Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by UOducksTK1 »

Blazers are on quite a roll! That dunk by LeBron though............ wow

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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Yeah, good game, Lillard.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:Obviously, your interpretation depends on the narrative you are following. I think they probably have been trying to make moves to shed salary, and aside from Brooklyn's unexplainable craving for Crabbe, they haven't had any takers. Even with Crabbe, they had to take almost $20 million back in order to make that deal. Leonard's contract is a pariah, Turner, despite his loud protestations, is also ridiculously overpaid, and Harkless doesn't earn his money most nights either (he did have a great game last night, but they have been fairly rare). Since they consider McCollum 'untouchable', who else is there? They made the only moves they could, literally paying other teams to take Crabbe and Vonleh. The most interesting decision was keeping Davis, but again, I think it likely that he is insurance for not signing Nurk this summer.

We'll see what happens. I don't think they can sign both Ed and Nurk, it would likely put them in the highest luxury tax bracket.
So based on everything they have done, what do you think they are trying to do? Just try to shed more salary during the off-season?
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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I don't think they can dump anymore salary, but not for lack of trying. I don't know what they are trying to do, to be honest. They signed Crabbe to that ridiculous offer sheet, and then let him go anyway, but taking $20 million back. Does this say 'strong vision and direction' to you? I think they are just putting out fires and hoping they win at this point. I agree with you that if they don't sign Nurk, they are in trouble. I just think they won't be able to sign him. The problem is that Lillard is getting a lot of attention, and he may want to leave if the Blazers don't put a team around him. So they are in a tough spot, and maybe Olshey will talk Allen into paying a fat luxury tax. It kind of reminds me of the spot the Fed is in, but that is another story.
Last edited by Phalanx on Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:I really don't want to insult your ability to follow logic or reading comprehension, but Dude, you need to go back and actually read what was said. Even if you include Evan Turner at the 4, my point is still completely valid. You could include Lillard for all the difference it makes. My point was that we don't have a 'formidable front court' without Nurkic. It's the same players as before Nurk got here, when the team was 25-35, except without Plumlee or Vonleh. Swanigan doesn't play, and Collins got less than 8 minutes last night. Stotts would rather play Harkless and Turner at the 4 than either of the rookies. They are that NOT FORMIDABLE. The fact that you are chuckling at Meyers Leonard is an indictment on your own stupid 'formidable front court' comment, since you included him in the list. This is a dumb argument.
your point is invalid because it’s based on easily refutable data, which i’ve done. i’ve shown you that not only would the two teams have drastically different personnel, only one guy would even be playing in the same role/capacity, and that’s aminu.

what’s left is you stating an opinion. you seem more bullish on nurk than i am. i’m obviously higher on collins than most of the board, as i was cheerleading for him prior to the draft. i also believe swanigan will be a solid every game rotation player after another offseason, whereas you are comfortable writing him off completely because he doesn’t play much as a rookie. THIS IS OK.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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You guys have been arguing for like five pages now. Maybe it's time to have a peace summit and move on?
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:I think they have always been trying to find creative ways to dump Turner and Leonard (and possibly Harkless), but unless they are including a pick and/or taking a garbage contract back, it's probably not going to happen. I think they are stuck with those contracts for the next two years, which is why I have been whining like a little girl since Olshey made those deals in 2016. I think they will do the obligatory talks with Nurkic, but I don't see how they can sign him and Davis, so one of them will walk, and probably Nurkic. Davis actually played more minutes last night in a tight game. That just seems like kind of a tell to me. We'll see.
So the way I see this is that because they are already up against the cap without signing anyone next year (because of those contracts you mentioned that are hard to move), that means they are going to pay the tax. Add in the current state of the team and with a 1st round series win I don't see how you do not pay to bring back both Ed and Jusuf otherwise your roster is worse off and still paying the tax. I see Paul as willing to foot that bill, especially in light of the fact that in 2 years time if this group hasn't stayed at this current level and improved that you can probably blow the roster up with more success because of those expiring contracts and the resigned players should still have some decent trade value.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Tray Dub wrote:You guys have been arguing for like five pages now. Maybe it's time to have a peace summit and move on?
it’s all in fun.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Duck07 wrote:
Phalanx wrote:I think they have always been trying to find creative ways to dump Turner and Leonard (and possibly Harkless), but unless they are including a pick and/or taking a garbage contract back, it's probably not going to happen. I think they are stuck with those contracts for the next two years, which is why I have been whining like a little girl since Olshey made those deals in 2016. I think they will do the obligatory talks with Nurkic, but I don't see how they can sign him and Davis, so one of them will walk, and probably Nurkic. Davis actually played more minutes last night in a tight game. That just seems like kind of a tell to me. We'll see.
So the way I see this is that because they are already up against the cap without signing anyone next year (because of those contracts you mentioned that are hard to move), that means they are going to pay the tax. Add in the current state of the team and with a 1st round series win I don't see how you do not pay to bring back both Ed and Jusuf otherwise your roster is worse off and still paying the tax. I see Paul as willing to foot that bill, especially in light of the fact that in 2 years time if this group hasn't stayed at this current level and improved that you can probably blow the roster up with more success because of those expiring contracts and the resigned players should still have some decent trade value.
I edited my comment because I realized I was just repeating myself. Sorry about that.

Like I said in the edited version, you may be right about Allen being convinced to pay the tax, given that the team will definitely be worse off without Nurkic. I just disagree with the general notion among Blazer fans that this decision is a gimme. The tax has levels, and signing both Davis and Nurkic will probably send them right through the highest one (I think it's $15 million over the tax threshold). If I had to bet, I'd say only one of them gets signed, and which one depends on what kind of offer sheet Nurkic can drum up. He hasn't been a full time player for the Blazers, so I don't see how they can sign him to anything like a max contract, even though he is the best post defender/scorer on the team.

Anyone who can do math could see this situation coming two years ago when those contracts were signed. So that has always informed my opinion that they should have tested the RFA option more with pretty much everyone of those players, including McCollum. Since they haven't made it past getting hammered in the second round, I don't view the risk as being that great if they decided to sign an offer sheet elsewhere.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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oregontrack wrote:your point is invalid because it’s based on easily refutable data, which i’ve done. i’ve shown you that not only would the two teams have drastically different personnel, only one guy would even be playing in the same role/capacity, and that’s aminu.

what’s left is you stating an opinion. you seem more bullish on nurk than i am. i’m obviously higher on collins than most of the board, as i was cheerleading for him prior to the draft. i also believe swanigan will be a solid every game rotation player after another offseason, whereas you are comfortable writing him off completely because he doesn’t play much as a rookie. THIS IS OK.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by oregontrack »

i got one.

if this “untouchable” thing is just a smokescreen and olshey decided to deal CJ + our first, how high up the draft board you think we could go?
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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oregontrack wrote:i got one.

if this “untouchable” thing is just a smokescreen and olshey decided to deal CJ + our first, how high up the draft board you think we could go?
The only team I think willing to make such a deal would be Cleveland(if Lebron told them he would stay). Outside of that, maybe the Kings get desperate and you can get say the 3rd pick from them.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:Like I said in the edited version, you may be right about Allen being convinced to pay the tax, given that the team will definitely be worse off without Nurkic. I just disagree with the general notion among Blazer fans that this decision is a gimme. The tax has levels, and signing both Davis and Nurkic will probably send them right through the highest one (I think it's $15 million over the tax threshold). If I had to bet, I'd say only one of them gets signed, and which one depends on what kind of offer sheet Nurkic can drum up. He hasn't been a full time player for the Blazers, so I don't see how they can sign him to anything like a max contract, even though he is the best post defender/scorer on the team.

Anyone who can do math could see this situation coming two years ago when those contracts were signed. So that has always informed my opinion that they should have tested the RFA option more with pretty much everyone of those players, including McCollum. Since they haven't made it past getting hammered in the second round, I don't view the risk as being that great if they decided to sign an offer sheet elsewhere.
Well the team is 60-36 in the regular season since trading for Nurkic and while I can envision Playoff Nurk going off in a series or two, I think there are just so many teams that can't afford to offer him something that we couldn't swallow in tax and too few that would want to put their chips into him. I just don't see him getting close to Max and that probably is a response to that crazy summer too. For us sadly, Meyers was a FA at just the right time to be a FA and we were dumb enough to make that call.

I guess in that regard what I see in 2 years this route is either a team that does come together and we've got some real quality pieces or else it's being blown up.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Merganzer »

The last time Portland and Detroit got together, Blake Griffin was a new addition to the Pistons and the 111-91 beat down of the Blazsers, was their 4th in a row. Since then the teams have gone in different directions, Detoit is falling, going 4-12, 9th in the East, 30-38, while Portland, has risen, 13-1, 3rd in the West, 42-26. G Reggie Jackson is day to day for Detroit.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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100-87, 43-26 12 in a row. Seven of the 12 opponents opponents during the streak have scored a 100, or less. Back to back game tomorrow @ the Clippers.
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