Honest discussion about the team

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Lets have a top to bottom look at this team and an honest discussion on what should be done to improve this team realistically.

Neil Olshey: He has done a fair job so far, can't complain too much. He has drafted well, signed about as good of free agents that Portland can attract and has overall been a positive for the orginzation.

Terry Stotts: We all know of his flaws by now, he in my honest opinion needs to be let go for the team to get better. He did a good job at reviving the franchise from where it was but his rotations, lack of defensive assignments and getting consistently out coached is killing this team.

LaMarcus Aldridge: Great player, if we want to contend now we need to keep him no matter what, pretty simple. If not possible we need to move him in a sign and trade deal to the highest bidder, which won't be great as only contenders with little to no real assets will be on the block.

Damian Lillard: Rough second half of the season, still a great player and someone you keep no matter what.

Nic Batum: One year left on his deal, one year for him to prove he can more than what he has shown his first 7 seasons in the nba. If he can't stay healthy, be consistent or aggressive by next seasons deadline, he should be moved.

Robin Lopez: A very hard decision is gonna be made, my personal opinion would be to let him walk if he gets an offer over 11 million dollars per season. If we can get him at around 10-11 he is worth keeping, bug bodies are at a premium even if they aren't all star level.

Wesley Matthews: I really hope we keep him, but if a team offers him over 10 million per year for more than 3 seasons I think the smart move would be to move on as much as it pains me to say.

Arron Afflalo: Pretty much the same as Matthews without the emotional attachment.

CJ McCollum: I expect a big season from him next year, 6th man of the year level maybe.

Meyers Leonard: He needs minutes. He has shown flashes of being our most versatile player on the team. He is a keeper.

Chris Kaman: He will is a cheap, good depth piece backup big but he is cutting into younger players minutes/development. I don't particularly want to see him in a Blazer uniform but I wouldn't be mad if the team kept him on for another year. He is good trade bait after all.

Steve Blake: He can stay. However, I want no part of him being our backup point guard anymore. He can be another Earl Watson for us this coming season, the backup position needs to be upgraded though.

The Others: Allen Crabbe, Alonzo Gee, Joel Freeland, Dorrel Wright and Tim Frazier. I'm excited to see Crabbe's further development, he can be a decent asset going forward. Gee and Freeland are players I wouldn't mind bringing back, young defense first players are something every contender needs. Wright, if he accepts a pay cut I also wouldn't mind seeing him back. Jury is still out on Frazier for me.

I don't know who to replace, draft or trade for to make this team better but in my opinion a lot is going to happen this summer and we will see a very different Blazer team next season.

What are all your thoughts and opinions?

 

[MAS RipCity]

We will not win a championship with Terry Stotts. I am more than ready to let him go and find a replacement this offseason.

 

[BlazerBeav]

This franchise is dumpster fire. In 15 years we've escaped the first round ONCE. The Blazers organization does not deserve the support it gets from this fanbase.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

We will not win a championship with Terry Stotts. I am more than ready to let him go and find a replacement this offseason.

Agree and it's not just defense. It's toughness. I really wonder if he can motivate these guys. But this offense is perimeter oriented and I think they need to get more aggressive and more of an attitude on that end. Both ends.

You know I would try to take that money you would use to sign Robin and trade him for a different big. It would be sign and trade but someone like Hibbert would be nice and make a difference. Especially with a hard butt coaching him.

With a different defensive, tough minded coach. Everyone else can stay.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

I am not in favor of retaining Affallo. I would like to get a guy like Draymond Green or Tony Allen. I would also like to get a center who is a real shot blocker and and has instincts (and mobility) on when to help and when not to. I'm pretty lukewarm on Stotts; ir Thibodeau is available would take him.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Aldridge: Plan C franchise player. They tried to trade him twice during the Roy/Oden era, something that he brought up two summers ago when asked about why he cancelled his endorsment deals in Portland. He sold his Irving, Texas home a few summers ago and lives in L.A. full-time during the off-season. IF he leaves it will be with the Lakers.

Matthews: He's the heart of this team but sadly he will never be the same. IMO, this injury is worse than a micro-fracture. Sign him at a discount of what he would've made or let him walk.

Batum: Needs to fuck off, to put it mildly. Seven years of maybe this is the year he'll emerge as the third scorer that we need. He's too soft. The second highest paid Blazer and since he signed his deal he never had a PER to reach 16 or higher. He's an average player being paid like a star.

Lillar_: He made the Grizz pg's look like all-time greats. His defense is atrocious. This summer he ought to work on his game rather than making commercials and building "his brand."

Meyers: 8/8 with a 26 PER so far. He's close to breaking out ......if he can get away from Stotts.

Kaman: What a waste of time.

Blake: about what I expected.

 

[ripcityboy]

I honestly don't think the Blazers will ever win a title under the current ownership and management. The commitment and vision just isn't there. You look at a successful franchise like San Antonio. They have a streamlined, coordinated professional outlook that starts from the owner, president that goes right to the players. THEY BUY IN TO IT. The Blazers have gone through CEOS and GM'S like Kelly Clarkson through lunch meat. The players don't know their roles and you wonder if they know what they are buying into. It's not Allen isn't a good owner, but the infrastructure and personnel aren't there. That's my take.

 

[MarAzul]

I don't see any particular problems with this team, except at SG where we don't know what Wes will become. This team needs some offensive sets to run where different player take the lead for
a set of plays. Against the Grizz Lamarcus always had crowd unless he was way out. Needs some plays to put on for that, like a weak side cutter coming to the rim for him to hit.
Need some pick n roll plays for Nic to run with several players, Same with Damian.

What the hell happened with Meyers not playing tonight, Blazers lead the 2nd game 1 st quarter with this kid, our best shooter and Stotts doesn't know? Geez, the simples play of all would be
Meyer on the three point weak side line when they bring the double on Lamarcus. Not once. Nothing just more of the same with less Meyers.
Stotts is way better than McMillan but not near good enough to play the top half the league after they learn his limited system. Damian did better tonight with 9 assists but that needs to be a regular game and it is on the coach that it isn't the case.
I don't know if a better head coach is available but I think Luke Walton would be a hell of a lot better running the offense. Jackson and Kerr think he has the stuff.

 

[PDXFonz]

This franchise is dumpster fire. In 15 years we've escaped the first round ONCE. The Blazers organization does not deserve the support it gets from this fanbase.

What is the one constant in that time span? :MARIS61:

 

[ripcityboy]

This franchise is dumpster fire. In 15 years we've escaped the first round ONCE. The Blazers organization does not deserve the support it gets from this fanbase.

This franchise gets that support because it's the only game in town. Except if you like soccer.

 

[<-=*PdX*=->]

exactly, until a NHL or NFL team comes along, this team will have ZERO competition. And Zero true desire to actually win.

 

[ripcityboy]

I don't know if people in Portland actually have a desire to do anything other than complain, eat a donut or drink beer. Portland is like a place in the Twilight Zone where you stop to get gas and buy coffee. But once you leave, every road just leads you back to the same gas station.

 

[PCmor7]

Chris Broussard's account of a pregame interview with LA didn't give me any warm-and-fuzzies, unfortunately. If it's to be taken at face value, it was very troubling, IMO.

Olshey has done well with what he's had to work with, but I think he's got a major chore ahead of him to keep this team anywhere near its current level let alone get better if Aldridge leaves. Stotts is very reluctant to trust his bench or younger players unless he absolutely has to or it's someone like Damian. I don't know where the assets come from to add that one last key piece if LA stays, especially since Blake and Kaman aren't getting any younger or better and might both have to be replaced, too; taking a chance on Frazier might have been a pre-emptive move figuring that having Blake as your backup PG isn't going to get it done.

Speaking of Stotts, I'm not so quick to want to get rid of him. I think his offensive style is a selling point to potential free agents and winning more than 100 regular season games over the last two years is hard to turn away. This team has to get better defensively, and Stotts definitely has his flaws, but I'd rather have him than return to the Nate or Mo Cheeks years.

Batum, Batum, Batum ... you tease us with flashes but we never know what we are going to get from night to night. His versatile skillset comes in handy because Lillard and CJ aren't a great passer and neither Wes nor Afflalo are above average dribblers, plus he can defend four positions (three pretty well). But, IMO, he's paid too much for his inconsistent production, especially offensively, he's a good but not elite defender and he is so predictable on the pick and roll -- he almost never shoots.

I just think so much rides on LA's decision. Rolo's value to the Blazers is significantly higher is LA is on the team; I don't see the Blazers going out and getting an upgrade who does what he does but maybe can play out on the pick and roll a little better or be more of a scoring threat with their cap situation if LA stays. If LA goes, well, you don't really need Lopez to fill in the gaps to benefit LA.

If LA stays, I think the Blazers will be fine. Batum probably will need to be moved to offer some flexibility with the cap, but I'm beginning to think that might be beneficial on the court, too. Having LA and presumably a better Lillard than we saw the last couple of months will keep the team competitive and probably will be attractive to a good complementary starter or two down the road. CJ is blossoming to the point that he can be a reliable scoring option or trade bait to bring the Blazers something even more valuable. Leonard is kind of in the same boat, although he still has some rough spots that need ironed out. But I think the 3 spot really needs addressed, both the starter and a backup.

If LA leaves, I think we're better off blowing it up, because I just don't see them replacing Aldridge. There are only so many players as valuable as he is -- he's the most dominant low block scorer in the NBA right now and he even has added 3-point range to his arsenal this season. And, as nice as Portland is, I don't imagine a lot of superstar-level players clamoring to go there to play with Lillard and a cast of average to above average guys.

I'll really be hurting if that's the way it plays out. To feel like everything was going so well with a core of Roy, Oden and LA, then to lose the first two of those and get Lillard and overcome it and then to get so close and see it fall apart because we couldn't keep LA happy. That would stink, and I think the rebuild the way the NBA works these days could be a very, very long process.

 

[BlazerBeav]

The fact that you read anything 'reported' by Chris Broussard means you need to stop drinking.

 

[ripcityboy]

Chris Broussard's account of a pregame interview with LA didn't give me any warm-and-fuzzies, unfortunately. If it's to be taken at face value, it was very troubling, IMO.

Olshey has done well with what he's had to work with, but I think he's got a major chore ahead of him to keep this team anywhere near its current level let alone get better if Aldridge leaves. Stotts is very reluctant to trust his bench or younger players unless he absolutely has to or it's someone like Damian. I don't know where the assets come from to add that one last key piece if LA stays, especially since Blake and Kaman aren't getting any younger or better and might both have to be replaced, too; taking a chance on Frazier might have been a pre-emptive move figuring that having Blake as your backup PG isn't going to get it done.

Speaking of Stotts, I'm not so quick to want to get rid of him. I think his offensive style is a selling point to potential free agents and winning more than 100 regular season games over the last two years is hard to turn away. This team has to get better defensively, and Stotts definitely has his flaws, but I'd rather have him than return to the Nate or Mo Cheeks years.

Batum, Batum, Batum ... you tease us with flashes but we never know what we are going to get from night to night. His versatile skillset comes in handy because Lillard and CJ aren't a great passer and neither Wes nor Afflalo are above average dribblers, plus he can defend four positions (three pretty well). But, IMO, he's paid too much for his inconsistent production, especially offensively, he's a good but not elite defender and he is so predictable on the pick and roll -- he almost never shoots.

I just think so much rides on LA's decision. Rolo's value to the Blazers is significantly higher is LA is on the team; I don't see the Blazers going out and getting an upgrade who does what he does but maybe can play out on the pick and roll a little better or be more of a scoring threat with their cap situation if LA stays. If LA goes, well, you don't really need Lopez to fill in the gaps to benefit LA.

If LA stays, I think the Blazers will be fine. Batum probably will need to be moved to offer some flexibility with the cap, but I'm beginning to think that might be beneficial on the court, too. Having LA and presumably a better Lillard than we saw the last couple of months will keep the team competitive and probably will be attractive to a good complementary starter or two down the road. CJ is blossoming to the point that he can be a reliable scoring option or trade bait to bring the Blazers something even more valuable. Leonard is kind of in the same boat, although he still has some rough spots that need ironed out. But I think the 3 spot really needs addressed, both the starter and a backup.

If LA leaves, I think we're better off blowing it up, because I just don't see them replacing Aldridge. There are only so many players as valuable as he is -- he's the most dominant low block scorer in the NBA right now and he even has added 3-point range to his arsenal this season. And, as nice as Portland is, I don't imagine a lot of superstar-level players clamoring to go there to play with Lillard and a cast of average to above average guys.

I'll really be hurting if that's the way it plays out. To feel like everything was going so well with a core of Roy, Oden and LA, then to lose the first two of those and get Lillard and overcome it and then to get so close and see it fall apart because we couldn't keep LA happy. That would stink, and I think the rebuild the way the NBA works these days could be a very, very long process.

I don't see how the hell you "blow up" the Blazers if Aldridge leaves. This isn't LA or NY for God Sakes, where you draw big names. Lamarcus takes off and you Damian becomes Da Man. You HAVE to a face for the franchise to draw tickets. If this team starts tanking, then Allen would seriously consider selling.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I don't see how the hell you "blow up" the Blazers if Aldridge leaves. This isn't LA or NY for God Sakes, where you draw big names. Lamarcus takes off and you Damian becomes Da Man. You HAVE to a face for the franchise to draw tickets. If this team starts tanking, then Allen would seriously consider selling.

The only way the team would start tanking is if it was an order by Allen.

If I knew LA was leaving, Everyone would be available including Damian for the right player or draft pick.

 

[PCmor7]

I don't see how the hell you "blow up" the Blazers if Aldridge leaves. This isn't LA or NY for God Sakes, where you draw big names. Lamarcus takes off and you Damian becomes Da Man. You HAVE to a face for the franchise to draw tickets. If this team starts tanking, then Allen would seriously consider selling.

Then I guess you would be happy being the Kevin Love Timberwolves in perpetuity. I would not.

If you lose LA and just build around a shoot-first PG in the Western Conference, you are stuck in lottery limbo anyway. You aren't getting into the playoffs. You aren't getting the top pick. And you aren't drawing big names just because Damian Lillard is here, either.

You end up stuck in a position where you don't get better or worse, you just hang around the outer rim, missing the playoffs most years and losing badly in the first round when you make it every now and then. If that's what you want, more power to you. I don't want to be stuck in mediocrity for a decade or more.

 

[PCmor7]

The fact that you read anything 'reported' by Chris Broussard means you need to stop drinking.

I forgot the board rule that nothing any reporter ever reports that might be negative toward the Blazers might have any shred of validity. Sorry.

 

[ripcityboy]

Then I guess you would be happy being the Kevin Love Timberwolves in perpetuity. I would not.

If you lose LA and just build around a shoot-first PG in the Western Conference, you are stuck in lottery limbo anyway. You aren't getting into the playoffs. You aren't getting the top pick. And you aren't drawing big names just because Damian Lillard is here, either.

You end up stuck in a position where you don't get better or worse, you just hang around the outer rim, missing the playoffs most years and losing badly in the first round when you make it every now and then. If that's what you want, more power to you. I don't want to be stuck in mediocrity for a decade or more.

And with the quality of players coming out in the draft at age 19 or 20, is a sure fix......

 

[PCmor7]

And with the quality of players coming out in the draft at age 19 or 20, is a sure fix......

Sorry, I missed the sarcasm.

 

[Sinobas]

This team needs more toughness, and guys that will take it to the rim. I also think the defensive scheme needs to be re-done, the scheme doesn't give Lillard enough help on the pick and roll.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Aldridge: Plan C franchise player. They tried to trade him twice during the Roy/Oden era, something that he brought up two summers ago when asked about why he cancelled his endorsment deals in Portland. He sold his Irving, Texas home a few summers ago and lives in L.A. full-time during the off-season. IF he leaves it will be with the Lakers.

Not seeing this. The Lakers have 30M tied up in Kobe and Nick Young plus California has a much higher tax rate. If he leaves, I believe he will sign a max contract with us then be traded in Novemeber.

 

[glazeduck]

Far too many questions, far too few answers around this franchise right now...

Olshey - Done a great job in the draft and with trades, but the FAs he's signed - his calling card coming here - have been extremely disappointing. I think he'll have to figure out how to add 2 at least impact players to convince LA to stay.

Stotts - Can't make adjustments, can't motivate, can't scheme a team defense, can't get off-the-ball movement, relies solely on 3-pointers despite having 2 starters and a key reserve who all excel at going to the paint, relies on his starters for far too much whether he needs to or not. Agree that he's been a step up, but we can do better.

LA - Batman playing Robin. Feel for the guy playing through injuries and carrying us on his back, but I think it's fair to wonder whether a team built around a still soft(ish)/jump-shooting PF will be able to win it all. Adding a true option at C like Hibbert may help.

Dame/Batum - People are upset with these guys, and not unfairly so, I'd say. I think the shoe deal questions about Dame are fair. I also think he's been obsessed with getting James Harden-type fouls, ever since our series against Houston last year. Dame has been obsessed with the calls he's not getting since then and it's clearly messing with his head. Nico's divorce clearly fucked w/ his head too, I think that was obvious. My biggest gripe with him is his lack of aggression, 7 years in he is what he is, passive. Serious question: I really wonder if we should consider playing Nic at PG and Dame at the 2? Seems to me Nic is always far more effective and engaged running the offense and Dame is great off the ball. I'm not sure if anyone keeps stats like this, but I'm convinced that Batum's best moments have come when the ball is in his hands -- we've seen in his time with the French team as well.

Wes - Love the guy, he's clearly our heart. Unfortunately, I think his injury is going to seriously impact his career. In a perfect world, we'd bring him back on the cheap to be a cultural glue guy, but like others, I think he'll get an offer from someone else that won't be worth us matching, due to the risk his injury creates.

Rolo - Just super meh on the guy. Year one he was great, this year was really underwhelming. I can't imagine it was a serious distraction, but when you're playing as poorly as you are, why the hell are you screwing with team mascots EVERY chance you get? That's bugged me all season. If we can bring him back on the cheap to be our Anderson Varejao off the bench, cool, if not, I wish him well.

CJ/Meyers - Now that everything is just about said and done, I think the emergence of these two has to be seen as the most exciting development of the season. Still somewhat deficient on D, still figuring out the mental side of the game, but they're guys we can build around.

Blake - Another serious question: is there a less effective, more deficient backup PG in the league? There can't be many, and there certainly aren't any in the playoffs. It's cute that Portland defends this guy, but somebody tell me what he does even halfway decently? Scrap - maybe? To me, he's a BIG reason why our bench sucks so badly. Absolutely needs to be replaced, hopefully with somebody fairly dynamic, or shit, even just with CJ.

Kaman - Seems like he's effective for about the first 4 or 5 minutes of every rotation and then that falls off. He's clearly not in NBA shape, and it's fair to wonder if he ever will be. It's too bad we can't blend his brain and passing with Freeland's toughness and Meyers' athleticism and J - that's a star C.

Freeland/Gee - I like these guys' intensity and physicality. We need a coach who can utilize that in the right way and minimize their deficiencies.

Crabbe - Hopefully will continue to develop. Once the game slows down for him, I think he could be a reliable bench entity.

 

[santeesioux]

I think most people here forgetting Afflalo is even on the team really says it all about his time here too. What a meh trade.

 

[ChadWick]

I think most people here forgetting Afflalo is even on the team really says it all about his time here too. What a meh trade.

Agreed. The guy did a whole lot of nothing for us.

 

[glazeduck]

I think most people here forgetting Afflalo is even on the team really says it all about his time here too. What a meh trade.

Yes and no. He's in a somewhat of an unfair spot w/ Wes' injury. He would've been great to bring off the bench, but was never the guy that was going to save our season.

Hindsight being what it is, would love to know if we could've gotten in on any of the million pgs who were all traded for each other.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Wesley Matthews: I really hope we keep him, but if a team offers him over 10 million per year for more than 3 seasons I think the smart move would be to move on as much as it pains me to say.

Arron Afflalo: Pretty much the same as Matthews without the emotional attachment.

CJ McCollum: I expect a big season from him next year, 6th man of the year level maybe.

This is going to be the interesting part. Will Wes comes back will he be the same player? Would we be better off with just keeping Afflalo and letting Wes go? I doubt we do anything with CJ and I doubt we keep all three players. So it will really comes down to Wes Mathews (Loyalty) or Arron Afflalo(Safe Pick)?

 

[Denny Crane]

I think Olshey has been brilliant with what he's had to work with and CBA constraints.

Remember how bad the bench players were a couple of seasons ago?

It's not like he's had big free agent $$$ to even try to attract superstars.

I thought the Afflallo deal was terrific, even if it didn't turn out.

Lopez filled a huge hole.

Etc. etc.

You need the younger guys to develop. Leonard, CJ, and crabbe. IMO.

 

[Kaydow]

Far too many questions, far too few answers around this franchise right now...

Olshey - Done a great job in the draft and with trades, but the FAs he's signed - his calling card coming here - have been extremely disappointing. I think he'll have to figure out how to add 2 at least impact players to convince LA to stay.

Stotts - Can't make adjustments, can't motivate, can't scheme a team defense, can't get off-the-ball movement, relies solely on 3-pointers despite having 2 starters and a key reserve who all excel at going to the paint, relies on his starters for far too much whether he needs to or not. Agree that he's been a step up, but we can do better.

LA - Batman playing Robin. Feel for the guy playing through injuries and carrying us on his back, but I think it's fair to wonder whether a team built around a still soft(ish)/jump-shooting PF will be able to win it all. Adding a true option at C like Hibbert may help.

Dame/Batum - People are upset with these guys, and not unfairly so, I'd say. I think the shoe deal questions about Dame are fair. I also think he's been obsessed with getting James Harden-type fouls, ever since our series against Houston last year. Dame has been obsessed with the calls he's not getting since then and it's clearly messing with his head. Nico's divorce clearly fucked w/ his head too, I think that was obvious. My biggest gripe with him is his lack of aggression, 7 years in he is what he is, passive. Serious question: I really wonder if we should consider playing Nic at PG and Dame at the 2? Seems to me Nic is always far more effective and engaged running the offense and Dame is great off the ball. I'm not sure if anyone keeps stats like this, but I'm convinced that Batum's best moments have come when the ball is in his hands -- we've seen in his time with the French team as well.

Wes - Love the guy, he's clearly our heart. Unfortunately, I think his injury is going to seriously impact his career. In a perfect world, we'd bring him back on the cheap to be a cultural glue guy, but like others, I think he'll get an offer from someone else that won't be worth us matching, due to the risk his injury creates.

Rolo - Just super meh on the guy. Year one he was great, this year was really underwhelming. I can't imagine it was a serious distraction, but when you're playing as poorly as you are, why the hell are you screwing with team mascots EVERY chance you get? That's bugged me all season. If we can bring him back on the cheap to be our Anderson Varejao off the bench, cool, if not, I wish him well.

CJ/Meyers - Now that everything is just about said and done, I think the emergence of these two has to be seen as the most exciting development of the season. Still somewhat deficient on D, still figuring out the mental side of the game, but they're guys we can build around.

Blake - Another serious question: is there a less effective, more deficient backup PG in the league? There can't be many, and there certainly aren't any in the playoffs. It's cute that Portland defends this guy, but somebody tell me what he does even halfway decently? Scrap - maybe? To me, he's a BIG reason why our bench sucks so badly. Absolutely needs to be replaced, hopefully with somebody fairly dynamic, or shit, even just with CJ.

Kaman - Seems like he's effective for about the first 4 or 5 minutes of every rotation and then that falls off. He's clearly not in NBA shape, and it's fair to wonder if he ever will be. It's too bad we can't blend his brain and passing with Freeland's toughness and Meyers' athleticism and J - that's a star C.

Freeland/Gee - I like these guys' intensity and physicality. We need a coach who can utilize that in the right way and minimize their deficiencies.

Crabbe - Hopefully will continue to develop. Once the game slows down for him, I think he could be a reliable bench entity.

I agree with your assessment of Stotts. Memphis has a weakness that's plagued them in the 2nd half of the season - you can take them out of their offense by pressuring their backcourt. They don't have dynamic playmakers or dead eye shooters on the perimeter so you can get away with extending your defense & anticipating passing lanes. Their offense after the AS game was really bad. But we don't even try to exploit this. We let them walk it up & throw it into the post with no resistance. Even with Conley & Udrich out, 3rd string Calathes went wherever he wanted with the ball. At least we finally TRIED to show full court pressure in the 4th, but it was weak. Obviously it's not something we work on that much, which is unfortunate because that's the way to beat the Grizz. I fully expect the Warriors to fluster the Grizz by pressuring/trapping them defensively. It's kind of the blueprint for how to beat them. Nobody lets them walk it up and concedes passing lanes into the post, except us. 7 times we've seen the same thing. No adjustments have been made, few even attempted. Stotts likes to say "we're not going to change who we are because of who we're playing." That's not acceptable, especially when you're playing a team that has proven over, & over, & over that they are better than us at the style we're playing. With the way they play defense, we needed to get extra possessions to compete in this series. Forcing some turnovers would have been nice. I'm not ok with chalking that up to "that's not who we are", and I'm not ok with how (even before Wes went down) teams were able to chase our shooters off the 3pt line, while being able to double team LA + blanket Dame on the perimeter. What Terry calls "sticking to our principles" I call not being able to make adjustments. I doubt the Blazers will show him the door. They just gave him an extension last summer & it wouldn't be very "Spurs-like" (the model organization we're trying to follow) to let a coach go after winning a division title. Only way is if Dame & LA voice frustrations on their exit interviews. They look frustrated, especially Dame, who has been getting lit up by fans/media for his defense. He is a liability on that end for sure, but the way he's coached to defend the pick & roll really makes him look a lot worse than he is. Neither has criticized the coach (as far as we know) & it may never happen, but that's the only way I could see Stotts getting let go.

Assuming he's back next season, we can only hope he uses the offseason to add more wrinkles to his style of play. Good teams play good defense and can force turnovers, plain & simple. We we're dead last in the league for the 2nd year in a row at forcing turnovers. At the very least we need to bring in an assistant to shore up our defense. It'll be interesting to see what everyone says when it's over. The easy thing to do is to pin all of our 2nd half/post season struggles on the injuries. Obviously losing Wes was devastating, but if that's how Stotts & Olshey spin ALL of the team's struggles it'll be disappointing. Last night with our backs against the wall we had an opportunity when Conley went down. 3rd string PG, a double digit deficit, & we can't force him into a single turnover? That's not just missing Wes, or not having the right personnel, that is because we haven't worked enough on playing defense like that. There's no excuse for that. We have been thoroughly outplayed in this series, but a lot of that is related to how bad we're being out-coached & out-schemed. Of all the frustrations from this season, the worst for me is the "Groundhog Day" feeling of not being able to adapt & make adjustments. Hopefully the last 2 months + this series are opening some eyes & isn't reduced to "if only we still had Wes . . . ". If we do get swept or lose in 5, it does seem like Allen & Olshey can feel the ground shaking. Both of our All Stars are demoralized to the point where 1 may bolt. The gravity feels heavier than getting blown out/taught a playoff lesson by the Spurs last year. Part of that should be to change the coach or make the coach change.

 

[MarAzul]

I have no Problem with Olshey's player personnel. Probably did as well as he can. Don't know about Wes now, so he may have to do more and he should continue to try and upgrade if possible.
The biggest problem is exploiting the talent available on this team to the fullest extent. I don't think Stotts has done that well. I don't think this team should lose to the Grizzleys nor should they have had a losing record for the 2nd half the season. Adjustment were needed, new plays to be added and Stotts didn't do it.