Tank for Wembanyama

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I'm a little disappointed that the even-skinnier John Butler didn't get a chance to play in the Pels' first preseason game.
 
Rastapopoulos said:
The trouble with that plan is that's more likely to lead to injuries. People keep comparing him with Ralph Sampson, which is fair (and ominous) but anyone remember Rik Smits? Nowhere near as athletic, but his early years were just constant injuries because they kept trying to bulk him up and his frame couldn't take it. Finally Larry Brown said he could be skinny and the Pacers almost made it past Shaq's Magic to the finals.

They showed a picture of Wembanyama next to Gobert yesterday, with the point being to illustrate how much taller the kid is, but it also illustrated that he has comparatively much narrower shoulders:

FeauaJOUAAAUPaj
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Yikes.
 
Imagine writing this before the season starts. Lmao.
 
A couple of thoughts on this:
  • The commitment to rebuilding/tanking should have been made when we fired Olshey. Before we traded parts of our future for Grant. Before we gave Ant such a large deal. Before we gave Dame half of Oregon as an extension.
  • The team has looked lousy in the preseason, but there's been nothing that should change anyone's mind about how successful this team is going to be... I see our team being mediocre, best case, over the next couple of years and so I see the results so far this preseason and nod my head, thinking I have stuff figured out. Others who see a team that will challenge for HCA will look at the the results and shrug and presumably say the games don't matter, and they'll have the same optimism that the current roster will gel and stay healthy and do all the goo d things.
 
Bingo Bango said:
Seriously? His mom is a coach? Good Lord. That’s a sure-fire ticket to success in the NBA!!
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so spot on with the sarcasm. Nothing worse then a talented player who has a knowledgeable mentor... like being a coach's son. Is that still an insult?

STOMP
 
STOMP said:
so spot on with the sarcasm. Nothing worse then a talented player who has a knowledgeable mentor... like being a coach's son. Is that still an insult?

STOMP
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only if that coach is a woman. Then it has no meaning.
 
Ed O said:
A couple of thoughts on this:
  • The commitment to rebuilding/tanking should have been made when we fired Olshey. Before we traded parts of our future for Grant. Before we gave Ant such a large deal. Before we gave Dame half of Oregon as an extension.
  • The team has looked lousy in the preseason, but there's been nothing that should change anyone's mind about how successful this team is going to be... I see our team being mediocre, best case, over the next couple of years and so I see the results so far this preseason and nod my head, thinking I have stuff figured out. Others who see a team that will challenge for HCA will look at the the results and shrug and presumably say the games don't matter, and they'll have the same optimism that the current roster will gel and stay healthy and do all the goo d things.
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The Clippers trade was the point of stupidity for this franchise. The team has lots of possible directions to take for a rebuild: could've either traded those guys and picks for vets to contend with Dame, or tore everything down for youth and rebuild.

Instead we sent out talent, and in return got "flexibility" that predictably turned into a bunch of shit in GP2, the hard cap, Didi, and little else.

The off-season doubled down on more poor decisions. Sharpe might've been the only interesting hope. But he looks now to be even more of an extreme longshot than at the draft. He needed to be the type of MVP home run pick the team had to hit to salvage all the other terrible decisions.

This franchise now is in a position with not enough veteran talent to ever contend with Dame, overpaid mediocre starters in Nurk/Ant, and much less young talent than rebuilding franchises.

There is no one or two or three year solution for this franchise to get on an elite track.

I guess tanking for Wemba sounds to some like the best of a number of bad options.

The problem is even if the Blazers win the Wemba lottery, and then even if he becomes an all-star, the franchise is nowhere near being contenders.
 
WesleyMatthews said:
even if the Blazers win the Wemba lottery, and then even if he becomes an all-star, the franchise is nowhere near being contenders.
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Disagree. Portland with VW added to the current mix would have me extremely optimistic for the near future. Extreme longshot to land him, but the team that does is likely in the conversation for a while

STOMP
 
Ed O said:
A couple of thoughts on this:
  • The commitment to rebuilding/tanking should have been made when we fired Olshey. Before we traded parts of our future for Grant. Before we gave Ant such a large deal. Before we gave Dame half of Oregon as an extension.
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Well, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. Second best time is now.

I hate the idea of trading Dame, but when I look at what Utah got for their clearance sale, it seems to me a way better route than what we've got right now. Dame can be traded Jan 8, and he's making almost exactly the same as Westbrook. Those 2026 and 2027 picks could be absolute gold once LeBron is done. We wouldn't necessarily have to sit on them--but could use them as further trade assets in another deal. But there are probably much better deals out there to get us underway on our rebuild.

But yeah, it would've been a lot better if we'd gone this far down the road.
 
WesleyMatthews said:
The problem is even if the Blazers win the Wemba lottery, and then even if he becomes an all-star, the franchise is nowhere near being contenders.
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I think a nucleus of Wemba, Ant and Sharpe could become a contender in a few years' time. All three of those guys have 30ppg potential. Just a question of whether the other two can reach their potential, and if Wemba can avoid the ingury problems that similar guys (Yao, Porzingas, etc) suffered through.
 
mook said:
I think a nucleus of Wemba, Ant and Sharpe could become a contender in a few years' time. All three of those guys have 30ppg potential. Just a question of whether the other two can reach their potential, and if Wemba can avoid the ingury problems that similar guys (Yao, Porzingas, etc) suffered through.
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Sure; if you add two more longshot statements;

If the Blazers win the Wemba lottery
If Wemba becomes a healthy allstar
If Aunt realizes his 30ppg potential
If Sharpe turns out to be a home run pick

Then maybe the Blazers could contend.

Most NBA teams could contend when hitting 1 or 2 unlikely events. All 30 teams in the NBA could contend when hitting 4 unlikely events. How likely is all of that to happen outside of unrealistic hope from homer Blazers fans?

If Sebastian Telfair became a starting level PG, if Martell Webster stayed healthy and scored 20 ppg, if ZBO had been as mature as at Memphis, if Outlaw had the work ethic of Kobe, if Darius Miles realized his elite athletic potential; maybe that team would've been elite. Instead reality gave us the worst Blazers roster in the last 50 years with 21 wins in 2006.
 
mook said:
I think a nucleus of Wemba, Ant and Sharpe could become a contender in a few years' time. All three of those guys have 30ppg potential. Just a question of whether the other two can reach their potential, and if Wemba can avoid the ingury problems that similar guys (Yao, Porzingas, etc) suffered through.
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What the hell are you talking about? This is classic Trail Blazer fantasy stuff. You don’t tank an entire season for a 33 percent chance of getting a great player. Portland could very easily throw away an entire season for nothing. And considering Portland’s track record, that’s exactly what would happen.
 
Bingo Bango said:
What the hell are you talking about? This is classic Trail Blazer fantasy stuff. You don’t tank an entire season for a 33 percent chance of getting a great player. Portland could very easily throw away an entire season for nothing. And considering Portland’s track record, that’s exactly what would happen.
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Counter point some would make; the Blazers are currently throwing away an entire season in a doomed to fail attempt to win with Dame.

Not saying I agree with or want that tanking direction. But I can understand why some are very unexcited to go forward with this roster as is, and wish the direction was different.
 
HailBlazers said:
If anyone wants to trade Dame to the Lakers they can quit being a Blazer fan right now.
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If the Lakers could give up 4 unprotected picks and a number of swaps I'd consider it. With how shitty this Blazers roster is I really don't care what other teams win as the Blazers have no chance at contending any time soon. Sure Dame and the Lakers might get a title, but they also might not, and that franchise will likely be decimated in the long term. Main priority should be getting whatever return of assets is best for the Blazers to contend ~5+ years in the future.

Since the Lakers have shit for assets I wouldn't consider trading Dame there though.
 
Bingo Bango said:
What the hell are you talking about? This is classic Trail Blazer fantasy stuff. You don’t tank an entire season for a 33 percent chance of getting a great player. Portland could very easily throw away an entire season for nothing. And considering Portland’s track record, that’s exactly what would happen.
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Counterpoint: is it any more of a wild-arse gamble than betting on Simons/Grant/Nurk?

IMHO, the difference between tanking or not with the current roster is whether we pick high in the lotto or low. I just don't see a successful* season as a realistic goal.

* Granted, I am a tough grader. Even if we make the play-offs another first round beatdown doesn't meet my idea of success. :dunno:
 
not to mention he would leave Portland asap to go to a major market right when the team would be contending. This is not a tanking roster. too many players need stat lines this season. you cant ask guys to miss shots or sit an entire season.
 
WesleyMatthews said:
The Clippers trade was the point of stupidity for this franchise. The team has lots of possible directions to take for a rebuild: could've either traded those guys and picks for vets to contend with Dame, or tore everything down for youth and rebuild.

Instead we sent out talent, and in return got "flexibility" that predictably turned into a bunch of shit in GP2, the hard cap, Didi, and little else.
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Not a fan of Winslow or Keon? I kind of like both.
 
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