Posted 11/29/2012 10:06 AM

I think Meyers is not far off from claiming that role. The downside is getting early fouls and putting us in the penalty. We need to see more from Freeland as a legit backup before we can move JJ out of the 5 spot. Still a work in progress and JJs the best post player we have right now.

Posted 11/29/2012 10:19 AM

Posted By riverman on 11/29/2012 10:06 AM
<p>I think Meyers is not far off from claiming that role. The downside is getting early fouls and putting us in the penalty. We need to see more from Freeland as a legit backup before we can move JJ out of the 5 spot. Still a work in progress and JJs the best post player we have right now.</p>

Agree Hickson is the best post player on the roster and would add he's the ONLY post player. In todays NBA landscape, if you find yourself coaching a team saddled with but a single post player, and arguably your best player, you don't...you can't bench that kind of production. This team isn't running anymore, a point Dwight Jaynes made last night following the debacle in DC. If they don't defend and rebound, they can't run, and not running means struggling to find consistent offensive production without post play. Not only can you not bench a JJ, this team needs another one.

Posted 11/29/2012 4:15 PM

I think I mentioned before but along those lines..we beat the Wizards in almost every category last night but really what lost the game wasn't offense or defense..it was free throws..we're shooting 66% as a team this season and that is killing us in close games. You're absolutely right BDawg..we need more poat play from the team. As much hustle as JJ brings, he still misses rotations and isn't always where he should be on help defense in the post. Nobody on the team is except Wesley...he's the best defensive player we have..What most people aren't talking about is Kaleb Canales and Kim Hughes..our defensive coordinator and big man coach..so far I'm not impressed with their results. Stotts says over and over that we need work on defense and I agree with him. Smartest defensive players on the team now are Sasha, Wesley, Jeffries and Ronnie Price. Nic, LaMarcus and JJ all have room to improve as well as Lillard and Leonard. JJ could have taken us into overtime if he went hard to the rim instead of that last 6ft jumper. If he got fouled on that play we could've won by a pt in regulation given that he makes the freethrow. 

Posted 11/29/2012 5:07 PM

Just saying, Leonard had 7 rebounds in only 14 minutes of play. He's not a bad rebounder, and this isn't to say JJ is a bad player BDawg, he would still see the same amount of minutes, but he'd be able to come on with the second rotation to help offensive rebounding with the unit that most needs his assisstance in that category.

Plus Leonard hasn't played bad post D against some big names, Dwight, Noah, & Greg Monroe/Andre Drummond. I just think we need to get him out there against there best Center and help him to improve, JJ being out there as C on D is temporary, that's not his position. And so with Leonard out there against those players I see our post presence improving & our exterior D improving becuase we (eventually) won't/shouldn't have to have our gaurds/Sf's rotating down to help out in gaurding some of those big men against JJ.

And no I'm not suggesting Leonard will immediately improve our D. But in the long run yea I believe so

Posted 11/29/2012 5:48 PM

I just hate to see our most consistent player, and our best front court player get benched when Lamarcus who hasnt not been playing well at all stay in the line up. Why not start Hickson and Leonard and have Lamarcus come off the bench?? Then in the 4th play our current line up.

?

Posted 11/29/2012 6:40 PM

When L.A. is on, he's on. But when he's off, he's off. Im not surprised his back is hurting. Yours would be too if you have been carrying a squad for the past two years. The man is playing heavy minutes, as well as alot of our other starters. I hate to keep kicking this dead mule, but our bench needs an enima. Olshey says he intends to send a few cats to the D-League. I dont know whether he's trying to light a flame under the reserves or if he is intending on bringing up someone we sent there. Whatever the case, something has to be done to create a sense of urgency in this team. Perhaps a deletion is in order. More of a refresh as opposed to a Ctrl,Alt,Delete. The question is, who ?

Posted 11/29/2012 9:09 PM

It's a good reason to watch D league competition to see what's available there. Spurs have used the D league very effectively finding role players and swapping out underproducing players with the Toros..I think that's what Neil Olshey is looking at. Never hurts to tinker with the bottom of the bench.

Posted 11/30/2012 7:52 AM

Wonder where Chris Johnson is right about now. The kid was a shot blocker and an active body around the cup. That is what this Blazer team is missing as much as anything else...save maybe offensive production from the bench

Posted 11/30/2012 11:26 AM

I believe Chris Johnson got signed for the Bobcats or Grizzlies? He's on the bench for some team unless he got waived.

Posted 11/30/2012 11:30 AM

Chris Johnson was awesome

Posted 11/30/2012 11:59 AM

Wiki said he last signed with NOH in September and didnt make the roster so he is a FA right??

Posted 11/30/2012 12:09 PM

i hates freeland, he play on the worst olymipic team in history and he is lazy on defense,

Posted 11/30/2012 12:22 PM

Posted By Siccolo on 11/30/2012 11:59 AM
<span style="background-color: #000000;">Wiki said he last signed with NOH in September and didnt make the roster so he is a FA right??</span>

The most recent info I could find on Johnson was him signing with the Magic early last month.

Posted 12/01/2012 12:56 AM

Right BDawg? I thought Chris Johnson was really awesome bench player when he was here, thought I was alone in that.

As for the other post about JJ shouldn't be benched, in fact we need more JJ's. It's nothing to do with JJ being "benched", but it's like Amare Stoudemire and the Knicks, some really great players just work better on the second line, that doesn't mean they aren't starting caliber. JJ's obviously proved his worth (which is why I fully believe he gets a great long term deal next year), I actually really love the guy even though disagreements in other posts lol. But his value is in his rebounding, specifically his offensive, and I truly see him adding a lot to that second unit with his skill set. Plus I still honestly don't view him as a legitimate Center, it's not his fit.

P.S. I'm feelin a little better over here! Still a bit sick though. But I'll tell ya, it's hard being in New England when my Blazers play the Celts.. ugh that was really hard to watch. On a good note though the Celtic announcers were dishing out compliments to Meyers like they were being paid to lol

P.P.S. Do I use P.S. too much? Lol it's just habit now

Posted 12/01/2012 1:56 AM

Glad to see you on the mend.  I do agree that JJ is earning a spot on this roster moving forward, and a multi-year contract.  The problem I see arising, is that both LA and Hicky are wanting that starting spot at the 4...neither likes playing the 5 for any extended period, and I don't believe you can sit LaMarcus.  Something will have to give somewhere.  Trade talks will undoubtedly heat up as the deadline nears. 

Posted 12/01/2012 10:21 AM

Given the roster we have now, I think the trick is staggering the rotations so either JJ or LA are on the court at one time or another and using JJ at some 4 when LA is resting and Meyers in in. We need offense off the bench as everyone knows but we also really need a defensive specialist as an assistant coach on the bench...there are more proven defensive coaches unemployed right now and I'd call Mike Brown in a heartbeat to compliment Stotts on the bench.

Posted 12/02/2012 8:22 AM

Good call riverman, Mike Brown would be cool to bring over, so long as nobody starts believing he should take over Stotts... lol

Posted 12/06/2012 4:42 PM

Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com writes that the Blazers' solid starting five is "being undermined by its own bench" in a big way:

And it seems as if NBA teams have gotten deeper in the last few seasons. There has not been a team average fewer than 20 points per game for a season off its bench since 2005-2006. This season, the Lakers have the second-worst bench in the league and are getting (23.4), or about nine points more per game than Portland. And I must tell you the real sad story -- Portland is also 27th in the NBA this season in points ALLOWED to the opponents' bench, surrendering 36.8 points per game. That means, basically, the Trail Blazer starting lineup is going onto the court each night trailing 22-0 at the opening tip.

Not to beat this into the bush but.. this is exactly why I think it would be a huge lift to our team if we had JJ come off the bench and come give a burst to the second unit.. Like I've said, that's not to see he doesnt deserve to be a starter. But our bench needs something and I think Meyers needs to get used to being this teams center. Get his confidence going and help him to learn to defend the first unit.

 

I know all the JJ-lovers might take this the wrong way, but besides what you believe about a player and trading so-and-so, we're going to have to get this bench going somehow and I think that would be the best way to do it. Call me crazy, but I honestly think that we could be a potential 8 seed this year if Stotts decided to do this. So long as JJ responds with no less of his hard-cap play & heart.

This teams biggest, gaping, can't even ignore it if you tried, problem right now is that we have the worst bench in the league. And until that changes this team will be stuck where it is, though probably even worse because I can't imagine this young starting 5 just carrying the team without anything to help them. Which isn't necessarily bad if we're trying to get a lottery pick, but it's not the best of draft classes. Hopefully we attract some free agents this offseason but I'm not sure if we're going to get much, though I trust Olshey.

Just would like to see it at least tried, Meyers has proven he can quickly improve certain parts of his game. He is going to have a curve, but I don't think I can stand to watch this lack of bench talent go on any longer. Not to mention, (sorry to those who hope for different) but if we are to resign JJ this offseason, he is not going to continue to start at center.

Posted 12/06/2012 8:07 PM

I was thinking that with his improvement recently, Joel Freeland is a better post defender than JJ or Meyers at this point. Bringing JJ and Meyers off the bench might be a spark but  both JJ and Meyers are not really good post defenders so far. Freeland is better on defense in the paint than either of them but lacks a bit of confidence with his shot. He does set good screens and rotates on double teams, although a little slow but so are Meyers and JJ. I hope with this home stretch that the coaches pound the guys to look somewhat like a defensive post team. It's a glaring weakness. Meyers likes to dunk and block shots but forgets his assignment going for the highlight reels. He's not a great rebounder for 7'1. JJ lacks court vision and too often doesn't find the open man, set screens or rotate either. It's a tough problem to solve.

Posted 12/07/2012 10:12 AM

While Meyers has a better shot then expected, he's still not ready to be the starter defensively. I'd like to see him use his length and athleticism to be a shot-blocking machine.

Posted 12/07/2012 11:50 AM

@riverman I see your point, but at the same time it seems as though Freeland is actually more of a PF than a shot blocking/rebounding center, although he can effectively defend the post, though maybe I'm wrong.

Agreed Clyde but I hope he turns it on sooner than later because if he gets on a roll I say we let him start, let him roll with it if he gets goin. And than JJ can hugely uplift our bench at the same time.. We'll see though, I'm optimistic that he isn't too far off, honestly.

Posted 12/07/2012 8:56 PM

Posted By ClydeFrog on 12/07/2012 10:12 AM
While Meyers has a better shot then expected, he's still not ready to be the starter defensively. I'd like to see him use his length and athleticism to be a shot-blocking machine.

Agreed. "Drago" needs to learn to keep his hips square with his opponent. Too often, when watching Leonard, I see him turn before absorbing the impending contact. Keep your eyes on the prize youngster...eyes on the prize. Leonard does do an excellent job of keeping his hands and arms high defending the post.