OT What NBA players will "break out" this season?

[theprunetang]

I also think that Evan Fournier is criminally underrated, and if given an opportunity with a team that he fits with (Someone like Portland), he would shine.

He averaged 19ppg per 36 last year, but had an off year shooting. The year before last he averaged 15ppg on 50% inside the arc and 40% outside. He can really shoot the ball.

The difference between him and Crabbe is that he can handle the ball a little better, as well as create for himself and others. He consistently averages around 3 ast per game, but his situation in Orlando is the reason those numbers aren't better, as he's a very solid passer. He's not a consistent defender, but shows flashes of being solid, much like Crabbe.

His contract is bloated, but he's essentially what we hoped Crabbe would become. Orlando has a lot of wings, and only 4 big men (Speights, Gordon, Vucevic, Biyombo). Therefore, I would try to trade Leonard, Davis, and our 2018 1st for him. We'd shed Leonards contract, and not take on any more salary and basically upgrade Crabbe into Fournier.

I think Fournier would be great playing off of Lillard and McCollum as well as being a secondary or third ball handler. I think our motion offense fits his game perfectly and if we were able to acquire him, he'd breakout into a 6th Man Award Winner.

I actually really like this idea.

 

[BonesJones]

I actually really like this idea.

It makes sense for both sides. Orlando likely doesn't want to pay Fourniers salary with all the young wing players they have (Ross, Herzonja, Isaac, Iwundu) and veteran wings they have as well (Afflalo, Simmons). They need depth at inside so Davis' expiring contract makes sense. Meyers can play backup C behind Biyombo and would give them an option if they trade Vucevic and fully tank. The pick is gravy that I think would make definitely worthwhile for them.

It would also allow us to keep our savings while having a full rotation, and use our TPE down the road. We could still look to address backup C by offering Napier and 2nds to NYK for O'Quinn (they need a PG, as Ntilikina is really their only PG on the roster), and still maintain our savings and TPE.

I hope Neil is looking at something like this. Fournier is really the best option for us at this point because he'd breakout here (had to tie it back to the actual thread topic lol).

 

[BonesJones]

Also, look out for Taurean Prince. He was a guy I loved at draft time last year and will have more offensive responsibility this year. He won't light it up offensively, but I think he could turn into a legit 3-and-D starter this year. Much like DeMarre Carrol when he played in ATL.

 

[BonesJones]

Sam Dekker as well.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Austin Rivers - I hate this kid. He used to be so easy to laugh off when he was absolutely the worst player in the league his first couple of seasons. He was the Meyers Leonard of combo guards. But, he plays the game hard now and I think we all remember how tough he played us in the playoffs after CP3 went down. He'll share his minutes with Beverly, Teodosic, and Lou Williams, but there is a lot of room for new scorers after the LA exodus.

I hate to break it to you but I have a feeling he won't be with the Clippers for long...

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

I just don't want to even start a buzz that the competition will excel......I have Blazer tunnel vision....I fully expect Durant, Curry and Lebron to suck all season
but to add to the conversation, I think Allen Crabbe might in Brooklyn....

Crabbe is the obvious choice.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Crabbe is the obvious choice.

I think you're seriously overlooking TRob.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

I hate to break it to you but I have a feeling he won't be with the Clippers for long...

He never should have been GM. He was horrible at managing the cap/lux tax.

I like this quote from Ballmer:

In announcing the shift, Ballmer noted: “Doc knows how to win championships. That is what we prioritize, and that is what Doc will focus on.

That should be championship - singular. Yeah, Doc's championship formula = have two superstars fall in your lap in a year with no other dominant teams.

BNM

 

[Chris Craig]

Well, I always thought his dad was a total ass, which was strike one.
He played for UCLA, so strike two.
Now he's a Laker. Strike three.

That third strike is an absolute deal breaker for me because, screw the Lakers. I'm sticking pins in his voodoo doll, but I suspect his talent will overcome my attempts at giving him bad juju.

Remind me not to mess with @e_blazer

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

If you think Stotts has told him not to, I'll call bullshit.

Why is that so impossible? Maybe Stotts' didn't tell him word for word, but I think I can guarantee he did tell Allen what his 'role' ( their's that pesky word again.)was while he was a member of the Blazers and one of two guys named Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum where playing for the Blazers.

You can't have all five guys on the court trying to break down their defender and taking them off the dribble every play or most of every play in a game. When that happens watch your ball movement and pace of play fall with a THUD. You HAVE TO have at least 2 players on the court to take a step back and accept a smaller role (uh oh, there is that word again.) for the betterment of the success of the team.

That is what Crabbe did for the Blazers. Now he is not a member of the Blazers, so he no longer has to fill that 'role'( Is three a charm?)anymore.

 

[Chris Craig]

Moe. Harkless.

Watch.

After the Blazers trade him

 

[theprunetang]

This one really pains me, but Clint Capella is going to have a really good season. He was a bit inconsistent with his play and stamina last year, but with more minutes, and less big man competition (especially if Ryno is traded), he is going to be the recipient of so many easy layups and dunks from CP3 and Harden. He isn't super skilled, but he moves well and is above average at rolling to the rim.

I am going to cut my fingers off for typing this. Expect every post of mine to be "Voice-to-text" from this point forward.

 

[Boob-No-More]

You can't have all five guys on the court trying to break down their defender and taking them off the dribble...

Especially when only two guys on your roster are capable to taking their defender off the dribble.

You think Stotts was the one preventing Crabbe from breaking his man down when he and C.J. were the only scorers in the game? That's just plain silly. The past two seasons this team struggled so much to score when Dame came out of the game Stotts would have welcomed anyone else stepping up and taking some of the pressure off C.J. on the second unit. The problem is no one else on the roster had that ability - certainly not Crabbe.

BNM

 

[riverman]

I think you're seriously overlooking TRob.

BNM

Apparently so is the entire league...dude still isn't signed anywhere....Beijing would be my guess for TRob

 

[riverman]

Crabbe played a lot even his first two years...he couldn't crack the starting rotation...CJ was injured and really didn't play much his first two years but wasted no time filling in when Wes went down and owned the job from there on.....big difference...if AC were that great he'd have sent Batum to the bench and owned that job as well....he just wasn't.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Apparently so is the entire league...dude still isn't signed anywhere....Beijing would be my guess for TRob

Where he will have a breakout year!

BNM

 

[theprunetang]

Eye axe peck paddy baseball too half a brake out season as well. Something tails me that the front office has faith inn hymn.

Sorry. Eye donut half my voice too text dialed inn as of yeti.





Ps. Eye really should knot half cut my fingers off.
Fuck.

 

[Minstrel]

Eye axe peck paddy baseball too half a brake out season as well. Something tails me that the front office has faith inn hymn.

Sorry. Eye donut half my voice too text dialed inn as of yeti.





Ps. Eye really should knot half cut my fingers off.
Fuck.

Yeah, I miss @OddEnormous too.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Crabbe played a lot even his first two years...he couldn't crack the starting rotation...CJ was injured and really didn't play much his first two years but wasted no time filling in when Wes went down and owned the job from there on.....big difference...if AC were that great he'd have sent Batum to the bench and owned that job as well....he just wasn't.

Crabbe was never going to beat out anyone for a starting role here - not Nic, not Wesley, not C.J., hell not even Evan Turner. From the comments made after the trade, it sounds like BRK is handing him a starting job, but I wonder how long that will last.

It sort of reminds me of all the Sergio fanbois who kept insisting that Sergio was going to breakout once he got out from under Nate's rigid coaching style. One even insisted Paul Westphal was Sergio's Frank Layden who would turn Sergio into the next John Stockton (minus the shooting and defense, apparently). Well, everywhere else Sergio has played, he's been handed a starting role and promptly lost it to less heralded players. He didn't even last a season in SAC. By the trade deadline he was 3rd on the depth chart racking up DNP-CDs on one of the worst teams in the league. They traded him to one of the other worst teams in the league - the Knicks, where he was once again handed the starting PG role, which he promptly lost to Tony Douglas. This year after 6 years playing in Europe, and supposedly developing a jump shot, he came back the NBA as the starting PG on one of the worst teams in the league - and promptly lost his starting job to T.J. McConnell and is once again heading back to Europe where he belongs. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I'm not ready to call Crabbe the SG equivalent to Sergo, because Crabbe does have one valuable skill that is in high demand in "today's NBA". So, that will keep him in the league. But, I don't think he'll ever be a starter on a > .500 team.

BNM

 

[theprunetang]

Yeah, I miss @OddEnormous too.

I miss that little fucker.

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

Especially when only two guys on your roster are capable to taking their defender off the dribble.

You think Stotts was the one preventing Crabbe from breaking his man down when he and C.J. were the only scorers in the game? That's just plain silly. The past two seasons this team struggled so much to score when Dame came out of the game Stotts would have welcomed anyone else stepping up and taking some of the pressure off C.J. on the second unit. The problem is no one else on the roster had that ability - certainly not Crabbe.

BNM

Yes, he would have loved if someone stepped up and took some pressure off CJ in the second unit but does not mean doing it how CJ does. It means scoring how Stotts wants his players to score according to their 'roles.' (That's four, can I get that Yahtzee!)

I think people need to stop using that as a fact for 'winning an argument or their point' as why a player doesn't play a certain way and that automatically meaning they can't or don't have the ability. Show me an actual quote from Stotts where he says he would love all his players to be isolating their defender and taking them off the dribble to score like Dame and CJ do every game?

I'll save you the time, you won't find one.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Yes, he would have loved if someone stepped up and took some pressure off CJ in the second unit but does not mean doing it how CJ does. It means scoring how Stotts wants his players to score according to their 'roles.' (That's four, can I get that Yahtzee!)

I think people need to stop using that as a fact for 'winning an argument or their point' as why a player doesn't play a certain way and that automatically meaning they can't or don't have the ability. Show me an actual quote from Stotts where he says he would love all his players to be isolating their defender and taking them off the dribble to score like Dame and CJ do every game?

I'll save you the time, you won't find one.

Yes, I'm sure Stotts told Crabbe "You better not do shit in games, be super passive and only shoot wide open 3s, or else I'm gonna kick your ass !"
Jesus man how delusional can one person be

 

[Minstrel]

Show me an actual quote from Stotts where he says he would love all his players to be isolating their defender and taking them off the dribble to score like Dame and CJ do every game?

It's not about isolation, it's about being able to attack close-outs with your dribble (an important skill for any shooter). If Crabbe had the ability to put the ball on the floor and dart past a defender rushing out at him, if he had the ability to create opportunities for teammates with passes, if he had the ability to launch threes off the dribble--I'm relatively sure Stotts would have used those skills as much as possible, because all of those things fit in well with the type of offense Stotts was running and all of those things would have been very welcome when reserve-heavy lineups were dying on the court offensively.

It's not literally impossible that any or all of those skills exist within Crabbe and they'll be displayed in Brooklyn, but it's very unlikely that, if he had any or all of them, they would never have been displayed consistently, especially when the Blazers badly needed someone who could create a little offense in the absence of Lillard and/or McCollum.

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

Crabbe played a lot even his first two years...he couldn't crack the starting rotation...CJ was injured and really didn't play much his first two years but wasted no time filling in when Wes went down and owned the job from there on.....big difference...if AC were that great he'd have sent Batum to the bench and owned that job as well....he just wasn't.

You don't think that had anything to do with Stott's being uncomfortable with the unknown? Stotts knew what kind of players Wes and Batum were and knew how they would help the team win BEFORE he became the head coach of the Blazers. That was not the case for Crabbe as a rookie or a second year player.

As for CJ, McCollum was the Blazer's own first round pick while Crabbe was a traded for second round pick. Who's the one who is going to get the benefit of the doubt first? The first round pick or the second round pick acquired via trade?

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

Yes, I'm sure Stotts told Crabbe "You better not do shit in games, be super passive and only shoot wide open 3s, or else I'm gonna kick your ass !"
Jesus man how delusional can one person be

You don't need to be a sensationalist.

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

It's not about isolation, it's about being able to attack close-outs with your dribble (an important skill for any shooter). If Crabbe had the ability to put the ball on the floor and dart past a defender rushing out at him, if he had the ability to create opportunities for teammates with passes, if he had the ability to launch threes off the dribble--I'm relatively sure Stotts would have used those skills as much as possible, because all of those things fit in well with the type of offense Stotts was running and all of those things would have been very welcome when reserve-heavy lineups were dying on the court offensively.

It's not literally impossible that any or all of those skills exist within Crabbe and they'll be displayed in Brooklyn, but it's very unlikely that, if he had any or all of them, they would never have been displayed consistently, especially when the Blazers badly needed someone who could create a little offense in the absence of Lillard and/or McCollum.

I'm not seeing the difference between what I said to what you did. In order to accomplish what you want Crabbe or any other player you want to use in the example they must do it in a one on one fashion, ie isolation play.

 

[Boob-No-More]

You don't think that had anything to do with Stott's being uncomfortable with the unknown? Stotts knew what kind of players Wes and Batum were and knew how they would help the team win BEFORE he became the head coach of the Blazers. That was not the case for Crabbe as a rookie or a second year player.

Oh come one. Seriously???? Crabbe isn't some unseasoned, unknown rookie. He played here for four seasons and over 5000 minutes of laying time. He was 3rd on the team in total minutes played last season and 4th the year before. He had plenty of opportunities to show his full offensive repertoire. If he could have done more, we would have at least seen a glimpse of it. Do you honestly think Stotts told him your role is to stand still and shoot, don't even think about doing anything else - EVER?

As for CJ, McCollum was the Blazer's own first round pick while Crabbe was a traded for second round pick. Who's the one who is going to get the benefit of the doubt first? The first round pick or the second round pick acquired via trade?

The one who is more talented and can do more than 1 thing with a basketball.

BNM

 

[RipCityDSCPL]

Oh come one. Seriously???? Crabbe isn't some unseasoned, unknown rookie. He played here for four seasons and over 5000 minutes of laying time. He was 3rd on the team in total minutes played last season and 4th the year before. He had plenty of opportunities to show his full offensive repertoire. If he could have done more, we would have at least seen a glimpse of it. Do you honestly think Stotts told him your role is to stand still and shoot, don't even think about doing anything else - EVER?

@riverman's post was talking about Crabbe when Batum and Wes were on the team, which was during Allen's rookie and second years. Not about Crabbe this or last season.

Read the post first before replying to a replier.

 

[Boob-No-More]

@riverman's post was talking about Crabbe when Batum and Wes were on the team, which was during Allen's rookie and second years. Not about Crabbe this or last season.

Read the post first before replying to a replier.

Irrelevant. Two years and 4300 minutes of playing time later, he is STILL the same passive 1-dimensional player he's always been.

BNM