Free Agent Gary Payton II to the Blazers

[SharpesTriumph]

POA Defender that the Blazers desperately need. It does create a log jam at guard though. There has to be another move coming. Cronin said Sharpe would get minutes. Right now, there are a lot of mouths to feed.

Dame/Ant/GP2
Ant/Hart/GP2/Sharpe/Johnson/Louzada (they didn't sign GP to be 3rd string)

Louzada was never getting minutes and neither was Johnson, but still a massive log-jam.

If we don't make a trade I'd expect Hart gets the majority of his minutes at SF.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Having watched a handful of W's games last year, GPII is definitely that. He'd harass the hell out the ballhandler bringing it up but then often switch onto a wing or even Big. Very physical, usually using most of his fouls quickly. On offense he played the dunker spot and readily deferred to better shooters. He knows his strengths and limitations and has a high BBIQ

STOMP

That's funny, because my impression of pre-Warriors GPII was that he was like a poor man's Westbrook with even worse BBIQ. What is this strange magic the Warriors wield?

 

[Natebishop3]

9 Mil per year for a backup PG does not make sense. It does give us flexibility for a trade. And even if we don't make a trade, we are still better off with GP2 as a backup PG than we have for w while ...from a defensive standpoint which a lot of us have been screaming for a while.

If this prevents us from signing a big then it was a mistake. If it helps us then it was a good move. I like GP2 as our backup point guard. But we really need to add that combo PF/C player

IF anything remotely like this happens I will mock Neil from now til eternity

Sadly it sounds like the hard cap will prevent any of that.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Payton has never averaged more than 18 minutes, and his highest average came last season at 17.6

So let's not act like 30 year old Payton is all the sudden going to average a ton of minutes.

Kind of a waste to pay $28 million if he doesn't play much?

 

[TBpup]

Cut down Dames minutes to 30, and Simons at 30, that's 36 right there. 15 for GP at pg.

Hart will play some guard and sf too.

Sure...in theory, but Dame isn't going to 30 mpg, so it's a bit unrealistic. Simons as a starter, averaged more than that as well. Still a log-jam....which is the bigger point.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Would have preferred this

Also not being hard capped would've given the team flexibility for a number of other improvements.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

That's fine, but where are those 15-17 minutes coming from at this point? Is that not a valid question? If they are going to get Sharpe minutes as Cronin said, and Dame/Ant/Hart are already taking up a majority of the guard minutes, where do those 15 minutes come from?.

#biggerpicture

With the roster as is; I'd expect Hart plays almost all his minutes at SF.

Also Sharpe might not get those or any minutes when everyone is healthy. Give him a few months to practice and get used to the pro game, then give him a few chances on back to backs or when a player(s) inevitably misses a few games.

 

[Blazinaway]

Sadly it sounds like the hard cap will prevent any of that.

Payton is not a backup "PG", his role is as an SG/wing, he can defend at least the 1-3 positions very well. Ant is the backup PG

 

[HailBlazers]

What is this strange magic the Warriors wield?

IDK but hope Billups can replicate it.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Would have preferred this

#totesFAMS

 

[Bingo Bango]

I’m no expert at building an NBA team, but what the hell? This is the same kind of acquisition the Blazers make every year: a B-level player who might help plug a gap here or there, but not a guy who will move the needle. There better be a big trade on the horizon for somebody 6”9 or taller who can score, rebound and defend, or this team is going nowhere.

 

[julius]

Kind of a waste to pay $28 million if he doesn't play much?

in todays NBA, 9 million is what you pay your backups.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

No, Torey and Eric said we can't trade Ant until January.

Then this signing of Payton doesn't make sense to me. Because it seems trading Simons for a forward would be the best use of our resources.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Torey and Eric are wrong. Ant hasn’t been signed yet. None of these players have. I believe July 6th is the first day contracts can be signed.

I hope this is right.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

One other way to open up the log jam at guards; Lillard for Durant; but I know that won't happen.

 

[STOMP]

That's funny, because my impression of pre-Warriors GPII was that he was like a poor man's Westbrook with even worse BBIQ. What is this strange magic the Warriors wield?

Speculating... struggling to make a NBA roster for years may have led him to truly evaluate himself/maybe he matured?

STOMP

 

[tlongII]

I love GPII. He will be a nice addition to the team, and this takes something away from the Warriors.

 

[julius]

Sure...in theory, but Dame isn't going to 30 mpg, so it's a bit unrealistic. Simons as a starter, averaged more than that as well. Still a log-jam....which is the bigger point.

Maybe not 30 minutes, but there are minutes there for Payton as the backup PG. Dame shouldn't have to play 36+ minutes a night anymore. not only because he's getting older and they should cut his minutes, but in the past the team had no choice but to play him. No backups to save their lives.

Having 2 legit backup guards (Hart and GP2) give the team the opportunity to cut into Dames minutes so he doesn't have to carry the load as much. So much of Stotts offensive plan was "Dame saves us". Plus, having a PF who is capable of scoring more than 8 points a night will help too.

Not saying the roster is perfect, but it's at least more balanced than it has been in a while (and that's saying a lot because it's still guard heavy...at least now the extra guards can play defense)

 

[SharpesTriumph]

One other way to open up the log jam at guards; Lillard for Durant; but I know that won't happen.

Another way is to just cut Lillard.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Maybe not 30 minutes, but there are minutes there for Payton as the backup PG. Dame shouldn't have to play 36+ minutes a night anymore. not only because he's getting older and they should cut his minutes, but in the past the team had no choice but to play him. No backups to save their lives.

Having 2 legit backup guards (Hart and GP2) give the team the opportunity to cut into Dames minutes so he doesn't have to carry the load as much. So much of Stotts offensive plan was "Dame saves us". Plus, having a PF who is capable of scoring more than 8 points a night will help too.

Not saying the roster is perfect, but it's at least more balanced than it has been in a while (and that's saying a lot because it's still guard heavy...at least now the extra guards can play defense)

Also keep Dame fresh so he can actually be most productive when playing the regular season minutes and especially in the playoffs. Remember seeing bubble Lillard? Not a coincidence that was after a long rest.

 

[Natebishop3]

Payton is not a backup "PG", his role is as an SG/wing, he can defend at least the 1-3 positions very well. Ant is the backup PG

What does that have to do with the hard cap?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Then this signing of Payton doesn't make sense to me. Because it seems trading Simons for a forward would be the best use of our resources.

Trading Simons now would have involved Simons negotiating a deal with another team, and then that team and the Blazers coming to terms on a trade that would satisfy all aspects of the CBA, including salary matching, base-year-contract rules, and the hard-cap for the team receiving Simons.

Signing him to a standard contract allows us to trade him in January to any team we want, without BYC or hard-cap considerations.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Another way is to just cut Lillard.

Now, see, if I said that, people would go apeshit...

 

[illmatic99]

Hey Joe.

Just fyi:

 

[wizenheimer]

I love this if it means we end up with Ayton, Simmons or Durant for only Nurk and Hart + change.

forget trades like that now that Portland is hard-capped

 

[Natebishop3]

forget trades like that now that Portland is hard-capped

Yup. This is pretty much the team. Not many options left at this point.

 

[HoopsFanAZ]

1. Now, Simons has to show he’s worth the dollars. If so, great to keep (now and for the future) and in future trades.
2. Nurkic getting 4 [edited from 5] and $70 Million is a decent to good contract and less than his predicted high range. Is he staying or will this be a S&T?
3. All the guards … obvious trade(s) coming. They wanted Hart to play next season just as a guard — that was telegraphed. Minutes at SF likely if he stays. IF. GP2 telegraphed after smoke of Dort (who got PAID) and Thybulle. He’s a DOG.

Trade winds are blowing for the Blazers.

[This not to imply I saw GP2 happening. Nope. With the $$$ for Tucker, trimming Thybulle looked more likely. I like the GP2 signing. I’m in. What trade(s) is coming? No predictions from me … though Ayton looks possible if the Nets want a different mix.]

 

[TBpup]

Maybe not 30 minutes, but there are minutes there for Payton as the backup PG. Dame shouldn't have to play 36+ minutes a night anymore. not only because he's getting older and they should cut his minutes, but in the past the team had no choice but to play him. No backups to save their lives.

Having 2 legit backup guards (Hart and GP2) give the team the opportunity to cut into Dames minutes so he doesn't have to carry the load as much. So much of Stotts offensive plan was "Dame saves us". Plus, having a PF who is capable of scoring more than 8 points a night will help too.

Not saying the roster is perfect, but it's at least more balanced than it has been in a while (and that's saying a lot because it's still guard heavy...at least now the extra guards can play defense)

So if Dame/GP play all the minutes at PG, Ant won't play any minutes in the role where he was most successful. Doesn't seem like the best use of talent or $$$.

 

[wizenheimer]

We can also go back to 2019 with Marc Gasol on the Raptors if you like.

your two examples:

Giannis & Middleton.....Kawhi & Siakam....the two teams you're talking about each had a pair of two-way all-star wings. Not only that, one of each pair was a top-5/MVP level in the league. The "lumbering C's' were simply lower level role players. Gasol had a 13.6% usage rate in the playoffs; Lopez 16.8%. Nurk's career rate is over 24%. And of course, the Blazers are a damn long ways from having one all-star wing, let alone two

 

[julius]

So if Dame/GP play all the minutes at PG, Ant won't play any minutes in the role where he was most successful. Doesn't seem like the best use of talent or $$$.

I think I'll wait to see how he and Dame play together before deciding what his best role is.