Exclusive How likely is it the Blazers miss the playoffs through 2028?

[Whyachi]

Actually many in here were selling Portland on trading Dame and rebuilding. In the first couple weeks of last season, everyone was saying it’s so refreshing watching the young guys hustle and etc.

Where are those fans now? Rebuilding sucks and can crush a fan base imo

they're in the draft forums. There's mad love for the NCAA.

Tapping into the college fan base has dominated Blazer talking points. The actual Blazers team will be losing by 30-60 points, and a random fan can type in a few good players in the draft. Creating a subchat to ignore Portland getting obliterated, with happy thoughts of new summer league rookies after the stupid NBA season is finally over.

 

[kjironman1]

they're in the draft forums. There's mad love for the NCAA.

Tapping into the college fan base has dominated Blazer talking points. The actual Blazers team will be losing by 30-60 points, and a random fan can type in a few good players in the draft. Creating a subchat to ignore Portland getting obliterated, with happy thoughts of new summer league rookies after the stupid NBA season is finally over.

Yeah I miss the playoffs too.

 

[Ed O]

Actually many in here were selling Portland on trading Dame and rebuilding. In the first couple weeks of last season, everyone was saying it’s so refreshing watching the young guys hustle and etc.

Where are those fans now? Rebuilding sucks and can crush a fan base imo

You might not be talking about me, because I can't remember ever complimenting an NBA player about their hustle, but I will be more excited about the tank/rebuild when the team actually commits to it.

What good young guys do we have? We have Sharpe and we have Scoot.

The team has added no other first round-level talent (Murray is a first rounder, but... ), and it's hard to get excited about a team that is paying guys like Grant and Thybulle to sit on the bench while we watch random second rounders who almost certainly have no future with the Blazers picked up from other teams getting minutes.

I'm excited to see more quality prospects thrown into the mix and see what happens over the long term.

 

[Ed O]

Also: I voted "coin flip" because a lot can happen in four years.

 

[HailBlazers]

What good young guys do we have? We have Sharpe and we have Scoot.

Camara, Ayton/Ant(25). High hopes for Rupert.

 

[Ed O]

Camara, Ayton/Ant(25). High hopes for Rupert.

I don't think 25 year-old guys on their second contract are a good foundation in a tank/rebuilding effort, I don't see anything special in Camara, and I have seen nothing in Rupert.

That you have to call out two second rounders is indicative, though, of the dearth of young talent on this team.

 

[wizenheimer]

I don't think 25 year-old guys on their second contract are a good foundation in a tank/rebuilding effort, I don't see anything special in Camara, and I have seen nothing in Rupert.

That you have to call out two second rounders is indicative, though, of the dearth of young talent on this team.

here's what I'm thinking....you can't spin a basketball on your index finger; it's CGI

 

[illmatic99]

I don't see anything special in Camara.

these are fighting words, sir!

 

[HailBlazers]

these are fighting words, sir!

I don't expect people that don't go to games, to understand.

 

[Ed O]

I don't expect people that don't go to games, to understand.

Does he smell like a special player? Does he tell good jokes on the bench?

What a silly statement.

 

[Ed O]

here's what I'm thinking....you can't spin a basketball on your index finger; it's CGI

When I spin THREE basketballs on my index finger: that's CGI.

 

[Whyachi]

I don't see anything special in Camara, and I have seen nothing in Rupert.

Camara is tough as nails. He was playing through lacerated kidney until weird stuff started happening. (no gross details).

Rupert is not a normal rookie. He played against men. Listen to Coach Billups. Then watch Chauncey bench Rayan if he hits too many 3's, and the Blazers make the game close. (yes, that actually happened)

 

[Ed O]

Camara is tough as nails. He was playing through lacerated kidney until weird stuff started happening. (no gross details).

Rupert is not a normal rookie. He played against men. Listen to Coach Billups. Then watch Chauncey bench Rayan if he hits too many 3's, and the Blazers make the game close. (yes, that actually happened)

That is a bunch of gobbledygook to me, no offense.

 

[Whyachi]

That is a bunch of gobbledygook to me, no offense.

they're rookies !! Not everyone is Cade Cunningham instant O. There's always going to be skills to improve upon after an NBA player's first season. Then if they get really good... Cronin can trade them to a playoff team for a future draft pick !!

 

[Ed O]

they're rookies !! Not everyone is Cade Cunningham instant O. There's always going to be skills to improve upon after an NBA player's first season. Then if they get really good... Cronin can trade them to a playoff team for a future draft pick !!

There are lots of rookies every year. It's how things work.

They are second round rookies, specifically, and I wasn't especially impressed with what I saw. There's obviously still lots of time for them to improve and/or prove themselves, but they are nowhere near the level of young players that we should actually rely on as we rebuild the roster, and if you compare them to other prospects on other teams, there's nothing particularly impressive about them.

Your post does absolutely nothing to change my mind, which I thought it was gobbledygook.

 

[Whyachi]

There are lots of rookies every year. It's how things work.

They are second round rookies, specifically, and I wasn't especially impressed with what I saw. There's obviously still lots of time for them to improve and/or prove themselves, but they are nowhere near the level of young players that we should actually rely on as we rebuild the roster, and if you compare them to other prospects on other teams, there's nothing particularly impressive about them.

Your post does absolutely nothing to change my mind, which I thought it was gobbledygook.

Camara picks up guys full court. Toumani worked very hard defensively. He was so effective on defense, he grabbed the starting SF spot from 11m MLE Josh Hart replacement Matisse Thybulle. Guys like Toumani make a lot of players look bad, simply because Camara is putting everything he has into every game, while earning bare minimum NBA salary.

With Rupert... I never saw a Remix game, but I guess Rayan had some very nice performances in the G-League. That's important moving forward through cap space and flexibility. And the Blazers Uprise podcasters were very happy after Rupert's draft selection. So that's also important.