and using screens by the way, 90% of Ayton's shots come within 16' of the hoop; most are in the paint. That's his wheelhouse (besides being allergic to contact). If Ayton is down in the low block, as he has been throughout his career, where is Clingan going to be...out near the 3pt line? That will be using him well won't it. For his career, his average shot distance has been 7.1 feet. That's deep in the paint. KAT's average shot distance has been 11.8 feet. Last year, Chet Holmgren's average shot distance was 12.8 feet
If Rob is healthy he can play both 4 and 5, he has that foot speed. So if it's Rob and Deandre or Rob and Donovan out there who really cares but Deandre and Donovan would be a disaster. Neither of those guys could even keep up with KAT on the defensive end. It's funny because Chauncey was talking about how Clingan can find success and he said we played a lot of drop coverage last year... and that's because that's where Deandre is most comfortable. He's got quick feet for a C and really good north/south speed too but he's not a 4 in today's NBA. When I look at the list of front courts in the west that @Pinwheel1 compiled I don't know why he even posted it. The KAT/Gobert pairing is the only one that's even conceivably slow enough for Ayton/Clingan and although I doubt either of our guys are slower than Rudy... KAT would fuck either one of them up on the perimeter. His handle, his advantage in terms of speed (not huge but enough) and the combo of his shot and explosiveness would have him putting up huge numbers on Deandre. I think we will see it this season and the only thing we'll see is Deandre getting exposed in space and other teams having a really hard time getting a board on either end when those two play together. The boards won't outweigh the shitty D though.
Yeah with where DA gets his points and the fact that at least for now Clingan is going to be a garbage scorer (not that he won't score but he'll just get everything from cleaning up offensive glass and the dunker spot) I don't think spacing on offense would be a problem and we'd definitely have the advantage on the boards on both ends. DA just isn't going to be able to handle the speed of the 4s in today's NBA. Him switching onto 4s here and there is one thing but if 4 is his primary position on defense, he'll have to be able to switch onto 3s here and there and always be trying to stay in front of 4s... sounds like a fucking nightmare to me but I think we'll see it and I hope I'm wrong.
Will Clingan even be in the rotation as a rookie? He looks a long ways off from being a two way NBA player. I'd think if he improves a bit he could take Moses Brown spot as 3rd string or such, then get minutes late in the season when we have given up.
When you can defend, set a solid screen, rebound, and pass as a center, you will be in the rotation.......if you can stay healthy.
I don't know, maybe for some basketball conversation about our team other than tank or not to tank, and when will GrAnt be traded.
I think Coach Billups will get him in a rotation. Probably very limited run at first, like Badji and Moses last season. Now if Ayton has to sit a few out, I could see Donovan starting the game. Maybe 25 minutes. Starting rookies is one of Cronin's favorite accomplishments.
He doesn't have to be in just one location. He's got an elite mid range shot, and he'd have a nice size advantage over most PFs inside.. He has a 55% percentage from 16-3pt. That translates to a 36% 3pt shot, which is better than most PFs in the league. You seem fixated on the idea that offense must be 1 center in the middle and 4 people hanging out on the 3pt line.
The only reason he wouldn't be in the rotation this year is if he gets pulled for making us win too much.
Kevin Pelton on the Lowe Post mentioned that Blazer management was trying to follow the"Houston model," and start winning now. Then the Nike Hoop Summit and related practices happened in Portland at the PF where everyone realized how loaded the 2025 draft is even beyond Flagg. He thinks there was a distinct pivot to building for the future long term with an appetite for losing short term.
I still make the argument we’re better off trying to acquire more 2025 lotto picks than to intentionally embrace a losing culture.
and you seem fixated on completely distorting things I've said in order to fit your arguments better I'll make it easy for you to distort: I'm extremely skeptical that Clingan and Ayton can ever be an effective starting C & PF combo. I think they'd get boat-raced by better teams I'm looking at the 4 conference finals teams: * Boston's starting PF is Jayson Tatum. Their 2 C's are Horford and Porzingis; and Porzingis missed most of the playoffs so Boston went with Horford at the starting C. His average shot distance in the playoffs was 19 feet (Ayton 7.1). On Boston parked Horford out behind the 3 point line so the lane was open for all of the dribble-drives by Tatum, Brown, Jrue, and White * Indiana went with 1 big in the playoffs, Myles Turner. He was also the primary big in the regular season. In that regular season his average shot distance was13.2 feet; in the playoffs it was 15.2 feet. Indiana's starting PF was Pascal Siakam; his backup was 6'8 Obi Toppin. * Dallas went with 2 C's who are essentially the opposite of Ayton in Gafford and Lively. I don't believe they were ever on the floor at the same time (maybe a little?), even against Minny. Their Starting PF was PJ Washington; the backups were Derrick Jones and sometimes the often-injured Kleiber * Minny is the example the fans of Ayton as the PF point at. But Ayton is not KAT; Clingan is not Gobert; and Simons is not Anthony Edwards. Blazers don't have a Jaden McDaniels either. And Dallas pretty easily beat Minny and their 90M triple towers with the budget pair of Gafford and Lively obviously, looking at the top teams as templates for the current Blazer roster is mostly pointless. Portland is light years away from competing as a top team. The GM seems, IMO, to just be throwing darts at a board right now, with his off-hand. I wasn't happy Portland drafted Clingan at 7. He's a drop-cover C and I think those types of bigs have limitations. But now that's he's a Blazer...play him and see how far he can exceed those limitations. Start him at C; take that 7th pick out for a real test drive while the sticker is still on the window....and trade Ayton sooner rather than later
