Nurkic faces stiff competition

[Nikolokolus]

I actually think Stotts and our team did better with low-post play. This whole "here you take it, no here you take it" bullshit isn't working.

What is there, 27 games left? How many practices will they have? How are they going to get Damian and CJ to commit to dumping the ball into the post? How do you develop enough chemistry to trust the guy with set plays?

That's all I'm saying. I think this is going to take some time. At best I kind of expect him to be a pick-setter and get some garbage buckets on tip-ins and put-backs, with maybe 1 or 2 low-post opportunities per game.

 

[Nikolokolus]

"Nurkic will probably play about 8 minutes a night" was your quote. That is barely playing.

To start with, yeah I think that's a realistic figure. There's only 27 (?) games left. Maybe by the end of March that climbs to something like 15-20. Who knows, maybe he's a really quick study and surprises me?

 

[Scalma]

To start with, yeah I think that's a realistic figure. There's only 27 (?) games left. Maybe by the end of March that climbs to something like 15-20. Who knows, maybe he's a really quick study and surprises me?

Let's bet he plays at least 20 minutes Wednesday, you down?

 

[julius]

As much as Meyers has pretty much proven he's not even worth playing instead of myself, Nurkic still has to show he's more than the highlights on youtube.

That said, holy shit is Meyers bad. Good for him on conning he team into paying him 10 million a year though. Not sure how he's even come remotely close to earning it this year, let alone earning 3 MORE years of it.

 

[TBpup]

As much as Meyers has pretty much proven he's not even worth playing instead of myself, Nurkic still has to show he's more than the highlights on youtube.

That said, holy shit is Meyers bad. Good for him on conning he team into paying him 10 million a year though. Not sure how he's even come remotely close to earning it this year, let alone earning 3 MORE years of it.

In defense of Nurkic, at least he has highights on youtube.

 

[Pinwheel1]

To start with, yeah I think that's a realistic figure. There's only 27 (?) games left. Maybe by the end of March that climbs to something like 15-20. Who knows, maybe he's a really quick study and surprises me?

Nik if we had other options I would agree with you. But we really don't. He will struggle at first, but he is going to have to play a solid 20 minutes a game.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Nik if we had other options I would agree with you. But we really don't. He will struggle at first, but he is going to have to play a solid 20 minutes a game.

Great. I don't care enough to argue about this any more.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Let's bet he plays at least 20 minutes Wednesday, you down?

I don't gamble. If he plays twenty minutes then super. I'm just offering a hunch based on what I know about Stotts' tendencies with new guys and young guys.

 

[julius]

In defense of Nurkic, at least he has highights on youtube.

Meyers does...it's just that it's from when his brother surprised him back when he was in college.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Is this a Steve Blake instead of Andre Miller type of situation? Has Stotts become McMillan? Our offense looks putrid. Win or lose, I actually hate watching our games. It's just bad basketball.

Saying that, Meyers might be the worst player in the NBA. He's truly fucking awful. Nothing personal. But he's an awful basketball player. Why couldn't he be one of our centers that had a career ending injury? I am an Olshey defender but we clearly shouldn't have re-signed him at 10 mil a year which some of us thought would actually be a bargain.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Give him a few practices and a couple games to learn the plays and get used to his new teammates, and them to him, and he'll be starting.

It's not like we're winning with the guys we currently have starting. We really don't have anything to lose by starting him. None of the other guys we have were good enough to bet out Plumlee and we didn't trade for Nurkic to downgrade our center position.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

I can sort of buy the first part, but it's a complete unknown at this point. The bolded part (if true) would be a huge red flag.

He just did not fit in DEN. They designed their offense, and defensive schemes around the more mobile, better passing Jokic who has more of a face up game with much more range on his jump shot. Then, rather than run different sets for the second unit they tried to force Kurkic to play like Jokic, and it just didn't work.

That's why DEN is excited to get Plumlee. He isn't anywhere near the offensive player Jokic is, but he's mobile, can handle the ball, moves well and is a great passer. He's like Jokic light. They can run the same sets and schemes no matter who is in the game at center.

BNM

 

[Sarni]

We are trading for Cousins, Whiteside and Drummond so it will be a while before Nurkic can win his spot.

 

[KingSpeed]

Terry is just being diplomatic. Saying he will be the starter automatically would be stupid even if he thought it. Davis can't hit enough free throws for Terry's liking. Nurkic will get his minutes and will eventually start unless the Blazers go on a winning streak with him coming off the bench after the break.

Nurkic is worse than Davis at freethrows

I didn't say he wouldn't play. I said I don't think he's going to be starting any time soon.

I agree Neil and Allen have an interest in seeing guys get court time, but if they are meddling with lineups, then Neil should really just fire Stott's and bring a new guy that has an offensive philosophy that integrates low post play, in the meantime, just don't act surprised if it's a much slower rollout.

What are you talking about? Stotts was brought in for his offensive philosophy that integrated the low post of play of Aldridge! The reason he currently runs no low post play is because we have no lowpost players!!

To start with, yeah I think that's a realistic figure. There's only 27 (?) games left. Maybe by the end of March that climbs to something like 15-20. Who knows, maybe he's a really quick study and surprises me?

We have almost no back to backs the rest of this season and 10 of the last 12 are at home. So there is a lot of time for practice heading into playoffs.

 

[Sarni]

We are not heading into playoffs.

 

[Dougnsalem]

In defense of Nurkic, at least he has highights on youtube.

Meyers does...it's just that it's from when his brother surprised him back when he was in college.

And when he was dancing. And when he was dressed up like an elf. And....

 

[Mediocre Man]

If Meyers plays more minutes than Nurkic, Stotts should be fired

 

[stampedehero]

First week: As soon as Meyers gets his 5th foul. Second week: Starter for Sure. Management has to show they made a good deal for the basketball junkies of the Portland Trailblazers.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If his highlights are anything to go on, then he is FAR FAR FAR better than anyone else at that position that we have.

Dude, we can make a highlight vid that makes Meyers look like an allstar. You can't really go by that.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Dude, we can make a highlight vid that makes Meyers look like an allstar. You can't really go by that.

It would be easier to make one of him rubbing his eye in pain or swatting air.

 

[illmatic99]

I have never seen a more mentally fragile player than Meyers.

 

[TBpup]

Dude, we can make a highlight vid that makes Meyers look like an allstar. You can't really go by that.

Does youtube allow 2 second highlight videos?

 

[Blazinaway]

What the fuck? Terry....did I read that right?

He should be an IMMEDIATE starter!

Oh fuck....these guys are SOOOO lucky I don't have anyone's ear in this organization. It wouldn't be pretty.

Hey, the longer Meyers starts and more minutes he plays the better out draft position, Meyers is the reincarnation of the infamous tank commander George Patton!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Does youtube allow 2 second highlight videos?

Animated gif.

 

[Denny Crane]

Free Myers Leonard!

 

[SwissBlazer]

Free Myers Leonard!

I'd give him for free.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Ed Davis should start until Nurkic is ready. Meyers should play 0 minutes!

 

[Rhal]

I wonder how often a team trades for a bench player on another team and they immediately make them the full time starter. I expect Nurkic to start after a couple of games but were not talking about a superstar player here so its makes a lot of sense that Stotts wants to get a feel for how Nurkic plays in practice and how he fits in with other players before giving him a starting job.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I wonder how often a team trades for a bench player on another team and they immediately make them the full time starter.

That seems to be what many in here expect Philly to do with Crabbe.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Nurkic is worse than Davis at freethrows

I admit I am surprised that he only shot around 64% 2 years ago and 62 % last year. But his form is at least short and compact and I believe can improve. Davis's FT form is not pretty.

Davis has shot under 60% the last 4 years before this year. I think we both could manipulate their stats to make our argument, but my gut tells me that other teams would not intentionally foul Nurkic at the end of games like they did Davis last night. Only time will tell I guess, but I do think at 22 Nurkic can improve that aspect of his game.