Are we still tanking?

[blazerkor]

Cronin is playing 4D chess. He's going to tank for three more years by strategic "injuries" to all key players. We're talking about no one playing close to a full season. He will re-sign these guys as the years go on because they will all be in on it, understanding the bigger picture. After he's collected a roster of lottery pick stars the chains will be removed, and he'll release the Kraken on the NBA. Our dynasty will begin in 2027 and will last over a decade. Genius!

Fuck this! Cronin needs to exchange the win now guys for young prospects and future draft assets. Then we need to play all of our young prospects the entire fucking season and let them do everything they can to win. If they end up close to the play-in that bodes very very well for where we'll be in a few years but most likely they will lose almost all of their games to begin the season and get more wins down the stretch but still end up in a solid lotto position. No need to sit the best players. No need to play guys out of position at the end of games to insure a loss. Just let the chips fall where they may after almost guaranteeing that the team will lose a lot but in those losses get valuable experience for guys who will win in the future.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Scoot getting minutes is not my concern. Get rid of the "win now" vets who dominate the ball.

We need the ball in Scoot and Shae's hands to start possessions as much as possible. We need those guys defending the best guards on opposing teams as much as possible.

We'll lose games, even while trying to win. And they'll be getting so much more experience handling the situations they'll need to handle once we are back in the playoff picture in a few years.

If you think the vets dominate the ball too much....whose fault is that? It is pretty easy to sit a player if he is not doing what the coach is asking.

 

[MickZagger]

Scoot getting minutes is not my concern. Get rid of the "win now" vets who dominate the ball.

We need the ball in Scoot and Shae's hands to start possessions as much as possible. We need those guys defending the best guards on opposing teams as much as possible.

We'll lose games, even while trying to win. And they'll be getting so much more experience handling the situations they'll need to handle once we are back in the playoff picture in a few years.

Id like to see Sharpe’s minutes scaled back a bit. They kind of ride him hard last year. I think next year will be really telling whether he has that dawg in him.

I’m hoping Sharpe and Scoot are spending their offseason working out together, gelling and hopefully becoming besties.

If they can develop a camaraderie and become hungry together our team can become good quick.

They both seem like basketball geeks which is what you look for in a young prospect.

 

[blazerkor]

If you think the vets dominate the ball too much....whose fault is that? It is pretty easy to sit a player if he is not doing what the coach is asking.

Personally I think the easiest fix is to trade win now players to win now teams for win later assets (draft capital/prospects). It's not only the easy fix to the problem you mentioned but just the sensible thing to do in our position. I don't think it is easy to tell two guys that you've labeled as the best players on your team and who probably still are, to sacrifice their game, during the game, in order to allow their eventual replacements to gain experience. I don't think it's easy on team morale to sit those guys and expect them to be as good for the team as they were when you were letting them do what they do best.

Luckily again today at Clingan's presser Shaedon and Scoot were mentioned but Jermai and Ant were not, this time by Chauncey. Ayton was also mentioned and I think that means that we want to keep him starting and even try out lineups with him and Clingan. I feel like the writing is on the wall that Jerami and Ant will not suit up for us again but we'll have to wait and find out.

 

[Phatguysrule]

If you think the vets dominate the ball too much....whose fault is that? It is pretty easy to sit a player if he is not doing what the coach is asking.

If you have vets that aren't producing they will lose value.

Our vets have showed well. All I'm saying is let's turn that value into picks and Young players like we did with Brogdon.

We're not going to get a better coach until we have a team that can compete. Or at least has the young players that could reasonably expect to be competitive in the future.

Maybe one of those guys is already on our staff.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Id like to see Sharpe’s minutes scaled back a bit. They kind of ride him hard last year. I think next year will be really telling whether he has that dawg in him.

I’m hoping Sharpe and Scoot are spending their offseason working out together, gelling and hopefully becoming besties.

If they can develop a camaraderie and become hungry together our team can become good quick.

They both seem like basketball geeks which is what you look for in a young prospect.

Yeah, I'm fine with Camara or Avdija getting the rest of Sharpe's minutes.

We don't need Ant, Grant, or Brogdon (as an example) getting them. Those guys have value. Convert that value into youth.

 

[kjironman1]

When you put the mating call as an answer on a poll that might mess with a validity of the outcome?

 

[inconceivable]

If you think the vets dominate the ball too much....whose fault is that? It is pretty easy to sit a player if he is not doing what the coach is asking.

The coach may also have instuctions from their boss

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I honestly don't think we CAN tank. We have 3 very good guards. We have 3 very good forwards (yes, I count Camara), and we have 2 very good centers. Also, if 2 of the guards are both injured, Deni can move down. If 2 forwards are injured, Sharpe can move up.

I think the biggest priority is to move off of Thybulle's contract. If we do that, we are in full mle territory.

 

[wizenheimer]

I honestly don't think we CAN tank. We have 3 very good guards. We have 3 very good forwards (yes, I count Camara), and we have 2 very good centers. Also, if 2 of the guards are both injured, Deni can move down. If 2 forwards are injured, Sharpe can move up.

I think the biggest priority is to move off of Thybulle's contract. If we do that, we are in full mle territory.

counting Clingan and Banton, do you have a handle on what Portland's payroll is? It knd of lookisk like they are 5-7M below the tax line

 

[Wizard Mentor]

counting Clingan and Banton, do you have a handle on what Portland's payroll is? It knd of lookisk like they are 5-7M below the tax line

I heard $4 ;mil before signing Banton.

 

[HansenYang]

counting Clingan and Banton, do you have a handle on what Portland's payroll is? It knd of lookisk like they are 5-7M below the tax line

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/tax

Currently $11M not including Clingan. With Clingan it will be approximately $4m

 

[BigGameDamian]

Here’s another guy we’ll have to tank for.

 

[blazerkor]

I honestly don't think we CAN tank. We have 3 very good guards. We have 3 very good forwards (yes, I count Camara), and we have 2 very good centers. Also, if 2 of the guards are both injured, Deni can move down. If 2 forwards are injured, Sharpe can move up.

I think the biggest priority is to move off of Thybulle's contract. If we do that, we are in full mle territory.

I just want to make sure I'm getting this straight. Are you saying that this roster is an MLE level player away from trying to win in the playoffs???

 

[Samuel]

I honestly don't think we CAN tank. We have 3 very good guards. We have 3 very good forwards (yes, I count Camara), and we have 2 very good centers. Also, if 2 of the guards are both injured, Deni can move down. If 2 forwards are injured, Sharpe can move up.

I think the biggest priority is to move off of Thybulle's contract. If we do that, we are in full mle territory.

I agree with this except replace good with ‘talented’. It’ll be pretty messy most of the time and after trades they’ll be back in flagg territory.

 

[kjironman1]

I just want to make sure I'm getting this straight. Are you saying that this roster is an MLE level player away from trying to win in the playoffs???

It’s way early but it seems like some are getting ready for season win predictions when we start seeing people throwing out 45-50 win type numbers. This might be a direct result of some thinking Brogdon was worth two unprotected firsts.
Kind of seems like those things go hand in hand.

 

[STOMP]

We are going to suck whether we aim to or not.

3-5 they should have decent play, whether they suck or not depends on health and how the youngins are coming along. You don't win with subpar play from the backcourt

STOMP

 

[Ed O]

I honestly don't think we CAN tank. We have 3 very good guards. We have 3 very good forwards (yes, I count Camara), and we have 2 very good centers. Also, if 2 of the guards are both injured, Deni can move down. If 2 forwards are injured, Sharpe can move up.

This is a wildly optimistic view on this roster. I wonder how you can reconcile the team's losing against other teams while thinking we have such a stacked roster.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

This is a wildly optimistic view on this roster. I wonder how you can reconcile the team's losing against other teams while thinking we have such a stacked roster.

last season there was this thing called massive injuries.

 

[kjironman1]

last season there was this thing called massive injuries.

Ahhh. Injury Riddled.
So it’s okay to predict 40 wins and then walk it back because of injuries.
Wait? We weren’t allowed to use the injury excuse when Stotts was the coach and they were actually trying to win. Here Chauncey has a whole new Tank/Fake injury Cooper Flag excuse. Two seasons ago it was Wemby. I guess last year was just practice for next year.
Yes I’m just messing with you…

 

[wizenheimer]

last season there was this thing called massive injuries.

the injuries seemed to really get heavy around the all-star break, after the trade deadline. Portland was 15-36 (.294) at the trade deadline; 15-39 at the all-star break. After the trade deadline, the Blazers would have had to go on a 31 game win streak just to have a shot at 10th seed

 

[blazerkor]

the injuries seemed to really get heavy around the all-star break, after the trade deadline. Portland was 15-36 (.294) at the trade deadline; 15-39 at the all-star break. After the trade deadline, the Blazers would have had to go on a 31 game win streak just to have a shot at 10th seed

It's also hilarious for someone to call blatant tanking and sitting healthy players for the tank "this thing called massive injuries". The only real injuries last season that fucked up what we were trying to do were those that Shaedon and Scoot sustained. When the injury report says a guy is day to day for three fucking months, that's not legit. Obviously you know this...

 

[SharpesTriumph]

last season there was this thing called massive injuries.

As well as the year prior and the year prior.

What is likely for next season, during an epically strong draft we don't sit anyone out with injuries and try hard to win for the first time since Olshey was here? Or we see the same strategy as Cronin has done 100% of the time?

 

[BIG Q]

It's also hilarious for someone to call blatant tanking and sitting healthy players for the tank "this thing called massive injuries". The only real injuries last season that fucked up what we were trying to do were those that Shaedon and Scoot sustained. When the injury report says a guy is day to day for three fucking months, that's not legit. Obviously you know this...

Simons got hurt in the first game, Timelord in the sixth and Sharpe was showing signs of injury around game 15 I think and tried to play through until shutting down. Brogdon was also legitamtely injured some, as was Grant. Yes, the players probably recuperated longer than if they were fighting for playoff seeding. Scoot was out multiple games a couple times hurting his development. Injuries were real last season, no doubt.

 

[BIG Q]

As well as the year prior and the year prior.

What is likely for next season, during an epically strong draft we don't sit anyone out with injuries and try hard to win for the first time since Olshey was here? Or we see the same strategy as Cronin has done 100% of the time?

If Portland also sends out Ant/Grant then they should play the young guys with whatever vets they get in return sprinkled in trying to win as much as possible, learning as they lose. Losses will be inevitable, but it's a rebuild, not a tank.

 

[Ed O]

last season there was this thing called massive injuries.

And with some Blazers fans there are these things called "excuses".

Every. Year.

 

[Natebishop3]

This is the year to full tank.

It sounds like right now there's four legit stars at the top of the draft. We want to make sure we have the best chance possible to get one of those top 4 spots.

Sell Simons. Sell Grant. Sell Timelord.

 

[e_blazer]

And with some Blazers fans there are these things called "excuses".

Every. Year.

Ed, you've consistently pointed to the record the Blazers had last season as indicative of their lack of talent. That makes zero sense from a logic standpoint when the Blazers had lengthy injuries to core players AND management was intent on losing after the trade deadline. While nobody with any common sense is saying that the Blazers were a competitive team even if they had been reasonably healthy and intent upon winning, many here believe we have no true indication as to what a Blazers team like that could have produced because we simply never saw it on the court. The record is roughly the equivalent of an incomplete on the report card.

 

[bemac]

Ed, you've consistently pointed to the record the Blazers had last season as indicative of their lack of talent. That makes zero sense from a logic standpoint when the Blazers had lengthy injuries to core players AND management was intent on losing after the trade deadline. While nobody with any common sense is saying that the Blazers were a competitive team even if they had been reasonably healthy and intent upon winning, many here, we have no true indication as to what a Blazers team like that could have produced because we simply never saw it on the court. The record is roughly the equivalent of an incomplete on the report card.

This is not the place for critical thinking...This is the place to release all those emotionally charged feelings. I agree with your assessment, and lucky for us, the professionals running the team seem to be in agreement as well.

 

[Paine Tablet]

It's also hilarious for someone to call blatant tanking and sitting healthy players for the tank "this thing called massive injuries". The only real injuries last season that fucked up what we were trying to do were those that Shaedon and Scoot sustained. When the injury report says a guy is day to day for three fucking months, that's not legit. Obviously you know this...

Anfernee missed a lot of time to start the season and actually barely played with Shaedon in the grand scheme of a season. People are all ready to write off their co-existence when it's barely been tried.