Stephen A. Smith says we're a piece away from winning it all

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Natebishop3

Natebishop3

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http://forwardcenter.net/video-step...blazers-are-a-piece-away-from-winning-it-all/

“I’m not saying that the Portland Trail Blazers are going to win a world title this year,” says Smith. “But I’m telling you, with the team they have assembled, they can pose a threat to anybody. They can beat anybody on any given night. I could easily see them in the semifinals or the conference finals. I think they’re better than Houston, as far as I’m concerned. And oh, by the way, they are just a piece away from winning it all. A piece away. They’ve got those kind of troops.”
 
He likes us, he really likes us!
 
I'm interested in what "piece" would put us over the top, at least in his opinion.
 
I agree. It's a major piece and we'd have to trade multiple pieces outside of Lillard and Aldridge. I've been saying that since the summer... This team reminds me of that team right before the 2000s that had a window open

hoop fam
 
No, I don't know what it is either. I thought igoudala could have been it

hoop fam
 
A legit scorer off the bench.

Mo is too inconsistent for that IMO.

Before Davis went down I thought Ryan Anderson could be that guy.

Though, any difference maker will cost a lot. To get value you have to give up value. As thin as this bench is I don't know if we can afford that type of move this year.
 
Fez Hammersticks said:
A legit scorer off the bench.

Mo is too inconsistent for that IMO.

Before Davis went down I thought Ryan Anderson could be that guy.

Though, any difference maker will cost a lot. To get value you have to give up value. As thin as this bench is I don't know if we can afford that type of move this year.
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No we would have to upgrade Wes or Batum

hoop fam
 
If we were able to sign Hibbert.....we would be legit contenders with a window open

hoop fam
 
EL PRESIDENTE said:
No we would have to upgrade Wes or Batum

hoop fam
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I disagree. I think Fez is right. I think we need a Manu. We need a guy who can come in off the bench and fill it up while the starters are resting. A Nick Van Exel. And I don't think Mo is that guy. He's too streaky.

CJ could be that guy... but it's impossible to say for sure right now. I guess we can just sit on our hands and wait to see how it plays out.

I actually think Nic and Wes are fine. Our starting five is playing great right now. We just need that one threat off the bench that can go off for 30 on any given night. I don't think Mo can do that.
 
CJ's got all the makings. Can't wait to find out, but don't want him to rush back.
 
HailBlazers said:
CJ's got all the makings. Can't wait to find out, but don't want him to rush back.
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I agree, I just think it's going to take some time for him to shake the rust off. He missed a lot of time the past year and a half.





Combination guard whose game is marked by a lethal capacity for scoring ... Averaged 21.9 points per game in 3 ½ season in Bethlehem ... His off the dribble variety is elite—hesitation, rocker and crossover—excellent shiftiness and ability to burst through an open seam ... He can score from anywhere, a truly unpredictable defensive assignment in the half court ... Highly efficient in both isolation offense and the pick & roll, resulting in a score % of 49.2% and 45.7% as a senior in each respective situation ... Renowned for his comfort level dribbling into a jumper from mid-range or distance; he’s also above 1 PPP shooting off screens and spotting up ... He converted 33 three-pointers (52%) in 12 games last season ... Hunts cheap points at the free throw line (6.7 attempts for his career, 82% accuracy) – has added 35-40 pounds since first arriving on campus and shows a proclivity for using his 200 lb. frame to draw contact ... Capable of making appropriate in-air body adjustments following a bump ... Plays with a palpable air of confidence; for every defensive design, he has the ability to counter ... Cool under pressure in the deciding moments of the biggest games ... Well-schooled and intelligent, operates like he’s seen it all before ... Singlehandedly carried Lehigh to heights unforeseen. Plays well within the team concept, yet still possesses the one on one package to break away from it when necessary. 6’6 wingspan-- major factor on both backboards (6.3 career, 7.8 sophomore) and creates absolute havoc in passing lanes (2.1 steals) ... From a mental acuity and physical maturity standpoint, he’s ready.
Click to expand...

CJ certainly has the skillset to be that guy
 
Natebishop3 said:
I disagree. I think Fez is right. I think we need a Manu. We need a guy who can come in off the bench and fill it up while the starters are resting. A Nick Van Exel. And I don't think Mo is that guy. He's too streaky.

CJ could be that guy... but it's impossible to say for sure right now. I guess we can just sit on our hands and wait to see how it plays out.

I actually think Nic and Wes are fine. Our starting five is playing great right now. We just need that one threat off the bench that can go off for 30 on any given night. I don't think Mo can do that.
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And Nick van excel wasn't streaky? He's just like mo williams. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news since you are obsessed with bashing him every chance you get. Nick and him were extremely similar. He shot so many of his teams out of games as he had gone off on.

We are talking about opening a championship window not improving the team incrementally. My guess is we'll do well but have a glaring problem in the playoffs that Neil fixes over the summer with a consolidation trade. Veteran talent. Perhaps an all star level player that is unhappy.

hoop fam
 
EL PRESIDENTE said:
And Nick van excel wasn't streaky? He's just like mo williams. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news since you are obsessed with bashing him every chance you get. Nick and him were extremely similar. He shot so many of his teams out of games as he had gone off on.

We are talking about opening a championship window not improving the team incrementally. My guess is we'll do well but have a glaring problem in the playoffs that Neil fixes over the summer with a consolidation trade. Veteran talent. Perhaps an all star level player that is unhappy.

hoop fam
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No way is Mo Williams similar to Nick Van Exel. It's not even close.

Maybe you don't remember, but it was Van Exel that made the difference in that playoff series against the Blazers in 2002-2003. Dirk got his, but Nick hit huge shot after huge shot for the Mavs. Dude was unstoppable. Mo might be able to create his own shot, but Nick was one of the best scorers in the league for a while. They're not even close to the same player.
 
Yeah but he's also shot his teams out of games and series as well. I watched him all through his laker years. You only remember the Big games. He was in Dallas like one year. Nick was streaky as hell and made really bad choices and forced shots out of the offense at end of games.

Mo has shot better over his career from the field and from behind the arc. They are close in ppg.... They are very similar you are just clouded by your hate and it reflects on every post you make

hoop fam
 
Natebishop3 said:
Maybe you don't remember, but it was Van Exel that made the difference in that playoff series against the Blazers in 2002-2003. Dirk got his, but Nick hit huge shot after huge shot for the Mavs. Dude was unstoppable.
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And you would have been calling for NVE's head 10 games into the season too.

hoop fam
 
Fez Hammersticks said:
For who? And why?

Lillard is a starting PG on a title contending team.
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Dunno. He will probably want out soon. Don't know if it's feasible anyway.

I don't think we'll make huge moves this year. Just see how we do in playoffs and go from there.



hoop fam
 
If we do want to contend this year we need a shot blocking backup center and a more experienced PF more than anything else. Freeland and Trob are way too raw. I wouldn't trade them since I don't think are window is quite open yet. ... but they are.

hoop fam
 
Robinson/Leonard/future first(s) is about as good as we could offer.

And I don't think we're going to land a difference maker with wth package.

....unless we find a rebuilding team who are desperate to tank.

El Prez, you just described last years Asik.
 
Fez Hammersticks said:
Robinson/Leonard/future first(s) is about as good as we could offer.

And I don't think we're going to land a difference maker with wth package.

....unless we find a rebuilding team who are desperate to tank.

El Prez, you just described last years Asik.
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Yeah but people wanted to trade Aldridge to get him.

We can't match salaries well so we're just going to have to make due with what we have for the time being. Just get more experience, stick to the game plan. The power of incremental change!

hoop fam
 
Correct. Van Exel career: .405 .357 .794; Williams .440 .386 .874 Not even really that close.
 
I listened to the video, and I am indifferent whether they talk about Portland or not. I guess it's cool. I just want them to know what they're talking about, which is why I feel stupid for even listening to Skippy's take.

Smith stated his opinion: the Blazers are 1 piece away from a title, and a legitimate contender out west in the top tier with OKC and SA.

He supports that opinion with: the Blazers are long, strong, big, young, and have the horses to beat any team in the NBA on any given night, with 2 legit go to guys when they need a basket.

OK, maybe a little optimistic since the Blazers are forging new ground here, but point taken.

Skippy plays devil's advocate: he's not so sure.

Skippy's support: Portland lost the last 13 games of the season.

Without any consideration of how or why Portland lost those games, that's his objection. Let's look at those 13 games and identify the correlations to this season, since it's such a great point, and the only reason he provides is in difference to Smith.

1) JJ Hickson started at center avg 26.3 mpg 7.7 rpg 0.33 bpg 10.6 ppg in that 13 game stretch

Robin Lopez plays center now avg 30.1 mpg 8.5 rpg 1.48 bpg 10.8 ppg this season (21 games).

2) Meyers Leonard was playing 24.5 mpg in 7 games off the bench, and 32.5 mpg in the 6 games he started because LA was injured.

Leonard has played 3rd string this season in 4 games with 1 min, 14 min, 5 min, and the 12 min blow out quarter versus Utah.

3) Victor Claver started 8 games during that 13 game stretch averaging 28.4 mpg for an injured Batum who DNP those 8 games

Claver has played 3rd string this season in 3 games for 1 minute or less each time.

4) Will Barton started 6 games in that 13 game stretch averaging 36.8 mpg for an injured Wes Matthews who DNP those 6 games.

Barton has played 3rd string this season in 7 games, 4 games for 1 min, and games of 5, 7, and the 12 min blowout quarter vs Utah.

5) Eric Maynor came of the bench every game that stretch and averaged 21.6 mpg.

This season, Maynor is averaging 10.6 min on a Wash team with a broken Beal.


In case Skippy missed it: LA DNP 6 games, Wes DNP 6 games, and Batum DNP 8 games of the 13. In fact, only 2 of the final 13 games featured the starting line up of Hickson, LA, Wes, Dame, and Batum.

6) Nolan Smith, Luke Babbit, Jarred Jeffries, and Sasha Pavlovic, are no longer on the roster, or even in the NBA as players.

Wright, Williams, Robinson, Watson (CJ and Crabb) are new additions to the bench this season, and all have taken minutes from the remaining bench of Barton, Claver, and Leonard.

Freeland is the one exception, and his play has improved exponentially, improving in every statistical category over last season, to speak nothing of his intangibles that don't show up on the box score.


Mind you, Skippy's objection was not that Portland could get injured, it was only that they lost 13 in a row. So my question, what the fuck does the 13 game losing streak to end last season have anything to do with this season?

Bueller? I mean - Bayless? Bayless?

17-4 best record in the West, and he's talking about a 13 game losing streak from last season. Skippy is a cue card jackass, and an OKC fanboy to boot.
 
Two pages so far on what Screamin A Smith thinks, and not bash of him because it's actually positive?

LOL

The man literally knows nothing about anything
 
Mediocre Man said:
Two pages so far on what Screamin A Smith thinks, and not bash of him because it's actually positive?

LOL

The man literally knows nothing about anything
Click to expand...

Boy, this act isn't getting old.


Anyways, I think the team is 1 piece away, BUT that 1 piece is going to be hard to find or get.
 
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