Rookie Press Conference

[THE HCP]

Sorry man, sick of hearing this guy complain when we hit jackpot last couple seasons with Sharpe and Scoot… the future is bright. This is a team, not one player.

Part of our future does indeed look bright. But Dame is not just "one player". You can't look at him as just "one player". This is a special situation, with special circumstances, that needs to be handled right. I believe the team will do Dame right regardless of the outcome. But some on here need to ease up on the Straight to the Hall of Fame path our last 2 draft picks that they have them on.
This is not a black and white situation in my opinion.

 

[Gronk_Brady]

Part of our future does indeed look bright. But Dame is not just "one player". You can't look at him as just "one player". This is a special situation, with special circumstances, that needs to be handled right. I believe the team will do Dame right regardless of the outcome. But some on here need to ease up on the Straight to the Hall of Fame path our last 2 draft picks that they have them on.
This is not a black and white situation in my opinion.

I agree with you 100%… people just need stop acting like the world is ending and appreciate we have acquired some special young talent.

 

[Tince]

Hmm... I hear you. I was taken aback by that comment, too, but it actually might be honest AND not incompetent. Why?

Clearly Scoot was a lottery guy. Murray? I don't think so, personally, but he had been mocked in the teens so it's not too much of a stretch to imagine the Blazers had him as a lottery-level guy.

So... Rupert. Is it legit that the Blazers thought he was a lottery pick? That seems crazy for a guy who wasn't especially good in Australia and doesn't appear to be especially athletic (at least not jumping)... he's young and he's exceedingly long, with a reported commitment to defense that seems awesome, but additionally:

• He was invited to the green room at the draft. There were reportedly 19 players invited to sit in the green room. That puts him in shouting distance of the lottery even if he was considered the lowest-ranked dude.
• Schmitz has been following/commenting on/complimenting Rupert since at least January 2022, when he was still 17. Rayan, not Schmitz It's definitely possible that this is a guy that Schmitz REALLY wanted and had as a lottery-level dude

Would I have had all three in my lottery wishlist? No. But I think it's not insane that maybe the Blazers did, and that doesn't necessarily indicate incompetence.

Here's my question:

If the front office had Rupert in their top 15, and we saw a late first round pick going for 3 second round picks, that would lead me to believe the front office doesn't believe a top 15 pick, in a loaded draft, is worthy giving up 3 second round picks for. It's possible, but hard for me to wrap my head around.

 

[Tince]

For those doubting what Joe said about all three being (in their view) lottery picks, I think Chauncey put it better (and in a more provable way). He said we had three picks, all of whom were invited to the Green Room. That says more than what Joe said our impression was. The NBA does not like players sitting and waiting to be drafted.

On the flip side, no team thought he was worth drafting in the first round. Hard for me to imagine 30 GMs sitting on their hands and passing up on what they believe to be a top 15 talent for 42 picks.

I'm not trying to bash Cronin or Rupert as GMs say this silly stuff after they draft a guy late, despite having legit opportunities to move up and draft them earlier. No different than the Spurs saying they knew Manu was special, but waited until the 50's to draft him. If they knew he was a HOF player, they wouldn't have taken the chance most teams would pass on him multiple times.

I'm not mad about it, I'm just not buying that they truly think he's a top 15 pick in this draft.

 

[Natebishop3]

On the flip side, no team thought he was worth drafting in the first round. Hard for me to imagine 30 GMs sitting on their hands and passing up on what they believe to be a top 15 talent for 42 picks.

I'm not trying to bash Cronin or Rupert as GMs say this silly stuff after they draft a guy late, despite having legit opportunities to move up and draft them earlier. No different than the Spurs saying they knew Manu was special, but waited until the 50's to draft him. If they knew he was a HOF player, they wouldn't have taken the chance most teams would pass on him multiple times.

I'm not mad about it, I'm just not buying that they truly think he's a top 15 pick in this draft.

Supposedly his agent was calling teams and telling them not to pick him. The kid just turned 19. I would wager they were threatening to sit out a year if anyone else drafted him?

 

[tykendo]

I agree with you 100%… people just need stop acting like the world is ending and appreciate we have acquired some special young talent.

Maybe you need to chill and respect the fact of how much Dame means to them. You are very callous on fans love of Dame. It's disrespectful dude.

 

[Blazinaway]

On the flip side, no team thought he was worth drafting in the first round. Hard for me to imagine 30 GMs sitting on their hands and passing up on what they believe to be a top 15 talent for 42 picks.

I'm not trying to bash Cronin or Rupert as GMs say this silly stuff after they draft a guy late, despite having legit opportunities to move up and draft them earlier. No different than the Spurs saying they knew Manu was special, but waited until the 50's to draft him. If they knew he was a HOF player, they wouldn't have taken the chance most teams would pass on him multiple times.

I'm not mad about it, I'm just not buying that they truly think he's a top 15 pick in this draft.

I guess that does not break anu NBA rules?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Maybe you need to chill and respect the fact of how much Dame means to them. You are very callous on fans love of Dame. It's disrespectful dude.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I almost think the Boomers have a point about kids today.

 

[Natebishop3]

Sometimes, just sometimes, I almost think the Boomers have a point about kids today.

Boomers are so old… which kids are we talking about? Millennials? Gen Z?

 

[tykendo]

Sometimes, just sometimes, I almost think the Boomers have a point about kids today.

Which one. There are many. I'm a boomer. The lack of sticking with something for the "flavor of the day" one?

 

[crandc]

This boomer is confused. Wasn't this thread rookie press conference? Instead I see Cronin bashing, Dame bashing, endless speculation, and attacking each other. I really would like to know more about what the three new players said.

 

[twobullz]

I agree with you 100%… people just need stop acting like the world is ending and appreciate we have acquired some special young talent.[/QUOTE
.

Special young talent that hopefully one of them will hit and be even close to as good as Dame is, yet you do nothing but shit on him, so what is the point of having young talent if you are just going to run them out of town as soon as they hit their prime. Go back to rooting for your heat

 

[BassPlaya]

My first impression of Scoot, based off of his fashion runway entrance, was not good. After hearing his speak, I heard knowledge, more humility than I expected, and determination. I was wrong.

Hard to understand most of Rupert because of his thick French accent. All three came across as good young men. I especially liked Murray's stature. He is mature and ready to get after it. All three spoke about defense.

 

[Sloth]

My first impression of Scoot, based off of his fashion runway entrance, was not good. After hearing his speak, I heard knowledge, more humility than I expected, and determination. I was wrong.

Hard to understand most of Rupert because of his thick French accent. All three came across as good young men. I especially liked Murray's stature. He is mature and ready to get after it. All three spoke about defense.

I was most impressed by Murray. He has the get after it mindset and I am quite sure will be one of the hardest working guys in the locker room.

 

[BonesJones]

I'll be honest with you... it sounds like they used some real guile in landing Rupert. I'm not trying to blow smoke because I'm still extremely disappointed that Joe hasn't done right by Dame but getting a hold of Rayan's agent and somehow getting him to call other teams and tell them that Rayan only wanted to play for us is smarter than trading up, if you can pull it off and it sounds like that's what they did.

Yeah, I think this could be the best move of his tenure so far. Really impressed with it.

 

[MickZagger]

On the flip side, no team thought he was worth drafting in the first round. Hard for me to imagine 30 GMs sitting on their hands and passing up on what they believe to be a top 15 talent for 42 picks.

I'm not trying to bash Cronin or Rupert as GMs say this silly stuff after they draft a guy late, despite having legit opportunities to move up and draft them earlier. No different than the Spurs saying they knew Manu was special, but waited until the 50's to draft him. If they knew he was a HOF player, they wouldn't have taken the chance most teams would pass on him multiple times.

I'm not mad about it, I'm just not buying that they truly think he's a top 15 pick in this draft.

Even if it’s all smoke and mirrors, it was still just the 43rd pick. No skin off our back. That’s a throw away pick.

 

[THE HCP]

I agree with you 100%… people just need stop acting like the world is ending and appreciate we have acquired some special young talent.

I think that's how it's gonna be bro until they produce on the court.

 

[Natebishop3]

My first impression of Scoot, based off of his fashion runway entrance, was not good. After hearing his speak, I heard knowledge, more humility than I expected, and determination. I was wrong.

Hard to understand most of Rupert because of his thick French accent. All three came across as good young men. I especially liked Murray's stature. He is mature and ready to get after it. All three spoke about defense.

I get that it was a little glam, but the concept behind his outfit on draft night was really cool.

The design was supposed to be his family tree. The stones were his family's birth stones. His necklace was about the him and his 6 siblings. I get that it was ostentatious, but it reminded me a lot of Dame's foundation in family. Dame has an Oakland tree tattoo. I think people were reading too much into what he wore. The message is what matters.

 

[Ed O]

Here's my question:

If the front office had Rupert in their top 15, and we saw a late first round pick going for 3 second round picks, that would lead me to believe the front office doesn't believe a top 15 pick, in a loaded draft, is worthy giving up 3 second round picks for. It's possible, but hard for me to wrap my head around.

Of course I'm not sure, but I think (a) they didn't NEED to add him, since they already have lots of young guys, and (b) they value future second rounders more, confident that they'll identify future badasses in the second round and/or need those assets in other moves.

I'm not sure I believe him entirely either, of course, but just defending him best I can

 

[Tince]

Supposedly his agent was calling teams and telling them not to pick him. The kid just turned 19. I would wager they were threatening to sit out a year if anyone else drafted him?

Yeah, I did address the fact that after he dropped to the 2nd round his agent asked teams not to draft him.

 

[Tince]

Even if it’s all smoke and mirrors, it was still just the 43rd pick. No skin off our back. That’s a throw away pick.

100%. I'm happy with the pick!

 

[Tince]

I guess that does not break anu NBA rules?

I certainly wouldn't think it broke any rules.

 

[Tince]

Of course I'm not sure, but I think (a) they didn't NEED to add him, since they already have lots of young guys, and (b) they value future second rounders more, confident that they'll identify future badasses in the second round and/or need those assets in other moves.

I'm not sure I believe him entirely either, of course, but just defending him best I can

That's the best spin I've heard so far. I like it!

Also means we got a haul for GP2!

 

[Ed O]

Also means we got a haul for GP2!

As someone who HATED our signing of Payton, I was exceedingly happy with what we got for Payton. Not only because we got out from under his contract but because it turned out better than not signing him at all.

I'm not sure what big we could have signed for the same contract, of course, but hopefully we go that direction this offseason as we look at FAs rather than adding another guard/veteran/injury-prone fringe NBA player.

 

[Natebishop3]

As someone who HATED our signing of Payton, I was exceedingly happy with what we got for Payton. Not only because we got out from under his contract but because it turned out better than not signing him at all.

I'm not sure what big we could have signed for the same contract, of course, but hopefully we go that direction this offseason as we look at FAs rather than adding another guard/veteran/injury-prone fringe NBA player.

The best part about that trade was that Joe was willing to admit his mistake and rectify it. The last guy would have never ever done that.

 

[Tince]

The best part about that trade was that Joe was willing to admit his mistake and rectify it. The last guy would have never ever done that.

And lets be honest, some of the other moves were so bad, nobody would be able to get off them and get 2nd round picks in return.

I 100% agree that being able to pivot immediatelly once you realize a mistake, is a refreshing quality.

 

[Natebishop3]

And lets be honest, some of the other moves were so bad, nobody would be able to get off them and get 2nd round picks in return.

I 100% agree that being able to pivot immediatelly once you realize a mistake, is a refreshing quality.

To be fair though, the guys that Neil was in love with seem like genuinely really good dudes and GP2weeks seems like a giant tool.

 

[Hoopguru]

On the flip side, no team thought he was worth drafting in the first round. Hard for me to imagine 30 GMs sitting on their hands and passing up on what they believe to be a top 15 talent for 42 picks.

I'm not trying to bash Cronin or Rupert as GMs say this silly stuff after they draft a guy late, despite having legit opportunities to move up and draft them earlier. No different than the Spurs saying they knew Manu was special, but waited until the 50's to draft him. If they knew he was a HOF player, they wouldn't have taken the chance most teams would pass on him multiple times.

I'm not mad about it, I'm just not buying that they truly think he's a top 15 pick in this draft.

If they had him top 15 on their board I question both Joe & Mike's assessment. If he turns out to be as good as a top 15 down the road thats a different deal.
He's a legit second round pick......

 

[Tince]

If they had him top 15 on their board I question both Joe & Mike's assessment. If he turns out to be as good as a top 15 down the road thats a different deal.
He's a legit second round pick......

Yes, yes, and yes!

 

[blazerfan11]

This boomer is confused. Wasn't this thread rookie press conference? Instead I see Cronin bashing, Dame bashing, endless speculation, and attacking each other. I really would like to know more about what the three new players said.

Thank you.