How did we get so bad?

[jlprk]

my biggest disappointment is Ed Davis....he was the heart of our team last season...

Ed Davis is still getting extraordinary rebounds per minute. But he's not as lucky this season at making his only baskets, which have always been putbacks on the offensive rebound. He gets overpowered when trying to tip them in.

Stotts had Plumlee playing more like a center last year, and more like a passing PF this year. Ed Davis was a good Assistant Center, but is not as good at playing Main Center. (New basketball positions.)

So that's my theory for why Davis doesn't look as good this year...our other big men must play well for Davis to sneak in among them and do well.

In Gestalt, they say, the whole exceeds the sum of the parts. Everything in the universe affects everything else. If my teammates suck, it makes me suck, despite my superlative talents. On the rare occasions my posts suck, it must be all of you.

 

[Dougnsalem]

On the rare occasions my posts suck, it must be all of you.

Lol.... Feeling better today, huh?

 

[Denny Crane]

The defense has slipped though. That tells me it's at least partly effort related; it's not a complicated scheme and these guys have been in it for awhile.

This is my take as well.

Where we lacked talent, we made up for it with hustle and intensity and effort on defense. This year, the effort on defense is noticeably absent.

 

[Denny Crane]

I said last year we only had two real quality NBA starters in our roster and got KILLED for it........ what do you think now?

Didn't you predict 60 wins this year?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Well, step 1 was trading Batum.

And then the shit really hit the fan.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

My theory: we could be world beaters but the team doesn't want to have to visit the White House while Trump's there.

 

[TBpup]

My theory: we could be world beaters but the team doesn't want to have to visit the White House while Trump's there.

Well something is needed to Make the Blazer Great Again.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Well, step 1 was trading Batum.

And then the shit really hit the fan.

Technically Wesley's ankle exploding was step 1.

 

[Sinobas]

I said last year we only had two real quality NBA starters in our roster and got KILLED for it........ what do you think now?

You're right. Plumlee and Harkless should be members of a good bench, but they are not at the level of "good starters".

 

[Sinobas]

Remember when Dame wanted to be MVP? He's not even top 20.

Damian started off the season playing like an elite talent....he tends to start off with a bang then peter-out mid season. I don't know if he gets burned out or what.

I remember he took a fall and landed on his fingers, and wasn't quite the same after....the same exact thing happened last year.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Damian started off the season playing like an elite talent....he tends to start off with a bang then peter-out mid season. I don't know if he gets burned out or what.

I remember he took a fall and landed on his fingers, and wasn't quite the same after....the same exact thing happened last year.

That's exactly what happens, but that's life in the NBA for all players; it's part of the grind.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

My other theory:
The only way for a small market team to get good is through the draft. San Antonio is the clear example and they got David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili through the draft. Small market teams can't attract free agents (except once they've become good - like the Spurs) so they can't do a Boston or a Lakers or a Heat. And if you're going to get a good player in a trade, then you have to have assets, and the only way you're going to acquire assets is through the draft.

Olshey is an average drafter, and in fact tends to trade draft picks as assets. But it is notable that our two good players were acquired through the draft. (And even then, while CJ is probably a top 5 player from his draft, it's still not a ringing endorsement of Olshey because there are two players clearly much better than CJ who were drafted after him and who filled more of a position of need (Gobert and Antetokounmpo)). Maybe our path to improvement starts with really spending to get a top-notch scouting system? Utah, San Antonio and OKC would be good organizations to poach from.

 

[riverman]

Ed Davis is still getting extraordinary rebounds per minute. But he's not as lucky this season at making his only baskets, which have always been putbacks on the offensive rebound. He gets overpowered when trying to tip them in.

Stotts had Plumlee playing more like a center last year, and more like a passing PF this year. Ed Davis was a good Assistant Center, but is not as good at playing Main Center. (New basketball positions.)

So that's my theory for why Davis doesn't look as good this year...our other big men must play well for Davis to sneak in among them and do well.

In Gestalt, they say, the whole exceeds the sum of the parts. Everything in the universe affects everything else. If my teammates suck, it makes me suck, despite my superlative talents. On the rare occasions my posts suck, it must be all of you.

No more keyboard over your head.....have to say...improvement is noticeable! Merry Gestalt String Theory Day my friend!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

In Gestalt, they say, the whole exceeds the sum of the parts. Everything in the universe affects everything else. If my teammates suck, it makes me suck, despite my superlative talents. On the rare occasions my posts suck, it must be all of you.

Whoa, someone got some killer pain pills for Christmas.

 

[BonesJones]

My other theory:
The only way for a small market team to get good is through the draft. San Antonio is the clear example and they got David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili through the draft. Small market teams can't attract free agents (except once they've become good - like the Spurs) so they can't do a Boston or a Lakers or a Heat. And if you're going to get a good player in a trade, then you have to have assets, and the only way you're going to acquire assets is through the draft.

Olshey is an average drafter, and in fact tends to trade draft picks as assets. But it is notable that our two good players were acquired through the draft. (And even then, while CJ is probably a top 5 player from his draft, it's still not a ringing endorsement of Olshey because there are two players clearly much better than CJ who were drafted after him and who filled more of a position of need (Gobert and Antetokounmpo)). Maybe our path to improvement starts with really spending to get a top-notch scouting system? Utah, San Antonio and OKC would be good organizations to poach from.

Olshey is an average drafter? He got top 2 on their draft class players at 6 and 10. He got Crabbe at 31. Will Barton was a good pick at 40. I think Layman will be a good pick at 47.

 

[ripcityboy]

My other theory:
The only way for a small market team to get good is through the draft. San Antonio is the clear example and they got David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili through the draft. Small market teams can't attract free agents (except once they've become good - like the Spurs) so they can't do a Boston or a Lakers or a Heat. And if you're going to get a good player in a trade, then you have to have assets, and the only way you're going to acquire assets is through the draft.

Olshey is an average drafter, and in fact tends to trade draft picks as assets. But it is notable that our two good players were acquired through the draft. (And even then, while CJ is probably a top 5 player from his draft, it's still not a ringing endorsement of Olshey because there are two players clearly much better than CJ who were drafted after him and who filled more of a position of need (Gobert and Antetokounmpo)). Maybe our path to improvement starts with really spending to get a top-notch scouting system? Utah, San Antonio and OKC would be good organizations to poach from.

Good post. I've often felt like we haven't focused enough on our scouting department. Its something that easy to overlook because the draft is only a couple of rounds and is kind of dwarfed by free agency. The reality is so many front offices have built up working relationships with fellow employees that that have as much to do with comfort as effectiveness. In almost every sport you'll find GM's hire "their people" more on the fact that they trust and like them than overall effectiveness. And it's hard for a talent in a place like Portland because anybody that stands out will be poached just like players. Scouts prefer opportunity and the limelight just like the players do.

I'm sure you can build a first class scouting and player development staff in Portland. But you have to overcome major hurdles like you do in attracting and keeping top players.

 

[Cippy91]

Damian started off the season playing like an elite talent....he tends to start off with a bang then peter-out mid season. I don't know if he gets burned out or what.

I remember he took a fall and landed on his fingers, and wasn't quite the same after....the same exact thing happened last year.

I also might think his minor falling off could be just the team losses. You see what happens when guys start losing, they tend to do worse. Dude was averaging 30 plus for the first 6 or 7 games. I would think he is annoyed

 

[BlayZa]

its a mix

people got paid, that contract year pressure is off
we signed people that play the same position and barely start
our front court is weak af, although plum is going good, the rest have either regressed or just always sucked.
but mainly, its defense. we're fuckin atrocious.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I said last year we only had two real quality NBA starters in our roster and got KILLED for it........ what do you think now?

Stop trying to cover your considerable ass by rewriting history FAMS.

Here's exactly what you wrote:

I would go as far as to say, that besides Dame, there isn't an actual NBA starter on this roster let alone an all star.

I'll take it a step further and say we have ONE quality NBA starter on our roster.

What does this mean? We DO only have 1 quality NBA starter!

Whatever...... we have one player who could start for other teams was my point.

You said over, and over and over again we only had one quality starter.

You got "KILLED" because you were dead wrong.

And while we're at it, I'm pretty sure you bet me $1000 that C.J, would not be a quality starter. Pay up FAMS before I sick Eric on you to collect my debt.

BNM

 

[rasheedfan2005]

I said last year we only had two real quality NBA starters in our roster and got KILLED for it........ what do you think now?

 

[Denny Crane]

To be fair, at the time HCP posted, we had only Dame and Hendo who'd been full time starters in their careers. Aminu had been a starter earlier in his career. Ed Davis couldn't win the starting job in LA with Carlos Boozer as his main competition. CJ was a 6PPG bench player. Mo was given a shot as starter in Orlando, but didn't win it. Plums was a backup C with the Nets.

It's easy to downplay HCP's statements after a season where, out of necessity, we had to play at least 5 guys as starters. At the time, he wasn't alone about how bad our roster looked.

My own assessment at the time was these nobodies could play together and win if they played defense. And that they did when they figured it out.

 

[riverman]

My other theory:
The only way for a small market team to get good is through the draft. San Antonio is the clear example and they got David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili through the draft. Small market teams can't attract free agents (except once they've become good - like the Spurs) so they can't do a Boston or a Lakers or a Heat. And if you're going to get a good player in a trade, then you have to have assets, and the only way you're going to acquire assets is through the draft.

Olshey is an average drafter, and in fact tends to trade draft picks as assets. But it is notable that our two good players were acquired through the draft. (And even then, while CJ is probably a top 5 player from his draft, it's still not a ringing endorsement of Olshey because there are two players clearly much better than CJ who were drafted after him and who filled more of a position of need (Gobert and Antetokounmpo)). Maybe our path to improvement starts with really spending to get a top-notch scouting system? Utah, San Antonio and OKC would be good organizations to poach from.

San Antonio uses the D league as well as any franchise...the Austin Toros are really a Spurs minor league....we don't really have that and when the Stampede was Portland's, we didn't really use it to our advantage....Quarterman and Layman should get some D league burn from time to time

 

[Dougnsalem]

San Antonio uses the D league as well as any franchise...the Austin Toros are really a Spurs minor league....we don't really have that and when the Stampede was Portland's, we didn't really use it to our advantage....Quarterman and Layman should get some D league burn from time to time

I can think of quite a few of our other players that could use it too....

 

[blue9]

I said last year we only had two real quality NBA starters in our roster and got KILLED for it........ what do you think now?

Dame = Starter
CJ = Starter (just not with Dame)
Harkless = Starter
Plumlee = Possible Starter at PF depending on skill set of who you have at C

 

[e_blazer]

On December 5th, the Blazers beat the Bulls on the first game of their road trip and stood at 12-10. I think that's about where most of us thought they would be at that point given that Aminu had missed so many games. Since that time, they've gone 1-9 in their last 10 games and have fallen out of the top-8 in the West for the first time this season. I don't think many of us anticipated that the Blazers would be 13-19 at Christmas.

How'd they get so bad? Part of it is brutal scheduling. Seven of the past 10 have been on the road and two of the home games were back-to-backs. The third home game was against the second best team in the West. I can point out that the Blazers lost four of their past ten by a combined total of 6 points. If they'd won those games against the Bucks, Grizzlies, Clippers and Suns and gone 5-5 in that stretch, we'd be feeling pretty good about where the Blazers were at. But, unlike last year, where it seems like the Blazers were able to win almost every close game, this year's team has not been clutch. The other worrisome thing is how badly they were beaten by Denver, the Spurs, and especially, the Warriors.

I think we all know the defensive shortcomings of this team. I think we know that Turner, Leonard and Crabbe haven't consistently carried the weight that they need to. I'm concerned about the team's mindset. Several games it seemed like even Dame was hanging his head. I don't know if there's a trade that will come along and help save the season, but I do know that the guys that we do have need to step up and make things happen on the court. Come ready to play every game. Make that extra effort to get a stop, grab those 50-50 balls, steal a pass. As constructed, I don't think this team is a serious challenge to get out of the first round, but I do think that they can get back to winning and make the playoffs. If they're going to do that, they can't piss away the winnable games on their schedule. It needs to start tonight.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

We just really lack any ability to make key stops, we don't force turnovers.

Watching teams like the Cavs and Warriors last night just shows we aren't trying hard enough down the stretch to get every basket, loose ball, or even fighting through picks.

 

[THE HCP]

To be fair, at the time HCP posted, we had only Dame and Hendo who'd been full time starters in their careers. Aminu had been a starter earlier in his career. Ed Davis couldn't win the starting job in LA with Carlos Boozer as his main competition. CJ was a 6PPG bench player. Mo was given a shot as starter in Orlando, but didn't win it. Plums was a backup C with the Nets.

It's easy to downplay HCP's statements after a season where, out of necessity, we had to play at least 5 guys as starters. At the time, he wasn't alone about how bad our roster looked.

My own assessment at the time was these nobodies could play together and win if they played defense. And that they did when they figured it out.

QualityPostFAMs

 

[riverman]

QualityPostFAMs

Sometimes it does take the detached opinion of a Laker fan to add perspective....I'll give you that!

 

[Boob-No-More]

To be fair, at the time HCP posted, we had only Dame and Hendo who'd been full time starters in their careers. Aminu had been a starter earlier in his career. Ed Davis couldn't win the starting job in LA with Carlos Boozer as his main competition. CJ was a 6PPG bench player. Mo was given a shot as starter in Orlando, but didn't win it. Plums was a backup C with the Nets.

That's all irrelevant when assessing the accuracy of HCP's claim that a year ago he said we only had 2 quality starters on the roster. What he actually said is we only had one quality starter. The quotes I provided prove that.

Of course, we didn't all agree with him at the time (because he was wrong). Here's my reply to one of his posts:

Whatever...... we have one player who could start for other teams was my point.

Really? You don''t think at least half the teams in the league would not gladly take C.J. as their starting SG? Yes, last night was just one game, but it builds on what he did in the playoffs last year (and he did that against Tony Allen, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league). In his last two games, he's averaging 35 ppg on .619 FG% and .650 3FG%. In his last 4 games he's averaging 28.5 ppg on .618 FG% and .654 3FG%.

The guy just turned 24, has great handles and can get his shot off against anyone. So, if that's not starter quality, name 30 other SGs in the entire world who are better. I bet you can't even name 15.

BNM

BNM

 

[riverman]

That's all irrelevant when assessing the accuracy of HCP's claim that a year ago he said we only had 2 quality starters on the roster. What he actually said is we only had one quality starter. The quotes I provided prove that.

Of course, we didn't all agree with him at the time (because he was wrong). Here's my reply to one of his posts:





BNM

Maybe HCP confuses stars with a rating scale...so the Blazers are either a one or two star hotel