Game 54: Portland vs Denver 6:00pm Chargetv and KUNP

[zzaj]

I’ll be honest. Ace Bailey scares the bejeebus out of me at #2 or 3.

When dude goes cold he just offers nothing. And he makes himself go cold A LOT on shot selection.
I expect him to put up big attempts on a losing team. People will fall for his big scoring avg. but miss the point…winning basketball games.

I think he has a lower floor than people realize.

[Case2012]

Would you rather have Sharpe or Bailey? Or Harper?

[PDXKnight]

Would you rather have Sharpe or Bailey? Or Harper?

I'd take a chance on whoever we think is best on a rookie deal over Sharpe on a max extension. Depends on the price for Sharpe i suppose but there would be some level of guessing given Sharpe still has a year left and the draft comes ahead of FA. But knowing the nature of the nba i find it hard to believe as a rfa there isn't a team who offers Sharpe a max offer sheet, perhaps even a competitor who knows Cronin will match?

[BNM]

Sharpe hasn't really progressed demonstrably in any area in 3 years.

Actually he's gotten worse each season.

That's to be expected given who's coaching him. The best coach he's ever played for was his high school coach.

[m0ng0]

Sharpe is the devil we know, the rest are a crapshoot, that's a tough call. Cronin knows him better than we do, my gut says trade him for whatever he can get us. I hate giving up on a kid like him but you gotta show me something

[Norm2953]

I'd pick the player that is the best fit next to Scoot, Deni and Donovan

[Shem]

Sharpe hasn't really progressed demonstrably in any area in 3 years.

Actually he's gotten worse each season.

That's to be expected given who's coaching him. The best coach he's ever played for was his high school coach.

Someone forgot to take his meds.

Seriously, Chauncey has told Sharpe multiple times to be more aggressive and motivated. It's up to Sharpe to do those things. He floats out there. Some people just have that laidback type of personality. But Nate McMillian and Terry Stotts tried to get Nic Batum to be more aggressive. But it's up to the player to do it.

This isn't a video game. The coach doesn't control the actions of the players. There is only so much they can do for them. The rest is up to the player.

BTW, speaking of Batum... if he had Wesley Matthews' personality, he would have been an all-star.

[m0ng0]

I'd pick the player that is the best fit next to Scoot, Deni and Donovan

And that's if your fully committed to Scoot, which im not there yet

[PDXKnight]

I'd pick the player that is the best fit next to Scoot, Deni and Donovan

And that's if your fully committed to Scoot, which im not there yet

Scoot is an unknown no doubt. But at least the work ethic seems genuine along with the potential to play iso ball in spots

[m0ng0]

I'd pick the player that is the best fit next to Scoot, Deni and Donovan

And that's if your fully committed to Scoot, which im not there yet

Scoot is an unknown no doubt. But at least the work ethic seems genuine along with the potential to play iso ball in spots

I agree 100% Scoot seems to care, which is also 100% subjective, but i see it in his eyes

[Shem]

I'd pick the player that is the best fit next to Scoot, Deni and Donovan

And that's if your fully committed to Scoot, which im not there yet

Scoot is an unknown no doubt. But at least the work ethic seems genuine along with the potential to play iso ball in spots

I agree about the work ethic. That's why I haven't abandoned him yet even though his style of play isn't my thing. I just accept that is who we have and just ride it for now.

[m0ng0]

And that's if your fully committed to Scoot, which im not there yet

Scoot is an unknown no doubt. But at least the work ethic seems genuine along with the potential to play iso ball in spots

I agree about the work ethic. That's why I haven't abandoned him yet even though his style of play isn't my thing. I just accept that is who we have and just ride it for now.

I I appreciate what your saying because Scoot seems to have that killer in him, Sharpe??? I'm not seeing it

[Case2012]

Right, that doesn't mean that CB is good at developing young players though. Sharpe, and ive been saying this for a long time just isn't a high iq player so he gets lost and loses interest. Why isnt he in the dunk contest? He's lazy and not motivated. Wouldn't that be great for his brand? He's gonna play hard NEXT year for a max deal and it's gonna blow up in our faces,watch. I think you deal him for another lottery pick if you're lucky and either package it to move up for Bailey or Harper or just use it and hope that guy becomes a star.

What if we traded him to Chicago for our pick and their pick? Chicago would have to do it right?

He's not in the lottery in most mock drafts but I LOVE Rasheer Fleming - 6'9 above the rim wing that shoots 54 and 44 from 3 with a 7'5 wingspan. All the advanced stats are great, and i think he shoots up the draft after workouts.

[Norm2953]

It's not so much that I'm committed to Scoot but right now, he's the only natural PG on the roster.

I do agree with the ideas that this team needs a star but he's unlikely to be a Blazer from this draft
especially if Chauncey is the coach next season.

Team needs to find a way to make the pieces to fit better. Assuming they end up drafting 7/8, draft
the player that will fit with the team that takes the court for the 2025/6 season.

[BNM]

Sharpe hasn't really progressed demonstrably in any area in 3 years.

Actually he's gotten worse each season.

That's to be expected given who's coaching him. The best coach he's ever played for was his high school coach.

Someone forgot to take his meds.

Personal attack instead of actually addressing what I said. Typical response from the Chauncey apologist.

Seriously, Chauncey has told Sharpe multiple times to be more aggressive and motivated. It's up to Sharpe to do those things. He floats out there. Some people just have that laidback type of personality. But Nate McMillian and Terry Stotts tried to get Nic Batum to be more aggressive. But it's up to the player to do it.

This isn't a video game. The coach doesn't control the actions of the players. There is only so much they can do for them. The rest is up to the player.

So, other than telling them to play harder, a coach has zero responsibility for developing young players on his roster?

For a young team that drafted three players ages 19, 19 and 20 in the lottery the last three years, developing that young talent should be the highest priority. Nothing else should come close. Instead, Chauncey plays his veterans huge minutes to get meaningless wins in a desperate attempt to save his job.

Just look at the recent streak of 10 wins in 11 games. Who played the most minutes, took the most shots and scored the most points? Simons, Ayton and Grant. Why???? Did we "need" those wins more than developing our young players? Hell no.

Were we "showcasing' those veterans in hope of getting something back in trade? Why??? The entire league knows exactly who Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant are. And in the end, all three are still taking up roster spots and taking minutes and opportunities away from our young lottery picks.

And what did we gain - we hurt our chances of landing a franchise player in the 2025 draft. Thanks Chauncey.

Young players need playing time to develop. The only games Clingan has started have been when Ayton has been injured, and in the games He's started when Robert Williams was available, Williams played more minutes. Again, Chauncey valuing veterans and winning over developing the young players.

Clingan has played more than 23 minutes only 5 times all season. In those 5 games, the only other available center on the POR roster was Duop Reath. That's inexcusable. Clingan should be averaging over 24 MPG. He needs to learn to play effective defense without fouling. Don't yank him as soon as he picks up two quick fouls. Leave him in the game so he can learn to use his fouls more wisely. Worst case, he fouls out a few times. So what? We should not prioritize winning now with the veterans over developing the young players, but that's exactly what Chauncey is doing. The only time Chauncey plays Clingan significant minutes is when he has no other choice.

BTW, speaking of Batum... if he had Wesley Matthews' personality, he would have been an all-star.

Enough with the strawmen. Try to focus and stay on topic. Your tales of Nate McMillian, Terry Stotts, Nic Batum and Wes Matthews are nostalgic, but irrelevant. BTW, as much as they wore out their welcome in POR, I'd gladly take Terry Stotts or Nate McMillian today over Chauncey Billups. That's just damning them with faint praise, as neither would be in my top 50 candidates for next Blazers head coach.

[BlazersBroncos]

I feel that DC isnt getting enough love for this game.

17 / 20 / 2 / 3

He is 20, clearly not physically developed and still working on conditioning. When he gets over 24mpg he is at -

10.6ppg / 14.4rpg / 3.6bpg

Edey - 2 years older, much better conditioned and far more developed is at this when playing over 24mpg -

14.3ppg / 10.6rpg / 1.8bpg

Those are pretty insane numbers for DC. He is basically already a guaranteed elite rebounder and shotblocker long term. Its very unlikely that those traits dont scale with bigger minutes. Obviously he needs to work on offense, conditioning and fouls but he looks like, at minimum, a capable low usage starting big. And thats if he doesnt develop past where he is now, at age 20.

I have not seen less excitement for a Top-10 Blazers picks producing at this level in recent memory. The kid is really promising.

[Norm2953]

He's going to be a really solid center but on a front line with Deni, its easy to see what type of
player is needed to complete that front court.

The problem that player is more likely to reside in the 2026 draft, which is full of front court
players with length.

[Walton1one]

Missed this game, made it thru most of the replay

Starting Murray over Sharpe seemed a little ridiculous, looked even worse given Murray’s stat line.

I get trying to send a message, but there is a difference between having him sit behind a vet, even if it is detrimental to the teams’ long term rebuild & even if some of those vets are worse defenders than Sharpe, than having Murray start ahead of him, crap like that is how you lose a player. Now maybe Sharpe is so laid back that he doesn’t care, which is a whole other concern which has been noted b many here, but either way it is a bad look IMO

Sharpe 1/6 from 3pt, had a bad 1st half, but played better in the 2nd half, led team with 7ast, only 1TO, good things tend to happen when he drives to the basket, bad things happen when he settles for 3pt shots. He had a really nice floater in the 1st half.

DC had a heck of a game 17 & 20 with 3 blocks, 31min, imagine that

Avdija, just hasn’t been right since that hand injury, maybe they oughta give him a game or two off?

Banton inefficient as per usual, 5-13 lead the team with 4TO, yes, he had 5ast, but giving 4 back doesn’t really make that very impressive. I don’t know how this coaching staff can justify him being the guy to go ISO at the end of a quarter, ridiculous

Jamal Murray had himself a game 55pts, 7-15 from 3pt, 55% FG, I’d say he might be rounding back into form

Braun had a heck of a game as well 20-10-6

[DusterBuster]

Murray is hot garbage. I'm at the point to chalk him up to a complete bust of an NBA player. There's literally nothing he brings positive to the floor and at this point Billups is just doing that to send messages to Sharpe.

[zzaj]

Murray played a little less than 20 minutes, Sharpe 30+. It's not uncommon for coaches to go for consistency in lineups and leapfrog someone to keep that consistency.

That being said, I think benching Sharpe is mostly stupid. Unless the Blazers really do believe Sharpe's ceiling is as a 6th man.