There Is A Bigger Picture Here

[wizenheimer]

for me, the big picture is this:

Curry 30
Dame 28
Klay 28
Green 28
CJ 27
Nurkic 24

the Warriors aren't going to be fading in Dame's prime. They are going to be great for the next 4 or 5 years. I don't want to hear stuff about Zach or Simons. Role players are not core stars.

all that wouldn't be too discouraging if the Blazers were something like 6-11 or 7-11 against the Warriors the last 3 times they've faced them in the playoffs. But Portland is 1-11 and the one win came when Curry didn't play. IMO, there's simply not enough room for Blazer organic growth to close the gap enough to change the situation. And that's even assuming a healthy Nurkic. Right now, Golden State is Portland's kryptonite, and I can't see a realistic path thru them for the Blazers.

maybe that's a bit of overreaction; I mean, it's not like we won't see some good Blazer basketball over the next few years

 

[tlongII]

for me, the big picture is this:

Curry 30
Dame 28
Klay 28
Green 28
CJ 27
Nurkic 24

the Warriors aren't going to be fading in Dame's prime. They are going to be great for the next 4 or 5 years. I don't want to hear stuff about Zach or Simons. Role players are not core stars.

all that wouldn't be too discouraging if the Blazers were something like 6-11 or 7-11 against the Warriors the last 3 times they've faced them in the playoffs. But Portland is 1-11 and the one win came when Curry didn't play. IMO, there's simply not enough room for Blazer organic growth to close the gap enough to change the situation. And that's even assuming a healthy Nurkic. Right now, Golden State is Portland's kryptonite, and I can't see a realistic path thru them for the Blazers.

maybe that's a bit of overreaction; I mean, it's not like we won't see some good Blazer basketball over the next few years

Zach and Simons both have the talent to become stars in this league.

 

[Minstrel]

Zach and Simons both have the talent to become stars in this league.

It's not impossible, but neither has played well enough where their median expectation is star-level, IMO. Right now, my expectation for them is that they become good, useful players.

 

[Phatguysrule]

It's not impossible, but neither has played well enough where their median expectation is star-level, IMO. Right now, my expectation for them is that they become good, useful players.

But isn't Zach already a good, useful player?

 

[wizenheimer]

Zach and Simons both have the talent to become stars in this league.

yeah, and 3 months ago Layman had the talent to become a star....now, not so much

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Coaching: Kerr vs. Stotts;

Talent at specific positions: Damon Green vs. Aminu/Harkless/Anyone else;

Experience: GS has been to this dance and playing for a threepeat vs. Blazers advancing to the WC Finals after a 19 year absence;

Experience: if we get to this place next year, we will be all the wiser;

Injuries: Nurkic vs. Cousins / Durant;

The bigger picture(s) is clear to me.....
only one team gets wins the title. And we are outmatched as it pertains to the bigger picture issues.

On the bright side, the above issues improve next year:

Our coaches can learn and grow (if not, fire them);

We have learned through these playoffs where our positional weaknesses truly lie: Small and Power forward (with Collins growing) - so clearly we need a legit wing that can score;

A return of Nurk will be a plus!

And with some luck, maybe we can be in a similar situation next year and see different results!

Overall, this has been the best year in 18 years!

Go Blazers. Fight.

 

[Minstrel]

But isn't Zach already a good, useful player?

IMO, he's currently an inconsistent role-player. Some nights, he's good and useful, other nights he's invisible or a negative. He needs to improve significantly to be the type of player that, as a starter, would be consistently good.

 

[James lamphear]

Zach will be about 13/7 and around 2 blocks a game this could be more Dame cj Nurk your main scorers that will pretty good. I believe if he starting next year that pretty good goal. Right there he will upgrade at power forward position.

 

[joeBlazers]

I'm sorry , but I believe we just aren't smart enough.
CJ took 10 3 pointers ( from 20 shots), missed 5 FTs (out of 12). CJ is a veteran. He knows he is a midrange player. Why does he take so many 3s?
To me, this is about experience and learning lessons. We want to play their game ... by letting guys who aren't shooters shoot so many long shots. We had 22 assists to them 27. That's really low. Against the Warriors, stick to your game plan and shoot 2s. Let them play the 3 its shot game.

 

[joeBlazers]

And this is where we have miserably failed. We play them 4 times / year. They have trashed us the last playoffs we met them. And we still haven't learned any lessons. Their strategy is simple: Trap our best player (and shooter) and turn other guys into 3 point shooters ... we aren't good enough at it.

I disagree. They play like the pre-Durant Warriors when he’s out - guard-oriented, lots of off ball movement and Green quarterbacking both the O and D. In their past 30 games in which Curry plays and Durant doesn’t, the Warriors are 29-1. We likely lose either way but I think we had a better chance with Durant in the lineup because that means the ball is not in Green’s hands. Green has been a one man wrecking crew in this series.

 

[Phatguysrule]

IMO, he's currently an inconsistent role-player. Some nights, he's good and useful, other nights he's invisible or a negative. He needs to improve significantly to be the type of player that, as a starter, would be consistently good.

From what I've seen he's always a positive... It's just if he gets on foul trouble or not. But that's just my opinion.

 

[PCmor7]

I'm still wondering why we were playing so aggressively trapping and blitzing their ball screens in the first half of Game 3 -- it seemed very effective. Then, in the third quarter, we were right back to the Game 1 philosophy of playing off their bigs on the high screen, which left their shooters wide open while our guards were getting pounded into dust.

 

[illmatic99]

But isn't Zach already a good, useful player?

debatable, when he actually stays on the floor

 

[illmatic99]

What i really want are athletes. Physical freaks who can dunk and block and withstand the rigors of the playoffs.

If Neil drafts a lanky big man or a diminutive guard again, I'm gonna be irate.