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Gary Trent Jr

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Gary Trent Jr 

Post#1 » by Mamba4Goat » Wed Dec 4, 2019 12:34 am

I unfortunately haven't been able to catch a Blazers game yet, but how's Trent Jr looking?

Looking at raw #'s and a sample size his shooting is pretty decent this year and his advanced stats are pretty decent too.

What do you guys have his future role looking like for the team?
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#2 » by Mamba4Goat » Wed Dec 4, 2019 12:36 am

Also, if CJ is traded for a PF (not my intent of the thread but just curious) Simons presumably eats up most of his minutes but does Trent then become the 3rd guard or is he too raw and most of the backup SG minutes get eaten up by Hood or Baze?
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#3 » by d-train » Wed Dec 4, 2019 1:12 am

CJ is not going anywhere and Simons is already getting a bigger role than he has proved he can handle. Let him prove he can handle the role he has before considering a bigger role.

Trent is looking good. Blazers are really fare to young players. Trent will eventually get a bigger chance.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#4 » by Mamba4Goat » Wed Dec 4, 2019 1:17 am

d-train wrote:CJ is not going anywhere and Simons is already getting a bigger role than he has proved he can handle. Let him prove he can handle the role he has before considering a bigger role.

Trent is looking good. Blazers are really fare to young players. Trent will eventually get a bigger chance.


Sorry, I didn't mean to imply CJ should get traded, I was just wondering where Trent would fall if suddenly the 3rd guard role opened up.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#5 » by d-train » Wed Dec 4, 2019 1:35 am

Mamba4Goat wrote:
d-train wrote:CJ is not going anywhere and Simons is already getting a bigger role than he has proved he can handle. Let him prove he can handle the role he has before considering a bigger role.

Trent is looking good. Blazers are really fare to young players. Trent will eventually get a bigger chance.


Sorry, I didn't mean to imply CJ should get traded, I was just wondering where Trent would fall if suddenly the 3rd guard role opened up.

I would say Bazemore is our 3rd guard right now. He is more likely to move up than down the rotation.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#6 » by PDX MM » Wed Dec 4, 2019 11:48 am

Simons is not ready to take over for CJ yet and I don't think Trent is ready for a bigger role either. Let them gain experience this year and then reevaluate the situation this offseason. Then again who knows what could happen if we find ourselves well out of the playoff picture come the deadline but even then I would be pretty surprised if CJ was traded during the season.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#7 » by Norm2953 » Thu Dec 5, 2019 12:22 am

Not likely the team would move CJ for neither Simons or Trent is capable of replacing him at this point.

Remember though if the team is in the lottery, the strength of the 2020 draft is at PG and its not unlikely
the team would opt for a PG which would ease the burden oon Dame. Having a second capable PG would
allow the team to shop CJ to fill the more pressing needs on the roster.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#8 » by HoopsFanAZ » Sun Oct 4, 2020 7:54 pm

Bumping this up for consideration.

IMHO ...

Gary Trent Jr = Wesley Matthews Jr
Not quite as thick but quicker. Same active hands. GTJ gives up more ground, but the side and back steals/deflections are spot on.
GTJ has better handles earlier and uses them in space rolling into the key from up top. Not using much back to the basket that WM developed a few years in, but has a nice pull-up jumper in the paint he’s confident in. Same dog attitude though WM’s was a bit quieter IIRC. 3’s are right there though GTJ also on the move beyond catch and shoot. Plenty of step backs.

Watched GTJ then went back and reviewed. GTJ has a higher ceiling and his work ethic suggests a better career. Wesley 2.0? Maybe. I’ll go Wesley 1.5 ... for now.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#9 » by Epicurus » Tue Oct 6, 2020 2:42 pm

Excellent in the 8 playoff eligible games; not that good in the playoff series.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#10 » by HoopsFanAZ » Tue Oct 6, 2020 6:22 pm

Serious studs who splash, become part of the scouting report, AND do great are one thing. How GTJ does next season will show out what his growth curve actually is. But his growth across the season (and comments by teammates) gives hope for him taking the step to 6th man at a high level even on a healthy team.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#11 » by Soulyss » Wed Oct 7, 2020 9:50 pm

HoopsFanAZ wrote:Serious studs who splash, become part of the scouting report, AND do great are one thing. How GTJ does next season will show out what his growth curve actually is. But his growth across the season (and comments by teammates) gives hope for him taking the step to 6th man at a high level even on a healthy team.


It does feel like his trajectory currently points very much in the 6th man category of improvement next year. That would be a "UUUUGE" win for Portland.

I would be shocked if they move Trent Jr for anything other than a massive upgrade.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#12 » by BlazersBroncos » Wed Oct 7, 2020 11:13 pm

I hope people are ready for alot of GTJ at SF, because he needs minutes and CJ isnt a backup PG. I am wary of him playing SF in the playoffs, but IMO it shoulda be fine in the regular season. Something like

PG - Damian Lillard (34) / Mystery Backup PG (14)
SG - CJ McCollum (34) / Gary Trent Jr (14)
SF - Mystery SF (30) / Gary Trent Jr (10) / Nassir Little or ??? (8)

We probably should look to upgrade the starting SF position and pencil GTJ as that backup until Hood is healthy.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#13 » by DaVoiceMaster » Thu Oct 8, 2020 5:54 pm

No reason Trent Jr can't get 24 minutes at SG. CJ will get the backup PG minutes like he does every game and Trent Jr will get a little time with both CJ and Lillard on the court together. That's Stotts game plan. I dont really see that changing much. He did the same when the Blazers had Shabazz Napier. He likes to run with 3 guards.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#14 » by Soulyss » Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:46 pm

BlazersBroncos wrote:I hope people are ready for alot of GTJ at SF, because he needs minutes and CJ isnt a backup PG. I am wary of him playing SF in the playoffs, but IMO it shoulda be fine in the regular season. Something like

PG - Damian Lillard (34) / Mystery Backup PG (14)
SG - CJ McCollum (34) / Gary Trent Jr (14)
SF - Mystery SF (30) / Gary Trent Jr (10) / Nassir Little or ??? (8)

We probably should look to upgrade the starting SF position and pencil GTJ as that backup until Hood is healthy.


I think Trent Jr. allows you to play CJ & Dame split more... I don't see how GTJ averages under 30m / game next season.

PG - Damian Lillard (34) / CJ McCollum (10) / Mystery Backup PG (4)
SG - CJ McCollum (24) / Gary Trent Jr (24)
SF - Hood (20) / Ariza (20) / Gary Trent Jr (8)
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#15 » by HoopsFanAZ » Sat Oct 10, 2020 9:39 pm

CJ (with more experience in college but GTJ practicing for the pro game as a youngster) made an enormous leap in his 3rd season with the exit of Matthews and a gigantic hole left for him to fill with buckets.

I don't expect a CJ leap -- at all -- for GTJ, and he doesn't need to. Minutes. Defense. Skills and moves. Efficiency. 12-14 points off the bench would be excellent. If GTJ approaches 28-30 and Lillard and CJ keep to 34, there's not much left unless GTJ is playing some SF. Simons better be working.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#16 » by BlazersBroncos » Sat Oct 10, 2020 11:53 pm

I think Trent Jr. allows you to play CJ & Dame split more... I don't see how GTJ averages under 30m / game next season.

PG - Damian Lillard (34) / CJ McCollum (10) / Mystery Backup PG (4)
SG - CJ McCollum (24) / Gary Trent Jr (24)
SF - Hood (20) / Ariza (20) / Gary Trent Jr (8)


Ya, I can see that. I wish we took CJ off backup PG duties. He seems to really take on the part at PG when Dame is out, but when rotating in at PG with a healthy Dame he looks totally lost. Not sure why this is, maybe mindset adjustments come into play when he can consider himself 'the man'.

I really hope that isnt our SF rotation come the start of the season. I hope we make a risky move there, whether its OPJ or DDR. Only way we keep up with the West is a gamble paying off. I dont think new management will trade him but OPJ for Ariza, Hood, Simons, 16 works. I probably would want 44 from CHI back though. If OPJ returns to form he is young enough to give this squad a really, really strong 4 man group of starters for 3+ years IMO.
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Re: Gary Trent Jr 

Post#17 » by DaVoiceMaster » Sun Oct 11, 2020 7:28 pm

I don't know if the Blazers can improve their starting SF and PF this offseason, but they need to drastically improve at least one of them. I kind of hope it's the PF position because I think the Blazers can get by for another year with Hood, Ariza, Trent Jr, and maybe even Melo if they re-sign him. Collins can then become the backup off the bench for both the PF and C positions.
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