Exclusive Playoffs or Lottery? (5 Viewers)

[BlazerWookee]

Btw- To those who say "lotto"- you are no longer allowed to bitch when the team plays bad and loses. After all you're getting what you want, right?

Kingspeed go boom.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Nah, the first pick in the draft should be earned, not a reward for incompetence.

Just like a lottery pick should be an inadequate consolation for not making the playoffs, not a goal toward which to strive.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Lillard for Cousins, McCollum for the #3 pick. Start a new life. This society was a grand experiment but it has run its course.

Ugh.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Any trade that triggers the first luxury tax hit had better get us to the #4 seed this season.

Someone said we had the 2nd highest payroll in the league, did I misread? We're still under the tax threshold, no?

 

[WillG]

@Orion Bailey I get what you're trying to do with your trade proposal. You're like a prisoner with a toothpick, a roll of packing tape, and a spoon and you're desperately trying to figure out some kind of MacGuyver-esque escape plan, when little do you know, you've actually been sent to Alcatraz and you haven't yet learned that you're also going to need a boat.
SNIP
How close am I?

Lol - MacGuyver.
Perhaps he's the assistant coach the Blazers need to hire; see if he can't fix up this roster with the lack of materials (talent) to work with. . .
A Connaughton, a Myle and, of course, a paperclip!

 

[Orion Bailey]

@Orion Bailey I get what you're trying to do with your trade proposal. You're like a prisoner with a toothpick, a roll of packing tape, and a spoon and you're desperately trying to figure out some kind of MacGuyver-esque escape plan, when little do you know, you've actually been sent to Alcatraz and you haven't yet learned that you're also going to need a boat.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you need to believe that there's going to be some way to salvage the situation this team is in and turn a majority of this under-performing roster into multiple near-miraculous trades that steer the season into a kick-finish, that ultimately gets us to the Western Conference finals. How close am I?

You are wrong.

There's no way we get the number 3 pick unless we trade CJ.

If our pick ends up to be a #7, you dont think we can trade our #7 and Cleveland's 1st and a player or two of need for #3?

Lillard for Cousins, McCollum for the #3 pick. Start a new life. This society was a grand experiment but it has run its course.

And finally, I'll note that Michael Jordan was a #3 pick. Think about it.

Michael was ONLY a #3 because we needed a center cause we had Glyde.

Lol - MacGuyver.
Perhaps he's the assistant coach the Blazers need to hire; see if he can't fix up this roster with the lack of materials (talent) to work with. . .
A Connaughton, a Myle and, of course, a paperclip!

McGuyver was the shit. and so am I!!!!

 

[Orion Bailey]

A top 3 pick is more likely to get a veteran star than a late first rounder and a 7-11 ish pick. Why bother with us if some other team has the player they want?

I get your premise, but Want to toss a few things out there.
I know you said more likely, but its also fairly likely that pick could be a bust.

Remember these guys?

http://www.nbcsports.com/top-nba-draft-busts-all-time

 

[TBpup]

Any trade that triggers the first luxury tax hit had better get us to the #4 seed this season.

Someone said we had the 2nd highest payroll in the league, did I misread? We're still under the tax threshold, no?

Way over the cap but just barely under the Luxury Tax.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If our pick ends up to be a #7, you dont think we can trade our #7 and Cleveland's 1st and a player or two of need for #3?

Depends on just how deep the "Can't miss" type prospects are in this draft and what Philadelphia's goals are. If it seems like there are only going to be 3 sure-fire studs at the top, then the gulf between 7th and 3rd can become very, very large; large enough that tossing in a likely 30th-29th pick and some mediocre player isn't going to get much traction at all. If this turns out to be more of a "No difference between 2 and 8" kind of draft then maybe you can make a trade, but that still doesn't account for Philadelphia's desires for their roster. If Philly really just wants to add a veteran star (say like Paul George or whoever), then they aren't going to be interested in breaking up a quarter for 2 dimes and a nickel with us; they're going to politely say, "No thanks," hang up the phone and try to make a deal with the team that has the player(s) that they covet.

I get your premise, but Want to toss a few things out there.
I know you said more likely, but its also fairly likely that pick could be a bust.

Remember these guys?

http://www.nbcsports.com/top-nba-draft-busts-all-time

Think about it like this. If talent acquisition is kind of like a roulette wheel at Vegas then a high lottery pick is kind of a like a free spin of the wheel. If the house tells you, "You can have three free spins to land on black or you can have one free spin." Which would you choose?

Teams pay their GMs and scouts a lot of money to do their homework to make calculated gambles. They all understand the rules of the game know that their careers can be made or lost on a few bad bets. If you're a fan of a team you just hope that your guys have a nose for talent or know how to pick out the duds.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

Just bring back Whitsitt.

 

[e_blazer]

Just bring back Whitsitt.

Whitsitt was great at spending PA's money on end of career stars. He wouldn't be able to do much in today's luxury tax environment.

 

[bodyman5000 and 1]

Whitsitt was great at spending PA's money on end of career stars. He wouldn't be able to do much in today's luxury tax environment.

He's smart. He'll figure it out.

 

[BonesJones]

You are wrong.



If our pick ends up to be a #7, you dont think we can trade our #7 and Cleveland's 1st and a player or two of need for #3?



Michael was ONLY a #3 because we needed a center cause we had Glyde.



McGuyver was the shit. and so am I!!!!

Oh if we get the 7th pick then maybe. I still think well make the playoff. Are schedule lightens up so much after this Warriors game I could easily see us at 28-28 at the all-star break, improve our defense in trade, the go 19-7 to end 47-35 or something around there. That'd be good for 6th or so and right now the Rockets are 3rd. I think we could win that series, then take are chances with San Antonio (who I could see being upset by whoevers the 7th seed.)

 

[BigGameDamian]

Whitsitt was great at spending PA's money on end of career stars. He wouldn't be able to do much in today's luxury tax environment.

Good times! Trader Bob was the guy with the real Golden Gut!

 

[HolyBackboard]

If we stay around 7/8 in the lottery, that's a decent chance to move into the Top 3 ... kinda feels like 2007!

At this point, I don't think there's a chance in hell we re-group and rebound all the way up to the No. 6 seed out West. We're already 7 back in the loss column of Memphis and once CP3 and Blake return from injury the Clippers will start their ascension back to the Top of the West.

No one wants any part of a playoff series vs. Golden State or San Antonio.

Starting to really hope for the best pick possible. This season's been a bust ... let's at least reap the reward of a great lottery pick and restock the talent on this roster.

 

[Chris Craig]

I will always root for the playoffs, but it doesn't look like we have much choice these days

 

[Orion Bailey]

If we stay around 7/8 in the lottery, that's a decent chance to move into the Top 3 ... kinda feels like 2007!

At this point, I don't think there's a chance in hell we re-group and rebound all the way up to the No. 6 seed out West. We're already 7 back in the loss column of Memphis and once CP3 and Blake return from injury the Clippers will start their ascension back to the Top of the West.

No one wants any part of a playoff series vs. Golden State or San Antonio.

Starting to really hope for the best pick possible. This season's been a bust ... let's at least reap the reward of a great lottery pick and restock the talent on this roster.

I swear this saem thing was said around this time last year too...


Just sayin.

 

[TBpup]

I swear this saem thing was said around this time last year too...


Just sayin.

True but last year's WC was much weaker. Last year 44 wins was good for 5th place in a historically down year for the West. This year, the #7 seed is on pace for 48 wins. Nice to finally win a game but that somewhat meaningless win pushed us one spot down in the Lottery.

Last year a good run made a difference with #5-8 so low in win total. This year, a 15 game winning streak still wouldn't get Portland to the #7 seed.

 

[TBpup]

By beating the Lakers tonight on the road for their 3rd win in a row, the Nuggets moved into the #8 Playoff seed in the West by percentage points. They play at San Antonio next so that probably won't last long but still....

 

[Nikolokolus]

By beating the Lakers tonight on the road for their 3rd win in a row, the Nuggets moved into the #8 Playoff seed in the West by percentage points. They play at San Antonio next so that probably won't last long but still....

That Nuggets team . . . They comin'

 

[handiman]

That Nuggets team . . . They comin'

And Dallas and New Orleans. Even Minnesota is making some paw prints.

 

[riverman]

From the cheap seats it sure looks like a develop some guys and see who gets cut or traded season....you earn the lottery or the playoffs....either way but I'll say this....homer that I am, we're not winning shit in the playoffs as constructed

 

[TBpup]

That Nuggets team . . . They comin'

....and they just added Mo Williams as a veteran presence off the bench.

And Dallas and New Orleans. Even Minnesota is making some paw prints.

Nuggets and Mavericks have both won 3 in a row.

 

[selloutking]

The one thing about trading some of our roster for picks and then potentially trading CJ(and one or two fillers) for DMC is it will do three things simultaneously.

Balance the roster

Something along the lines of:

Dame
#3 Draft Josh Jackson
Harkless or Turner(would need to keep one of the two
DMC
Plums

I think that's a much better balanced starting 5 and we just need fill the bench.

I do like the idea of packaging our picks/Crabbe/Davis/Aminu
For Noel and a #3 pick. Toss in a combo of Ezeli/Harkless/Plums to make it happen, but not all three(avoid giving up Hark if possible)
I think we have the chips enough to make a trade like that without involving CJ

Then use CJ and whatever else it might take to get DMC IF he agrees to resign.

That would be

Dame
Jackson
Harkless
DMC
Noel

Fill in the bench any way you can because that starting five will compete with almost any team in the league. But as long as DMC agrees to a resign, then we are mostly locked in.

Dame/$26 mil
Jackson/Rookie Contract $4.7mil
Harkless/$9.6mil
DMC/$30.6mil
Noel/resign at $25.5mil
So that's about $96.4mil. That will leave $5.6 mill to fill in the bench.

IS this even remotely close to being able to happen?

while I love this idea, I updated your prices, would have to talk noel AND boogie into taking quite the discounts to fill that bench.

 

[selloutking]

....and they just added Mo Williams as a veteran presence off the bench.



Nuggets and Mavericks have both won 3 in a row.

they are likely to waive mo though, so there goes that lol

 

[Orion Bailey]

while I love this idea, I updated your prices, would have to talk noel AND boogie into taking quite the discounts to fill that bench.

Noel is worht $25 mill a year as an unproven? Too much IMO.
$20 mill a season.

Talk DMC into $27 a season. That gives us about $15 mill to fill the bench out. NO is a bargain hunter and can make it happen. But does he have the negotiating skills to sell Noel and DMC on taking less to be a perennial?
This is really the biggest question moving this team forward. With how money has been spent, NO better be a master negotiator at getting that third starter sign for less, or it wont happen.

 

[TBpup]

With each passing game, I'm scouring more and more of the Draft boards. This road trip has 1-3 written all over it at best. It's sad but at this point, a loss to someone like the 76'ers may help as they are are only a few games behind them in the Lottery rankings.

 

[Nikolokolus]

We're up to 11th in ping pong balls, just a meager 5 games out from the second position. Sadly, getting to number one might be a bridge too far, but dare to dream!

 

[Minstrel]

With each passing game, I feel like the Blazers have definitely made their choice. Lillard just wants to be sitting at that table, representing his team in the lottery--because he's a leader.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Oh if we get the 7th pick then maybe. I still think well make the playoff. Are schedule lightens up so much after this Warriors game I could easily see us at 28-28 at the all-star break, improve our defense in trade, the go 19-7 to end 47-35 or something around there. That'd be good for 6th or so and right now the Rockets are 3rd. I think we could win that series, then take are chances with San Antonio (who I could see being upset by whoevers the 7th seed.)

You have a rich and vivid imagination.