Stotts may want a high Draft pick

[PtldPlatypus]

Stotts was on Rip City Mornings this morning, and basically implied that Dame isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing late in the 4th--that is, he's supposed to make plays, either for himself or others, but that (what we've termed) hero ball is not the order of the day.

Honestly, I think Terry is giving Dame (and now CJ) too much leeway. He needs to actually coach the last few minutes of the 4th, instead of just rolling the ball out there and hoping the guys can hold the lead on their own.

 

[blue9]

Honestly, I think Terry is giving Dame (and now CJ) too much leeway. He needs to actually coach the last few minutes of the 4th, instead of just rolling the ball out there and hoping the guys can hold the lead on their own.

But that seems to be Terry's MO. He's a very hands-off coach. He gives the team a very loose framework and little else, relying on the players to make something happen rather than making specific demands to achieve a certain result. About the only time Terry uses a set play is out of a time out, otherwise it's almost entirely freelancing within his 3-Man Weave "flow" offense.

 

[blue9]

Stotts was on Rip City Mornings this morning, and basically implied that Dame isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing late in the 4th--that is, he's supposed to make plays, either for himself or others, but that (what we've termed) hero ball is not the order of the day.

Also, kinda goes against what he said post-game:

Just get the ball to Dame. He has the freedom to create what he wants to get. Six seconds is a lot of time to do a lot of things.

Six seconds is not a lot of time. Sure, it's plenty of time if you have a plan, but clearly he DOESN'T have a plan. Getting the ball with 6 seconds left against a set defense is not a lot of time when you have to freelance and make something up on the spot.

 

[TBpup]

I love the draft during the off season. I fucking hate when people root for ping pong balls during the season.

I don't think people are rooting for more ping pong balls but looking at the silver lining of mounting losses as the opportunity to get an impact play. That is just the reality of where Portland is. I'd love it if they were up competing with G-State but they're not and not close to it so if 25 wins get you the #4 spot and 3o wins gets you the #9 spot, what real value did those extra 5 wins get you versus how much it cost in who you add to your team?

 

[Strenuus]

I don't think people are rooting for more ping pong balls but looking at the silver lining of mounting losses as the opportunity to get an impact play. That is just the reality of where Portland is. I'd love it if they were up competing with G-State but they're not and not close to it so if 25 wins get you the #4 spot and 3o wins gets you the #9 spot, what real value did those extra 5 wins get you versus how much it cost in who you add to your team?

EXACTLY.

 

[Blazers Roy]

I don't think people are rooting for more ping pong balls but looking at the silver lining of mounting losses as the opportunity to get an impact play. That is just the reality of where Portland is. I'd love it if they were up competing with G-State but they're not and not close to it so if 25 wins get you the #4 spot and 3o wins gets you the #9 spot, what real value did those extra 5 wins get you versus how much it cost in who you add to your team?

Sixers vortex.

 

[tlongII]

I love the draft during the off season. I fucking hate when people root for ping pong balls during the season.

But we suck.

 

[Blazinaway]

I don't think people are rooting for more ping pong balls but looking at the silver lining of mounting losses as the opportunity to get an impact play. That is just the reality of where Portland is. I'd love it if they were up competing with G-State but they're not and not close to it so if 25 wins get you the #4 spot and 3o wins gets you the #9 spot, what real value did those extra 5 wins get you versus how much it cost in who you add to your team?

yep

 

[Natebishop3]

If I let myself get sad and angry after every loss this season, like I would during a contending year, I would probably have already jumped off that new bridge.

 

[TBpup]

If I let myself get sad and angry after every loss this season, like I would during a contending year, I would probably have already jumped off that new bridge.

This year has to be looked at in different terms or we would all go nuts. Player development and court time even if it means not as many wins. Being okay with a few less wins that puts us in better position for an impact player to go with Dame. As of now, we are one of 3 teams tied for 7th which means we could be all the way down at #9. One less win and one more loss an we're tied for #5 which could be a 4 spot improvement for one crummy game.

Big picture...

 

[VanillaGorilla]

This year has to be looked at in different terms or we would all go nuts.

No it doesn't. I'm not going to go nuts or jump off a bridge just because I want us to win as many games as possible.

 

[TBpup]

No it doesn't. I'm not going to go nuts or jump off a bridge just because I want us to win as many games as possible.

Perhaps both Nate and I weren't being literal.

 

[Natebishop3]

No it doesn't. I'm not going to go nuts or jump off a bridge just because I want us to win as many games as possible.

Again, this isn't what we're talking about. We're not saying that we're actively hoping the team loses games. We're saying that when we do lose, we write the losses off as "one more loss that could bring us closer to Ben Simmons."

I don't know about you, but when I'm really invested in a season and I think we've got a shot at maybe contending, a loss really really puts me in a sour mood. The Ducks, for example, have really put me in a funk when they lose games. Getting smashed in the Natty last year not only soured me on watching the Ducks, but from watching sports in general, for months and months. Getting so close to winning it all only to have it crushed was really heart breaking.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Again, this isn't what we're talking about. We're not saying that we're actively hoping the team loses games. We're saying that when we do lose, we write the losses off as "one more loss that could bring us closer to Ben Simmons."

I don't know about you, but when I'm really invested in a season and I think we've got a shot at maybe contending, a loss really really puts me in a sour mood. The Ducks, for example, have really put me in a funk when they lose games. Getting smashed in the Natty last year not only soured me on watching the Ducks, but from watching sports in general, for months and months. Getting so close to winning it all only to have it crushed was really heart breaking.

I'm pretty sure some people are genuinely hoping we lose. There are tons of posts here that boil down to how wins are pointless and we should lose as much as possible. Those are the posts that really make me think people are rooting for the team to lose. I understand wanting to find the silver lining after a loss but when talking about games before or during them I really don't like seeing people basically say that a loss is the better outcome. There's a difference between thinking "Oh well, we'll get a better pick" after a loss and having that be your constant attitude like the posts that basically say winning games doesn't matter at all. I guess I'm just not a "future fan", meaning I pretty much just root for the team we have as is no matter what, I don't really worry about the future of the team. I'm not trying to say that everyone has to think exactly like I do but it does get a little annoying constantly seeing people actually seem glad that we're losing. But I've been trying to just ignore it and I'll probably let this be the last time I talk about it since it's not gonna do any good for me or anyone else.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm pretty sure some people are genuinely hoping we lose. There are tons of posts here that boil down to how wins are pointless and we should lose as much as possible. Those are the posts that really make me think people are rooting for the team to lose. I understand wanting to find the silver lining after a loss but when talking about games before or during them I really don't like seeing people basically say that a loss is the better outcome. There's a difference between thinking "Oh well, we'll get a better pick" after a loss and having that be your constant attitude like the posts that basically say winning games doesn't matter at all. I guess I'm just not a "future fan", meaning I pretty much just root for the team we have as is no matter what, I don't really worry about the future of the team. I'm not trying to say that everyone has to think exactly like I do but it does get a little annoying constantly seeing people actually seem glad that we're losing. But I've been trying to just ignore it and I'll probably let this be the last time I talk about it since it's not gonna do any good for me or anyone else.

I honestly don't think I could sit down, watch a game, and HOPE we lose. It's just not in my nature. But when we do lose, I tend to look at the box score and look for positives and then chalk it up as another ping pong ball. I also joke a lot about tanking, but if I really thought we should actively try to lose, I would say bench Dame and start Frazier!

 

[BBert]

I'm with Nate. I want our players to play well. I root to pull out wins.

But when we don't, I'm not upset that we lost and that we aren't going to make the playoffs, because I see this as a developmental year, and I believe we need a solid draft pick (preferably top 5) to get to the next level anyway.

I can't root for losses, it just isn't in me, but I can logically be content with the knowledge that losses aren't a bad thing when, first, we aren't going to win anything with this team anyway, and second, we need to add a real talent (most likely via draft) or we never will.

 

[blue9]

I suppose I'd go so far as to say, intellectually, I do want us to lose. I don't want us to TRY to lose (that'd be awful and truly offend me), but looking at the big picture I want to have one of the worst records at season's end. But when a game is being played I always want to win. So throughout the season I'll flick back and forth between big picture when we're not playing and small picture when we are playing. I can do this because:

1 - I KNOW that we're going to be bad this season, and the only difference between mediocre and terrible is draft position.
2 - We NEED to draft an impact player.
3 - We won't become good enough through internal growth alone.
4 - We won't sign an impact player.
5 - It's doubtful we can trade for an impact player.
6 - The only important thing this season is DEVELOPMENT. Letting Dame, Plumlee, Meyers, Davis, and Harkless add new elements to their game, playing through mistakes should be a win/win scenario.

 

[BBert]

I think 'development' has a lot to do with why at times Stotts doesn't make certain 'adjustments', instead choosing to put players in a position where they have to work on something that, frankly, they need to work on.

It's all good!

 

[blue9]

I think 'development' has a lot to do with why at times Stotts doesn't make certain 'adjustments', instead choosing to put players in a position where they have to work on something that, frankly, they need to work on.

It's all good!

I wish I could believe that, but when we were "contenders" (ha!) he didn't make adjustments either. So...

 

[Strenuus]

I'm with Nate. I want our players to play well. I root to pull out wins.

But when we don't, I'm not upset that we lost and that we aren't going to make the playoffs, because I see this as a developmental year, and I believe we need a solid draft pick (preferably top 5) to get to the next level anyway.

I can't root for losses, it just isn't in me, but I can logically be content with the knowledge that losses aren't a bad thing when, first, we aren't going to win anything with this team anyway, and second, we need to add a real talent (most likely via draft) or we never will.

I don't root for losses, either.

It's not a black or white, all-or-nothing like some want to think it is. You can root for a win, and not care if we lose. It's fine. If there's been a year in the last 6 years to be okay with losses, it's this one. Enjoy it, you dont have many years like this. And that's a GOOD thing.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I honestly don't think I could sit down, watch a game, and HOPE we lose. It's just not in my nature. But when we do lose, I tend to look at the box score and look for positives and then chalk it up as another ping pong ball. I also joke a lot about tanking, but if I really thought we should actively try to lose, I would say bench Dame and start Frazier!

Fair enough.

Go Blazers!