Zombie Derrick Jones to Portland

[Hoopguru]

Paul Millsap, Serge Ibaka, JaMychal Green, Maurice Harkless, Ersan Ilyasova just to name a few. Basically any two-way PF.

I would be pleased with Milsap, Ibaka, & Green. For those guys at 30 years old its probably where they want to live. I would bet we offered all but Harkless & Ersan. I think Ersan could still be available maybe if they buy him out.

 

[Hoopguru]

Writer for BlazersEdge.

Bones, do you want Melo back?

 

[julius]

Paul Millsap, Serge Ibaka, JaMychal Green, Maurice Harkless, Ersan Ilyasova just to name a few. Basically any two-way PF.

Maurice signed for 2.6 million. So I'm not sure that'd be a better use of the MLE. The others are either worth more than the MLE (Serge, and probably Millsap), or old (Ersan is 33 (or 34 depending on who you believe) or lateral moves.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

In the East playoffs, defense was their calling card. The 2-3 zone really took the wind out of teams with dudes that like to slash to the rim. Having a guy like Bam anchoring the defense obviously doesn't hurt.

When it came to the Lakers, I'd like to think they would have up up a tougher fight with a health Dragic, but who knows?

And they lost Adeybayo for a couple games and probably not full strength after that.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

What doesn't make a lot of sense is them having one less superstar than we have or had... who the fuck is our second superstar? I only ask because we don't even have a second all-star.

I don't feel like they had any superstars and we have one, Lillard. I was certainly not rating CJ a superstar. I don't rate Butler a superstar, he is one helluva player but can't carry a team.

 

[calvin natt]

He probably does think that, just like he did with Stauskas and Hezonja.

So he shouldn’t bring on any more young guys who need to improve in an area. Just stick with proven vets who all can shoot and defend and pass and rebound who are good teammates s d people.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Maurice signed for 2.6 million. So I'm not sure that'd be a better use of the MLE. The others are either worth more than the MLE (Serge, and probably Millsap), or old (Ersan is 33 (or 34 depending on who you believe) or lateral moves.

$3.6mil.

 

[wizenheimer]

I think people forget how truly awful the Aminu/Harkless drives could be if the ball swung to them and they didn't have a wide open 3. It was usually just awful. While RoCo and DJJ aren't the greatest ball handlers in the world, their slashing ability and decision making after they take off are much improved from the bad old days of Aminu/Hark.

Maybe

Last season, on isolation, Covington was in the 94th percentile, but it was only 2.4% of his possessions (in Minny). In 18-19, Aminu was in the 83rd percentile and it was 3.4% of his possessions. Harkless was only in the 4th percentile. Jones didn't do it enough to be listed

but those are such small percentages of individual possessions I don't think the sample size will have any significant impact

more importantly, this is Dame's team and as of yet, Olshey hasn't signed a backup PG. So then, we'd need to look at how these player fit with Dame and what Dame is a master at is the PnR. So then, right now I'll look at these players and how they performed as PnR roll men:

Covington - Minny - 79th percentile - 3.5% of possessions
Covington - Houston - 44th percentile - 7.8% pf possessions
Jones - Miami - 95th percentile - 8.7% of possessions
Aminu - Portland (18-19) - 93rd percentile - 4.5% of possessions
Harkless - Portland (18-19) - 35th percentile - 2.4% of possessions

another play-type I've been seeing talked about here, cut:

Covington - Minny - 16th percentile - 7.1% of possessions
Covington - Houston - 72nd percentile - 3.4% of possessions
Jones - Miami - 82nd percentile - 18.4% of possessions
Aminu - Portland (18-19) - 31st percentile - 10.3% of possessions
Harkless - Portland (18-19) - 81st percentile - 17% of possessions

I'm not sure how synergy categorizes plays, but I'd think Nurkic would be as important in cuts as Dame

all-in-all, the new duo might be a little better than the old duo, but I don't think there's as big a gap as some are implying.

 

[Natebishop3]

So he shouldn’t bring on any more young guys who need to improve in an area. Just stick with proven vets who all can shoot and defend and pass and rebound who are good teammates s d people.

Wouldn’t you say we have plenty of young guys that are developing? Simons, Zach, Little, and Trent are all very young. What we are lacking is veterans with playoff experience.

 

[B-Roy]

Yeah but Layman was a threat from deep. He could actually shoot it. Teams don’t have to worry about that from DJJ.

Could he though? I just remember him bricking wide open 3 after wide open 3.

Career 30% shooter on 2 attempts per game. DJJ is career 28% on 1.5 attempts per game.

 

[wizenheimer]

Who will throw those lobs for him?

what's Andre Miller doing these days?

 

[Pinwheel1]

I did not read this whole thread but it looks to me that Neil/Terry see Covington as a 4 along with Collins.
So in their minds getting an older vet such as Millsap at the PF spot was not as attractive as getting a younger, more athletic, wing player like Jones who they can use as a defensive stopper. He does seem like a duplication of Little, but duplications are not a bad
thing to have......when one gets injured. And one always seems to.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

what's Andre Miller doing these days?

I've said before, that if they are too cheap to hire more coaches, why don't they bring in guys for a week or two to teach certain skills?

 

[JDC]

Not my first choice, but a solid signing.

Can be a cutter playing with Nurkic, and a roll man with Zach at 5. Don't like the fit with Kanter so I'll be interested to see how Stotts handles the rotation.

Good 1v1 defender which complements RoCo who can settle in to being the off ball disruptor.

Have enough options if the shooting continues to be an issue in the playoffs.

We chased some variance getting rid of Harkless and Aminu and although we didn't exactly get a clear look at that plan with the injuries, I think Olshey is shaping a roster that strikes a good balance between solid regular season depth to get through the season and upside to hopefully make another deep playoff run.

 

[Hoopguru]

Not my first choice, but a solid signing.

Can be a cutter playing with Nurkic, and a roll man with Zach 5.

Good 1v1 defender which complements RoCo who can settle in to being the off ball disruptor.

Have enough options if the shooting continues to an issue in the playoffs.

We chased some variance getting rid of Harkless and Aminu and although we didn't exactly get a clear look at that plan with the injuries, I think Olshey is shaping a roster that strikes a good balance between solid regular season depth to get through the season and upside to hopefully make another deep playoff run.

JDC..are you wanting Melo back? Thanks

 

[calvin natt]

Wouldn’t you say we have plenty of young guys that are developing? Simons, Zach, Little, and Trent are all very young. What we are lacking is veterans with playoff experience.

I think it’s fairly average to the NBA. It looks like there are 13 teams with an average age older than Portland and 16 teams are younger. And it’s a mixed bag as far how good those teams are. We are same as Toronto and GS, older than Miami. Younger than some good teams and bad teams.

 

[julius]

$3.6mil.

Whatever it was, he wasn't worth the MLE was my point.

 

[JDC]

JDC..are you wanting Melo back? Thanks

I lean no.

I think he'd be a tough fit with the how the roster looks right now.

The injuries last year created a role/need for him that I just don't think we'll have for him if things go to plan.

 

[Tince]

Analyzing the game based off watching it is the right way to analyze the game. Looking at a piece of paper is not.

How do you determine who's analysis is right when two people see it differently?

 

[RR7]

How do you determine who's analysis is right when two people see it differently?

His, clearly

 

[Tince]

Covington is not in the same category as Harkless, Aminu or DJJ in terms of shooting.

And the closing lineup is probably going to be Hood or GTJ instead of one of Harkless/Aminu, which was the shooting issue.

I still think the bigger issue is secondary playmaking, but whatever, as long as we're tied to CJ that's always going to be an issue.

So to be clear: You were in the anti-Harkless/Aminu camp and like these signings?

 

[Tince]

Why? Has either of them shown an interest in running a fast break on a consistent basis?

No they have not.

I was not operating under the assumption the goal of the 2nd unit was to fast break, but to have at least one creator/playmaker. I worry about putting out a unit than can only score in transition because it requires a lot of defense stops to even have a chance.

 

[Tince]

Now that we have somebody from the Heat here (not counting Whiteside because who knows what goofy answer he might give), I would ask him: How did a team like Miami, with no more superstars than us (in fact, one less), get into the finals? What are you guys doing differently on a day to day basis. Actually, if I was GM, I would call up Myers Leonard and ask him, because he would be able to compare the best. Doesn't this make a lot of sense? But I know it won't be done.

Having 2 all-stars over 6-7 vs zero is a decent start.

 

[Labinot41]

Sorry, but... who is this?

I haven't posted here much lately, but I don't understand why people are posting random takes from Twitter if they're just from random posters. It seems like we can have our own opinions and post those

In terms of the actual point: of COURSE we want to get players who have big game experience. We want all-NBA players. We want the Greek Freak to sign for the minimum.

In terms of our actual options, though, getting a young rotation-level player for our MLE seems like a pretty good move. Especially given how close we were to missing the playoffs last year, we need to keep adding good players and depth and ensure we get back to the playoffs before we wring our hands that we don't have a lot of NBA champions on our roster.

actually english is not my first language so sometimes i just post a tweet of an opinion that I share.

 

[calvin natt]

Not Hezonja. Not Bazemore. Not Turner. Not Tolliver. I feel like that's overstated, also you have to think about where a player is coming from. Jones got phenomenal looks in Miami.

Seems like a bunch of vets except Mario. I don’t expect a vet to all of a sudden significantly improve in an area. There is at least hope for a 23 year old. But again that’s not why he’s here.

 

[RonBrewer]

Dude can guard four positions and is coming to a team that was absolute dog doo doo on defense as a team.
His three point percentage will improve in Portland but do we really need it to?
I'll take his defense and 8 and 4 all day.

 

[B-Roy]

So to be clear: You were in the anti-Harkless/Aminu camp and like these signings?

I like Covington. I'm ambivalent about DJJ. There are other players I would have rather had, but after seeing the other contracts handed out, aren't realistic.

And no I don't think our team is markedly better than the one that made the WCF. It's more working around the margins, which is what Neil does. As long as CJ is the second highest-paid player on the team I just don't expect much.

And no, I don't think we are true contenders. Maybe if everything goes right for us and some other teams have a few injuries.

 

[Hoopguru]

Best 3-point line defenders in 19-20 (with opp. 3PT%) 1. Avery Bradley ... 25.7% 2. Kawhi Leonard ... 26.4% 3. Maxi Kleber ... 26.8% 4. Derrick Jones Jr. ... 27.2% 5. D.J. Augustin ... 28.2% Min 40 games played, 3 threes contested per game (172 qualifiers)








https://twitter.com/503Blazerfans/status/1330008378282688512

 

[Hoopguru]

Has been a weakness running guys off the 3 point line.

 

[theprunetang]

I like DJJ. He's like what we want Little to become.