This is rock bottom

[Fez Hammersticks]

As Crawford headed to the bench late in the fourth quarter, with a Blazers loss in sight, a fan from the front row shouted, "It’s OK, Jamal. You’re going to be a Timberwolf soon."

-B.Edge


The cake is officially done and fell on the floor.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

I wish.

But I'm afraid we're still tripping down the stairs.

 

[OneSport3]

No, I think rock bottom will be on Sunday, March 18 when we could potentially return from this road trip 0-7. And the 3 games after the road trip will be Milwaukee, Memphis and @lakers; 3 very tough games...

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Brian Wheeler ‏ @blazerwheels

Considering they just lost by 32, & they have an 8-gm., 14-day road trip after Fri., this may not b the best time 2 play the Celtics!

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Look, we haven't much talent and we're playing at our talent level. This is nothing new in the NBA. If the right moves are made we can be a better team next year and the year after.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Look, we haven't much talent and we're playing at our talent level. This is nothing new in the NBA. If the right moves are made we can be a better team next year and the year after.

We actually have decent talent. Talent better than our record. What we have are pieces that either don't fit with each other, or the style of play our team has.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

We actually have decent talent. Talent better than our record. What we have are pieces that either don't fit with each other, or the style of play our team has.

I disagree- respectfully.

Look at our starters:

Failton D-
Batum B-
LA A-
Camby C? He plays so few minutes and has checked out for the most part.
Wallace- C to C+

That gives our starters an overall grade of C (at best)

Bench

We have no A or B reserves. Matthews and Crawful are a C.

Coach

McMillian C+

We have, overall, an average starting unit with PG & Center as our weakest positions (and they are the two most pivotal), easily one of the 3 worst group of reserve players in the NBA and a slightly better than average coach.

All that translates into a .400 team. And that's where we're headed.

 

[Blazinaway]

Look, we haven't much talent and we're playing at our talent level. This is nothing new in the NBA. If the right moves are made we can be a better team next year and the year after.

yep, we are a run of the mill team with little upside as currently structured, time for significant changes

However my biggest concern is inept mgmt at all levels, Prez-GM-scouting and an erratic owner who seems disinterested and perhaps considering selling

 

[Mediocre Man]

I disagree- respectfully.

Look at our starters:

Failton D-
Batum B-
LA A-
Camby C? He plays so few minutes and has checked out for the most part.
Wallace- C to C+

That gives our starters an overall grade of C (at best)

Bench

We have no A or B reserves. Matthews and Crawful are a C.

Coach

McMillian C+

We have, overall, an average starting unit with PG & Center as our weakest positions (and they are the two most pivotal), easily one of the 3 worst group of reserve players in the NBA and a slightly better than average coach.

All that translates into a .400 team. And that's where we're headed.

I agree with all of that. My point is not how they are playing this year, but what they have done over their careers.

Felton has always been slightly above average as a starter in the league, so C+
Batum is probably a B-
LA is an A
Camby is a solid B-
Wallace was an all star when we traded for him, so I give him a B or B- at worse.

So to me that looks like a slightly better than average team, yet we are below .500. We have a decent team, nothing more. However the pieces, for whatever reason, don't fit with each other or the system

 

[tlongII]

We have plenty of talent.

LA = A
Wallace = B+
Batum = B
Camby = B
Felton = D

The team is not performing to expectations. That is on the coach.

 

[Blazinaway]

We have plenty of talent.

LA = A
Wallace = B+
Batum = B
Camby = B
Felton = D

The team is not performing to expectations. That is on the coach.

Camby is IMO a d+, wallace a C+, and that equals a mediocre run of the mill lineup that will go nowhere

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I agree with all of that. My point is not how they are playing this year, but what they have done over their careers.

Felton has always been slightly above average as a starter in the league, so C+
Batum is probably a B-
LA is an A
Camby is a solid B-
Wallace was an all star when we traded for him, so I give him a B or B- at worse.

So to me that looks like a slightly better than average team, yet we are below .500. We have a decent team, nothing more. However the pieces, for whatever reason, don't fit with each other or the system

The only difference between how we evaluate the players is that I'm evaluating them as they play now and not in their best season of their career.

 

[Mediocre Man]

The only difference between how we evaluate the players is that I'm evaluating them as they play now and not in their best season of their career.

I didn't either. I tried to consider their entire body of work.

 

[BlazerBeav]

Camby is IMO a d+, wallace a C+, and that equals a mediocre run of the mill lineup that will go nowhere

Camby can't be a D+ given that half the rosters in this league don't even have a legit center.

 

[Blazinaway]

I didn't either. I tried to consider their entire body of work.

and age detioration must be considered which is why Camby deserves no more than a D+ amd why I give Wallace a C+ because so much of his game is based on athleticism.

 

[Blazinaway]

Camby can't be a D+ given that half the rosters in this league don't even have a legit center.

is Camby even a "legit" starting C anymore? he plays 23 minutes a game, is a non existant offensive threat, his D is poor and his shot blocking has fallen off a lot. Camby is an average NBA backup C who is forced to start cause we have no other choice

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I didn't either. I tried to consider their entire body of work.

No offense, but how can anyone think Felton has ever been, or could ever be, a C+ starting PG????

I mean, NBA shooters average about 45%, Failton averages 41%. Average 3-pt percentage is 36%, he's at 32%- and guards are supposed to be the high percentage shooters in this category. For PG's, he about average to below average in assists and turnover ratio. And as we have seen his turnovers in the 4th quarter are legendary for killing a game. No, he's a D player. Maybe, if I was feeling good and just laid HCP's wife a few times, I'd grudgingly give him a C-, but he doesn't deserve that.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

is Camby even a "legit" starting C anymore? he plays 23 minutes a game, is a non existant offensive threat, his D is poor and his shot blocking has fallen off a lot. Camby is an average NBA backup C who is forced to start cause we have no other choice

And that's what I'm talking about. For his career I'd give him a B. Good center. But his lackadaisical playing and inability to do many things now make him an average to less than average player.

 

[Brock]

LMAO.... some fan named blazers13 just posted this to LA on twitter

"@aldridge_12 liked u better when u were getting snubbed for all star games, least then u had heart

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

LMAO.... some fan named blazers13 just posted this to LA on twitter

"@aldridge_12 liked u better when u were getting snubbed for all star games, least then u had heart

I see, so blazers13 is another of your alias' as you posted the identical comment in a different thread. I am not sure if the 13 refers to your age or your bball IQ though.

Gramps...

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

We have talent, they just arent playing up to their ability and arent showing the heart needed to be a good and mentally tough team. They arent playing as a team, like they did at the start of the season. It's just a mess right now. It's a very frusterating time to be a Blazer fan.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

We have talent, they just arent playing up to their ability and arent showing the heart needed to be a good and mentally tough team. They arent playing as a team, like they did at the start of the season. It's just a mess right now. It's a very frusterating time to be a Blazer fan.

Or maybe they were playing over their heads early on.

 

[BBert]

LMAO.... some fan named blazers13 just posted this to LA on twitter

"@aldridge_12 liked u better when u were getting snubbed for all star games, least then u had heart

Jesus, was he supposed to score 100 points all by himself, guard all five players, and refuse to go to the bench after picking up ticky tack fouls? At one point he had something like 14 points in 10 minutes. That's a heavy team to be carrying on your back, and I'm not just talking about Felton.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Brock, the anti-blazer.

 

[RR7]

LMAO.... some fan named blazers13 just posted this to LA on twitter

"@aldridge_12 liked u better when u were getting snubbed for all star games, least then u had heart

https://twitter.com/#!/Blazers13

hmmm. no?

 

[Brock]

deleted?

 

[blue32]

If anyone needs some fucking heart, its Camby.

 

[magnifier661]

Sorry but we have the talent to at least be a winning ball club. We have the talent to have at least a semi decent road record. We have the talent to kill Washington at home. We have the talent to at least play closer games to teams we got blown out by. Only Aldridge and Batum are playing above their career averages. Everyone else is insanely below their averages. This chemistry experience took a shit and the blob came alive; ripping the souls of all blazer fans. Our players and coach look lost. They look like their heart has been ripped from their body. They aren't playing with a sense of urgency. They look defeated.

 

[e_blazer]

I'm not sure how much of Camby's lack of PT is due to the deterioration of his game (where have those tipped rebounds gone?) and how much is due to Nate's decision to play small much of the time despite the fact that we get brutalized on the boards when Aldridge plays the 5 and Wallace plays the 4. Either way, it's not working. Lack of rebounding and defense are the two main factors that have killed the Blazers this season. The fact is that, other than Aldridge, our front-line players are O L D. I think the schedule is having a particularly bad impact on the Blazers because of the age factor. I think it also is having a really bad impact on the defense. Nate likes to play a switching defense and, because of lack of practice and because of old, tired legs, it's not working. At all.

 

[Denny Crane]

The Blazers don't have the depth to win games like the Pacers do, and they don't have the superstars to win on raw talent. You don't really have a clutch shooter to win games you can keep close enough by playing at a snail's pace.

Nate has kept this a winning team - a playoff team - for the past few seasons, but the middling draft picks and having to give up depth for quality players has taken its toll.

That's how I see it.