Notice Monday, 11/23: Blazers Press Conference @ 11am

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"Ideally for Melo, he'd still start. Make the reality about coming back to Portland based on coming off the bench to start the game..... Depending on who starts at three, we think it's COV. And. Derrick."

This is a confusing sentence. So Roco at 3 and Derrick at 4?

Why does it matter? 3s and 4s are the same. All that matters is who they (the 3/4) decide to guard on the other end.

Look at the rest of the western conference, who are the starting 3/4s?

LeBron/AD
Kawhi/Morris
MPJ/Millsap/Barton?
Bogdonavic/O'Neale
Wiggins/Oubre
Bridges/Crowder/Johnson?

Outside of AD, who is really a center, who are they struggling against? All those guys are switchable wings.
 
"Ideally for Melo, he'd still start. Make the reality about coming back to Portland based on coming off the bench to start the game..... Depending on who starts at three, we think it's COV. And. Derrick."

This is a confusing sentence. So Roco at 3 and Derrick at 4?

I don't think he knows. It's Terry's rotation. We know Terry Stotts. He's going to do one of two things:

Start Melo to see if it's a game where Melo is going to go off.
Start RoCo at PF because of his defense and he fits the Aminu role that Terry seemed to love so much.

I really don't think they know right now though.
 
Why does it matter? 3s and 4s are the same. All that matters is who they (the 3/4) decide to guard on the other end.

Look at the rest of the western conference, who are the starting 3/4s?

LeBron/AD
Kawhi/Morris
MPJ/Millsap/Barton?
Bogdonavic/O'Neale
Wiggins/Oubre
Bridges/Crowder/Johnson?

Outside of AD, who is really a center, who are they struggling against? All those guys are switchable wings.
Does't matter they are interchangeable. Reminiscent of Moe and Chief. Kinda shocking Jones would start.
 
"We look at Cov/DJ as similar to the Mo/Aminu model"

So yeah, they're basically the new Mo/Aminu.
 
Still..... I would be surprised if the starting lineup on opening night isn't:

Dame
CJ
RoCo
Melo
Nurk
 
So I see the rotation now as :

Dame / Ant
CJ / Trent
Jones / Hood
RoCo / Melo
Nurk / Kanter / Giles

Guessing Zach replaces Enes once he comes back into the rotation.
 
Thinking about it more, I'm actually starting to think DJJ/Cov starting makes a lot of sense. Teams aren't going to expend a ton of energy at the beginning of games trapping Dame and CJ, so the lack of shooting is not as important as it is in crunch time.

And it really is more about who ends the game. I'm sure whichever one of Hood/GT/Melo has it going that night are going to end games over DJJ.
 
Neil made it sound like Giles will also have a role. Mentioned how they struggled with more mobile big men. Assume Collins will be the guy once he returns in January but Giles can fill that role in the meantime.
 
Guessing Zach replaces Enes once he comes back into the rotation.

I bet he doesn't. I think Kanter is going to prove much too valuable on the second unit to replace. His offensive rebounding an scoring makes him a great backup big. I really think Zach is the odd man out, especially since he's in his final year. I don't think he has earned the contract he's going to want.
 
I bet he doesn't. I think Kanter is going to prove much too valuable on the second unit to replace. His offensive rebounding an scoring makes him a great backup big. I really think Zach is the odd man out, especially since he's in his final year. I don't think he has earned the contract he's going to want.
He only played 17 mpg on a team in Boston last year that started Daniel Theis, and had over 10 DNP-CDs. Might play more than that here initially, but I don't think he's part of the 9 or 10 man rotation while healthy. Who do you play him over?
 
Thinking about it more, I'm actually starting to think DJJ/Cov starting makes a lot of sense. Teams aren't going to expend a ton of energy at the beginning of games trapping Dame and CJ, so the lack of shooting is not as important as it is in crunch time.

And it really is more about who ends the game. I'm sure whichever one of Hood/GT/Melo has it going that night are going to end games over DJJ.
Definitely trying to recreate the 18-19 roster.
 
I bet he doesn't. I think Kanter is going to prove much too valuable on the second unit to replace. His offensive rebounding an scoring makes him a great backup big. I really think Zach is the odd man out, especially since he's in his final year. I don't think he has earned the contract he's going to want.

I think you’re in for a surprise. It’s Kanter that will get spot minutes, not Zach.
 
Sounded like he s see's Cov at 3 and DJJ at 4. Starting the season
 
why what? Assumed he would start? Familiarity.
And Terry. The whole respect bullshit about a HOFer coming off the bench, etc. And Melo's own disdain for it. Plenty of reasons why it's a bit shocking for Neil to be so candid about it.
 
Definitely trying to recreate the 18-19 roster.

Just a slightly better version of that team:

Older Dame > Younger Dame
CJ = CJ
DJJ = Mo (Maybe slightly better DJ or Mo? Not sure)
Roco > Aminu
Nurk = Nurk
Enes = Enes
Zach = Zach
Hurt Hood < Hood (Maybe)
GT > Seth (for defense)
Melo > ET

We'll see how it turns out. The WC is much different, but I'd argue these Lakers are not as good as the 4 superstar Warriors (what a stretch), so there is a chance if everything breaks right.
 
Thinking about it more, I'm actually starting to think DJJ/Cov starting makes a lot of sense. Teams aren't going to expend a ton of energy at the beginning of games trapping Dame and CJ, so the lack of shooting is not as important as it is in crunch time.

And it really is more about who ends the game. I'm sure whichever one of Hood/GT/Melo has it going that night are going to end games over DJJ.
^^THIS^^

I think it's safe to say if we need a bucket at the end of the game you will see Melo on the court.
 
He only played 17 mpg on a team in Boston last year that started Daniel Theis, and had over 10 DNP-CDs. Might play more than that here initially, but I don't think he's part of the 9 or 10 man rotation while healthy. Who do you play him over?

I think 17 minutes is perfect for him, but Kanter brings something that Zach doesn't. He can play the pick and roll with Dame/CJ at a comparable or maybe even slightly better than Nurk. That PNR was unstoppable against OKC in the playoffs two years ago. His defense sucks obviously, but we don't miss a beat with Kanter on the PNR with Dame or CJ.
 
He only played 17 mpg on a team in Boston last year that started Daniel Theis, and had over 10 DNP-CDs. Might play more than that here initially, but I don't think he's part of the 9 or 10 man rotation while healthy. Who do you play him over?

he also didn’t play at all for the Knicks before he came to Portland the first time
 

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