Game Thread 2023-24 GAME #73 - BLAZERS @ HAWKS - MARCH 27, 2025 - WEDNESDAY - 4:30 PM PST - ROOT

[Blazinaway]

"He's this year's Trendon Watford."

seems a helluva lot better than Watford to me

 

[Hoopguru]

Banton plays to his strength pretty well. He's a handful with his height driving to the hoop, with the ball off the back board.

 

[Blazinaway]

Banton plays to his strength pretty well. He's a handful with his height driving to the hoop, with the ball off the back board.

nice to have a strength to play to, some of our guys just don't have that

 

[SheedSoNasty]

Do the atrocious Moses Brown free throws need their own thread?

 

[blazerkor]

I've seen enough of Dalano. If Shaedon is ready to play on Friday then Dalano needs to sit the rest of the season... his option for next season should obviously be picked up.

Three guard rotation of Scoot, Shae and Rayan for the rest of the season with Hagans getting spot minutes.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

what we see is not real, and the higher IQ sports guys on Portland radio will reset the narrative, move the goal posts. Become a zombie Blazer fan. Do what they think. Do not think for yourself.

The Banton bashing starts @ 4:06

https://www.youtube.com/live/9KYI4txOlzM?si=U56SLg8qrI_gfxeq

Banton is really interesting. What if we knew nothing about Scoot or Banton except their ages and what we see on the court? Banton seems to have all the tools. Just needs to make better decisions sometimes and improve his defense. I think he just needs game experience. Played only 21 G league games over 3 years and averaged only 10 minutes a game in somewhat limited NBA games.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

"He's this year's Trendon Watford."

That was a pretty weird comparison.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

I've seen enough of Dalano. If Shaedon is ready to play on Friday then Dalano needs to sit the rest of the season... his option for next season should obviously be picked up.

Three guard rotation of Scoot, Shae and Rayan for the rest of the season with Hagans getting spot minutes.

I disagree. I think Banton has the tools and just needs game experience. Forget Hagans. Don't need to develop anymore undersized guards. Why can't Rayan be a SF?

 

[blazerkor]

I disagree. I think Banton has the tools and just needs game experience. Forget Hagans. Don't need to develop anymore undersized guards. Why can't Rayan be a SF?

I agree that Banton is promising but dude's been in the league for three seasons. These last 7 games aren't going to be career altering for him. So we need to pick up his option, keeping him for next season and sit his ass down so Scoot, Rayan and Shae get virtually all of the minutes/reps at guard for these last 7 games.

 

[wizenheimer]

I disagree. I think Banton has the tools and just needs game experience. Forget Hagans. Don't need to develop anymore undersized guards. Why can't Rayan be a SF?

or Banton for that matter:



https://www.nbadraft.net/players/dalano-banton/

nothing wrong with having a ball-handling facilitator at SF. Banton + Rupert at wings with Scoot at PG would be interesting. Camara could be at PF.

There were several times against Houston when the length of Banton-Camara-Murray-Walker-Reath caused the Rockets lot of problems all over the court. It was fun to see after the Olshey/Cronin midget-ball era.

 

[wizenheimer]

I agree that Banton is promising but dude's been in the league for three seasons. These last 7 games aren't going to be career altering for him. So we need to pick up his option, keeping him for next season and sit his ass down so Scoot, Rayan and Shae get virtually all of the minutes/reps at guard for these last 7 games.

I don't see any issue at all with Banton sharing SF minutes with Camara. For that matter, if the Blazers want a little burn with Rupert at SF, somebody needs backup minutes at PG...that could be Banton

personally I don't see much benefit, other than fan interest, in playing Sharpe in the final half-dozen games

 

[Blazinaway]

I've seen enough of Dalano. If Shaedon is ready to play on Friday then Dalano needs to sit the rest of the season... his option for next season should obviously be picked up.

Three guard rotation of Scoot, Shae and Rayan for the rest of the season with Hagans getting spot minutes.

Maybe shave his minutes back but give the kid a chance as to keep proving himself as he has earned it. Plenty of minutes for Scoot/Shae/Rupert/Banton, I'd shave some of Murray's minutes and give them to Shae

 

[blazerfan11]

There are a couple possible big problems with Banton. First is his defense. Second, and probably more importantly, is his poor efficiency on offense.
I'm assuming March has been Banton's best month in his career, but he's near the bottom of the team in scoring efficiency.

Looking at some numbers, it looks like Banton is a volume player, not a quality player, at least for now.
I like a lot of the things he does. His 3-point shooting percentage is up to 37% after last night's game. He makes some very nice passes. He can rebound.
But, like Scoot, he needs to improve a level up to be more than a volume stat stuffer.

 

[Whyachi]

That was a pretty weird comparison.

i'm done with 620am shows for rest of season. A power tripping host trolling Banton because Scoot is struggling in a bigger role. That's agro jock talk, and just plain mean.

 

[blazerkor]

I don't see any issue at all with Banton sharing SF minutes with Camara. For that matter, if the Blazers want a little burn with Rupert at SF, somebody needs backup minutes at PG...that could be Banton

personally I don't see much benefit, other than fan interest, in playing Sharpe in the final half-dozen games

Maybe shave his minutes back but give the kid a chance as to keep proving himself as he has earned it. Plenty of minutes for Scoot/Shae/Rupert/Banton, I'd shave some of Murray's minutes and give them to Shae

I really like the idea of Dalano backing up both Scoot and Shaedon next season. What I don't like is the idea of us winning even one more game this season. I think Dalano and Shaedon would bring too much on both sides of the ball if they played together or even if their minutes were staggered.

I just hope we are really cautious and do what it takes to at least secure a tie for fourth in lotto odds.

 

[wizenheimer]

There are a couple possible big problems with Banton. First is his defense. Second, and probably more importantly, is his poor efficiency on offense.
I'm assuming March has been Banton's best month in his career, but he's near the bottom of the team in scoring efficiency.

Looking at some numbers, it looks like Banton is a volume player, not a quality player, at least for now.
I like a lot of the things he does. His 3-point shooting percentage is up to 37% after last night's game. He makes some very nice passes. He can rebound.
But, like Scoot, he needs to improve a level up to be more than a volume stat stuffer.

Portland is loaded with below average efficiency scoring

Banton is only .005 worse in TS% than Thybulle and .012 worse than Camara. And he's better than Sharpe, Rupert, Scoot, and Murray

in fact, league rank for TS%:




Portland has the worst scoring efficiency in the league. The median is about .580 and the Blazers are at .546.

eFG% isn't a better mark either:




dead last in both categories

there are probably a lot of reasons for this including personnel and Chauncey's coaching. Funny thing is that Portland had 6 rotational players above a .600 TS% last season and none this year. Last season they had 9 rotational players above a .550 3FG%; this season they have 2. Seems to be that it's a significant boost to team efficiency having a top-10ish player like Dame

so, I'd really think that Banton's efficiency would take a positive jump if he had better teammates

 

[AldoTrapani]

I like what I am seeing from Banton and Scoot seems to have regressed, yeah here's been hurt but has been back for long enough not to look this bad. Her's some Banton highlights

Thank you for this but yea fuck scoot.. I hope we cut bait with him before his stock drops more

 

[kjironman1]

Thank you for this but yea fuck scoot.. I hope we cut bait with him before his stock drops more

You sure got some doozies.

 

[PCmor7]

Shortly afterwards he tried ripping into Banton's efforts, and told us Dalano is the fat kid in the slow lane.

The fat kid in the slow lane always sticks out like a sore thumb ....