Explain Layman, please.

[tester551]

Fuck no. That won't make us a better team.

How do you figure?

When comparing the 3 players, Blake has the best statistics in almost every category... Blake is a legitimate All-Star and a contender for All-NBA teams.

- CJ is good, but not great.
- ET is meh.
- The pick is a mid-20s pick.
- We have other options at SG that would not be much of a drop-off from CJ (Jake, Hood, or Reggie Bullock in FA).
- We'd save approx. $12M next year giving some (not a lot) flexibility in keeping a decent bench.

 

[tlongII]

How do you figure?

When comparing the 3 players, Blake has the best statistics in almost every category... Blake is a legitimate All-Star and a contender for All-NBA teams.

- CJ is good, but not great.
- ET is meh.
- The pick is a mid-20s pick.
- We have other options at SG that would not be much of a drop-off from CJ (Jake, Hood, or Reggie Bullock in FA).
- We'd save approx. $12M next year giving some (not a lot) flexibility in keeping a decent bench.

Blake is constantly injured. I want to stay away from that.

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

How do you figure?

When comparing the 3 players, Blake has the best statistics in almost every category... Blake is a legitimate All-Star and a contender for All-NBA teams.

- CJ is good, but not great.
- ET is meh.
- The pick is a mid-20s pick.
- We have other options at SG that would not be much of a drop-off from CJ (Jake, Hood, or Reggie Bullock in FA).
- We'd save approx. $12M next year giving some (not a lot) flexibility in keeping a decent bench.

All true, when healthy and playing. He has neither age nor history to provide a reasonable expectation that his play will be anywhere commensurate with his outsized long-term contract.

Pass. Talk about crippling our options for a long time, his contract vs health history makes ET look like a downright bargain.

Pass. Pass. Pass. Long-term anchor hoping for short-term result.

Gramps...

 

[Wizard Mentor]

lay·man
Dictionary result for layman
/ˈlāmən/
noun
noun: layman; plural noun: laymen
1.
a nonordained male member of a Church.
synonyms: layperson, unordained person, member of the congregation, parishioner;
laywoman

In other words, he's very nice to have, but he's not a savior.

I won't talk about laywoman because I don't want to talk about a certain poster's wife...

 

[stampedehero]

What the hell! Who is this guy?? I’ve never seen this kind of transformation in a player. He’s gone from a tentative, uncertain guy to an all-star overnight. Ok, “all-star” is too much, but I don’t even recognize him on the court anymore. It’s like another player has crawled inside of his body. He used to stand around the three-point line and miss every shot he took, sometimes horribly, but now he’s a scoring machine with a variety of very deft moves and playing with total confidence.

Anybody know how this happened? Was it counseling, a new fitness regime, a pep talk from Lillard or Stotts? I haven’t seen Layman address the change, but I’d be curious to hear other people’s opinions.

It's the quality coffee the staff serves the team before the game. Before he preferred DeCaf. Check it out the Blazers are Caffeine fiends.

 

[stampedehero]

Just wait until he starts showing the stuff he did in the g league when he had complete freedom. The post ups. The playmaking. Taking more risks defensively. There’s more in his toolbox. He was used as a complimentary piece in college, and so far in the NBA. But I really believe he’s built for more responsibility. He’s never going to cross anybody over but he can get his own shot. He’s got size. Hes got a good first step. He’s coordinated.

It’s funny, looking back on his predraft interviews, he was asked where he saw himself in five years. His answer was simple; “all star.” It’s not looking so ridiculous anymore.



That shot at :45...that barely even touched net!

We are all screwed when he gets his acting career.

 

[tester551]

Blake is constantly injured. I want to stay away from that.

All true, when healthy and playing. He has neither age nor history to provide a reasonable expectation that his play will be anywhere commensurate with his outsized long-term contract.

Pass. Talk about crippling our options for a long time, his contract vs health history makes ET look like a downright bargain.

Pass. Pass. Pass. Long-term anchor hoping for short-term result.

Gramps...

Yes, he's been a little injury prone, but you're making it out to seem like he misses half his games.

In Blake's 8.5 years in the league, he's had:
* 1 year where he played less than 70% of his games (the '15/'16 season).
* 4 years where he's played between 70%-80% of his games; and
* 4 years where he's played +90% of his games (including this year so far).

Eliminating the '15/'16 season, he averages approximately 68 games per year (or 83%). This is almost identical to what Anthony Davis plays/misses. The last 3 years, Dame has averaged 75 games a year. I guess that's just not that big of difference to me to balk as such a HUGE talent upgrade....

 

[BonesJones]

Layman doesn't have the ball handling ability to be a SG.

 

[BonesJones]

Yes, he's been a little injury prone, but you're making it out to seem like he misses half his games.

In Blake's 8.5 years in the league, he's had:
* 1 year where he played less than 70% of his games (the '15/'16 season).
* 4 years where he's played between 70%-80% of his games; and
* 4 years where he's played +90% of his games (including this year so far).

Eliminating the '15/'16 season, he averages approximately 68 games per year (or 83%). This is almost identical to what Anthony Davis plays/misses. The last 3 years, Dame has averaged 75 games a year. I guess that's just not that big of difference to me to balk as such a HUGE talent upgrade....

Exactly!

 

[Scalma]

Layman doesn't have the ball handling ability to be a SG.

And Klay Thompson does? And Danny Green does? And Eric Gordon does? And Gary Harris does? Etc etc.

 

[BonesJones]

And Klay Thompson does? And Danny Green does? And Eric Gordon does? And Gary Harris does? Etc etc.

All those guys have much better ball handling ability than Layman. Layman barely feels comfortable enough to dribble it up the court.

Thompson, Green, and Harris are also elite shooters and really good at defending against both guard spots.

 

[BonesJones]

Hell, Aminu has better ball handling ability than Layman.

 

[TBpup]

Hell, Aminu has better ball handling ability than Layman.

I shared that with a Blazer employee. They laughed and said, "I think I just threw up a little."

 

[BonesJones]

I shared that with a Blazer employee. They laughed and said, "I think I just threw up a little."

Aminu has a stigma about him. People cant get over his ball handling from the past couple years and notice how its improved. People also have this love affair with Jake so they think he can.

 

[jlprk]

I shared that with a Blazer employee. They laughed and said, "I think I just threw up a little."

After games, of course your basketball expert doesn't want to waste his buckets of leftover mustard, but he should dispose of it properly.

 

[mook]

I do wonder if Jake's natural position is actually shooting guard. He got flat out abused last night in the post against guys who were shorter than him, which yeah is bad defense, but it's also kind of a consequence of his lanky frame. It just seems like he's more effective tracking smaller, faster guys with his length than he is guarding bigger guys who want to bang.

In many ways I can see him as an ideal SG to play off Dame. He doesn't dominate the ball at all like CJ can. He also can't create like CJ, but I think he can play a longer version of Klay Thompson on this team. (Jake is 2" taller, but they're both listed at the same weight and they have the same wingspan and standing reach at draft.)

If the opportunity presents itself for a significant ugrade for a similar level of talent to CJ at SF, I think Portland has to pull the trigger on it and see how Jake plays out as a shooting guard. After all these years it'd be nice to have a size advantage in the back court.

I'm going to do a little victory lap here and say I called it a month ago. With Layman starting at shooting guard, we're 5-0.

He's basically been useless as a scorer in these games, and he's only logging 15mpg, so he's kind of getting the Noah Vonleh treatment where he's a youngster thrown into the starting lineup for defense and development. I think Stotts initially put him in there also so he didn't have to change the rotation much when CJ comes back, and to keep some bench scoring with Curry/Hood.

But overall I like the defensive look we have with a much longer, more athletic defender out there at SG. It makes us much more switchable on defense, which is critical when you have Kanter and Dame.

He's been in a horrible three point slump in March--15% on 32 attempts. His form looks good though and he was shooting 37% before March, so you hope it's just a slump.

I don't know that Jake is our long-term solution at SG, but between him and Wes Mathews there's plenty of evidence that a Dame team can run just fine with a bigger defensive SG who isn't a creator like CJ. I've been a fan of using CJ in a trade to upgrade at 3/4 for a couple years now, and this only continues to confirm my inclinations.

I'm also becoming increasingly convinced that Layman's natural position is at SG. I'm not completely sold that's he's starting caliber at the NBA level, but I do think that's his best fit.

 

[joeBlazers]

15% from 3 poins land ? Give me Simmons please

 

[BonesJones]

I'm going to do a little victory lap here and say I called it a month ago. With Layman starting at shooting guard, we're 5-0.

He's basically been useless as a scorer in these games, and he's only logging 15mpg, so he's kind of getting the Noah Vonleh treatment where he's a youngster thrown into the starting lineup for defense and development. I think Stotts initially put him in there also so he didn't have to change the rotation much when CJ comes back, and to keep some bench scoring with Curry/Hood.

But overall I like the defensive look we have with a much longer, more athletic defender out there at SG. It makes us much more switchable on defense, which is critical when you have Kanter and Dame.

He's been in a horrible three point slump in March--15% on 32 attempts. His form looks good though and he was shooting 37% before March, so you hope it's just a slump.

I don't know that Jake is our long-term solution at SG, but between him and Wes Mathews there's plenty of evidence that a Dame team can run just fine with a bigger defensive SG who isn't a creator like CJ. I've been a fan of using CJ in a trade to upgrade at 3/4 for a couple years now, and this only continues to confirm my inclinations.

I'm also becoming increasingly convinced that Layman's natural position is at SG. I'm not completely sold that's he's starting caliber at the NBA level, but I do think that's his best fit.

Well I can assure you that Layman is definitely not our long-term solution at SG. Just wait till Dame gets trapped and has 0 ball handlers next to him.

Whys Jake's natural position SG? He's slow laterally and the quicker hisopponent, the more he struggles. He handles the ball like a center, and doesnt pass well either. He's a hybrid 3/4.

 

[RR7]

The comparison escaped me for a while, couldn't remember the guys name, but saw it recently, chase budinger. Hopefully Jake develops better than chase ever did. But, super athletic, pretty looking shot that doesnt always fall.

 

[riverman]

Jake is primarily working on his defense and seems happy to be the 5th option with the starters....he's seen the playoffs and knows what's coming. He was more comfortable and aggressive offensively with the bench mob.

 

[kjironman1]

Hell, Aminu has better ball handling ability than Layman.

Sorry but absolutely do not agree with you on that at all. You must have forgot the green font bro.

 

[kjironman1]

Well I can assure you that Layman is definitely not our long-term solution at SG. Just wait till Dame gets trapped and has 0 ball handlers next to him.

Whys Jake's natural position SG? He's slow laterally and the quicker hisopponent, the more he struggles. He handles the ball like a center, and doesnt pass well either. He's a hybrid 3/4.

I agree with this. Layman is not a SG. He is a SF.

 

[riverman]

Jake's shooting slump is better happening now than two weeks from now...hopefully he gets hot when it counts in the playoffs

 

[wizenheimer]

Jake's shooting slump is better happening now than two weeks from now...hopefully he gets hot when it counts in the playoffs

is it certain he's in a shooting slump?

He was a bad shooter before this season. Yeah, the sample size was small, but his numbers were ugly.

He's at 33% this season from three; but he was only a 36% three point shooter in college from a line 2 feet closer than the NBA line. From 36% to 33% shooting on a longer distance doesn't look like regression...it looks like performance meeting expectation

I expect that he will probably end up better than 33% from the arc. But it may be unrealistic to expect he's a 40% shooter from distance, and that it may have been more of a hot streak earlier in the season than a slump now. Or most probable, some of both

 

[riverman]

is it certain he's in a shooting slump?

He was a bad shooter before this season. Yeah, the sample size was small, but his numbers were ugly.

He's at 33% this season from three; but he was only a 36% three point shooter in college from a line 2 feet closer than the NBA line. From 36% to 33% shooting on a longer distance doesn't look like regression...it looks like performance meeting expectation

I expect that he will probably end up better than 33% from the arc. But it may be unrealistic to expect he's a 40% shooter from distance, and that it may have been more of a hot streak earlier in the season than a slump now. Or most probable, some of both

yeah...I think it's a slump...CJ had one not long ago...they happen..Jake has changed roles and positions since the beginning of the season...Dame alluded to the fact that guys were trying to adapt to new roles and I believe Jake is part of that...we've played him at 3 positions. Each time he gets slotted in there's going to be some rust..I don't think stats for a guy with sporadic minutes and a changing role are as important as things like his defensive improvement and rebounding....Dame said about Jake..."he's instant offense"...it's defense he needs to get up to speed on...got a great eye for the ball...hustle rebounder. Offensive stats for a 5th option aren't as important to me as their ability to play defense on a string..

 

[GhostOfPGA]

Layman has a bit of Rudy Gay to him, lots of athleticism, streaky shooter with a pretty jumper. He will get out of his slump.

 

[Pinwheel1]

If I was a conspiracy theorist I might think they are trying to intentionally lower his value as a FA this summer. Hiding his talent and making him look bad by playing him at SG so no one goes crazy and offers him too much. But I am not a conspiracy theorist so I will just assume that Terry expects CJ back very soon and does not want to keep moving Hood around. I guess as long as Dame keeps scoring over 30 a night and they keep winning there is no need to. (which is fine short term)

 

[BonesJones]

Sorry but absolutely do not agree with you on that at all. You must have forgot the green font bro.

You must be caught up on stigma.

 

[BonesJones]

Sorry but absolutely do not agree with you on that at all. You must have forgot the green font bro.

I haven't seen Layman break somebody down with dribble moves once in his career, or get by someone with a crossover. I can't believe people think hes a better ball handler than Aminu. I don't understand. Jake is nervous just dribbling straight up the court.

 

[TBpup]

I haven't seen Layman break somebody down with dribble moves once in his career, or get by someone with a crossover. I can't believe people think hes a better ball handler than Aminu. I don't understand. Jake is nervous just dribbling straight up the court.

It's not that Jake is a great ball-handler. It's that we've seen Aminu continually lose his dribble in ways many a junior high player can only fathom. Aminu is better this year....but the bar was VERY low.