OT Whatever happened to all the threads whining about firing Stotts?

[Lanny]

9 out of the last ten games were won by the Blazers and presto, the complaining stopped. The win over Utah certainly helped.

 

[RipCityWarrior]

Not going to whine about him but I hope ownership does the right thing and remove him and olshey when the season is over. It’s time for a new perspective through a new set of eyes.

 

[Labinot41]

Fire Stotts!

 

[BonesJones]

9 out of the last ten games were won by the Blazers and presto, the complaining stopped. The win over Utah certainly helped.

Since you asked - Stotts still should be fired. Nothing's changed. Remember when we're won 13 games in a row before Stotts shit the before against New Orleans in the Playoffs? Remember winning 6 in a row earlier this year before losing 4 straight in blowout fashion? Nobody who wants Stotts gone ever said this team was incapable of getting regular season wins. Regular season wins dont make a coach. Plus, we havent beaten a top-10 team that wasnt missing a star during this stretch. Theb only way we go on a rum isn't Stotts does a good job in the playoffs by having an answer for the trap, not isoing like crazy, and coming out with the proper defensive gameplan.

Basically, him finally fixing some of his flaws wouldnt prove the criticism of his flaws wrong, if anything itd add to the case that he should've been a better coach all along. But theres no reason it should've taken this long.

 

[Mr. Robot]

blazers are still not in the playoffs and even if they get there, they need to succeed in oder for people to change their perception of terry stotts

im not a believer and unless blazers make deep playoff run (western conference finals), fire terry stotts

 

[mook]

im not a believer and unless blazers make deep playoff run (western conference finals), fire terry stotts

I think that's a pretty reasonable bar to set. And even if we make the WCF, it still kind of depends on how we make it. If it's Dame going nuclear and us running into teams dealing with major injury to stars, he probably still should get fired.

If, however, we make it that far because he believed in Melo when much of the fanbase gave up on him, and/or because he got the most out of Kanter and Simons, and/or he got this team to play defense, well, I think you have a hard argument firing him.

I have to give him a lot of credit. Stotts went with Melo and Simons when it seemed like everyone have given up hope on those two. I mean shit has been really, really bad at points for both those guys. He had Nassir and Jones as other viable alternatives, and he chose otherwise. Maybe he just saw something in practice. Or maybe he realized our best shot at playoff success was getting the most out of Melo's experience and Simons' shooting, while Nassir and Jones were great athletes but not really likely to be playoff difference-makers. I was not a fan of those decisions, but whatever the reason, those decisions look really smart right now.

I'd recommend Stotts to any team looking to develop young shooters, particularly as an offensive coordinator. Being an NBA coach is a hard job, and TBH he's not bad at it. It's just probably time for the team to go in a new direction.

 

[Lanny]

At least you[re out in the open.

 

[julius]

They'll return once they flame out in the playoffs, and people wonder why it is that the team concept of defense was so shitty from the get go (injuries didn't help, but the teams *concept* of defense sucked. And it shouldn't have taken them going on a tailspin to make the team change their philosophy of how to play defense).

 

[bigbailes]

I have to give him a lot of credit. Stotts went with Melo and Simons when it seemed like everyone have given up hope on those two. I mean shit has been really, really bad at points for both those guys. He had Nassir and Jones as other viable alternatives, and he chose otherwise. Maybe he just saw something in practice. Or maybe he realized our best shot at playoff success was getting the most out of Melo's experience and Simons' shooting, while Nassir and Jones were great athletes but not really likely to be playoff difference-makers. Whatever the reason, those decisions look really smart right now.

I really think after the Powell trade his hand was forced and I'm guessing it came from higher up in the organization. Basically telling him this team must win with offense, outscoring opponents is the only way forward with this group. Playing Little and Jones would seem to balance out the rotation between offense/defense but they can't make up for the rest of the defensively challenged enough to make a difference. It really is amazing what these guys are doing with CJ, Kanter, Melo and Simons all getting major minutes and being sieves on the defensive end.

 

[brooklynballer]

Nothing has changed. Stotts will be measured on how well this team can execute in the postseason and how deep a run they can make. He’s had enough time to demonstrate whether he can get this team to the proverbial ‘next level’ and has failed multiple times. Time for a new voice in the locker room. The current success the team is having is too little too late in my opinion and fool’s gold. They’ve done this multiple times in the past 5-6 yrs where they go an a late season run only to be run out of the gym in the playoffs. I don’t expect anything different this year. Hope I’m wrong.

If you can’t fix what’s broken (defense), maybe it’s time for a different mechanic.

 

[mook]

I really think after the Powell trade his hand was forced and I'm guessing it came from higher up in the organization. Basically telling him this team must win with offense, outscoring opponents is the only way forward with this group. Playing Little and Jones would seem to balance out the rotation between offense/defense but they can't make up for the rest of the defensively challenged enough to make a difference. It really is amazing what these guys are doing with CJ, Kanter, Melo and Simons all getting major minutes and being sieves on the defensive end.

I know, right? At least for now, the Portland's best defense is a good offense.

Kanter is a beast of an offensive rebounder. Simons has been utterly lethal from three lately. Melo is starting to look like the good version of vintage Melo.

Maybe Kanter, Melo and Simons present such vastly different challenges for other teams to defend against that it just outweighs everything they give up.

 

[illmatic99]

Literally nothing has changed on the Stotts front. He's still extremely flawed and should be fired at season's end

 

[mook]

You go down the list, and every rotation player offers elite or well above-average offensive skills:

• Dame - superstar
• CJ - ball handling, midrange
• Norm - all around game
• Nurk - passing, screening
• Kanter - offensive rebounding
• Simons - three point shooting
• Roco - three point shooting
• Melo - post scoring, three point shooting

Defenses have to account for every single one of those guys on every single play. There hasn't been another time in the Dame era where you could say that. Even back in the Wes Matthews era, Robin Lopez wasn't good for much on offense but setting screens.

However, you go down that list and other than Roco and Nurk you don't see a single guy without very significant defensive holes:

• Dame - overall terrible in everything except guarding in the post and drawing charges
• CJ - overall terrible in everything
• Simons - overall terrible in everything
• Melo - overall terrible in everything
• Norm - really small to be a legit SF
• Kanter- overall terrible in everything but guarding immobile big men in the post, which is a pretty useless skill except against Jokic

You look at all that and really wonder how we can beat a team in a 7 game series where they have time to game plan us.

 

[TBpup]

Yes, this late-season winning streak changes all the issues that have plagued this team for many seasons.....that had the exact same late-season run only to get rolled when it really counted.

Squeaking by the Lakers w/o LeBron and Schroeder and barely getting by the Jazz with out their entire starting back court has not really swayed my mind to be honest.

 

[bigbailes]

I seriously don't understand how people watch this team and don't get Groundhog Day vibes ... I mean it's almost the same exact thing every season of the past seven years, except for one crazy playoff run to the WCF that took a 38' shot to win and then a victory in game 7 on the road, two things that very rarely happen. Of course that was followed up by an absolute embarrassing drubbing in the WCF.

 

[Hoopguru]

Literally nothing has changed on the Stotts front. He's still extremely flawed and should be fired at season's end

Still think he will be allowed to re-sign with a buy out and he will end up on another team next year. I would be at all surprised to see him sign with Wiz to coach two all star guards.
Todays game in the NBA will create a demand for guys like Stotts that are player coaches with an offensive slant.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Time for new blood from the top down.

Go Blazers

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Literally nothing has changed on the Stotts front. He's still extremely flawed and should be fired at season's end

Here is what is Literal. Everything the team has done over the last 20 games has changed. It's not just 10 games. It's through the entire comeback of Nurkic and CJ and the week Lillard took off. Even the losses they had to good teams that were very close 1 point type losses the team played way way better.

 

[riverman]

Scapegoat addicts have been posting here since long before Stotts was hired....seemingly desperate to justify the Stotts hate now that Meyers is gone. Stotts is more willing to put the 3rd string in and get some burn than worry about the score in a win....that's what builds trust and develops rookies. I'm a loyal fan of Stotts and what he's brought to Portland. Winning a bunch of games in a row confuses the trolls who want a revolving door franchise...some folks are still fuming about losing to the Pelicans or Grizz after Wes got hurt.....doesn't mean shit to the roster we're putting on the court right now at least to me.....this is not the same team that's been to the playoffs together....I think it's a good playoff roster and all we need is consistent execution to beat the titans of the west. I"m here to cheer. Soccer mom's never cheer...they just yell at the coach

 

[Tince]

The crowd who thinks Stotts is the main problem seemingly dismiss our injuries, over-state other teams injuries, and are quick excuse the last 6 years at the forward position. After Stotts gets fired this summer I expect we'll go through most of next season where those folks point out the differences between the new coach and Stotts that are better. Then in a couple years, they'll be blaming the new coach once again. History would prove this to be highly likely.

However, I'd be suprised if our offensive, defensive, and net rating next year are better than the one this year when we have Dame, CJ, Powell, Cov, and Nurk healthy. I also don't expect the new coach will makes those ratings significantly worse either.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Scapegoat addicts have been posting here since Stotts was hired....seemingly desperate to justify the Stotts hate now that Meyers is gone. Stotts is more willing to put the 3rd string in and get some burn than worry about the score in a win....that's what builds trust and develops rookies. I'm a loyal fan of Stotts and what he's brought to Portland. Winning a bunch of games in a row confuses the trolls who want a revolving door franchise...some folks are still fuming about losing to the Pelicans after Wes got hurt.....doesn't mean shit to the roster we're putting on the court right now at least to me.....this is not the same team that's been to the playoffs together....I think it's a good playoff roster and all we need is consistent execution to beat the titans of the west. I"m here to cheer.

Let’s face it…….if and when the Blazers win a championship the usual suspects on here are gonna bitch and complain about how it was won, i.e.; we didn’t win by a big enough margin, our defense still sucked, the other team was missing it’s best player(s), the refs didn’t give us enough respect, Scott’s sucks because he has a bad haircut, Melo and Kanter gave up too many easy baskets, we still don’t get any love from the national media, yada, yada, freakin’ yada……and then the bitching will ramp up because maybe we don’t win two championships in a row. I want Portland to win a championship just to hear the negativity that will be inevitably rain down when we do reach the Holy Grail……some folks are never going to be happy. It’s human nature……

 

[Cugel]

Stotts has made some changes by going to an 8 man rotation. It seems to be ok, but I do think guys like Nas and DJJ can play key roles. I think, as world class athletes, any NBA player can be a competent defender if it is instilled at the coaching level. This is the major drawback to Stotts. He treats the game like a fight in Rocky movies: all knockout punches and enduring damage hoping you can out-punch in the end. It's all offense all the time. It's great for a boxing movie but all championship teams are well-rated defensively. Great D is necessary. but not sufficient.

I do think Stotts' style can work well in tight games where you just need a bucket. Any bucket. AKA CJ in game 7 in Denver, which was magic. Melo, CJ, and Dame can get you that bucket provided you aren't blown out in the other 46 minutes. Let's face it with 10-20 seconds and the game on the line, teams frequently go iso ball: let the superstar get his shot.

 

[Natebishop3]

9 out of the last ten games were won by the Blazers and presto, the complaining stopped. The win over Utah certainly helped.

No it didn't.

The "whining" stopped because it's being widely reported that he's going to be fired after the season.

 

[Pinwheel1]

No it didn't.

The "whining" stopped because it's being widely reported that he's going to be fired after the season.

"Widely reported" from the media does not really mean much though. Only a couple of people will be making that decision at the end of the season and I doubt any of them said anything. Or have even made up their mind. Granted it seems likely that a bad playoff showing would seal the deal, but what was reported was simply a guess.

 

[riverman]

Quick has been trolling Stotts all season...he has just become a gossip columnist, not a reporter....you can see our coach and players are fed up with him and his questions are all fishing for all the Stotts blame he tries attract followers with. Stotts refuses to feed into it which I respect.
There's nothing but hype and doubt in a Quick piece and he's not connected to Jody Allen period...he's speculating after seeing there's a crowd he can suck into his gossip.. Listening to Wheels podcast I have learned the people he interviews around the organization are more in my camp about Stotts than Quick's camp.

 

[wizenheimer]

Let’s face it…….if and when the Blazers win a championship the usual suspects on here are gonna bitch and complain about how it was won

LOL...yeah right. If they win a championship I won't complain about anything

but before we sail around on the Hypothetical Sea, I'd like to see Portland actually win a game in the conference finals. And if they do ultimately lose a series, I'd like them to lose with a bang instead of a whimper. No more 0-4 or 1-4 exits in early rounds

 

[Natebishop3]

You guys that are just blindly faithful to Stotts completely blow my mind.

 

[Natebishop3]

Quick has been trolling Stotts all season...

If doing his job is trolling....

Quick has been asking the questions that need to be asked, like "why is your defense so shitty?"

 

[riverman]

Quick doesn't ask post game basketball questions....he asks veiled insults about whether the team has tuned the coach out....complete troll crap. For those who enjoy Stotts bashing, I'm sure they find common ground with Quick...I don't think he's a good post game interview at all...as a matter of fact I think Quick is worse than the Greek guy who asks the same question every game. Nothing mind blowing to see here...just a pattern of more negative affirmation and doubt. Stotts answered Quick long ago with the idea that Nurk anchored our defense and was a major key to building defensive chemistry....well....Nurk is getting the rust off and proving him right.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

You guys that are just blindly faithful to Stotts completely blow my mind.

Absolutely nothing whatsoever “blind” about it. Stott’s is the current coach. And unless and until that changes, we, as Trail Blazer fans choose to ride with it. I prefer to be called “loyal” as opposed to “blind”. I make a conscious choice not to bitch incessantly about things that I can’t personally change. I don’t require championships to remain a fan, simple as that, so please don’t overcomplicate it and make it into something it isn’t.