Zach's Lowedown On The Blazers...

[ABM]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27807188/the-2019-20-nba-league-pass-rankings-pt-1

Time for another preseason tradition: our eighth annual League Pass Rankings. These are watchability scores derived from a formula etched into stone tablets unearthed during construction of Bill Simmons' backyard swimming pool. We reward each team between one and 10 points in five categories:

Zeitgeist: Do normal people care about this team? If you bring them up at a party, will guests slink away like Homer Simpson into the hedge?

Highlight potential: Does this team have one player who can transform a ho-hum sequence into something transcendent in a blink?

Style: The 2013-14 Spurs would be a 10. James Harden dribbling 44 times before launching another step-back would receive something below a 10.

League Pass minutiae: Uniforms, courts, announcers.

Unintentional comedy: Blame Simmons. We have expanded the category to include variables -- like Markelle Fultz's jump shot -- more appropriately classified as "curiosities."

Reminder: These are not power rankings.

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https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27818274/2019-20-nba-league-pass-rankings

14. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (32 Points)

The Blazers are the quality control dividing line -- a comfort-food movie. They have more star power than the teams beneath them, though most of it is of the below-the-rim-variety. The teams above them bring more juicy unknowns.

Damian Lillard is a stone-faced destroyer of franchises. CJ McCollum is the league's preeminent midrange artist -- a leaning, bobbing, weaving, stop-on-a-dime phantom. Fans in Denver are still traumatized by what McCollum unleashed in Game 7 of last season's second round.

Zach Collins swats at enemy shots with sneering violence. If he hones his 3-pointer, he might become Portland's third franchise tentpole. Everyone is dying to see Anfernee Simons. Hassan Whiteside supplies dunks, and he has a knack for catching shots -- swallowing them whole -- instead of blocking them. That's cool.

God bless Mario Hezonja, always in pursuit of a wild highlight when a much simpler play is staring him in the face:

https://media.video-cdn.espn.com/gifs/mp4/Mario_turnover_2gif.mp4

The art and broadcast are top-notch. I dig the Blazers returning to a white painted area for their 50th anniversary season:

Maybe we will get a few classic Pau Gasol Statue of Liberty dunks.

 

[kjironman1]

ghlight potential: Does this team have one player who can transform a ho-hum sequence into something transcendent in a blink?

It's like this dude doesn't even remember what Lillard did to the Thunder? I would think ESPN would be all over every game that is Lillard vs George or Westbrook or Paul for that matter beings he is now the face of the Thunder.

But then again i'm a Blazer homer so there is that.

 

[KingSpeed]

It's like this dude doesn't even remember what Lillard did to the Thunder? I would think ESPN would be all over every game that is Lillard vs George or Westbrook or Paul for that matter beings he is now the face of the Thunder.

But then again i'm a Blazer homer so there is that.

He said this: "Damian Lillard is a stone-faced destroyer of franchises"

 

[Chris Craig]

It's like this dude doesn't even remember what Lillard did to the Thunder? I would think ESPN would be all over every game that is Lillard vs George or Westbrook or Paul for that matter beings he is now the face of the Thunder.

But then again i'm a Blazer homer so there is that.

His comment, "Dame is a stone faced destroyer of franchises," is a direct reference to "the goodbye shot", Dame took to knock the Thunder out of the Playoffs and back into the stone age. Dame destroyed that franchise. George and Westbrook had to leave, what Dame did to them was so bad. Thunder fans still can't walk straight.

 

[wizenheimer]

He said this: "Damian Lillard is a stone-faced destroyer of franchises"

a stone face is better than a glass chin....just ask Westbrook

 

[kjironman1]

He said this: "Damian Lillard is a stone-faced destroyer of franchises"

His comment, "Dame is a stone faced destroyer of franchises," is a direct reference to "the goodbye shot", Dame took to knock the Thunder out of the Playoffs and back into the stone age. Dame destroyed that franchise. George and Westbrook had to leave, what Dame did to them was so bad. Thunder fans still can't walk straight.

Did either of you notice the comment I referenced?
Lillard can change a ho hum experience pretty quickly.
That was my point here. But yes he is a killer of franchises.

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

They

 

[Binx]

It's like this dude doesn't even remember what Lillard did to the Thunder?

I think you’re misreading the article. The section you quoted is a description of the questions the author asks himself when evaluating every NBA team—not a critique of the Blazers.

 

[ABM]

I think you’re misreading the article. The section you quoted is a description of the questions the author asks himself when evaluating every NBA team—not a critique of the Blazers.

Exactly. The top half are the questions they ask of every team to determine a score. The Blazers ended up 14th with a score of 32 points. I believe the maximum is 50 points.

Philly ended up #1

1. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (42)

The Sixers are so weird, big, goofy and loaded with personality -- well, one mega-personality -- they repeat as League Pass champions despite losing the high-wattage curiosity factor of Markelle Fultz. I didn't think it was possible.

I have so many questions. How will their Gigantor starting five of Josh Richardson, Simmons, Tobias Harris, Horford and Joel Embiid play on each end? Can Simmons and Embiid find a pace that suits each of them? Where is Simmons standing and moving when he doesn't have the ball -- especially when Embiid is posting up? Will we see more Simmons-Embiid pick-and-rolls?

Where are opponents hiding their smallest defenders? Richardson supplies the most obvious place, but he's good, and the Sixers can use him on either end of screening actions with literally every other member of that lineup to force uncomfortable choices. Some opponents stashed undersized defenders on Harris last season and got away with it. Can Harris punish them?

How do the Sixers deploy Simmons on defense? They have the goods to be impenetrable. Could they place three guys on the two All-Defensive teams?

And these are just the wonky basketball questions! Simmons might shoot jumpers! Embiid demands your attention every second. When he's not tired, he can obliterate dudes in the post with an ease and brutality that give off the whiff of prime Shaq. (No one will ever be as devastating as prime Shaq.) But Shaq couldn't pump-and-drive from the 3-point arc and uncork flying windmill dunks in playoff games.


Embiid is the best trash-talker in the league, and I don't believe for one second he will follow through on his vow to stop. That would be a travesty. He actually hurts people's feelings. The Pistons should contemplate just benching Andre Drummond against Philadelphia -- that's how badly Embiid owns him. Karl-Anthony Towns started trying on defense because Embiid humiliated him on Instagram. Hassan Whiteside is probably glad to be in the opposite conference.

Marcus Smart shoved Embiid to the floor and wanted to fight him. Eric Bledsoe got ejected after chucking the ball at him. Embiid waves goodbye to guys after fouling them out. What a legend.

Matisse Thybulle and Zhaire Smith are exciting prospects who should crack the rotation. I could listen to Brett Brown read the phone book. Philly has surpassed Boston, Portland and the Lakers as owners of the best top-to-bottom art in the league.

The Sixers are deserving champions. Now, on to the games!

 

[kjironman1]

I think you’re misreading the article. The section you quoted is a description of the questions the author asks himself when evaluating every NBA team—not a critique of the Blazers.

I think it has more to do with me not addressing the

14. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (32 Points)

Part.

What i should have done is shown my outrage that he had Portland with Lillard as #14 out of 30 teams.