Bench Made

[e_blazer]

Last night's game was what you could call a bench made win: on a night where Dame and CJ struggled to score and Nurk was forced to play restricted minutes due to foul trouble, the bench came through big time. It was exactly the kind of game that last season resulted in a big loss, yet this time the bench scored 54 of the Blazers' total 103 points. Can anyone remember a time last season where the bench outscored the starters? IIRC, the bench scoring 30 points was a big deal. This year, the Blazers' bench is a force, sporting the third best net rating of all benches in the NBA so far:

https://on.nba.com/2yH3Pm2

That's kind of funny given the grief Olshey was given around here over the summer for letting Ed walk and only making the seemingly minimal acquisitions of Curry and Stauskas. The pundits were less than impressed with the Blazers' bench unit prior to the start of the season, with CBS Sports rating them the 4th worst in the league:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...ippers-boast-top-reserves-for-2018-19-season/

I don't know if what they're doing is sustainable for the rest of the season, but so far Blazers management's decisions look spot on. ET is working well as a second unit floor general. Zach's growth in an expanded role has been spectacular. Stauskas has opened eyes around the league with his play and Curry looks to be a great pick up in his own right. On given nights, Meyers and Biggie have made major contributions.

I don't want to have to test the bench with too many games where the starters are struggling in a big way, but it's nice to know that the bench is capable of stepping up and providing a safety net.

 

[e_blazer]

So, no comments? It seems to me like so far the bench improvement is the BIG story with this team.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I've been amazed by the way the bench has played. First time in a long time that when substitutions begin, I think, "all right, now we'll start to see some separation". I was amazed by Biggie's contributions last night, too. Think I'd really love to see Mo return to the starting lineup, and have Jake, Biggie, and Meyers all as plausible frontcourt pairings with Zach, depending on the matchup situtations and the skillset needed. Also need to see some more consistent play from Curry over the next couple weeks (6 game home stand coming up in the first half of November!!).

 

[e_blazer]

I've been amazed by the way the bench has played. First time in a long time that when substitutions begin, I think, "all right, now we'll start to see some separation". I was amazed by Biggie's contributions last night, too. Think I'd really love to see Mo return to the starting lineup, and have Jake, Biggie, and Meyers all as plausible frontcourt pairings with Zach, depending on the matchup situtations and the skillset needed. Also need to see some more consistent play from Curry over the next couple weeks (6 game home stand coming up in the first half of November!!).

Good points. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the bench plays against the Pelicans on Thursday. I think this bench would have made a world of difference in the playoff series with them last season.

 

[MARIS61]

Meyers Leonard will lead us to a Championship.

 

[andalusian]

Meyers Leonard will lead us to a Championship.

Only if the Carpenters Association of America does not understand what "bench celebration" is.

 

[illmatic99]

Turner/Collins have been fantastic to start the season. Why didn't Terry put ET on the ball sooner?

 

[Labinot41]

Remember when the bench came in fucked up Everything. Feels so good to have a good bench now

 

[hoopsjock]

Remember when the bench came in fucked up Everything. Feels so good to have a good bench now

How can the worst GM in the league according to you at signing players have a good bench?

 

[CupWizier]

I've been amazed by the way the bench has played. First time in a long time that when substitutions begin, I think, "all right, now we'll start to see some separation". I was amazed by Biggie's contributions last night, too. Think I'd really love to see Mo return to the starting lineup, and have Jake, Biggie, and Meyers all as plausible frontcourt pairings with Zach, depending on the matchup situtations and the skillset needed. Also need to see some more consistent play from Curry over the next couple weeks (6 game home stand coming up in the first half of November!!).

Biggie was, well big. Nice to see that. As for Curry, keep in mind he missed all of last year so it will take some time.

 

[TBpup]

Turner/Collins have been fantastic to start the season. Why didn't Terry put ET on the ball sooner?

Just not possible with Stotts without 3 months and a full training camp to prepare.

 

[Orion Bailey]

So, no comments? It seems to me like so far the bench improvement is the BIG story with this team.

My comment is you only gave us 25 minutes to comment. lol Some of us actually have to comment in between getting work done!

And yes the bench is kick ass, but I dont think it will stay that way. I think Collins is working his way into a starter role.

 

[Labinot41]

How can the worst GM in the league according to you at signing players have a good bench?

I've said probably the worst GM in free agency and signing Players contracts, if you already quote me then quote me correctly! Evan Turner is still overpaid af, that signing was and is stil terrible, but at least he has a role now as leader of the 2nd Unit. Stauskas and Curry are good signings, but they have chosen us because of the guard friendly Offense Stotts runs, not because of Olshey

 

[tlongII]

Last night's game was what you could call a bench made win: on a night where Dame and CJ struggled to score and Nurk was forced to play restricted minutes due to foul trouble, the bench came through big time. It was exactly the kind of game that last season resulted in a big loss, yet this time the bench scored 54 of the Blazers' total 103 points. Can anyone remember a time last season where the bench outscored the starters? IIRC, the bench scoring 30 points was a big deal. This year, the Blazers' bench is a force, sporting the third best net rating of all benches in the NBA so far:

https://on.nba.com/2yH3Pm2

That's kind of funny given the grief Olshey was given around here over the summer for letting Ed walk and only making the seemingly minimal acquisitions of Curry and Stauskas. The pundits were less than impressed with the Blazers' bench unit prior to the start of the season, with CBS Sports rating them the 4th worst in the league:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...ippers-boast-top-reserves-for-2018-19-season/

I don't know if what they're doing is sustainable for the rest of the season, but so far Blazers management's decisions look spot on. ET is working well as a second unit floor general. Zach's growth in an expanded role has been spectacular. Stauskas has opened eyes around the league with his play and Curry looks to be a great pick up in his own right. On given nights, Meyers and Biggie have made major contributions.

I don't want to have to test the bench with too many games where the starters are struggling in a big way, but it's nice to know that the bench is capable of stepping up and providing a safety net.

Unfortunately your link to the highest rated benches in the league doesn't work for me. I would like to know who's bench is performing better. Is it Golden State?

 

[tlongII]

I'm still concerned about Harkless though. Something is wrong with his knee and it doesn't seem like it's healing right.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I've said probably the worst GM in free agency and signing Players contracts, if you already quote me then quote me correctly! Evan Turner is still overpaid af, that signing was and is stil terrible, but at least he has a role now as leader of the 2nd Unit. Stauskas and Curry are good signings, but they have chosen us because of the guard friendly Offense Stotts runs, not because of Olshey

So Aminu was a bad contract? Harkless?

How about Kaman? Also a bad signing? Napier last year was a bad signing?


And did you read somewhere that Stauskas and Curry chose us instead of other teams because of our offense and would have gone elsewhere? Link?


If none of these questions can be answered, then someone has some unfair hatred towards NO.


People live in a fantasy world of their own if they think that EVERY signing is going to be good. Im willing to bet almost every team in the nba has at least one cancer contract. And if they do, they must suck too....

 

[hoopsjock]

I've said probably the worst GM in free agency and signing Players contracts, if you already quote me then quote me correctly! Evan Turner is still overpaid af, that signing was and is stil terrible, but at least he has a role now as leader of the 2nd Unit. Stauskas and Curry are good signings, but they have chosen us because of the guard friendly Offense Stotts runs, not because of Olshey

Good lord man, read my post again. I said "AT SIGNING PLAYERS." Do you actually believe all the bullshit you post? You lose all credibility when you make comments like Olshey is the worst in the league at free agency but then claim he had nothing to do with the players he signed. Your posts are an absolute joke.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Good lord man, read my post again. I said "AT SIGNING PLAYERS." Do you actually believe all the bullshit you post? You lose all credibility when you make comments like Olshey is the worst in the league at free agency but then claim he had nothing to do with the players he signed. Your posts are an absolute joke.

Still, he answered the question. He said that the "worst GM at free agency signings" got Curry and Stauskas because of Stotts' offense, not because of any skill of his own.

I'd also venture to say that @Labinot41 primarily takes issue with Neil's ability to consummate deals for impact players (starter caliber), rather than the recycle-bin acquisitions with which he's been relatively effective.

 

[e_blazer]

Unfortunately your link to the highest rated benches in the league doesn't work for me. I would like to know who's bench is performing better. Is it Golden State?

 

[Labinot41]

So Aminu was a bad contract? Harkless?

How about Kaman? Also a bad signing? Napier last year was a bad signing?


And did you read somewhere that Stauskas and Curry chose us instead of other teams because of our offense and would have gone elsewhere? Link?


If none of these questions can be answered, then someone has some unfair hatred towards NO.


People live in a fantasy world of their own if they think that EVERY signing is going to be good. Im willing to bet almost every team in the nba has at least one cancer contract. And if they do, they must suck too....

Aminu, Harkless, kaman, Napier Yeah those are great signings, really those are great signings... if you want to stay mediocre. Fact is Neil sucks in free agency, if you come with those Players, all i can do is laugh

 

[Nannerbee]

I agree, the bench is the big story so far, albeit early, this season. It’s surprising because of the collection of basically unhearalded and/or unproven players. So it seems to be a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Is their chemistry THAT great? Are they just executing THAT well? Is it a fluke? Whatever it is, it’s fun to watch the ball movement and selfless play. It appears they’ve really bought into whatever Terry orchestrated and what Olshey built so enjoy it. I’m sometimes as critical of those two as many posters on here, but this has been a thing of beauty- they got it right.

 

[e_blazer]

My comment is you only gave us 25 minutes to comment. lol Some of us actually have to comment in between getting work done!

And yes the bench is kick ass, but I dont think it will stay that way. I think Collins is working his way into a starter role.

If Zach moves to the starting lineup as PF, that moves Aminu to the bench along with ET, Stauskas, Curry & Meyers(?). Still a pretty darned good bench.

 

[Labinot41]

Good lord man, read my post again. I said "AT SIGNING PLAYERS." Do you actually believe all the bullshit you post? You lose all credibility when you make comments like Olshey is the worst in the league at free agency but then claim he had nothing to do with the players he signed. Your posts are an absolute joke.

No, you defending olshey is a joke, he sucks in free agency, and fucked up completely in 2016

 

[andalusian]

I agree, the bench is the big story so far, albeit early, this season. It’s surprising because of the collection of basically unhearalded and/or unproven players. So it seems to be a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Is their chemistry THAT great? Are they just executing THAT well? Is it a fluke? Whatever it is, it’s fun to watch the ball movement and selfless play. It appears they’ve really bought into whatever Terry orchestrated and what Olshey built so enjoy it. I’m sometimes as critical of those two as many posters on here, but this has been a thing of beauty- they got it right.

I think that this is a combination of roles and fit. Turner is finally used correctly, as a point forward surrounded by shooters, two shooters that can handle the rock a bit (SAUCE and Curry) with 3 good defensive guys to mask their defensive inefficiencies, and finally, the defense is really anchored by a starter caliber player (Zach) who could end up as Portland's 2nd best player by the end of the year.

 

[hoopsjock]

Still, he answered the question. He said that the "worst GM at free agency signings" got Curry and Stauskas because of Stotts' offense, not because of any skill of his own.

I'd also venture to say that @Labinot41 primarily takes issue with Neil's ability to consummate deals for impact players (starter caliber), rather than the recycle-bin acquisitions with which he's been relatively effective.

Huh?

Labinot (last night):

You can't See the difference, that's your Problem. Olshey is great at drafting and scouting, but he's flat out horrible in free agency and signing Players contracts, probably the worst GM in the NBA in that category

Hoopsjock:

How can the worst GM in the league according to you at signing players have a good bench?

Labinot:

I've said probably the worst GM in free agency and signing Players contracts, if you already quote me then quote me correctly! Evan Turner is still overpaid af, that signing was and is stil terrible, but at least he has a role now as leader of the 2nd Unit. Stauskas and Curry are good signings, but they have chosen us because of the guard friendly Offense Stotts runs, not because of Olshey

Free agency and signing players contracts include SIGNING PLAYERS. You can't argue that he is saying the worst GM at doing those things is effective at recycle-bin acquisitions. It's contradictory and he is continually making statements that he then has a problem with being accountable for.

 

[hoopsjock]

No, you defending olshey is a joke, he sucks in free agency, and fucked up completely in 2016

When did I say that he didn't fuck up in 2016? In fact I'm on record as saying that I'd trade Turner and Leonard for anyone in the league that has an expiring contract, even with how Turner has been playing. I even bashed Olshey several times this summer. To say he is the worst in the league at something and then dismiss that two good moves HE made this summer weren't because of him is just a pathetic attempt to not give him credit because then you'd have to admit that he isn't as bad as you say he is.

 

[CupWizier]

I've said probably the worst GM in free agency and signing Players contracts, if you already quote me then quote me correctly! Evan Turner is still overpaid af, that signing was and is stil terrible, but at least he has a role now as leader of the 2nd Unit. Stauskas and Curry are good signings, but they have chosen us because of the guard friendly Offense Stotts runs, not because of Olshey

You would probably gain a few respect points if you would just give credit where credit is due rather than always looking for a way to put Olshey down. Fact is, he signed both Stauskas and Curry and should be given the credit.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Free agency and signing players contracts include SIGNING PLAYERS. You can't argue that he is saying the worst GM at doing those things is effective at recycle-bin acquisitions. It's contradictory and he is continually making statements that he then has a problem with being accountable for.

I read between the lines. I also give the benefit of the doubt, and don't worry so much about holding people accountable for fallible opinions.

To each their own, I guess.

 

[Labinot41]

When did I say that he didn't fuck up in 2016? In fact I'm on record as saying that I'd trade Turner and Leonard for anyone in the league that has an expiring contract, even with how Turner has been playing. I even bashed Olshey several times this summer. To say he is the worst in the league at something and then dismiss that two good moves HE made this summer weren't because of him is just a pathetic attempt to not give him credit because then you'd have to admit that he isn't as bad as you say he is.

Lol i've said Curry and Stauskas were good signings, but that doesn't change my oppionion about him, and both Players said they came to Portland because of Stotts' Offense. But
the fact is he has never been able to get a star player or at least a very good Player in free agency, even when we had a ton of Cap Space. And you can not say those Players don't want to come to Portland, PG chose Oklahoma instead of Los Angeles for example, a good GM can do it, Neil can not

 

[CupWizier]

Still, he answered the question. He said that the "worst GM at free agency signings" got Curry and Stauskas because of Stotts' offense, not because of any skill of his own.

I'd also venture to say that @Labinot41 primarily takes issue with Neil's ability to consummate deals for impact players (starter caliber), rather than the recycle-bin acquisitions with which he's been relatively effective.

And which GM has been successful in acquiring big name free agents to Portland? Is it really a GM issue?