Did the last two games change your mind?

[Natebishop3]

I liked Napier until the last two games. He's pretty good when he doesn't try too hard. He had way too many sloppy, unforced turnovers for my liking. He's perfectly adequate for the very end of the bench, but as a rotation player? I have my doubts...

You liked him until he put up 28.5 ppg over those two games, while shooting 50% from the field and 54% from three?

Napier - 28.5 ppg, 50% FG, 53.8% from three, 3.5 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers in 31.5 minutes per game.

The low assists and high turnovers is definitely not great, but in terms of being a sparkplug guy off the bench, I think he could be perfect.

 

[tlongII]

Napier is definitely a keeper for a backup at pg.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I liked Napier until the last two games. He's pretty good when he doesn't try too hard. He had way too many sloppy, unforced turnovers for my liking. He's perfectly adequate for the very end of the bench, but as a rotation player? I have my doubts...

Patty had 7 turnovers last night. Layman had 4. Turner had 3. Shabazz had 4.
Game #81, Evan Turner... 3 TO's. Shabazz 4.


Dame average TO for the season: 2.6. Last Season - 3.2. His rookie Season, 3.

Rest of league:

Harden... 5.73
Westbrook...5.41
John Wall...4.14
LBJ...4.09


Looks like you can average aprox 4 turnovers a game and still be an all star.

I dont see him having that many sloppy TO's at all and think you are being too harsh on the kid that just got his first real burn with us.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Napier impressed but call me old fashioned, I prefer assists over huge points. Dame is Dame. He can do both. Napier not so much.

He might be a SG in a PG body which worries me a little. We have plenty of those types that do it better.

Now this doesn't mean I am looking to move him, but I also not ready to hand him 12+ minutes a game until he gets people involved.

Of course you could say who does he have to pass to?...

 

[Boob-No-More]

Yes, I know. We could have 3 rookies and we need spots. FE and TQ give us 2. It's possible we keep Pat, but it's very likely we don't.

Even if we keep all three draft picks, we'll have plenty of roster spots. With the new CBA, rosters expand to 17 with two floater contracts to seamlessly move players between the NBA team and the G League.

So, waiving Ezeli saves us $6.4 million and frees up all the roster spots we need to accommodate three rookies.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Quarterman doesn't have a guaranteed contract. So, he's likely be the first to go - of needed. Ezeli is also gone. As mentioned above, that gives us more than enough room to add three rookies.

Pat, Layman and Vonleh are all cheap. So, keeping them around another year makes sense, unless you need to include one to facilitate a trade.

Here's my thoughts on Connaughton (and a little about Vonlehh's improved play after the all star break) in another thread.

BNM

 

[H.C.]

These last two games did one thing.
Prove me right as to why Napier isn't getting run with CJ/Lillard consistently.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Patty had 7 turnovers last night. Layman had 4. Turner had 3. Shabazz had 4.
Game #81, Evan Turner... 3 TO's. Shabazz 4.


Dame average TO for the season: 2.6. Last Season - 3.2. His rookie Season, 3.

Rest of league:

Harden... 5.73
Westbrook...5.41
John Wall...4.14
LBJ...4.09


Looks like you can average aprox 4 turnovers a game and still be an all star.

I dont see him having that many sloppy TO's at all and think you are being too harsh on the kid that just got his first real burn with us.

He may not have had a lot, but nearly all of the ones he did have were sloppy and unforced. I just want him to stay in his lane, and if he can't do that, show him the door.

What's his contract status? Will he be a free agent?

 

[Natebishop3]

He may not have had a lot, but nearly all of the ones he did have were sloppy and unforced. I just want him to stay in his lane, and if he can't do that, show him the door.

What's his contract status? Will he be a free agent?

With Lillard and McCollum out, his "lane" was to score points and fill that "lead guard" role on the team.

 

[BlazerWookee]

With Lillard and McCollum out, his "lane" was to score points and fill that "lead guard" role on the team.

And in doing so, he made several turnovers that made Meyers Leonard's ineptitude seem miniscule by comparison.

 

[Orion Bailey]

He may not have had a lot, but nearly all of the ones he did have were sloppy and unforced. I just want him to stay in his lane, and if he can't do that, show him the door.

What's his contract status? Will he be a free agent?

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/shabazz-napier-15376/

He will make 3.5 or so next year. Ilm perfectly fine with that for a backup PG considering we have two others over 10.

 

[Orion Bailey]

And in doing so, he made several turnovers that made Meyers Leonard's ineptitude seem miniscule by comparison.

I think you are being biased. I can remember many times this season CJ dribbled the ball right off his foot. If that isn't a sloppy turnover, I don't know what is.

One game bro. He played like a stud.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Even if we keep all three draft picks, we'll have plenty of roster spots. With the new CBA, rosters expand to 17 with two floater contracts to seamlessly move players between the NBA team and the G League.

So, waiving Ezeli saves us $6.4 million and frees up all the roster spots we need to accommodate three rookies.

BNM

Thanks, I'd heard that but obviously it didn't stick.

 

[Natebishop3]

And in doing so, he made several turnovers that made Meyers Leonard's ineptitude seem miniscule by comparison.

hahahahaha

You think that "several turnovers" can dwarf the ineptitude of Meyers Leonard?

Put up 32 and 25 points? Doesn't matter.

Shot 50% from the field and 54% from three? Don't care.

Helped us beat the Spurs with LMA and Kawhi? Completely irrelevant.

Committed several turnovers in each game? Fuck that guy. Get him the fuck out of town!

 

[Boob-No-More]

He may not have had a lot, but nearly all of the ones he did have were sloppy and unforced. I just want him to stay in his lane, and if he can't do that, show him the door.

What's his contract status? Will he be a free agent?

Locked up for one more season. Olshey picked up his team option last October for $2,361,360. It's a small contract and an expiring one, So, should be easy to move, if necessary. If not, he's a cheap, 3rd string PG.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Locked up for one more season. Olshey picked up his team option last October for $2,361,360. It's a small contract and an expiring one, So, should be easy to move, if necessary. If not, he's a cheap, 3rd string PG.

BNM

And how many third stringers can step into the starting lineup and do what Napier can do?

 

[Boob-No-More]

hahahahaha

You think that "several turnovers" can dwarf the ineptitude of Meyers Leonard?

Put up 32 and 25 points? Doesn't matter.

Shot 50% from the field and 54% from three? Don't care.

Helped us beat the Spurs with LMA and Kawhi? Completely irrelevant.

Committed several turnovers in each game? Fuck that guy. Get him the fuck out of town!

His TOV% for the season is 16.7%. Not great, but not Sergio bad, either.

And unlike Sergio, he can actually make an open lay up AND a jump shot.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

And how many third stringers can step into the starting lineup and do what Napier can do?

I don't know, how many?

Not sure why you asked me that. He won't be starting in Portland (and if he is, we're fucked), so I'm not sure I understand the relevance of your question.

BNM

 

[BlazerWookee]

Locked up for one more season. Olshey picked up his team option last October for $2,361,360. It's a small contract and an expiring one, So, should be easy to move, if necessary. If not, he's a cheap, 3rd string PG.

BNM

In that case, keep him. At that price, his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

 

[BlazerWookee]

hahahahaha

You think that "several turnovers" can dwarf the ineptitude of Meyers Leonard?

Put up 32 and 25 points? Doesn't matter.

Shot 50% from the field and 54% from three? Don't care.

Helped us beat the Spurs with LMA and Kawhi? Completely irrelevant.

Committed several turnovers in each game? Fuck that guy. Get him the fuck out of town!

Again, not the quantity, just the consistently high level of sloppiness in his mistakes.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't know, how many?

Not sure why you asked me that. He won't be starting in Portland (and if he is, we're fucked), so I'm not sure I understand the relevance of your question.

BNM

You said "he's a cheap, 3rd string PG."

And I was agreeing by saying "how many 3rd singers can step into the starting lineup and do what he can do?" IE put up lots of points on 50% shooting.

 

[Boob-No-More]

In that case, keep him. At that price, his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

Yep, with all the massive contracts we have, it's nice to have some cheapies to fill out our bench.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

You said "he's a cheap, 3rd string PG."

And I was agreeing by saying "how many 3rd singers can step into the starting lineup and do what he can do?" IE put up lots of points on 50% shooting.

Sorry, without visual or audible clues, I read your question as more confrontational than agreeable. Like you were questioning my assessment, not agreeing with it.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

We've had A LOT of shitty point guards over the years.... and I mean A LOT. So Napier is actually pretty damn good if you compare him to our past experiences .

Eric Maynor
Nolan Smith
The ghost of Earl Watson
Ronnie Price
Jonny Flynn
Armon Johnson

Our last decent backup was probably Patty Mills and that was six years ago, but the list just keeps going.

Travis Diener
Sergio
Taurean Green
Dan Dickau
Maurice Baker (who?)
Omar Cook
Eddie Gill
Erick Barkley

 

[H.C.]

We've had A LOT of shitty point guards over the years.... and I mean A LOT. So Napier is actually pretty damn good if you compare him to our past experiences .

Eric Maynor
Nolan Smith
The ghost of Earl Watson
Ronnie Price
Jonny Flynn
Armon Johnson

Our last decent backup was probably Patty Mills and that was six years ago, but the list just keeps going.

Travis Diener
Sergio
Taurean Green
Dan Dickau
Maurice Baker (who?)
Omar Cook
Eddie Gill
Erick Barkley

Steve Blake? Mo Williams?

 

[H.C.]

I haven't decided if Napier is Bayless 2.0 or not.

 

[Natebishop3]

Steve Blake? Mo Williams?

I specifically left off most of the guys who started or were part of the main rotation, so guys like Felton, Blake, Miller, Mo, Bayless, or even Telfair. Most of the guys on that list are 3rd stringers (like Napier.) I think it also depends on which iteration of Steve Blake you're talking about, because he was pretty shitty in his final stint.

 

[Natebishop3]

I haven't decided if Napier is Bayless 2.0 or not.

Bayless couldn't really shoot, which is ultimately why we let him go.

 

[H.C.]

Bayless couldn't really shoot, which is ultimately why we let him go.

Yuh that's why I haven't decided yet.
Napier isn't the athlete Bayless is.
Bayless wasn't the shooter back then Napier has shown to be in limited action.
Both are/where undersized shot happy back up point guards.
Both struggle/struggled to run the offense as the back up point.
Both gamble/gambled defensively which led to lack of playing time. As both Nate & Stotts have conservative defensive principles.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Bayless couldn't really shoot, which is ultimately why we let him go.

He couldn't when he came into the league, but ended developing into a decent 3 and D guy off the bench.

When he came into the league, he was kind of the opposite of Napier - an athletic freak that couldn't shoot.

BNM