Hollinger: 9 young players emerge in bubble

[KSF-ERIC]

Gary Trent JR is one of them.

https://theathletic.com/2149407/202...c-gary-trent-luguentz-dort/?source=dailyemail

“Gary Trent Jr., Portland: One game-within-the-game for the Blazers as they head into next season: Do they start Trent? One can argue Portland’s best five-man lineup has Trent at 3 and Trevor Ariza at 4, which would push Rodney Hood and Zach Collins to bench roles, but the Blazers seem like they might be committed to the opposite plan. It seems to me that would be a mistake — Trent is younger than all of them and showed he fits perfectly with the Lillard-McCollum pairing because of his defense and floor-spacing threat.

I wrote about Trent already so I’ll chill here, but his emergence as another player development win for Portland helps the Blazers’ case to return to the West’s upper crust next season quite a bit.

Yes, he cooled off in the playoff series against the Lakers, but his overall shooting numbers from the 13 games in Orlando remain impressive: he shot 48.4 percent on 3s! And he backed that up by being the Blazers’ best perimeter defender, immediately adding a dose of tenacity to one of the league’s softest defensive outfits when he checked in. Still just 21 years old, Trent emphatically showed he’s a long-term keeper in Portland.“

 

[blazerkor]

Gary Trent JR is one of them.

https://theathletic.com/2149407/202...c-gary-trent-luguentz-dort/?source=dailyemail

“Gary Trent Jr., Portland: One game-within-the-game for the Blazers as they head into next season: Do they start Trent? One can argue Portland’s best five-man lineup has Trent at 3 and Trevor Ariza at 4, which would push Rodney Hood and Zach Collins to bench roles, but the Blazers seem like they might be committed to the opposite plan. It seems to me that would be a mistake — Trent is younger than all of them and showed he fits perfectly with the Lillard-McCollum pairing because of his defense and floor-spacing threat.

I wrote about Trent already so I’ll chill here, but his emergence as another player development win for Portland helps the Blazers’ case to return to the West’s upper crust next season quite a bit.

Yes, he cooled off in the playoff series against the Lakers, but his overall shooting numbers from the 13 games in Orlando remain impressive: he shot 48.4 percent on 3s! And he backed that up by being the Blazers’ best perimeter defender, immediately adding a dose of tenacity to one of the league’s softest defensive outfits when he checked in. Still just 21 years old, Trent emphatically showed he’s a long-term keeper in Portland.“

So if we make no moves I think the smart move is to start Dame, Gary, Ariza, Zach and Nurk or if Hoodie is able to beat Zach out move Ariza to the 4 and start Hoodie at 3. I know who I'm leaving out and I know he is making 30 million dollars but he just doesn't fit. Gary shoots spot up threes very well and is willing to take them unlike CJ. If Gary were playing more minutes with Dame the offense wouldn't stall. Obviously this would sure up our biggest weakness which is perimeter D. I would want Dame and CJ to play very limited minutes together but obviously they'd have to play some. I'd like CJ's minutes to go down to 25 per game. I know that CJ is the second best scorer on the team, he is arguably the best ball handler and he definitely has the most ways he can score but he absolutely sucks on defense, for some reason refuses to pass and won't take wide open assisted threes. Those are all things that we just don't need on the floor with Dame. Obviously, I would want to trade CJ and get value for him before I made this move but if Olshey won't do that, this really is our best chance at winning. Last season we gave up the most points off of threes in the league at the second highest percentage, we can't contend with that kind of defense... CJ is the weak link. Start Trent but start him at his natural position... the thing about these small ball teams is that they aren't starting three guys on the perimeter whose average height is 6'4.3"... that's just not a recipe for success. Bench CJ if Neil won't move him.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

He's our SF of the future. That's the biggest need of the team and its also his most effective position.

 

[BonesJones]

So if we make no moves I think the smart move is to start Dame, Gary, Ariza, Zach and Nurk or if Hoodie is able to beat Zach out move Ariza to the 4 and start Hoodie at 3. I know who I'm leaving out and I know he is making 30 million dollars but he just doesn't fit. Gary shoots spot up threes very well and is willing to take them unlike CJ. If Gary were playing more minutes with Dame the offense wouldn't stall. Obviously this would sure up our biggest weakness which is perimeter D. I would want Dame and CJ to play very limited minutes together but obviously they'd have to play some. I'd like CJ's minutes to go down to 25 per game. I know that CJ is the second best scorer on the team, he is arguably the best ball handler and he definitely has the most ways he can score but he absolutely sucks on defense, for some reason refuses to pass and won't take wide open assisted threes. Those are all things that we just don't need on the floor with Dame. Obviously, I would want to trade CJ and get value for him before I made this move but if Olshey won't do that, this really is our best chance at winning. Last season we gave up the most points off of threes in the league at the second highest percentage, we can't contend with that kind of defense... CJ is the weak link. Start Trent but start him at his natural position... the thing about these small ball teams is that they aren't starting three guys on the perimeter whose average height is 6'4.3"... that's just not a recipe for success. Bench CJ if Neil won't move him.

Cutting CJs minutes to 25 and benching him would be ridiculous and make us worse.

 

[BonesJones]

When teams double Dame and get the ball out of his hands, who is our iso-heavy stagnant team going to rely on?

 

[damianlillard]

When teams double Dame and get the ball out of his hands, who is our iso-heavy stagnant team going to rely on?

There’s something call ball movement that our team know very little about. When Dame passes out of double team it should not be that hard to keep passing it to the next open man. And also why do we still struggle when Dame get double team even when CJ is on the court, he ain’t helping as seen in the pelicans and Lakers series. Now it might not even be CJ fault it very well could be on the coach. I have long thought that Stotts is actually not that great of a coach

 

[Buffalo Custard]

When teams double Dame and get the ball out of his hands, who is our iso-heavy stagnant team going to rely on?

A new coach?

 

[blazerkor]

When teams double Dame and get the ball out of his hands, who is our iso-heavy stagnant team going to rely on?

We may have to rely on these crazy tactics called ball movement and off ball screens.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

We may have to rely on these crazy tactics called ball movement and off ball screens.

In the Stotts regime? Fat chance.

 

[wizenheimer]

He's our SF of the future. That's the biggest need of the team and its also his most effective position.

I saw you write that and I kind of went...huh? That's not what I remember, so I checked 82games for Trent:



I think Trent was too often overpowered when he was playing against SF's. The PER and eFG numbers show him as a negative player at SF, and that's in line with what I recall. His personal fouls were also 46% higher as a SF.

I think he's a much better SG at this point than SF. But he's young so he may improve....but he isn't going to get taller

 

[blazerkor]

In the Stotts regime? Fat chance.

The thing about that is, Stotts had a go to guy in the offense that he ran that won a championship. Dirk would get doubled, he would pass the ball to the open guy for a spot up jumper or he would pass the ball to someone covered and that team would whip the ball around the arc and find the open guy... it was beautiful. Stotts sees CJ as a second facilitator out there when CJ just sees himself as an iso first, second and third guy. If we didn't use CJ that way and had him running the offense every minute he was in the game, then we would see off the ball movement and ball movement, Stotts would actually coach the team up on this not just out of necessity but because he knows it works from past experience.

 

[BonesJones]

We may have to rely on these crazy tactics called ball movement and off ball screens.

But we wont because Terry Stotts is our coach so we'll be doubly-fucked.

 

[BonesJones]

There’s something call ball movement that our team know very little about. When Dame passes out of double team it should not be that hard to keep passing it to the next open man. And also why do we still struggle when Dame get double team even when CJ is on the court, he ain’t helping as seen in the pelicans and Lakers series. Now it might not even be CJ fault it very well could be on the coach. I have long thought that Stotts is actually not that great of a coach

CJ being placed at halfcourt while Dame is trapped on the opposite sideline is definitely not CJs fault.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

The thing about that is, Stotts had a go to guy in the offense that he ran that won a championship. Dirk would get doubled, he would pass the ball to the open guy for a spot up jumper or he would pass the ball to someone covered and that team would whip the ball around the arc and find the open guy... it was beautiful. Stotts sees CJ as a second facilitator out there when CJ just sees himself as an iso first, second and third guy. If we didn't use CJ that way and had him running the offense every minute he was in the game, then we would see off the ball movement and ball movement, Stotts would actually coach the team up on this not just out of necessity but because he knows it works from past experience.

Except Stotts wasn't the head coach for the Mavericks team who won the championship. I would suggest that the ISO player mentality CJ practices is more from Stotts than CJ because when Damian isn't playing, CJ is putting up plenty of assists. Olshey has bent over backwards to get pieces that fit Stotts' system. We know he generally won't play rookies and those who won't stretch the floor. But, he's had options on the defensive end that he just doesn't value.

 

[Pinwheel1]

So if we make no moves I think the smart move is to start Dame, Gary, Ariza, Zach and Nurk or if Hoodie is able to beat Zach out move Ariza to the 4 and start Hoodie at 3. I know who I'm leaving out and I know he is making 30 million dollars but he just doesn't fit. Gary shoots spot up threes very well and is willing to take them unlike CJ. If Gary were playing more minutes with Dame the offense wouldn't stall. Obviously this would sure up our biggest weakness which is perimeter D. I would want Dame and CJ to play very limited minutes together but obviously they'd have to play some. I'd like CJ's minutes to go down to 25 per game. I know that CJ is the second best scorer on the team, he is arguably the best ball handler and he definitely has the most ways he can score but he absolutely sucks on defense, for some reason refuses to pass and won't take wide open assisted threes. Those are all things that we just don't need on the floor with Dame. Obviously, I would want to trade CJ and get value for him before I made this move but if Olshey won't do that, this really is our best chance at winning. Last season we gave up the most points off of threes in the league at the second highest percentage, we can't contend with that kind of defense... CJ is the weak link. Start Trent but start him at his natural position... the thing about these small ball teams is that they aren't starting three guys on the perimeter whose average height is 6'4.3"... that's just not a recipe for success. Bench CJ if Neil won't move him.

I actually agree with a lot of what you said. but this statement continues to be an embellishment:

"he absolutely sucks on defense, for some reason refuses to pass and won't take wide-open assisted threes"

No doubt he does not exert a lot of energy on defense for most of the game but "refuses to pass or take wide-open assisted 3's?

And as far as being a weak link on the perimeter.....so those SF's, PF's, and Centers who kill us on the perimeter.....that is CJs fault too? Our bigs need to defend the perimeter better. We continue to give up wide-open 3s to centers and PFs......and more and more bigs are shooting them.

I agree CJs minutes can come down in the regular season if Hood and Ariza are back. Would love to see Little make a jump. He and Ariza could help those perimeter D numbers. Trent did average around 35 minutes per game in the bubble., but they will affect Gary's minutes too. Not a bad problem to have.

 

[Hoopguru]

We may have to rely on these crazy tactics called ball movement and off ball screens.

Whats frustrates me at times is when Dame slowly brings the ball up court, Love Dame but he slows us down to often when we should be pushing the ball up court and running the motion offense. He like's to pick a place and time to launch the 35 footers, dont get me wrong love him, but nobody is infallible on this team. When Dame was hurt we pushed the ball and moved the motion offense.

 

[blazerkor]

CJ being placed at halfcourt while Dame is trapped on the opposite sideline is definitely not CJs fault.

So many of the things that make me want CJ traded so badly aren't his fault. He is a great scorer and I believe that's how he sees himself and he isn't coached or at least not held accountable when he doesn't move the ball. He is a terrible defender but is worse because he isn't held accountable for his lack of effort which only compounds his practical shortcomings. Yeah and he definitely is put in some bad positions due to Stotts' total lack of imagination with our offense. That being said it's not his fault that he's so small and unathletic and has no business playing in a back court with Dame. Even if Stotts coaches him to and everyone around him is in favor of it, I do hold CJ responsible for his unfailing ball hogging. He should be at the point in his career where regardless of whatever anyone says he takes the open assisted shot or makes the right pass both of which he consistently either doesn't see or willfully doesn't do.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

So if we make no moves I think the smart move is to start Dame, Gary, Ariza, Zach and Nurk or if Hoodie is able to beat Zach out move Ariza to the 4 and start Hoodie at 3. I know who I'm leaving out and I know he is making 30 million dollars but he just doesn't fit. Gary shoots spot up threes very well and is willing to take them unlike CJ. If Gary were playing more minutes with Dame the offense wouldn't stall. Obviously this would sure up our biggest weakness which is perimeter D. I would want Dame and CJ to play very limited minutes together but obviously they'd have to play some. I'd like CJ's minutes to go down to 25 per game. I know that CJ is the second best scorer on the team, he is arguably the best ball handler and he definitely has the most ways he can score but he absolutely sucks on defense, for some reason refuses to pass and won't take wide open assisted threes. Those are all things that we just don't need on the floor with Dame. Obviously, I would want to trade CJ and get value for him before I made this move but if Olshey won't do that, this really is our best chance at winning. Last season we gave up the most points off of threes in the league at the second highest percentage, we can't contend with that kind of defense... CJ is the weak link. Start Trent but start him at his natural position... the thing about these small ball teams is that they aren't starting three guys on the perimeter whose average height is 6'4.3"... that's just not a recipe for success. Bench CJ if Neil won't move him.

The numbers show we’re very good when Dame, GTJ, and CJ all play together.

 

[James lamphear]

Changing the subject little bit wasn't Zach supposed to get operations on his ankle this off season but haven't heard if he did or not does anyone knows his status with that?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Since I bothered to do this, I'm going to post it in two places. The first line is Gary Trent in the play-in games, the second is him in the playoffs. Pretty stark contrast. I wonder if it's because he had to play LeBron a lot or if they just had time to scout him and exposed him.

What TND means.

 

[e_blazer]

Since I bothered to do this, I'm going to post it in two places. The first line is Gary Trent in the play-in games, the second is him in the playoffs. Pretty stark contrast. I wonder if it's because he had to play LeBron a lot or if they just had time to scout him and exposed him.
View attachment 34337
What TND means.

Pretty stark difference, but I’d bet that Dame’s differential between play-in and playoffs is greater.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Pretty stark difference, but I’d bet that Dame’s differential between play-in and playoffs is greater.

Judge for yourself:
Play in games
Playoffs

The person who changed the LEAST was CJ.

 

[handiman]

Since I bothered to do this, I'm going to post it in two places. The first line is Gary Trent in the play-in games, the second is him in the playoffs. Pretty stark contrast. I wonder if it's because he had to play LeBron a lot or if they just had time to scout him and exposed him.
View attachment 34337
What TND means.

It would be more meaningful to look at his game-by-game trends in the bubble. He started out supernova hot and had already cooled quite a bit by the time Round 1 began. I would guess his late play-in stats weren't much better than his playoff stats.