10 game mark Grades

[TBpup]

Not so much a ranking as a grade of what they are producing versus what we expected going in.

LaMarcus Aldridge - Team leading 22ppg with career high 9.3 rebs. Shooting at 48% from the field but hasn't cracked 70% from the FT line yet. Still the Blazers most reliable option that also forces a double team. Also still, not good at putting the ball on the floor and finishes off the wrong foot as often as not. B+

Damian Lillard - 20 points and almost 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Almost 40% from '3' but barely over 40% from inside the arc. A/T rate almost 2.5-1. Better defense but still needs work on his shooting percentage. B

Wes Matthews - 15 pts/5 rebs on over 50% shooting from both the field and the 3-pt line. Still under 2 assists but from a shooting standpoint, not sure what more you could ask for. Still no handles other than in a straight line drive to the hoop but finishing better on those drives. A-

Nic Batum - 14 ppg, 6.4 rebs, 5.3 assists and third on the team in blocks. Nic is the widest range stat stuffer but still is battling consistency. His scoring comes in bunches and then you won't hear from him for two quarters. Passing up open shots seeming to try and get assists. With Wes's tenacity, he'd be a terror. B-

Robin Lopez - 8 points, 7 rebounds and 1.4 blks per game. His presence has added a bit of toughness to the roster and everyone else's rebounding rate is up. Not exactly clocking up the middle but provides some intangibles that have been very valuable so far. B+

Mo Williams - Honestly was surprised to see almost 5 assists per game for as often as he goes 'black-hole'. The Blazers desperately need his playmaking ability and his nack for making shots on his own. Has had some big scoring nights but is taking a lot of shots to do it on some nights. After an abysmal start from the arc, is up to almost 35% from 3-pt range. A much needed scorer off the bench that also gives Dame a break. B+

Thomas Robinson - We knew he could rebound and he is over 10 rpg/per 36 mins. He has controlled his tornado forays into the lane and kept to mostly higher percentage shots even if they don't go in. Great energy and athletic ability still looking for an offensive go-to move. C+

Dorell Wright - 5 points and 3 rebounds in just 14 minutes shooting almost 45% from 3-pt range. Heady player who can pass, rebound and hit the big 3. A calming influence on the court with T-Rob, Freebird and the offensive minded Mo Williams. A-

Joel Freeland - For someone that many Blazer fans wanted gone in last summers 'You Be the GM' poll on OregonLive, Joel dedicated himself to becoming the Blazers version of Nick Collison with added rim protection. His modest stats of 3.6 pts/3.6 rebs don't tell the whole story of his contributions off the bench as a defensive improvement over what the Blazers had last season. B+

The Rest - Meyers Leonard, Will Barton, Victor Claver and Allan Crabbe have combined for a total of 28 minutes all season so 'incomplete' would be generous. Sadly, lottery pick Leonard looks as lost as ever even thought he's only missed 1 shot so far. Offense isn't his problem. Incomplete but not looking good so far.

Coaching - Stotts seems like the 'Mad 3-pt Scientist' but it is working so far on the offensive end. They really haven't played many tough teams so it will be interesting to see what happens when they start playing more quality competition. The points-in-the-paint problem is one of monumental disbelief but for the most part they have hit enough 3's to cover up that large deficit. Cover it up but certainly not make it go away. B-

Given an 8-2 start, which most fans if they are honest did not have the Blazers at, there is reason for optimism even if it is just a matter of beating weaker competition for the most part so far.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Good breakdown, rep'd!

But I would give Batum, Mo, Wright and Stotts all B's.

 

[Strenuus]

I agree with the A- on Wright. I haven't seen more than 1 shot that I scratched my head.

I think Stotts is doing what he can with what he has. B- is fair for him.

 

[magnifier661]

Those are good grades. I can agree with all of them

 

[PapaG]

LMA and Lillard are having career years, yet neither rate an 'A'. Meanwhile, Robin Lopez gets the same grade as LMA, and a higher grade than Lillard? Are these grades based on what are expected of a player, or on an objective scale?

 

[jlprk]

Mo has keeps us going in every 1st half. A-
Wright makes no mistakes because he plays even more conservatively than Batum. B-

 

[jlprk]

LMA and Lillard are having career years, yet neither rate an 'A'. Meanwhile, Robin Lopez gets the same grade as LMA, and a higher grade than Lillard? Are these grades based on what are expected of a player, or on an objective scale?

By what we expected. Aldridge and Lillard are what I expected, so I considered giving each a B-.

 

[THE HCP]

LMA and Lillard are having career years, yet neither rate an 'A'. Meanwhile, Robin Lopez gets the same grade as LMA, and a higher grade than Lillard? Are these grades based on what are expected of a player, or on an objective scale?

Thankyou!

 

[Public Defender]

Most importantly, the team as a whole is 8-2. Going .800 over the first ten games of the regular season is pretty awesome for a team that completely overhauled its bench, and added a new starter. I'll give the team, overall, an A-. Can't give them a straight A, without some tougher interior defense.

I'm not sure the Blazers with the current lineup will ever be among the league's toughest teams. The team's leader is LaMarcus Aldridge, and as much as I like LA, no one's going to mistake him for Charles Oakley.

 

[PapaG]

Mo Williams - Honestly was surprised to see almost 5 assists per game for as often as he goes 'black-hole'. The Blazers desperately need his playmaking ability and his nack for making shots on his own. Has had some big scoring nights but is taking a lot of shots to do it on some nights. After an abysmal start from the arc, is up to almost 35% from 3-pt range. A much needed scorer off the bench that also gives Dame a break. B+

Mo and his 11.9 PER on 21 USG gets a B+? I'll give him a B- right now, and hope he can become more efficient as he sees increased minutes. He's playing OK, but so far he's not at the level of a Batum, LMA, Lillard, or even Matthews, IMO. His 3-point shooting has been mediocre, but I do like that he's finding lanes and throwing up Crawford jumpers at times. That sort of thing is actually necessary at times.

 

[magnifier661]

Mo and his 11.9 PER on 21 USG gets a B+? I'll give him a B- right now, and hope he can become more efficient as he sees increased minutes. He's playing OK, but so far he's not at the level of a Batum, LMA, Lillard, or even Matthews, IMO. His 3-point shooting has been mediocre, but I do like that he's finding lanes and throwing up Crawford jumpers at times. That sort of thing is actually necessary at times.

The way Aldridge has been rebounding should have him a higher grade. I'm a public Aldridge homer, so I didn't want to argue 5% points.

 

[illmatic99]

It's all a matter of expectations. I think outside of Nic, LA and Dame, everyone has played well above what I expected of them. And a lot of them will probably regress to the mean sooner or later. haha Wes won't shoot 50% from 3 for much longer given the amount of shots he takes.

And Nic's drives looks great these days btw. That slick move he pulled to posterize Jonas last night was not something he could have done a few years ago. And tbh, I don't mind him passing up shots this year as much as last because his teammates are actually making those this year.

 

[magnifier661]

It's all a matter of expectations. I think outside of Nic, LA and Dame, everyone has played well above what I expected of them. And a lot of them will probably regress to the mean sooner or later. haha Wes won't shoot 50% from 3 for much longer given the amount of shots he takes.

And Nic's drives looks great these days btw. That slick move he pulled to posterize Jonas last night was not something he could have done a few years ago. And tbh, I don't mind him passing up shots this year as much as last because his teammates are actually making those this year.

I think plays like this is what will shut haters up. This is what Batum should be doing for our ball club. He is really stepping up to be what I expected from him. If he keeps playing like this, you will hear no complaints from me.

 

[TBpup]

LMA and Lillard are having career years, yet neither rate an 'A'. Meanwhile, Robin Lopez gets the same grade as LMA, and a higher grade than Lillard? Are these grades based on what are expected of a player, or on an objective scale?

PapaG....yes, based more on expectations than objectively. From a talent/production standpoint, of course there is no way Lopez is in LA's neighborhood.

LA is one of the best shooters in the league but yet under 50% because he shoots from the outside so much...room for improvement. Lillard may be having a career year but is still only shooting 41% from the field so far so certainly not 'A' material yet for me.

Don't get me wrong, both are having very solid starts and LA is basically who he is while most of us think Lillard can still improve. Then again, I'm a tough grader and think A grades go to players like LeBron, Kobe etc.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

LeBron and Kobe? Not this season.

 

[TBpup]

LeBron and Kobe? Not this season.

Of course not for Kobe since he has been out but players "like" that. That said, if you don't want to give LeBron an 'A' so far for this season, I'm wondering who exactly would get one?

27 points, 7 assist, 5+ rebs on 62% shooting from the field and 52% from the arc. That seems pretty lofty.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Don't know how much more one can expect out on Nic. He has had an impact on every game this season. Posters talk about consistency with Nic and so far he has been exactly that. He may not score big every night, he may not get boat load of assists every night . . . but he has come to play every night getting involved one way or another.

Figuring out ways to win night in and night out . . . give the team an A for the way they started the season.

 

[e_blazer]

I guess if you're using the entire NBA spectrum of players to make your curve your grades make some sense. I mean, if LeBron is the baseline for an A then I think having our best grade an A- makes sense. OTOH, the Blazers are off to their best start in 14 years so it seems a little odd to think that nobody gets an A for their effort.

 

[KingSpeed]

I give everyone As. Winning is all that matters and they're all doing their part.

 

[KingSpeed]

LeBron and Kobe? Not this season.

LeBron is playing at MVP level yet again.

 

[barfo]

I give everyone a D-. I will reconsider after they win the championship.

barfo

 

[Pinwheel1]

You make a lot of great points tbpup. The one I would argue with is Nic. I can not give him the lowest grade
on the team. (Besides Robinson) Granted it was not by much, but still....not with those all around stats.

They all disappear offensively at times because there are so many other offensive options. How can you ding a guy for trying to get more assists on a team with so many scorers. If we lacked offensive production these last 10 games then maybe I could agree with passing up the open shots. But right now i would have to give him the same grade as the other starters.

Anyway it was a great post, but I needed to nitpick.

 

[mook]

Meh, I think grades based on your own expectations are much more reflective of your own understanding of the team and the NBA than they are a reflection of player performance. If you foolishly think Aldridge will suddenly fall apart, should he get an A when he doesn't? If you think Aldridge will be the exact same player once again that he's been for the past 4 years, should you punish him with a bad grade when he is? Why?

If you had a teacher who thought you were pretty smart at Calculus, but you got one question wrong on the test, should the teacher give you a worse grade than the next student who got the same question wrong but the teacher thought was generally more stupid? Seems kind of silly.

I think it makes much more sense to grade players in terms of overall ranking compared to other NBA players, and factor in positional strength and years in the league and impact on your team winning. So far I think you have to give Lillard and Aldridge and Stotts grades of A, because they are the guys really driving the success of the team. They are generally playing like the very best players at their position in the league in their current roles.

Frankly, at this point I think you'd have to dish out a lot A's and B+'s on this team, at least until you get deep into the bench. The system is working and generating wins. It's acing the test (given the talent on the roster) and the players who are creating this success should be recognized.

 

[magnifier661]

Meh, I think grades based on your own expectations are much more reflective of your own understanding of the team and the NBA than they are a reflection of player performance. If you foolishly think Aldridge will suddenly fall apart, should he get an A when he doesn't? If you think Aldridge will be the exact same player once again that he's been for the past 4 years, should you punish him with a bad grade when he is? Why?

If you had a teacher who thought you were pretty smart at Calculus, but you got one question wrong on the test, should the teacher give you a worse grade than the next student who got the same question wrong but the teacher thought was generally more stupid? Seems kind of silly.

I think it makes much more sense to grade players in terms of overall ranking compared to other NBA players, and factor in positional strength and years in the league and impact on your team winning. So far I think you have to give Lillard and Aldridge and Stotts grades of A, because they are the guys really driving the success of the team. They are generally playing like the very best players at their position in the league in their current roles.

Frankly, at this point I think you'd have to dish out a lot A's and B+'s on this team, at least until you get deep into the bench. The system is working and generating wins. It's acing the test (given the talent on the roster) and the players who are creating this success should be recognized.

Wow you make a ton of sense.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Meh, I think grades based on your own expectations are much more reflective of your own understanding of the team and the NBA than they are a reflection of player performance. If you foolishly think Aldridge will suddenly fall apart, should he get an A when he doesn't? If you think Aldridge will be the exact same player once again that he's been for the past 4 years, should you punish him with a bad grade when he is? Why?

If you had a teacher who thought you were pretty smart at Calculus, but you got one question wrong on the test, should the teacher give you a worse grade than the next student who got the same question wrong but the teacher thought was generally more stupid? Seems kind of silly.

I think it makes much more sense to grade players in terms of overall ranking compared to other NBA players, and factor in positional strength and years in the league and impact on your team winning. So far I think you have to give Lillard and Aldridge and Stotts grades of A, because they are the guys really driving the success of the team. They are generally playing like the very best players at their position in the league in their current roles.

Frankly, at this point I think you'd have to dish out a lot A's and B+'s on this team, at least until you get deep into the bench. The system is working and generating wins. It's acing the test (given the talent on the roster) and the players who are creating this success should be recognized.

You're the only person handing out grades to the players that I give an "A" to. Everyone else is in the B- to fail range.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

The question I ask is why are the three point shooters getting open looks? I think it comes from LA and DL running the pick and roll and LA posting up. It might take a couple of passes before getting to the open man, but it starts with the defense having to react to a move made by them. LA is also playing at a higher level earlier than he usually does.

 

[magnifier661]

The question I ask is why are the three point shooters getting open looks? I think it comes from LA and DL running the pick and roll and LA posting up. It might take a couple of passes before getting to the open man, but it starts with the defense having to react to a move made by them. LA is also playing at a higher level earlier than he usually does.

That's what I was noticing too! In years past, it would take about 2-3 months before you started seeing this type of production from Aldridge. He was usually a slower starter. I can't imagine what our team would look like if he improves like he normally does in 2-3 months. He could get to a 25/12 type player! <== One can dream can't they?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Neil Olshey: A
Terry Stotts: A (mayyyyybe an A-)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

TBPup..all in all a great post..

The only part I would even challange is this

Coaching - Stotts seems like the 'Mad 3-pt Scientist' but it is working so far on the offensive end. They really haven't played many tough teams so it will be interesting to see what happens when they start playing more quality competition. The points-in-the-paint problem is one of monumental disbelief but for the most part they have hit enough 3's to cover up that large deficit. Cover it up but certainly not make it go away. B-

Given an 8-2 start, which most fans if they are honest did not have the Blazers at, there is reason for optimism even if it is just a matter of beating weaker competition for the most part so far.

After watching so many coaches attempt to implant their imprint on the team with various degrees of success, it is a pleasant change to see these guys willingly embrace and begin to achieve rewards in the form of wins.

Where we are at odds is the percieved lack of competition. At the start of the season we all would have been happy with 5 and 5, even taking into account playing the Kings twice.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

LMA: A+. When 27/8 is a night at the office, you're a fucking boss.