I think I’m done with Scoot

[BlazersBroncos]

Flagg is not struggling. His 3pt shot hasn't been falling with good efficiency, but hes averaging 17.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, 2.0 bpg. Hes still 17 years old.

Ya he has been exactly the guy we should have expected. Insane production across the board, pure team player, plays winning basketball.

Anyone expecting him to be a 25+ ppg guy was not watching the same player in HS as I was.

[Norm2953]

Flagg did falter in that game Duke lost but he's going to be a solid player. He is playing on
a team with perhaps two other lottery players.

Much too early to be focusing on the 2025 draft prospects

[JasonStern]

The 2000 NBA draft very famously when Darius Miles went third, had no high upside pick

Revisionist history. Miles had a 47 point game and all of the potential to be great. He just had a substance abuse problem, medium to low BBIQ, and injuries (probably due in part to not taking practice seriously). He had a high upside. He just never lived up to it.

One could argue Scoot checks at least 2 of those 3 boxes.

Even one of the biggest Blazer honks in town, Danny Marang is fully off the "Scoot has star potential" train. Think at this point everyone is just hoping he's a serviceable starter... which is **** depressing.

I said it from the time he was drafted. Scoot is Ricky Rubio 2.0. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It was a weak draft. And Rubio has played over a decade in the league. But both were definitely hyped a bit playing against inferior competition. And both had shot accuracy problems that were red flags. But if Scoot puts together a 13ppg/8apg season, solid not spectacular pick.

In hindsight would you do the trade over again? I would as Nurk (17 mil per and expiring same year as DA) has been awful, and we got rid of Nas Little's 4 yr 28 mil bad contract we gave him and of course we got Camara, IMO a win for Portland. DA may cost 7-8 mil per more that those salaries combined, but Little's contract runs longer.

Absolutely. Unless Nurkic was option 1, Nurkic playing on a BAD rebuilding Blazers team without Dame would pout. Ayton put up several 20ppg/10rpg games last season. He's just being humbled by Cling Kong and TIMELORD. If that's not the best center duo in the league, it's the coolest.

And, as you stated, Camara was an absolute steal. View the combined salary for both players versus what Nurkic and Little provide, and the trade gets much more favorable.

[Roy The Natural]

This kid is just starting to scream million dollar athlete with 10 cent brain. Not convinced he has the mentality to put things together as he was hyped.

Had he played like a superstar you would have easily forgiven him for this issue. But in reality Scoot plays more like Marcus Smart who can't play any good defense. Or, simply put, he s*cks.

It turns out that the Blazers were screwed again on 2023 NBA Draft night and here we go.

To be fair....Marcus Smart wasn't Marcus Smart in year 2.

But I generally agree that we're starting to look like poor man Marcus Smart is the upside here. He just has a total lack of fundamental skills on the offensive side of the ball.

Even worse than that.mm the dude can't stay healthy. When he plays he generally isn't good. And he can't even stay healthy enough to progress it seems. Out all the time with injuries it's starting to feel like.

[Norm2953]

2023 draft does appear to be Victor and everyone else for as the Charlotte board says, Miller is
nothing to get excited about.

Amusing to read the mentions of both Detroit/Charlotte lamenting passing on Clingan, for taking
Holland at 5 was a big reach. These draft decisions happen but does it really matter when both
of the Thompsons and AB are non shooters as well.

I still think when the season is done, Portland will have a top 5 pick. What they do with it if Flagg is
gone remains to be seen for they certainly don't need the Duke Center and if they end up extending
Sharpe next summer, I find it hard to think they would invest another SG .

[monopoman]

2023 draft does appear to be Victor and everyone else for as the Charlotte board says, Miller is
nothing to get excited about.

Amusing to read the mentions of both Detroit/Charlotte lamenting passing on Clingan, for taking
Holland at 5 was a big reach. These draft decisions happen but does it really matter when both
of the Thompsons and AB are non shooters as well.

I still think when the season is done, Portland will have a top 5 pick. What they do with it if Flagg is
gone remains to be seen for they certainly don't need the Duke Center and if they end up extending
Sharpe next summer, I find it hard to think they would invest another SG .

Even if Miller becomes the best damn player in the draft not named Wemby we were at the mercy of their choice. They had the #2 pick we had the #3 pick this is not like the case of the Blazers passing on Michael Jordan or something.

[BlazersBroncos]

I dont get these defensive guard comparisons to Scoot - both Smart and Ricky are far more cerebral defenders. Scoot has the physical tools but tons of guys have the physical tools and never get to the BBall IQ needed to be a great defender. Henderson doesnt understand angles, timing, anticipation, screen work, etc. He is a chicken with his head cut off on defense.

[Norm2953]

I do think Scoot wants to be the best player he can be and I wonder if he would improve with
solid coaching for he's had G league coaching and Chauncey as his coaches.

[Walton1one]

Scoot is 20. This team (coach, management, roster composition) provides him absolutely nothing to maximize his skill set.

Need to see what he can be when he has a different coach, team composition that actually makes sense and a coaching staff that actually has an offensive philosophy

[DusterBuster]

Scoot is 20. This team (coach, management, roster composition) provides him absolutely nothing to maximize his skill set.

Need to see what he can be when he has a different coach, team composition that actually makes sense and a coaching staff that actually has an offensive philosophy

Then he should be traded. Those things can be changed on a dime, they take a year or two and Scoot hasn’t shown that he’s good enough to have an entire team built around him.

[JasonStern]

I dont get these defensive guard comparisons to Scoot - both Smart and Ricky are far more cerebral defenders. Scoot has the physical tools but tons of guys have the physical tools and never get to the BBall IQ needed to be a great defender. Henderson doesnt understand angles, timing, anticipation, screen work, etc. He is a chicken with his head cut off on defense.

I disagree. The fact we are comparing a #3 pick to Ricky Rubio is telling enough about his ceiling.But I watched multiple games of Rubio's rookie season, as he was pretty hyped. And he showed pretty similar defensive prowess and BBIQ to Scoot. Scoot won't be a Nolan Smith level bust, but I would be pleasantly surprised if he ever reached all-star tier.

I'm fine switching my analogy with "Raymound Fatton if he put the damn cheeseburger down and ate a salad", but we know Raymound Fatton would just throw his cheeseburger into the salad defeating the point.

[zzaj]

Come on...Scoot vs. Rubio?

Scoot is probably a better shooter than Rubio in his first couple of seasons, but he's a WAY worse playmaker and Rubio is in a completely different stratosphere defensively. However, Rubio had a couple of years on Scoot coming into the league...

[BlazersBroncos]

At this point if Scoot ends up with a Rubio caliber career I will be pleasantly surprised.

In his short NBA stint the closest comparison for him so far is Muiday. Its sobering how identical their career arcs have been so far, from being touted as big, explosive slashing guards to their raw and advanced stats.

[Walton1one]

Scoot is 20. This team (coach, management, roster composition) provides him absolutely nothing to maximize his skill set.

Need to see what he can be when he has a different coach, team composition that actually makes sense and a coaching staff that actually has an offensive philosophy

Then he should be traded. Those things can be changed on a dime, they take a year or two and Scoot hasn’t shown that he’s good enough to have an entire team built around him.

If Scoot's inconsistent play continues, then Cronin is going to have some tough decisions to make in the 25' draft, provided he does not totally screw it up by not tanking well enough, but if the obvious choices are not there (Flagg\Bailey) then chances are Cronin is going to be looking at another PG like Harper, Demin, Traore

I cannot imagine Billupd being retained, and if he is not then that means new coaching (fingers crossed Cronin doesn't screw that up either) which I would imagine would be a breath of fresh air for Scoot. If he continues to struggle in Y3, then yeah it may be time to find him some new scenery, but until then POR should be doing everything they can to help him succeed. Not playing him summer league for example (team decision) was stupid, as is having him come off the bench and playing him alongside (2) guards Simons\Banton who are SG that Billups keeps putting out there at PG.

Also, if you surround him with non-shooting wings (POR is worst shooting team in NBA), when you know his strength is driving to the rim, teams collapse on him or he tries to force shots\passes that are not there. It is not rocket science, he needs a better offensive structure and current coach does not provide ANY of that.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Rubio was a pure pass-first PG, maybe one of the last of his kind. He was an extremely cerebral player, using tricks and misdirection well to get the ball places the defense was not expecting.

Scoot is (or at least his archetype is) an attack the basket, collapse the defense and kick the ball out kind of point guard and that just isn't the same style at all, especially because he cannot finish worth a damn to get any respect from defenders or refs. That's the biggest like wtf is going on question for me about him because it is so essential for his game. We gave him some latitude last year as adjusting to the NBA but the problem is deeper than that. If he cannot figure out how to convert consistently at the rim then defenders will keep forcing him into awkward finishes and then he wont get FTs since he's scared to go right into the defense.

[m0ng0]

I think he learned more bad habits from the g league than solid fundamentsls from a college atmosphere.

[BlazersBroncos]

Chauncey isnt helping Scoot develop his offense as there is no offense but I dont think there is a coach in the league that can take a guy who has averaged 28% 3PT shooting over the past 4 years and make him a capable NBA starting PG. That is beyond the minimum for a starter in this league, maybe even for a role player off the bench.

The life of Scoot's career depends on him becoming a competent 3PT threat and so far I have seen no evidence he is making progress to minimize this issue.

[Roy The Natural]

Chauncey isnt helping Scoot develop his offense as there is no offense but I dont think there is a coach in the league that can take a guy who has averaged 28% 3PT shooting over the past 4 years and make him a capable NBA starting PG. That is beyond the minimum for a starter in this league, maybe even for a role player off the bench.

The life of Scoot's career depends on him becoming a competent 3PT threat and so far I have seen no evidence he is making progress to minimize this issue.

I've been waning on Scoot. But I have to admit... he was really promising tonight. He was flashing out there in multiple areas in non garbage time. Credit where it's due, he looked really good tonight IMO.

[Norm2953]

I still wonder if Portland somehow found a competent coach to replace Chauncey, Scoot could
develop into competent PG.

Two years of G League coaching and two years of Chauncey hasn't helped his development

[Tim Lehrbach]

Great players aren't dependent on great coaching to reveal their great potential or tendencies. Scoot sucks.