Grade the Blazers' roster changes

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Grade for changes in draft and free agency?


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We are a small market that is undesirable to free agents. I gave us an 'A' simply because we are better on paper now than we were at the end of last season. Didn't bring in any more young talent that we have to wait on. Dame and CJ are in their prime and the time is NOW.....we brought in proven vets that can have an immediate impact ON and OFF the floor. Dame is ecstatic about and that's good enough for me!

I like the changes/upgrades as well. But when the inevitable happens....we get to the Playoffs and teams trap Dame, what has been done to address or solve any of that? Where is another, playmaker? Where is someone that makes the right decision to make teams pay?

  • Better team defense (RoCo)....great.
  • Good back up center who won't be as productive as HW but might fit better....fine.
  • NBA Dunk Champ, entertaining and can play defense...but still doesn't fix the problem.
  • Hood hopefully back to close to what he was....but who has ever recovered from that injury and been close?
  • Melo back.....shouldn't have played as much as he did last year and is now a year older.
They were dominated on the boards last year and I don't see where that was addressed either.
Between rebounding and still seemingly no solution for the 'you know it's coming' Dame trap, I like what has been done.

But it may be a difference....without a distintion.
 
I like the changes/upgrades as well. But when the inevitable happens....we get to the Playoffs and teams trap Dame, what has been done to address or solve any of that? Where is another, playmaker? Where is someone that makes the right decision to make teams pay?

  • Better team defense (RoCo)....great.
  • Good back up center who won't be as productive as HW but might fit better....fine.
  • NBA Dunk Champ, entertaining and can play defense...but still doesn't fix the problem.
  • Hood hopefully back to close to what he was....but who has ever recovered from that injury and been close?
  • Melo back.....shouldn't have played as much as he did last year and is now a year older.
They were dominated on the boards last year and I don't see where that was addressed either.
Between rebounding and still seemingly no solution for the 'you know it's coming' Dame trap, I like what has been done.

But it may be a difference....without a distintion.

if we are so dead set on running with Dame and CJ we should at least try a new coach.
 
I gave it a B+ for now it could up the grade if the pieces full in place. This a lot better roster then they had from last year. Roco is very team defender and above average man on man defender and little streaky on his 3 point shot. Only thing Kanter can't to his block shots like Whiteside but besides that he has good rebounder and is better offensely then Whiteside. Jones very good defender but inconsistent on his 3 point shot but very good slashing to the basket. The defense should be better I really don't see no decrease in the offense matter fact there might be a increase in the offense due to we will have more scorers in the 2nd unit. To me the heavy burden really falls on Stotts how he takes all these pieces put them together. Can Dame and CJ change there game a little by pushing the pace of the game a lot better because they have the players to do it but I see it more with the 2nd unit then the 1st. If we not top 4 team this year then they need to let Stotts go. There quite few teams has improved Phoenix to me might very interested team to watch and Dallas like they might got better but missing there big man might hurt at the start. Lakers might be about the same as the Clippers. Houston might fall some due to 2 there key players wants to traded how that effect there play we will see. Utah will be solid and Memphis should be there too.
 
if we are so dead set on running with Dame and CJ we should at least try a new coach.
I don't know if a new coach could fix CJ's deficiencies on defense but the right coach could definitely fix his problems ball hogging and not taking open threes, which would go a long way towards maximizing our offense.
 
I don't know if a new coach could fix CJ's deficiencies on defense but the right coach could definitely fix his problems ball hogging and not taking open threes, which would go a long way towards maximizing our offense.
Even if CJ could stay in front of his man but his biggest reliability is his height so he will always will be below average defender just for that reason alone.
 
Even if CJ could stay in front of his man but his biggest reliability is his height so he will always will be below average defender just for that reason alone.

height is only part of it. Length is probably just as important and I don’t think CJ is especially long.
 
height is only part of it. Length is probably just as important and I don’t think CJ is especially long.
6'6" wingspan and he has horrible lateral quickness, he pursues bad angles and doesn't give enough effort. Another problem with his size besides the fact that almost every SG can pull up over him is that he gets beat by bully ball a lot.
 
6'6" wingspan and he has horrible lateral quickness, he pursues bad angles and doesn't give enough effort. Another problem with his size besides the fact that almost every SG can pull up over him is that he gets beat by bully ball a lot.

....but he does make wine. :smiley-woohoo:
 
Fantastic offseason. Love what they did player wise.

Player moves I give an A-.

Lack of coaching change... F.

Overall grade about a C, as retaining Stotts and his failure to EVER outcoach someone is more worrisome than anything on the roster personnel wise.
 
Man, the obsession with CJ around here is off the charts. Give him Lou Williams’s role and salary and you all would love him.
You will here no arguments from me about that second sentence, unfortunately he is being paid 30 million a season, playing 36 minutes a game, the majority of them out of position defending bigger guards and being looked at as the second option on offense.
 
why is this just acceptable to everyone? Fuck mediocrity

1) I don't believe it's acceptable to everyone - your post actually proves that not to be true.

2) Why would anyone be triggered by other fans having lower expectations that more likely match the talent level on the roster?

3) Do fans thinking we should win the championship every year have any impact on the Blazers on-the-court success?
 
I'd bump my grade up one notch for the Giles signing... Fits a player type we didn't have coming off the bench and we could use, also could fill Collins role in both the short and long term (if Giles stays healthy for once and Collins never gets healthy).
 
Blazers are deep. They can play big or small and now has wing defenders. I still think they are missing a back up PG for Dame.
 
The national media is acknowledging Olshey's awesome work this offseason. I've been on his bandwagon from day 1. However, even as an Olshey Fanboi, I do have a serious criticism, here it goes:

/start rant

We need a good, vet. PG. Others will tell you we need it because of ball movement, and I don't disagree, but that's not the biggest problem I see.

We are deeeep, ALMOST everywhere.
If Nurk goes out, we can survive until the Playoffs.
If Collins goes out, ditto.
If CJ goes out, we might even be better!
However, if Lillard goes out, we're sunk, and not because he's our best player. It's not a talent issue, it's a replacement issue. Who plays PG?

Start CJ at the 1? F****
Start Ant at the 1? F****, F****

While we're mostly all excited about our roster, the West is still stacked, and we simply won't survive a Lillard injury.
Imagine if we had Kris Dunn or Jeff Teague? We'd survive until Lillard got back.

That's not the only problem. Because Ant, who is fantastic (I don't care what you think about this), is NOT a PG.
What that will mean is that in critical situations, Lillard's minutes will go up, increasing
1) the chance he'll get injured
2) the chance that he'll be exhausted in the playoffs (as he has been in the past)

We can afford neither.

/end rant
 
The national media is acknowledging Olshey's awesome work this offseason. I've been on his bandwagon from day 1. However, even as an Olshey Fanboi, I do have a serious criticism, here it goes:

/start rant

We need a good, vet. PG. Others will tell you we need it because of ball movement, and I don't disagree, but that's not the biggest problem I see.

We are deeeep, ALMOST everywhere.
If Nurk goes out, we can survive until the Playoffs.
If Collins goes out, ditto.
If CJ goes out, we might even be better!
However, if Lillard goes out, we're sunk, and not because he's our best player. It's not a talent issue, it's a replacement issue. Who plays PG?

Start CJ at the 1? F****
Start Ant at the 1? F****, F****

While we're mostly all excited about our roster, the West is still stacked, and we simply won't survive a Lillard injury.
Imagine if we had Kris Dunn or Jeff Teague? We'd survive until Lillard got back.

That's not the only problem. Because Ant, who is fantastic (I don't care what you think about this), is NOT a PG.
What that will mean is that in critical situations, Lillard's minutes will go up, increasing
1) the chance he'll get injured
2) the chance that he'll be exhausted in the playoffs (as he has been in the past)

We can afford neither.

/end rant

Don't agree with this take at all.

If Dame goes down you might as well tank the season. No team can afford to lose their superstar. If Giannis went down, Bucks are done. If LeBron OR AD go down, Lakers are done. If Kawhi goes down, Clippers are done. ETC ETC....
 
The national media is acknowledging Olshey's awesome work this offseason. I've been on his bandwagon from day 1. However, even as an Olshey Fanboi, I do have a serious criticism, here it goes:

/start rant

We need a good, vet. PG. Others will tell you we need it because of ball movement, and I don't disagree, but that's not the biggest problem I see.

We are deeeep, ALMOST everywhere.
If Nurk goes out, we can survive until the Playoffs.
If Collins goes out, ditto.
If CJ goes out, we might even be better!
However, if Lillard goes out, we're sunk, and not because he's our best player. It's not a talent issue, it's a replacement issue. Who plays PG?

Start CJ at the 1? F****
Start Ant at the 1? F****, F****

While we're mostly all excited about our roster, the West is still stacked, and we simply won't survive a Lillard injury.
Imagine if we had Kris Dunn or Jeff Teague? We'd survive until Lillard got back.

That's not the only problem. Because Ant, who is fantastic (I don't care what you think about this), is NOT a PG.
What that will mean is that in critical situations, Lillard's minutes will go up, increasing
1) the chance he'll get injured
2) the chance that he'll be exhausted in the playoffs (as he has been in the past)

We can afford neither.

/end rant
It's funny. I want an entirely different thing for this team. I want Stotts to empower CJ at PG. When Dame is out, CJ is undeniably great; if he reached anywhere near that effort and production when Dame rested on the bench, we would be borderline unstoppable.
 
what happens if HCP's wife goes down?
Answer:
1) players effective on offense and defense.
2) players with contracts that allow them to be payed less for time they spend in the GLeague
3) Mrs. HCP

Question:
I can't say it, it goes too far!
 
this off-season feels different....a sense of urgency

I'd wonder if Olshey has been feeling heat from both Dame and Seattle to shit-or-get-off-pot. Not have another giant bust like last season when he bet so heavily of Zach and Simons to be major contributors
 
Eh, I don't know if we're thin at PF per say... we have Melo, Collins, and RoCo who can all play PF. We just don't have a true power forward.

That to me is thin...lol. You have old, injured and undersized. It will play in the regular season, but playoffs when they can match you up with size look out.
 


Like all the moves, but if after all of that, we are only up to 'challenging for HCA', that seems to fall a bit short. Perhaps Bobby and I have the same concerns. After all of these moves, and I like each of them to varying levels, (RoCo, Hood and Kanter the most / DJJ/Melo probably the least) they still have not addressed the biggest need.

Cans someone please explain what they have done that addresses the inevitable.....Dame being trapped in the Playoffs? Until there is at least somewhat of a solution, the rest is nice, but does not make them a legit contender.
 
Barring a trade it feels like we're done, so overall I'd give us a B+.

We addressed some needs, but it still feels like there's a glaring hole at backup PG.
 
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