Skip Bayless at it again: LaMarcus "still has too much Portland Trail Blazers in him"

[BlazerCaravan]

Its literally been 40 plus years.

And we were great with both of them. Got 1 with the first pick and another through the draft also.

I think we have the next one already and we drafted him too:

http://bkref.com/tiny/lH0r6

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Mediocre Man]

I think we have the next one already and we drafted him too:

http://bkref.com/tiny/lH0r6

I agree.

 

[MARIS61]

Aldridge never had an ounce of Rip City in him, and this season proved he's been holding us back since we got him.

Probably misunderstood what it meant when asked to be the anchor in our defense.

I was floored that SA wanted such a standoffish head case with less fire in him than a used up can of Sterno. With his pouting and Duncan retiring I see Leonard demanding a trade in a year or 2. The signing that ended a dynasty.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

You know what I like about Skip Bayless?




Fuck Skip Bayless.

 

[Boob-No-More]

The we got bad enough again to get Lillard, the 11th pick and McCollum.

Wrong. We didn't "get bad enough to get Lillard". New Jersey got bad enough, and dumb enough to give us the 6th pick for a past his prime Gerald Wallace.

Winning 40 something games and getting that kumbaya moment is what Blazer fans want. Congrats, we are stuck in purgatory because no FA worth a damn will sign here. Stars win in the NBA, and Portland has 1 1/2 of them

Why does winning 40-something games automatically equal being stuck in Purgatory? The Warriors went from winning 47 games to 51 to 67 and a championship without any big name free agent signings. They grew from within. All five of their current starters were already on the roster of that 47-win team. They went from 47 wins to 67 wins in two years due mostly to internal growth with a few roster tweaks that bolstered their bench. We have the means and ability to do the same.

Why does it have to be a free agent signing? That's not the only way to acquire talent. Cap space can also be used in a lopsided trade for high priced talent. What big free agent did the 2004 Pistons sign during the summer of 2003? None, they got the final piece, Sheed in a mid-season trade. What big name free agents did the 2006 Celtics sign in the summer of 2005? None, Garnett and Ray Allen were both acquired via trade. What big name free agents did the 2007 Lakers sign during the summer of 2006? None they added Pau Gasol via trade.

We have a lot of cap space we can use in a lopsided trade, we also have a lot of young players on very reasonable contracts. We don't need to limit our options to just signing a big same free agent. We can also acquire talent via a lopsided trade from a team like MEM that will likely be rebuilding. We can also pick up talent via lopsided trade from teams trying to clear cap space to land a big name like Kevin Durant. Several teams will try to land him, but only one will be successful. Neal Olshey is smart enough to take advantage of other teams' desperation.

It takes an extremely negative, pessimistic person to consider the season we just watched as "stuck in purgatory". Yeah, we only won 44 games and didn't make it past the second round, but if you didn't enjoy this season and this team, I truly feel sorry for you. We didn't win the championship, but neither will 28 other teams and I'd take our season over all of those teams.

We had the youngest team in the playoffs and third youngest in the entire league. Our young players got a lot of valuable experience that will help them continue to improve. Other than Kaman, who hardly played, we don't have a single player on our roster that is past their prime. Our young guys will continue to improve. How is that being "stuck in purgatory"? I know you'd prefer we suck and dip down into the lottery, but how has that worked for PHI? They have gone from 41 wins to 35 to 34 to 19 to 18 to 10. To me, that is the definition of being stuck in purgatory. Six seasons of progressively worse results. A lot of good all those lottery picks have done them.

Take heart Mediocre one, our future is much brighter than you think. We will add some pieces this summer. Perhaps not THE big name piece we all dream about, but pieces that will help make us better, plus our young guys will continue to get better. None of them have reached their peak, which means 44 wins and a hard fought second round exit against the 73-win defending champs is not our team's peak either. Purgatory never looked so good!

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

Right about Lillard, wrong about the rest

 

[BBert]

He means the bible. Now whether or not he's referring to the bible's rape manual, I'm not sure:

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (KJV)

28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

I'm certainly no bible expert, but I didn't get rape out of that. I got, if you get caught getting it on with an unwed young lady, you have to pay damages to her dad and marry her....wonder how much you have to pay if she was married?

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I'm certainly no bible expert, but I didn't get rape out of that. I got, if you get caught getting it on with an unwed young lady, you have to pay damages to her dad and marry her....wonder how much you have to pay if she was married?

Sounds like a shotgun wedding almost

 

[Boob-No-More]

Right about Lillard, wrong about the rest

Fraid not...

The Warriors went from winning 47 games to 51 to 67 and a championship without any big name free agent signings.

Fact.

All five of their current starters were already on the roster of that 47-win team.

Fact.

They went from 47 wins to 67 wins in two years due mostly to internal growth with a few roster tweaks that bolstered their bench.

Fact.

That's not the only way to acquire talent. Cap space can also be used in a lopsided trade for high priced talent.

Fact.

What big free agent did the 2004 Pistons sign during the summer of 2003? None, they got the final piece, Sheed in a mid-season trade.

Fact.

What big name free agents did the 2006 Celtics sign in the summer of 2005? None, Garnett and Ray Allen were both acquired via trade.

More facts.

What big name free agents did the 2007 Lakers sign during the summer of 2006? None they added Pau Gasol via trade.

Fact.

We have a lot of cap space we can use in a lopsided trade, we also have a lot of young players on very reasonable contracts. We don't need to limit our options to just signing a big same free agent.

Still more facts.

Neal Olshey is smart enough to take advantage of other teams' desperation.

A proven fact. That's how we got Rolo (NOP desparate to clear cap space to sign Tyreke Evans) and how he got Chris Paul when he was with the Clippers (NOP desparate to move a disgruntled superstar before he left via free agency and they got nothing in return).

We didn't win the championship, but neither will 28 other teams and I'd take our season over all of those teams.

More facts.

We had the youngest team in the playoffs and third youngest in the entire league.

Fact and fact.

...how has that worked for PHI? They have gone from 41 wins to 35 to 34 to 19 to 18 to 10. ...Six seasons of progressively worse results.

All facts.

Sorry, but exactly where was I "wrong" about the rest?

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

Fraid not...



Fact.



Fact.



Fact.



Fact.



Fact.



More facts.



Fact.



Still more facts.



A proven fact. That's how we got Rolo (NOP desparate to clear cap space to sign Tyreke Evans) and how he got Chris Paul when he was with the Clippers (NOP desparate to move a disgruntled superstar before he left via free agency and they got nothing in return).



More facts.



Fact and fact.



All facts.

Sorry, but exactly where was I "wrong" about the rest?

BNM

No, your facts are always spot on because you know, they are facts and all. I am talking about the purgatory part. I hope, really I do, that this team can add to itself because I am not seeing the young Warriors when I look at them. We just don't have a Draymond Green on this team, and as bad ass as Lillard is, we don't have a Steph Curry, either. Klay Thompson is one of the best two way players in the league. We don't have that. We need to add pieces to get to that next level. Throw all the stats out at me you want, but I believe I am right. Letting the cake bake has been done. You can argue, think I'm an idiot, whatever, I don't care. I believe I am right. Maybe Harkless works on his game this summer and becomes an MVP candidate like Green? Or maybe CJ grows this summer so he can defend like Thompson.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Lamarshas problem is he has no rip city in him. Have fun failing and choking on a stacked team, bitch.

 

[Boob-No-More]

No, your facts are always spot on because you know, they are facts and all. I am talking about the purgatory part. I hope, really I do, that this team can add to itself because I am not seeing the young Warriors when I look at them. We just don't have a Draymond Green on this team, and as bad ass as Lillard is, we don't have a Steph Curry, either. Klay Thompson is one of the best two way players in the league. We don't have that. We need to add pieces to get to that next level. Throw all the stats out at me you want, but I believe I am right. Letting the cake bake has been done. You can argue, think I'm an idiot, whatever, I don't care. I believe I am right. Maybe Harkless works on his game this summer and becomes an MVP candidate like Green? Or maybe CJ grows this summer so he can defend like Thompson.

Well, back in 2012-13, Draymond Green was the same age Maurice Harkless is now. He averaged 2.2 ppg. 3.3 rpg, 0.7 apg with a PER = 7.1. He shot .327 from the field and .209 from 3-point range. He flat out sucked. NOBODY envisioned him becoming the player he is today. He was a 4-year player at a major college program and still wasn't close to NBA ready. He's shown significant improvement every year. He didn't go from shit to superstar overnight. Anything is possible. Players do improve, some much more than others.

Back when the NBA was gaga about drafting players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James right out of high school, the "conventional wisdom" is that 4-year college players had almost no potential upside. They had already reached their maximum potential. Players like Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Draymond Green have all proven that wrong. Will Mo Harkless, with less real experience than Draymond Green, follow a similar arc? What about Noah Vonleh? Probably not, but who knows and who knows who else we will acquire in the next four years. To just give up and assume the worst seems futile. What if the Warriors had given up on Green after his abominable rookie season? Again you just never know.

We already have two young players that have shown vast improvement and averaged 25 and 20 ppg over an entire NBA season - no small feat. Crabbe and Harkless, if he can improve his shot, both have the potential to be very good 2-way players. Aminu stepped up big time last year in the playoffs for Dallas and again this year for Portland. Is he Draymond Green? No, but he was a valuable two-way player in this post season, especially in the GSW series. He's still young and on a cheap contract. Will he continue to improve? It's likely. His 3-point shooting went from a liability to above league average during the regular season to near elite level during the playoffs. I don't think he's reached his full potential, but also don't know what that potential is. Given his success and earning a role as a full time starter for the first time in his career, I bet he, like Mo Harkless, is highly motivated to work on his game during the offseason.

And then there's all that cap space, a positive winning culture, a savvy GM with a plan and a creative, respected coach players love to play for. To me, there is a lot more upside than downside here.

BNM

 

[blue9]

Alright, now that the season has ended I feel like spilling the beans on some info I learned a couple weeks ago.

At the end of each season all the players - including those on minimum contracts - take a portion of their earnings and pool it together to be split among the Blazers employees to recognize their hard work. Generally the minimum amount any player chips in is $50K. However, LMA was the sole player who didn't contribute a single cent.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Well, back in 2012-13, Draymond Green was the same age Maurice Harkless is now. He averaged 2.2 ppg. 3.3 rpg, 0.7 apg with a PER = 7.1. He shot .327 from the field and .209 from 3-point range. He flat out sucked. NOBODY envisioned him becoming the player he is today. He was a 4-year player at a major college program and still wasn't close to NBA ready. He's shown significant improvement every year. He didn't go from shit to superstar overnight. Anything is possible. Players do improve, some much more than others.

Back when the NA was gaga about drafting players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James right out of high school, the "conventional wisdom" is that 4-year college players had almost no potential upside. They had already reached their maximum potential. Players like Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Draymond Green have all proven that wrong. Will Mo Harkless, with less real experience than Draymond Green, follow a similar arc? What about Noah Vonleh? Probably not, but who knows and who knows who else we will acquire in the next four years. To just give up and assume the worst seems futile. What if the Warriors had given up on Green after his abominable rookie season? Again you just never know.

We already have two young players that have shown vast improvement and averaged 25 and 20 ppg over an entire NBA season - no small feat. Crabbe and Harkless, if he can improve his shot, both have the potential to be very good 2-way players. Aminu stepped up big time last year in the playoffs for Dallas and again this year for Portland. Is he Draymond Green? No, but he was a valuable two-way player in this post season, especially in the GSW series. He's still young and on a cheap contract. Will he continue to improve? It's likely. His 3-point shooting went from a liability to above league average during the regular season to near elite level during the playoffs. I don't think he's reached his full potential, but also don't know what that potential is. Given his success and earning a role as a full time starter for the first time in his career, I bet he, like Mo Harkless, is highly motivated to work on his game during the offseason.

And then there's all that cap space, a positive winning culture, a savvy GM with a plan and a creative, respected coach players love to play for. To me, there is a lot more upside than downside here.

BNM

I think so too. Just not as much upside on certain guys as you

 

[Tunchi]

Alright, now that the season has ended I feel like spilling the beans on some info I learned a couple weeks ago.

At the end of each season all the players - including those on minimum contracts - take a portion of their earnings and pool it together to be split among the Blazers employees to recognize their hard work. Generally the minimum amount any player chips in is $50K. However, LMA was the sole player who didn't contribute a single cent.

Could be speculation

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Alright, now that the season has ended I feel like spilling the beans on some info I learned a couple weeks ago.

At the end of each season all the players - including those on minimum contracts - take a portion of their earnings and pool it together to be split among the Blazers employees to recognize their hard work. Generally the minimum amount any player chips in is $50K. However, LMA was the sole player who didn't contribute a single cent.

Damn, that's fucking cold. He probably votes for Trump too.

 

[dviss1]

I'm certainly no bible expert, but I didn't get rape out of that. I got, if you get caught getting it on with an unwed young lady, you have to pay damages to her dad and marry her....wonder how much you have to pay if she was married?

Lay hold on her = rape.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I think so too. Just not as much upside on certain guys as you

I'm glad our forum has all types; I trust Neil "love 'em but trade 'em" Olshey to keep a level head about who is worth keeping and who needs to join the team. I think you might as well, though I won't speak for you.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Well, back in 2012-13, Draymond Green was the same age Maurice Harkless is now. He averaged 2.2 ppg. 3.3 rpg, 0.7 apg with a PER = 7.1. He shot .327 from the field and .209 from 3-point range. He flat out sucked. NOBODY envisioned him becoming the player he is today. He was a 4-year player at a major college program and still wasn't close to NBA ready. He's shown significant improvement every year. He didn't go from shit to superstar overnight. Anything is possible. Players do improve, some much more than others.

Back when the NA was gaga about drafting players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James right out of high school, the "conventional wisdom" is that 4-year college players had almost no potential upside. They had already reached their maximum potential. Players like Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Draymond Green have all proven that wrong. Will Mo Harkless, with less real experience than Draymond Green, follow a similar arc? What about Noah Vonleh? Probably not, but who knows and who knows who else we will acquire in the next four years. To just give up and assume the worst seems futile. What if the Warriors had given up on Green after his abominable rookie season? Again you just never know.

We already have two young players that have shown vast improvement and averaged 25 and 20 ppg over an entire NBA season - no small feat. Crabbe and Harkless, if he can improve his shot, both have the potential to be very good 2-way players. Aminu stepped up big time last year in the playoffs for Dallas and again this year for Portland. Is he Draymond Green? No, but he was a valuable two-way player in this post season, especially in the GSW series. He's still young and on a cheap contract. Will he continue to improve? It's likely. His 3-point shooting went from a liability to above league average during the regular season to near elite level during the playoffs. I don't think he's reached his full potential, but also don't know what that potential is. Given his success and earning a role as a full time starter for the first time in his career, I bet he, like Mo Harkless, is highly motivated to work on his game during the offseason.

And then there's all that cap space, a positive winning culture, a savvy GM with a plan and a creative, respected coach players love to play for. To me, there is a lot more upside than downside here.

BNM

BTW, if you go back to that 47-win 2012-13 Warriors team, Klay Thompson was basically a poor man's J.J. Reddick - a good but not elite, spot-up 3-point shooter with a 12.7 PER who didn't give you much else. He was a 3-year college player in his second NBA season - like Draymond Green, he was the same age Mo Harkless was this season. He was better than Harkless, mostly due to his 3-point shooting, and his improvement was less dramatic than Green's but still, he was far from the player he is today.

The point is, young players can, and do, improve. This roster, both individually and collectively, have not reached their potential.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

I think so too. Just not as much upside on certain guys as you

So, if there is still upside, why do you consider this team stuck in purgatory? We made it to the second round and pushed the 73-win defending champs pretty damn hard with the youngest roster in the playoffs and we have upside. How is that purgatory?

BNM

 

[BlazerCaravan]

So, if there is still upside, why do you consider this team stuck in purgatory? We made it to the second round and pushed the 73-win defending champs pretty damn hard with the youngest roster in the playoffs and we have upside. How is that purgatory?

BNM

You can have upward mobility but a low ceiling... I can see where MM is coming from (even if I'm more optimistic); we need to add personnel to get to the next level, because you can't just get Mason or Ed to grow two inches, for example.

 

[blue9]

The point is, young players can, and do, improve. This roster, both individually and collectively, have not reached their potential.

I'm curious who people think can improve the most and who is already close to their ceilings. I'll go with.

Dame - Close to his ceiling. He'll improve small things about his game, but is already so good it's unlikely that he has much room for imrpovement.

CJ - See Dame.

Harkless - Tons of room to improve. He's already very good at knowing where to be, and how to play - which is the most important aspect of the game, IMO. But he has tons of untapped potential. He has all the necessary tools to make the leap.

Aminu - Moderate room for improvement, but probably close to his ceiling. He's not smart enough, and his skills are too broken, for me to think he can be much better than he currently is.

Plumlee - Moderate room for improvement, further from his ceiling than Aminu. I think his physical measurements are his biggest impediments. I believe he can add a 10-15' jumper, and get better at finishing around the basket. Those two things alone will make him a dramatically better player. But his short arms will probably keep him from being the defensive anchor we need.

Crabbe - Tough call. He could blossom into a great player, or continue to make incremental improvement and be a spark off the bench.

Henderson - At/near his ceiling.

Davis - Near his ceiling. I'd like to believe that he can make a leap, but I just don't see it.

Vonleh - Tons of potential, but will he ever realize it?

Pat - I'm very excited to see him develop over the next couple seasons. I think he has potential to be a Wes Matthews-like player.

Montero - Also very excited to see him develop!

Alexander - I've never seen him play.

 

[Boob-No-More]

You can have upward mobility but a low ceiling... I can see where MM is coming from (even if I'm more optimistic); we need to add personnel to get to the next level, because you can't just get Mason or Ed to grow two inches, for example.

And we have a shit ton of cap space, movable assets and a savvy GM to do just that. Still not seeing the stuck in purgatory angle.

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

So, if there is still upside, why do you consider this team stuck in purgatory? We made it to the second round and pushed the 73-win defending champs pretty damn hard with the youngest roster in the playoffs and we have upside. How is that purgatory?

BNM

Because I am 50 and have seen this before. Someday some team will draft a center I call a white stiff, and he'll turn out to be the next dominant big in the world. Someday the Blazers will sit on young talent and have it develop with no injuries. Someday a big time Free agent will choose us to help win him a ring. It hasn't before, so I don't think it will in the future

 

[BBert]

Lay hold on her = rape.

Yeah, I don't really speak the lingo. That and Shakespeare.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Because I am 50 and have seen this before. Someday some team will draft a center I call a white stiff, and he'll turn out to be the next dominant big in the world. Someday the Blazers will sit on young talent and have it develop with no injuries. Someday a big time Free agent will choose us to help win him a ring. It hasn't before, so I don't think it will in the future

Hadn't happened in Oakland until last year either. Their last championship was two years before ours and they hadn't been past the 2nd round since 1976.

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

Hadn't happened in Oakland until last year either. Their last championship was two years before ours and they hadn't been past the 2nd round since 1976.

BNM

You are literally talking to talk at this point. I don't think our young talent is as good as GS's young talent was. I hope I am wrong.

 

[Hobbesarable]

I'm curious who people think can improve the most and who is already close to their ceilings. I'll go with.

Dame - Close to his ceiling. He'll improve small things about his game, but is already so good it's unlikely that he has much room for imrpovement.

CJ - See Dame.

Harkless - Tons of room to improve. He's already very good at knowing where to be, and how to play - which is the most important aspect of the game, IMO. But he has tons of untapped potential. He has all the necessary tools to make the leap.

Aminu - Moderate room for improvement, but probably close to his ceiling. He's not smart enough, and his skills are too broken, for me to think he can be much better than he currently is.

Plumlee - Moderate room for improvement, further from his ceiling than Aminu. I think his physical measurements are his biggest impediments. I believe he can add a 10-15' jumper, and get better at finishing around the basket. Those two things alone will make him a dramatically better player. But his short arms will probably keep him from being the defensive anchor we need.

Crabbe - Tough call. He could blossom into a great player, or continue to make incremental improvement and be a spark off the bench.

Henderson - At/near his ceiling.

Davis - Near his ceiling. I'd like to believe that he can make a leap, but I just don't see it.

Vonleh - Tons of potential, but will he ever realize it?

Pat - I'm very excited to see him develop over the next couple seasons. I think he has potential to be a Wes Matthews-like player.

Montero - Also very excited to see him develop!

Alexander - I've never seen him play.

Did you forget about Meyers?

 

[blue9]

Did you forget about Meyers?

Haha! Some would do so intentionally, but I did not.

Meyers: Quite a bit of room for improvement, but I question how much he will improve. He doesn't have lateral quickness, which is his biggest weakness, but could still develop into a good interior defender.