Forum Game POLL: do we WANT to beat the Suns? (1 Viewer)

[riverman]

That they gutted the team (tanking) to get. Its insanely rare for a team that isn’t a major market to get a superstar without tanking. Look at SAS they got two generational talents and then bolstered the second one (Wemby) with absolutely egregious tanking. The Blazers haven’t outright tanked in ages its a big part of our problem actually. Horrible management (Olshey, Pritchard, the other Asian guy whose name escapes me) and their horrible contracts when what we needed to do at some point was commit to a tank.

The best player we have had in years was due to tanking and that’s Lillard. Sadly we may have whiffed on Scoot and Sharpe remains to be seen. Anyways its always the same refrain from both sides people who just want to do reasonably well and people who want championships no matter the short term cost.

What it comes down to is you either get superstar talent from the draft, or you never compete for a title if you’re a small market team. Maybe a new GM who swung for the fences like Whittset with trade wizardry could remedy things. Would love to get out version of Presti but here we are.

Trader bob had no salary cap restrictions and Paul Allen had endless pockets. Those days are over. GMs don't get to buy teams anymore.

 

[Everything Beagle]

OKC is overrated; Look at the strength of schedule: they didn’t beat the Thunder even once this season.

 

[PDXFonz]

I presume the people who voted to lose and keep the pick did so because they want to complain about what we do with it for the next 5 years.

 

[THE HCP]

Former player, long time color guy for the W's and on national broadcasts for ESPN and ABC for years. He called finals next to Walton and Nessler and as opposed to you both insightful and hilarious. You want to pass on a listen? Okay, whatever... not sure why anyone here should care at all that some random chatsite poster doesn't want to check him out, but it's pretty funny that you thought you'd share that as if we do.

STOMP

Funny Tolbert story…… In the Warriors media room in CHASE CENTER, there is a gold plaque above one of the urinals and it says, “RESERVED FOR TOM TOLBERT!”

 

[GoZers]

I presume the people who voted to lose and keep the pick did so because they want to complain about what we do with it for the next 5 years.

If they dont break rules and take a guy way too high and he ends up lumbering around the court all season i dont think there'll be much complaining

 

[GoZers]

Just IMAGINE a scenario where they lose this pick, to get drilled by OKC or SA, and the pick becomes an all star. It will go up there with the other missed opportunities - warranted or not, fair or not, it will be a huge 'blunder' to not pull the dogs off a week or so ago and get just another loss instead of the feel good of a first round exit. The reality of the NBA, you have to get those lottery studs. We are not great at it, no doubt, but eventually one should be a homerun.

 

[wizenheimer]

Just IMAGINE a scenario where they lose this pick, to get drilled by OKC or SA, and the pick becomes an all star. It will go up there with the other missed opportunities - warranted or not, fair or not, it will be a huge 'blunder' to not pull the dogs off a week or so ago and get just another loss instead of the feel good of a first round exit. The reality of the NBA, you have to get those lottery studs. We are not great at it, no doubt, but eventually one should be a homerun.

I get what you are saying.....but....

that's a result of the Blazers hiring Olshey, and keeping him around for 7 years too long. He should have been fired when the Dame/Aldridge team disintegrated; that was a full year before his insane idiotic 2016 spending spree. That he was still GM 6 years later and in the position to make that nincompoop Nance trade with Chicago is on Paul Allen and his sister

 

[GoZers]

I get what you are saying.....but....

that's a result of the Blazers hiring Olshey, and keeping him around for 7 years too long. He should have been fired when the Dame/Aldridge team disintegrated; that was a full year before his insane idiotic 2016 spending spree. That he was still GM 6 years later and in the position to make that nincompoop Nance trade with Chicago is on Paul Allen and his sister

sure. but blaming olshey forever is kind of like blaming obama from trump. eventually the current people need to make the right decisions now and live with it.

 

[bigbailes]

I want them to lose and have the draft pick because this is a season where you might actually be able to find multiple guys in the teens that are vital players on a contender. I don't think you'll find an MVP type at that range but it's deep enough with quality talent that throwing away the pick for a first round sweep feels really short sighted. Next year is a crappy draft, perfect time to finally make it in as a lower seed and hand Chicago garbage. To me the only positive thing about giving the pick away this year is that it's over with and don't have to worry about the nightmare scenario of not having a pick in 28 to possibly swap with the Bucks. Personally I see more value in playing these two games and (hopefully) losing both than I do in getting swept by the Thunder or Spurs!

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I want them to lose and have the draft pick because this is a season where you might actually be able to find multiple guys in the teens that are vital players on a contender. I don't think you'll find an MVP type at that range but it's deep enough with quality talent that throwing away the pick for a first round sweep feels really short sighted. Next year is a crappy draft, perfect time to finally make it in as a lower seed and hand Chicago garbage. To me the only positive thing about giving the pick away this year is that it's over with and don't have to worry about the nightmare scenario of not having a pick in 28 to possibly swap with the Bucks. Personally I see more value in playing these two games and (hopefully) losing both than I do in getting swept by the Thunder or Spurs!

Are the "experts" that predict the depth of the draft talent every actually correct? For all we know many college/overseas players will emerge and make the 2027 draft a good class as well.

 

[wizenheimer]

sure. but blaming olshey forever is kind of like blaming obama from trump. eventually the current people need to make the right decisions now and live with it.

but it was an Olshey trade and the encumbrance on the pick was an Olshey encumbrance. The 7-year protection was a fucking joke

 

[bigbailes]

Are the "experts" that predict the depth of the draft talent every actually correct? For all we know many college/overseas players will emerge and make the 2027 draft a good class as well.

Seems like they've gotten much better at predicting this stuff as more attention is put on the HS and AAU games. Player development and the draft is always going to be a crapshoot but I do think they've been able to see the general depth in drafts. I'll take a roll of the dice in what experts consider a deep draft over one in which those that know more than me say isn't going to be good. I get both points of view, I just don't put much stock in a handful of playoff games where we will be lucky to win one and most likely get run out of the gym in three of them.

 

[GoZers]

but it was an Olshey trade and the encumbrance on the pick was an Olshey encumbrance. The 7-year protection was a fucking joke

But right now at this moment, the current front office has to work with what they have. Olshey aside, this is the circumstance they are in, so fucking up this pick, to me, would be on Cronin.

 

[Everything Beagle]

But right now at this moment, the current front office has to work with what they have. Olshey aside, this is the circumstance they are in, so fucking up this pick, to me, would be on Cronin.

Subject of course to retroactive analysis on the qualitative values of “fucking up” and “this pick” that cannot occur for another seven years when the trajectory of said pick would finally be known. I will await your final analysis in 2033 with bated breath.

 

[PDXFonz]

 

[PDXFonz]

The real question should be - Would you rather play the Spurs, or Thunder FAMS

 

[Everything Beagle]

The real question should be - Would you rather play the Spurs, or Thunder FAMS

If we play the Spurs they’ll sit Webby the entire first round, but OKC won’t sit Chet Holgrem. We should play the Spurs.

 

[PDXFonz]

If we play the Spurs they’ll sit Webby the entire first round, but OKC won’t sit Chet Holgrem. We should play the Spurs.

Idk if the Spurs would sit him, but I think we have a better chance of slowing down SGA than we do Wemby. Better chance of doing what we do on the offensive boards vs the Thunder than the Spurs.

IMO the only thing the Spurs have in the + category is a lack of experience, but then again - so do we (aside from Jrue)

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Losing is for losers. Win win win.

 

[Idog1976]

I presume the people who voted to lose and keep the pick did so because they want to complain about what we do with it for the next 5 years.

I would rather have a high pick, swing for the fences and miss than be a perennial first round exit. But you know Id rather that third option of getting a Superstar that falls to us, or jumping in the lottery and then having a contender. Close to zero chance that happens without an infusion of talent via the draft.

If we can trade Deni (our Paul George) for the next SGA Im all ears, assuming you want to go the trading route to greatness. The fact is almost all the great teams in the West and East got a superstar from the Draft.

 

[riverman]

To me in the playoffs you want to play the best teams early before injuries happen. Every underdog boxer wants to fight the contender and land the knockout punch.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Couple thoughts.
If they win tonight they lose the pick but open up a bunch of options. Some of those options make the team better faster with trades.
If they lose tonight and then again and stay in the lottery they most likely get a very late lotto pick that might take a few years to impact the team if the player picked even pans out.

At this point I'm with the team playing to win and letting it happen the way it's just supposed to happen. I don't think they will win tonight. It's that second game at Moda that might put them into the playoffs.

They can trade the lottery pick if they want. It doesn't have to be a project that sits in the bench.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Losing is for losers. Win win win.

If losing is for losers, if we lose in the 1st round, are we losers then?

 

[blazerfan11]

Get the pick, get lucky, have a championship core in three years and give Chicago our 20 something pick next year. A decent percentage of championship teams in the past 30 years had massive strokes of luck, plus tanking to get there. You can only control one of those variables. Sure I wish we had Sam Presti, but we don’t. We should have tanked this year. Huge mistake unless we get lucky. I would rather miss 15 straight years of playoffs and win a single championship after a few bites at the apple, rather than be mired in 1st round exit mediocrity and “competing”.

Nobody on this coaching staff or roster wants to tank for a draft pick that could replace their job and losing is how coaches get replaced. It would be idiotic for Tiago to lose on purpose or any player on the roster. Boston didn't tank to win championships nor did Denver. Cooper Flagg hasn't gotten Dallas a ring yet either. It's a crap shoot. We don't have roster spots for our current young talent as it is. I think you play the game to win. As a fan I don't think tanking is good basketball regardless of the ping pong balls. Toumani and Deni sure weren't our draft picks.

Couple thoughts.
If they win tonight they lose the pick but open up a bunch of options. Some of those options make the team better faster with trades.
If they lose tonight and then again and stay in the lottery they most likely get a very late lotto pick that might take a few years to impact the team if the player picked even pans out.

At this point I'm with the team playing to win and letting it happen the way it's just supposed to happen. I don't think they will win tonight. It's that second game at Moda that might put them into the playoffs.

There is no guarantee the Blazers will make the playoffs next season. It anyone says so they know it's BS. Golden State was in the Finals 5 straight seasons, then was a bottom dweller. Then the won another championship, (without much/any help from their lottery picks).

there is one guarantee- making the playoffs this season gives the Blazers a pick swap with the Bucks. No guarantee the Bucks will be worse than the Blazers, but the pick swap is a guarantee.