Nurkic faces stiff competition

[BBert]

I think Neil trade for him to be our starter with Dame and CJ. I think when gets adjusted with the team he will be starting.

This.

So much drama on this board sometimes, LOL. No Nurkic shouldn't be the starter the first minute he's here. Stotts is doing the right thing from a management perspective. Give Nurkic time to acclimate and make him fight for the position. He will earn it soon enough.

 

[BBert]

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.

Again, this.

 

[Minstrel]

This.

So much drama on this board sometimes, LOL. No Nurkic shouldn't be the starter the first minute he's here. Stotts is doing the right thing from a management perspective. Give Nurkic time to acclimate and make him fight for the position. He will earn it soon enough.

Exactly. And if he doesn't earn it, we don't want him starting. His NBA career hasn't been exceptional to this point--he has some potential, but he's not a star prospect. People are acting like he is. He may end up starting in Portland because the competition isn't particularly fierce, but he'd likely be a backup on a good team.

 

[Denny Crane]

We shouldn't forget that Ed Davis is a really good basketball player.

If he's our starter, I don't think we're much worse off than with Plums.

 

[Trackjack]

I think he can be solid player for us if he stay focus. Right now that all we need is a solid center that plays both ends of the court.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Exactly. And if he doesn't earn it, we don't want him starting. His NBA career hasn't been exceptional to this point--he has some potential, but he's not a star prospect. People are acting like he is. He may end up starting in Portland because the competition isn't particularly fierce, but he'd likely be a backup on a good team.

I am not sure anyone thinks he has star potential. He just fills a need. Essentially we always need 3 centers. The big guys can't play big minutes IMO. One always gets hurt or is in foul trouble.

I would have preferred to get him without giving up Plums. I think they would have complimented each other. We need one of them to be big and physical against certain matchups, and another to be able to get up and down the court without tiring. The bigger centers seem harder to find. So maybe Neil thinks he can pick the other type up in the draft and develop him. In theory Meyers should have been that 3rd center.

 

[Scalma]

Nurkic is a big time prospect to me. He's 22 years old, but even younger when you consider he picked up basketball relatively late. He's got all the tools to be an elite player, the question with him is more mental. Opportunity helps as well.

He forced his way onto the scene as a rookie when Denver wasn't even expecting him to play. He was getting compared to Marc Gasol for his IQ and passing ability. Denver then traded Mozgov and handed him the starting job, and he obviously wasn't ready for it yet (he was only 20 years old.) Then sophomore season he dealt with an injury. He came into this season in shape and started out real well but unfortunately for him, Denver realized that Jokic was the better player. No shame in that, Jokic is elite. Their entire offense is built around Jokic, and it never fit Nurkic because he's a completely different type of big.

His time is now. His career can go either way, but if he fails, it won't be because he wasn't talented enough.

 

[Rhal]

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

Crabbe is a little different as he is a prominent rotation player and avgs near 30m a game. Nurkic doesn't even crack Denvers rotation and avgs under 18m a game. I guess I should have specified and said a bench player that averages under 20m a game.

 

[Denny Crane]

NO has a history of acquiring guys who play C on other teams' benches who turn out pretty good for us.

Both RoLo and Plums looked like career substitutes before we got them, and we didn't have to pay a lot to get them.

He drafted DeAndre Jordan as 35th pick (2nd round).

I trust him. Big time.

Compared to RoLo and Plums, I think Nurkic is going to be significantly better.

 

[Trackjack]

Nurkic is a big time prospect to me. He's 22 years old, but even younger when you consider he picked up basketball relatively late. He's got all the tools to be an elite player, the question with him is more mental. Opportunity helps as well.

He forced his way onto the scene as a rookie when Denver wasn't even expecting him to play. He was getting compared to Marc Gasol for his IQ and passing ability. Denver then traded Mozgov and handed him the starting job, and he obviously wasn't ready for it yet (he was only 20 years old.) Then sophomore season he dealt with an injury. He came into this season in shape and started out real well but unfortunately for him, Denver realized that Jokic was the better player. No shame in that, Jokic is elite. Their entire offense is built around Jokic, and it never fit Nurkic because he's a completely different type of big.

His time is now. His career can go either way, but if he fails, it won't be because he wasn't talented enough.

I believe I read some where he had 5 years experience before the NBA. So he just learning the game right now. So I think his IQ must be pretty high. More he plays better he will be able to figure out when he should do things on the court.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

He drafted DeAndre Jordan as 35th pick (2nd round).

I trust him. Big time.

 

[Denny Crane]

I still like Leonard, too.

He's played out of position at PF when he's really a stretch C. And he's been played sporadically, which has killed his development.

The light bulb will go off.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

His dad should start over anyone we have

 

[tester551]

I still like Leonard, too.

He's played out of position at PF when he's really a stretch C. And he's been played sporadically, which has killed his development.

The light bulb will go off.

I'm fairly sure the light bulb has already gone off. It's completely dark up there in his head.

If we are really lucky, maybe the light bulb will turn back on....

 

[Tweak]

Free Myers Leonard!

Free, you haul.

 

[Nikolokolus]

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

Rudy?

 

[riverman]

We shouldn't forget that Ed Davis is a really good basketball player.

If he's our starter, I don't think we're much worse off than with Plums.

I was really glad to see Ed with a solid double double last night...been a long time..he looked energized

 

[Reep]

I still like Leonard, too.

He's played out of position at PF when he's really a stretch C. And he's been played sporadically, which has killed his development.

The light bulb will go off.

Two guys I would NOT dump now are Meyers and Harkless. Both are on reasonable contracts. I have no doubt at some point Meyers will get his shot back. He also will mature more. Maybe getting pushed around by Nurkic in practice will help. Letting go of Meyers now would be almost exactly like Orlando did when they gave us Harkless.

 

[Reep]

Rudy?

Martell Webster. sad.

 

[e_blazer]

I would think that Ed will start tomorrow and Leonard will get the first call off the bench, with Nurkic playing spot minutes.

Personally, I'd prefer Leonard and Connaughton to play their natural baseball positions: Left Out.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Two guys I would NOT dump now are Meyers and Harkless. Both are on reasonable contracts. I have no doubt at some point Meyers will get his shot back. He also will mature more. Maybe getting pushed around by Nurkic in practice will help. Letting go of Meyers now would be almost exactly like Orlando did when they gave us Harkless.

Harkless' and Meyers' wiring is completely different. Harkless plays like he has an edge, while Meyer's has all of the grit of overcooked oatmeal.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Neil's master plan is to not pay the repeater (luxury) tax, while cultivating young hi. In order to do that, he'll have to shed more salary (by June 2018?)

Two guys I would NOT dump now are Meyers and Harkless. Both are on reasonable contracts. I have no doubt at some point Meyers will get his shot back. He also will mature more. Maybe getting pushed around by Nurkic in practice will help. Letting go of Meyers now would be almost exactly like Orlando did when they gave us Harkless.

Neil's master plan is to not pay the repeater (luxury) tax, while cultivating young projects with potential, while also searching for a game-changer. In order to do that, he'll have to shed more salary (by June 2018?). If you look at our current team and their salaries, it means Biebs is gone.

Neil, and the rest of us, are hoping that Nurkic is that game-changer. However, Vonleh's glacial ascent and Chief's lost shot mean that regardless, we have a large hole at PF. This is what I hope Neil addresses next, and what the OP meant by using "Stiff" in the thread title.

 

[illmatic99]

Rudy?

Rusy contributed far more. And he had confidence.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Rusy contributed far more. And he had confidence.

I'm thinking "post-Ariza" Rudy.

 

[riverman]

I think practicing against Nurkic will help Vonleh and Meyers out...he's Rolo big

 

[Jade Falcon]

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

This. And Stotts should be brought up on War Crimes if this happens, because there will be an open revolt.

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

Fair enough, but surely it's obvious to anyone that Nurkic is miles better than Leonard; regardless of who has better highlights or whatever have you.

Free Myers Leonard!

Yes, Free Meyers.

Free AGENT Meyers.

His dad should start over anyone we have

His dad would murder Meyers just out of sheer frustration.

Two guys I would NOT dump now are Meyers and Harkless. Both are on reasonable contracts. I have no doubt at some point Meyers will get his shot back. He also will mature more. Maybe getting pushed around by Nurkic in practice will help. Letting go of Meyers now would be almost exactly like Orlando did when they gave us Harkless.

Not sure I agree with some of this.

Meyers is NOT worth half of that contract. At all. And he will NOT get his shot back either. Even the guys over on BlazersEdge saw it back in January, and he's been getting worse ever since:

http://www.blazersedge.com/2017/1/17/14281162/meyers-leonard-offense-regression-trail-blazers

Can you believe that Meyers drives this....



If ever there was a vehicle that didn't go with someone, that was it.

I think something like this would be more to his liking...

 

[riverman]

This is Meyers ride

 

[andalusian]

 

[Jade Falcon]

I win.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Being that Fabio is a stiff, the thread title is 100% factual.