So are Lillard and Leonard starters at the top of the season?

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Depends on FA's, but of the two Lillard would be the safest bet to start
 
I would not be shocked to see Lillard start. I think Leonard only starts if there is really no other option and he looks like he can play defense competently.
 
Don't care who starts - just as long as the rookies get to play and learn.
 
Lillard -- almost certainly

Leonard -- I sure hope not!
 
Nikolokolus said:
Leonard -- I sure hope not!
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I'm exactly the opposite. I sure hope he shows himself to be good enough to warrant starting.

Why do you want our rookie to suck? :devilwink:
 
PtldPlatypus said:
I'm exactly the opposite. I sure hope he shows himself to be good enough to warrant starting.

Why do you want our rookie to suck? :devilwink:
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'Cause I'm an evil heartless bastard.

I should clarify: I hope Leonard is so good that's he's starting by the end of his rookie year, but if he is our starter at the start of the season it means we have absolutely zero depth. The kid is going to be raw.
 
Imo, if we start either of them for the season, we will be in the lotto again next year.

Go Blazers
 
I'd be shocked if Leonard plays 20 minutes per game, so no he won't be starting.

I hope Lillard doesn't start because we have added a solid veteran PG to the team. If he earns the job then great for him but I'd rather have a rookie initially come off the bench when he's ready to start; then have him start when he should be coming off the bench.
 
How many legit 7-footers are there in the league? I think Leonard could be disruptive as a starter right off the bat. He might struggle with the few legit C's that have seasoning.
 
I don't see the point in drafting a point guard at 6th and then signing a vet to start ahead of him. There just isn't any point to it. He's an older rookie, he's the 6th pick, let's let him loose and see what he can do. Unless he goes into the Summer League and sucks it up, or comes to camp completely unprepared, I think we should head some responsibility on his shoulders. See how he handles it. I have very small expectations for the team next season, so I would rather he be given the opportunity to learn, make mistakes, and grow. We did it with Roy, and I'd like to do it with Lillard.
 
Lillard, yes. He's taken just too high not to give the starting role to. Plus, who are we going to sign? Steve Nash?

After thinking about it, the Blazers brass and their scouts have seen Roy and Durant play. They know the traits a good lottery player possesses. So, here's hoping Lillard becomes a great player.

Leonard, maybe. Pryzbilla possesses more experience so they'll let him start in the beginning of the season. However, he's going to need Leonard to back him up. I'd expect heavy minutes from Leonard before he slowly transitions into a starting role. He's got a Tyson Chandler vibe to him.
 
If Leonard plays 20min or more in 50% of the games I'll be surprised

Lillard will be the starting PG by the end of the season
 
When I evaluate teams, I think about the top 3 players on each team. LMA is one of those guys for us. We WANT Batum to be one of those guys. We WANT our #6 pick (Lillard) to be the third guy. If one of those 2 guys isn't our top 3, we need to sign a guy like that as an FA - which might be hard.

So, we need to get Lillard minutes. But, we need to get Leonard to be a good role player.
 
I bet Leonard will be the starting center .....in 2013.

Patience!
 
MickZagger said:
How many legit 7-footers are there in the league? I think Leonard could be disruptive as a starter right off the bat. He might struggle with the few legit C's that have seasoning.
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At least we shed our not quite 7 foot center last season.
 
Natebishop3 said:
I don't see the point in drafting a point guard at 6th and then signing a vet to start ahead of him. There just isn't any point to it. He's an older rookie, he's the 6th pick, let's let him loose and see what he can do. Unless he goes into the Summer League and sucks it up, or comes to camp completely unprepared, I think we should head some responsibility on his shoulders. See how he handles it. I have very small expectations for the team next season, so I would rather he be given the opportunity to learn, make mistakes, and grow. We did it with Roy, and I'd like to do it with Lillard.
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I agree 100%. I swear if we continue to develope our players like McMillian did, our guys will just stagnate. Put them in the fire, let them play, learn, get better. We all know that the Blazers aren't going to the play offs next year so it's time to get better through our draft picks and young guys.


Lillard
Mathews/Williams
Batum
Aldridge
Big White Hypes
 
We need a solid veteran PG, someone like Kirk Hinrich who could start but would ideally be coming off the bench. Think of Steve Blake production when he was last here. A PG is the QB of the team and responsible for getting so many people involved besides himself. If Lillard can do that well as a rookie we'd be delighted. But he shouldn't have all the pressure of doing it himself.

If Lillard has some Felton level struggles I'd like the team to have the option of temporarily giving him a different role. Lillard could come off the bench, he could play some 2 guard and focus on hitting jumpers. Last year we had no legit PG except for Felton, a similar must perform situation isn't good for a rookie.
 
Draco said:
We need a solid veteran PG, someone like Kirk Hinrich who could start but would ideally be coming off the bench. Think of Steve Blake production when he was last here. A PG is the QB of the team and responsible for getting so many people involved besides himself. If Lillard can do that well as a rookie we'd be delighted. But he shouldn't have all the pressure of doing it himself.

If Lillard has some Felton level struggles I'd like the team to have the option of temporarily giving him a different role. Lillard could come off the bench, he could play some 2 guard and focus on hitting jumpers. Last year we had no legit PG except for Felton, a similar must perform situation isn't good for a rookie.
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Funny, what comes to mind when you say "Steve Blake production when he was last here" is a sub-9 PER while Nate forced Miller to SG and Roy to SF.
 
BrianFromWA said:
Funny, what comes to mind when you say "Steve Blake production when he was last here" is a sub-9 PER while Nate forced Miller to SG and Roy to SF.
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Steve Blake was a very good bench player or acceptable stop-gap starter on the 54 win team. Pairing that level of production with a rookie Lillard would work well. That would be a hell of a lot better option then Nolan Smith or Jamal Crawford as the backup PG or part time stater. But it will be a tricky dynamic, if you get a player vastly superior to Steve Blake he could really get in the way of Lillard, if he is worse he'd be an end of the bench scrub.

Nate totally screwed up the Miller, Blake, Roy combo; that would not be a good situation to emulate. Since our current roster is missing an all-star ball dominant SG and missing an established veteran PG I'm not worried about that situation repeating itself.
 
Just depends on who we sign. We only have one PG on the roster now (Nolan Smith), and no real centers.
 
The odds are high that Lillard will start because he's a star at 2 positions. He's a better shooter than playmaker. We could sign Steve Nash, and Lillard would still start at SG (after a month).

Leonard will be in constant foul trouble, but after Przybilla's annual season-ending injury, will be a starter during our annual tanking half of the season.
 
^agreed. Lillard, with our team, you don't sign a PG to start over the #6 and someone you just declared your franchise PG. Hes starting.
 
Lillard is definite starter from day 1:

@BlazerFreeman: The #Blazers do not have intentions of pursing a PG to compete with Damian Lillard for starting spot. Lillard will be the guy.
 
@BlazerFreeman: #Blazers might pursue a veteran PG, but he will be signed knowing his role is to mentor Lillard and not compete for starting spot.
 
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