Grade the Blazers' roster changes

[Rastapopoulos]

Just saw this and was honestly stunned. I know he's usually funny, but I think he's serious:

 

[tykendo]

When you consider that , sadly Portland isn't a destination for FA, even though i feel it has the Best Fan Base, Neil maximized his opportunities. I really believe. if the Blazers maintain health, this can be a special year.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Like:
Covington
Not re-signing Whiteside
Unloading Hezonja
Re-signing Hood

Meh:
Re-acquiring Kanter

No idea:
CJ Elleby

Honestly confused:
Derrick Jones Jr.

Don't like:
Not getting Xavier Tillman
Not getting Millsap
Not getting Cassius Winston
Not getting a backup PG with high BBIQ
Re-signing Melo

 

[B-Roy]

B+/A- without the Melo deal. B-/C+ with the Melo deal.

 

[Labinot41]

 

[noknobs]

-A

If he can get a decent backup PG and bring Wenyen back it's an A/A+

 

[Natebishop3]

B+/A- without the Melo deal. B-/C+ with the Melo deal.

It has yet to really be determined what his role will be. If he's starting, I agree with you. If he's coming off the bench for 15-20 minutes a night, I'm fine with it.

 

[TBpup]

As mentioned in another thread. There is STILL no additional playmaker and no option for the inevitable trapping of Dame that will happen when things get serious. NOTHING has been done to addres that glaring issue.

 

[julius]

I never get upset about players I wanted that didn't sign in Portland, especially considering we dont know if they wanted to play in Portland OR Portland had enough $ to entice them.

 

[Phatguysrule]

A so far. They've addressed needs...

 

[pougie]

Pretty good considering we aren’t a FA destination. The DJJ signing was announced after the Grant signing right? It looked like most of the guys that we’d want were out of range and guys like Millsap were pretty much guaranteed re-signs after the loss of Grant.

Signing Batum to be another playmaker and Bowman/Gabriel should conclude our offseason barring any major players requesting a trade.

Dame/Bowman/Simons
CJ/Trent/Batum
Hood/Jones/Little
Covington/Anthony/Gabriel
Nurkic/Kanter/Collins

2 way: Elleby

(outside of the starting unit, players were put in place loosely without much thought)

That’s still the best squad Dame has had. Enough wings to confidently contain other elite wings and enough bigs than can play in case of injury (but Covington probably still has PTSD from his Houston tenure, let’s not hope it would come to that haha). If Collins can get healthy and play consistently, Kanter might be moved. And I think having Bowman and Simons fight for backup minutes would be good for both guys, with Batum as insurance in case the backup that night is struggling. I saw a video of him working out with Darren Collision a week or so ago, he looks like he’s gotten a lot bigger which already excites me. Hopefully we get to see him in a couple big games this year.

I’m excited for the season.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Just saw this and was honestly stunned. I know he's usually funny, but I think he's serious:

The hole is in the whole.

 

[tykendo]

The hole is in the whole.

Nowhere near the hole, your head seems to be in.

The hole is in the whole.[/Q

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Nowhere near the hole, your head seems to be in.

I'm sorry, that was too sophisticated.

 

[PCmor7]

I don't think we're finished yet, so I can't really give it a grade.

First impression ... we've given the coaching staff A LOT of options. I don't know how much more you can do as a front office that to give your coaches versatility like this, and depth.

The depth this season might be more important than ever, too. If they don't play in a bubble, teams are almost certain to be missing a couple of players for a couple of weeks at a time because of exposure for Covid. Having players who can step in is going to be big.

I just know I'd rather be in a position where I have a scorer I can turn to down the stretch in games in I need one, or a defensive stopper. I'd rather have that than be complaining after a loss that we needed another guy who could put the ball in the hoop.

Right now, it's on Stotts to figure out how to make this all work. I'd be more concerned if we had a lot of bad attitudes. I see a roster that checks all the boxes with the possible exception of a back-up facilitator and maybe one more big, and I don't see players who have reps of being lockerroom lawyers.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Judging by the grades, a lot of y'alls are guilty of the soft bigotry of low expectations.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

I don't think we're finished yet, so I can't really give it a grade.

First impression ... we've given the coaching staff A LOT of options. I don't know how much more you can do as a front office that to give your coaches versatility like this, and depth.

The depth this season might be more important than ever, too. If they don't play in a bubble, teams are almost certain to be missing a couple of players for a couple of weeks at a time because of exposure for Covid. Having players who can step in is going to be big.

I just know I'd rather be in a position where I have a scorer I can turn to down the stretch in games in I need one, or a defensive stopper. I'd rather have that than be complaining after a loss that we needed another guy who could put the ball in the hoop.

Right now, it's on Stotts to figure out how to make this all work. I'd be more concerned if we had a lot of bad attitudes. I see a roster that checks all the boxes with the possible exception of a back-up facilitator and maybe one more big, and I don't see players who have reps of being lockerroom lawyers.

Next off-season you'll hear Stotts apologists say he did the best with what he was given and that it was Olshey's fault for an early playoff exit.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Good so far but still not done.

 

[PCmor7]

I'm willing to wait and see how they try to fit it all together. Like I said above, though, I don't think this is done. There are a couple of cards that have yet to be played.

 

[Hoopguru]

C+ now. If they sign a vet pg, B.

 

[Natebishop3]

Judging by the grades, a lot of y'alls are guilty of the soft bigotry of low expectations.

What were you expecting? I think it has been a very solid offseason. If we stay healthy, this is the best chance for this Dame/CJ/Stotts magical mystery tour to succeed. This is our WCF team on steroids. I still have my doubts that we can win with a team that relies on Dame/CJ, but if we COULD do it, this would be the time. We are pretty loaded right now. We should be better on defense. We have a really good bench. We're just missing a ball handler.

 

[Boise Blazer]

What's going to suck is to have built the team that we did and have so much hope and optimism only to see the season shut down due to COVID...

 

[Natebishop3]

What's going to suck is to have built the team that we did and have so much hope and optimism only to see the season shut down due to COVID...

They don't do it. They'll do another bubble before they do that.

 

[lamlor]

My 2 cents (and that is overvaluing it)

They added decent pieces in an off season that a lot of better pieces changed teams. Could we have have gotten some of them? Probably not. Such is a life of a Blazer fan.

We were thin at PF last year and still are.
We were thin at PG last year and still are.
We did improve our defensive at the wing position so that is a plus. Can a guy that can't score in the half court game play clutch minutes? Info, there goes one of the improved defenders.
I don't like the fact we didn't add a more athletic backup center who can adjust shots in the key and play pick-and-roll defense.

So all-in-all, a good off season for Olshey, but it doesn't take us to the title.

 

[Natebishop3]

My 2 cents (and that is overvaluing it)

They added decent pieces in an off season that a lot of better pieces changed teams. Could we have have gotten some of them? Probably not. Such is a life of a Blazer fan.

We were thin at PF last year and still are.
We were thin at PG last year and still are.
We did improve our defensive at the wing position so that is a plus. Can a guy that can't score in the half court game play clutch minutes? Info, there goes one of the improved defenders.
I don't like the fact we didn't add a more athletic backup center who can adjust shots in the key and play pick-and-roll defense.

So all-in-all, a good off season for Olshey, but it doesn't take us to the title.

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.

 

[wizenheimer]

two years ago Portland won 53 games and made it to the WCF

last year they won the equivalent of 39 games and got swamped by the Lakers

I think they might have resurrected a 50+ win team (assuming great injury luck) with a shot of winning a playoff series, or even two. But there are serious flaws in the roster so any real grade right now should be 'incomplete'

the Blazer kryptonite, an opposing defense tilted totally toward shutting down Dame has not remotely been addressed with this roster. Not yet anyway.

 

[B-Roy]

two years ago Portland won 53 games and made it to the WCF

last year they won the equivalent of 39 games and got swamped by the Lakers

I think they might have resurrected a 50+ win team (assuming great injury luck) with a shot of winning a playoff series, or even two. But there are serious flaws in the roster so any real grade right now should be 'incomplete'

the Blazer kryptonite, an opposing defense tilted totally toward shutting down Dame has not remotely been addressed with this roster. Not yet anyway.

And never will be with CJ on the roster.

 

[illmatic99]

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.

I don't think positions matter anymore. It's all about who you guard. Just looking at western opponents:

Trent can guard guys like Steph/Mitchell/Murray
Jones can guard guys like Luka/Harden/George/Booker
Roco can guard guys like Kawhi/Lebron
Zach can guard guys like AD/Aldridge
Nurk can guard guys like Jokic/Gobert

Having another long guy to throw at AD would be nice (not many teams do), but we have enough versatility and speed to throw zones out now and seriously muck up offenses. Terry has to be more flexible than he usually is.

 

[Buffalo Custard]

Trades: B/B+
Draft: incomplete
FA: D

 

[e_blazer]

I think a lot of y’all are guilty of thinking that a Dame/CJ backcourt will yield the same results with a stacked roster that it did with an injury-plagued and under-talented one.