Isaac Ropp speaks THE TRUTH

[Pinwheel1]

A "good" player? Paul George might get first team all NBA ahead of Durant this year. Their starting SG has been injured for 1.5 yrs and they took a big swing and a miss at Melo. But at least they tried.

What did Neil do? Let all of his value free agents walk and draft two 19 year olds?

They gave up an allstar guard and a good young PF to get an allstar and the result is they are no better off.
And swinging big for Melo is not worth any praise

 

[CupWizier]

Saying this team doesn't have enough talent is an easy excuse for Stotts apologists. We have more talent than them the Spurs, Clippers, Grizzlies, etc.

No roster is perfect (other than the Warriors) and I have criticisms of Olshey too. But to say we don't have enough talent on this team is nonsense.

aren't we ahead of those teams this year and finished ahead of them last year?

 

[wizenheimer]

you don;t like sunshine? I do.

wrong again bud....I love sunshine...real sunshine. I just don't confuse it with the glow from a cheap grow-light.

 

[tester551]

I just hate how Neil's small market narrative has seeped into Dame's psyche. It's nothing more than an excuse.

Outside of GS, these are the other five top winning teams: Milwaukee, Toronto, Indiana, Denver, OKC

Which of those teams is a free agent destination or big market? Toronto is massive, but when have they ever landed a big FA?

I don't know... They landed Turkey Glue over Portland several years back.

 

[illmatic99]

They gave up an allstar guard and a good young PF to get an allstar and the result is they are no better off.
And swinging big for Melo is not worth yof any praise

These are Dame's words, not mine.

“When you look around the league, you just see the talent. Teams are stacking up on talent,” Lillard said. “You see a lot of guys teaming up and guys wanting to be on the same team. When you want to compete with that — like on a championship level — you gotta try to fight that with firepower. For us, I think our chemistry, our style of play, and the coaching we have — that’s a big thing for us. So like, we lean on that. We’ve been successful with it. But when you talk about a championship level, it’s tough to compete with those ultra-talented teams — Golden State, Oklahoma City, teams that just have player after player after player."

He's the one out here thinking we don't have the talent that these other teams do. He's the one thinking we can't compete for a championship.

 

[CupWizier]

wrong again bud....I love sunshine...real sunshine. I just don't confuse it with the glow from a cheap grow-light.

congrats. That's quite a skillset to be able to tell the difference between "real" sunshine and a grow light. I can hardly wait for more of your skill sets to be revealed.

 

[illmatic99]

I don't know... They landed Turkey Glue over Portland several years back.

And they're taking a massive risk with Kawhi. It could blow up in their faces. But it's SOMETHING.

 

[wizenheimer]

congrats. That's quite a skillset to be able to tell the difference between "real" sunshine and a grow light. I can hardly wait for more of your skill sets to be revealed.

oh for chrissakes...is that the best you can do? We could have some worthwhile back and forth going here but you're falling way short in the passive insult department

I mean, you could have at least told me to "stick that grow-light where the sun doesn't shine"....sure, it would have been a remedial dig, but it would have at least been emotive. Step up your game man

 

[CupWizier]

oh for chrissakes...is that the best you can do? We could have some worthwhile back and forth going here but you're falling way short in the passive insult department

I mean, you could have at least told me to "stick that grow-light where the sun doesn't shine"....sure, it would have been a remedial dig, but it would have at least been emotive. Step up your game man

No need to step up a game for a bottom ringer, but thanks for the positivity. Now please ignore me as obviously I am residing in your head and it's not much fun in such a vast empty space. No further responses are needed as I am done with you in this thread.

 

[e_blazer]

These are Dame's words, not mine.

“When you look around the league, you just see the talent. Teams are stacking up on talent,” Lillard said. “You see a lot of guys teaming up and guys wanting to be on the same team. When you want to compete with that — like on a championship level — you gotta try to fight that with firepower. For us, I think our chemistry, our style of play, and the coaching we have — that’s a big thing for us. So like, we lean on that. We’ve been successful with it. But when you talk about a championship level, it’s tough to compete with those ultra-talented teams — Golden State, Oklahoma City, teams that just have player after player after player."

He's the one out here thinking we don't have the talent that these other teams do. He's the one thinking we can't compete for a championship.

I don't see anyone here saying that the Blazers currently have the talent to compete for a championship. The question is how do you go about getting that talent to come to a cash-strapped small market team. Ropp is using a strawman argument that many here seem to have fallen for. It goes something like Olshey hasn't brought in the talent needed so he must be satisfied with it and is trying to get us gullible fans to accept that this nice bunch of guys is the best we can do. I don't buy that BS for a minute. Olshey screwed up in 2016 and overcommitted salary space on guys who weren't good enough to deserve the money they got. There were reasons that he made those moves, not the least of which was the fact that the money had to be spent that summer or it would go poof when Dame and CJ got their new contracts. In any event, it's effectively tied Olshey's hands. He's tried to use uneven trades and trade exceptions as a means to improve the team, but found the market for those assets to be nearly nonexistent. You can say that he deserves to be fired for those mistakes and I'd at least acknowledge that there's a good case for that. Personally, I think it's more important at this point, now that those contracts are nearing their end and may be more moveable, to see what he can do to make deals that would improve the team. But if ownership wants to find another person for the job next summer, more power to them. I just don't buy that anyone on the team or in management is complacent with where the team is at. Ropp is full of BS on that point.

 

[blazedanugz]

oh for chrissakes...is that the best you can do? We could have some worthwhile back and forth going here but you're falling way short in the passive insult department

I mean, you could have at least told me to "stick that grow-light where the sun doesn't shine"....sure, it would have been a remedial dig, but it would have at least been emotive. Step up your game man

This guy is just a troll.

I said "Thank you Isaac Ropp" and he sjsut had to to respond with some smartass comment.

The complacency and incompetence of the front office the last couple years is glaring.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I would suggest taking off your rose colored glasses though.

 

[illmatic99]

Ropp is using a strawman argument that many here seem to have fallen for.

Dame clearly has.

 

[wizenheimer]

No need to step up a game for a bottom ringer, but thanks for the positivity. Now please ignore me as obviously I am residing in your head and it's not much fun in such a vast empty space. No further responses are needed as I am done with you in this thread.

that's pretty funny...you responded to me 6 times already, but when I just asked for a little wit, you fled the scene. At least I know what makes you panic

 

[Pinwheel1]

These are Dame's words, not mine.

“When you look around the league, you just see the talent. Teams are stacking up on talent,” Lillard said. “You see a lot of guys teaming up and guys wanting to be on the same team. When you want to compete with that — like on a championship level — you gotta try to fight that with firepower. For us, I think our chemistry, our style of play, and the coaching we have — that’s a big thing for us. So like, we lean on that. We’ve been successful with it. But when you talk about a championship level, it’s tough to compete with those ultra-talented teams — Golden State, Oklahoma City, teams that just have player after player after player."

He's the one out here thinking we don't have the talent that these other teams do. He's the one thinking we can't compete for a championship.

Yeah I acknowledge what Dame said about 5 times in the last two days. And I agree with him. You ADD fire power to the team. You don't get better by substituting one guy for another. He just used the wrong example with OKC. Or do you really think they are a contender? I guess we will know tonight if they blow us out at their place. But if we win.........

 

[illmatic99]

Yeah I acknowledge what Dame said about 5 times in the last two days. And I agree with him. You ADD fire power to the team. You don't get better by substituting one guy for another. He just used the wrong example with OKC. Or do you really think they are a contender? I guess we will know tonight if they blow us out at their place. But if we win.........

For the record, I think we're a slightly better team than OKC, but only because Westbrook has regressed. It's certainly not because they got an All NBA player in exchange for a borderline all star. That Oladipo blip from last year has come crashing down.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Between 2000-2001 and 2011-2012 the GSW had winning records *twice* and 5 seasons under 30 wins. During that stretch, no one talked about them being a big market team with some kind of built in advantage for attracting players.

The point, which should be obvious, is that bad teams CAN get better and mediocrity is not mandatory. OTOH, can you imagine that turn-around happening with Olshey and his approach as GM? What about with Stotts as coach?

 

[Stevenson]

This is spot-on:

"Olshey is a glorified scout whose best attribute is finding cheap diamonds in the rough, none of whom have meant much to playoff success in the Lillard era."

 

[oldmangrouch]

congrats. That's quite a skillset to be able to tell the difference between "real" sunshine and a grow light. I can hardly wait for more of your skill sets to be revealed.

No wonder you like Olshey. You seem to share his contempt for Blazer fans.

 

[CupWizier]

No wonder you like Olshey. You seem to share his contempt for Blazer fans.

and you are wrong on so many levels. I support the Blazers, and if Olshey is here or gone, doesn't change that for me.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I like Ropp, but WTF?

I mean, nobody disagrees with what he’s saying. But if we don’t support and love our team, especially when they are a quality and competitive team even if not good enough to win it all.... doesn’t that make us band wagoners?

 

[e_blazer]

I just hate how Neil's small market narrative has seeped into Dame's psyche. It's nothing more than an excuse.

Outside of GS, these are the other five top winning teams: Milwaukee, Toronto, Indiana, Denver, OKC

Which of those teams is a free agent destination or big market? Toronto is massive, but when have they ever landed a big FA?

The only time the Blazers have had any appreciable cap space in the Lillard era was the summer of 2016. Olshey made a run at Whiteside, but he went to the Heat. In hindsight, I'd say that was a blessing. Go through the list of top FAs theoretically available that year and tell me which one was a reasonable get who would have made the Blazers significantly better:

https://www.businessinsider.com/31-best-nba-free-agents-2016-2016-6#harrison-barnes-f-17

 

[e_blazer]

Dame clearly has.

No he hasn't. He's just saying that realistically the Blazers don't have the talent right now to contend with the top teams. He's leaving it to management to figure out how to address that.

 

[oldmangrouch]

I like Ropp, but WTF?

I mean, nobody disagrees with what he’s saying. But if we don’t support and love our team, especially when they are a quality and competitive team even if not good enough to win it all.... doesn’t that make us band wagoners?

Loving the team on the court is not the same as loving the suits in the office.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Loving the team on the court is not the same as loving the suits in the office.

Agreed. But I don’t feel like he’s saying we trust and love the suits. I feel like he’s saying we shouldn’t be so supportive. And to me, I’m not going to stop supporting my team because they’re stuck in the upper-echelon of mediocrity.

Just my interpretation of what he’s saying. We can both be right.

(But you’re wrong.)

(I’m kidding.)

 

[Propagandist]

You guys seriously don't see how stupid this statement is?

" But wouldn’t you rather be OKC trying to make it work with all that talent vs. this cute little chemistry game that ends the same way every year"

A team that didn't swing for the fences to resign James Harden? How is their philosophy working any better?

That was 2012, dude. The year they went to the NBA Finals. When's the last time we went to the NBA Finals? But post James Harden?

2012-13 they won 60 games (1st in the Conference) and lost in the Conference Semifinals.
2013-14 they won 59 games (2nd in the Conference) and lost in Conference Finals (when's the last time we got to the Conference Finals? 1999-2000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
2014-15 they won 45 games and failed to make the playoffs.
2015-16 they won 55 games and lost in the motherfucking Conference Finals again.
2016-17 they won 47 games and lost in the first round (4-1).
2017-18 they won 48 games and lost in the first round (4-2).

Point proven? Yes.

 

[Propagandist]

As well as having Durant walk for nothing. They also got lucky that George ended up signing there as he could have easily walked for nothing as well and they would truly be sucking this year.

Got "lucky"?!! Wtf. They took a calculated risk and it paid off. Looks like "luck" from Portland, but it is really just a GM doing his job.

 

[CupWizier]

Got "lucky"?!! Wtf. They took a calculated risk and it paid off. Looks like "luck" from Portland, but it is really just a GM doing his job.

So all the talk that George was going to sign with the lakers as a free agent was just smoke? Yes, luck did play a part just as it would have been if Indiana was willing to trade with Portland and he then later signed with Portland. I also think the Thunder would be a better team with Oladipo and Sabonis who is turning out to be a very good big.

 

[HailBlazers]

They made some blunders purely motivated by financial motives. But just one season after their superstar left in free agency, they replaced him with a damn close superstar alternative.

We still have Aminu as our Aldridge replacement.

If they could sell Paul George on signing in OKC, wtf is our problem in drawing a big FA to Portland? There is no small market bias when OKC is getting top guys. You don't see Sam Presti using that excuse.

I'd say Nurk is our LaMarsha replacement.

 

[e_blazer]

That was 2012, dude. The year they went to the NBA Finals. When's the last time we went to the NBA Finals? But post James Harden?

2012-13 they won 60 games (1st in the Conference) and lost in the Conference Semifinals. Durant
2013-14 they won 59 games (2nd in the Conference) and lost in Conference Finals (when's the last time we got to the Conference Finals? 1999-2000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Durant
2014-15 they won 45 games and failed to make the playoffs. Durant Injured and Out for Season
2015-16 they won 55 games and lost in the motherfucking Conference Finals again. Durant
2016-17 they won 47 games and lost in the first round (4-1). No Durant
2017-18 they won 48 games and lost in the first round (4-2). No Durant

Point proven? Yes.

If your point is that that guy Durant is pretty good, then yes, point proven. Let's get him.

 

[Propagandist]

So all the talk that George was going to sign with the lakers as a free agent was just smoke? Yes, luck did play a part just as it would have been if Indiana was willing to trade with Portland and he then later signed with Portland. I also think the Thunder would be a better team with Oladipo and Sabonis who is turning out to be a very good big.

We are talking about decisions humans make, not coins flips. They obviously researched and calculated their risks. Luck isn't even a real thing.

Also, "would be" is silly. There is only now and now they are pretty good. Imagine if we had somehow turned LA leaving into a similar player! Olshey would be lauded up and down the state. But we didn't and so he isn't.