Game Thread 2025 PRESEASON GAME #1 - BLAZERS @ WARRIORS - WED- OCT 8 2025 - 7:00 PM PST - NBA TV - BV - KUNP

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julius said:
It showed that this team has a load of actual potential (instead of the mythical potential), but that after 1-8, the team drops off (Shaedon, Tou, Deni, Jrue.........Grant, Clingan, Tisse and Yan) there is a Hells Canyonesque drop off in talent.

Cissoko, Love, Cooke and Rupert shouldn't see minutes.

Scoot being back will help a lot, but the lack of offense from Tisse, Clingan and Yan might be difficult to cope with.
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Scoot when healthy, RW3 once in a while, Murray as a 10th man, and Blake Wesley as a low-minute 3rd-string PG all help to round things out.
 
B-Roy said:
I think Chauncey knows what he's doing by bringing Deni off the bench and continuing to start Grant. You can't immediately bench a vet like Grant without him explicitly losing his starting spot. If, after the pre-season, he plays legitimately worse than both Deni and Toumani (which it's looking like), then you can actually approach Grant with the justification for him coming off the bench.
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The justification was last season. He sucked. And he still sucks. He should have to earn his way back into the starting lineup after the way he played last year.
 
B-Roy said:
I think Chauncey knows what he's doing by bringing Deni off the bench and continuing to start Grant. You can't immediately bench a vet like Grant without him explicitly losing his starting spot. If, after the pre-season, he plays legitimately worse than both Deni and Toumani (which it's looking like), then you can actually approach Grant with the justification for him coming off the bench.
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What is this -- high school? He's not a baby. Remove the kid gloves
 
It's funny how Danny Marang has constantly been like "you don't bench Grant, he's proved/earned it!"

In the first pre-season game where he's been given the starting spot/chance to shine, he...went 2-11 and looked like a warm body at times.

Shaedon, given the same chance, went 9-15 and looked like easily the best player on the team.
 
I dunno, do you really have to justify starting your best players? Deni vs Grant ain’t even close. I worry about the bigs. Just not seeing how ANY can play 35 min a game. Timelord would be injured in 2 games, if he ever plays, same for Clingan. Yang will foul out every game. Not liking it.
 
Cugel said:
I worry about the bigs. Just not seeing how ANY can play 35 min a game. Timelord would be injured in 2 games, if he ever plays, same for Clingan. Yang will foul out every game. Not liking it.
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We don't want or need any of our bigs to play 35min/game. We have versatility from our center position, and that's a good thing.
 
Natebishop3 said:
The justification was last season. He sucked. And he still sucks. He should have to earn his way back into the starting lineup after the way he played last year.
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Did you miss the pre-game comment where they said Chauncey told them not to read anything into the rotations? He’s going to mix things up these first few games, but I’d put money on Deni starting over Grant come the counting games. I’d also bet that Grant plays better than he did last night.
 
The Chinese kid will be playing G league. Bet on it. He’s way outta his league at this point.
It’s the only way to get him enough playing time for him to even begin to get a feel for the NBA game.
At this point I’m hoping it wasn’t a wasted pick.
He was absolutely atrocious.
At least he’s a good kid that they say will work hard.
 
KingSpeed said:
Jimmy Butler maybe?
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Butler is more like Pippen. He's had 7 seasons when he averaged 5 assists or more; two seasons over 6 assists, one season over 7. He can effectively run an offense, and has. I don't think Camara has anything like that in his toolbox, and he's already 25
 
e_blazer said:
Did you miss the pre-game comment where they said Chauncey told them not to read anything into the rotations? He’s going to mix things up these first few games, but I’d put money on Deni starting over Grant come the counting games. I’d also bet that Grant plays better than he did last night.
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I am responding to what B-Roy said. I saw what Chauncey said about the lineup. I'm saying that they should be treating Grant the other way... he should EARN his way back into the starting lineup. It shouldn't be on Tou and Deni to prove again that they're much better than him, which they are.
 
Natebishop3 said:
I am responding to what B-Roy said. I saw what Chauncey said about the lineup. I'm saying that they should be treating Grant the other way... he should EARN his way back into the starting lineup. It shouldn't be on Tou and Deni to prove again that they're much better than him, which they are.
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That's the thing that bugs me most about how Danny Marang has been going off about Grant. Grant hasn't earned the starting 4 spot based on his play last year, and Deni clearly has passed him on the rankings. I'd even put Tou ahead of him also. And if Shaedon continues to play like he did last night, he'd pass him too.

There is no way, esp given his play last year, that Grant is guaranteed shit.
 
julius said:
That's the thing that bugs me most about how Danny Marang has been going off about Grant. Grant hasn't earned the starting 4 spot based on his play last year, and Deni clearly has passed him on the rankings. I'd even put Tou ahead of him also. And if Shaedon continues to play like he did last night, he'd pass him too.

There is no way, esp given his play last year, that Grant is guaranteed shit.
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He was SO bad last year. And it seems to me like he's checked out.

2-11 from the field and 1-5 from three. Shockingly he had 5 rebounds.

I think we are stuck with him and that's fine, but there's no justification for playing him over Deni and Tou.
 
Well maybe the rookie reality check set in in this game.....hopefully the buzz around Yang will calm down and reporters will stop asking every teammate about his value...the kid has plenty to adjust to as it is. He's clearly not up to speed yet.
 
Natebishop3 said:
I am responding to what B-Roy said. I saw what Chauncey said about the lineup. I'm saying that they should be treating Grant the other way... he should EARN his way back into the starting lineup. It shouldn't be on Tou and Deni to prove again that they're much better than him, which they are.
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I don't think Billups is asking Tou and Deni to prove anything, I think he's just experimenting with lineups to see what combinations of players work well together. If he's starting Grant over either of them on opening night, I'm going to get excited (in a negative way).
 
riverman said:
Well maybe the rookie reality check set in in this game.....hopefully the buzz around Yang will calm down and reporters will stop asking every teammate about his value...the kid has plenty to adjust to as it is. He's clearly not up to speed yet.
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Nope he isn’t.
Lots of work he must put in for sure.
 
Camara, Deni: In midseason form
Grant: Sigh.
Clingan: 7 rebounds in 11 minutes. Not sure why he didn't play more.
Holiday: A coach's best friend. Stabilizes both offense and defense when he's in there.
Sharpe: Early signs point to him taking the leap.
Murray: Shot 4/5. Hope he continues that, because his d is solid, and I want him to stay.
Reath: 3 highlight plays in 11 minutes, wow. Clearly, is better than end of the bench scrubs.
Hansen: Refs didn't let him play. Will definitely be a learning season for him. Not worried, at all.
Wesley: A solid rotation player in this system, period. Love his energy and drive-and-kick game.
Rupes: sucked ass. After an awesome summer league, looked here like a nonplayer. Missed Layups and FTs.
2-way players: gave up a 51 point 4th quarter to GS scrubs. It's really hard to process that.
 
e_blazer said:
I don't think Billups is asking Tou and Deni to prove anything, I think he's just experimenting with lineups to see what combinations of players work well together. If he's starting Grant over either of them on opening night, I'm going to get excited (in a negative way).
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He did ask Tou to be 1st team all defense.
 
wizenheimer said:
Butler is more like Pippen. He's had 7 seasons when he averaged 5 assists or more; two seasons over 6 assists, one season over 7. He can effectively run an offense, and has. I don't think Camara has anything like that in his toolbox, and he's already 25
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By the time Jimmy Butler was 25, he didn't have that in his toolbox either. He won MIP that year, with a career high of 3.3 apg. Not that I'm expecting Camara to win MIP or anything, but so far Butler has actually been a pretty damn good same-age analog for Toumani's first couple years

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I was very impressed with our actual rotation players last night. Sharp and Camara look legit. Our rookie looked pretty rough but that's to be expected. Once Scoot is back we legitimately have 7 starters. I think we surprise some people this year if healthy.
 
I think they’ll be games like last nights that playing our centers don’t make a lot of sense and we’ll play small ball with Grant at center
 
1 Eye Jack said:
I think they’ll be games like last nights that playing our centers don’t make a lot of sense and we’ll play small ball with Grant at center
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For a moment I misread that as "Giannis at center". The trade talk has infected my brain
 
Domihatin said:
I know you're posturing, but come on, Hansen surely had nerves and had to deal with the language barrier and needs time to adjust. He will figure it out. And he's super smart, so you can imagine he's going to watch film and look to correct his mistakes.
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Bro, you had this kid with one foot into an all star spot just last week and attacked me for questioning that ludicrous opinion. He did exactly what I said he would to you in my reply. You need to check yourself coming in here swinging the way you did. Unrealistic not thought out uneducated takes is the only thing that sucks around here. Just slow your roll and let the kid grow at his pace. We gave up DA and we will really notice it this season. Wait til we play a team that actually has a low post presence.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
By the time Jimmy Butler was 25, he didn't have that in his toolbox either. He won MIP that year, with a career high of 3.3 apg. Not that I'm expecting Camara to win MIP or anything, but so far Butler has actually been a pretty damn good same-age analog for Toumani's first couple years

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we'll see I guess but I just don't think Camara will develop the same level of ball-handling that Butler had/has

now, it's possible that Camara might develop a similar 'quick-relay' passing game like Batum had. Nic didn't utilize dribbling as a facilitator; he used court vision and quick passes.
 
UKRAINEFAN said:
It would be nice if Murray could shoot well to start out and get his confidence back.
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SharpesTriumph said:
Back?
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UKRAINEFAN said:
You think he was shooting with confidence at the end of last season?
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Murray getting his confidence "back" implies he had it at some point.

It's like saying I'm trying to get my trillion dollars back - as though I once had it.

Murray shot a career high 3pt % last season of 26%. There's nothing for him to get "back".
 
B-Roy said:
I think Chauncey knows what he's doing by bringing Deni off the bench and continuing to start Grant. You can't immediately bench a vet like Grant without him explicitly losing his starting spot. If, after the pre-season, he plays legitimately worse than both Deni and Toumani (which it's looking like), then you can actually approach Grant with the justification for him coming off the bench.
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It's amazing the delusional speculation we have of why Grant is still here or has such and such role.

Used to be that it was because Cronin knows the Lakers will be forced to give up two first round picks for him. Then Grant needs to start to keep his value up.

Now its Billups playing 4 D chess.

I wonder what the reason will be next.
 
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