Crawford picks Portland!!!

[Masbee]

8 man rotation of

felton/crawford/wes/crash/batum/lma/camby/thomas as of now

if one of nolan/ewill/babbitt/cj shows something we could be on to something

I think this lineup closes a lot of games, McMillan plays a surprising amount of small ball for a slow pace guy:

Felton
Crawford
Wes/Batum (depends on who has the better season)
Wallace
Aldridge

Our 8 man rotation is actually pretty good. It is the lack of quality depth that will be a big problem, because when was the last season the Blazers were one of the healthiest teams in the league?

 

[Draco]

Vegas ranks us 8th in who will win the championship. What was Dallas ranked last year?

I swear some of our "fans" just want us to suck. As if the crappy teams magically become a dynasty.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Vegas ranks us 8th in who will win the championship. What was Dallas ranked last year?

Vegas does not rank us 8th anymore, and I have no idea how to check last years futures?

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think this lineup closes a lot of games, McMillan plays a surprising amount of small ball for a slow pace guy:

Felton
Crawford
Wes/Batum (depends on who has the better season)
Wallace
Aldridge

Our 8 man rotation is actually pretty good. It is the lack of quality depth that will be a big problem, because when was the last season the Blazers were one of the healthiest teams in the league?

I agree. (Except I think you meant who is having the better "game" between Wes/Batum)

The NBA is all about the last 3-4 minutes. Our closing unit looks pretty good.

 

[BlazerBeav]

As long as you have LMA and a shot with Oden, you do what it takes to win Now. Anything else is Defeatism.

Could not agree more. The idea that you'd pass on a quality scorer off the bench (for cheap and on a short deal) because it might somehow impact your plans to blow the team up going forward is ridiculous.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

I am reading that as him turning down a 13million over 2 years from Sacto

my bad i thought it was 2 years/6.5mil

in that case, well done

 

[magnifier661]

Vegas does not rank us 8th anymore, and I have no idea how to check last years futures?

We'll see after they find out about Crawford coming to PDX.

 

[Masbee]

Is Crawford a good 3 point thread? He shot 34% last year.

And 38% the year before that.

35% for his career. As low as 31% and as high as 45% (in a short season for him). He is no Ray Allen, that's for sure.

But, True Shooting Percentage is a revealing stat in that it includes extra points for drawing foul (and making the foul shots) and the extra point for 3 pointers. In his last 5 seasons Crawford has never been below 54% True Shooting Percentage - which is decent for a guard.

He has been at 57% twice in the last 4 seasons - which would put him in the Top 20 for guards if we get that kind of a season out of him.

 

[e_blazer]

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated is reporting that it's a one-year deal for $5 mil:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...12/15/jamal.crawford/index.html?sct=nba_t2_a3

 

[Nikolokolus]

I swear some of our "fans" just want us to suck. As if the crappy teams magically become a dynasty.

You either have to be called the Lakers or the Celtics to become a dynasty without sucking.

For everybody else? show me one team in the last twenty years with a championship who didn't draft a superstar in the high lottery. Wade was picked by the Heat because they sucked, The Spurs sucked without Robinson and drafted Duncan, The Mavs were horrible and drafted Dirk. It's not a magical formula, teams that win it all, almost always pick a superstar in the draft and then somehow surround that superstar with the right mix of trades, drafts and free agent acquisitions ... but they still had to draft the top five guy in the first place..

 

[Mediocre Man]

We'll see after they find out about Crawford coming to PDX.

That's true as well. It should move a little, but so should the Clips and others

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated is reporting that it's a one-year deal for $5 mil:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...12/15/jamal.crawford/index.html?sct=nba_t2_a3

yeah it says player option for 5million next year too, still not bad, and gives us trade ballast worst case scenario

 

[DaLincolnJones]

What some do mot want to see is that this roster is better by far than last year, and we still can add one more big. I have hope that we will hold our own, and with a little luck be more fun to watch.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

You either have to be called the Lakers or the Celtics to become a dynasty without sucking.

For everybody else? show me one team in the last twenty years with a championship who didn't draft a superstar in the high lottery.

'04 Pistons?

 

[magnifier661]

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated is reporting that it's a one-year deal for $5 mil:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...12/15/jamal.crawford/index.html?sct=nba_t2_a3

Jamal Crawford has decided to sign a one-year, $5 million deal with Portland, according to sources close to the free-agent guard. The deal would include a player option for a second year worth approximately $5 million.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...12/15/jamal.crawford/index.html#ixzz1gdQDBR39

It's still a two year deal.

 

[Draco]

You either have to be called the Lakers or the Celtics to become a dynasty without sucking.

For everybody else? show me one team in the last twenty years with a championship who didn't draft a superstar in the high lottery. Wade was picked by the Heat because they sucked, The Spurs sucked without Robinson and drafted Duncan, The Mavs were horrible and drafted Dirk. It's not a magical formula, teams that win it all, almost always pick a superstar in the draft and then somehow surround that superstar with the right mix of trades, drafts and free agent acquisitions ... but they still had to draft the top five guy in the first place..

Detroit.

 

[magnifier661]

That's true as well. It should move a little, but so should the Clips and others

Well these are the odds after the CP3 trade. http://www.betvega.com/odds-to-win-nba-championship/

 

[Nikolokolus]

Detroit.

Great, one time ... that's it.

 

[RR7]

You either have to be called the Lakers or the Celtics to become a dynasty without sucking.

For everybody else? show me one team in the last twenty years with a championship who didn't draft a superstar in the high lottery. Wade was picked by the Heat because they sucked, The Spurs sucked without Robinson and drafted Duncan, The Mavs were horrible and drafted Dirk. It's not a magical formula, teams that win it all, almost always pick a superstar in the draft and then somehow surround that superstar with the right mix of trades, drafts and free agent acquisitions ... but they still had to draft the top five guy in the first place..

Then you hold out hope that Aldridge is that guy,a nd build around him.

 

[Mediocre Man]

'04 Pistons?

37
29
42
32

then 50
50
54 Champions. So they sucked prior to winning as well. Just not right before

 

[Masbee]

I agree. (Except I think you meant who is having the better "game" between Wes/Batum)

The NBA is all about the last 3-4 minutes. Our closing unit looks pretty good.

I think is either Wes or Batum really impresses early, McMillan will pick and stick with them. He won't yank them game to game.

And, yeah, like I said, if healthy, our 8 man rotatation is solid and our finishing unit looks tough against all but the elite teams.

We have got two ball handlers on the floor. We have multiple guys who can penetrate. Multiple guys who can shoot threes. A great inside force. And every guy on the floor can knock down an open jumper. It would be all about spacing the floor properly and taking what the defense gives you.

 

[Denny Crane]

Congrats guys. Crawford is a good player and is a good guy.

The mrs. HCP meet & greet must have sealed the deal!

 

[3RA1N1AC]

You either have to be called the Lakers or the Celtics to become a dynasty without sucking.

For everybody else? show me one team in the last twenty years with a championship who didn't draft a superstar in the high lottery. Wade was picked by the Heat because they sucked, The Spurs sucked without Robinson and drafted Duncan, The Mavs were horrible and drafted Dirk. It's not a magical formula, teams that win it all, almost always pick a superstar in the draft and then somehow surround that superstar with the right mix of trades, drafts and free agent acquisitions ... but they still had to draft the top five guy in the first place..

yes and all of those players were drafted in the mid teens

us improving by a couple draft slots doesnt hurt our chances at a superstar as much as it helps get us out of the first round

i mean what are you advocating here? full on tank? sit out lma for the season? get a top 5 pick and THEN hope we hit that 15% chance for a superstar with the pick?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Well these are the odds after the CP3 trade. http://www.betvega.com/odds-to-win-nba-championship/

We were 30/1 yesterday. I suspect we should move back to that number after they update it again

 

[illmatic99]

Give him time . . .

Alright I looked it up. He had his ACL reconstructed in 01-02 and missed 59 games.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Then you hold out hope that Aldridge is that guy,a nd build around him.

I like LMA a lot. He's a very good player ... he's also what 27, 28 this year? I guess it's possible he could have another "leap" in him, but I think your plan is a little dodgy.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

I think is either Wes or Batum really impresses early, McMillan will pick and stick with them. He won't yank them game to game.

And, yeah, like I said, if healthy, our 8 man rotatation is solid and our finishing unit looks tough against all but the elite teams.

We have got two ball handlers on the floor. We have multiple guys who can penetrate. Multiple guys who can shoot threes. A great inside force. And every guy on the floor can knock down an open jumper. It would be all about spacing the floor properly and taking what the defense gives you.

very good post

 

[Pinwheel1]

I did not know this:

Three times in his career he has scored 50 or more points, including a career-high 52 in 2007 with New York. He also scored 50 with Golden State and 50 with Chicago.

 

[Nikolokolus]

yes and all of those players were drafted in the mid teens

us improving by a couple draft slots doesnt hurt our chances at a superstar as much as it helps get us out of the first round

i mean what are you advocating here? full on tank? sit out lma for the season? get a top 5 pick and THEN hope we hit that 15% chance for a superstar with the pick?

Dirk ninth overall
Wade fifth overall
Duncan first overall

And no, I'm not "advovating" anything, I was pointing out the fallacy in the idea that champions are built by means other than sucking ass enough to draft a true difference maker.

 

[RR7]

I like LMA a lot. He's a very good player ... he's also what 27, 28 this year? I guess it's possible he could have another "leap" in him, but I think your plan is a little dodgy.

Just turned 26. Has been given opportunity to be "the man" for maybe half a season only.
That plan might be dodgy, but a plan of trading him away to get high enough into the lottery, to maybe draft someone better is damned dodgy also.