Portland's Off-Season Has Officially Arrived

[Norm2953]

Coach Bud (Atlanta) is going to be the man to watch if the Blazers moved quickly to replace Stotts.

A fresh pair of eyes might be open to things Terry Stotts is adamant in not doing. There will be changes
but if NO/Stotts are still in place is it going to matter for Lebron is not walking in the door at the
Blazers facility and unless we get lucky in the draft, whoever we draft is not likely going to see many
minutes. All those injured players on other teams that allowed Portland to be a 3 seed will be back
and if we stand pat, we're likely an 8 seed facing another sweep from either the GSW or Rockets.

There seems to be some concern Paul Allen might check out for the SeaHawks are roughly where the
Blazers are. Let's see if Blazers management has the courage to do what the GSW did in breaking up
their Monta Ellis/Steph back court in 2011 for its okay to take one step back in order to get ahead.

[Wizenheimer]

I am very upset by the quotes I read from the Olshey exit interview.
from Joe Freeman twitter:

Neil Olshey: "This one was so extreme, I don’t want to overreact …"
Neil Olshey on how the playoff sweep changes his view on the team and season. "It doesn’t change anything about the season."
Neil Olshey: "Everyone understands this is a work in progress."
Neil Olshey's message to people calling for sweeping changes: "Where were all these people that wanted these sweeping changes 10 days ago. ... It’s our job to be measured. And not overreact."

These responses genuinely make me angry. Neil is completely denying reality... going so far as to say naysayers didn't even exist 10 days ago. That is straight BS!

I expected nothing more. Snake oil is as snake oil does

To be honest, this was not the time or place for him to really dig into the team. If I was the owner I would want a confident and united front presented to the world, even if the sky was falling behind the scenes. That's the nature of PR, you don't really air your dirty laundry.

sure...but for 6 seasons we've seen Olshey's exit interview bromides be the policy the next season

maybe it will be different next season, but history suggests otherwise. I do suspect Paul Allen isn't as ok with the sweep as Olshey appears to be

[d-train]

I expected nothing more. Snake oil is as snake oil does

To be honest, this was not the time or place for him to really dig into the team. If I was the owner I would want a confident and united front presented to the world, even if the sky was falling behind the scenes. That's the nature of PR, you don't really air your dirty laundry.

sure...but for 6 seasons we've seen Olshey's exit interview bromides be the policy the next season

maybe it will be different next season, but history suggests otherwise. I do suspect Paul Allen isn't as ok with the sweep as Olshey appears to be

When you have a good plan that is working well, there isn't reason to change. Blazers have improved every year. And, every year it will get harder to improve. Still, I can see that this team is going to be a lot better next season in its 3rd year. It's the 4th year if you want to count 2015. I don't count that year because it was before we locked in. We locked in 2016. You can see that from the contracts, Blazers were buying into a 5-year plan.

I'm surprised so many people are surprised that we lost to Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. I would've never predicted that we would get swept. I held out hope that we could win the series. But, I'm not surprised we lost. I also would've never predicted that AD and Holiday would suddenly play up to their potential after years of incohesive play. I have underrated Gentry before but that guy is an amazing salesman. He could sell suntan oil to an Eskimo.

We didn't have a top player in 2016 when Blazers committed to this core of players. So, from the beginning the plan was to build a team without a top player. It's not easy to build a team into a contender when you start with a top player. So, the Blazers are trying to do something difficult and unconventional.

In the beginning, I was among those that believed we would be a losing team for many years while we explored for lottery gold. But, Olshey started bottom fishing and wheeling and dealing. The only thing more amazing than Gentry's coaching is Olshey's ability to cobble together a basketball team. Blazers surprised me in 2015. And, no way I could be confident enough in Lillard, CJ, and Plumlee to lock into that core. But, what was the alternative?

Olshey has the Blazers on the right path. We should stay the course. I would like to see Collins next year and another year of Nurkic. Lillard is a tiny shooting guard that we have been trying to make into a PG for 6 years. This is the project I would like to give up on. But, the alternatives as usual are worse than the problems. So, I'm in for another year.

[Wizenheimer]

When you have a good plan that is working well, there isn't reason to change. .

but we're talking about the Blazers, not some other team

[Masterfully]

I just read Olshey’s exit interview. I wasn’t worried before, I am now. He spent the whole interview trying to play a cup game with the media to get them to look away from the playoffs and focus on the ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOWING 49 win regular season. Never mind that Denver was nearly as good and missed the playoffs...

He capped it off by saying that PA wants him to make improvements and that he has supreme confidence in the Dame/CJ pairing. Folks, prepare yourselves for another offseason of little tweaks while the rest of the league move and shakes.

This team is ****ed.

[Masterfully]

By the way, what a condescending jackass. He spent some time bashing fans who want big changes. Basically saying that they are overreacting to 4 games versus New Orleans (whom Olshey seems to describe as the greatest playoff team ever.)

You couldn’t be more wrong, Olshey. For a few years fans have been skeptical of this backcourt. I, for one, never bought into it, but was willing to sit back and let you prove me wrong. But the skeptics have been proved right. What do we have to do to show this isn’t an overreaction to one series?? I suppose the answer is to stop buying tickets...

Olshey:
“But this idea that (we need) sweeping changes. Where were all these people that wanted sweeping changes 10 days ago? Where were they? They were the ones bouncing off the walls in the Moda Center when we got the third seed for the first time since 1999-00. So it's our job to be measured and not overreact.“

[d-train]

When you have a good plan that is working well, there isn't reason to change. .

but we're talking about the Blazers, not some other team

You are doing fine when your enemies hate you but can't find any fault in your plan. If you want the Blazers to do something different, you have to give specifics. Do you want to continue to have a winning team or do you want as many lottery balls as possible?

I don't think we have a single player on our team that we could get much for in a forced trade. I bet we could get as much for Collins or Nurkic than we could get for either Lillard or CJ. We can't trade Nurkic but if we could, we would be offered the same 3rd or 4th best players from a worse team than ours that Lillard and CJ would yield.

I remember when all the realgm Blazer fanboys were hot to get Spencer Hawes. Everyone was perplexed that Hawes was available and Olshey wasn't moving mountains to get him. Now, Hawes is entering his prime and he is available again. Personally, I'm glad realgm's experts didn't get their way when they wanted to trade CJ and Freeman for Hawes. The worst idea's are usually the ones that people here think are the best.

[acidfrehley]

I'm actually glad that they're not overreacting like most of your are.

Trust the process.

[Blazinaway]

I'm actually glad that they're not overreacting like most of your are.

Trust the process.

I don't "trust" nor do I like the product the "process" has produced. Again, we all have our opinions, but for me this process produced for the most part very lousy basketball to watch. And for me I see us as a tread mill team who could easily if we stay the same not make the playoffs next year. Lets also keep in mind our best players missed very few games this year - Dame missed 9 games, CJ missed 1, Nurk missed 3. That's about as good as it gets with our best 3 players missing a total of 13 games. I can see where some may want to keep this team together for another 2-3 years, while I do not want that I do respect that choice, just as I would expect other to respect my view. If little is done then I will like not watch nearly as many games as I did this yr which was the lowest in many years simply because our ISO style of play makes me sick.

[Downtown]

I can certainly understand your frustration, which to differing degrees is shared by probably all Blazers fans. But we do have to keep in mind that the separation between where Portland finished the season and New Orleans, or even the two teams below them was small and that if some of the teams we played during the winning streak were at full compliment the Blazers and Pelicans might have been reversed in the standings and we would have been the underdogs. It was that close in the West besides the top two teams.

And while I've never been a fan of Neil Olshey and don't care for his view on how to structure a team, he was correct in saying that it's improvements over starting from scratch that should be the plan in the off season. But it is frustrating to see the person who put the roster together and got them into the salary cap situation act as if it's a simple matter of a couple tweaks here and there to become much better than they were.

I did say the day after being knocked out I felt there was a bit of a panic mode from people. Emotions run high after being swept and one needs to let the dust settle a bit so a rational look at the situation can be held.

[Blazinaway]

Downtown, I really don't or did not see "panic" - the disaster in the playoffs was simply an exclamation point for many of us on where this team really is. I saw many posters like myself fed up with the current roster, style of play, our coach who endorses that style of play and a GM who made horrible roster decisions in the summer of 16. Now I would not be surprised if PA has a hand in some of those contracts, like matching Crabbe. BUT ET and Meyers were horrible decisions. As I said I endorse and prefer making changes, roster wise and mgmt/coaching as well. That assumes of course we can get fair value for our assets, those which are tradable.

[PDXKnight]

How he heck are people on the gb seriously taking like Jrue is better than Damian lillard? Tell me no wouldn't take Dame for Jrue in A ny minute...

[Masterfully]

Management and some fans share a common trait, which is that saying this roster needs “sweeping changes” is an overreaction. If you say it after a playoff loss it’s an overreaction. If you say it at the trade deadline, if you say it on draft day, if you say it on the third Tuesday of the month...

When can we have this conversation? Maybe I should start accusing the conservative approach of being an overeaction.

[acidfrehley]

I'm actually glad that they're not overreacting like most of your are.

Trust the process.

I don't "trust" nor do I like the product the "process" has produced. Again, we all have our opinions, but for me this process produced for the most part very lousy basketball to watch. And for me I see us as a tread mill team who could easily if we stay the same not make the playoffs next year. Lets also keep in mind our best players missed very few games this year - Dame missed 9 games, CJ missed 1, Nurk missed 3. That's about as good as it gets with our best 3 players missing a total of 13 games. I can see where some may want to keep this team together for another 2-3 years, while I do not want that I do respect that choice, just as I would expect other to respect my view. If little is done then I will like not watch nearly as many games as I did this yr which was the lowest in many years simply because our ISO style of play makes me sick.

I do also understand that we all have our opinions, and they're strongly biased from our particular views and such.

I'm from Brazil, and besides basketball, I also love football (or soccers, as you call it). And one of the biggest differences that I spot between leagues like NBA and NFL to our football leagues is that you guys always towards giving time to coaches and GM's to work with their philosophy and strategies. Here its strangely normal that at least 70% of the coaches of our first division football teams will lose their jobs during the competition. And that sucks. Bad.

I really think that good professionals tend to correct their wrongs, cause they're capable of it. And that's why I'll always lean to continuity, to preserving NO and Stotts. You could bash them all you want for their choices (Turner, Meyers, not signing vets...), but they also had a lot of rights (the post Aldridge rebuild, winning seasons, Nurk and Harkless trades...).

This is what keeps me thinking the our best plan is to hold to our core (Lillard/CJ) and our leadership (NO/Stotts). These four individuals have a lot to deal right now, and I'm certain that they are thrilling to answer this sweep on the next season. They'll work as hard as they can to turn this ship around.

[d-train]

How he heck are people on the gb seriously taking like Jrue is better than Damian lillard? Tell me no wouldn't take Dame for Jrue in A ny minute...

Because Holiday outplayed Lillard in a head-to-head matchup.

I don't rank Jrue ahead of Dame. I used to believe Jrue was better than Lillard when Jrue was in Phily. Since, the trade to NO, I thought Jrue underperformed. Now, I think Jrue and Lillard are roughly equal. Both players are hybrid guards. Right now, Jrue is benefiting because he has AD and better chemistry with his team than Dame does.

[tester551]

I'm actually glad that they're not overreacting like most of your are.

Trust the process.

I don't "trust" nor do I like the product the "process" has produced. Again, we all have our opinions, but for me this process produced for the most part very lousy basketball to watch. And for me I see us as a tread mill team who could easily if we stay the same not make the playoffs next year. Lets also keep in mind our best players missed very few games this year - Dame missed 9 games, CJ missed 1, Nurk missed 3. That's about as good as it gets with our best 3 players missing a total of 13 games. I can see where some may want to keep this team together for another 2-3 years, while I do not want that I do respect that choice, just as I would expect other to respect my view. If little is done then I will like not watch nearly as many games as I did this yr which was the lowest in many years simply because our ISO style of play makes me sick.

Couldn't agree with this more!

It's not an over-reaction. It's based on the 6-year history of NO & Stotts. They are 'good' but not 'great'. Good enough to be a treadmill team for the next 5 years. We're now the new Memphis Grizzlies (from '11-'17). Barely make it into the playoffs, but far from ever being a contender.

Also, did I hear Stotts right.... he's not going to evaluate the job he did this year & figure out how to get better?
That's a fire-able offense right there!
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[d-train]

I can certainly understand your frustration, which to differing degrees is shared by probably all Blazers fans. But we do have to keep in mind that the separation between where Portland finished the season and New Orleans, or even the two teams below them was small and that if some of the teams we played during the winning streak were at full compliment the Blazers and Pelicans might have been reversed in the standings and we would have been the underdogs. It was that close in the West besides the top two teams.

And while I've never been a fan of Neil Olshey and don't care for his view on how to structure a team, he was correct in saying that it's improvements over starting from scratch that should be the plan in the off season. But it is frustrating to see the person who put the roster together and got them into the salary cap situation act as if it's a simple matter of a couple tweaks here and there to become much better than they were.

I did say the day after being knocked out I felt there was a bit of a panic mode from people. Emotions run high after being swept and one needs to let the dust settle a bit so a rational look at the situation can be held.

The only people that have a problem with Blazers "salary cap situation" are people that don't understand the CBA. The reason we are over the cap is we started this iteration of our team with 3 core players on their 2nd contract. Plumlee wasn't actually on his second contract, but 2016 was the last year he would be counted on his rookie deal. Being over the cap wasn't a choice made by Olshey, it was a fact of the cards he had to work with.

The other misconception about our "cap situation" is that it is worse because we are way over the cap and will owe luxury taxes. Actually, being way over the cap is an advantage to the Blazers. The reason for the luxury tax is it is considered to be such a big advantage that it has to be penalized to discourage teams from cheating in this way.

[Blazinaway]

"The other misconception about our "cap situation" is that it is worse because we are way over the cap and will owe luxury taxes. Actually, being way over the cap is an advantage to the Blazers. The reason for the luxury tax is it is considered to be such a big advantage that it has to be penalized to discourage teams from cheating in this way"

LOL, what the heck are you talking about? If we had anywhere close to the talent (we don't) of a team like Golden St then yes being over the cap and paying tax would be ok and would likely be ok with PA, HOWEVER, we are at the very edge of paying lux tax with a run of the mill ordinary team with no realistic chance to be a serious contender and hamstrung for the next 2 years with some god awful contracts which SEVERELY restricts our ability to do anything to improve the roster. We can't sign any top FA's because of out cap, we gotta pay Nurk and all we have is the MLE to add a rotation player and we also could easily lose Ed Davis.

[Wizenheimer]

Management and some fans share a common trait, which is that saying this roster needs “sweeping changes” is an overreaction. If you say it after a playoff loss it’s an overreaction. If you say it at the trade deadline, if you say it on draft day, if you say it on the third Tuesday of the month...

When can we have this conversation? Maybe I should start accusing the conservative approach of being an overeaction.

I'm on your side of this debate, and sometimes I will get my hackles up over the way some posters here dismiss views like ours. At the same time, we all do post from emotion at times and hyperbole rises as the temperature does.

I will say I've been pretty much where I'm at on this Blazer roster since halfway thru the 2015-16 season. And I've been at the same place I am now on Olshey almost as long. I used to be lonely, but it's become a lot more crowded lately on my side of the fence. I guess I need to find another fence to jump over because I like the hyperbole elbow-room available in lonely places....

Downtown, I really don't or did not see "panic" - the disaster in the playoffs was simply an exclamation point for many of us on where this team really is. I saw many posters like myself fed up with the current roster, style of play, our coach who endorses that style of play and a GM who made horrible roster decisions in the summer of 16. Now I would not be surprised if PA has a hand in some of those contracts, like matching Crabbe. BUT ET and Meyers were horrible decisions. As I said I endorse and prefer making changes, roster wise and mgmt/coaching as well. That assumes of course we can get fair value for our assets, those which are tradable.

for sure, and contrary to Olshey's idiotic assertion yesterday that everybody was on board the Blazer train 10 days ago, there's been doubts building about this roster for nearly 3 years

I've been accused of 'nitpicking' Olshey's moves before. So I'll paint with broad strokes. Olshey has made two gigantic blunders in my view. One was to go all in on the Dame-CJ backcourt, give them both near-max deals, and try and build a team around that way too redundant pair of guards. The other blunder was to completely misread the close of the 2015-16 season and go on a giant punch-drunk spending spree that summer

Maybe one of those blunders was worth a mulligan, but I don't think so considering how franchise altering they were. But two blunders like that?...fire-able

so then, is the architect of that mess the best architect to get the team out of the mess? Many here are saying yes. Myself, I watched that exit interview yesterday and I'm fairly well convinced that most of the same biases that caused Olshey to make those blunders are still there

[Epicurus]

Downtown, I really don't or did not see "panic" - the disaster in the playoffs was simply an exclamation point for many of us on where this team really is. I saw many posters like myself fed up with the current roster, style of play, our coach who endorses that style of play and a GM who made horrible roster decisions in the summer of 16. Now I would not be surprised if PA has a hand in some of those contracts, like matching Crabbe. BUT ET and Meyers were horrible decisions. As I said I endorse and prefer making changes, roster wise and mgmt/coaching as well. That assumes of course we can get fair value for our assets, those which are tradable.

Did you so dislike this coach's style of play during the 50 win seasons, or even the season when local and national folks noticed a more entertaining brand of basketball being played in Portland? Probably not (or if yes, then I wonder just what the hell you would like on offense).

That team left largely and changes had to be made--one proven NBA player and many question marks. Strange that you now "prefer making changes," but can't seem to get a handle on the changes that had to be made due to the makeup of the team. The two season previous to this one showed that the offense while performing rather well could not make up for the defense being played. Hence this season we have seen another change in the style of play. Now we have guards who get beat (and they still do at too great of frequency) following and harrassing their man from the rear and staying around, rather than leaking out, for rebounds. The defense has noticably improved, at some cost to early push offense. And 8 more wins were produced. Why does that make you fed up? Did you really believe that you can maximize the defense without impacting negatively the offense, with the absence of two way players? The style of play that you so decry is conducive to this group of players. Would other styles? Maybe yes, it would make things better; maybe it wouldn't matter with this squad; maybe no, it would make things worse. A bias to change and the novel is not always, if ever, the reasonable orientation.