Blazers Sign Cliff Alexander

[chzbrgr]

Who are you trying to convince? Yourself I think. But tell me this, do you think this team will finish much higher than an average team? That would be in the middle of the pack, maybe make the playoff, like number 8 if lucky. WTF kinda goal is that?

For a team that is supposed to be a dumpster fire middle of the pack is overachieving. I think we can all agree we dont want to be what the world expects of us.

So what, we gotta be championship or bust every year? No.

I really like the bet NO has made on Cliff the dude looks like he's got the potential to be Amar'e 2.0 and we got him for NOTHING if he doesnt pan out who cares the point is he was a projected 1st rounder who fell out over some NCAA nonsense and has a HUGE chip on his shoulder now. If thats not motivation idk what is. Give the kid a shot see what he can do, just dont berate people for saying middle of the pack is the goal cause pragmatism never hurt anyone.

 

[MarAzul]

Ok, you guys set the tone, Happy Blazer Fans. I think fans happy with what they get, will get what they are happy with, as long there are butts in the seats of the Moda.

 

[0-Our!]

Yes it would, like the young Blazers that won it all. But then they had perhaps the best coach in the league at that time. Or like the young Warriors last couple season, then they added a coach
to make the difference. We just had a team fall apart and become disenchanted, just adding players and starting over isn't going to make a difference in the results.

SEEMS obvious from the way u "speak" that YOU have THE answer(s). Alright then, what should the Blazers, Neil, & PA do/have done?

 

[magnifier661]

Yes it would, like the young Blazers that won it all. But then they had perhaps the best coach in the league at that time. Or like the young Warriors last couple season, then they added a coach
to make the difference. We just had a team fall apart and become disenchanted, just adding players and starting over isn't going to make a difference in the results.

Aldridge and Lopez checked out after Matthews went down. They gave up!

If our new players get close, they will have the drive to keep it going, especially when the leader of the team never gives up.

 

[MarAzul]

I think last years unit was not a team and it got worse as the year progressed. The last half the season it was way more noticeable that they were no longer a team. By the time they got to the playoffs, they were damn near an embarrassment to themselves for they lack of cohesiveness. You could nearly see it that they didn't want to be apart of this and that is no doubt why the main characters went their own way
The main characters would play better ball, all of them Lillard, Aldridge, Batum and on down the line if their had had a coach that knew how to show them the way.
I have often spoke of the A/M in regard to Lillard, that is Assist devided by missed shots. A good PG usually comes in well over 1 on this medidata. but look at the playoff performance!
Hell he missed more Three point shots than he had assists! That is bugger all bazzar! A coaches guiding hand was totally missing. Replacing the departed players (good ones too) will not
correct this lack of togetherness the thing that makes a team a cohesive unit.

 

[0-Our!]

In this little clip, Homer captures THE essence of some of our Blazer "fans."

 

[0-Our!]

I think last years unit was not a team and it got worse as the year progressed. The last half the season it was way more noticeable that they were no longer a team. By the time they got to the playoffs, they were damn near an embarrassment to themselves for they lack of cohesiveness. You could nearly see it that they didn't want to be apart of this and that is no doubt why the main characters went their own way
The main characters would play better ball, all of them Lillard, Aldridge, Batum and on down the line if their had had a coach that knew how to show them the way.
I have often spoke of the A/M in regard to Lillard, that is Assist devided by missed shots. A good PG usually comes in well over 1 on this medidata. but look at the playoff performance!
Hell he missed more Three point shots than he had assists! That is bugger all bazzar! A coaches guiding hand was totally missing. Replacing the departed players (good one too) will not
correct this lack of togetherness the thing that makes a team a cohesive unit.

WHAT should the Blazers, Neil, & PA do/have done?

 

[tlongII]

WHAT should the Blazers, Neil, & PA do/have done?

They should have re-signed Aldridge. If they couldn't they should have gotten value for him. The team they have now is not competitive.

 

[0-Our!]

They should have re-signed Aldridge. If they couldn't they should have gotten value for him. The team they have now is not competitive.

The question wasn't directed towards u but certainly feel free to chime in.

I wanted Aldridge back (ppl can probably guess that from my name alone but I also posted all over the place this very thing ), however... we r where we r & we know how he feels/what he did Again, the question I asked was actually for MarAzul but what I was getting @ w/ my question was a VERY detailed & realistic plan to please ALL Blazer fans/pundits

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Yes it would, like the young Blazers that won it all. But then they had perhaps the best coach in the league at that time. Or like the young Warriors last couple season, then they added a coach
to make the difference. We just had a team fall apart and become disenchanted, just adding players and starting over isn't going to make a difference in the results.

Wow, I guess Wes and Dame aren't the only petulant ones. You're whining like a child who didn't get the Christmas presents he wanted.

Blame the front office all you want, but the fact is that last year's team's dissolution of primarily attributable to a fickle forward not feeling appreciated enough despite every effort being made to placate him.

If you honestly think the team would have been better off bringing everyone else back after Tex's departure...well we'll just have to agree to disagree. But your suggestion that optimistic Blazer are happy with mediocrity is simply ludicrous.

Unlike you, some of us see the new acquisitions as building blocks to bring us to the point we all want to be. Yes, we know that the team is not a championship contender this year. But I (and many others) believe that the team is better positioned to build a contender now than they would have been had they overpaid to keep Rolo and Wes.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

Last years team was knocking on the door for the 2nd seed in the west on March 5, which was past the trade deadline. Wes' achillies snapped that night.
It would have been VERY VERY unusual and unprecedented for a team to trade its best player just a few games out of 2nd in the Conference, heading for the postseason.

Hindsight is so easy, I know Blamers!!

 

[ripcityboy]

In this little clip, Homer captures THE essence of some of our Blazer "fans."

You forgot the clip where Homer bags on the Isotopes early in the season and then shows up at Moe's in the middle of the pennant without realizing it. That's another great sports fan montage.

 

[MickZagger]

Who are you trying to convince? Yourself I think. But tell me this, do you think this team will finish much higher than an average team? That would be in the middle of the pack, maybe make the playoff, like number 8 if lucky. WTF kinda goal is that?

Actually I think the goal is to not make the playoffs this year. Develop the young guys and get a high pick to solidify the core. I know you're getting old, but practice that patience.

 

[Scalma]

Back on topic please save your whining for the other 3000 threads. Or better yet start your own crying thread where you can all gather in one place and cry.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

Alexander gets a shot to resurrect his career, coming off being a Top College Prospect. Its an upside gamble for the Blazers, but a very inexpensive risk at that.

Teams goal for 2015-16 is to try to develop a couple of pieces to join with DL, by earning a low number draft pick and by using cap space. It's the goal for the next 2 years probably.

 

[0-Our!]

You forgot the clip where Homer bags on the Isotopes early in the season and then shows up at Moe's in the middle of the pennant without realizing it. That's another great sports fan montage.

True! To capture TOTAL essence (unfortunately).

 

[Reep]

This kid gets my pick for the surprise of the next two years. You don't get recruited by Kansas if you don't have a lot of talent. His mom seemed to muck up his single year by doing some stupid things that brought on an NCAA inquiry. He was a top five recruit out of high school. And, he didn't start playing ball until the 8th grade (due to unsafe conditions playing outside in gun free Chicago).

Averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots his senior season at Curie High School for coach Michael Oliver... In 2013-14, Curie went 26-1 and was the Chicago High School Champion but later had to forfeit its victories and title because of academically ineligible players… Was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit by ESPN100 and No. 4 by rivals.com.

 

[Reep]

Here is a good analysis on how Alexander ended up where he is:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-bas...-alexander-kansas-playing-time-synergy-sports

In Kansas' three Big 12 losses, Alexander has played a combined six second-half minutes. He's sixth on the team in minutes per game. Self would rather go with junior Jamari Traylor or even sophomore Landen Lucas next to Perry Ellis when times get tough. The only problem is that Alexander is outproducing both of them whenever he's on the court. Here's the per-36 minutes numbers:

Points Rebounds Blocks True shooting percentage
Cliff Alexander 15.8 11.0 2.8 63.1
Perry Ellis 16.5 9.0 0.9 52.3
Landen Lucas 7.6 10.8 1.3 49.5
Jamari Traylor 8.3 6.6 2.2 50.2


That would seem to paint Alexander as Kansas' most complete big man, but against West Virginia, Traylor got 26 minutes and Lucas got 17 while the freshman was stuck to the bench. West Virginia finished with 22 offensive rebounds to 11 for Kansas, and Juwan Staten cut through the lane on the Mountaineers' final possession to score the game-winning layup. These would appear to be things Cliff Alexander could have helped fix.

The individual defensive numbers at Synergy mark both Traylor and Lucas as better individual defenders in terms of points per possession allowed (Alexander: .793, Traylor: .65, Lucas: .758), but Alexander laps both in block rate. It's true that Alexander has been prone to mental errors defensively, but Self has refused to let him play through them.

This became apparent in a loss at Iowa State on Jan. 17. Alexander failed to close out on a three-pointer by Dustin Hogue of the Cyclones and was pulled immediately, never to play again.

Self has consistently said Alexander's motor is the issue, though his rebound rate, block rate and ability to finish through traffic don't make him look like a player who is coasting. He's also been instrumental in a few Kansas victories, like when he made key plays down the stretch in a tight win over Oklahoma.

 

[Reep]

Funny to think that if the NBA allowed high schoolers in the draft, this guy would have probably gone top five. One year later we get him for nothing. Maybe he does have a fatal flaw, but I don't think half a season at Kansas is enough to tell.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Here is a good analysis on how Alexander ended up where he is:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-bas...-alexander-kansas-playing-time-synergy-sports

Funny to think that if the NBA allowed high schoolers in the draft, this guy would have probably gone top five. One year later we get him for nothing. Maybe he does have a fatal flaw, but I don't think half a season at Kansas is enough to tell.

The more of this stuff I read, the more stoked I get for this guy's future. I can barely imagine how stocked our front line could be if Vonleh and Alexander both tap into most of their potential.

 

[oldmangrouch]

The more of this stuff I read, the more stoked I get for this guy's future. I can barely imagine how stocked our front line could be if Vonleh and Alexander both tap into most of their potential.

I'm having the opposite reaction. This kid is covered in yellow (if not red) flags.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'm having the opposite reaction. This kid is covered in yellow (if not red) flags.

Such as?

 

[Reep]

Such as?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Damn, I hate it when that happens.

 

[HailBlazers]

Here is a good analysis on how Alexander ended up where he is:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2015/2/17/8050237/cliff-alexander-kansas-playing-time-synergy-sports

Really like how Neil has gone for a physicality movement this year, kinda like a Memphis model.

It's easy to imagine Alexander becoming an All-American if he stays in Lawrence another season. At 6'9, 250 pounds and with a 7'3 wingspan, he's big and strong and has NBA athleticism. The problem is that NBA teams want stretch power forwards now, and that isn't Alexander's game. He's a power player. Ideally, he develops his jump shot out to mid-range and makes a name for himself in the pros as a rebounding and rim-protecting power forward. That's a rare archetype in the NBA and the type of player that could conceivably have a long career.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Such as?

He's a bit under-sized for his position.
He's injury prone. (or using injuries as an excuse)
He comes with his own "Hoops Family".
His BBall IQ has been questioned.
His college coach openly questioned his motor.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

He's a bit under-sized for his position.
He's injury prone. (or using injuries as an excuse)
He comes with his own "Hoops Family".
His BBall IQ has been questioned.
His college coach openly questioned his motor.

• His size is fine, his weight is perfect, his reach is above-average for his position. You don't play with the top of your head.
• His injuries have always been minor sprains, nothing more
• I haven't seen anything about his "hoops family", so I guess I'd need to see the evidence of that before I could respond.
• The BBIQ issue is definitely a question, but of course, he's just 19 and has only been playing basketball since 8th grade. Of course there's room for growth.
• The only time Alexander's motor was openly questioned by Self was after a game on Jan 17 against Iowa in which he was pulled after neglecting to properly close out on a three-pointer. One (debatable) incident does not a pattern make.

I doubt there's a single first round pick would couldn't be nitpicked in a manner similar to what you're doing with Alexander.

 

[oldmangrouch]

And despite all the nit-picks, they got drafted and Alexander didn't.

Since the team got him for free, I don't really care....I just don't get the enthusiasm.

 

[BBert]

Glass half full:

The more of this stuff I read, the more stoked I get for this guy's future. I can barely imagine how stocked our front line could be if Vonleh and Alexander both tap into most of their potential.

Glass half empty:

I'm having the opposite reaction. This kid is covered in yellow (if not red) flags.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

And despite all the nit-picks, they got drafted and Alexander didn't.

Since the team got him for free, I don't really care....I just don't get the enthusiasm.

Alexander was buried behind upperclassmen by a coach who is generally loathe to play freshmen, even when he routinely performs than the older guys. Had his coach actually allowed him to play the minutes his performance deserved, there would likely have been a different result.