Yang progress

[wizenheimer]

and self driving AND with a longer lasting lithium battery.

old school....it's Li-ion now

 

[julius]

I specifically said 1st team though. Look through the last decade of that. Certainly some misses but many more great players than misses. Either way, I hope for the best player and I'm skeptical yang or the Orlando pick will bring us someone as good as Coward.

I'm willing to wait to compare their stats when they're the same age. Yang has 2 years to catch up to a 13 points and 6 rebounds and a 15 per.

 

[julius]

old school....it's Li-ion now

Is that related to Voltron?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I'm willing to wait to compare their stats when they're the same age. Yang has 2 years to catch up to a 13 points and 6 rebounds and a 15 per.

Just in time for Jrue and Dame to retire.

 

[julius]

Just in time for Jrue and Dame to retire.

which has matters...how?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

which has matters...how?

#1 I don't think that will happen in 2 years.

#2 I think if Dame comes back and plays 85% of what he was we have a short window to compete (contend if we make a trade for another star next to Dame and Deni). Therefore, i'd rather have players that can play now (I believe Coward will be better either way) to help before out two talented players fall off a cliff.

 

[julius]

#1 I don't think that will happen in 2 years.

#2 I think if Dame comes back and plays 85% of what he was we have a short window to compete (contend if we make a trade for another star next to Dame and Deni). Therefore, i'd rather have players that can play now (I believe Coward will be better either way) to help before out two talented players fall off a cliff.

Cedric is a role player.

 

[wizenheimer]

Is that related to Voltron?

grandson

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Cedric is a role player.

He was a rookie and I think he can grow. Better than a bench warmer.

 

[PCmor7]

Yeah, hopefully by the time these seeds grow we'll need them. Not like we shouldn't make a run with Dame coming back or anything.

Obviously we want whoever ends up best. At this point, it is pretty hard seeing a scenario where Yang has even close to a career as Coward. We'll see on the Magic pick. Just unfortunate it'll be around the time Dame and Jrue hit father time.

Eh. Maybe. It's easy to say and easy to criticize, but it's also a pretty superficial argument, IMO. Where does Coward play on this team next year presuming Dame is back fulltime? He's not starting 47 games and averaging 26 minutes if he's competing for minutes with Dame, Jrue, Scoot, Shaedon, Deni, Grant and Camara.

And I know someone posted "Well, drafting Coward allows you to trade Shaedon." Maybe it was you, I can't remember. The thing is that kind of flies in the face of winning with Dame. Shaedon and Coward are the same age. Shaedon averaged 7 ppg than Coward this year, and even 6 ppg more than Coward per 36 minutes. Coward isn't Shaedon yet and I think its extremely optimistic to say he will be. When he was 20, Shaedon already was a better scorer than Coward is at 22.

Coward definitely would have helped the rotation, but acting like he would have made the Blazers appreciably better this season or next isn't realistic.

The Blazers swung for the fences with Yang, knowing neither was going to play a lot this year and the team wasn't going to be in a position to contend this year. The Blazers also have a window with draft capital coming up 2-4 years away when, if things hit, they really could be contenders.

They took a chance drafting the high-upside guy over the piece. I understand that reasoning, because teams with stars win and Coward, realistically, is going to be a good player but also one whose presence and production is replaceable. The Blazers mitigated drafting Yang over Coward by getting future draft capital, too.

Therefore, it's pretty kneejerk to criticize this move based primarily on Coward making the all-rookie team. If you want to argue the Blazers could have made out better making the deal to get the Pelicans' pick for Queen, I think that's probably a better argument. But Coward on this team primarily would be taking minutes from guys like Kris Murray and Sidy Cissoko, so he's not producing the way he did with Memphis this year. He's a good player who moves the needle very little in this situation.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Yeah, hopefully by the time these seeds grow we'll need them. Not like we shouldn't make a run with Dame coming back or anything.

Obviously we want whoever ends up best. At this point, it is pretty hard seeing a scenario where Yang has even close to a career as Coward. We'll see on the Magic pick. Just unfortunate it'll be around the time Dame and Jrue hit father time.

Dame might already be cooked. Kobe was the same age and never an effective player post Achilles injury.

 

[julius]

Dame might already be cooked. Kobe was the same age and never an effective player post Achilles injury.

Kobe had a lot more miles on his body by that time, and it was so over 13 years ago. The procedure and how they rehab has changed a lot in the years since then.

I'm not saying Damian will be immediately back to his old self.

One thing to remember tho, Kobe came back 240 days later. He returned in the *same* calendar year. Dame will have been out for a minimum of what, 17 months?

Also, part of why Kobe production dropped was the second injury he got, arguably because he returned too quick and was compensating.

Of course that's not to say that Dame will not run into issues. But Damian has played something like almost 500 fewer games and almost 13k minutes less (the game totals count playoffs, but the minutes do not, didn't see total minutes listed for playoffs, but considering he played a ton more playoff games, it's safe to say has played even more minutes).

I don't know if you can use Kobe as a template for now Damian will return.

 

[inconceivable]

Kobe had a lot more miles on his body by that time, and it was so over 13 years ago. The procedure and how they rehab has changed a lot in the years since then.

I'm not saying Damian will be immediately back to his old self.

One thing to remember tho, Kobe came back 240 days later. He returned in the *same* calendar year. Dame will have been out for a minimum of what, 17 months?

Also, part of why Kobe production dropped was the second injury he got, arguably because he returned too quick and was compensating.

Of course that's not to say that Dame will not run into issues. But Damian has played something like almost 500 fewer games and almost 13k minutes less (the game totals count playoffs, but the minutes do not, didn't see total minutes listed for playoffs, but considering he played a ton more playoff games, it's safe to say has played even more minutes).

I don't know if you can use Kobe as a template for now Damian will return.

dame will return like kd did, still very good

 

[julius]

dame will return like kd did, still very good

Im figuring Dame will return to whatever form Dame will return. I won't be surprised or upset by anything.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

My thoughts on Yang have remained the same. If he can transform his body he could be good.

Ideally he would transform his body into Wemby's.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Cedric is a role player.

Whereas Yang isn't any kind of player.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I'm willing to wait to compare their stats when they're the same age. Yang has 2 years to catch up to a 13 points and 6 rebounds and a 15 per.

Do G-League stats count?

 

[julius]

Whereas Yang isn't any kind of player.

Yeah, and he's 2 years younger and has almost 2 whole NBA seasons before he's at the same state of development as Cedric is now.

 

[julius]

Do G-League stats count?

No, because if you went by g-league stats, Mac McClung would be a star and Diop would be a generational talent.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Eh. Maybe. It's easy to say and easy to criticize, but it's also a pretty superficial argument, IMO. Where does Coward play on this team next year presuming Dame is back fulltime? He's not starting 47 games and averaging 26 minutes if he's competing for minutes with Dame, Jrue, Scoot, Shaedon, Deni, Grant and Camara.

And I know someone posted "Well, drafting Coward allows you to trade Shaedon." Maybe it was you, I can't remember. The thing is that kind of flies in the face of winning with Dame. Shaedon and Coward are the same age. Shaedon averaged 7 ppg than Coward this year, and even 6 ppg more than Coward per 36 minutes. Coward isn't Shaedon yet and I think its extremely optimistic to say he will be. When he was 20, Shaedon already was a better scorer than Coward is at 22.

Coward definitely would have helped the rotation, but acting like he would have made the Blazers appreciably better this season or next isn't realistic.

The Blazers swung for the fences with Yang, knowing neither wasn't going to play a lot this year and the team wasn't going to be in a position to contend this year. The Blazers also have a window with draft capital coming up 2-4 years away when, if things hit, they really could be contenders.

They took a chance drafting the high-upside guy over the piece. I understand that reasoning, because teams with stars win and Coward, realistically, is going to be a good player but also one whose presence and production is replaceable. The Blazers mitigated drafting Yang over Coward by getting future draft capital, too.

Therefore, it's pretty kneejerk to criticize this move based primarily on Coward making the all-rookie team. If you want to argue the Blazers could have made out better making the deal to get the Pelicans' pick for Queen, I think that's probably a better argument. But Coward on this team primarily would be taking minutes from guys like Kris Murray and Sidy Cissoko, so he's not producing the way he did with Memphis this year. He's a good player who moves the needle very little in this situation.

I disagree that our ability to contend is in 2 to 4 years. Our ability to contend is now if Dame comes back 85% of what he was and we trade for a star. Losing Jrue and Dame to father time is going to set our team back. They both are very very talented players. And lets just say I have minimal faith that Sharpe or Scoot blossom into elite players. I'd 100% on board with making them available in a trade to package for a star. You can argue that the Magic pick will help us more than Coward would, but Yang is going to have zero trade value right now. We also are forgetting that people were shocked that Yang was drafted as high as he was.

Shaedon may be a better scorer, but he certainly is a worse defender. I don't think you need a better scorer that is a bad defender next to Dame. We saw how that played out for most of the Dame-CJ backcourt.

You must mistake me for someone else. I am not only criticizing the move for Coward making the all rookie team. I've been banging this drum all season.

 

[Cugel]

I am still trying to figure out how POR is a contender once Dame is back?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I am still trying to figure out how POR is a contender once Dame is back?

If he comes back at 85% and we make a trade for a player like Kawhi Leonard, how are we not?

You don't think Dame, Deni, Kawhi and whatever we have left of Camara, Jrue, Grant, Clingan, Scoot and Shaedon is a contender?

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I am still trying to figure out how POR is a contender once Dame is back?

The Blazers aren't close. Dame has major defensive issues in his prime. He never won anything with Giannis either.

Most realistic path to contend is long term with Bucks picks, not in the next 2 years with Dame.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

The Blazers aren't close. Dame has major defensive issues in his prime. He never won anything with Giannis either.

Most realistic path to contend is long term with Bucks picks, not in the next 2 years with Dame.

If we aren't close, I suggest we tear it all down OKC style.

Also, I made it friends! I'm more positive about the team being a contender than others (with a few moves).

I think it is pretty clear Dundon wants to win though. I expect he will have us searching for trades to improve. We might even embrace a F them picks era.

 

[inconceivable]

The Blazers aren't close. Dame has major defensive issues in his prime. He never won anything with Giannis either.

Most realistic path to contend is long term with Bucks picks, not in the next 2 years with Dame.

Deni and Dame have relatively low salaries. Gotta take advantage of that window.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Deni and Dame have relatively low salaries. Gotta take advantage of that window.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

He looks skinnier, which I don't know if that's good or bad.

Dundon reduced his weight by 20%.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Yeah, and he's 2 years younger and has almost 2 whole NBA seasons before he's at the same state of development as Cedric is now.

Yeah? Well I'm decades older than Cedric and I'm still crap. Sometimes you is what you is and "development" won't change that.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[inconceivable]

I am still trying to figure out how POR is a contender once Dame is back?

If Dame is not a shell of himself, you find a way to add a top 15ish player to play with him and Deni.