Stepping Up

[e_blazer]

Here's a Monday conversation starter: As I see it, the Blazers have a lot of young guys who could really step up their games this year and help the team's chances of making the playoffs. In fact, I'd say if the Blazers are going to become a playoff team, players are going to have to make bigger contributions than they have in the past.

LMA, Matthews, Williams and Wright are pretty much players who are what they are. I don't see big improvement coming from any of them, although I'd sure like to see LMA go into LaMonster mode. Freeland, Claver, Crabbe, Barton and Watson all feel like bit players to me, so their improvement isn't a big concern. So, for the sake of discussion, which of the following players do you think is most likely to make a significant improvement over last season? Additionally, who's improvement do think is the most important to the team's chances?

Damian Lillard
Nic Batum
Robin Lopez
C.J. McCollum
Thomas Robinson
Meyers Leonard

 

[THE HCP]

Damn brother, let me take a shower and get some breakfast first.


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You take showers?

 

[dviss1]

Damian Lillard
Nic Batum
Robin Lopez
C.J. McCollum
Thomas Robinson
Meyers Leonard

I think we can expect improvement from Dame. I think out of the players above Nic Batum is the X Factor. He needs to have significant improvement if this team is to take it to the next level.

 

[e_blazer]

Damn brother, let me take a shower and get some breakfast first.


Sent from my baller ass iPad FAMS!

Man, how long does it take you for a quickie, dump, shower and a pop tart?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Damian Lillard

If he could make the leap that Brandon Roy made after his ROY year (both were older rookies), I would be ecstatic. But mainly I want fewer minutes from him and better defense.

Nic Batum

Sigh. Every year I keep hoping Batum will explode. Every year there are signs (last year's 5-by-5, for example) but he remains maddeningly inconsistent. He's too content to fade into the background and I've noticed worrying signs of laxness on defense. But if there's one player on the Blazers who could step up to all-star level, it's him. (Lillard is stuck behind too many other good PGs to make it to all-star).

Robin Lopez

If he can just stay healthy and duplicate last year's breakout year for him, that would be gravy.

C.J. McCollum

Getting Mo means we likely won't see more than spot minutes from CJ (no dots, supposedly) unless somebody gets injured. Which is a shame.

Thomas Robinson

I really want Robinson to be good. He's certainly a gifted rebounder. However, watching him in Summer League led me to think he's still incredibly raw (more like someone fresh out of high school than a college player, let alone a second year player) and pretty inept on offense. If he could be persuaded to try to be Dennis Rodman and to stop thinking he's Scottie Pippen, then that would be great. As it is, if Aldridge goes down we're pretty much screwed.

Meyers Leonard

I really really don't like Leonard's game. If he could undergo the "Bald Matt Geiger" transformation, I'd change my views, but as it is, he's a 7-footer who plays smaller than CJ. I think he's more of a "bit player" than the following:

Will Barton: He got big minutes on our Summer League team (at the expense of Crabbe, for example), and they were playing him at the 1. What can we read from that? That they recognize that CJ can't play point? That they want Will to at least TRY to acknowledge the existence of other players on the court? He was still totally out of control and showed no evidence of an improved three point shot (what happened to the 500 shots a day?) but he's also incredibly dynamic, and genuinely talented. If he could ever become a bit more under control, and if he got it into his head (like someone like Tony Allen) that defense was the way he was going to stick in the league, and focused on that, he'd be a fan fave off the bench.

Victor Claver: Kind of the anti-Will. Where Will is too wild and has too much self-confidence and tries to do way too much, Claver is somebody who is more talented than he's showing. Remember that alley-oop that CJ threw? Claver showed the kind of hops he hasn't shown since he won the ACB dunk contest (partly because it wasn't the best pass from CJ). He looks so smooth out there. But he plays too timidly. Again: somebody needs to get on his case as much as on Batum's.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think we know what we will get from LMA and Wes.

I am not as sure about Nic and Damian. I don't think they are as close to their ceiling as LMA and Wes are. If both improve we will be pretty good. But we definitely need one of them to.

 

[jlprk]

If Batum contributes $10 million worth of basketball, that will win him the team MIP award.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Its probably a little odd to say this given how happy I am with the offseason moves we made but Im kind of bummed about Claver. I really feel like Claver would have been ready to take the next step. Im not saying he will ever starter material but I think he could be a great Batum-lite off the bench if you will. However I dont think he will now get enough minutes to make that jump. It seemed like consistent playing time was a big factor in his improvement and with our bench additions I dont think the minutes will be there. He is pretty versatile though. He can play the 2,3 and 4 in certain situations. I hope the coaching staff can find minutes for him.

 

[e_blazer]

I think we'll see Claver get some minutes as a stretch 4 this season. Hopefully, he's been working on his jumper because if he wants to see some floor time he's going to need it.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think we'll see Claver get some minutes as a stretch 4 this season. Hopefully, he's been working on his jumper because if he wants to see some floor time he's going to need it.

I don't see where those minutes are going to come from, unless Robinson completely tanks it.

 

[e_blazer]

I don't see where those minutes are going to come from, unless Robinson completely tanks it.

I think it will be dependent upon the matchups. Robinson is a pure power forward and very good rebounder, but he doesn't have the ability to draw his man outside to open things up in the middle. I could see Claver being inserted in the lineup when LMA is moved to the 5 spot in small ball situations. Not saying it will be used a lot, but I think that there will be times when it will be effective.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think it will be dependent upon the matchups. Robinson is a pure power forward and very good rebounder, but he doesn't have the ability to draw his man outside to open things up in the middle. I could see Claver being inserted in the lineup when LMA is moved to the 5 spot in small ball situations. Not saying it will be used a lot, but I think that there will be times when it will be effective.

Why would Claver need to be in the lineup when Aldridge is at the five? If anything, we'll need Robinson's interior scoring and rebounding when Aldridge is jacking up 20 footers.

 

[e_blazer]

Why would Claver need to be in the lineup when Aldridge is at the five? If anything, we'll need Robinson's interior scoring and rebounding when Aldridge is jacking up 20 footers.

I didn't say he'd "need to be" in the lineup. I think that there are times when the other team is playing two big slower guys at the 4 and 5 that moving Claver into the lineup will create some mismatches and may open things up for LMA to take the ball to the hole...something that I'm hoping he'll do more of this season.

 

[Natebishop3]

I didn't say he'd "need to be" in the lineup. I think that there are times when the other team is playing two big slower guys at the 4 and 5 that moving Claver into the lineup will create some mismatches and may open things up for LMA to take the ball to the hole...something that I'm hoping he'll do more of this season.

I really wasn't that impressed with his shooting. Hell, you could probably play Nic at power forward in a true small ball situation.

 

[e_blazer]

I really wasn't that impressed with his shooting. Hell, you could probably play Nic at power forward in a true small ball situation.

I don't see Claver getting more than spot minutes at SF so, if the wants to play, he'd better have been working on his shot because adding some minutes at stretch 4 is the only chance he's got to see much court time.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't see Claver getting more than spot minutes at SF so, if the wants to play, he'd better have been working on his shot because adding some minutes at stretch 4 is the only chance he's got to see much court time.

You're probably right, but I'm hoping he doesn't see the court much. I'd rather the minutes be doled out elsewhere.