oregontrack wrote:very happy to see collins get the post-game interview, kid deserves some pub. he was fantastic in the 4th quarter.
it's getting easier and easier for me to imagine the blazers re-upping nap and davis and letting nurk walk, especially if free agency gets wacky and someone comes in with a crazy, blazer-esqu offer. we may need to also bring in a cheap veteran big man (or, you know, play meyers leonard some) but collins' play has quietly been one of the best stories of this win streak. stotts really doesn't like playing rookies if he can help it, but collins has not only carved out a role but a 4th quarter role at that.
I think it is very interesting that Stotts is not playing Nurk as many minutes lately, and also not in the 4th quarter when the game is on the line. It's almost as if he is telegraphing their plans when the season ends, or at least what their bargaining position will be. Of course, I think that, and then Olshey goes and signs garbage players for ridiculous contracts. So who knows? I agree that signing Davis and calling it a day is looking more and more likely. It's too bad they couldn't trade Nurk before the deadline if that is the case though. Maybe he is waiting to see how Nurk does in the playoffs before making up his mind. They are already well over the cap for next year without signing any of them, so if any can command big money on the free agent market, I think the Blazers will be forced to let them go.
It really is too bad that six players basically eat up the entire salary cap, especially when three of those players are Turner, Harkless, and Leonard. Really makes it hard to put together a good team with a good bench.