f* neil olshey

[Sinobas]

This piece of shit cake was half prepared and you burned it to a crisp. What an absoultely abysmal offseason. You paid Turner/Leonard/Crabbe about 10x what they were worth.

Everytime this team faces a good opponent they go home with shoe up their ass. Fire Neil and get a real GM rather than a soap opera star.

 

[BonesJones]

Dude your threads are a joke. You should stop. Hopefully Blazer management doesn't read this board because they could rightfully not give us anything or do anything for us because of bullshit like this.

 

[Sinobas]

Olshey is a joke of a GM. The whole fucking forum knew those signings were ridiculous.

 

[ChadWick]

Although I'm frustrated with how we've looked to start the season, despite the decent record...We have a top 5 GM in the league, Olshey isn't the problem.

 

[handiman]

Olshey has done a very good job of assembling something decent out of virtually nothing. The problem is the make-up of the roster. I've been harping on the redundancies for the past year... This team will never be much better than middle of the pack until some tough decisions are made. The problem is, we paid for greatness this summer, in the process dramatically reducing flexibility and increasing expectations.

 

[Sarni]

What would have been the benefit of not resigning our free agents? Someone else would have given them this money (in Crabbe's case it was on paper) and we would have been left without player. At least we now have some players to offer in trades.

 

[Chris Craig]

It sucks that we are struggling. It's easy to place blame. I'm scratching my head at this season so far. We replaced, Henderson, Roberts, Alexander, Montero and Kaman with Turner, Ezeli, Napier, Layman, and Quarterman...how did we get worse...maybe we should have resigned Henderson instead of signing Turner.

 

[Five Second Violation]

Olshey has a great drafting record. And he's been decent with trades. Where he's been poor has been with free agency. Turner signing looks terrible at this point and he's already been saved a couple times from himself (Hibbert, Parsons).

 

[ripcityboy]

Neil is a good GM and we are lucky to have him. But no, his free agent signings have not been on point. There are so few ways for the
Blazers to acquire talent..... taking some calculated risks is part in parcel with the job.

 

[BonesJones]

It sucks that we are struggling. It's easy to place blame. I'm scratching my head at this season so far. We replaced, Henderson, Roberts, Alexander, Montero and Kaman with Turner, Ezeli, Napier, Layman, and Quarterman...how did we get worse...maybe we should have resigned Henderson instead of signing Turner.

We got worse because the team isn't giving forth the effort it did last year. That's not Olsheys fault.

Turners shot has also been off, that's not Olsheys fault. He's overpaid, but would also be helpful if he played the way he did for Boston.

Ezeli also hasn't played yet, that was a great signing.

 

[EGame]

I'd argue any GM would fail in free agency for us. I agree he may have overpaid some players, but I suppose when all the big time free agents basically rejects you that is what happens. Dude has been pretty good at drafting and I'm still reserving judgement on trades (the Afflalo one blew). I don't think he's the problem at all.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Denny needs to find away to include these emoticons. I would have used one here.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

This piece of shit cake was half prepared and you burned it to a crisp. What an absoultely abysmal offseason. You paid Turner/Leonard/Crabbe about 10x what they were worth.

Everytime this team faces a good opponent they go home with shoe up their ass. Fire Neil and get a real GM rather than a soap opera star.

As unpopular as it's always been I've never been high on him. He's got a lot of fans and an owner fooled. I've been forced to go with the flow. Because everyone and their dog loves him. He has way overpaid a few of these players and I can't see ANYONE taking their contracts.

 

[mook]

It becomes clearer to me by the day that CJ is a stud who needs his own team to realize his potential, and we need a massive upgrade in the front court if we have any hope of maximizing Lillard's window.

Most players don't get to spend their entire careers in one city. CJ is a talented property with a perfect personality locked in on a long-term contract (something very, very valuable to a young franchise trying to emerge from years of disaster.) At some point we have to trade him for Boogie or some of Philly's extra bigs.

Philly seems more likely because of the different conference. You put CJ next to Ben Simmons and Embiid, and holy shit that team is scary. He's the perfect perimeter compliment, offering scoring, maturity and a franchise face that's not associated with all the losing. We take two of the following: Okafor, Nerlens, their upcoming draft pick.

 

[Sarni]

Trading CJ for Philadephia bigs would be the worst business ever unless it is Embiid (which it won't be). Even for Cousins it would be insane unless he immediately extended.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Not really sure what NO could have done different? The talent is what it is. It's not like he didn't try to get Whiteside.

 

[TBpup]

This will take some Trader Bob type of finagling to remedy. I know people didn't like his chemistry comment but that team was one bad quarter/FT parade away from winning a title. At least they were a contender and in the conversation.

This team is HORRIBLY out of balance. Dame and CJ dominate the ball, (CJ especially pounds the ball into submission on almost every tough) while everyone else screens or defers the ball back to one of the 2 guards. There is almost no threat from anyone else even if they are capable. They have zero inside presence, no toughness in the paint outside of an occasional Ed Davis tussle, and for some reason, they are not playing a shard as they did last season.

There is some serious work to do with this roster with a number of players who are looking like worse and worse contract every day in the system they are running.

 

[BrunoSOC]

NO TRADE CJ!

Give up Moe, Turner, Mason or Meyers for a big man. Cj is a future superstar, he and lillard have chemistry and a big friendship.

 

[TBpup]

NO TRADE CJ!

Give up Moe, Turner, Mason or Meyers for a big man. Cj is a future superstar, he and lillard have chemistry and a big friendship.

I'm not advocating a trade of CJ but at the same time, he and Dame are so ball dominant it leaves almost everyone else out. No other player ever gets a rhythm because they just don't see the ball very often and CJ's far to frequent no-pass, over dribble possessions are getting a bit frustrating.

I get that they are friends and have good chemistry but as I've said since early last year, they remind me of Monte Ellis and Stephen Curry when they were first paired together. Tons of offense but absolutely no defense. The somewhat saving grace of those two is they passed much more than Dame/CJ do. The Warriors had to move Ellis to take the next step and become a more balanced team.

 

[Sinobas]

What would have been the benefit of not resigning our free agents? Someone else would have given them this money (in Crabbe's case it was on paper) and we would have been left without player. At least we now have some players to offer in trades.

For one thing, most teams value 17 million in cap space over a scrub that takes up that 17 million in cap space. Teams are much more sane about a players value during trade time, than they are in their drunken stupor to sign free agents, when they are desparate.

Also, you dont' want guys taking up 10x what they are worth, because it come come bite you in the ass later. See the Thunder letting go of Harden for example, so they didn't have to pay luxury tax. They just pittled away a dynasty.

 

[BrunoSOC]

I'm not advocating a trade of CJ but at the same time, he and Dame are so ball dominant it leaves almost everyone else out. No other player ever gets a rhythm because they just don't see the ball very often and CJ's far to frequent no-pass, over dribble possessions are getting a bit frustrating.

I get that they are friends and have good chemistry but as I've said since early last year, they remind me of Monte Ellis and Stephen Curry when they were first paired together. Tons of offense but absolutely no defense. The somewhat saving grace of those two is they passed much more than Dame/CJ do. The Warriors had to move Ellis to take the next step and become a more balanced team.

I got your point.

But CJ is young, he can improved his defense, otherwise he can score.

Trade everyone expect Dame and CJ and im ok.

Trade Aminu, Turner, Mason for a big man, thats all.

 

[Sinobas]

This team would be just as good (I'd say better), if Napier, Layman and Vonleh were getting the minutes of Turner, Crabbe, and Leonard in the lineup. And that's 40 million of wasted space right there.

Good teams don't massively over-pay for scrubs. Look at the Spurs/Patriots, they've never been afraid to let players walk.

 

[TBpup]

I got your point.

But CJ is young, he can improved his defense, otherwise he can score.

I totally get where you are coming from as well. I'm just not sure that CJ's style fits this team when you already have someone like Dame on it. They are just both too ball dominant without either of them being much of a facilitator. Countless times I've watched CJ dribble the ball for 20 seconds and then throw up some off -balanced shot that because of his ability, often goes in. The down side of that is, no one else even touches the ball, gets involved other than countless screens or develops any rhythm.

If you rarely touch the ball on offense, for most players it can affect them on the defensive end as well. Few players want to just run around setting picks and then run back on defense play after play.

CJ has a TON of talent but I'm afraid for his career and for Portland to move forward, both of those might be better served if he is elsewhere. Portland is just too one-dimensional with him and Dame on the court at the same time...and that dimension has nothing to do with passing or defense.

 

[selloutking]

I totally get where you are coming from as well. I'm just not sure that CJ's style fits this team when you already have someone like Dame on it. They are just both too ball dominant without either of them being much of a facilitator. Countless times I've watched CJ dribble the ball for 20 seconds and then throw up some off -balanced shot that because of his ability, often goes in. The down side of that is, no one else even touches the ball, gets involved other than countless screens or develops any rhythm.

If you rarely touch the ball on offense, for most players it can affect them on the defensive end as well. Few players want to just run around setting picks and then run back on defense play after play.

sadly I have to agree for the most part. although I think for the case of dame its a little different, he still gets a fair amount of assists but because this team really relies on him to score, and he knows he doesn't have much after him for scoring, so he just goes for it. CJ on the other hand, I feel like we could go a full quarter and not see him make a meaningful pass (ie one where they don't just pass it right back to him), he is a SG playing PG, I think that's the main issue, he needs to play next to a PG.

 

[illmatic99]

CJ has a TON of talent but I'm afraid for his career and for Portland to move forward, both of those might be better served if he is elsewhere. Portland is just too one-dimensional with him and Dame on the court at the same time...and that dimension has nothing to do with passing or defense.

CJ on, Dame off: 0.91 points per possession
Dame on, CJ off: 1.01 points per possession
Dame on, CJ on: 1.14 points per possession

Trading CJ for offensive reasons is a dumb idea.

You don't trade CJ unless you're getting a star big man in return -- meaning AD/Boogie caliber. Ideally, you want a trio of stars with Dame and CJ as the foundation.

Now is not the time to let go of a MASSIVE advantage we have with guys who can give you 48 mins of terrific P&R play.

There is a reason Jerry West blocked a trade that would have broken up the best backcourt in the NBA for Kevin Love. And we're ready to move CJ for Nerlens freaking Noel? And CJ is a lot closer to Klay than he is Monta. We need to learn lessons from what GS did.

 

[Sinobas]

Olshey dropped bucket loads of cash on a bench that can't even break even. Let that really sink in. We've got two 17 million dollar players coming off the BENCH and they continually lose ground to the opponent.

 

[HailBlazers]

Olshey dropped bucket loads of cash on a bench that can't even break even. Let that really sink in. We've got two 17 million dollar players coming off the BENCH and they continually lose ground to the opponent.

No need to let it sink in as its way too early in the season.

 

[Jade Falcon]

No need to let it sink in as its way too early in the season.

So let me ask you this....

When is it NOT going to be "too early" in the season? When do we start panicking? Because if we don't do something to fix this now, it's going to be too late.

I think perhaps some of this has more to do with Stotts than Olshey. There's only so many times you can call up the same vanilla plays before the defenses adjust for it, and only so many times that you can let an opponent take a 10 point lead (or higher) before you call a time out.

He does both of these things very poorly, add to the fact that he's not a Defensive-minded coach.

For the record, I did not watch the game last night. But the score speaks for itself, and I have a good feeling that God Almighty Stotts is responsible for a good portion of it.

 

[TBpup]

CJ on, Dame off: 0.91 points per possession
Dame on, CJ off: 1.01 points per possession
Dame on, CJ on: 1.14 points per possession

Trading CJ for offensive reasons is a dumb idea.

You don't trade CJ unless you're getting a star big man in return -- meaning AD/Boogie caliber. Ideally, you want a trio of stars with Dame and CJ as the foundation.

Now is not the time to let go of a MASSIVE advantage we have with guys who can give you 48 mins of terrific P&R play.

There is a reason Jerry West blocked a trade that would have broken up the best backcourt in the NBA for Kevin Love. And we're ready to move CJ for Nerlens freaking Noel? And CJ is a lot closer to Klay than he is Monta. We need to learn lessons from what GS did.

Go back through what I've said about CJ. He is a HUGE offensive talent but does little to help the rest of his teammates be better. He and Dame on the court should be good but it actually makes the rest of the 5 worse because they are rarely involved. As for CJ vs Ellis, they both could score, neither played defense but Ellis was a better distributor.

I never advocated trading CJ for Noel so not sure where that came from. But having a big like Boogie to balance the floor out in a much better manner would be a good thing IMO. As for having a massive advantage with them both on the court, that has not been the case when they play good teams so far this season. They already been blown out 3 times in just 12 games and 2 of those blowouts came at home.

Dame and CJ are very good offensively but neither passes very much, neither plays defense and they are both ball dominant. That is a lot of holes to fill.

 

[Rhal]

I don't get this whole "NO screwed the pooch" mindest. The only real thing you can bitch at is Turner, which doesn't look good but come on were 12 games into the season. So what if we paid a little above market value for our players, its not like we were going to turn this magical "cap space" that we wouldn't actually have next year because of CJ's extension into an allstar caliber player. Yes our players are under preforming but would you rather us have random low paid players instead of Loenard/Harkless/Turner/Crabbe and then have very little money to spend in next years FA and have to overpay a player worse then all 5 of those guys?
So NO sucks and we got screwed out of something. Please explain what we could have done differently and how most of our players under-preforming is NO fault.