Are the Traiblazers really better?

[GrindCityHustle]

They did all these cap moves just to get Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II while losing CJ?

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/07/report-trail-blazers-owner-jody-allen-refuses-to-return-damian-lillards-calls-emails/

I feel like they are going to trade Dame by midseason. Their offseason has shown they are going with Simons long-term anyway.

I honestly don't blame Dame if he leaves, none of these are real power moves and just a rehash of 2016 TBH.

[Karate Diop]

The off-season is not done but with the cap space and picks they had they should have went after an actual star if the goal was to build around Dame...

[MGB8]

They did all these cap moves just to get Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II while losing CJ?

I feel like they are going to trade Dame by midseason. Their offseason has shown they are going with Simons long-term.

I honestly don't blame Dame if he leaves, none of these are real power moves and just a rehash of 2016 TBH.

Short answer: Yes (they are better).

[GrindCityHustle]

The off-season is not done but with the cap space and picks they had they should have went after an actual star if the goal was to build around Dame...

my point exactly.

So no one can be mad if Dame wants out.

I mean they could have gotten Jerami Grant and Brogdon for cheap while still keeping their core from last season and made one final run with Dame. Could have made out with a Blazers circa 2000 run just to show all was put on the table with a deep bench even if they lost in WCF.

They now don't even have CJ, Covington,Powell, and the defense is still bad.... I mean Payton does help but a roleplayer.

Nurk was a slight overpay but I consider him a Kevin Duckworth type. He could help in a deep run if healthy but they aren't contending anymore so they could have just stayed put and did

They could have just waited and done

Little and Winslow, conditonal 1st for Brogdon
Keon Johnson and the Sharpe pick for Grant

C-Nurk/Covington
PF-Grant/Covington
SF-Powell/Brogdon
SG-CJ/Simons/Brogdon
PG-Dame/Payton/Brogdon



then fill out the roster with a bunch of no names and two way guys like Boston did. If It don't work out you still have the salaries to match for a Durant trade...

[Ruma85]

The off-season is not done but with the cap space and picks they had they should have went after an actual star if the goal was to build around Dame...

Curious who exactly should they have gone for?

[Harry Garris]

Yeah as great as CJ was as a secondary playmaker, surrounding your star with more switchable defensive wings is always an upgrade in my opinion. It's the second best way you can improve your team after adding a second star.

[Bornstellar]

Shouldnt have offloaded their assets for a pile of garbage while trying to teeter between rebuilding and appeasing Lillard which made no sense to begin with. Had they just hung onto everyone and waited they might have a nice package to put together for Durant. instead they basically did not improve or got very marginally better. unless Shaedon Sharpe is the next MJ, they really screwed up

[JRoy]

The off-season is not done but with the cap space and picks they had they should have went after an actual star if the goal was to build around Dame...

my point exactly.

So no one can be mad if Dame wants out.

I mean they could have gotten Jerami Grant and Brogdon for cheap while still keeping their core from last season and made one final run with Dame. Could have made out with a Blazers circa 2000 run just to show all was put on the table with a deep bench even if they lost in WCF.

They now don't even have CJ, Covington,Powell, and the defense is still bad.... I mean Payton does help but a roleplayer.

Nurk was a slight overpay but I consider him a Kevin Duckworth type. He could help in a deep run if healthy but they aren't contending anymore so they could have just stayed put and did

They could have just waited and done

Little and Winslow, conditonal 1st for Brogdon
Keon Johnson and the Sharpe pick for Grant

C-Nurk/Covington
PF-Grant/Covington
SF-Powell/Brogdon
SG-CJ/Simons/Brogdon
PG-Dame/Payton/Brogdon



then fill out the roster with a bunch of no names and two way guys like Boston did. If It don't work out you still have the salaries to match for a Durant trade...

Brogdon is not the solution to any Blazer problems.

Expensive, often injured, and yet another guard.

Pass.

[MGB8]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Little (corrected) are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

[tamaraw08]

Yeah as great as CJ was as a secondary playmaker, surrounding your star with more switchable defensive wings is always an upgrade in my opinion. It's the second best way you can improve your team after adding a second star.

wait, Covington, Powell are not switchable defensive wings?

[Jadoogar]

they might be better but are they a home court team? i don't think so.
Teams definitely better than the blazers: Suns, Warriors, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Clippers
Teams probably better than the blazers: Mavs, Pelicans, Wolves, Lakers

Obviously some of these teams will face injuries but they are going to be in the play-in race imo

[DavidSterned]

We're safely back to the mediocre range we have been in for the bulk of the last decade. So better in the interim from tankathon 2022 , but our odds of winning anything meaningful with Dame certainly didn't improve. Just spinning our wheels again.

[GrindCityHustle]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Lillard are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

You could have said the same thing about last season's Blazers before the season started. it was the same narrative then.

This team can't beat Phoenix, much less Golden State. So why argue?

I thought the whole point was to dump salary for a big name. Then to take on a salary dump of Jerami Grant?

[MGB8]

The off-season is not done but with the cap space and picks they had they should have went after an actual star if the goal was to build around Dame...

my point exactly.

So no one can be mad if Dame wants out.

I mean they could have gotten Jerami Grant and Brogdon for cheap while still keeping their core from last season and made one final run with Dame. Could have made out with a Blazers circa 2000 run just to show all was put on the table with a deep bench even if they lost in WCF.

They now don't even have CJ, Covington,Powell, and the defense is still bad.... I mean Payton does help but a roleplayer.

Nurk was a slight overpay but I consider him a Kevin Duckworth type. He could help in a deep run if healthy but they aren't contending anymore so they could have just stayed put and did

They could have just waited and done

Little and Winslow, conditonal 1st for Brogdon
Keon Johnson and the Sharpe pick for Grant

C-Nurk/Covington
PF-Grant/Covington
SF-Powell/Brogdon
SG-CJ/Simons/Brogdon
PG-Dame/Payton/Brogdon



then fill out the roster with a bunch of no names and two way guys like Boston did. If It don't work out you still have the salaries to match for a Durant trade...

Powell was a costly mistake for Portland. He's undersized for the 3, but that's where the Blazers needed to play him - while not having enough defense around him, Dame and CJ.

RoCo wasn't playing well - and while he played a bit better for the Clipps, it's pretty clear he is on the decline.

Their new depth chart actually provides some defensive ability at the point of attack, to off-set the defensive weakness of Lillard and Simons - and that's entirely the point. Lillard-Simons-Grant-Nurk provides more than enough offensive firepower - but now they have more defensive talent to balance that out in Grant (as a 2-way player), Payton III, grindy Hart, improving Little and maybe now healthy Winslow.

[Onus]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Lillard are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

The west will not be weak next year. Clippers should be healthy, Nuggets should be healthy, Wolves will be better. Then you have Warriors, Memphis, Dallas and whatever happens with the Suns. That's 7 teams with a chance to win the west. Add in NO with a healthy zion, and you're at 8. The west will be talented next year. and yes I think you'll struggle to make the playoffs

[MGB8]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Lillard are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

You could have said the same thing about last season's Blazers before the season started. it was the same narrative then.

This team can't beat Phoenix, much less Golden State. So why argue?

I thought the whole point was to dump salary for a big name. Then to take on a salary dump of Jerami Grant?

Most teams aren't going to beat Pheonix or Golden State in a series... including the no-JJJ Griz, especially without key bench contributor Melton. Might as well blow it up in Memphis, eh? Look for a real 2nd star to complement Ja? Because good-but-not-elite complimentary pieces like Bane, Clarke, Brooks, Jonas... they never make a difference...

[Ell Curry]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Lillard are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

I get that they preferred Sharpe as a prospect, and you have to go BPA, but this rotation looks a lot nice with Sochan as the backup 4/5.

Or John Collins + 16 for 7 + Bledsoe.

[GrindCityHustle]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Lillard are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

You could have said the same thing about last season's Blazers before the season started. it was the same narrative then.

This team can't beat Phoenix, much less Golden State. So why argue?

I thought the whole point was to dump salary for a big name. Then to take on a salary dump of Jerami Grant?

Most teams aren't going to beat Pheonix or Golden State in a series... including the no-JJJ Griz, especially without key bench contributor Melton. Might as well blow it up in Memphis, eh? Look for a real 2nd star to complement Ja? Because good-but-not-elite complimentary pieces like Bane, Clarke, Brooks, Jonas... they never make a difference...

I agree with you about my team. Thats why we need to go after Durant.

I just don't like homerism. I am hard on my own team as well.

[Roy The Natural]

*shrug*... most likely you're right... but there wasn't really anything out there to change their fortunes and trading Dame while his value is depressed after an injury year is just foolish.

I guess we'll see... but Simons, Little, Keon, and Sharpe all have untapped potential and it's worth seeing what they look like this year before moving Lillard.

The only move that they seemed to have available to them in the vein of truly being better right now that I've seen was the OG move. And from what I've heard that was basically: The #7 pick, Josh Hart, Nassir Little, and a future 1st.... I'm not sure that the move makes the Blazers anything more than marginally better currently, and definitely hurts the future a ton... I'd say that it's a very good "pass" from the Blazers.

I'd wager that the Blazers are waiting for a KD trade or move like that to see if they can jump in and throw a bunch of assets at Brooklyn to nab Bridges in the deal, or something along those lines.

[MGB8]

Longer answer:

Absolutely the Blazers are better.

They added Jerami Grant, who fits well in their system, and Gary Payton II, who fits a critical role on their team that they've been lacking - an on-ball perimeter defender. Simons and Lillard are two young players who are both on the upswing and should be improved just through experience. And they took a gamble on Shaedon Sharpe, who has as much upside as anyone in the draft class, along with fellow youngins Keon Johnson and Greg Brown.

Dame is back and presumably healthy. Nurkic is back and presumably healthy. And the Blazers may not be done making moves.

The West is weak right now, and the Blazers have as much chance to compete (though not contend) as anyone.

Current projected depth chart:

G: Lillard, (Simons), (Payton III)
G: Simons, Payton III, (Hart), Sharpe/Johnson
F: Little, (Grant), Hart, (Sharpe/Johnson)
F: Grant, (Little), Winslow
C: Nurkic, Eubanks, Brown III

The west will not be weak next year. Clippers should be healthy, Nuggets should be healthy, Wolves will be better. Then you have Warriors, Memphis, Dallas and whatever happens with the Suns. That's 7 teams with a chance to win the west. Add in NO with a healthy zion, and you're at 8. The west will be talented next year. and yes I think you'll struggle to make the playoffs

Clipps will be healthy - just like the last two seasons? And will all their old players also get younger?

And the Nuggets will stay healthy, too - just like they have the last two years? Because there's no issues with Porter's back or Murray repeatedly going down?

Memphis is already down a key player to injury, another to trade. Dallas lost a key player in Brunson with no replacement.

And Wolves may be better... or twin towers with Gobert may not work much at all.

West is weak until proven otherwise.