Blazers Sign Cliff Alexander

[MarAzul]

Youre type of person that, whenever things go bad, blames management.

Basically you try to set up your team with the best chance possible

Basically you try to set up your team to operate on proven principles. Talented players, lead by knowledgeable a leader that installs discipline and a proven system provide the best chance possible.

Bingo! On count one you are absolutely correct. Sometimes a good excuse is justification for another try, like the injuries to Oden and Roy, if all other indicators are positive. In the most recent case, injury did not cripple the team, lack of a competitive system and team discipline did them in. Bad enough for several players deciding they do not want to be here, including one of the best players in the league. Losing one of the best players in the league without any compensation is a monumental management failure. Compound that with not understanding why you suffered the losses and your failure is a monumental upper management failure. The Spur have profited on the failure of the Blazers, while apparently the Blazers fail to understand the ineptitude and will continue down the path hoping for mediocrity.

On count two, I fixed that for you.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

In the most recent case, injury did not cripple the team, lack of a competitive system and team discipline did them in.

Strike one. Matthews' injury was what crippled the team. After the Afflalo deal, they dropped their first game (lack of acclimation) then immediately won five straight, with the Matthews-Afflalo-Batum lineup performing on a level with the league's top lineups. Matthews' injury ended that.

Bad enough for several players deciding they do not want to be here, including one of the best players in the league.

Strike two. The only player who specifically decided he didn't want to be here was Aldridge. Everyone else, management chose not to bring them back, specifically because Aldridge bolted. Had he chosen to return, there is no reason to believe that the rest of the core wouldn't have returned as well.

Losing one of the best players in the league without any compensation is a monumental management failure.

If that's the case, you should have been making that argument February 23rd. Were you? I can't recall. We'll call that a foul tip.

Compound that with not understanding why you suffered the losses and your failure is a monumental upper management failure.

Strike three. You have no idea what management does or doesn't know--this is complete speculation on your part, as is the majority of your post.

The Spur have profited on the failure of the Blazers, while apparently the Blazers fail to understand the ineptitude and will continue down the path hoping for mediocrity.

Of course, nobody is hoping for mediocrity. Except perhaps you, at this point, so that you can then claim to be proven right. At no point have you shown any interest in the possibility that the pieces that have been obtained might actually attain success; just dogmatic pontification of their inferiority and management's ineptitude. I find that to be a sad existence.

Have fun on your boat this season.

 

[MarAzul]

Have fun on your boat this season.

Oh I shall. Sorry I upset you with the blinders on thing. Perhaps it's just a simple case of head in the sand instead. I sure hope so, the other alternative is disgusting.

I see Mags likes your post! Weird, it seems to be quite the opposite to what he already posted.

 

[BonesJones]

Strike one. Matthews' injury was what crippled the team. After the Afflalo deal, they dropped their first game (lack of acclimation) then immediately won five straight, with the Matthews-Afflalo-Batum lineup performing on a level with the league's top lineups. Matthews' injury ended that.



Strike two. The only player who specifically decided he didn't want to be here was Aldridge. Everyone else, management chose not to bring them back, specifically because Aldridge bolted. Had he chosen to return, there is no reason to believe that the rest of the core wouldn't have returned as well.



If that's the case, you should have been making that argument February 23rd. Were you? I can't recall. We'll call that a foul tip.



Strike three. You have no idea what management does or doesn't know--this is complete speculation on your part, as is the majority of your post.



Of course, nobody is hoping for mediocrity. Except perhaps you, at this point, so that you can then claim to be proven right. At no point have you shown any interest in the possibility that the pieces that have been obtained might actually attain success; just dogmatic pontification of their inferiority and management's ineptitude. I find that to be a sad existence.

Have fun on your boat this season.

Thank you for wording that so well. Saves me time.

Some people have their head stuck in the past and can't seem to move on. To me, that team is far in the rearview. Now I'm hopeful for the development of these players and the moves Olshey might make in the future with all the assets he's acquired. I know things may pan out better than we can imagine, or they may fall flat.
To some people, that's being blind and "hoping for mediocrity". I think its the opposite. It's not harping on things that went wrong in the past, blaming people for one man's decision and declaring the future lost because of a player with no connection to how this group turns out. People want to blame the front office for not being "hard enough" on Aldridge, but they werect calling for him turn be benched midseason... if they were harder on him then that would be the reason he left, and then they'd be blaming the front office and Stotts for not treating Aldridge right, and we'd be having the same argument. I'll keep viewing things exactly how they are, with hope they work out.

 

[magnifier661]

Oh I shall. Sorry I upset you with the blinders on thing. Perhaps it's just a simple case of head in the sand instead. I sure hope so, the other alternative is disgusting.

I see Mags likes your post! Weird, it seems to be quite the opposite to what he already posted.

How is that opposite of what I said?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Thank you for wording that so well. Saves me time.

Some people have their head stuck in the past and can't seem to move on. To me, that team is far in the rearview. Now I'm hopeful for the development of these players and the moves Olshey might make in the future with all the assets he's acquired. I know things may pan out better than we can imagine, or they may fall flat.
To some people, that's being blind and "hoping for mediocrity". I think its the opposite. It's not harping on things that went wrong in the past, blaming people for things that went wrong and declaring the future lost because of one players decision, a player with no connection to how this group turns out. People want to blame the front office for not being "hard enough" on Aldridge, but they werect calling for him turn be benched midseason... if they were harder on him then that would be the reason he left, and then they'd be blaming the front office and Stotts for not treating Aldridge right, and we'd be having the same argument. I'll keep viewing things exactly how they are, with hope they work out.

Well said. To quote the great philosopher Algar:

 

[PtldPlatypus]

When in other threads people are panting over the idea of getting Skal Labissiere or Ben Simmons next summer, I can't help but think that if these conversations were happening a year ago, Alexander would have been one of the prospects Fez and Zagger would have been drooling over. When his team beat Okafor's for the state title, it was understood that while Okafor was the better player at the time, Alexander had the higher ceiling. And we got him for nothing. NOTHING! People want us to tank for top-tier talent that could become all-NBA-level players--IMO, that's exactly what Vonleh and Alexander are.

 

[Reep]

When in other threads people are panting over the idea of getting Skal Labissiere or Ben Simmons next summer, I can't help but think that if these conversations were happening a year ago, Alexander would have been one of the prospects Fez and Zagger would have been drooling over. When his team beat Okafor's for the state title, it was understood that while Okafor was the better player at the time, Alexander had the higher ceiling. And we got him for nothing. NOTHING! People want us to tank for top-tier talent that could become all-NBA-level players--IMO, that's exactly what Vonleh and Alexander are.

Note that Alexander has a 1" advantage in reach and 2" longer wingspan over Skal. Skal wins the battle of neck length though.

 

[magnifier661]

When in other threads people are panting over the idea of getting Skal Labissiere or Ben Simmons next summer, I can't help but think that if these conversations were happening a year ago, Alexander would have been one of the prospects Fez and Zagger would have been drooling over. When his team beat Okafor's for the state title, it was understood that while Okafor was the better player at the time, Alexander had the higher ceiling. And we got him for nothing. NOTHING! People want us to tank for top-tier talent that could become all-NBA-level players--IMO, that's exactly what Vonleh and Alexander are.

100% this! If Alexander played one more year of college, he would be probably a top 5 pick next summer.

 

[oldmangrouch]

100% this! If Alexander played one more year of college, he would be probably a top 5 pick next summer.

Like I said before - this is a kid who needed at least a couple of years of college, and he only got half a season. That's not good. The circumstances make it worse. I suspect that the people around him intentionally torpedoed his eligibility. Screw his best interests - they want their money right now! It's sad.

OTOH, the notion that he was seen as a better prospect than Okafor seems hard to believe.

 

[BonesJones]

When in other threads people are panting over the idea of getting Skal Labissiere or Ben Simmons next summer, I can't help but think that if these conversations were happening a year ago, Alexander would have been one of the prospects Fez and Zagger would have been drooling over. When his team beat Okafor's for the state title, it was understood that while Okafor was the better player at the time, Alexander had the higher ceiling. And we got him for nothing. NOTHING! People want us to tank for top-tier talent that could become all-NBA-level players--IMO, that's exactly what Vonleh and Alexander are.

Labissiere has no weakness in his game. He has tons of moves out of the post, he's quick, athletic, can handle line a gaurd, pass well for a big, can shoot out to the 3 point arc, and has the potential to be a big time shot blocker. How exactly does Alexander compare to that?

 

[Reep]

I'm not sure he was above Okafor, but was very close, and was above Towns:

It isn't easy to keep a hold of the No. 1 spot from wire to wire, but Chicago Whitney Young's Jahlil Okafor has come awfully close. The 6-foot-11 center has retained his spot at the top of the 2014 Rivals150 as we release our final rankings for the class.

Jahlil Okafor reigns as the top player in the class of 2014.
If anybody remembers, the potential No. 1 draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins, was originally a member of the high school class of 2014 and was initially the No. 1 player in the class. But, ever since Wiggins switched from 2014 to 2013 in late October of 2012, Okafor has been holding onto the top spot.

There were several challengers to Okafor's position, but at the end of the day, he did enough to secure his spot atop the rankings. He has great hands, great feet, produces at a high level and has game that translates to the highest level. Some have questioned his athleticism and whether or not he can be a star at the NBA level. The future Duke pivot did enough to secure the top spot and his play as a senior and on the All-Star circuit was certainly on par with what one would expect out of a No. 1 player in the country.

Behind Okafor, spots two through five remain unchanged. Six-foot-five point guard Emmanuel Mudiay from Dallas Prime Prep came very close to taking Okafor's spot away, but didn't shoot the ball quite well enough to take the top spot. However, he certainly looks like a one-and-done type player and should be able to use his size, athleticism and playmaking ability to make a significant impact at SMU next season.

Coming in at No. 3, Arizona-bound Stanley Johnson is the most physical wing in high school basketball. A four-time state champion at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, Johnson is a high-end scorer and rebounder who is every bit as dedicated on the defensive end as he is on the offensive end.

Cliff Alexander plays a physical brand of ball.
At No. 4, Kansas signee Cliff Alexander is another who plays grown man basketball against high school competition. A product of Chicago Curie, Alexander puts the power in power forward and like Johnson plays an exceedingly physical brand of ball. He attacks the rim with vigor, is a big-time rebounder and should be a major contributor in Lawrence, even with several experienced post players in returning.

The first of the big movers into the national top 10 is Metuchen (N.J.) St. Joseph's big man Karl-Anthony Towns who moves up from No. 11 to No. 5. Headed to Kentucky, the seven-footer is highly skilled and has legitimate range to the three-point line. He does settle for jumpers a bit too much at times, but he is a high-volume rebounder, scores with both hands around the basket and should emerge as a dominant force after some time in the weight room.

- See more at: https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1634689#sthash.d7N1mj2Z.dpuf

 

[ripcityboy]

Like I said before - this is a kid who needed at least a couple of years of college, and he only got half a season. That's not good. The circumstances make it worse. I suspect that the people around him intentionally torpedoed his eligibility. Screw his best interests - they want their money right now! It's sad.

OTOH, the notion that he was seen as a better prospect than Okafor seems hard to believe.

Does college ball experience even matter anymore? A raw prospect is going to need a number of years in the league before they reach full potential anyway. That's why Olshey is taking chances on so many first round retreads. The difference is instead of learning the game in college they are getting paid and accruing FA eligibilty.

 

[Reep]

Labissiere has no weakness in his game. He has tons of moves out of the post, he's quick, athletic, can handle line a gaurd, pass well for a big, can shoot out to the 3 point arc, and has the potential to be a big time shot blocker. How exactly does Alexander compare to that?

Labs weighs 215 lbs. I don't think they are comparable. One is power one is finesse.

Oh yeah, and Skal would require us to get lucky and get the No. 1 pick next year. Alexander was free.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Does college ball experience even matter anymore? A raw prospect is going to need a number of years in the league before they reach full potential anyway. That's why Olshey is taking chances on so many first round retreads. The difference is instead of learning the game in college they are getting paid and accruing FA eligibilty.

I believe it does. It isn't just about learning basketball fundamentals. You already have too many players coming into the league who are not mature enough to handle the pressure. College provides an intermediate environment where they can learn. Some will not take advantage of the opportunity, but many will. They and the NBA will be better off for it.

Or you can have a league full of guys like Leonard, who will forever be over-paid because his contract cycle is out of sync with his learning curve.

 

[Reep]

Or how about this from 18 months ago:

On January 10, Alexander led Curie past Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, which featured Rivals.com Class of 2015 number 10 ranked Carlton Bragg.[78][79] In the January 20 Hoophall Classic, Alexander led Curie to a victory over D'Angelo Russell, Ben Simmons and Montverde Academy, the number one rated team in the country. Curie trailed by 9 points entering the fourth quarter, but Alexander had 13 of his 30 points in the final 4 minutes and 30 seconds to key the comeback. Alexander also had 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.[80][81][82] Following the game, several writers, including CBS Sports college basketball writer Jeff Borzello said that Alexander has a valid case to present in terms of being the best high school basketball player in the country (along with Okafor, Turner and Mudiay).[82][83][84] High school basketball writer Ronnie Flores regards the performance as one of the top 5 performances against a nationally highly rated high school basketball team since the turn of the century, ranking it with Louis Williams (2005), Kevin Durant (2006),Kevin Love (2007) and LeBron James (2001).[85] The win bolted Curie to the number one ranking in the nation according to StudentSports.com.[86] Alexander's performance moved him to the top of the rankings in the Mr. Basketball USA midseason tracker. He was ranked first by a wide margin and held the number one position on 7 out of 10 ballots.[87]

 

[Reep]

More:

On February 20, Alexander improved his first place total in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, holding eight first place and two second place votes.[96] Curie won the city championship 69–66 in quadruple overtime as Alexander had 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks according to Chicago Tribune and Comcast SportsNet, while the Chicago Sun-Times and Sports Illustrated credited him with just 12 rebounds. This came against Okafor who had 16 points and 9, 8 or 4 rebounds [[disputed in different reports] before fouling out with 2:13 remaining in regulation

 

[tlongII]

So now we're counting on Alexander? :smh

 

[BonesJones]

Labs weighs 215 lbs. I don't think they are comparable. One is power one is finesse.

Oh yeah, and Skal would require us to get lucky and get the No. 1 pick next year. Alexander was free.

weight is easy to put on when the rest of your game is is good. And now I see where your coming from. It seemed as if you equated their skill levels?

So now we're counting on Alexander? :smh

What exactly do you think we're counting on him for? SMH

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Labissiere has no weakness in his game. He has tons of moves out of the post, he's quick, athletic, can handle line a gaurd, pass well for a big, can shoot out to the 3 point arc, and has the potential to be a big time shot blocker. How exactly does Alexander compare to that?

Yeah, I wasn't comparing their games, just their perceived talent levels relative to the rest of their class coming out of high school.

Point is, we have one of the top big man prospects from the high school class of 2013 in Vonleh, and one of the top big man prospects from the high school class of 2014 in Alexander. Serious potential there.

 

[Scalma]

So now we're counting on Alexander? :smh

Judging by your posts and avatar I'm guessing you can't be older than 17.

 

[ripcityboy]

I believe it does. It isn't just about learning basketball fundamentals. You already have too many players coming into the league who are not mature enough to handle the pressure. College provides an intermediate environment where they can learn. Some will not take advantage of the opportunity, but many will. They and the NBA will be better off for it.

Or you can have a league full of guys like Leonard, who will forever be over-paid because his contract cycle is out of sync with his learning curve.

I don't think Leonard even picked up a basketball before the Blazers drafted him. It took him two years to figure out how to box out. We'll end up giving him a big contract this year.

 

[magnifier661]

So now we're counting on Alexander? :smh

Counting on what?! He has the talent to be a top 5 pick. That doesn't mean he's the next Shaq! Lol

 

[magnifier661]

Judging by your posts and avatar I'm guessing you can't be older than 17.

I've met him and he's a really cool guy in person. He's also older than me!

 

[oldmangrouch]

Judging by your posts and avatar I'm guessing you can't be older than 17.

Hey - don't knock the avatar. It took ages to get him to move on to *human* girls. OSU does that to people.

 

[MickZagger]

Judging by your posts and avatar I'm guessing you can't be older than 17.

He's not really a dick, he just plays as one on the internet.

 

[BonesJones]

Judging by your posts and avatar I'm guessing you can't be older than 17.

There's 14 and 15 year olds can provide good insight though. But while we're at it I guess we can guess each others ages...
Scalma: 37 OldManGrouch: 61 MAGS: 32 RipCityBoy: 26 damianlillard: 12

 

[GoBlazersGo]

There's 14 and 15 year olds can provide good insight though. But while we're at it I guess we can guess each others ages...
Scalma: 37 OldManGrouch: 61 MAGS: 32 RipCityBoy: 26 damianlillard: 12

Incorrect, on ALL counts... except for "damianmillard" who is, in fact, 12!

 

[BonesJones]

Incorrect, on ALL counts... except for "damianmillard" who is, in fact, 12!

I wonder if I was close lol

 

[oldmangrouch]

I wonder if I was close lol

Missed mine by less than 6 months. Well done!