Game 6: Portland vs Houston 7:00pm Root, Root+

[Brandon-Clyde]

Victory GLB pic

Spoiler:

[GEE]

So... anybody still want to trade Simons, or any other player on this squad for that matter? Interesting how quiet this board is, considering how amazing this game was. Just check out WIZs pic post. Holy-Crap! But just crickets.

I said KOBE Day 1, because of the measurements, and from the limited video... His on-court demeanor... as in... he wants to dunk the ball down your F'n throat. Mamba-Mentality! Not saying he'll ever be close to the Legend, but I feel as strong as ever... That is clearly, The Bar. And of course, VC had that "IT" too. Jordan, AI, KG and some others come to mind... but it's an attitude IMO, as much as raw talent.

Ahhhh, The future is sooooo bright! Can't wait for Memphis... A War is coming!

[HoopsFanAZ]

I’m restraining myself from all hyperbole (or maybe what others here are saying is simply early but accurate).
Either way … I agree that Sharpe is like rookie Batum from the jump. Ready to play with plenty to grow except that Sharpe looks to have more aggression to engage.

Keep Dame, Simons and Sharpe together. And have Sharpe (and Simons and Walker) work with Hart and Payton on D for a few years. And Grant is real deal. A good fit who can work on his rebounding, but dang he can play on this team.

My only question marks are Nurkic and backup bigs and better height at the 3 that can effectively shift to the 4 for small ball (yes, OG). BUT for now, and watching this team early on, LET THEM PLAY and see what works. Keep it up Blazers.

[GEE]

I’m restraining myself from all hyperbole (or maybe what others here are saying is simply early but accurate).
Either way … I agree that Sharpe is like rookie Batum from the jump. Ready to play with plenty to grow except that Sharpe looks to have more aggression to engage.

Keep Dame, Simons and Sharpe together. And have Sharpe (and Simons and Walker) work with Hart and Payton on D for a few years. And Grant is real deal. A good fit who can work on his rebounding, but dang he can play on this team.

My only question marks are Nurkic and backup bigs and better height at the 3 that can effectively shift to the 4 for small ball (yes, OG). BUT for now, and watching this team early on, LET THEM PLAY and see what works. Keep it up Blazers.

...or just do the same with Grant instead of OG at the 3. If we can get GP2 and Watford back for the Memphis game, I would have Hart as our 6th man with Winslow, first man out. Sharpe to the 3, Grant to the 4. GP2 to back up Simons and Eubanks to back up Nurkic. Simple. Limited minutes for Little and Watford in the first half to see what they can offer, but I think we should role this out against Memphis.

Simons / GP2
Sharpe / Hart
Grant / Little
Winslow / Watford
Nurkic / Eubanks

Keon / GB3 / Walker / Sarr / Dame(IR)

[Norm2953]

Batum is however 6-8 while Sharpe 6-5 and Nic as we all recall was inconsistent to say the least.

I'd still love to add a quality big if Dame, Ant and Sharpe are all on the court together. Got to be
a defender with size who can rebound which is the guy Zach was supposed to have been

[PDXKnight]

Batum is however 6-8 while Sharpe 6-5 and Nic as we all recall was inconsistent to say the least.

I'd still love to add a quality big if Dame, Ant and Sharpe are all on the court together. Got to be
a defender with size who can rebound which is the guy Zach was supposed to have been

I hope we start sharpe at sg within 2 years. I think a guy with his ceiling should play his proper position

[Norm2953]

The thing is however, Sharpe is 19 years old and his time line fits best with the 23 year old Simons.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out for the team is over loaded with guards and if they could
send some of this surplus out to Toronto for OG if they'd do it.

[PDXKnight]

The thing is however, Sharpe is 19 years old and his time line fits best with the 23 year old Simons.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out for the team is over loaded with guards and if they could
send some of this surplus out to Toronto for OG if they'd do it.

I'm not sure I want a package for og unless we see him as a full time sf. And honestly I wouldn't do Sharpe plus whatever for og as I think Sharpe can be a very similar sort of player on a cheaper deal

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Batum is however 6-8 while Sharpe 6-5 and Nic as we all recall was inconsistent to say the least.

I'd still love to add a quality big if Dame, Ant and Sharpe are all on the court together. Got to be
a defender with size who can rebound which is the guy Zach was supposed to have been

Except Batum, like most rookies, spent his first year looking like a deer in the headlights. In fact it wasnt until like year 3 that he took a jump to the player we all remember.


And that's what makes Sharpe stand out to me, most rookies take a few years to acclimate and look comfortable. I don't think I have ever seen a rookie look as comfortable as Sharpe off the bat and not end up a high quality player.

The thing is however, Sharpe is 19 years old and his time line fits best with the 23 year old Simons.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out for the team is over loaded with guards and if they could
send some of this surplus out to Toronto for OG if they'd do it.

I'm not sure I want a package for og unless we see him as a full time sf. And honestly I wouldn't do Sharpe plus whatever for og as I think Sharpe can be a very similar sort of player on a cheaper deal

I think offensively Sharpe will be quite different than OG. More like Mitchell or Murray or Edwards as a high scoring off guard than a elite 3 and D role player like OG. Like you can put the ball in his hand and let him iso against a defense at the end of games. And that isn't really OG.

[GEE]

When looking at the current roster, it's obvious where the lack of depth is and it ain't SF. I think we are one quality big-man away from being completely built, and that's regardless of whether Dame is on it or not. Had we not lost out on that NOP Lottery pick, we would likely have that guy now.

Patience again is key. See what we've got now, while watching the potential targets to be that perfect PF/C, that I'm sure Cronin has a list of. I really doubt it will be OG, and ironically someone like Collins WOULD make more sense, if Zach were deemed by Cronin to be that perfect fit... which seems unlikely to me, but not impossible. Just think, what if POP in his efforts to TANK traded us Collins for Little. I'd do it. Better for us would be GB3+Keon. Most unlikely to happen, but Nurkic / Eubanks / Collins would suit me just fine, and while not the super sexy trade like one for OG, it would balance out this roster nicely without giving up anything really.

The bigger point I'm trying to make is: With "The Scout" we hired, plus the young talent we have accumulated from Nassir down, I think we are more likely to trade for a Diamond in the Rough type guy vs. a Big Name guy using a package like the one I suggested above: Young talent + a FFRP for Player X. Admit I could be wrong, like it could be a rookie in next years' draft, or maybe Dame asks to be moved(?), IDK but I think there definitely is hard work being put in by Cronin and his staff, to find that perfect player that will strengthen our roster even further by the end of the trade deadline, and I have no idea who it will be.

[PDXKnight]

Batum is however 6-8 while Sharpe 6-5 and Nic as we all recall was inconsistent to say the least.

I'd still love to add a quality big if Dame, Ant and Sharpe are all on the court together. Got to be
a defender with size who can rebound which is the guy Zach was supposed to have been

Except Batum, like most rookies, spent his first year looking like a deer in the headlights. In fact it wasnt until like year 3 that he took a jump to the player we all remember.


And that's what makes Sharpe stand out to me, most rookies take a few years to acclimate and look comfortable. I don't think I have ever seen a rookie look as comfortable as Sharpe off the bat and not end up a high quality player.

The thing is however, Sharpe is 19 years old and his time line fits best with the 23 year old Simons.

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out for the team is over loaded with guards and if they could
send some of this surplus out to Toronto for OG if they'd do it.

I'm not sure I want a package for og unless we see him as a full time sf. And honestly I wouldn't do Sharpe plus whatever for og as I think Sharpe can be a very similar sort of player on a cheaper deal

I think offensively Sharpe will be quite different than OG. More like Mitchell or Murray or Edwards as a high scoring off guard than a elite 3 and D role player like OG. Like you can put the ball in his hand and let him iso against a defense at the end of games. And that isn't really OG.

I'll be honest in saying I know little about ogs game other than he's a solid wing slash guard. But yes hindsight being 2020 and not knowing the future I think sharpe has great upside. He looks like a young Vince or tmac athletically. He's obviously just a rookie and who knows if he realizes that potential but he definitely has the raw skills bare minimum

[PDXKnight]

Man I wish we'd just take anf off the bench if we don't trade dame. Shaedon is taller like an sg should be in an ideal scenario. We have some serious decisions to make in very short order but I love what shaedon brings going forward and think a dame/Sharpe/Hart starting lineup with anf being a 6moty type off the bench would be a great look unless we can turn dame or anf into some all star talent in the front court.

Likely though it'll be dame/anf/shaedon 12&3 in the future whether we like the small back court or not

[Norm2953]

It seems to me, the answer will be to simply make Ant the PG and Dame the SG in the short term.

Making Ant the PG it seems to me leads to better ball movement and Nurk is more involved in the
offense. How Dame likes it is another matter but the young players will like the more open court
game as opposed to the more half court, iso game that was a staple of the Dame era.

Let's see how it goes however how things go for Houston is going to be in the lottery again this
season. The Grizzlies with Ja Morant will be a playoff contender this season

[GEE]

Please be available against the Grizz, Mr. Gary Payton the 2nd. He would give us an even better look than we saw against HOU, solidifying the PG spot and providing another good ball handler along with Simons and Winslow. It would be a ton of fun to see.

[GEE]

It seems to me, the answer will be to simply make Ant the PG and Dame the SG in the short term.

Making Ant the PG it seems to me leads to better ball movement and Nurk is more involved in the
offense. How Dame likes it is another matter but the young players will like the more open court
game as opposed to the more half court, iso game that was a staple of the Dame era.

Let's see how it goes however how things go for Houston is going to be in the lottery again this
season. The Grizzlies with Ja Morant will be a playoff contender this season

Question for ya Norm: Who's the best SG in the league? I think it's Curry and not even close... Greatest shooter ever. Curry does handle the rock some and does it better than most anyone, but what makes him so great is what he does, WHEN HE DOESN'T HAVE THE BALL in his hands. He is in constant motion, running circles around screeners and getting open looks.

Dame IMO is being asked to unlearn the game he played under Stotts, and now play a more Curry-like style under Chauncey, or at least be willing and able to, when called upon by the coach. Ultimately I think the more unselfish with the ball Dame can be... The more games we will win... If we are tops in the West... Dame will for sure be another All-Star selection... If we keep on winning... REGARDLES OF DAME'S PPG #s, Dame would be in the MVP discussion... If we could make it to the Finals... Then Dame could find himself raising multiple trophies.

[Village Idiot]

It seems to me, the answer will be to simply make Ant the PG and Dame the SG in the short term.

Making Ant the PG it seems to me leads to better ball movement and Nurk is more involved in the
offense. How Dame likes it is another matter but the young players will like the more open court
game as opposed to the more half court, iso game that was a staple of the Dame era.

Let's see how it goes however how things go for Houston is going to be in the lottery again this
season. The Grizzlies with Ja Morant will be a playoff contender this season

Question for ya Norm: Who's the best SG in the league? I think it's Curry and not even close... Greatest shooter ever. Curry does handle the rock some and does it better than most anyone, but what makes him so great is what he does, WHEN HE DOESN'T HAVE THE BALL in his hands. He is in constant motion, running circles around screeners and getting open looks.

Dame IMO is being asked to unlearn the game he played under Stotts, and now play a more Curry-like style under Chauncey, or at least be willing and able to, when called upon by the coach. Ultimately I think the more unselfish with the ball Dame can be... The more games we will win... If we are tops in the West... Dame will for sure be another All-Star selection... If we keep on winning... REGARDLES OF DAME'S PPG #s, Dame would be in the MVP discussion... If we could make it to the Finals... Then Dame could find himself raising multiple trophies.

Marlow Ferguson wrote about Dame's off-ball development this season over at Blazersedge.

For years, it felt as though the next logical move would be to pair his generational pick-and-roll and isolation skillset with more off-ball play. This year, the Blazers’ staff looks intent on doing so.

Read on Twitter

As of Thursday, Lillard is taking 7.4 shot attempts per game in which his touch-time is less than two seconds, largely through intuitive cuts and taking advantage of a defense’s tendencies and natural inclination to relax. A lot of it is simple — on that Double Fist set against Phoenix (the last play in the clip above), he simply recognizes Devin Booker and Cameron Johnson not communicating on their switch before Lillard’s pindown for Simons — but it represents another featured tool in Lillard’s already expansive repertoire.

[Norm2953]

It seems to me, the answer will be to simply make Ant the PG and Dame the SG in the short term.

Making Ant the PG it seems to me leads to better ball movement and Nurk is more involved in the
offense. How Dame likes it is another matter but the young players will like the more open court
game as opposed to the more half court, iso game that was a staple of the Dame era.

Let's see how it goes however how things go for Houston is going to be in the lottery again this
season. The Grizzlies with Ja Morant will be a playoff contender this season

Question for ya Norm: Who's the best SG in the league? I think it's Curry and not even close... Greatest shooter ever. Curry does handle the rock some and does it better than most anyone, but what makes him so great is what he does, WHEN HE DOESN'T HAVE THE BALL in his hands. He is in constant motion, running circles around screeners and getting open looks.

Dame IMO is being asked to unlearn the game he played under Stotts, and now play a more Curry-like style under Chauncey, or at least be willing and able to, when called upon by the coach. Ultimately I think the more unselfish with the ball Dame can be... The more games we will win... If we are tops in the West... Dame will for sure be another All-Star selection... If we keep on winning... REGARDLES OF DAME'S PPG #s, Dame would be in the MVP discussion... If we could make it to the Finals... Then Dame could find himself raising multiple trophies.

Devin Booker would be in the conversation amongst he best SG's.

It's going to be an adjustment but Ant seems like a different player when he plays at the point and Nurk seems
to thrive under Ant. Ball movement seems crisper under Ant for the guy at this point of his career seems responsive
to Chauncey and certainly his 3 point shot has been deadly as a PG. Let the young guy handle the ball and save
Dame's legs for later in the season when the games begin to matter.

Where Dame will be of most value is his leadership for he'll never move without the ball like Steph. He'll have the
ball in isolation and be a far more consistent CJ in the revamped offense when needed. Portland can play P&R
with Ant/Nurk with scoring opportunities for Grant and Hart/Sharpe to slash to the basket for Dame is a deadly
threat if teams don't account for him.

[Dame Lizard]

When looking at the current roster, it's obvious where the lack of depth is and it ain't SF. I think we are one quality big-man away from being completely built, and that's regardless of whether Dame is on it or not. Had we not lost out on that NOP Lottery pick, we would likely have that guy now.

Patience again is key. See what we've got now, while watching the potential targets to be that perfect PF/C, that I'm sure Cronin has a list of. I really doubt it will be OG, and ironically someone like Collins WOULD make more sense, if Zach were deemed by Cronin to be that perfect fit... which seems unlikely to me, but not impossible. Just think, what if POP in his efforts to TANK traded us Collins for Little. I'd do it. Better for us would be GB3+Keon. Most unlikely to happen, but Nurkic / Eubanks / Collins would suit me just fine, and while not the super sexy trade like one for OG, it would balance out this roster nicely without giving up anything really.

The bigger point I'm trying to make is: With "The Scout" we hired, plus the young talent we have accumulated from Nassir down, I think we are more likely to trade for a Diamond in the Rough type guy vs. a Big Name guy using a package like the one I suggested above: Young talent + a FFRP for Player X. Admit I could be wrong, like it could be a rookie in next years' draft, or maybe Dame asks to be moved(?), IDK but I think there definitely is hard work being put in by Cronin and his staff, to find that perfect player that will strengthen our roster even further by the end of the trade deadline, and I have no idea who it will be.

Yes losing that NOP pick hurts.

Being able to draft Jalen Duren or Mark Williams would have been nice.

[Norm2953]

Portland wouldn't have drafted that guy in the 2022 draft for they would have flipped that pick
for Grant. It's to their credit that they still were able to get their guy any way.

I understand the players in the 2022 draft are doing well in the early going. SAS seem pleased
with Sochan and kessler is playing well with the Jazz. The big hits are Banchero, Murray and
Mathurin.

[zzaj]

:lol: So... anybody still want to trade Simons, or any other player on this squad

Uh, yes. Me…

I can’t believe that Sac/Pacers trade. I would have given anything and anyone to get Haliburton next to Lillard. I think what we’re looking at right now with him is what Sharpe could become IF everything goes the way we all hope. IMHO, he’s already a better player than Simons…

Anyway, yeah…I’d be fine trading any and all pieces if it meant a bonafide Allstar SF/PF/C next to Lillard.

But I realize I’m thinking of it differently than most on here. Lillard is going nowhere and I want to maximize his time here. Eff the future. Sharpe won’t be as good a player as Lillard, as much as I like him as a prospect. Simons won’t be as good a player as Lillard, as much as I like him as a 4 year veteran.