Post-Mortem: 2022-23 Portland Trail Blazers

[ElectricMayhem]

I'm posting this now because of time constraints and assuming the Lillardless and listless Trail Blazers don't come back and beat the Kings. Even if they do, it's only a matter of time.

Here is the data from previous years' Post-Mortems:
2020-21:

Spoiler:

Post-Mortem Results I: GM Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results II: Coaching Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results III: Performance Compared to Expectations
Post-Mortem Results IV: Rising/Treadmill/Waning

2021-22:
2021-22 Post Mortem Final Summary

Team Name: Portland Trail Blazers
Record at Time of Death: 32-45 (.415)
Head of Front Office: Joe Cronin (2021-)
Coach: Chauncey Billups (2021-)

Offensive Rating: 14th
Defensive Rating: 27th
Rebound %: 25th
Turnover %: 23rd

Front Office: Change or keep?
Coach: Change or keep?
Relative to expectations, how did they fare this year?
Rising, falling, or treadmill?
If you were in charge, what would you do this offseason?

Notes:
Players under contract next year:
Damian Lillard ($46m)
Anfernee Simons ($24m)
Jusuf Nurkic ($17m)
Shaedon Sharpe ($6m)
Nassir Little ($6m)
Keon Johnson ($3m)
Trendon Watford ($2m)
Jabari Walker ($2m) (Partially Guaranteed)

Team Options:
Kevin Knox ($3m)

Player Options:

Free Agents:
Jerami Grant
Cam Reddish
Matisse Thybulle
Justise Winslow
Drew Eubanks
Ryan Arcidiacono
John Butler
Ibou Badji

Dead Money:
Andrew Nicholson ($3m)

Previous Post-Mortems:
30. Houston Rockets
29. San Antonio Spurs
28. Detroit Pistons
27. Charlotte Hornets
26. Portland Trail Blazers

[Pharmcat]

Should’ve hired the more qualified coach in Becky hammon

[payton2kemp]

Trade Dame and just do a proper rebuild.

[ElectricMayhem]

Obviously, Lillard will be the main talk of the postseason. Is he still in on one career, one team? Building around him hasn't worked. But what type of value will they be able to get for him. He's a great shooter, but does his salary preclude the chance to build a worthy supporting team around him?

Next, let's talk about Billups. I loved him as a player, but he was a poor choice as a coach. He simply didn't have the credentials necessary to being a serious candidate. I fully believe Terry Stotts could have coached this team to the playoffs. They were overachieving year in, year out with him at the helm. I don't think Billups is the guy you want whether they keep Lillard or not, but if they trade Lillard, they could keep Billups around for a tank year. I wouldn't, but they might.

Their GM has only been around a couple years, but I'm not a huge fan of what he's done in that time. Jerami Grant was a reasonable risk that hasn't worked out great. Shaedon Sharpe was a solid pick. I didn't like either of Cronin's trade deadlines, though. The Hart/Reddish deal was confusing.

Overall, I think a reset is the best thing Portland can do, but the value might not be there and both Portland and Lillard feel some mixture of loyalty and pride in sticking with each other.

[CptCrunch]

Lillard is the most lionized player in NBA history who was never truly 'great' in any reason.

Infinite respect with neither the skills nor creds to back it up.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Lillard is the most lionized player in NBA history who was never truly 'great' in any reason.

Infinite respect with neither the skills nor creds to back it up.

He's an underdog that has embraced being an underdog. He's barely a perennial all star yet led his team to the longest playoff streak in the league. Dude goes out there and puts it ALL on the court despite knowing he isn't a favorite to win. And so far he isn't selling out on that grind to get it easy.


I dunno, maybe that's not everyone's cup of tea, but I don't think it's hard to understand why people like that kind of player and person.

[neo515]

Dude goes out there and puts it ALL on the court despite knowing he isn't a favorite to win. And so far he isn't selling out on that grind to get it easy.

He puts it ALL on the court, unless he's stuck on a private jet for a few hours the day before a game. Then he sits out.

[BoogieTime]

Billups can’t coach. Retreads get a bad name, but these Billups/Ham unproven types are worse. I think this summer both Dame/org will come to trading him, but value won’t be good for age/contract

[DusterBuster]

I said keep FO only because it’s not been enough time to fully judge Cronin. You can’t judge a GM after one and a half seasons… GM is a long-term thing.

Definitely fire coach. Unlike GM, coach you can tell fast. Outside of having his players respect, Chauncey has proven nothing outside of the fact he’s incapable of understanding how to make a single in-game adjustment. Just an awful awful coach.

Worse than expected performance. I expected probably treadmill 8-10 seed. Had a super hot start and looked amazing to start the year (nba fans have attention span of gnats, so I’m sure the GB won’t remember), so bumped up expectations there briefly, but then injuries and other teams adjusting defensive schemes after scouting (and Chauncey doing absolutely jack ****), it was over quick.

Somewhere between waning and treadmill. Don’t really feel any option fits since they’re probably already in the early stages of a rebuild… so they aren’t rising, waning or treading… they’re rebuilding.

Also, lol @ grandpa finding internet message boards with neo515.

[Fadeaway_Jumper]

Some front offices are plain Terrible and shouldn’t have a job in the NBA

How many trades have my Lakers made to surround Lebron with talents? How many did the Sixers do for embiid? The warriors for Curry etc. Portland has done Jack for Lilllard and there is no reason he should be so loyal

It sad that some teams/players get more media press. Being talked about on ESPN everyday forces front office to make moves

[kuclas]

Lillard would look great in Brooklyn. Nets have a certain salary dump making 37/40 million the next 2 seasons to come close to lillard salary. Brooklyn can throw in 4 first rounds picks for him plus Simmons salary. The 2027 sixers unprotected pick is worth something cause unlikely embiid will be around by than with his injury history.

[Moonbeam]

Very strange season. I’d definitely can the front office and especially Billups as coach. I’d be happy to trade everyone except Lillard, though I’d like to keep Sharpe unless he’s needed for a trade that returns a bonafide All-Star level player.

It’s hard not to get upset by how poorly managed Portland has been throughout Lillard’s time on the team. Olshey was pretty awful and Cronin’s trade deadline moves have not been good, either.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

I had high hopes for Portland this year. I thought Josh Hart was going to be big for them. I thought the Dame/Simons backcourt was going to be lethal. Jerami Grant looked like a great fit, Nurkic was healthy, their young guys like Eubanks, Little, played well at times. IDK...I thought 6/7 seed. I love Lillard as a player, I hope he stays in Portland his entire career, but they have to do him better than what he's gotten so far. It would be cool to see them get the number one pick in the draft. Add Wemba on a rookie contract to that roster and run it back with Dame for three more years.

[DusterBuster]

Very strange season. I’d definitely can the front office and especially Billups as coach. I’d be happy to trade everyone except Lillard, though I’d like to keep Sharpe unless he’s needed for a trade that returns a bonafide All-Star level player.

It’s hard not to get upset by how poorly managed Portland has been throughout Lillard’s time on the team. Olshey was pretty awful and Cronin’s trade deadline moves have not been good, either.

I’m willing to give Cronin a longer chance, but I’d swap him out for more qualified / veteran GM in a heartbeat. But still opening to saving judgement for another summer.

But Chauncey sucks.

[One Last Shot]

Lillard would look great in Brooklyn. Nets have a certain salary dump making 37/40 million the next 2 seasons to come close to lillard salary. Brooklyn can throw in 4 first rounds picks for him plus Simmons salary. The 2027 sixers unprotected pick is worth something cause unlikely embiid will be around by than with his injury history.

The 2027 Sixers pick is protected 1-8 until 2028 and will turn into 2nd round pick if not conveyed.

[slicedbread2]

Very strange season. I’d definitely can the front office and especially Billups as coach. I’d be happy to trade everyone except Lillard, though I’d like to keep Sharpe unless he’s needed for a trade that returns a bonafide All-Star level player.

It’s hard not to get upset by how poorly managed Portland has been throughout Lillard’s time on the team. Olshey was pretty awful and Cronin’s trade deadline moves have not been good, either.

I’m willing to give Cronin a longer chance, but I’d swap him out for more qualified / veteran GM in a heartbeat. But still opening to saving judgement for another summer.

But Chauncey sucks.

Sad thing is it appears that since Paul Allen's passing his sister Jody has practically done everything possible to avoid the luxury tax like the plague and the GP II+Hart trades resembled it. In fairness, GP II was injured and wasn't able to show what he did in GS and you got multiple 2nds out of it while Hart just didn't work(for whatever reason he wasn't shooting the ball very well but you managed to get the lower of DAL/NY's 23 1st). Sadly don't expect Billups to get canned because they'd have to pay him whatever is left of his salary unless he rage quits(unlikely).

I think they''ll resign Grant(you have to at this point as worse case scenario it doesn't work out and you could flip him for a decent rebuilding package from a contender looking for a 3rd/4th option while he gets his bag). Olshey's BS really killed Lillard's prime and honestly it feels like a Drexler like situation where at this point your gonna have to work with Lillard in asking him to give a list of teams he'd be willing to go to and start a bidding war(not gonna get a Durant like return but you never know especially in a bidding war as there will be a lot of playoff teams that underachieve and will be looking to stock up in the arms race).

I hope things work out as I really love Lillard and what he's done and meant for the organization, fan base and community.

[kuclas]

Lillard would look great in Brooklyn. Nets have a certain salary dump making 37/40 million the next 2 seasons to come close to lillard salary. Brooklyn can throw in 4 first rounds picks for him plus Simmons salary. The 2027 sixers unprotected pick is worth something cause unlikely embiid will be around by than with his injury history.

The 2027 Sixers pick is protected 1-8 until 2028 and will turn into 2nd round pick if not conveyed.

Whoa. I always thought it was unprotected.

I knew the 2022/3 first round pick was unprotected from sixers harden trade. Essentially worthless late first round pick sixers gave up this season

The 2027/8 pick won’t be any better than 9th overall

Now I understand why nets fans are upset at the Simmons trade. Sixers basically salary dumped Simmons. A late first round pick, Seth curry, and a likely mid first round 2027/8 first round pick (assuming embiid isn’t playing at age 33/4)

[TheNewEra]

Lillard would look great in Brooklyn. Nets have a certain salary dump making 37/40 million the next 2 seasons to come close to lillard salary. Brooklyn can throw in 4 first rounds picks for him plus Simmons salary. The 2027 sixers unprotected pick is worth something cause unlikely embiid will be around by than with his injury history.

No point in any team trading for Dame and he becomes the best player on the team. At his age and salary you need a rare situation he can slot in compliment the other guy.

[Ballerhogger]

Chauncey sucks . He’s gotta go , I would trade dame and do proper rebuild . Chauncey not that coach .

[Dzon Dilindzer]

whatever they do, do not trade shaedon sharpe unless its for a superstar

im not trading him for an all-star, no way, kid has all the talent in the world and his athleticism is off the charts