What is the core issue with this team?

[SlyPokerDog]

The Blazers have never won a championship since making a cat their mascot.

 

[bobf]

Trading GTJ for Powell will hopefully get Neil fired.

GTJ is going to blow up for Toronto and Norm will leave in the offseason with nothing to show for it.

What makes you think Trent will blow up as a Raptor? There are tell-tale signs that Trent is a softy - he doesn’t defend well, doesn’t rebound well, and doesn’t draw fouls well. Doubt he ever blows up.

 

[Tince]

Answer 4 years ago: Stotts.
Answer 3 years ago: Stotts...
Answer 2 years ago: Guys, it's Stotts!
Answer 1 year ago: IT'S STOTTS!!!
Answer Today: *everyone in unison* "STOTTS!!!!!#$!#$%"

The year after Stotts: We're breaking Stotts' bad habits
2 years after Stotts: We're so talented, but Stotts' mentality is still lingering.
3 years after Stotts: <new coach> sucks but he's way better than Stotts
4 years after Stotts: Fire the <new coach> he's the worst coach ever.

Rinse and repeat

 

[Natebishop3]

What makes you think Trent will blow up as a Raptor? There are tell-tale signs that Trent is a softy - he doesn’t defend well, doesn’t rebound well, and doesn’t draw fouls well. Doubt he ever blows up.

He's still young. Toronto is much better at developing young talent than Portland. Case in point, Siakam, Norm, VanVleet, etc.

I don't think he's going to be a superstar, but I think he'll be a really good starter.

 

[Tince]

He's still young. Toronto is much better at developing young talent than Portland. Case in point, Siakam, Norm, VanVleet, etc.

I don't think he's going to be a superstar, but I think he'll be a really good starter.

He was on pace to be a solid starter in the league, just stuck behind Dame & CJ. We're assuming he's going to be in Toronto next year?

 

[Natebishop3]

He was on pace to be a solid starter in the league, just stuck behind Dame & CJ. We're assuming he's going to be in Toronto next year?

I would assume that, yes.

 

[royo]

I'm neither a Stotts' supporter or detractor, but one thing I think doesn't get a lot of attention in evaluating him -- or most pro coaches, for that matter -- is a big part of their job is being able to handle the personalities of a bunch of people being paid a lot more than them who're getting told by dozens or more of people how great they are every time they have a social interaction.

Stotts' offensive principles might be rudimentary: run some actions to get a guy a favorable isolation matchup in a position in which he's likely to score. His defensive approach might be non-existent, although I think a big part of that is based on his having two defensive-challenged guards whose primary responsibility is scoring and that's where most of their energy is going to be expended. But I think it's obvious that Stotts does a good job of getting players to accept their minutes without creating distractions and want to go out there and play. I think that's a lot of the reason that the Blazers' record under him has been so good regardless of Dame's supporting cast and the myriad of injuries.

It's a trade-off. I think George Karl was a very good basketball mind who could run rings around Stotts when it comes to Xs and Os, but I have my doubts that he'd has more significant success with the Blazers than Stotts because he was personality-challenged and clashed with players ... he had a lot of teams with similar or better talent as Stotts' Blazers and his coaching career is filled with first-round playoff exits. Karl's still generally regarded as a terrific coach.

I think Phil Jackson said it best when he said in his experience the team with the most stars wins. He won when he had the biggest stars and he was mortal when he didn't. The triangle offense got a lot of attention, but it wasn't anything that special, it basically got isos for his best player. Jackson's biggest gift was being able to deal with larger-than-life personalities.

When it comes down to it, there are a lot more Terry Stottses who've had success in the NBA than Greg Popoviches, simply because there are very, very few Popoviches who can win consistently with less talent. And yet, again, Popovich coached Robinson and Duncan and Parker and Ginobli who'd have shined and help teams win wherever they played.

It's romantic. Stotts is very friendly coach and players like him. But on the court, they do whatever they want.
In my opinion, it is nowhere near "being able to deal with larger-than-life personalities." He is just friendy dude. As for "accept their minutes without creating distractions": He has balls to bench young players for ten games, but has no balls to bench Mello for one.

All in all, I think you are wrong about him. And comparing him to Phil? You seriously think Stotts could manage Kobe?
And, what is more important, whatever he does, it does not work. Therefore, he should go.

 

[wizenheimer]

He was on pace to be a solid starter in the league, just stuck behind Dame & CJ. We're assuming he's going to be in Toronto next year?

if Raptors waive Hood (likely), they would be more than 20 million below the salary cap. If they released Baynes they'd be approaching 30 million in space. If they want to re-sign Trent, they wouldn't have any financial obstacles. What will be interesting is if they have any interest in re-signing Kyle Lowry

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Answer 4 years ago: Stotts.
Answer 3 years ago: Stotts...
Answer 2 years ago: Guys, it's Stotts!
Answer 1 year ago: IT'S STOTTS!!!
Answer Today: *everyone in unison* "STOTTS!!!!!#$!#$%"

It’s Stotts

 

[MickZagger]

This is the NBA, if it isn’t working, fix it. Coaches come and go. Teams clamor for new ideas because things are getting stale. You won coach of the year last year? Cool that doesn’t mean shit. You’re fired. You won a championship 3 years ago? Doesn’t mean shit. You’re fired.

The fact that their hasn’t been a shake up when shit has been stale for a long time and we’ve continually been in the bottom of the league in defensive rankings, is weird to me.

In a league with so much turnover in the head coaching department what makes Stotts so untouchable?

 

[PCmor7]

It's romantic. Stotts is very friendly coach and players like him. But on the court, they do whatever they want.
In my opinion, it is nowhere near "being able to deal with larger-than-life personalities." He is just friendy dude. As for "accept their minutes without creating distractions": He has balls to bench young players for ten games, but has no balls to bench Mello for one.

All in all, I think you are wrong about him. And comparing him to Phil? You seriously think Stotts could manage Kobe?
And, what is more important, whatever he does, it does not work. Therefore, he should go.

I think you're letting your dislike of Stotts and a need to find a single scapegoat for this team underperforming make you read a lot into my post that wasn't there.

 

[royo]

I think you're letting your dislike of Stotts and a need to find a single scapegoat for this team underperforming make you read a lot into my post that wasn't there.

Maybe, if u say so. If I would really wanted to find a single scapegoat, it woul be Damian.
It's players league and it is really his team. So there is question. What new he can learn from Stotts? If he wanted to learn, he would change coach some time ago, with no hard feelings. He would change him for natural development.

 

[Lanny]

If I knew I could be the coach.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Wishing every coach to be "old school" makes you an old crank. There's a reason Thibs never lasts long at any place: the players either get sick of him or just all injured because he never plays any bench players. The reason Pops has lasted is that he's adapted. But also because nobody is going to fire Pops after what he's done for the franchise. But I don't think Pops would do better with this roster.

That said, I'd be happy to enjoy the one good season of any Thibs tenure...

 

[Hoopguru]

That said, I'd be happy to enjoy the one good season of any Thibs tenure...

They've got back court players that are good defenders, Rose, Burks,Quickley, Bullock. Makes a big difference. We have one solid bc defender and he's new to the team. Actually if the play DG in the back court that makes two solid defenders.