Ma...Son...Plum...Lee... Clap! Clap! ClapClapClap!

[Natebishop3]

Not sure why this turned into a Mason vs. Meyers debate. They are actually complimentary players and after the way Meyers performed in the playoffs last year, I suspect Olshey specifically targeted Plumlee to pair with Meyers, not to replace him.

Last year in the playoffs, Meyers did a great job spreading the floor on offense and manning up on Marc Gasol on the defensive end. Sure, Gasol got his numbers, but he did it against single teams and Meyers did a better job defensively on Gasol than Robin Lopez did. In fact, bodying up and frustrating large, traditional low post centers, seems to be the one thing Meyers does well on the defensive end. And, he also rebounds well on the defensive end when he's in that role.

So, let Meyers play the stretch 4 role in Stotts' offensive scheme, but then have him guard the other team's center on defense. Pair him with Plumlee playing from the high post in on offense and guarding PFs on the defensive end. Of course, their roles can be tweaked depending on matchups, but I really think that was the pairing Olshey and Stotts envisioned when they signed Plumlee. It was also our starting front court at the beginning of the season until Meyers got hurt the first time.

I also think Meyers biggest problem may be that he's too coachable. I never thought I'd say that until I watched Meyers play this year. He seems to focus almost 100% on doing the thing he thinks the coach wants him to do, but he seems to be very single minded in his thought process. His rookie season, he was much more of a traditional low post center. Granted he often had that deer in the headlights look many rookie big men have as they try to adapt to the speed of the NBA game, but he was a much more aggressive shot blocker his rookie year - which also led to a lot more fouls.

Then he worked on mimicking the Joel Freeland straight up verticality approach to defense and his blocks and fouls went way down. Then he was told he was going to be a stretch 4 and that's all he seemed to focus on - especially at the beginning of this season after his success in that role against MEM in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he started the season shooting the ball poorly and that was ALL he was contributing. After returning from his first injury, he gradually got his shot back, and then Stotts started using him defensively against low post centers like DeMarcus Cousins and he performed admirably in that role.

I think he still tends to over think things and sees himself in a specific role based on what the coaches ask him to focus on. What he still needs to learn is that even though he is focused on one area, that does not mean he should not do other things to help the team, too. In other words, he still hasn't put it all together, but I still think he has the ability to do so and be useful on both ends of the court at the same time. Like Plumlee, Meyers is a very good passer for a big man. He is also a good defensive rebounder. When playing the stretch 4 role on offense, he gets very few offensive rebounds, but that's OK as long as he's paired with Plumlee or Ed Davis - two high energy, scrappy bigs that get after it on the offensive glass.

Who knows if the Blazers will resign Meyers, but I do think the pairing of Plumlee and Leonard has potential to work. Both are still young, both pass the ball well. Meyers shoots the ball well and Miles has a great motor. Yeah, it would be great if you could put Plumlee's motor and brain into Meyer body, or transplant Meyers shooting touch into Mason's body, but since you can't it makes sense to go Meyers at the 4 on offense, with Mason at the 5 and then switch up on the defensive end.

I think that would have worked very well in this series. Meyers could body up better on DeAndre, foul him hard and frustrate him on one end and then draw him (or Blake) out of the paint on the other end. Anytime Meyers is in the game and camped out at the 3-point line, it helps open up the lane for Dame and C.J. to penetrate. Having Plumlee running the offense from the high post in Game 3 was a great move by Stotts. Think how much more open the lane would be if DeAndre had to guard Mason in the high post and Meyers was drawing Blake out to the 3-point line. Right now, the Clippers aren't even bothering to guard Aminu more than 10 feet from the basket. They are daring him to take the wide open shots and it's working for them. They would not be able to leave Meyers that wide open without paying for it.

Both players still need to improve for this to work. As noted, Mason need to work on his shooting to become more of a threat on offense to keep opposing defenses honest. Both players need to improve their pick and roll defense - especially Meyers. This is a big weakness for him. Against certain teams that don't have a low post center, it would make more sense to have Plumlee guard the 5, or better still, pair Meyers with Ed Davis in certain situations (or Mason with Vonleh - especially if Vonleh can improve his 3-point shooting). Ed is our best big at defending the pick and roll.

Or maybe, we let Meyers walk and sign Al Horford...

BNM

If the Hawks end up losing the series to Boston, I could see them blowing it up.

 

[Boob-No-More]

If the Hawks end up losing the series to Boston, I could see them blowing it up.

I'd gladly take Horford and/or Millsap off their hands.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

I'd gladly take Horford and/or Millsap off their hands.

BNM

Millsap would be lovely. He's a little bit older than I'd like, but he would be PERFECT in our system. Tough dude, plays solid defense, can shoot the ball....

Horford is probably going to sign with San Antonio because that's where all aging All-Star big men seem to go.

 

[riverman]

Not sure why this turned into a Mason vs. Meyers debate. They are actually complimentary players and after the way Meyers performed in the playoffs last year, I suspect Olshey specifically targeted Plumlee to pair with Meyers, not to replace him.

Last year in the playoffs, Meyers did a great job spreading the floor on offense and manning up on Marc Gasol on the defensive end. Sure, Gasol got his numbers, but he did it against single teams and Meyers did a better job defensively on Gasol than Robin Lopez did. In fact, bodying up and frustrating large, traditional low post centers, seems to be the one thing Meyers does well on the defensive end. And, he also rebounds well on the defensive end when he's in that role.

So, let Meyers play the stretch 4 role in Stotts' offensive scheme, but then have him guard the other team's center on defense. Pair him with Plumlee playing from the high post in on offense and guarding PFs on the defensive end. Of course, their roles can be tweaked depending on matchups, but I really think that was the pairing Olshey and Stotts envisioned when they signed Plumlee. It was also our starting front court at the beginning of the season until Meyers got hurt the first time.

I also think Meyers biggest problem may be that he's too coachable. I never thought I'd say that until I watched Meyers play this year. He seems to focus almost 100% on doing the thing he thinks the coach wants him to do, but he seems to be very single minded in his thought process. His rookie season, he was much more of a traditional low post center. Granted he often had that deer in the headlights look many rookie big men have as they try to adapt to the speed of the NBA game, but he was a much more aggressive shot blocker his rookie year - which also led to a lot more fouls.

Then he worked on mimicking the Joel Freeland straight up verticality approach to defense and his blocks and fouls went way down. Then he was told he was going to be a stretch 4 and that's all he seemed to focus on - especially at the beginning of this season after his success in that role against MEM in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he started the season shooting the ball poorly and that was ALL he was contributing. After returning from his first injury, he gradually got his shot back, and then Stotts started using him defensively against low post centers like DeMarcus Cousins and he performed admirably in that role.

I think he still tends to over think things and sees himself in a specific role based on what the coaches ask him to focus on. What he still needs to learn is that even though he is focused on one area, that does not mean he should not do other things to help the team, too. In other words, he still hasn't put it all together, but I still think he has the ability to do so and be useful on both ends of the court at the same time. Like Plumlee, Meyers is a very good passer for a big man. He is also a good defensive rebounder. When playing the stretch 4 role on offense, he gets very few offensive rebounds, but that's OK as long as he's paired with Plumlee or Ed Davis - two high energy, scrappy bigs that get after it on the offensive glass.

Who knows if the Blazers will resign Meyers, but I do think the pairing of Plumlee and Leonard has potential to work. Both are still young, both pass the ball well. Meyers shoots the ball well and Miles has a great motor. Yeah, it would be great if you could put Plumlee's motor and brain into Meyer body, or transplant Meyers shooting touch into Mason's body, but since you can't it makes sense to go Meyers at the 4 on offense, with Mason at the 5 and then switch up on the defensive end.

I think that would have worked very well in this series. Meyers could body up better on DeAndre, foul him hard and frustrate him on one end and then draw him (or Blake) out of the paint on the other end. Anytime Meyers is in the game and camped out at the 3-point line, it helps open up the lane for Dame and C.J. to penetrate. Having Plumlee running the offense from the high post in Game 3 was a great move by Stotts. Think how much more open the lane would be if DeAndre had to guard Mason in the high post and Meyers was drawing Blake out to the 3-point line. Right now, the Clippers aren't even bothering to guard Aminu more than 10 feet from the basket. They are daring him to take the wide open shots and it's working for them. They would not be able to leave Meyers that wide open without paying for it.

Both players still need to improve for this to work. As noted, Mason need to work on his shooting to become more of a threat on offense to keep opposing defenses honest. Both players need to improve their pick and roll defense - especially Meyers. This is a big weakness for him. Against certain teams that don't have a low post center, it would make more sense to have Plumlee guard the 5, or better still, pair Meyers with Ed Davis in certain situations (or Mason with Vonleh - especially if Vonleh can improve his 3-point shooting). Ed is our best big at defending the pick and roll.

Or maybe, we let Meyers walk and sign Al Horford...

BNM

Just start a thread...everything you need to know about Meyers and Mason and lock it...nuff said..great post!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Millsap would be lovely. He's a little bit older than I'd like, but he would be PERFECT in our system. Tough dude, plays solid defense, can shoot the ball....

Horford is probably going to sign with San Antonio because that's where all aging All-Star big men seem to go.

I'd be perfectly fine with signing an vet like Millsap even though he's older than our core. We're no longer in rebuilding mode. We're in winning mode and trying to get better. If we sign him as a free agent, we don't give up any young talent. Millsap (and/or Horford) immediately makes us better on both ends of the court. His defense is very underrated. If he doesn't make first or second team all-defense this year, it's a serious snub. He was top 10 in both steals and blocks, led the entire league in Defensive Win Shares, was 4th in Defensive Rating and 3rd in Defensive Box Plus/Minus. All his defensive stats, both basic and advanced, are impressive.

He'd be the perfect player to mentor Noah Vonleh, who is still a few years away from being a quality NBA starter. Lock Millsap up for 4 years. Let him start, be our 3rd scorer, best defender and ease Vonleh into the starting role three or four years down the road, when he will still be in his early 20s.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

I'd be perfectly fine with signing an vet like Millsap even though he's older than our core. We're no longer in rebuilding mode. We're in winning mode and trying to get better. If we sign him as a free agent, we don't give up any young talent. Millsap (and/or Horford) immediately makes us better on both ends of the court. His defense is very underrated. If he doesn't make first or second team all-defense this year, it's a serious snub. He was top 10 in both steals and blocks, led the entire league in Defensive Win Shares, was 4th in Defensive Rating and 3rd in Defensive Box Plus/Minus. All his defensive stats, both basic and advanced, are impressive.

He'd be the perfect player to mentor Noah Vonleh, who is still a few years away from being a quality NBA starter. Lock Millsap up for 4 years. Let him start, be our 3rd scorer, best defender and ease Vonleh into the starting role three or four years down the road, when he will still be in his early 20s.

BNM

Millsap isn't a free agent. The Hawks locked him up last summer, 3 years and $59 million. He's under contract for another two years, so it would have to be a trade.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Millsap isn't a free agent. The Hawks locked him up last summer, 3 years and $59 million. He's under contract for another two years, so it would have to be a trade.

Well, I'd even do it for the right trade. Since we're about a billion under the cap, we don't have to match his salary. It could be a lopsided trade that would save ATL a lot of money.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Well, I'd even do it for the right trade. Since we're about a billion under the cap, we don't have to match his salary. It could be a lopsided trade that would save ATL a lot of money.

BNM

Yeah, and that's why I'm hoping they blow it up. Supposedly they wanted to move Teague before the deadline. If they lose this series, I could see Horford leaving and Millsap on the block.

I would happily do a sign and trade with Crabbe for Millsap, if they were interested. Or Meyers if that was their bag.

 

[Reep]

He has played well the last two games of the playoffs. I'll give him his claps tonight. He is still surprisingly young and has room to grow. He really needs to work on at least adding a midrange jump shot to his game. That alone would increase his productivity 10 fold.

Yeah, Plumlee needs that Kaman mid-range shot so he can pass or shoot out of the mid-high post. He did improve his FT shooting quite a bit, so I would not be surprised to see him add the midrange shot this summer.

 

[jlprk]

He can't play PF for Stotts. He can't shoot.

Whoever we have there now can't, either.

Short? Plums is 7'0.5" with a 36" vert. I don't know why I keep hearing this - Plums is legit 7-footer.

I've watched him stand next to Aldridge. Aldridge is 2 inches taller. Plumlee is a legitimate 6-10.

No way man. Show me one big in the league who got thinner as his career when on?/ Plums will slowly but surely put on the meat with his work ethic.

His skeleton is slim. He can't put on any more muscle than he already has. (Ed Davis has even narrower shoulders.)

 

[SlyPokerDog]

MA...SON...PLUM...LEE...

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP CLAP CLAP!

...

MA...SON...PLUM...LEE...

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP CLAP CLAP!

 

[oldmangrouch]

2 really good games in a row. Can this be his coming out party?

 

[e_blazer]

Going to have to change his nickname to Plum-Amazing.

 

[ripcityboy]

I never thought I'd bow down to a player from Duke but just this once......

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think I may be more excited about Plumlee than I am about the fact the series is tied. Rebounding..... Check, handles.....check, Passing.....Check,
Now rim protection? He seems to be getting better there too. I still want a center by committee, but Plums is going to be a big part of it, I hope for a long time.

 

[theprunetang]

Going to have to change his nickname to Plum-Amazing.

Half Plum Half Amazing

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Point.

Center.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

The best player on the roster in this series.

He would've had 12 assists tonight but Crabbe and Henderson bricked point-blank layups.

 

[mook]

Portland has to figure out how to get him the ball more in the high post and less beyond the three point line. There isn't enough time to completely figure this out this season, but I hope Stotts has seen enough to decide to change his offense to run much more of the action through Plumlee next year. If we let Dame and CJ work off the ball more our offense is only going to be harder to stop.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

28.3 mpg | 7.3 ppg | 12.5 rpg | 6.5 apg | 1 bpg | 97 DRtg | 20.3 PER

Per36: 9.2 | 15.9 rpg | 8.3 apg

 

[mook]

28.3 mpg | 7.3 ppg | 12.5 rpg | 6.5 apg | 1 bpg | 97 DRtg | 20.3 PER

Per36: 9.2 | 15.9 rpg | 8.3 apg

The thing is that in the first game he was a total non-factor--he played 19 minutes, got 4 points and 5 rebs and 0 assists.

In the regular season he got 7 assists twice and got over 10 boards 16 times in 82 games.

These last three games have been a massive revelation.

It's like something just clicked in his mind when the team started handing him the ball and told him to create.

It may be that the turning point in Plumlee's career was when the Clippers decided to force the ball out of Lillard and McCollum's hands. When Plumlee gets the ball in the offense, he becomes a better defender and better rebounder, and he doesn't take shots from anybody else. It's a win-win-win.

CJ and Dame will get the highlights, but the way he's playing now I think you can build an offense around Plumlee for the next 7-8 years.

A pass-first center is the perfect pairing for a couple of shoot-first point guards.

 

[BBert]

The best player on the roster in this series.

He would've had 12 assists tonight but Crabbe and Henderson bricked point-blank layups.

So did Dame towards the end. Make it 13.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Plumdog has been amazing the last 2 games. Fun to watch!

 

[Draco]

The thing is that in the first game he was a total non-factor--he played 19 minutes, got 4 points and 5 rebs and 0 assists.

In the regular season he got 7 assists twice and got over 10 boards 16 times in 82 games.

These last three games have been a massive revelation.

It's like something just clicked in his mind when the team started handing him the ball and told him to create.

It may be that the turning point in Plumlee's career was when the Clippers decided to force the ball out of Lillard and McCollum's hands. When Plumlee gets the ball in the offense, he becomes a better defender and better rebounder, and he doesn't take shots from anybody else. It's a win-win-win.

CJ and Dame will get the highlights, but the way he's playing now I think you can build an offense around Plumlee for the next 7-8 years.

A pass-first center is the perfect pairing for a couple of shoot-first point guards.

Yeah its been interesting with these traps; Dame has always struggled when trapped and the Clippers have done it more than any opponent we've ever faced.

It's as though they did it so much this series we were forced to find solutions. If we've now learned some long term lessons maybe it won't be the weakness its been in the past.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Yeah its been interesting with these traps; Dame has always struggled when trapped and the Clippers have done it more than any opponent we've ever faced.

It's as though they did it so much this series we were forced to find solutions. If we've now learned some long term lessons maybe it won't be the weakness its been in the past.

Definitely worth more than a draft pick.

 

[dviss1]

Mason's passing and ball handling skills are elite for a center, he just really needs to learn how to stick a jump shot because people are just going to sag off of him. If he had a jumper he could play 3 4 or 5, he's that athletic and good with the ball.

There's absolutely no way that Mason Plumlee can play small forward.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

There's absolutely no way that Mason Plumlee can play small forward.

Nor does he need to. As I posted above, and mean completely, he's basically playing point center, and I LOVE IT. His unique skill set for his size and position is going to continue causing major problems for opponents.

 

[dviss1]

Nor does he need to. As I posted above, and mean completely, he's basically playing point center, and I LOVE IT. His unique skill set for his size and position is going to continue causing major problems for opponents.

I wasn't responding to you.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I wasn't responding to you.

I know--I was supplementing your comment. I agree with you, and you with me (I think).

Kum-bah-yah...

 

[Boob-No-More]

How good has Plumlee's passing been these last three games?

For the series, he is averaging 11.8 assists/100 possessions. Chris Paul is averaging 11.9 assists/100 possessions.

His AST% of 36.3 would have been good enough for 9th in the league for the regular season, ahead of all of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, Jeff Teague, Isaiah Thomas, Mike Conley and Kyle Lowery.

And that's all in spite of having ZERO assists in Game 1.

Yeah, I know, small sample size and all that, but kudos to Stotts for recognizing the opportunity and Plumlee for taking advantage of it.

BNM