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HoopsFanAZ said:
Sharpe — and the Blazers — need the reality check of Sharpe on the court AFTER the season has begun. Development is key and practice will only do so much. The GLeague would offer skills work for most rookies on a nightly basis, but with the mystery for both team AND player, demystify it. Not forced minutes or a rotation spot inked in. He has to play some minutes this year.
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I’m not totally sure where you’re stance is. Are you saying he needs minutes in NBA action this year? Or basketball minutes overall, like GL?

It really sucks that we don’t have a GL team, but with Sharpe, I don’t really think it matters all that much whether a GL team is running our system.

Sharpe should be learning the ins and outs of our defense while he’s with the team, and then work on his offense while he’s away with a GL team. Even in the GL, he’s playing against a lot of real NBA guys and will get a chance to work on the offensive side of the ball.

Let’s be honest, I’m pretty sure most people are going to expect the worst with Nurkic going down. Very likely Winslow and maybe even Hart go out in trade. I think it only helps to have Sharpe having already played 30mpg in the GL for hopefully a good stretch of games to come up and play back up SF.
 
Duckhook said:
Just curious on your thought on when Anfernee was coming up through the organization. Did you see a spark that he could be legit? Same with GTJr, CJ, etc. You see these guys more than anyone else here. Can you spot that "it" factor in some right away?
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You could tell CJ was going to be cold. He was destroying Wes in practice daily. GT caught me by surprise. Was hearing he was even more intense in practice than in games though. And Ant you saw that he had it, but it was going to take awhile. Reminding me of Travis Outlaw at first.
 
I must say Watford needs to really work on his handle outside of just working on his 3. A lot of random slips and such happening in SL.

Despite not having Draymond’s intensity, Watford can make the same kind of impact on the court as Draymond with his leadership.

Right now, he’s really good at scoring around the basket. He also makes pretty good reads and can pass the ball well. If we really want him to play small ball 5, he really needs to work on his handle. I’d say it’s even more important than making sure his 3 comes along.

Against bench lineups of lesser teams, I’m interested to see how this kind of lineup would fare:

Dame/Payton/Hart/Walker/Watford

Between Dame, Hart, and Walker, there is enough to balance out Payton and Walker. If Watford is able to just rebound and go, this becomes even less of a problem. Payton, Hart, and Walker’s hustle may or may not make up for the lack of size in the lineup, that remains to be seen.
 
One thing that does strike optimism for me with this roster is that this team on paper is not as good as this team in reality.

This team for some reason reminds me of the 2013-14 team. That year, I remember the old Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose ESPN show predicting us to be 9th in the West (MIN was 8th). I had us being somewhere around 4-5.

The injury risks are much greater with this team, but I for some reason have a gut feeling we could be around 5-6 if Nurk and Dame stay healthy.
 
Nobody on this team comes close to Aldridge. Not counting Dame of course, but he was on the 13-14 team. I don't think we have a chance at being as good as the 13-14 team. We don't have a SF as good as Batum either. Nurk is better than Rolo.

That was the last time this team felt like a contender. This team doesn't feel like that. At all.
 
SlyPokerCat said:
Nobody on this team comes close to Aldridge. Not counting Dame of course, but he was on the 13-14 team. I don't think we have a chance at being as good as the 13-14 team. We don't have a SF as good as Batum either. Nurk is better than Rolo.

That was the last time this team felt like a contender. This team doesn't feel like that. At all.
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Agreed, no similarities at all. That team had:
  • a multi-time all-star,
  • a young scoring guard poised to make a big leap,
  • a new addition in the frontcourt intended to supplement the afore-mentioned veteran all-star,
  • an underachieving Euro with above-average playmaker ability,
  • a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops
  • a lotto-pick SG who got injured in preseason
This team is nothing like that one.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Agreed, no similarities at all. That team had:
  • a multi-time all-star,
  • a young scoring guard poised to make a big leap,
  • a new addition in the frontcourt intended to supplement the afore-mentioned veteran all-star,
  • an underachieving Euro with above-average playmaker ability,
  • a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops
  • a lotto-pick SG who got injured in preseason
This team is nothing like that one.
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Come on now. You can't honestly think this team has a chance of being as good as that team, do you? You're a reasonable person.

Wesley Matthews in his prime was a substantially better fit next to Dame than Simons will be too. That team had pieces that fit together better than our starting lineup will.
 
SlyPokerCat said:
Come on now. You can't honestly think this team has a chance of being as good as that team, do you? You're a reasonable person.

Wesley Matthews in his prime was a substantially better fit next to Dame than Simons will be too. That team had pieces that fit together better than our starting lineup will.
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Nobody thought that team would win 54 games.

No, Ant is not as good a backcourt-mate for Dame as Wes was. But I think this bench is significantly deeper than that year's was.

I don't think this team is a contender, but I'm starting to edge toward optimism. Come, join us in looking on the bright side.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Agreed, no similarities at all. That team had:
  • a multi-time all-star,
  • a young scoring guard poised to make a big leap,
  • a new addition in the frontcourt intended to supplement the afore-mentioned veteran all-star,
  • an underachieving Euro with above-average playmaker ability,
  • a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops
  • a lotto-pick SG who got injured in preseason
This team is nothing like that one.
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hearsay-johnny.gif
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Nobody thought that team would win 54 games.

No, Ant is not as good a backcourt-mate for Dame as Wes was. But I think this bench is significantly deeper than that year's was.

I don't think this team is a contender, but I'm starting to edge toward optimism. Come, join us in looking on the bright side.
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I'll be there if we decide on a timeline whether that be to move Dame and start over or move our young chips for another star for Dame to play with.

The West is just stacked with more talent than we have. Simons is gonna have to really pop and end up being a great fit next to Dame. I could see the first part happening, not the second.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Agreed, no similarities at all. That team had:
  • a multi-time all-star,
  • a young scoring guard poised to make a big leap,
  • a new addition in the frontcourt intended to supplement the afore-mentioned veteran all-star,
  • an underachieving Euro with above-average playmaker ability,
  • a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops
  • a lotto-pick SG who got injured in preseason
This team is nothing like that one.
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I was more talking about the vibe of the team and perception of the team in regards to everyone else not Blazers fans. But if you’re going to bring it up, why are we acting like:

- Dame isn’t a multi time all star?
- Ant isn’t a young scoring guard poised to make the next leap?
- a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops?
-Sharpe isn’t a lotto-pick SG who got injured?

Not sure why you’re adding “underachieving” next to Batum if you’re trying to make the point that the 2013-14 team is better lol.
 
BankTeller said:
I was more talking about the vibe of the team and perception of the team in regards to everyone else not Blazers fans. But if you’re going to bring it up, why are we acting like:

- Dame isn’t a multi time all star?
- Ant isn’t a young scoring guard poised to make the next leap?
- a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops?
-Sharpe isn’t a lotto-pick SG who got injured?

Not sure why you’re adding “underachieving” next to Batum if you’re trying to make the point that the 2013-14 team is better lol.
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I could be wrong, but I think Platy was making the argument that the teams ARE similar in those regards… perhaps in a facetious way
 
SlyPokerCat said:
I'll be there if we decide on a timeline whether that be to move Dame and start over or move our young chips for another star for Dame to play with.

The West is just stacked with more talent than we have. Simons is gonna have to really pop and end up being a great fit next to Dame. I could see the first part happening, not the second.
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With a team of Ant + Sharpe + Little + Watford + Walker, I wonder what front court players you could get with that core in addition to the 5 picks.
 
BankTeller said:
With a team of Ant + Sharpe + Little + Watford + Walker, I wonder what front court players you could get with that core in addition to the 5 picks.
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I'd love to see another star next to Dame in the next year or two. Hope we try.
 
BankTeller said:
I was more talking about the vibe of the team and perception of the team in regards to everyone else not Blazers fans. But if you’re going to bring it up, why are we acting like:

- Dame isn’t a multi time all star?
- Ant isn’t a young scoring guard poised to make the next leap?
- a 6'5" defensive dawg with underrated scoring chops?
-Sharpe isn’t a lotto-pick SG who got injured?

Not sure why you’re adding “underachieving” next to Batum if you’re trying to make the point that the 2013-14 team is better lol.
Click to expand...

I know tone/irony can be hard to parse over messages but come on now.
 
THE HCP said:
You think Walker gets playing time this season?
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This question has a bunch of questions around it that should be addressed first. My first response would be I hope the Blazers are healthy enough that it's tough for him to break into the rotation.
If there are a few injuries he could very likely see some time. If that happens, I hope he takes advantage of the opportunity.
 
SlyPokerCat said:
Nobody on this team comes close to Aldridge. Not counting Dame of course, but he was on the 13-14 team. I don't think we have a chance at being as good as the 13-14 team. We don't have a SF as good as Batum either. Nurk is better than Rolo.

That was the last time this team felt like a contender. This team doesn't feel like that. At all.
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No question LMA in 13-14 was a force. Every team had to double him every time down the floor. If they didn't it was an easy two. He got better at passing out of that double and he had learned to spin to the basket without the ball for the lob.
No question this team was hurt badly by losing him for nothing.
 
Fairly-Hard said:
No question LMA in 13-14 was a force. Every team had to double him every time down the floor. If they didn't it was an easy two. He got better at passing out of that double and he had learned to spin to the basket without the ball for the lob.
No question this team was hurt badly by losing him for nothing.
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I think a lot of fans forget how good he was. Too many people like to trash him. He is a top 10 blazer of all time. Yes, his personality left a lot to he desired. But he was a top big man in the league.
 
SlyPokerCat said:
I think a lot of fans forget how good he was. Too many people like to trash him. He is a top 10 blazer of all time. Yes, his personality left a lot to he desired. But he was a top big man in the league.
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I don't forget how good LA was. That's why i called him Benedict Aldridge. Because he was great, not good, and he set the franchise back, BIGTIME!! The grass ain't always greener, and he found that out in SA. Should have stayed. The Blazers just might have got it done.
 
tykendo said:
I don't forget how good LA was. That's why i called him Benedict Aldridge. Because he was great, not good, and he set the franchise back, BIGTIME!! The grass ain't always greener, and he found that out in SA. Should have stayed. The Blazers just might have got it done.
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Definitely. We had some great conversations about Aldridge behind the scenes at a meet and greet. He felt like all the love went to Roy and then Oden and that he was overlooked. I can see that point of view. I don't really blame Aldridge. He went home. Many of us would want to go to our hometown too. It was Olsheys fault for not getting a definitive answer. He should have traded him when he could have got high value if he had any feeling he would leave.

Aldridge will still always be one of my favorite blazers. I liked him more than Roy or Oden.
 
SlyPokerCat said:
Definitely. We had some great conversations about Aldridge behind the scenes at a meet and greet. He felt like all the love went to Roy and then Oden and that he was overlooked. I can see that point of view. I don't really blame Aldridge. He went home. Many of us would want to go to our hometown too. It was Olsheys fault for not getting a definitive answer. He should have traded him when he could have got high value if he had any feeling he would leave.

Aldridge will still always be one of my favorite blazers. I liked him more than Roy or Oden.
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San Antonio isn't his home. He grew up in Dallas. It'd be like me growing up in Chicago, and then "going home" to play at Indiana, Milwaukee or Detroit, all which are closer to Chicago than San Antonio is to Dallas.
 
RR7 said:
San Antonio isn't his home. He grew up in Dallas. It'd be like me growing up in Chicago, and then "going home" to play at Indiana, Milwaukee or Detroit, all which are closer to Chicago than San Antonio is to Dallas.
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Its in the state of texas. Its like 290 miles away which isn't that far. And it is super close to where his friends, family, and the University of Texas, which he attended, are.

It's pretty close to home. If your son lived in Chicago you might want to sign with Milwaukee to be closer to him and spend more time with him. Sports fans get all up in arms about it, yet, in their own lives they may make a similar decision.
 
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Fairly-Hard said:
No question LMA in 13-14 was a force. Every team had to double him every time down the floor. If they didn't it was an easy two. He got better at passing out of that double and he had learned to spin to the basket without the ball for the lob.
No question this team was hurt badly by losing him for nothing.
Click to expand...

SlyPokerCat said:
Definitely. We had some great conversations about Aldridge behind the scenes at a meet and greet. He felt like all the love went to Roy and then Oden and that he was overlooked. I can see that point of view. I don't really blame Aldridge. He went home. Many of us would want to go to our hometown too. It was Olsheys fault for not getting a definitive answer. He should have traded him when he could have got high value if he had any feeling he would leave.

Aldridge will still always be one of my favorite blazers. I liked him more than Roy or Oden.
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So two things... well.... three things.

1. Aldridge was a really good player. He left a little to be desired on defense, which was sad because he was a really good defender when he wanted to be, but he and Dame could have been the foundation to win a ring. It's annoying that we never really got to see it.

2. My issue with Aldridge is that the fucker didn't just come out and say he wanted out. He played that bullshit about wanting to retire as the best Blazer ever. A lot of us knew he wanted out. We were BEGGING the team to trade him a year... two years... before he left. He didn't help by coming out publicly and saying he loved the Blazers and wanted to retire here. He put the team in a tough spot because if they traded him, they'd be the bad guys. I think he did it deliberately to prevent them from trading him so he didn't have to deal with going to a new team before ultimately signing with the Spurs.

3. Fuck Neil. That moron should have seen the writing on the wall and made the trade. That's his fucking job. He should have been fired for that alone. That was just one of many transgressions that he was allowed to get away with, and arguably the most egregious. Worse than 2016. He let a HOFer walk for nothing in his prime. And there was tons of warning that he was going to leave. Neil and his ego led him to believe that he could convince LMA to stay and it was never going to happen.
 
Natebishop3 said:
So two things... well.... three things.

1. Aldridge was a really good player. He left a little to be desired on defense, which was sad because he was a really good defender when he wanted to be, but he and Dame could have been the foundation to win a ring. It's annoying that we never really got to see it.

2. My issue with Aldridge is that the fucker didn't just come out and say he wanted out. He played that bullshit about wanting to retire as the best Blazer ever. A lot of us knew he wanted out. We were BEGGING the team to trade him a year... two years... before he left. He didn't help by coming out publicly and saying he loved the Blazers and wanted to retire here. He put the team in a tough spot because if they traded him, they'd be the bad guys. I think he did it deliberately to prevent them from trading him so he didn't have to deal with going to a new team before ultimately signing with the Spurs.

3. Fuck Neil. That moron should have seen the writing on the wall and made the trade. That's his fucking job. He should have been fired for that alone. That was just one of many transgressions that he was allowed to get away with, and arguably the most egregious. Worse than 2016. He let a HOFer walk for nothing in his prime. And there was tons of warning that he was going to leave. Neil and his ego led him to believe that he could convince LMA to stay and it was never going to happen.
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Didn't Aldridge blame Neil about the best blazer of all time thing? I thought he had said something at one time that he was pressured by management to say something like that.
 
Natebishop3 said:
So two things... well.... three things.

1. Aldridge was a really good player. He left a little to be desired on defense, which was sad because he was a really good defender when he wanted to be, but he and Dame could have been the foundation to win a ring. It's annoying that we never really got to see it.

2. My issue with Aldridge is that the fucker didn't just come out and say he wanted out. He played that bullshit about wanting to retire as the best Blazer ever. A lot of us knew he wanted out. We were BEGGING the team to trade him a year... two years... before he left. He didn't help by coming out publicly and saying he loved the Blazers and wanted to retire here. He put the team in a tough spot because if they traded him, they'd be the bad guys. I think he did it deliberately to prevent them from trading him so he didn't have to deal with going to a new team before ultimately signing with the Spurs.

3. Fuck Neil. That moron should have seen the writing on the wall and made the trade. That's his fucking job. He should have been fired for that alone. That was just one of many transgressions that he was allowed to get away with, and arguably the most egregious. Worse than 2016. He let a HOFer walk for nothing in his prime. And there was tons of warning that he was going to leave. Neil and his ego led him to believe that he could convince LMA to stay and it was never going to happen.
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I think Paul thought he and NO could get it done, no sweat and he was wrong.
Ive always thought he played the game so he could sign with the spurs rather than be traded elsewhere. He wanted to end up with his son and mother in SA.
 
SlyPokerCat said:
Didn't Aldridge blame Neil about the best blazer of all time thing? I thought he had said something at one time that he was pressured by management to say something like that.
Click to expand...

Not sure. I never saw that, but I don't really believe it. LMA is such a sensitive flower that it wouldn't surprise me at all that he threw the team under the bus to try to make himself look better. After he left there was reports from within the team that he was always super sensitive and insecure and I 100% believe that based on the way he carried himself and the way that there were various reports of jealousy of Roy and Oden.

I don't think Neil could make him do anything he didn't want to do.
 
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