Grade the Blazers' roster changes

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Grade for changes in draft and free agency?

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Turning Mario into Enes was a masterstroke....I gave it an A .....turning Ariza into a 23 year old defensive stud....also a great move....Jones to split time with Melo offense for defense...great....signing Hoodie and Melo and not bringing in unproven project players....A........using the next 3 years to get serious about a chip....A....we're the best version of the Blazers in decades right now in my view....the draft pick is why I didn't give it an A+...wasn't impressed with either interview I heard with him...he seemed to lack concentration and preparation both times....he should get a two way contract and go straight to the Austin Toros or Maine Red Claws....
 
e_blazer said:
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.
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OK, I'm going to play Devil's advocate here.

Which injury(ies) made this huge difference? Nurk? I would agree with that to a point, but Whiteside's stats as his replacement were at least superficially impressive. That leaves the loss of a couple of journeymen (Collins and Hood). If losing guys like that are a season killer that is a really sad comment on the FO and their ability to build an adequate bench.

In other words, the issue wasn't injuries - it was the inability of our brain trust to deal with the kind of problems ever team faces constantly!

It is almost inevitable that we will have injuries this season also. We will have the same Coach and GM to deal with them. Why would I expect the ultimate result (lack of playoff success) to change?
 
Buffalo Custard said:
OK, I'm going to play Devil's advocate here.

Which injury(ies) made this huge difference? Nurk? I would agree with that to a point, but Whiteside's stats as his replacement were at least superficially impressive. That leaves the loss of a couple of journeymen (Collins and Hood). If losing guys like that are a season killer that is a really sad comment on the FO and their ability to build an adequate bench.

In other words, the issue wasn't injuries - it was the inability of our brain trust to deal with the kind of problems ever team faces constantly!

It is almost inevitable that we will have injuries this season also. We will have the same Coach and GM to deal with them. Why would I expect the ultimate result (lack of playoff success) to change?
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My answer to this is simple....never expect anything but stay optimistic and allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised.....enjoy it game by game...or qtr by qtr. My 2 cents....it's why I like Stotts...even keeled approach to the game...
 
Buffalo Custard said:
OK, I'm going to play Devil's advocate here.

Which injury(ies) made this huge difference? Nurk? I would agree with that to a point, but Whiteside's stats as his replacement were at least superficially impressive. That leaves the loss of a couple of journeymen (Collins and Hood). If losing guys like that are a season killer that is a really sad comment on the FO and their ability to build an adequate bench.

In other words, the issue wasn't injuries - it was the inability of our brain trust to deal with the kind of problems ever team faces constantly!

It is almost inevitable that we will have injuries this season also. We will have the same Coach and GM to deal with them. Why would I expect the ultimate result (lack of playoff success) to change?
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So you’re really going to try to say that Hassan is in the same zip code with Nurk as far as what he brought to the team? He was probably the best Olshey could come up with, but other than blocking shots, often to the detriment of playing real defense, he was pretty awful. Not sorry to see him go. Losing Collins made a huge impact on interior defense. Hood was lights out with his shooting before his injury . There were games where Swanigan or Gabriel were out starting centers. Hezonja got minutes. There was no depth so guys were running on fumes. Other thanTrent, there was no wing defense until the Ariza trade, and he skipped the playoffs. Yeah, this roster is massively better.
 
e_blazer said:
So you’re really going to try to say that Hassan is in the same zip code with Nurk s far as what he brought to the team. He was probably the best Olshey could come up with, but other than blocking shots, often to the detriment of playing real defense, he was pretty awful. Not sorry to see him go. Losing Collins made a huge impact on interior defense. Hood was lights out with his shooting before his injury . There were games where Swanigan or Gabriel were out starting centers. Hezonja got minutes. There was no depth so guys were running on fumes. Other thanTrent, there was no wing defense until the Ariza trade, and he skipped the playoffs. Yeah, this roster is massively better.
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My point is that the roster looks better, but Stotts and Olshey are still the ones driving the bus. That makes it tough for me to be too optimistic. YMMV.
 
Buffalo Custard said:
My point is that the roster looks better, but Stotts and Olshey are still the ones driving the bus. That makes it tough for me to be too optimistic. YMMV.
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I get that. I’m reading similar comments by other posters. People are entitled to their opinions about those two guys and the perceived shortcomings of Dame and CJ as a starting backcourt. My point is that no matter what the truth of those discussions may be, any deficiencies are made less significant with a stacked lineup vs one where the cupboard is pretty bare. The Blazers are pretty well stocked up.
 
I have it a B. I like Covington and am glad we got Kantner for less-than-nothing.

I don't see anything that we could have acquired that would be more helpful that what we've done in free agency, although I'm not a fan of Carmelo Anthony at all.

I thought last summer's moves sucked in a big, big way. Mario and Bazemore were wastes of roster spots, and we lost guys who were helpful.

This offseason? Presumably we'll lose Whiteside (who is helpful) but we're getting two or three guys to add to Hood and Nurk coming back healthy, which should help ensure we make the playoffs again and that's a good thing.
 
I like Hassan. He's not as good a fit as Nurk for this team, but he's also a very good player who can put a team on his shoulders occasionally.

The thing with him is that his value diminishes greatly when he's coming off the bench. You can just see he's not that engaged or comfortable or whatever, and, for what his statistical contribution is going to dictate he get paid, he's just not worth the investment for 20 minutes per game where you might get one good game for two or three meh efforts.

Kanter over the course of the year will give the Blazers a lot more bang for their buck even though he's not as nearly as imposing as a motivated Whiteside. TBH, Skal probably is better than off-the-bench Hassan.

If you can find a trade partner to take Hassan, I think that's the best way to go right now. Get your backup PG, one more shooter, or a reserve big.
 
PCmor7 said:
I like Hassan. He's not as good a fit as Nurk for this team, but he's also a very good player who can put a team on his shoulders occasionally.

The thing with him is that his value diminishes greatly when he's coming off the bench. You can just see he's not that engaged or comfortable or whatever, and, for what his statistical contribution is going to dictate he get paid, he's just not worth the investment for 20 minutes per game where you might get one good game for two or three meh efforts.

Kanter over the course of the year will give the Blazers a lot more bang for their buck even though he's not as nearly as imposing as a motivated Whiteside. TBH, Skal probably is better than off-the-bench Hassan.

If you can find a trade partner to take Hassan, I think that's the best way to go right now. Get your backup PG, one more shooter, or a reserve big.
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I still don't understand why we didn't trade him.
 
Natebishop3 said:
I still don't understand why we didn't trade him.
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Seems like there's a market for him, limited, but organizations that at least have been rumored to be interested are the Hornets, Kings, Celtics, maybe the Pacers, and now that they don't have Ibaka, the Raptors.

Can we extort something useful out of any of those teams?
 
e_blazer said:
I get that. I’m reading similar comments by other posters. People are entitled to their opinions about those two guys and the perceived shortcomings of Dame and CJ as a starting backcourt. My point is that no matter what the truth of those discussions may be, any deficiencies are made less significant with a stacked lineup vs one where the cupboard is pretty bare. The Blazers are pretty well stocked up.
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sure...but so far, this stocked up cupboard has not won a single game. Need to see it perform for at least 30 games or so to make the kind of judgments many seem to be making
 
Talent and Depth both improved in a small market...B+

If half the board is wrong about DJJ it’s an A+
 
wizenheimer said:
sure...but so far, this stocked up cupboard has not won a single game. Need to see it perform for at least 30 games or so to make the kind of judgments many seem to be making
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And yet you and some others around here appear to have concluded that it won’t work.

And they haven’t lost any games yet either.
 
e_blazer said:
And yet you and some others around here appear to have concluded that it won’t work.

And they haven’t lost any games yet either.
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I have not said it "won't work"

what I have said is there's a decent chance Jones won't fit the Stotts offense, and that both Covington and Jones are nearly as inconsistent on offense as Aminu and Harkless. And that I have doubts about Hood's recovery. And that Zach still appears to be hurt

and that there is a void of ball-handlers capable of running the offense meaning Portland's Achilles heel, Dame being blanketed, has not been addressed so far in this roster

in other words, while the depth appears to be as good as it's been in a while, there are real questions about how all the pieces are going to fit, and still a glaring flaw in the roster that always seems to get exposed in the playoffs. That's why I said all the optimism about this team needs to be tested by 30 games or so
 
Kanter is the second best pick and roll center Dame has played with (aside from Nurk). He sets great screens and he's got excellent touch around the rim. And he mops up a ton of misses.
But even if all we did was keep him around to match up with Denver he'd still be worth the price. Our best hope of getting to the WCF is to beat Jokic, and honestly Kanter plays him about as well as anyone. Jokic still does his thing, but you can tell he has to work a lot harder at it and we don't have to send double teams. Kanter's lack of foot speed doesn't really matter against him, whereas his size and intelligence are difference makers. The two guys are actually pretty similar players, except the one absolutely critical fact that Jokic may be the best passing center ever whereas Kanter...uh, doesn't.
He's one of those guys like Steve Blake where you go, "Oh, we got him back? Nice."
Couldn't ask for a better backup. Very happy to see Kanter come (and Mario go!)
 
wizenheimer said:
and that there is a void of ball-handlers capable of running the offense meaning Portland's Achilles heel, Dame being blanketed, has not been addressed so far in this roster
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This concerns me too. Well, maybe not so much about Dame being blanketed (I think we'll handle it better this year with more talent from top to bottom). But we don't have any depth at point guard. If Dame misses 10 games for an injury, who plays point guard when CJ sits? I guess it's supposed to be Ant, but jeez I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe he can run an NBA offense.

I'd really like to see us pick up a guy like Napier for insurance.
 
wizenheimer said:
I have not said it "won't work"

what I have said is there's a decent chance Jones won't fit the Stotts offense, and that both Covington and Jones are nearly as inconsistent on offense as Aminu and Harkless. And that I have doubts about Hood's recovery. And that Zach still appears to be hurt

and that there is a void of ball-handlers capable of running the offense meaning Portland's Achilles heel, Dame being blanketed, has not been addressed so far in this roster

in other words, while the depth appears to be as good as it's been in a while, there are real questions about how all the pieces are going to fit, and still a glaring flaw in the roster that always seems to get exposed in the playoffs. That's why I said all the optimism about this team needs to be tested by 30 games or so
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Sorry if I misunderstood your position. And I’m with you on seeing how it works on the court. I’m an optimist but also a realist. What annoys me are the takes that, no matter how much improvement there is in the roster, it’s bound to failure because CJ is still on the roster, or because Stotts is still the coach. Basketball is a team sport and it matters who your teammates are. I like what’s been done to improve the roster and I think the changes are almost certain to change the dynamics of the way the Blazers play in a positive way. But, yeah, they have to prove it on the court.
 
e_blazer said:
Sorry if I misunderstood your position. And I’m with you on seeing how it works on the court. I’m an optimist but also a realist. What annoys me are the takes that, no matter how much improvement there is in the roster, it’s bound to failure because CJ is still on the roster, or because Stotts is still the coach. Basketball is a team sport and it matters who your teammates are. I like what’s been done to improve the roster and I think the changes are almost certain to change the dynamics of the way the Blazers play in a positive way. But, yeah, they have to prove it on the court.
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don't get me wrong, I want to be optimistic because for damn sure, this off-season is light years better than the disaster Olshey put together last off-season. They upgraded perimeter defense, and got a 2nd C that works really well with Dame. That has good potential and the Blazers should be strong again on the offensive glass with Nurk and Kanter

I just have some concerns about the fit of Jones and how Stotts will put the puzzle together. And again, there's just not enough play-making behind Dame, IMO

I think Covington will be solid though. Just have to survive games he clangs a lot of shots
 
wizenheimer said:
don't get me wrong, I want to be optimistic because for damn sure, this off-season is light years better than the disaster Olshey put together last off-season. They upgraded perimeter defense, and got a 2nd C that works really well with Dame. That has good potential and the Blazers should be strong again on the offensive glass with Nurk and Kanter

I just have some concerns about the fit of Jones and how Stotts will put the puzzle together. And again, there's just not enough play-making behind Dame, IMO
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Well, the off-season isn’t over yet. Hopefully, there’s still a move that brings in a vet PG. I’m, optimistic that Simons will show improvement this year, but I believe in hedging your bets when possible. Another proven playmaker would be great.
 
The Covington addition was everything we needed, I believe we will get the best out of him. The ability to defend and hit the 3 ball, while playing between the 3 and 4 position just makes this our best signing. A

Jones Jnr I think has talent, is still young. I think we could have waited and paid less for him. He can use his speed and athleticism to disrupt on the perimeter as a defender but I feel the staff really made a rushed decision. I am on the fence with this move, I do like the potential but we could have really went after Milsap or paid a little more for Wood. I hope Jones proves me wrong and improves on his 3 point shot. But he can put the ball the floor and create some nice passes or attack the rim. B-

Kanter - Is familiar with the system, love his hustle and ability to score. Mario was just not a fit and could not take advantage. B+

Hood - coming off an injury. As long as he can still get buckets. B-

Melo - Can get a bucket, coming off a good year. Great for the young guys, as long as he understands his role is less this year. B-

I would prefer if we could move Simons and get more of a facilitating or defensive PG. We have a window to compete and why not go for it now or next year.
 
I can't give Neil a super high grade because we've still got some big issue. He certainly made the roster better, so he deserves that.

If this team wins more than 45 games and competes in the 2nd round of the playoffs, I'll be very very happy.
 
Natebishop3 said:
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.
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ET for the minimum?
 
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!
 
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Natebishop3 said:
I still don't understand why we didn't trade him.
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There's not much evidence that anyone wants him (other than maybe the Kings) nor that they would give up something for him.

Or are you talking about last season?
 
Our 2nd unit really concern me defensively

Simons/Melo/Kanter are all subpar defenders
 
Portland2014 said:
Our 2nd unit really concern me defensively

Simons/Melo/Kanter are all subpar defenders
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I disagree that Kanter is a subpar defender he was great for us during our playoff run two seasons ago, not a great shot blocker but still a strong, aggressive rim protector, who can get out and defend the pick and roll. Gary is almost certainly coming off the bench and is a fantastic defender. Hoodie, Jones or both are coming off the bench and they're both great defenders (I know Hood is coming off his injury but the way he played using his length, strength, footwork and angles, his D shouldn't really be effected). Zach will probably be back within a month and he may foul a lot but outside of that he's a really good defender.

Simons probably won't crack the rotation, I actually think that Nas and Wenyen will get more chances than him and they're both good defenders that have potential to be great. Our worst defender is probably Simons, the guy is just lost out there but our second worst defender is CJ and he starts and our third worst defender is Melo and I have no idea what his role is going to be it could be as a starter, a key backup or a guy who just gets spot minutes when we need some scoring.
 
Tince said:
I can't give Neil a super high grade because we've still got some big issue. He certainly made the roster better, so he deserves that.

If this team wins more than 45 games and competes in the 2nd round of the playoffs, I'll be very very happy.
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why is this just acceptable to everyone? Fuck mediocrity
 
Natebishop3 said:
I still don't understand why we didn't trade him.
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Drummond was traded for a second round pick so what would Whiteside have been worth?

Also, at the trade deadline Nurk was still out. Maybe there was a possibility Whiteside could improve and even resign.

I think it was good to not move him. We don't have to trade away every player of the smallest nearly insignificant value.
 
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