[SodaPopinski]

The smart money says the Blazers have to settle for some ****bag retread or an assistant (or even worse, a college coach).

Can you hear the spin-job now?

But I'm being serious here. This team is a mess. The youth movement is not giving me any reason to be excited about the future. Since we went to this youth movement, we're what? 2-18? That type of record would shatter the all-time worst record in the history of this league.

I thought we were near rock-bottom, but folks, I think this ship is far from sunk.

-Pop

 

[BlazerFanFoLife]

Why is everyone forgetting that we are playing without Zach?> Who is a 20/10 Player. also Darius and Theo have been in and out and Theo is out for the rest of the season. Leaving us increadibly thin at the Front line. Everyone is like jumping off the ship without realizing that we arent half as bad as everyone thinks.

 

[Sambonius]

Why is everyone forgetting that we are playing without Zach?>

Because [STRIKE]everyone is a loud mouth conservative around here[/STRIKE].

Insulting an entire fan base is worse than insulting one fan, and neither are allowed here - gambitnut

 

[trifecta]

The smart money says the Blazers have to settle for some ****bag retread or an assistant (or even worse, a college coach).

Can you hear the spin-job now?

But I'm being serious here. This team is a mess. The youth movement is not giving me any reason to be excited about the future. Since we went to this youth movement, we're what? 2-18? That type of record would shatter the all-time worst record in the history of this league.

I thought we were near rock-bottom, but folks, I think this ship is far from sunk.

-Pop

1. Someone who wants a job in the NBA

2. Someone who wants to work for an organization with a strong competitive history and historically strong fan support.

3. Someone who wants to work for an organization willing to spend money to get better.

4. Someone who wants to live in the PacNW.

5. Someone who sees the youth here and contract situations and sees potential.

6. Someone who wants to take a job without a ton of downside risk.

7. Someone willing to accept a top-dollar contract assuming their experience warrents it.

I don't think the Blazer job is that bad. True they may have to overpay to get the biggest names to come but that's one area that I personally could care less about.

 

[white360]

Someone who likes a challenge

 

[hasoos]

Why is everyone forgetting that we are playing without Zach?> Who is a 20/10 Player. also Darius and Theo have been in and out and Theo is out for the rest of the season. Leaving us increadibly thin at the Front line. Everyone is like jumping off the ship without realizing that we arent half as bad as everyone thinks.

I fail to see your point. Shareef puts up almost as big as number as Zach does, if not equal, and both of them suck as defenders. You can only have enough playing time for one of them. Darius and Theo Ratliff are second rate players, who would not probably even start on most playoff teams, except for maybe the Atlantic Division. Nobody is jumping off the ship, but instead, people are paying attention to reality. Top it all off with the fact that there is a good chance after Zach's surgery that he will never be the up and coming Zach again, and you have a quandry.

 

[Public Defender]

I fail to see your point. Shareef puts up almost as big as number as Zach does, if not equal, and both of them suck as defenders.

The Blazers are getting routinely outrebounded, sometimes by double-figures. I put a lot of that on Shareef Abdur-Rahim and the absence of Zach Randolph, who is certainly a better rebounder than his replacement.

Darius and Theo Ratliff are second rate players, who would not probably even start on most playoff teams, except for maybe the Atlantic Division.

Miles is an excellent defender, when he applies himself. Getting back to the coaching question, the Blazers need someone who can motivate Miles to defend the way he's capable. Ratliff is a solid defender as well, but the porous defense on the perimeter has forced him to patrol the paint (and Przybilla in his absence) far too much.

Nobody is jumping off the ship, but instead, people are paying attention to reality. Top it all off with the fact that there is a good chance after Zach's surgery that he will never be the up and coming Zach again, and you have a quandry.

Zach's game is not predicated on great athleticism, it's based on solid fundamentals, positioning, strength, and his excellent shooter's touch. None of those aspects depend on his knee being absolutely 100%.

The Blazers' job is not an easy one, but then there's not an easy job in the NBA. I doubt the Blazers will get an established winner like Phil Jackson, but I could see someone with a good resume getting an offer (Flip Saunders, Eric Musselman, Terry Porter, Paul Silas, etc.).

 

[NateBishop3]

The youth movement was never about winning games. It was about getting Bassy, T-Law, and Viktor playing time.

 

[Utherhimo]

and HA

 

[Dan]

and HA

Ha actually looked good last night. Meaning, he didn't look like the "lost" player so many people claim he does, and doens't look "2-3 years" away from even contributing.

Amazing what playing time does to a player, ain't it?

 

[NBAGOD]

Obviously there will be alot of debate on the coaching situation and the prudent way to go....former player, established winner, up and coming assistant, college coach, etc. The reality is that a great coach can come from just about anywhere.

Phil Jackson, George Karl, Eric Musselman and Flip Saunders were CBA coaches......Popovich was a low level college coach and then an NBA assistant....Sloan had very little coaching experience....Adelman had some low level college experience and several years as an assistant....D'Antoni was groomed in the Italian League....the Van Gundy's had some low level college experience and then as NBA assistants.

It seems the only route without a recent track record of success is big time college coaches moving up (although Montgomery is now winning some games).

Anyway, the next coach can come from just about anywhere. Maybe the next great coach is an obscure assistant....or coaching in the minor leagues....who knows.

 

[Utherhimo]

D'Antoni the coach of argentina? Yeah I would like to get him

 

[hoojacks]

The Blazers are a mess right now, yeah

but next season I honestly think things will be different (as I have every season >_<) BUT

my criteria for the Blazers turning it around have been met: Cheeks gone, Damon gone.

Next season will be like a breath of fresh air, even if we win 20 games. Which, with the right coach I think we'll win more than that.

Come on, you can't say you're not looking foreward to Joel and Zach together getting every rebound that comes down? Or many more Bassy to TLaw alley oops. We have some issues to resolve (too many SFs and too little SGs) but we can be a fun to watch, run and gun team.

 

[tlong]

I have to agree with Pop for the most part. This team is beyond terrible. It is one of the worst basketball teams I have ever seen in the NBA. If our young guys were so promising we would certainly win more than 2 games.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

You know, my dad and I were watching the Utah and Portland game the other night and he was telling me how excited he was about the team. This was comming from one of the more skeptical fans I personally know. Every time the Blazers were in a close game, he thought for sure they'd lose. Granted that most of the time he was right, as Blazer history will reveal a tendency to lose big leads and blow clutch opportunities. Plus, he wasn't very happy with all the negative press that had surrounded Woods, Wallace, Wells and occasionally Miles and Randolph.

He's not a hardcore diehard like most of us here, he's definitely not going to waste countless hours on some message board to hear what a bunch of other people have to say about it... most Blazer fans wouldn't. But during this particular game, with Portland down by 15 to a pretty terrible Utah squad, my dad actually confessed that he was excited about the team's future. He loves what Outlaw's been showing, he's showing some confidence in Telfair, he actually realizes that Damon will never help improve this team, he's falling for Przybilla's hustle and scapiness, even though he still has the mentality that what we need is another Sabonis. "Good luck finding that again" I told him. For the first time in years my dad actually shared the same views that I did with this Portland team since 2000.

I don't know how anyone can look at this group of young and talented players and say that we have nothing to build a foundation, nothing to look forward to and nothing to get excited about. If you, Soda, think the Blazers were never going to miss the playoffs and never go through a year or four of rebuilding, then you're not setting realistic expectations.

 

[Ed O]

I agree that it's impossible to think Portland's got NO building blocks for the future... the thing is that their blocks aren't better than most NBA teams', while their present is significantly worse.

I think that this team IS a mess and it's sad that we've had to fall so far so fast. Hopefully Nash (or whomever replaces him) is just as good at building up a team as he is at tearing one down. Unfortunately, we've done the easy part with the tough one still ahead of us.

Ed O.

 

[Utherhimo]

we are building the foundation up pretty good now just need to find the walls and roof!

 

[Schilly]

I think the general concensus around the league is that Portland has a very promising future, as the young players are delivering better than expected earlier than expected..

I think the team shows at least as much promise as teh Bulls teams of the last few years.

 

[Ed O]

I think the general concensus around the league is that Portland has a very promising future, as the young players are delivering better than expected earlier than expected..

Really? That's not the sense that I get. Almost everything I read and hear on a national basis indicates that Portland's a train wreck and many seem to imply that the situation has deteriorated on Nash.

I think the team shows at least as much promise as teh Bulls teams of the last few years.

But it took a couple of high lottery picks in the past draft and a great second round pick IN ADDITION TO the Bulls' teams from the last few years to finally become respectable.

Ed O.

 

[Schilly]

Really? That's not the sense that I get. Almost everything I read and hear on a national basis indicates that Portland's a train wreck and many seem to imply that the situation has deteriorated on Nash.

I think it's the "In" thing to do to bash on the blazers. I have read recently though that many team scouts are impressed with the pieces portland has in place.

But it took a couple of high lottery picks in the past draft and a great second round pick IN ADDITION TO the Bulls' teams from the last few years to finally become respectable.

Ed O.

Wel we have a high lottery pick this year, and it looks to me that the top 10 for the 2nd round should be capable of netting a valuable player.

This draft is interesting in that the "superstars" are hidden if they are there at all, but the draft is fairly deep, in regards to servicable role players.

One other thing to consider is Chicago made a couple of moves, + lost a #2 overall pick to a motorcycle injury, that were massive backward steps in the process of rebuilding, IMO.