Game 80 : Portland vs Golden State 7:00pm Root,Root+

[Shem]

What pisses me off the most about this season is it feels like literally nothing was accomplished. There’s not a single thing you can point to of how the team is moving forward or really improved.

Banton and Camara were nice surprises. And we're finally done with Andrew Nicholson's dead weight stretched contract. Not exactly the sexiest moves. But, there is at least that.

Banton is just this years Skylar May’s. Nice story I guess when nothing else was happening. Camara has a chance to be a good glue guy, but without a shot he’s just a rookie version of Thybulle.

It's like you're just reading SOME of the box scores. Banton has played so much better than Scoot this year with way less opportunity. In fact, this is Banton's first true opportunity to play. But whatever, you're definitely in a mood.

Just so you know, we're going to suck next year too. The only way the Blazers have any opportunity at the playoffs next season is it there is some unexpected roster change. Like drafting Bronny and LeBron wants to join the Blazers to play with his son type of thing.

[JasonStern]

What pisses me off the most about this season is it feels like literally nothing was accomplished. There’s not a single thing you can point to of how the team is moving forward or really improved.

Banton and Camara were nice surprises. And we're finally done with Andrew Nicholson's dead weight stretched contract. Not exactly the sexiest moves. But, there is at least that.

Banton is just this years Skylar May’s. Nice story I guess when nothing else was happening. Camara has a chance to be a good glue guy, but without a shot he’s just a rookie version of Thybulle.

Are we really at the dunking on Skylar Mays part of the season? Guy did nothing wrong to you. And he didn't construct a roster where he got a larger than normally deserved amount of minutes.

[JasonStern]

Scoot was battling a lot of injuries early on but he's been playing better

Here's hoping he stays healthy and after summer league and off season workouts, he'll settle in as
a 14 ppg/ 7 APG as a second year player

He’s already looking like a 14/7 player at this point, compensating for early season struggles now statistically. I always knew a 20 yr old pg could come around. Love how quickly people give up. Take notes

It's hard to call him a 14ppg player when he needs 14+ shots to score the 14ppg.

I'm actually fine with that. Scoot may never be an elite scorer, but his accuracy should go up over time. And if the Blazers do get some elite talent, the shot burden won't be on him.

It's the 9 turnovers to get 7 assists that is worrisome. I think Wizenheimer once detailed how anything less than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio is effectively a death sentence.

[JasonStern]

There’s no such thing as an MVP when you’re 15-24 lmao.

Whatever, Brogdon is Portland's best player. The point I was trying to make that his impact on the team is valuable in terms of learning to win.

Billups should have just started Scoot, Ant and Sharpe as you’re 1-3.

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I'm the biggest Sharpe fan on RealGM, and even I will admit that Brogdon and Simons should be the starting guards. Hopefully, that changes in a couple of seasons. But we lost 61 games. Scoot isn't ready, and Sharpe might be on an Elliot Williams path. I hope not. But regardless, kids take time to develop. Did you know that Michael Jordan got cut from his varsity team?

Shem: That is a myth. He was a freshman. Freshman had to play one season of junior varsity basketball. School district policy.

Well, that's not a fun, motivational story.

[DusterBuster]

Billups should have just started Scoot, Ant and Sharpe as you’re 1-3.

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

[Shem]

Billups should have just started Scoot, Ant and Sharpe as you’re 1-3.

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

I want Ant traded. In fact, I wanted him traded last off season. I was hoping he would have more of a breakout season to increase his value, but he didn't and he missed 36 games via injury while missing 20 the season for that. I think he lost value this season to be honest.

[JasonStern]

Billups should have just started Scoot, Ant and Sharpe as you’re 1-3.

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

Read on Twitter

(thread)

I'm not reading that. He sounds like he's forced into a veteran role despite not really being a veteran.

And to Shem's glee, he explicitly called out support for Chauncey Billups.

[cdubbz]

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

I want Ant traded. In fact, I wanted him traded last off season. I was hoping he would have more of a breakout season to increase his value, but he didn't and he missed 36 games via injury while missing 20 the season for that. I think he lost value this season to be honest.

There will always be value in the league for a 20point scorer that can shoot the 3ball. His contract isn't awful either when you look at his age as well. But I think he's more of a spark plug and 6th man or he should be the 3rd star on the team.

[DusterBuster]

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

Read on Twitter

(thread)

I'm not reading that. He sounds like he's forced into a veteran role despite not really being a veteran.

And to Shem's glee, he explicitly called out support for Chauncey Billups.

I’ll blame aggregation for what I heard out of his quote.

But regardless of anyone’s feeling on Billups, there was zero chance he was in any risk or on any hot seat. The team clearly has his back from management to the players, regardless of how many 60 point log games they have.

[Shem]

Ant should be a 6th man if it were up to me. But politics plays a part in sports. With Ant and the money Portland has invested in him, it's hard to justify not starting him.

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

Read on Twitter

(thread)

I'm not reading that. He sounds like he's forced into a veteran role despite not really being a veteran.

And to Shem's glee, he explicitly called out support for Chauncey Billups.

You mean this part?

Read on Twitter

BTW, this isn't news to me nor am I surprised. I would have never gone to bat for Chauncey the way I have if I hadn't known his impact on the players.

[Shem]

I agree, Ant really should be a 6th man on any team. He would never accept that in Portland. I started another thread based off some comments he made at the exit interviews... to sum up his comments, I don't think it's a stretch to say there's a chance he could be somewhere else to start next season.

I want Ant traded. In fact, I wanted him traded last off season. I was hoping he would have more of a breakout season to increase his value, but he didn't and he missed 36 games via injury while missing 20 the season for that. I think he lost value this season to be honest.

There will always be value in the league for a 20point scorer that can shoot the 3ball. His contract isn't awful either when you look at his age as well. But I think he's more of a spark plug and 6th man or he should be the 3rd star on the team.

But he didn't increase his value. I'd argue he decreased it. Missing 56 games in two seasons is not something that helps your resume.

[cdubbz]

I want Ant traded. In fact, I wanted him traded last off season. I was hoping he would have more of a breakout season to increase his value, but he didn't and he missed 36 games via injury while missing 20 the season for that. I think he lost value this season to be honest.

There will always be value in the league for a 20point scorer that can shoot the 3ball. His contract isn't awful either when you look at his age as well. But I think he's more of a spark plug and 6th man or he should be the 3rd star on the team.

But he didn't increase his value. I'd argue he decreased it. Missing 56 games in two seasons is not something that helps your resume.

Perfect. We can name him Captain of the tankathon!

If Blazers can get expiring contracts for Grant and Willaims -- then still a huge win if they want to go full rebuild and not try to win games.

[JasonStern]

If Blazers can get expiring contracts for Grant and Willaims -- then still a huge win if they want to go full rebuild and not try to win games.

The general consensus/rumor mill is that the Blazers aren't really going full rebuild. Management is fairly passive, and as long as the Blazers are profitable/not paying the tax, it's one less thing for Paul Allen's estate to deal with. Pure speculation, but I imagine Portland will do something to consolidate their 4 picks in this draft, and then bring Brogdon, Grant, and Timelord back. If Scoot/Sharpe prove themselves, maybe Brogdon or Simons gets moved. But a play-in tier team in Portland is enough to sell enough tickets to not run at a financial deficit.

[Tim Lehrbach]

We're in a deep rebuild whether management acknowledges it or not. This roster is built to win less than 30 games annually, and it will take some serious turnover or some draft luck to change that -- in other words, rebuilding.

[DusterBuster]

We're in a deep rebuild whether management acknowledges it or not. This roster is built to win less than 30 games annually, and it will take some serious turnover or some draft luck to change that -- in other words, rebuilding.

They won't fully acknowledge it. Everyone honestly needs to buckle in for at least one or two more years of sub-30 win seasons. And that's only if their lottery picks in the past couple seasons and in the next couple seasons hit and develop.