Zombie Time to evaluate

[Schilly]

Let's be real for a minute here. This team was not built with the intention of making the playoffs this season, Olshey and Stotts have both alluded as such. Making the playoffs was a surprise and very encouraging for the 2nd youngest team and the team with the lowest payroll in the league. This season was a huge success that saw players win awards, Stotts be in the running for COY etc..etc.. But let's be honest. We got through the Clippers in large part because of the injuries they suffered... I'm not saying we might not have won anyway, but having 2 all stars out certainly weighted things in the Blazers favor. On to round 2 and again we are relying on injuries to the other teams best player to keep our hopes alive. This playoffs has been evidence that sometimes it's best to just be lucky. This team though in reality is not built for a legit playoff run, it wasn't intended to be either. So it's hard to take anything away from this season as a collective negative.

The beauty of the playoffs is it exposes everything about a team, character, mental toughness, strengths weakness' etc...etc... I think it's pretty clear that we are sorely in need of a reliable 3rd scorer on this team, either at the PF or SF position. To me our bench is fine, but if you look at GS (Curry, Thompson, Green) or a healthy LAC (Paul, Griffin, Reddick), or the Spurs (Leonard, Aldridge, Parker) they all have at least 3 reliable scorers, but more than that they have experienced players that can settle a game down and keep composure. What I have seen of the Blazers is a lack of that ability. Sure Dame can step up and make big shots but he also takes risky shots trying to get things going. Most of the rest of the team though kinda goes into "pressing" panic mode. You see a lot of out of control play and shots that are long or hit the rim hard because of adrenaline. So much of that is age and experience.

All that said I feel really good about this team. I am very confident in the GM, coach and the core that is here, we need an addition to the mix though. Not sure where that comes from, but if we can keep the core (including Meyers) then I think we are in good shape for the coming years... Hopefully a FA sees that too.

 

[BrunoSOC]

Agree.

Find a big man, thats what we need. Dame and CJ have only 25 and 24. Maurice is 24 and he improve so much for last year. He easy can be a startert for next season.

 

[Schilly]

Agree.

Find a big man, thats what we need. Dame and CJ have only 25 and 24. Maurice is 24 and he improve so much for last year. He easy can be a startert for next season.

Maurice will be 23 a week from today.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I would absolutely try to get a really good big man in free agency or trade regardless but one thing I think we will see is a huge improvement from Vonleh next year. If that happens then we have two really good (kinda new) bigs and we will be a force to reckoned with.

 

[Schilly]

I know it's an unpopular stance in here, but I really believe Meyers Leonard would be making a significant impact in the playoffs. He can defend the post, and draw the defensive post out of the paint.

 

[THE HCP]

Meyers' game is perfect against some teams and others not so much. The Ws are a team he could thrive against for sure.

 

[Minstrel]

I know it's an unpopular stance in here, but I really believe Meyers Leonard would be making a significant impact in the playoffs. He can defend the post, and draw the defensive post out of the paint.

Defending the post wouldn't be hugely helpful against the Warriors, they don't dump the ball down into a post-up big man. The Warriors would endlessly draw Leonard into pick-and-rolls and roast him. They made Kevin Love look like he'd never played basketball before earlier this year, and Leonard is even worse defending in space.

 

[Schilly]

Meyers' game is perfect against some teams and others not so much. The Ws are a team he could thrive against for sure.

He would have killed the Clipps too.... But OKC or SAS not so much.

 

[THE HCP]

Schill- this is why I thought we'd struggle this season. Glad they proved me wrong, but when I say we only had 2 legit NBA starters it was because as this series has proven, I believe we have like 7 solid bench guys. We have a bunch of fantastic 6-8 men on our squad. Still love 'em though.

 

[Natebishop3]

We just can't survive with Harkless/Aminu/Plumlee.

Other team's are licking their chops. They can just leave them and double Dame or CJ. It's so painful to watch. Dame has had barely a handful of open looks in this series.

Something I could see happening is a trade for Monroe. Sign Whiteside. Bring back Harkless/Crabbe/Meyers.

Dame/Roberts?
CJ/Crabbe
Harkless/Aminu
Monroe/Davis
Whiteside/Meyers

That's a better team. Monroe adds scoring, Whiteside adds rim protecting, and we can move Aminu to the bench. That's a reasonable summer that I could see happening. Neil has always been interested in Monroe. I'm not sure if Whiteside would sign here, but it's worth a shot.

 

[Schilly]

Schill- this is why I thought we'd struggle this season. Glad they proved me wrong, but when I say we only had 2 legit NBA starters it was because as this series has proven, I believe we have like 7 solid bench guys. We have a bunch of fantastic 6-8 men on our squad. Still love 'em though.

I predicted us to win 28, so I wasn't far off your guess. I think the thing that will be interesting is I see room for Vonleh, Harkless and Plumlee to grow. Vonleh is a very interesting one. I kinda equate him to the Tortoise and the hair. He showed slow but steady progress throughout the season. HE was fine on D, has a good nose for rebounding. His major flaw was like a lot of young guys gets the serious yips when he shoots.

 

[B-Roy]

We just can't survive with Harkless/Aminu/Plumlee.

Other team's are licking their chops. They can just leave them and double Dame or CJ. It's so painful to watch. Dame has had barely a handful of open looks in this series.

Something I could see happening is a trade for Monroe. Sign Whiteside. Bring back Harkless/Crabbe/Meyers.

Dame/Roberts?
CJ/Crabbe
Harkless/Aminu
Monroe/Davis
Whiteside/Meyers

That's a better team. Monroe adds scoring, Whiteside adds rim protecting, and we can move Aminu to the bench. That's a reasonable summer that I could see happening. Neil has always been interested in Monroe. I'm not sure if Whiteside would sign here, but it's worth a shot.

The spacing is off. Monroe is not a good shooter. Something like sub 40% on long twos, and he can't defend in space at all. He's a center that brings some skills offensively but someone has to work with him on defensive positioning.

 

[illmatic99]

We just can't survive with Harkless/Aminu/Plumlee.

Other team's are licking their chops. They can just leave them and double Dame or CJ. It's so painful to watch. Dame has had barely a handful of open looks in this series.

Something I could see happening is a trade for Monroe. Sign Whiteside. Bring back Harkless/Crabbe/Meyers.

Dame/Roberts?
CJ/Crabbe
Harkless/Aminu
Monroe/Davis
Whiteside/Meyers

That's a better team. Monroe adds scoring, Whiteside adds rim protecting, and we can move Aminu to the bench. That's a reasonable summer that I could see happening. Neil has always been interested in Monroe. I'm not sure if Whiteside would sign here, but it's worth a shot.

No way we sign two Cs who can't shoot in this current state of the league.

 

[Sinobas]

I've been saying the exact same thing and everyone's like "sinobas wweewewewewew weeeeeh".

 

[Schilly]

I don't see us going away from Plumlee.

 

[Schilly]

I've been saying the exact same thing and everyone's like "sinobas wweewewewewew weeeeeh".

The difference is reading it from Happy Bob Ross or from Emo Marilyn Manson

 

[Sinobas]

The difference is reading it from Happy Bob Ross or from Emo Marilyn Manson

It must be the hair!

 

[e_blazer]

I don't think any reasonable person would object to saying the current Blazers roster isn't complete in terms of being ready to compete for a title. As everybody in this thread has already stated, our front court players need some help, primarily in terms of scoring ability. The guys have played their hearts out and I have nothing but admiration for this team. I agree that Meyers would have been a big help in both series. It was painful seeing Mason trying to score inside last night. He had wide-open mid-range looks that he wasn't comfortable taking so he either tried to pass out, which often resulted in turnovers, or tried to get closer and ended up getting his shots stuffed. Kaman would have been more effective at the offensive end, but he's nowhere near mobile enough to keep up with the Warriors small-ball interior lineup. Meyers would have really been in his element in this series. I'm not sure who Olshey will be able to add this summer, but I'm really looking forward to next season having a better arsenal of big men.

 

[B-Roy]

I don't see us going away from Plumlee.

My problem with Plumlee is that he's got some inherent issues that is preventing him from reaching the next level. Guys like Harkless and Aminu have ideal size and skillsets for their positions, they just need to refine a couple areas of their game and maybe add one or two skills. With Plumlee, it's hard not to see his lack of size preventing him from being a starting center. He does some things well but on a lot of nights he just looks utterly outmatched and outside of developing a three point shot (completely unrealistic at this point), I don't see him as a starting center on a championship team.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I know it's an unpopular stance in here, but I really believe Meyers Leonard would be making a significant impact in the playoffs. He can defend the post, and draw the defensive post out of the paint.

I agree with this assessment; defenses are collapsing into the paint, and doubling off the center. Why? Because we don't have credible threats to score at the center position, from any distance. Meyers, for all his faults, would alleviate that. And he frustrates the hell out of guys like Bogut, Jordan, and Green.

 

[B-Roy]

I agree with this assessment; defenses are collapsing into the paint, and doubling off the center. Why? Because we don't have credible threats to score at the center position, from any distance. Meyers, for all his faults, would alleviate that. And he frustrates the hell out of guys like Bogut, Jordan, and Green.

Meyers Leonard would get eaten alive by this great passing Warriors team. The small lineup with Draymond Green at center would be utterly unguardable with Meyers in the game. It's no co-incidence that the one game we took from the Warriors this year was the game where Stotts glued Leonard to the bench for the entirety of the game.

 

[Schilly]

Is Plumlee small though? The NBA predraft camp measured him at 6'11" in barefeet and 7'0.5" in shoes. He doesn't have long arms, just average, and still has a good leap.

 

[Natebishop3]

The spacing is off. Monroe is not a good shooter. Something like sub 40% on long twos, and he can't defend in space at all. He's a center that brings some skills offensively but someone has to work with him on defensive positioning.

Hey man, I'm not saying I want it, I'm just saying that Monroe is someone that Neil has shown a persistent interest in acquiring. Maybe you're right, and we don't sign both. Monroe/Horford would be good.

I still think I'd trade CJ for Boogie, and then try to sign a shooting guard or small forward.

Dame
DeRozan
Boogie

That would certainly match up in terms of star power.

 

[Schilly]

Meyers Leonard would get eaten alive by this great passing Warriors team. The small lineup with Draymond Green at center would be utterly unguardable with Meyers in the game. It's no co-incidence that the one game we took from the Warriors this year was the game where Stotts glued Leonard to the bench for the entirety of the game.

Then don't put him in against a small ball lineup with Draymond at center.

 

[BBert]

I know it's an unpopular stance in here, but I really believe Meyers Leonard would be making a significant impact in the playoffs. He can defend the post, and draw the defensive post out of the paint.

I agree. It's an unpopular stance.

And I agree.

 

[B-Roy]

Is Plumlee small though? The NBA predraft camp measured him at 6'11" in barefeet and 7'0.5" in shoes. He doesn't have long arms, just average, and still has a good leap.

His wingspan is 6'10. That is laughably short and shorter than guys like Harkless, Aminu, Batum and a ton of other players. We have seen enough of him getting stuffed at the rim, having trouble finishing, or losing contested rebounds to longer guys to know that his size is definitely a disadvantage.

This is to no fault of Plumlee, dude balls out on every possession. If you could give him Meyers Leonard's body then maybe we would have something here.

 

[B-Roy]

Then don't put him in against a small ball lineup with Draymond at center.

Then he doesn't play. A good team like the Warriors is going to see Meyers on the floor and immediately go at him.

Also like Minstrel said before, they would put Leonard in countless pick and rolls which Meyers has a lot of trouble with.

 

[B-Roy]

Hey man, I'm not saying I want it, I'm just saying that Monroe is someone that Neil has shown a persistent interest in acquiring. Maybe you're right, and we don't sign both. Monroe/Horford would be good.

I still think I'd trade CJ for Boogie, and then try to sign a shooting guard or small forward.

Dame
DeRozan
Boogie

That would certainly match up in terms of star power.

No I agree. I just wouldn't pair him with Whiteside. Drummond/Monroe didn't work, can't see how Whiteside/Monroe works any better.

Not a fan of Derozan. Good in the regular season but too iso-heavy so he's easy to stop when teams lockdown.

 

[e_blazer]

I don't think that the Kings will deal Cousins, and especially not for a small shooting guard; even one as talented as CJ. He's a problem child, but he's too talented for a franchise to give up on him. If they were going to unload Boogie, they probably would have done it when the issues with Karl flared up. They didn't, though, and now Karl will be gone this summer and they'll bring in another guy to try to make Cousins happy. He still has two more years on his contract, so they don't have to worry about the free agency issue for another year.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't think that the Kings will deal Cousins, and especially not for a small shooting guard; even one as talented as CJ. He's a problem child, but he's too talented for a franchise to give up on him. If they were going to unload Boogie, they probably would have done it when the issues with Karl flared up. They didn't, though, and now Karl will be gone this summer and they'll bring in another guy to try to make Cousins happy. He still has two more years on his contract, so they don't have to worry about the free agency issue for another year.

I think Boogie gets dealt to LA for the pick.