It feels like we're one PF away from being really good

[Orion Bailey]

I'm just dubious about your claim that "he has shut just about every superstar down we have faced so far." To that I say: ORLY?
I also say, "and just how many superstars have we faced so far?".
Basically: not swayed. He's basically a blend of Outlaw and Blazers-era G.Wallace - not as dumb as Outlaw and not as good as Wallace (and Wallace wasn't very good).

Speaking of Outlaw - watching Crabbe lately reminds me of what Outlaw could have been if he wasn't the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. He has a similar offensive game, but he's actually smart so he isn't lost on the floor. Obviously he doesn't have the ridiculously high jump, but their ability to shoot off screens, the pull-up, or the set shot is remarkably similar.

Right below... LBJ, PG, etc....

Paul George and LeBron James played awful at the Moda Center. Did he play some D on RW too? He didn't play well against us either.

Thanks King. That's exactly who I was thinking of too. Aminu was our primary defender on both of these guys who had their worst games of their season so far against us. Aminu is a solid defender and compliments Dame and CJ at the SF spot.

 

[blue9]

Thanks King. That's exactly who I was thinking of too. Aminu was our primary defender on both of these guys who had their worst games of their season so far against us. Aminu is a solid defender and compliments Dame and CJ at the SF spot.

So two games? That's your proof that Aminu is a lockdown defender? Two games?
I don't have the time (or care enough) to dig deep, but on a shallow surface look through our schedule the following players lit us up:

Batum - 33
Harden - 45
LBJ - 33
Melo - 37
Gallinari - 29
Z-Bo - 26

And that's merely looking at game high scorers - not full box scores: http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/por

Comparing him to Bad Nic, he has a worse DRTG, DWS, and DPM (and comes out worse on the offensive versions of those, too). He's nothing special as a defender - or as a player.
http://www.basketball-reference.com...minual01&y2=2015&p2=batumni01&p3=&p4=&p5=&p6=

Aminu is the new Travis Outlaw - people love him even though he really isn't very good.

 

[illmatic99]

I don't see Aminu as our SFotF. Given the current roster, I think Crabbe and Harkless have better probability of becoming that.

 

[Orion Bailey]

So two games? That's your proof that Aminu is a lockdown defender? Two games?
I don't have the time (or care enough) to dig deep, but on a shallow surface look through our schedule the following players lit us up:

Batum - 33
Harden - 45
LBJ - 33
Melo - 37
Gallinari - 29
Z-Bo - 26

And that's merely looking at game high scorers - not full box scores: http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/por

Comparing him to Bad Nic, he has a worse DRTG, DWS, and DPM (and comes out worse on the offensive versions of those, too). He's nothing special as a defender - or as a player.
http://www.basketball-reference.com...minual01&y2=2015&p2=batumni01&p3=&p4=&p5=&p6=

Aminu is the new Travis Outlaw - people love him even though he really isn't very good.

Lebron James? Check the stats then. That one isnt right....

Listen, Im not saying he is an allstar or anything, but he is absolutely our best defender outside of the paint and is a great fit at SF to go with Dame and CJ.
All great defenders will still get scored on if the opponent plays team ball and has a good coach that can adjust...
Your also naming guys I dont think AMinu was covering... Zbo? Gallinari? Harden? Those arent his guys....

 

[blue9]

Lebron James? Check the stats then. That one isnt right....

Listen, Im not saying he is an allstar or anything, but he is absolutely our best defender outside of the paint and is a great fit at SF to go with Dame and CJ.
All great defenders will still get scored on if the opponent plays team ball and has a good coach that can adjust...
Your also naming guys I dont think AMinu was covering... Zbo? Gallinari? Harden? Those arent his guys....

Tuesday, December 8th - LBJ w/ 33 pts - it's all in the link I provided.
If Aminu was a lock down, versatile defender those would be his guys. (And I do recall him guarding Z-Bo last night.)
Just because he's out best perimeter defender doesn't mean he's a great defender or that he's a great fit next to Dame/CJ.
Both the eye test and the stats say that he's not a particularly good defender.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Tuesday, December 8th - LBJ w/ 33 pts - it's all in the link I provided.
If Aminu was a lock down, versatile defender those would be his guys. (And I do recall him guarding Z-Bo last night.)
Just because he's out best perimeter defender doesn't mean he's a great defender or that he's a great fit next to Dame/CJ.
Both the eye test and the stats say that he's not a particularly good defender.

Ahh, I forgot about that game. all I remmeber is the Cleveland game that I was at that he scored like 8 pts.

So Aminu let him score 33 but then held him to 8? Not gonna have the best game every single night. Aminu is still only 22. Learning this system. He has the length, the speed and the persistence to be a 1st-2nd team all defense. Just like the rest of the guys... give him some time. Numbers arent everything either. What I see from him is enough to be our defensive stopper.... when he is ready to be consistent.
I think your eyes need a check. lol.
WHen he WANTs to, he can lock down REALLY well. But my eye test says he dissappears at times... ala Batum.

 

[Blazers Roy]

Guys, Aminu is not as good as Kawai Leonard on defense, we must trade him!

If we get Paul George and Durant scores 35 on him then we should trade his ass as well.

 

[blue9]

What it comes down to, for me, is that Aminu does not appear to have good BBIQ. For that reason I don't think he'll ever be a lock down defender. He has good defensive moments, but overall hovers somewhere around average (and isn't any better on offense to make up for it). He relies on his length, rather than his brain and sound defensive principles. Noah and Crabbe both appear to have a better understanding of defensive principles than Aminu, and because of that will probably both end up being better defenders - and I doubt either of them makes 1st/2nd defensive team.

 

[Blazers Roy]

#6 most efficient Small Forward in the NBA right now is Will Barton.

Ain't that a bitch.

 

[illmatic99]

Trying to figure out future rosters, I really think we're gonna be shit for only this year. We have so many options to improve this summer and get back to the playoffs and beyond.

A lotto pick, 30+ mil to absorb salary an/or go after a FA, CJ emerging as an all star, Crabbe coming up, Plums as a contributor, guys with reasonable contracts that can be moved in Aminu and Davis. Even if Meyers busts, we have Hark and Vonleh as guys to work on for the future.

I'm really intrigued at how Neil builds this team. Do we try to match up with GS and SA? Or do we try to break the molds out there and go a different way? Having Dame and CJ as the foundation is huge. Not many teams can matchup with TWO elite players with handle and are threats from 3pt land.

Excited for more development this year and the trade deadline. Could give us more insight into Neil's plan.

 

[BBert]

The only "mold" I want the Blazers to follow is to obtain and develop the best players they can, who work together with good chemistry as a cohesive unit, at every position possible.

Fuck "molds". Players win championships, not the style of the week.

 

[illmatic99]

The only "mold" I want the Blazers to follow is to obtain and develop the best players they can, who work together with good chemistry as a cohesive unit, at every position possible.

Fuck "molds". Players win championships, not the style of the week.

I didn't mention molds to suggest that we want to have conventional lineups. Rather, it had to do with matchups vs competition that will be present in our window.

Consider GS is going to dominate for the next 5 years. Spurs will prolly still be there. OKC a will as well. NO and Minny will once their teams figure out their shit. We might want to build the roster to matchup against guys like Draymond, Steph, Kawhi, KD, AD, KAT, Harden etc.

Outside of Dame and CJ, Neil has a blank slate and a ton of chalk.

 

[BBert]

I didn't mention molds to suggest that we want to have conventional lineups. Rather, it had to do with matchups vs competition that will be present in our window.

Consider GS is going to dominate for the next 5 years. Spurs will prolly still be there. OKC a will as well. NO and Minny will once their teams figure out their shit. We might want to build the roster to matchup against guys like Draymond, Steph, Kawhi, KD, AD, KAT, Harden etc.

Outside of Dame and CJ, Neil has a blank slate and a ton of chalk.

Oh, I know. I was just responding to the word, and the propensity for some people to think the team should chase whatever roster composition and style is successful at the moment, or that a team had success with in the past. I'd rather make a new mold.

I think your question/point is a good one: How do we match up. Still, it's so hard to acquire players to fit a certain blueprint, and have those players to also be the best at their position. I just want the best players we can get who have good chemistry, and go from there (which might include a subsequent trade if we are facing a matchup nightmare). I'm more in the "take the other team out of what they want to do and make them match up with us" mind set.

I think we have a year or two to worry about taking that next step though.

 

[tester551]

The only "mold" I want the Blazers to follow is to obtain and develop the best players they can, who work together with good chemistry as a cohesive unit, at every position possible.

Fuck "molds". Players win championships, not the style of the week.

When I lived in Portland, we had plenty of "molds" all over.... on the roof, in the shower, on the sidewalk. I'm not a big fan of molds.

I'm glad to now live in a dryer climate where we don't have so many molds.

 

[blue9]

I'm really intrigued at how Neil builds this team. Do we try to match up with GS and SA? Or do we try to break the molds out there and go a different way?

Me too. I agree with your whole post, but wanted to zero in on this. I really hope we don't try to build a team based off who we think our opponent is or will be. Chasing the current fad means you're always trying to play catch-up. And by the time you've caught up the league has morphed into something new. By the time we're ready to compete for a championship I doubt that the GSW will be what's standing in our way - at least not this iteration of GSW. New players come into the league and the dominant players determine what wins (if they don't get drafted by a team with crap management). For as much as everybody thinks the C is a dead or dying position, all it takes is one dominant C to send everyone scrambling for Cs again.

Just build a fundamentally sound, well-rounded roster and tweak it as necessary once we're in position to compete. And get the most dominant players you can get - that's why a high draft pick is worth more to us than the POs this season...much higher likelihood of obtaining a dominant player at the top of the draft than through Free Agency.

 

[BBert]

Me too. I agree with your whole post, but wanted to zero in on this. I really hope we don't try to build a team based off who we think our opponent is or will be. Chasing the current fad means you're always trying to play catch-up. And by the time you've caught up the league has morphed into something new. By the time we're ready to compete for a championship I doubt that the GSW will be what's standing in our way - at least not this iteration of GSW. New players come into the league and the dominant players determine what wins (if they don't get drafted by a team with crap management). For as much as everybody thinks the C is a dead or dying position, all it takes is one dominant C to send everyone scrambling for Cs again.

Just build a fundamentally sound, well-rounded roster and tweak it as necessary once we're in position to compete. And get the most dominant players you can get - that's why a high draft pick is worth more to us than the POs this season...much higher likelihood of obtaining a dominant player at the top of the draft than through Free Agency.

This.

 

[illmatic99]

I guess it's a question of how close you think we are to competing. I think if we really wanted to maximize all our our current assets, we can get back to the top half of the conference in a year or two with some luck. The pieces are there to make big moves.

Also, I'm still startled to see that we're almost at the midway mark of this audition season. CJ, Plums and Crabbe have shown to be keepers among the youngins. Meyers and Noah have been the disappointments.