Rastapopoulos
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2008
- Messages
- 42,381
- Likes
- 26,784
- Points
- 113
When I first became a Blazers fan in 1990, I was drawn to the Drexler-Porter team's style of play - relentless rebounding and running. I suffered through the slow-down, halfcourt years in between, suited to our star players (Brandon Roy and then Dame) but now we're back to playing sped-up, defense-forward basketball and I love it. I firmly believe that a team that has a system/style of play can raise the game of scrubs (look at OKC, for example, which manages to have a conveyor-belt of new contributors, and while some of it is Presti's drafting, I have a suspicion that players like Wiggins and Mitchell wouldn't look so good on other teams), but it definitely requires buy-in from stars (if Jordan hadn't agreed to the Triangle, Phil Jackson wouldn't've lasted the year). Do we have the right players for the Chauncey/Splitter system? Obviously Jrue, Toumani, Deni, Matisse, Timelord and Blake Wesley are ideal. It remains to be seen if Scoot can blend in, but I'm optimistic. But Dame and Yang, for example, seem totally unsuited. And, perhaps more seriously, I'm worried about Shaedon and Clingan. Reassure me, someone. Because if I have to choose between The System and The Players, right now I choose The System, but it would be shitty to have to unload Clingan or Sharpe.

