Shake up Line up

[Minstrel]

If Dame is a very substandard defender at PG then explain how pairing him with CJ is every going to lead to a top 10 defense. If someone can light a fire under Dame and get him to work harder on that end, then maybe. If he can't get motivated to do it this year, then when?

What if he's a substandard defender because he's bad at defense, not because he's not working hard?

I think he's plenty motivated. Just like I think Plumlee is motivated, but isn't talented at rim protection.

 

[Reep]

What if he's a substandard defender because he's bad at defense, not because he's not working hard?

I think he's plenty motivated. Just like I think Plumlee is motivated, but isn't talented at rim protection.

It's somewhat hard to tell at this point. Dame is obviously physically gifted. Therefore, he either isn't trying or he just isn't mentally wired for playing good defense. I'm not sure which.

 

[stampedehero]

Seems like the team is going nowhere right now and if it continues a significant trade is needed. It would be nice to know if the defensive scheme is the problem or if it is the players effort. Given that, why not take a flyer on one or two experimental lineups just to see how they do.

According to 82games, the best defensive lineups are:
McCollum-Turner-Crabbe-Vonleh-Davis
McCollum-Turner-Crabbe-Harkless-Davis

Notice that both have CJ and Turner as the guards with Crabbe as SF. It looks like there is not enough data on if Crabbe or Harkless would be better here, but let's go with Crabbe. There is also little or no data with CJ, Turner, Crabbe, Aminu and ____.

Internal politics and turmoil aside, how about:

PG: Turner
SG: CJ
SF: Crabbe
PF: Aminu/Vonleh
C: Davis (or Leonard if he can ever find his shot) (would love to swap in Okafor or Noel here, each for different reasons)

Bench: Dame; Harkless; Leonard; Plumlee (he's likely gone)

If this group delivers good defensive results, then you know it isn't the team defense as much as Dame and CJ being in the back court together (which the data concludes already). If this group does not defend as well then you know it is a scheme issue.

It would also be a better fit for Turner. If you want you can swap CJ with Dame, but the data shows that Dame/Turner back court is not nearly as good defensively. Of course if the suggested lineup does work then we may see Dame Dollar turn into Dame Holler.

Wow! You actually suggested benching Dame.

 

[KingSpeed]

What if he's a substandard defender because he's bad at defense, not because he's not working hard?

I think he's plenty motivated. Just like I think Plumlee is motivated, but isn't talented at rim protection.

Plumlee's rim protection is underrated. He has 56 blocks this season.

 

[Minstrel]

It's somewhat hard to tell at this point. Dame is obviously physically gifted. Therefore, he either isn't trying or he just isn't mentally wired for playing good defense. I'm not sure which.

Everyone in the NBA is physically gifted. One gift that Lillard doesn't have, especially relative to the NBA at large, is size. That's a pretty big deal.

And yeah, a lot of talent resides in the brain. Not everyone is wired to be good (by NBA standards) at defense., just as not everyone is wired to be good at shooting or passing.

 

[Reep]

Nothing against Dame, but it sure seems like he is the wrong piece to fit with the rest of this team. Either you trade him or you trade CJ, reconstruct the rest of the team, and still may end up short (no pun intended).

 

[Minstrel]

Nothing against Dame, but it sure seems like he is the wrong piece to fit with the rest of this team. Either you trade him or you trade CJ, reconstruct the rest of the team, and still may end up short (no pun intended).

Yeah, I agree--I think you trade one of them. I don't think Olshey will, but I think that's the most plausible path to something better.

 

[oldfisherman]

Would you trade Dame to the 76ers for Noel and two lottery picks, possibly #4 & #6?

 

[Minstrel]

Would you trade Dame to the 76ers for Noel and two lottery picks, possibly #4 & #6?

I'd definitely consider that, yes. It would be an enormous gamble and one that might very well not pay off, but I'm reasonably certain that the team isn't going to contend for a title with this core and with specifically these two stars, and there's no clear path to the kind of flexibility to augment this roster with impact playsers, so that's a situation where I'd be willing to roll the dice.

 

[Trackjack]

There not to many pg that play good defense. I think the best is Paul but there real fall off from there.

 

[Minstrel]

There not to many pg that play good defense. I think the best is Paul but there real fall off from there.

The question is, how many teams pair a small and/or defensively-challenged point guard with a small and defensively-challenged shooting guard? The problem is not Lillard himself or McCollum himself but, rather, trying to build around the two of them in tandem.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Would you trade Dame to the 76ers for Noel and two lottery picks, possibly #4 & #6?

Everything should be considered, but I don't think Allen or maybe Olshey have the intestinal fortitude to do something that daring or bold. I suspect they'll cling to the hope that Cj and Dame can play together for too long, which will ultimately reduce their value around the league. At some point I expect the Blazers will finally decide to move one of them and be lucky to get ¢50 on the dollar -- if history is any guide.

 

[Trackjack]

We need a bigger 2 guard with handles. Sometimes you got to do unpopular trade to move two step backward so you can move foward.

 

[Reep]

We need a bigger 2 guard with handles. Sometimes you got to do unpopular trade to move two step backward so you can move foward.

Turner can fill that role at least temporarily for testing purposes. Yes, it would be nice if he had a better outside shot, but it would be interesting to see him play with CJ, Crabbe, Harkless/Vonleh, Leonard. Maybe it wouldn't matter.

 

[tester551]

We need a bigger 2 guard with handles. Sometimes you got to do unpopular trade to move two step backward so you can move foward.

There's a draft prospect for you to check out: Josh Hart of Villanova.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Plumlee's rim protection is underrated. He has 56 blocks this season.

Or, 21st best in the league, with only two of the top 20 on the same team. So, he's basically bottom third of the league in terms of starting rim-protectors.

If you look at block %, he's down at 42nd in the league amongst players with 250 minutes played or more, and that's by far the best on the team (the next 4 are Harkless, Vonleh, Davis, and Leonard at 77, 80, 84, and 100 respectively).

Not an impressive group.

 

[Trackjack]

There's a draft prospect for you to check out: Josh Hart of Villanova.

Already did and if we keep both draft pick he could to us at 27. He actually Olshey type of player he is as 4 years of college.

 

[Denny Crane]

The question is, how many teams pair a small and/or defensively-challenged point guard with a small and defensively-challenged shooting guard? The problem is not Lillard himself or McCollum himself but, rather, trying to build around the two of them in tandem.

 

[Denny Crane]

Everything should be considered, but I don't think Allen or maybe Olshey have the intestinal fortitude to do something that daring or bold. I suspect they'll cling to the hope that Cj and Dame can play together for too long, which will ultimately reduce their value around the league. At some point I expect the Blazers will finally decide to move one of them and be lucky to get ¢50 on the dollar -- if history is any guide.

I don't have a crystal ball, but I think they already know it's not working.

 

[blue9]

Would you trade Dame to the 76ers for Noel and two lottery picks, possibly #4 & #6?

No. Not that it would be a bad move - it may very well work out in our favor given (a) the number of really good PGs in the league at the moment, and (b) all of the supposedly very good PGs in this draft. But the optics would be terrible for the Blazers - it would be seen as trading the face of the franchise, and arguably the best player we've had since the Sheed/Sabas/Pippen era, for a limited and oft-injured center.

However, if you swapped Simmons for Noel I'd do it - wings are not only at a premium at the moment, but historically have been the most important players in the NBA. The optics would still look bad, but the potential upside outweighs that IMO.

 

[dviss1]

Sigh....

More trade Dame scenarios poppin'...

Et tu sportstwo?

Shame on y'all...