Sheldon and Danforth say 72-73% chance Dwight Howard signs here

[BlazerCaravan]

As bad as Portland's defense was last year, Houston's was much, much worse. That's not all on Dwight. He's not what he once was, but he is still an upgrade over Plumlee....at least for the next year or two

Dwight had a DRtg of 104, which was 4.1 below the team defense of 108.1
Plums has a DRtg of 104, which was 4.0 below the team defense of 108.0

Just sayin'. I'm sure the eye test makes a difference, but stat wise, Dwight will not improve our defense.

 

[Natebishop3]

So here's the question:

Was Howard sand bagging last year and he can, in fact, play much much better?

OR was that just the reality of who he is at this stage of his career and he's not going to improve in our system?

Terry seems to get the most out of players, and he seems to be great at motivating people. My concern is that he has a bad back, he has a history of being a malcontent, and Dame isn't a point guard that throws a lot of lobs (which seems to be his best method of scoring.)

 

[BlazerCaravan]

aren't Dame and CJ in their prime now?

To me, prime means top of the bell curve for performance. I think both will continue to get better, craftier, more focused for the next two years before plateauing for two more then gradually declining over the four after that. So yeah, maybe they are beginning their prime next season, but I personally think their prime-prime will be two or three years from now.

 

[Nikolokolus]

So here's the question:

Was Howard sand bagging last year and he can, in fact, play much much better?

OR was that just the reality of who he is at this stage of his career and he's not going to improve in our system?

Terry seems to get the most out of players, and he seems to be great at motivating people. My concern is that he has a bad back, he has a history of being a malcontent, and Dame isn't a point guard that throws a lot of lobs (which seems to be his best method of scoring.)

I think he is who is he is now. There's very little reason for him to sandbag and then opt out of his contract

 

[SlyPokerDog]

My only concern about Howard is according to this article he's leaving the Rockets because he doesn't want to be the 3rd or 4th option on offense.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...kets-declines-player-option-become-free-agent

Wouldn't he be the 3rd option here? Aren't Lillard and CJ the first 2 options? We've already gone through the LMA era where if we didn't feed him the ball consistently he would pout.

 

[e_blazer]

A talented, underachieving diva with shit for brains is an upgrade at the center spot?
I think not.

Kobe and Harden can make a player look under-achieving. Not saying that I don't have questions about his drive. Olshey will have to make the judgment on that.

 

[santeesioux]

If we can get Dwight I would really go for it and find a way to sign Pau too. We'd go from one of the worst front courts to one of the best.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

If we can get Dwight I would really go for it and find a way to sign Pau too. We'd go from one of the worst front courts to one of the best.

I see you're still posting from 2009.

 

[e_blazer]

My only concern about Howard is according to this article he's leaving the Rockets because he doesn't want to be the 3rd or 4th option on offense.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...kets-declines-player-option-become-free-agent

Wouldn't he be the 3rd option here? Aren't Lillard and CJ the first 2 options? We've already gone through the LMA era where if we didn't feed him the ball consistently he would pout.

There's a huge difference between the black hole that is James Harden vs. Lillard and CJ, both of whom are more than happy to feed a scorer in the middle.

 

[Natebishop3]

If we can get Dwight I would really go for it and find a way to sign Pau too. We'd go from one of the worst front courts to one of the best.

Won't be any money left for that. Not unless he wants to take vet minimum.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

There's a huge difference between the black hole that is James Harden vs. Lillard and CJ, both of whom are more than happy to feed a scorer in the middle.

Yeah, I need to explore the How Would Dwight Fit angle in an article, if we sign him. Dame and CJ definitely would help Dwight more over Harden and Kobe.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

So here's the question:

Was Howard sand bagging last year and he can, in fact, play much much better?

OR was that just the reality of who he is at this stage of his career and he's not going to improve in our system?

Terry seems to get the most out of players, and he seems to be great at motivating people. My concern is that he has a bad back, he has a history of being a malcontent, and Dame isn't a point guard that throws a lot of lobs (which seems to be his best method of scoring.)

It's not just the coaching staff, it's the fans. Howard hasn't been fan loved since he left Orlando. He would love it here, it would motivate him.

 

[e_blazer]

I don't think it's fair to leave out that it IS the official radio station of the Blazers. You're right though, they have a really weak signal. I lose reception completely in a tunnel or parking garage.

The fact that it IS the official radio station of the Blazers says volumes about the importance the team puts on that medium.

 

[Natebishop3]

My only concern about Howard is according to this article he's leaving the Rockets because he doesn't want to be the 3rd or 4th option on offense.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...kets-declines-player-option-become-free-agent

Wouldn't he be the 3rd option here? Aren't Lillard and CJ the first 2 options? We've already gone through the LMA era where if we didn't feed him the ball consistently he would pout.

He could be option 2, or even option 1 in some circumstances against various opponents. My question is how will Terry change the offense to suit him? He's not a threat from the perimeter and Dame isnt' great at throwing lobs.

 

[santeesioux]

I see you're still posting from 2009.

Pau is still really good in 2k!

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Pau is still really good in 2k!

The Dreamcast version?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

He could be option 2, or even option 1 in some circumstances against various opponents. My question is how will Terry change the offense to suit him? He's not a threat from the perimeter and Dame isnt' great at throwing lobs.

Plums isn't a threat from the perimeter and Stotts found a way to take full advantage of his skills.

Lillard and CJ will both throw lobs. Both have high BB IQs, are students of the game, want to win, and will look to take advantage of Howard.

 

[santeesioux]

The Dreamcast version?

Now that's old school, like Pau. Maybe we should bring in Manu too while we're at it since he just opted out and we'll have the best 2k1 team ever.

 

[Natebishop3]

BC compared Dwight to Plumlee, but I'm assuming we would trade Plumlee if we went out and got Dwight. Soooooo the question is: Would Dwight+(whatever we got for Plumlee) be better than Plumlee?

 

[craigehlo]

I can't believed the doubters around here. It would be Lob City 2.0 with Howard paired with our backcourt.

 

[Nikolokolus]

BC compared Dwight to Plumlee, but I'm assuming we would trade Plumlee if we went out and got Dwight. Soooooo the question is: Would Dwight+(whatever we got for Plumlee) be better than Plumlee?

Probably?

 

[Mediocre Man]

So here's the question:

Was Howard sand bagging last year and he can, in fact, play much much better?

OR was that just the reality of who he is at this stage of his career and he's not going to improve in our system?

Terry seems to get the most out of players, and he seems to be great at motivating people. My concern is that he has a bad back, he has a history of being a malcontent, and Dame isn't a point guard that throws a lot of lobs (which seems to be his best method of scoring.)

I didn't really watch any Rockets games last year, but I know on local Houston sports radio, most of the "experts" believed he was sandbagging a bit because he was unhappy for being ignored on the offensive end. 8.5 attempts was the fewest he's had since his rookie season by about 2 shot attempts per game. He still shot 62% from the field and had 12 rpg. The guy can still play, and for reasons only known to him, James Harden froze him out of the offense. He basically quit on that team....Not that that is a redeeming quality or anything

 

[Boob-No-More]

Its true. If you look around the league at the free agents, he is the guy that you know is leaving houston, and wants to he in a good situation. We fit the bill perfectly and can offer him close to max.

We keep leonard, harkless and crabbe, and renounce the others. Also terminate alexander and montero to create just a little more space. Trade plumlee for a future first. And sign howard with all remaining space.

I'm hoping Dwight will settle for less than max at this point in his career so we can keep Plumlee. Give Dwight's age and recent injury history, I'd like to see him and Plums split the minutes at center, pretty much 24 mpg each, during the regular season. Maybe even rest him on the second night of back-to-backs to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Convince him it's in his best interest to play fewer minutes in the regular season. It will prolong his career and hopefully have him rested, healthy and ready for the post season. Pop has been doing it forever with Duncan. If our guys continue to improve we should have HCA in the 1st round with Dwight playing 24 MPG and a rested, healthy Dwight could help us get past the 2nd round, and then, anything can happen.

Also, as Plums improves, Dwight can play even fewer minutes as he gets older. Again, it's the Duncan model. Prolong his career by several years by minimizing the wear and tear on his body during the long, grueling regular season. If you can convince him it will prolong his career by a few years, he may be willing to take less money per year as it all averages out in the end.

BNM

 

[Chris Craig]

If it happens, it's not the end of the world, but it feels like a holding pattern signing, to be honest. Dwight will be old as dirt by the time Dame and CJ are in their prime.

Yesterday, I was reading about how he opted out and I got a sick feeling that he was going to be headed this way. I hope not. Signing him for the sake of signing a big name free agent doesn't make sense. He is on the wrong side of the curve, and goes against the grain. Signing him will undo all that Neil has done to build a sustainable team that can contend for years to come. It is not only a "holding pattern" move, it may prove far worse, trying to take a shortcut, that's not a shortcut. Like trying to seal a hole in an airplane fuselage with a used bandaid instead of taking the time to rebuild it correctly. It's not a wise move. Neil, please don't sell out the Blazers future for a larger TV venue in the NW

 

[craigehlo]

BC compared Dwight to Plumlee, but I'm assuming we would trade Plumlee if we went out and got Dwight. Soooooo the question is: Would Dwight+(whatever we got for Plumlee) be better than Plumlee?

Plums had some nice rebounding games in the playoffs, but has everyone forgot how bad he got the yips when the caught ball in the paint? Plumlee can't finish, which is a huge problem for a starting center. Dwight doesn't have that limitation and he gets 1.4 blocks per game.

 

[santeesioux]

What do you think we could get for Plumlee? An older starting Pf, maybe? It's a shame the salaries don't match up and the Grizz wouldn't have a use for him anyway with Gasol, but I would love to bring back Zbo.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yesterday, I was reading about how he opted out and I got a sick feeling that he was going to be headed this way. I hope not. Signing him for the sake of signing a big name free agent doesn't make sense. He is on the wrong side of the curve, and goes against the grain. Signing him will undo all that Neil has done to build a sustainable team that can contend for years to come. It is not only a "holding pattern" move, it may prove far worse, trying to take a shortcut, that's not a shortcut. Like trying to seal a hole in an airplane fuselage with a used bandaid instead of taking the time to rebuild it correctly. It's not a wise move. Neil, please don't sell out the Blazers future for a larger TV venue in the NW

I'm not going to argue for or against Howard, because I'm pretty ambivalent about what his presence on the team would mean for wins and losses, but if (for the sake of argument) Howard was the only B+ level player willing to sign here, then Neil would be an idiot not to sign him.

The cap space is use it or lose it and Howard would be at least a marginal upgrade over what we currently have in the front court.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'm hoping Dwight will settle for less than max at this point in his career so we can keep Plumlee. Give Dwight's age and recent injury history, I'd like to see him and Plums split the minutes at center, pretty much 24 mpg each, during the regular season. Maybe even rest him on the second night of back-to-backs to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Convince him it's in his best interest to play fewer minutes in the regular season. It will prolong his career and hopefully have him rested, healthy and ready for the post season. Pop has been doing it forever with Duncan. If our guys continue to improve we should have HCA in the 1st round with Dwight playing 24 MPG and a rested, healthy Dwight could help us get past the 2nd round, and then, anything can happen.

Also, as Plums improves, Dwight can play even fewer minutes as he gets older. Again, it's the Duncan model. Prolong his career by several years by minimizing the wear and tear on his body during the long, grueling regular season. If you can convince him it will prolong his career by a few years, he may be willing to take less money per year as it all averages out in the end.

BNM

This is the way I see it too. I don't want to depend on Dwight to be a 36 mpg player, because I don't think his back can handle it. And that being the case, I don't see how he's worth anywhere close to even the 0-6 year max, let alone the 10y+ max. If he wants to come to Portland--and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he does--he needs to do so for 15-20M/year. If we would need to renounce any of our RFA's or release any of our NGC's in order to bring him in, then he's clearly demanding too much, both in terms of compensation and role.

There's no need for Plumlee to be traded. He would be a top-notch backup center, and that's exactly what he should be.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I didn't really watch any Rockets games last year, but I know on local Houston sports radio, most of the "experts" believed he was sandbagging a bit because he was unhappy for being ignored on the offensive end. 8.5 attempts was the fewest he's had since his rookie season by about 2 shot attempts per game. He still shot 62% from the field and had 12 rpg. The guy can still play, and for reasons only known to him, James Harden froze him out of the offense. He basically quit on that team....Not that that is a redeeming quality or anything

This is a guy who really needs a change of scenery. First he played with Kobe, and then Harden, two of the biggest ball dominant, me first players of the last 20 years. Even if his shot attempts don't go up, he'd still feel like he's part of a team, and not totally ignored by his teammates. Lillard is a much better leader and a more inclusive personality than Harden, and especially Kobe. I think Stotts' offense, that get's everyone involved, and Damian's leadership will improve Howard's attitude and outlook greatly.

I'd still rather have Horford or Whiteside, but those two will most likely resign with their current teams. You gotta get what you can get while you can get it.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

If we could sign Dwight for $25 million per year, how would you guys feel about offering up CJ/Aminu/Davis for Kevin Love? We re-sign Crabbe and Harkless, keep Plumlee, and pickup a backup point guard.

Dame
Crabbe
Harkless
Love
Howard

Love/Howard could be the best frontcourt in the NBA. With Vonleh, Plumlee as the backup frontcourt of the future. We would need to find some suitable guys to come off the bench though.