Blazer Roster Coming Together

[Wizard Mentor]

Sample Rotation:
Lillard/Smith
Matthews/Ewill
Batum/Claver/Barton
LMA/Freeland
Hickson/Leonard/

Others:
Jeffries/Babbitt/Price


************

Quality Grouping:
Big 3: Lillard, Aldridge, X
Ministars: Batum
Strong Role Players: Matthews, Leonard, Hickson
Other Role Players: Smith, Ewill, Claver, Barton, Freeland, Price
Others: Jeffries/Babbitt

I have given preliminary quality groupings. So, the drama that will be next season will involve finding out who fits in where. Will Batum up his game and become part of our Big 3? Hickson played like a ministar, will he continue. How good are Freeland and Claver? I have only seen a few games played by a healthy Elliot Williams - will he achieve the promise many envisioned for him? Who will even be given a chance? There are many more questions to be answered next season, but now that we have a good idea of who's on the roster, at least now we know many of the questions.

Outside of Jeffries the Damaged and Babbitt the Suck, I think there are questions to be answered about each player and their role.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I kind of expect a hot mess this year.

At best we get a coach with a sound offensive and defensive philosophy and players buy in quickly, but even with that there's going to be a pretty dramatic adjustment period as guys get used to playing with one another. When you get right down to it, there are really only three guys on the team with any kind of long-term familiarity with each other -- Batum, Aldridge and Matthews.

At worst? Well, I won't even go there; we've had lots of experience with "at worst" the last couple of years, so there's no need to be reminded of it.

 

[RoyToy]

Bring in D'Anotni and the roster will surprise some people.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Anyone else think roster spot 15 goes to joel przybilla?

 

[RoyToy]

I'm just excited to see Lillard and Aldridge in the pick and roll while being able to kick it out to Matthews or Batum

At worst the team will be competitive. The record might not possibly look that good at the end of the season, but I expect them to be able to compete in every game and give themselves a chance to win.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Nothing that strikes fear in my heart.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I kind of expect a hot mess this year.

At best we get a coach with a sound offensive and defensive philosophy and players buy in quickly, but even with that there's going to be a pretty dramatic adjustment period as guys get used to playing with one another. When you get right down to it, there are really only three guys on the team with any kind of long-term familiarity with each other -- Batum, Aldridge and Matthews.

At worst? Well, I won't even go there; we've had lots of experience with "at worst" the last couple of years, so there's no need to be reminded of it.

chit, my long cool answer was deleted.
Basically, it will be exciting next year. Worst Case? Unless Lillard goes down we should be fine from a developmental POV.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Anyone else think roster spot 15 goes to joel przybilla?

My guess? 15th spot remains open for flexibility until we get a great deal or the trading deadline.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm just excited to see Lillard and Aldridge in the pick and roll while being able to kick it out to Matthews or Batum

At worst the team will be competitive. The record might not possibly look that good at the end of the season, but I expect them to be able to compete in every game and give themselves a chance to win.

My guess is 32-50 and 11th in the west. But like the 2006 season I think there will be a general "upward" vibe about the team.

 

[RoyToy]

My guess is 32-50 and 11th in the west. But like the 2006 season I think there will be a general "upward" vibe about the team.

I think they could hover around .500 for the first half of the season, then eventually fold as the seasons winds down

35-40 wins

A lot of my guess is just based on the fact I think Lillard is that damn good.

 

[RoyToy]

Re-signing of Hickson was also huge

Not only will Lillard and Aldridge be great in the pick and roll

But Lillard and Hickson will be just as deadly.

Hickson is still young, too. Kind of a forgotten piece.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I don't see why we would be worse than last year. We lost Thabeet, Crawford, Felton, Flynn, Przybilla, Thomas, and C. Smith. We're adding Williams, Lillard, Claver, Freeland, Barton, Leonard, Jeffries, and Price.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I don't see why we would be worse than last year. We lost Thabeet, Crawford, Felton, Flynn, Przybilla, Thomas, and C. Smith. We're adding Williams, Lillard, Claver, Freeland, Barton, Leonard, Jeffries, and Price.

If it's any consolation I think we'll reverse the trend we saw last year: Start slow and kind of disjointed, but probably rap off some wins in March and April (depending on the nature of the schedule of course).

 

[RoyToy]

Really wish I had an idea of what to expect from Elliott

 

[VanillaGorilla]

If it's any consolation I think we'll reverse the trend we saw last year: Start slow and kind of disjointed, but probably rap off some wins in March and April (depending on the nature of the schedule of course).

I'd be happy with that, and it wouldn't surprise me. Wins towards the end of the season are always nice, leads to optimism for the off season.

 

[PapaG]

My guess is 32-50 and 11th in the west. But like the 2006 season I think there will be a general "upward" vibe about the team.

I'm agreeing with almost everything you post. Is the moon blue tonight?

Anyhow, I see the same sort of thing, but with a slow start, and as Lillard gets comfortable, a noticeable improvement by the end of the year, with expectations for more the next season, including another lottery pick and some cap space for the summer.

 

[mook]

My guess is 32-50 and 11th in the west. But like the 2006 season I think there will be a general "upward" vibe about the team.

I just looked up Brandon Roy's first year (2006-07) and we finished that season 32-50. Aldridge was an unknown, Roy was clearly good but unproven, and we had Z-bo (for good and bad). No Batum, but we had Former All-Star Jamal Magloire. Oh, and Jarret Jack, Trout, Webster, Juan Dixon and Udoka as role players.

This year we have Aldridge in the Z-bo role, who is clearly better than Zbo was then. We have Lillard in the Roy role. Leonard is unknown. I don't think Lillard will be Roy-good (but hey, nobody thought Roy would be Roy-good either). We have Future All Star Nicola Batum. Oh, and Wes Matthews, Hickson, Freeland, Williams and Price in the role player positions.

Honestly, I think this team is a lot better than that one. Aldridge is a legit All-NBA dude, and that counts for a lot. And our supporting cast is better. Batum is light years ahead of Magloire (that team's second best veteran player). I think we can get 45 wins and the 8th seed.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I just looked up Brandon Roy's first year (2006-07) and we finished that season 32-50. Aldridge was an unknown, Roy was clearly good but unproven, and we had Z-bo (for good and bad). No Batum, but we had Former All-Star Jamal Magloire. Oh, and Jarret Jack, Trout, Webster, Juan Dixon and Steve Blake as role players.

This year we have Aldridge in the Z-bo role, who is clearly better than Zbo was then. We have Lillard in the Roy role. Leonard is unknown. I don't think Lillard will be Roy-good (but hey, nobody thought Roy would be Roy-good either). We have Future All Star Nicola Batum. Oh, and Wes Matthews, Leonard, Hickson, Smith, Freeland, Williams and Price in the role player positions.

Honestly, I think this team is a lot better than that one. Aldridge is a legit All-NBA dude, and that counts for a lot. And our supporting cast is better. I think we can get 45 wins and the 8th seed.

Perhaps ... but this wouldn't be good for The Plan. We'd lose a draft pick next year and we'd only get bounced in round one. I say dip into the lotto one more year to accumulate another good asset (we don't even have to keep the pick) Make a few consolidation trades and then take the West by storm in Lillard's sophomore year (and probably get bounced in the second round )

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I just looked up Brandon Roy's first year (2006-07) and we finished that season 32-50. Aldridge was an unknown, Roy was clearly good but unproven, and we had Z-bo (for good and bad). No Batum, but we had Former All-Star Jamal Magloire. Oh, and Jarret Jack, Trout, Webster, Juan Dixon and Udoka as role players.

This year we have Aldridge in the Z-bo role, who is clearly better than Zbo was then. We have Lillard in the Roy role. Leonard is unknown. I don't think Lillard will be Roy-good (but hey, nobody thought Roy would be Roy-good either). We have Future All Star Nicola Batum. Oh, and Wes Matthews, Hickson, Freeland, Williams and Price in the role player positions.

Honestly, I think this team is a lot better than that one. Aldridge is a legit All-NBA dude, and that counts for a lot. And our supporting cast is better. I think we can get 45 wins and the 8th seed.

So, you're saying Lillard is going to tell off LeMarcus, but we'll win Just enough to get caught in the velvet rut

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Perhaps ... but this wouldn't be good for The Plan. We'd lose a draft pick next year and we'd only get bounced in round one. I say dip into the lotto one more year to accumulate another good asset (we don't even have to keep the pick) Make a few consolidation trades and then take the West by storm in Lillard's sophomore year (and probably get bounced in the second round )

Do we even have our own draft pick next year? If we do, we won't be bad enough to get a decent draft pick. We did a lot of losing in the last 10 games and we still ended up with pick #11. Suppose we get pick #11 again, for argument sake, and that next years draft is worse than this year's, like it's suppose to be i.e. we have an equivalent to pick #16 in this year's draft: Royce While, Tyler Zeller, Terrence Jones. Reasonable players, but not worth tanking over.

If you want to tank, you have to do something really dumb like play your players out of position (OKC) - Lillard at SG, Smith at PG, Claver at SF, Batum at PF, LMA at C. I think that would do it.

 

[mook]

Perhaps ... but this wouldn't be good for The Plan. We'd lose a draft pick next year and we'd only get bounced in round one. I say dip into the lotto one more year to accumulate another good asset (we don't even have to keep the pick) Make a few consolidation trades and then take the West by storm in Lillard's sophomore year (and probably get bounced in the second round )

lol. Maybe. But who is to say Williams or Leonard or Freeland doesn't take off in the coming year or two? The Thunder hit their stride when they got Harden and Ibaka. Maybe Williams and Freeland are our Harden and Ibaka, and we don't need that extra year slumming in the lottery.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Do we even have our own draft pick next year? If we do, we won't be bad enough to get a decent draft pick. We did a lot of losing in the last 10 games and we still ended up with pick #11. Suppose we get pick #11 again, for argument sake, and that next years draft is worse than this year's, like it's suppose to be i.e. we have an equivalent to pick #16 in this year's draft: Royce While, Tyler Zeller, Terrence Jones. Reasonable players, but not worth tanking over.

If you want to tank, you have to do something really dumb like play your players out of position (OKC) - Lillard at SG, Smith at PG, Claver at SF, Batum at PF, LMA at C. I think that would do it.

I believe next years pick is top 12 protected.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I believe next years pick is top 12 protected.

so, suck hard or don't suck, even more so.

 

[blazedanugz]

I was unaware we got a 3.5 million trade exception in the Felton trade. What does that leave our cap at?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Anyone else think roster spot 15 goes to joel przybilla?

Ronny Turiaf!

 

[Masbee]

I don't see why we would be worse than last year. We lost Thabeet, Crawford, Felton, Flynn, Przybilla, Thomas, and C. Smith. We're adding Williams, Lillard, Claver, Freeland, Barton, Leonard, Jeffries, and Price.

For the minutes they got Felton and Crawford were not very productive. Almost addition by subtraction.

In fact, they were so bad, it wouldn't surprise if our core of kiddy-guards didn't produce at least as well.

We also lost Wallace and Camby.

Those are the only two of any import that we lost from last season.

We have added no one that will replace either.

However, we have a lot more intriguing depth. Rookie Center Leonard. Euros Claver and Freeland. Hickson for a full season in a contract year. Lillard. EWill coming back from injury. Who the hell knows if any of these young players is going to take advantage of such a great opportunity to sieze a spot on such a wide open roster.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Coming together - going together, same dif.

 

[OLDSchool_BlazerFAN]

OP - You think Babbit sucks?

You people are amazing.

 

[Natebishop3]

OP - You think Babbit sucks?

You people are amazing.

You mean you don't?

 

[Pinwheel1]

Babbitt dribbling in traffic is not going to ever work. Babbitt as a one-on-one defender is never going to be pretty.

But Babbitt has strengths as well. During the summer they want to see if he has expanded those strengths. If he hasn't then during the season only put him in a situation where his strengths can be best utilized. And right now he is still a very effective outside shooter. He will help spread the floor.

Personally I think he would be very effective in SA. Somehow Pop gets everyone to play within his team concept on D, And on offense Babbitt would be very effective shooting from the corners.