Do our summer moves indicate building or rebuilding?

[TowelBoy]

In Dave's recent BE mailbags he keeps dropping snide remark after snide remark that the Blazers have no intention of competing. Latest example:

The Blazers are not giving off signals that they're planning to succeed. They're broadcasting a rebuild instead.

Where do you come down on this? Personally I think it's ludicrous. I think all of Portland's moves this summer have been part of a strategy to (1) put a better team on the floor this year, and (2) collect valuable assets. While Dave insists we're right on the verge of trading Aldridge and bottoming out, it seems to me most fans and other writers are hailing the productive offseason and projecting a 7th or 8th seed with upside.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I feel the same feeling when we were just getting JR Rider and Sheed etc..a young team that will be exciting and up and coming. I think we'll eventually turn a lot of these assets into something special to open a championship window.

 

[NOVoodoo]

In Dave's recent BE mailbags he keeps dropping snide remark after snide remark that the Blazers have no intention of competing. Latest example:



Where do you come down on this? Personally I think it's ludicrous. I think all of Portland's moves this summer have been part of a strategy to (1) put a better team on the floor this year, and (2) collect valuable assets. While Dave insists we're right on the verge of trading Aldridge and bottoming out, it seems to me most fans and other writers are hailing the productive offseason and projecting a 7th or 8th seed with upside.

The way I look at it, from an outsider's perspective, the Blazers have enough young prospects. They're not going to be a title contender in the next year or two, but why would you set your franchise back by tanking with guys like Lillard on the roster?

You have your foundation... now just build around it.

 

[TowelBoy]

I feel the same feeling when we were just getting JR Rider and Sheed etc..a young team that will be exciting and up and coming. I think we'll eventually turn a lot of these assets into something special to open a championship window.

Yeah. Being "merely" a contender for the 8th seed isn't a horrible thing when your core is so young. It's not like we're aiming for the 8th seed with the Bucks' roster.

 

[-Ace-]

I think this was a "turn the corner" summer. We almost made the playoffs last year with what we had then.....and what we have now is greater than that. I really believe we can reach a 5th or 6th seed this year.

 

[TowelBoy]

The way I look at it, from an outsider's perspective, the Blazers have enough young prospects. They're not going to be a title contender in the next year or two, but why would you set your franchise back by tanking with guys like Lillard on the roster?

You have your foundation... now just build around it.

The only part of the situation that has me torn is our stupid draft pick going to Charlotte. I really hope we can figure out a way to trade for a pick in the draft if we make the playoffs.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Yeah. Being "merely" a contender for the 8th seed isn't a horrible thing when your core is so young. It's not like we're aiming for the 8th seed with the Bucks' roster.

time to "shock the world"!

 

[Further]

They are trying to build with flexibility.

 

[C_note]

In Dave's recent BE mailbags he keeps dropping snide remark after snide remark that the Blazers have no intention of competing. Latest example:



Where do you come down on this? Personally I think it's ludicrous. I think all of Portland's moves this summer have been part of a strategy to (1) put a better team on the floor this year, and (2) collect valuable assets. While Dave insists we're right on the verge of trading Aldridge and bottoming out, it seems to me most fans and other writers are hailing the productive offseason and projecting a 7th or 8th seed with upside.

Exactly, except that some of us have that upside defined as 5th seed tops in the future, with pretty much zero odds of seriously contending. With the current roster, at least.

Our great track record of FA signings should fix that.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

They are trying to build with flexibility.

gotta get dat Scottie Pippen and Stacey Augmon!

 

[PapaG]

"Dave" from BE has less credibility to me than most posters on this board.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

"Dave" from BE has less credibility to me than most posters on this board.

yeah, except when the blazers win it all, he'll be the first one knocking on the FO's door asking "where's my ring"?

 

[Hobbesarable]

The only part of the situation that has me torn is our stupid draft pick going to Charlotte. I really hope we can figure out a way to trade for a pick in the draft if we make the playoffs.

And several 2nd round draft picks were traded away in the process.

 

[PapaG]

Exactly, except that some of us have that upside defined as 5th seed tops in the future, with pretty much zero odds of seriously contending. With the current roster, at least.

Our great track record of FA signings should fix that.

That is such an original opinion. I've never heard that one before! You should probably start threads about it and post it repeatedly, just because it's such a unique opinion of the team!

 

[TowelBoy]

"Dave" from BE has less credibility to me than most posters on this board.

Harsh.

 

[THE HCP]

"Dave" from BE has less credibility to me than most posters on this board.

Totally agree!


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

 

[PapaG]

The only part of the situation that has me torn is our stupid draft pick going to Charlotte. I really hope we can figure out a way to trade for a pick in the draft if we make the playoffs.

Meh, it won't matter.

 

[THE HCP]

Harsh.

Why. What makes this random person with no inside connection to this team opinion hold anymore weight than any of ours? He's a hack!


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

 

[magnifier661]

yeah, except when the blazers win it all, he'll be the first one knocking on the FO's door asking "where's my ring"?

He's such a tool. I blast on him every chance I get on twitter

 

[TowelBoy]

Exactly, except that some of us have that upside defined as 5th seed tops in the future, with pretty much zero odds of seriously contending. With the current roster, at least.

Our great track record of FA signings should fix that.

I don't think this roster's upside is 5th seed. Aldridge and Lillard are legitimate All-NBA stars at premium positions. Batum is a fringe All-Star/high-end role player. Matthews is a solid player. Lopez, McCollum, Leonard, etc.

What team did the Pacers almost just win a championship with? A star in Paul George. A fring All-Star/high-end role player C in Hibbert. Hill? Stephenson? West?

I think that team has less pure talent than ours. Same with Memphis.

 

[Further]

gotta get dat Scottie Pippen and Stacey Augmon!

I went looking for a good contortionist pic, but found this instead. I had to post it.

 

[magnifier661]

Dave is the biggest tool! Anyone that takes stock in what he writes needs to realize that he's as bad as quick. The only difference is quick actually can talk with the players directly.

As for our team... I think we are in good position to be a 1-5 best team (barring no injuries). I also think that we have all the right tradable assets to make a deal if a player wants out of their respected team.

I think it's funny that we were a .500 team for most the year with a shitty bench and the starters logging heavy minutes. Then add stotts being a new coach to boot. I can't imagine how this team can't be 10 games over .500 with a deeper bench, better shooter and a true center. I guess some people set the bar low.

In the end, I think this team is really going to surprise people this year. I'm still saying the team resembles the 1998-99 team in terms of 2 deep at every position. It's gonna be a fun season!

 

[OneLifeToLive]

In Dave's recent BE mailbags he keeps dropping snide remark after snide remark that the Blazers have no intention of competing. Latest example:



Where do you come down on this? Personally I think it's ludicrous. I think all of Portland's moves this summer have been part of a strategy to (1) put a better team on the floor this year, and (2) collect valuable assets. While Dave insists we're right on the verge of trading Aldridge and bottoming out, it seems to me most fans and other writers are hailing the productive offseason and projecting a 7th or 8th seed with upside.

I think Dave is right on with his analysis. Look at the talent they have brought in. They might be good enough to make the playoffs. Might is the key word. I think they are on the verge of not only missing the playoffs but missing out on a first round pick...I personally feel they need to make a decision on Aldridge sooner rather than later if there intent is to not make the playoffs and I don't believe it is. They are playing with fire with where they are sitting.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Sat with Dave for the game they had all of the charity tickets for. Just a guy with an opinion. He had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept that PA does not want to rebuild. Even if we have no shot at winning a title, watching a team lose 60 times a year is tough to stomach. I think most posters have the same problem. Only one team wins every year. Some owners are very happy competing for a decade with no legit shot at a title.

 

[TowelBoy]

I think Dave is right on with his analysis. Look at the talent they have brought in. They might be good enough to make the playoffs. Might is the key word. I think they are on the verge of not only missing the playoffs but missing out on a first round pick...I personally feel they need to make a decision on Aldridge sooner rather than later if there intent is to not make the playoffs and I don't believe it is. They are playing with fire with where they are sitting.

Is your memory fuzzy about what happened last season prior to closing on a 10-game losing streak? With one of the worst benches in history the team was in position for a playoff berth in a stacked conference. Now the Lakers and falling out and the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Nuggets all strike me as middling, gettable teams. We have made improvements and virtually every position, and depth.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Sat with Dave for the game they had all of the charity tickets for. Just a guy with an opinion. He had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept that PA does not want to rebuild. Even if we have no shot at winning a title, watching a team lose 60 times a year is tough to stomach. I think most posters have the same problem. Only one team wins every year. Some owners are very happy competing for a decade with no legit shot at a title.

But I think Allen also loves playing his odds with the lottery and there is no question on just how much he loves the draft. He loves it.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Is your memory fuzzy about what happened last season prior to closing on a 10-game losing streak? With one of the worst benches in history the team was in position for a playoff berth in a stacked conference. Now the Lakers and falling out and the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Nuggets all strike me as middling, gettable teams. We have made improvements and virtually every position, and depth.

How would you grade the quality of the talent they have picked up? What others call depth, I call depth of unknowns. The needle hasn't moved.

 

[NOVoodoo]

Is your memory fuzzy about what happened last season prior to closing on a 10-game losing streak? With one of the worst benches in history the team was in position for a playoff berth in a stacked conference. Now the Lakers and falling out and the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Nuggets all strike me as middling, gettable teams. We have made improvements and virtually every position, and depth.

What makes everyone think that the Grizzlies are middling and gettable?

Yeah, we haven't made any interesting, blockbuster moves, but we won 56 games last season, made the WCF, and didn't lose any key components of our roster, while improving our coaching staff.

Yeah, we still lack perimeter shooting, and hopefully management will sign a shooter like Rip Hamilton in the upcoming months, but we made it to the 56 wins and the WCF without that. Not to mention, we rid ourselves of Rudy Gay in the process.

It's not like we have an old core either. Between Conley, Allen, Randolph, and Gasol, the team's "big four" average age is under 29.

Is it because people think we were a flash in the pan this season? Since the 2010-11 season, we've been a contender every season. Why would things change now that guys like Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are coming into their primes?

 

[TowelBoy]

How would you grade the quality of the talent they have picked up? What others call depth, I call depth of unknowns. The needle hasn't moved.

What sort of talent-labeling or talent-grading would you like to use? I guess I can give it a shot.

McCollum: High-end bench player, 6MOY candidate-caliber combo guard. Probably never an All-Star, but a low-end Jason Terry.
Robinson: Obviously very enigmatic so I won't get too carried away. Hickson with more upside, but only playing 10-15 minutes a game instead of 28.
Lopez: Young, big C coming off a 19 PER year with 82 starts? It's hard to classify other than to say he's part of the huge "middle" of quality, serviceable NBA centers. Won't make an All-Star game, but a good talent for a team's 5th or 6th best player and a good complement for Aldridge.
Wright: Quality bench shooter. Not an unknown.

Strictly speaking, of course you're right that McCollum and Robinson are unknowns. But I think even my cautious projections for them bring our team's overall talent level up pretty high when combined with Aldridge, Lillard, and Batum.

 

[TowelBoy]

What makes everyone think that the Grizzlies are middling and gettable?

Yeah, we haven't made any interesting, blockbuster moves, but we won 56 games last season, made the WCF, and didn't lose any key components of our roster, while improving our coaching staff.

Yeah, we still lack perimeter shooting, and hopefully management will sign a shooter like Rip Hamilton in the upcoming months, but we made it to the 56 wins and the WCF without that. Not to mention, we rid ourselves of Rudy Gay in the process.

It's not like we have an old core either. Between Conley, Allen, Randolph, and Gasol, the team's "big four" average age is under 29.

Is it because people think we were a flash in the pan this season? Since the 2010-11 season, we've been a contender every season. Why would things change now that guys like Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are coming into their primes?

I always forget we have a Grizzly fan on the board.

You make good points, but I just felt like Memphis sort of showed their ceiling this year. That being the case, perhaps "middling" is too strong. I certainly have them behind the Thunder, Spurs, Rockets, and Clippers.