What is track lackin Harvar knocks the Stairs, I M Damp Valley coming at
you once more without my co host. Fantabulous co host that is Adam Fromwell
Super excited though to be joined by Tara Bowen Biggs. She is the co
host of We Have a Take podcast, which is a great podcast covers the
Blazers in the NBA at large. It talks about actual basketball. It also
talks about a lot of lighthearted stuff and they've of course tackled some of the
tougher issues, but I've related to the Portland Trail Blazers lately. She's also
the co host of the Step Back Sisterhood podcast. Follow Tara on Twitter at
tc b b i ggs highly recommended. She is a refreshing as hell follow
and you can follow We Have a Take on Twitter at We Have a Take
and step Back Sisterhood is at step Back Sisters all spelled exactly as it sounds.
As you can tell by now, I brought her on to discuss all
things Blazers. They have been a non stop rumor machine the past couple of
weeks. We talk about niloshe leaving, We talk about the impressions of interim
GM Joe Cronin. We also get into what direction the rosters headed in.
We talk about potential transactions, trade targets, what's going on with Dame's future,
which clearly lies in Portland until he says otherwise spoiler alert. We talk
about lineups use if nurkis players. We cover the whole nine yards. Just
to note, this was recorded before they play the Timberwolves on Sunday night,
So we do discuss the prospect of them shifting up their starting lineup by putting
Larry Nance Junior in for Roco or Nurkicch. They of course put Larry Nance
Junior in four Robert Covington. That's still a discussion worth having because we do
talk about it in the context of what happens when the Blazers themselves are actually
fully healthy and starting their normal lineup, when you have CJ. McCollum back
from his collapsed along and Damian Lowders all the way back from his abdominal injury.
A quick reminder before we get started, please please, pretty please remember
to rate, review, and subscribe to Hardwoo Knocks wherever you get your podcasts.
It helps us out a ton If you go to iTunes whether you use
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Knox. We will come up subscribe to our channel. There. That's enough
out of me. Let's talk everything and anything Portland Trail Blazers with Tara Bowing
Bags. Tara, welcome back to the Hardware Knocks podcast. I scared you,
probably because you also expected I wasn't gonna be loud or ask you to
come back on so soon. It feels like we just recorded the Blazers season
preview, and yet here we are fewer than twenty five games into the season,
and there's a lot to talk about with the Blazers again, but more
importantly, how are you doing well? I is first of all, it's
great to see you, and there is your right no shortage of content coming
out of Blazers headquarters. I You and I spoke chatted earlier about how I
had a really low bar, so I'm excited to like talk about all the
ways that they're clearing the lowest bar possible. I couldn't actually even remember if
we had already talked since the season had started, because it seems like it
was right before the season started. But I was like, wait, have
we already talked about what Robert Decopington has been doing this year? Have we
already discussed what Larry Nance has been doing? And I couldn't remember. So
I'm glad you reminded me we haven't actually talked since basketball started, right we
The only thing we've DMed about Nasir Little and Greg Brown, because that's how
that's how that. I mean, you are like one of my favorite people,
Dan, but you're not the only person I've been DM me with about
great bad Nazier Little. As much as I love you, there's a few
other people who also have been getting bombarded with my love of Nazer Little.
Yeah. I mean, look, your feet is also like a Nazier little
fanilyage. So look, I respect he's having a great year, and I'm
gonna ask about him because one, I respect that you are able to find
bright spots amid like even the darkest clouds. But he's also been a legitimate
bright spot, which is good. We have to start with. I think
the even before you get into the roster is just the front office of people.
Neil elshay gone very smart of the Blazers to get rid of him before
he could go through a coaching So oh wait, never mind, Sorry,
what are your You have any lingering thoughts on that? I know you've talked
about it extensively on we have a take podcast. Please I would like to
for you to share them. I'm just curious more so about what you've thought
about the as you called them, vibes under interm GM Joe Cronin and whether
you how you feel about his direction, whether you believe him when he says
this isn't a rebuild, this is at an enhancement. Well, I think
the Blazer's recent press conversation is a really great example of how things have changed
around Rip City. So previous to the firing of President of Basketball Operations Neil
Olsha, it was very infrequent that there was a press conference, much less
one like announced to the public in advance. Usually if there's a press conference,
it was either media day or the last day of the season, or
somebody was in trouble as in, like you know, a bunch of rumors
had been flying and Dad had to come out and yell at all of us,
And so there was often a feeling of like, oh God, what's
Neil Sha gonna yell out of us about this time. So the fact that
like in advance, they were like, hey, join us for a conversation
with the new GM and the new president and the new coach. We're going
to have a conversation. And that's how they built it was as a press
conversation on a press conference. So then the conversation starts and it was like
it was so casual. It was like completely different. Like these guys were
all sitting in there, like you know, Haskins had on like a coat,
but the rest of the guys were very casual. Neil al Sha always
showed up like in like full on suit and tie, like never anything less
than that behind a press table or whatever. These guys were sitting on stools
holding the microphone, like like I went to Sundance one year, and like
after they would do a premier, like the director and the producer and the
stars would come out and they'd had this casual conversation with the audience and it
kind of had the feel of that about it. So like in that regard,
it was so refreshing that somebody somewhere was allowed to at least attempt to
make it look like somebody cared. You know. It was like somebody was
like, you know what, our fan base has gone through a lot,
and the reporters are really used to getting yelled at a lot. Why don't
we make it more of a casual atmosphere where people can just sort of like
relax and talk. And so like, in that way, when we were
talking about a low bar before the fact that these guys were sitting on stools
instead of on chairs behind a table. That was enough to make me feel
like they won the press conversation. Yeah, I mean that's a great because,
like any of the Nule shape press conferences were just unnecessarily combatants, even
when they like they're always questions about some of the moves that he made.
But that whole like his that entire vibe of his press conferences and the Chauncy
Billipstone was just we talked about it. It was an unmitigated catastrophe. So
to have that be a difference, say, it's a change, and look
the fact that Dwayne Haskins was allowed there and like where Chris McGowan was kind
of not when he was had basically the same role, similar role. I
don't know if the titles were the same or whatever, but like that has
to help too. It felt like there was more at least synergy with any
or even if that's it's only front facing, it's one would you call it
a press conversation not a press conference? A press conversation, that's it.
That's progress. I mean it might be minimal progress, but it is progress.
I mean, again, low Bar, I felt it felt like really
good that they had at least like clearly talked about in advance, like how
do we want to come off like we want to come off as a team.
And they spent a lot of time like acknowledging the fact that the business
side and the basketball side had had a rift between them, they had not
been communicating the way that they thought that that you know, the current iteration
thinks that they should have been and you know, I understand. So the
way it's set up in Portland is that like the basketball operations is out at
the practice facility and the business operations are at the Moda Center, and they're
like fifteen miles apart, and you know, one of the things that's been
talked about is like how those two offices really felt like they were far apart
and we're working together as much as they wanted to. And they made a
point at this press conference talking about how they wanted to, you know,
bring those two signs closer together. And like I'll say it a million times
in the last you know, nine months with this organization, it's just felt
like absolutely nobody cared at all. You know, nobody cared. And the
fact that somebody cared enough to think about how they were going to come across
and think about what messages that they wanted to get across that would make the
fans feel like invited into the conversation and feel like people were actually trying to
like listen and respond to you, which was the exact opposite of the you
know, the last conversation with Neil Olsha where he just like you know,
yelled at us about, you know, wanting to know any how dare we
want to know anything about the investigation that they conducted into Chauncey Billups. You
know that's proprietary exactly. Yeah, So there's there was an interesting point that
a local reporter made that I'm kind of curious if you had any thoughts on
it, is that when the Billups investigation, you know, was concluded and
we were told that, you know, they decided that they wanted to move
forward with hiring him and they weren't going to give us any more information,
and then one of the local radio stations, I think news stations had to
like go investigate like who actually did the investigation because they wouldn't the Blazers wouldn't
release anything. When the investigation of Neil Olsha started, I think initially it
was leaked, but once it was out there, we were kept informed about
what was happening, not like, of course, like exactly you know who
they were talking to, but they were like, it's expanded to a larger
group of people, it's continuing to go on. It's now possibly involving the
players in conversations, Like we at least had some little bit of something that
we could like go them onto, so it wasn't like they just forgot and
so, you know, one of the local reporters report kind of said that
it was like, it's very different the way people reacted to like not hearing
anything about like the Chauncy Billets investigation, and then once the Neil Olsha of
investigation was concluded, we were all like, okay, good, we don't
need to know anything else more. It's like we believe it, we trust
you. That's fine. Well. I think it helps that there was information
one, but it also did feel like since Neil sha was not the one
in charge of that, it was probably easier to get in talent. I
also think there had to be a sense because NBA media right now is so
tethered to agents and basketball executives like they are just at the mercy of those
people. And I think if you thought Olsha was going to be in charge
of the Blazers long term, you go a little bit easier on him.
Maybe you're not prying, maybe you're not linking information about the Chauncy Billips higher.
It was pretty obvious that Neil Osha was gonna get fired after all this,
and so I don't think there was that I don't want to call it
a loyalty, but there wasn't that sense of, you know, quid pro
pro because he's not going to be in a position to do anything. That
being said, I say this, and then I still feel like he's been
given a forum when you look at some of these reports where and I'm curious
your thoughts on this part of it, it feels like Negosha's has been dragging,
not just Damian Lillard specifically, but there's been a forum for him to
sort of just like drag the Blazers through the mud and specifically Damian Lillard.
And even the way the ESPN report restrained that Damian Lillard wants a contract extension,
that's not like news that's players they're gonna be extension eligible. That's just
the thing. His max salary is his max salary. He's gonna want his
max salary, and that would have been a decision whether you want to pay
him that much money at age thirty five, thirty six, whatever it would
have been. That isn't a Damian like, that's a that's not just something
that popped up. It was a decision always were gonna have to make whether
Damian Lillard was happy or not. And so that stuff has just been I
guess the need for content or this time of year to push the Damian Lillard
might want out agenda. But I've just been I don't want to say flabbery
asid, but a little bit surprised. It feels like how much benefit of
the doubt or cachet that nielsche still kind of has based on these like media
leaks when he's he's gone like he's not an I would hazard I'm sure he'll
end up in a basketball organization in some capacity, because that's how this league
works, but I would be pretty surprised if he ends up in a real
position of power at least for quite some time. Yeah. I don't have
much to add to what you said. It felt like the piece that came
out on ESPN was kind of like had the tone of like, how dare
he like, how dare Damian Lillard be like trying to like, you know,
think about getting his extension in the future when it's like, yeah,
that's what that's what you do. When you're in that position, you don't
go, oh, we're not going to talk about it. I don't really
care about it, Like it's it's it's not a surprise. And I think
people went Portland are just like kind of rolling their eyes about the whole thing
because they're so used to having the tweets, you know, from Adrian will
Janowski be extremely in line with things that you know, the former GM was
saying, and we're just all kind of used to that, so nobody was
really shocked about that. The one thing I will kind of to wrap up
the talk about the press conversation that I will I'm trying really really hard to
be realistic about tempering my expectations because I don't feel like everything is over.
I don't feel like everything has been taken care of just because one person is
gone, because there are people above that. We're one person who's gone,
who allowed him to stay and do the things that he did for a really
super long time, both basketball related and also just like you know what he
was doing that ultimately got him fired, and they you know, conducted in
an investigation that lasted a whole month, and like we're all going, like
we've all seen it, we all see it, and you know, for
a billionaire, they weren't willing to you know, pay the fifteen million or
twenty million payout or whatever that that old Sha wanted. So I'm trying to,
you know, temper my expectations that these three guys did a good job
of acting like they're all going to be friends and you know they're going to
work together to like take this team to new heights. You know, there's
also a small in the back of my mind, and I don't like the
fact that it's in the back of my mind, but I'll admit that it's
there. So the Joe Cronin has been working alongside Neil all Shade this entire
time, and awesome. He's like a genius when it comes to salary cap
but he's a genius when it comes to putting all these things together. So
I imagine that a lot of times he had to like put stuff together because
all Shades said, like make this work, and then he was just like,
how am I supposed to do that? And then he came up with
some stuff like how they got off of the Alan Crab. That was all
him, you know, like the way that move structured how to be that
was the Cap guy exactly, But he was also in a position where he
had to like make it happen in the first place too, if he was
involved in the trades were as we're hearing that he is so like, I'm
just I'm trying to hold back all of my hopes and dreams and just like
give it time to play out. I think I'm really feeling like the Blazers
are at least like it means so much to me. Like I said that
somebody cares and is at least trying, But is that going to be enough?
And how long is that going to last. I'm just holding a tiny
little bit of myself back to not be too disappointed if things change. Yeah,
and I do think at least I think it was. Cronin said that
the roster has a ceiling on its currently constructed, which is something that Neil
Shait just never would have said, and so that that is probably a good
sign. But what I think the interesting point you made too, is that
they had to go through this investigation to get Neil O. Shay out and
he ultimately wasn't fired for He was fired for things that are much more important
than basketball. But it's also a little bit disturbing. It's first and foremost
disturbing that this was allowed to happen behind the scenes for so long, but
it's also a little bit disturbing that at the end of the day, he
still wasn't fired for you know, basketball decisions that he made, not look
I think his tenure when you look at just on the court the results,
the Blazers have been a postseason mainstay. I think they've made some some good
moves. They've had some really good teams. So maybe it's underrated in that
aspect, but since like twenty sixteen, it's been very touch and go to
put it kindly, and so it almost makes me wonder. You know,
you mentioned who cares within the organization. You know, do the people at
the tippy top? You know, if we're looking at like Jody Allen or
like the people who were directly reporting to her outside of Joe Cronin, how
invested are they in this team? Because ultimately it wasn't the stuff on the
court or the moves that he made that Neil Sha was fired for it.
He was fired because he got caught for doing something that I guess the Blazers
were turning a blind mine. That's what I mean. I mean about the
tippy top. And you know when Paul Allen owned the team flawed as every
human is everybody, you know, he wasn't perfect. But when he died
so suddenly, it was like suddenly the heart just went out. Like he
was so into the team, like he wanted like film from summer league practice
sent to him. Right, I don't even league he was. He was
so into the team And like Noel Olsha would say that, like when he'd
be trying to do the draft, he like had a hard time because Phil
not Phil uh. Paul was like sending him so many like ideas the whole
time, Like was like who just hold on? You know, It's like
which is a weird way to characterize somebody like that. But anyway, ever
since Paul has gone, like I know that we had like with him,
we had an owner who cared so so so so much to go to somebody
who inherited the team and wasn't even sure what they were going to do with
the team, and is now like just kind of holding onto it while it
goes through this thing. You know. That's like, you know, going
from somebody who cares a lot to somebody who's checked out. And the thing
that makes me really sad about the whole thing is that, like you could
see that it was time to move on in terms of like general managing,
but instead of doing a buyout or whatever, they had to drag people into
it who like already had apparently not been treated well and went and they had
to go back to them and go like tell us about how that was so
that we can fire this guy for it. And that just seems like so
unfair to make people who already were mistreated to have to like relive being mistreated
so that their billionaire, you know, could save millions of dollars. That
just was a bummer to me. No, I totally get that we've danced
around the Dame stuff, and what I just don't find interesting anymore. Dame's
future in Portland is he's going to stay in Portland unless he says otherwise.
I think that's just always been what it is. And I do get you
know, over the summer, he took free agency meetings basically like that Chris
Haynes report where he was sitting with Lebron and ad he had no realistic path
to get to the Lakers, want to make that clear, but he there
did seem a point where he was equivocating on whether he wanted to stay in
Portland. That being said, I can't bring myself to even go deeper into
the Damian Lillard trade rumors because he's just come out on so many occasions saying
no, I want to be here, No, I want to be here.
And the other thing that I struggle with is Joe Cronus stills the interim
tech and so is this going to be the guy that would make the Damian
Lillard trade now in the middle of the season when it's harder to make moves
of this magnitude, And so what I'm more curious about. You could,
of course add whatever you want on that Dame front. Do you think that
there's a possibility this team does enter a rebuild but it tries to actually rebuild
around Dame. And I think that people don't talk about that because he's on
the wrong side of thirty, but knowing how much he means to the organization,
I think you could argue that their attendance would probably fall off a cliff
if you were trying to rebuild without Dame. I think they're about leak average
right now in the percentage at which the arenas filled. But there's just a
lot of noise in this COVID life that we lead right now. But I'm
just curious to whether you think that's a path that you think they might explore.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, about like what would I
like as a fan, what would I like to see in terms of the
future of this team. And I absolutely agree with you that Damien is here
until he's not. Damien is committed until something happens and he's had enough and
he's ready to walk away. And I think that, as with any you
know, any time in life, you're going to be challenged and you're going
to be tried. And I just think that, like the first little bit
of adversity is not going to drive Damian Lord away. And we talked about
this before when I was on how I talked about how Damion Lord is a
storyteller and his story in Portland is not done. There are many more chapters.
I think that he's going to write someday. He may get fed up,
but I don't think that it is right now. So that having been
said, as a fan, I've been thinking about what I would like to
see, and I personally would and I think there's a good path. I
think there is a path forward for this. I would love to see them
start building for Damien in like two or three years. And I know that
sounds like maybe that sounds like crazy, but partly for selfish reasons, because
I'm looking at all these other teams who have these young, exciting players that
were drafted, and like the last couple of draft class of just has some
real gems of some players that are going to be around and like make a
meaningful difference for a long time. And I'm tired of just watching, you
know, Vets on one year minimum contract try to pull the Blazers over the
top. I will love everybody who wears a Blazer jersey, except for maybe
Raymond Felton, but I'm sure even maybe he's a Blaze guy. But I
and I like I will embrace Tony Snell. You've seen that I have started
to really, you know, love Ben McLamore, God bless him, but
I would love to see the Blazers take a chance on some young under like
undeveloped players, draft some young players, because you know, you look at
Chris Paul and he's like quite a bit older than the guys that he's playing
with, but he has this younger core who was allowed to grow and and
so that you know what, they all became ready. They that core became
ready at the same time, and they had Chris Paul as a leader.
And I think a situation like that for Damian Lillard is like, why not
let Damian Lillard, you know, have some input and influence on growing some
exciting new players and why not have them be like six seven six eight six
nine, and you know, come in and ready to learn how to play
defense. And maybe it could be a couple of rough years. But I
don't I don't know if that's like totally crazy. Is that just like nuts
to think that it would be a good thing for the team looking towards the
future to keep Damian Lillard grow some younger players around, like instead of like
getting rid of the star and starting from scratch. I know it's hard to
do. I don't know. I just like I just want to watch Nas
and Aunt right now and like when like I again, I'll love anybody who
comes on the team. But every year for the last several years, the
Blazers have said that, like this minimum player that we're getting for a year,
they're gonna take you. Hassan Whiteside's gonna take us over the top,
Mario Hazonia is gonna be the man. You know, Cody Zeller is going
to be the difference because he's going to come in and play defense, and
like God bless all those guys. I am excited. I want to watch
some young players develop around Damian Lillard and see where that goes. That just
seems like more fun to me. And I think it seems possible. But
I don't know, what do you do? You think it's possible. I
do, And I think it's unique. I think it's uniquely possible because if
any of that contract extension talk was true, when you're signing him to that
extension, whether it's the full max or not, I would assume it'd be
done with the understanding of this is our three or four year plan. Since
you're under contract for the next four or five years, whatever it be at
that point, and then you would have to get his buy in. But
if he's there and sign, then you don't have the threat of looming three
agency or the type of trade request, the non Ben Simmons trade request where
it's like, oh, he's a year out from three NC or even just
two years out. And the other thing is yo Dame season so far,
notwithstanding because he has not been Damian Lillard. I don't know how much of
that is due to the abdominal injury, but just looking at Steph Curry and
his age thirty three season, I know Dame probably is just more wear and
tear when you look at how important or how many minutes he's played in certain
seasons. I don't want to say he was more important to the Blazers and
Stephy he had less help during certain seasons than Steph that Engle state, but
you just look at their type of games. Steph has aged so well that
I think you can believe. Okay, if we're this is his age thirty
one season, let's say they begin the rebuildish thing now by his age thirty
three age thirty four season. If you've then hit on people who are closer
to their prime, or maybe he's maybe he's still your best player, maybe
he's a co best player, but there's not such a clear delineation between dame
this fifty foot gap and then your best player. I think that that's absolutely
fine. There's probably an inherent risk there, but there's just as much risk
in if you want to go after and win now. You can't trade a
first round pick until two twenty four. You don't have a blue chip young
player. Nasa is intriguing, and it's intriguing, but he's gonna be a
restricted free agent this summer, so he's about to get paid. Your next
move is almost your last move in that regard, because what else is there?
Because I don't think CJ. McCollums contracts viewed as a net positive around
the league. He's still a very good player, but that's a steep contract
for someone who has never been like the second best player on a finals team.
I granted the Blazers did get to the conference finals. So your next
move, if you go towards the win now it feels like your last bite
at the apple to where if it flops, you're not as good. Then
there's almost nothing to do, but trade Dame. If you're talking to him
and it's like, Okay, you know what, We're gonna get rid of
nur Kich, we're gonna get rid of Covington, We're gonna get rid of
c J. McCollum, and we're gonna try and rebuild through the draft,
take flyers on young players. Maybe just get a little bit more youthful,
and we'll be back up and ready to go at a championship levels. The
plan in two. You know, let's count this season so by like you
know, twenty twenty three or something like that. Maybe that's something he can
get on board with, especially if they're going to sign him to an extension.
And I yes, And I to talk a little bit more about some
of the young players that are coming into the league. The difference between the
players who came into the league ten years ago and the players who are coming
into the league now. The players who are coming into the league now,
it just seems like, and you correct me if I'm wrong, they come
in with a different they've been through sort of different programs, and they come
in with like all these like amazing skill sets where they're you know, there's
six eleven and they're shooting threes already, like they don't have to wait until
their body breaks down and they have to like figure out what am I going
to add to my game? You know, they there's you know, just
the players are coming in as hard, those defenders and like that's the that
they want to make their you know, make their name with. And I
don't know, I just again selfishly as a fan, I think that's more
fun to watch. And if we're worried about people coming to the games and
having a high value on the team, I think, you know, having
some young players who are fun and exciting to watch and do things differently in
our like a big risk but also could be really high reward would be better
for like the health of the team long term rather than just running back people
that are like tried and true, and maybe we can squeeze a little bit
more out of them. I mean that's what Terry Stotts did. Terry Stotts
squeezed absolutely the most out of players. I mean, look at what he
did with Alva Rukimnu and Mo Harkless and you know a whole bunch of other
players. So I think it would be fun too as a fan, watch
some young players that are, like I said, you know, high re
risk, high rewards, see what they can do, make it interesting and
maybe strike on one of them. And like you can do that with Damian
Lillard, Like there's no reason you have to get, you know, ship
off Damian Lillard to do that. And plus Damien's gonna stay because he wants
to stay. And I think that's just the big thing is, is Damien
Willard really still want to stay if you're going through that, because I think
that's a from my ten thousand foot view of the situation. If you're gonna
tell me Dame's gonna hover around one of the ten or fifteen best players in
the league for the next few years, I'm gonna go the all En route
still because it's just so rare that you have those guys. But the scenario
of rebuilding around him would be a close second in terms of just a tantalizing
possibility. I'm just wondering if he's going to be as open to staying in
Portland if that's the direction they want to take, and I would I don't
think anyone aside from him would have any idea. And I also just don't
think that that's I'm sure internally they've discussed it, but like, that's not
this conversation we're having is not something that's really been part of like the mainstream
discourse on the Blazers. Yeah, for sure, which is why it feels
even weird to like say it out loud. So we'll get to more stuff
about the the wind nows and trades, because again, Cronin did say that
this is an enhancement. I'm just gonna keep coming. It was a press
conversation about their enhancement. Lots of synonyms being here. I think that,
Yeah, I think that he was looking for another word than rebuild, and
like was just like searching around for something, and so I don't know that
enhancement. Maybe it does have a really specific meaning in his mind, but
I just took at Hiss like, well, it's not going to be a
rebuild, but we really don't know what we can do at this point.
I need someone, I need an executive to call it a marination. The
situation is a marin. It's not a rebuild, it's not a win now,
it's not enhancement. We're marinating. We're gonna for a while, We're
gonna maronate. This team is the But looking at the team right now,
you have CJ McCollum dealing with the collapse long hope. We haven't even gotten
like a timetable or a prognosis on it, so hopefully he's fine. He
struggled at points this year. Damian Lillard's not. He's had some stretches where
he's been fine. He's dealing with the Obdonnald injury. I think we're recording
this before they play on Sunday. I've seen reports that after his quarter zone
injection he plans to play. Is there any reason to have long term concerns
about either of these two with the play that you saw from them on the
court, or is there anything that you saw from them as to why they're
struggling? Like CJ is shooting a career low from mid range every single spot
you break it down in between, he's just at a career low. He's
not even hitting his corner threes this year. He's only taken thirty seven,
but he's at sub I think he's at thirty five percent, which is well
below the league average there. And then Dame was just going through these uncharacteristic
cold streaks to open the year, and so was there anything that you were
noticing? Is there any reason for long term concern aside from the injuries clearly
with either of those two. So I don't know how to have this conversation
with it out it sounding like I'm trying to make a bunch of excuses,
But I'll go through sort of what I've been thinking in my mind in Portland
since the beginning of this season, those of us who are really familiar with
watching Damil and Lollard play, a lot of us have been like, that
is just not Damian Lillard, like something's going on. A lot of us
have that he's been injured for quite a while and just assumed that that's what
was going on. And so I don't think I myself have never been particularly
worried about him in terms of like, did he suddenly just like forget how
to play basketball. No, we have ten years of really good data that
Damian Lillard is really good at basketball, So it has to be something else,
and you know, it has to be an injury. Also, new
coach, new schemes, you know, not new players around him, but
being asked to approach the game differently, you know, in the past,
it was pretty much given the ball of Damien and let Damien go. And
now there's been emphasis on more ball, more ball movement. I don't know
if there's been that much more emphasis on player movement, but there's just there's
just there's definitely been different emphasis that there was before. And I know that
they're all professionals and that they will figure it out, but sometimes it does
take time. So and so that's kind of what thing. I've never been
worried about Damien. With CJ, I feel like he also is struggling with
I don't know, with perfecting the new system the way that the new coach
wants him to. And generally I don't worry about CJ at all. The
only caveat I have to that is in that Celtics game before CJ got injured,
I was, I don't even know who that person is out there.
He was playing so uncharacteristic and people had been saying and because there were some
there was some ugly, ugly, ugly games before these last two games,
ugly games, and like all CJ was doing was just like taking the ball
and shooting like nothing else. All he was doing is taking the ball and
dribbling and shooting, and some people say that's what CJ always does, but
I felt like he was doing even more in that game, and I was
just like, I don't know even know who this is. That's why I
was like, did he get injured earlier? Because is like I just I
said to somebody while I was watching the game, I was like, I
don't know who that person is out there. He's not playing like the CJ
I know, so long answer, short answer, I'm not really worried.
Definitely not worried about Damien. Would love for him to have enough rest to
get fully healthy. Not too bit worried about CJ. But I do understand
he has a lot going on. He also his wife is about ready to
have a baby any day. He's the president of the Players Association, and
maybe it takes a little while to get into a new routine where you can
have a balance between your job of being a basketball player and then all the
other jobs that he's recently taken on. Yeah, I don't think enough attention
has been paid to just the newness of the Blazer situation with Chauncy going from
Terry Stotts to Chauncy Billips and also this is the first time that you've had
McCollum or Lillard undergo such change. Even if you don't think the offenses look
drastically different, it's definitely encouraging that their offense is fifth and points per possession
despite the absences in general under livering from Dame and CJ, I'm with you
on Damian Lillard that he'll be fine. The one conserve I would have is
that he looked off during the Olympics too, and the fact that he said
the abdominal injury has been around for like three or four years. That's either
encouraging because of how well he's played, or discouraging because it's like, well,
holy shit, like maybe you need to sit out the rest of the
season and get that fixed rather than get a quarters own injection. I mean,
we've we've known about it in Portland for a while, you know,
and he he seems really reluctant to talk about it because he doesn't ever want
to sound like he's making excuses. But whenever you see him struggling with shooting,
it's kind of like like if he has an off night, it's like,
oh, I wonder if his abs are are hurting him? Yeah,
so I would love for him to have enough time to I mean, what
an opportunity for him to do that right now, you know, when the
rest of the team is in turmoil and they're trying to figure out what they're
gonna be, Like, just like it was shocking, shocking to Rip City
that they were sending him for ten days. Yeah, that's this is probably
like already the most games he's missed in his career over a season, though,
unless I was there a season where he didn't really play that much,
he was given an iron man day. Yeah, he's been an iron man,
so absolutely, I would hazard he would be fine, But you hate
to see that, like there's been an injury lingering for years. I'm more
concerned about McCollum because he just looks. You mentioned the thing about his wife
and they're having a child. I do think people probably underestimate like how much
that can take a told. Bradley Beale has been pretty open about it,
like going through a pregnancy with your wife and that lack of sleep, And
then you mentioned he's the president or vice is he president now? The players?
Yeah, that's a lot. There's a lot going on, and so
that plus the change I still think of all the zoom calls it would involve
to be I have too many zoom calls non podcasts related since the pandemics.
I can only imagine what the president of the Basketball Players Association would have.
But just watching him, I have no It feels like a shot gets blocked
more often than he's just not. Like something just seems off about his offense
that would worry me. Knowing he's under contract for the next was he a
four years left or is just the first the four years three years left at
thirty plus million per year, So there's like the level of concern there.
And also the other thing. Could he been dealing with Bruce Ribs all season
and like that was just something he was trying to play through and this is
an issue that just sort of worsened and now now we're here. Who knows.
At that point. I'm definitely more concerned about him though moving forward than
I would be about David A little. Yeah, I guess, like with
with sort of the whole team in general, and they're like, I know
that. I'm sure you've heard about their home and their road record where they
were ten at one time, they were ten and one at home and one
and ten on the road. At that point, I was kind of surprised
that we hadn't heard anything about the team rallying around something Like I thought that
at some point, like we might hear that, you know, they're rallying
around their coach like they have they like, let's let's figure like they just
they looked like they were playing like listlessly. They just looked like like they
hadn't tapped into whatever it was, you know, And it goes through with
you know, the coach calling him out in the in the press conferences,
like on the one hand, like I don't think that's like the right way
to do it. But on the other hand, it's like he just said
what we were all looking at, and it was you know, I just
kind of I kind of expected that at some point they would all have like
rallied like, Oh, we were having a lot of injuries, Let's pull
together. Oh are you know people are unsure that whether our coach is going
to be successful, Let's pull together. Oh our general manager under investigation,
let's pull together. But it just didn't look like they were pulled together.
I will say though, that the last two games, even though they were
losses, they look like a different team in terms of just like being more
unified than I'd seen them all season. Really, yeah, which is I
totally forgot about Billip's calling them out. That was just like not between that
and then him criticizing Roko for like not being a better point of attack defender
when that's never been when Roko does my next I guess these are all pessimistic
questions so far. Would would be with Nurkic and Roco? What in the
world is up with either of those dudes. Nurkis does look a little bit
more in tune with the offense lately, but Roco over the past ten games
is averaging a few over his past seven games excuse me, because he missed
three is averaging fewer points than Ben mckilmore. Is what is going on here
with these two guys. So with the use of Nurkics, you know how
much I like dunks, and he is averaging one more dunk per game so
far this season than he was last year. So the little ray of Sunshine
has that to report. The last two games, where I was saying that
I really liked what I saw those last two games, it looked to me
like which one of my favorite things with this team, My favorite things when
this team. Of course, you know, dame time is a really awesome
time time. But I love it when you use of Neurgish decides to put
the team on his back. And it doesn't happen that often, but when
he comes out and he's slapping other players on the butts and he is like
shoving the ball in rather than like flipping it in, that's a sign that
you're going to have a really great use of Neurgish night. And he's been
consistently, you know, putting up numbers and double doubles, but sometimes having
thirteen points at twelve rebounds is less contributing to winning, and some nights it's
more contributing to winning. And I think one of the big like one of
the big big changes that happen this year on defense is that is supposed to
be coming up farther. He is now supposed to be at the you know,
at the at the top of the screen as opposed to hanging back.
He now has all the defense happening behind him, like where he used to
be like under the basket or lower. He used to be able to see
what was going on. When you're coming up. You can't see everything that's
going on, so you have to trust everybody. You have to trust everybody
behind you who you can't see is doing what they're doing. And also if
you're like Roco supposed to be doing something, you have to like show that
you're trustworthy and being able to do that thing. And it's also new.
I don't I haven't heard a lot of talk about like this new defensive scheme
to relize a ton on trusting each other throughout multiple rotations. It used to
be like just go stand in these spots and kind of like be big and
like pray. And we know, we know that that wasn't great because they
were twenty ninth and defense last year. We also know it had as good
a chance of working against Orlando as it did against Golden State. The news
scheme is much more sophisticated. It relies a lot more untrusting, and your
big guy can't like spends a lot less time seeing what's going on behind him,
and you have to, like I said, you know, trust your
players through multiple rotations, so like when they look good, they can cover
like the first rotation, maybe the second rotation, and then everything completely falls
apart on the third rotation, so doesn't work here against Golden State, who
will just go and go and go and go until they get their great shot.
So I think I don't think use of Nurkis has fallen off the cliff
in terms of defense, even though some of the Knights it looks really bad.
I think he's getting used to it, and I've seen recent play that
shows me he's getting more comfortable with it. And you know, if they
could put it together and you know, I think it could be a good
thing. But I just I just think it's again it sounds like an excuse.
But I don't think he's suddenly become bad at defense. I think he's
playing a different defense and he's figuring it out Roco. I don't know.
I just maybe it's just a bad fit right now. I think, you
know, maybe the coach is a bad fit for him, Maybe the scheme
is a bad fit for him. You know, he's never been like he's
never been a volume shooter, obviously, but now it's like takes something at
least take a popple, like you're not a bad three point shooter, especially
when he takes a little bit of a step back, like he last season,
like he would be right up at the three point line and like he
was. I think that he was always a better shooter when he took like
another step back and shot from a greater distance. But anyway, yeah,
I just I just think it's just not a good fit for him right now.
Whatever it is the scheme or just the personality with the coach, and
they haven't figured it out. But I don't think. I actually don't feel
hopeless about any of this because I can see, like, oh, if
they could do this, if they got more used to that, then you
know, this would fall into place more if the use of gets used to
not being able to see the guys behind them and trusting that they're gonna do
what they're gonna do. If Larry ANNs is in there, Larry and Nanson
knows exactly what he's supposed to do, Norman Powell knows what he's supposed to
do. Ben McLamore knows what he's supposed to do. Like once he gets
used to that, then he can turn his attention on the thing that he's
supposed to be doing and then do all the running around that he has to
do. Yeah, I guess I would be curious with Nurkicch whether he would
be built to play on defense the way that Portland wants to play this season,
just because in the positions that he's in, if he's going to contest
shots at the rim, which they're still gonna need him do, that compromises
him. I did look, opponents are shooting above seventy percent at the rim
against Nurkitch this season, which is just it's the worst mark in the league
among players who contest as many shots as him. So that's something to watch.
I do think from the top now like he used to be down there
you mentioned, and this is going back and watch it. You mentioned like
the rotations that they're making as the season has progressed. It seems like they're
forcing possessions to last longer so that they're getting it, but they're still getting
burned, like you said on those third rotations, or if they have to
make these more complicated decisions. And so now of a sudden, you're in
this plane of existence where you're working your ass off now maybe for more later
into the shot clock, let's say inside seven seconds, and yet you're still
giving up a bucket and then now you have to go back and play offense
at the other end, there's like I'm wondering if there's like a stamina trade
off there. But I do think, and I don't know how accurate to
measure this is, but the fact that they do seem to be forcing possessions
to last later in the shot clock might be a sign that they are getting
it. I'm just curious as to whether they have the personnel to make this
viable and how much of their I call it defensive improvement, but the defensive
the defensive numbers aren't good. How much of this has to do with the
fact that you haven't had Dame for a while or you haven't had CJ now,
And those are two guys who are not going to help your defense for
the most part. Right, I was gonna say that I don't. I
don't think not having Dame and CJ is making the defense worse. Right,
One of the other things that I do like, I love dunks, and
I also love it when they forced a turnover on the twenty four second clock
violation and that does happen. Yeah, I don't know, I can't remember,
Like what was the question? Just if you think that they have the
and maybe is whether they had the you thought the personnel to play like this,
I don't. I don't think the personnel fits the scheme. And I
think that's something that they have said, whether or not they said it directly
or they danced all around it. It came I walked away from the press
conversation that about the enhancement, right. The enhancement involves finding players that are
more likely to fit into what the new coach wants to do. Would you
consider a and it seems mind blowing to mention this because the starting lineup killed
people when they're when they're healthy, obviously killed people last year after that Norman
paletrade. Would you consider any changes within the starting lineup once so you have
all five of those guys available, sej and Dame are penciled in there there
in Stone. I get that I'm probably looking more at the front corp.
Would you consider tinkering with that at all? Oh? Sure, I mean,
I think we're all just kind of waiting for Larry to be the starter.
I'm not sure. I mean, I've seen moments like at the beginning
of the season when Nurkics and Nance were in there together. It didn't look
great, but lately in these last few games when they've been so shorthanded and
they just had to figure it out. I liked some of the stuff that
I saw when Larry Nance was playing alongside use of Nurkisch. You know,
the best use of Nurkics games are the ones where he has a lot of
responsibility, i e. The ball in his hands. The nice thing about
Larry is he doesn't need the ball in his hands, but he does have
the ability to do some playmaking. And so as long as like Larry doesn't
feel like, you know, he's having the opportunity to be a playmaker or
taken away from him. He seems like a guy who just like, if
there's a chance to make a play, he'll make a play. If there's
not a chance to make a play, he'll do something else. What I
would hate to see is have Larry just camped in the corner and that's all
that he does. And you know, uh, Norman Powell has managed to
come out of the corner and have you know, do a more of a
versus you know, a more varied offense. And I would just hate to
see Larry be like shrunk down to only you know, standing in the corner
to shoot the three. Oh, I'm totally with you there. He's too
good of a player to be, too versatile a player to be to be
doing that good small bottle five if I like it when they go small,
well, that's the change that I would make. Would be removing Roco or
Nurkich immediately for Larry Nance Junior once you're healthy, the more nuclear one.
And I'm not sure how you feel about this, I would pull both Roko
and Nurkicch and put nas and Larry Nance Junior in there and say, you
know what, we need guys that are going to be more consistently like just
defensively active and engaged. And I don't think engagements necessarily a Roco problem,
but I think with Nurkisch, when his offense isn't going like he can be
first team All MOPI on certain nights where give the scheme, maybe he doesn't
fit him, but even when they've played some more conservative half court sets,
like he just hasn't looked the same. I don't know if you know you're
also kind of taxing your bench then at that point, because removing two of
your let's call them problems from the starting lineup. They still need to play.
You have to play nurk Hitch, You're not gonna not play Roco.
I'm just curious as to what you would think about I guess you're on board
with just putting Nance in for either Roko or Nurk. Would you consider,
like, do you think that Phillips has the guts? Or is that just
a bad idea to put both NAS and Nance in the starting lineup and say,
you know what, let's just let's just try this. No, I
think there's no situation under the sun that you want to bench use of nurkicch
because then you just have no nothing. Then you have nothing, could be
clear? I want to bench use of nurk ch. I just I just
I just think that would be such a There would be so many other consequences
to benching Nurkics. It wouldn't be worth it. Cutting down on his minutes,
sure, or starting NAS instead of Larry and continuing to have Larry like
lead the second unit. But I just I just like benching use of Nurkics
would be as disruptive as like benching CJ. I think is that a crazy
thing to say? No? And it's the other part here, the callous
business perspective of it. That's not doing anything for his trade value if you
display something. I know, starting startup designations are so asked backwards now because
it just matters the most used lineup, the most played players and who's in
the game and crunch time, Like that's what actually matters, not starting.
But there's still that cachet assigned to it. And if you're demoting, demoting,
I put that in air quotes. People can't see us, but I
put it in air quotes. That's not the best look. I do have
some happy questions for you about the Blazers, though, and okay, my
favorite I don't want not my favorite Blazers. I love Damian Lillard and I'm
a huge line at shure guy nots Little has been a joy to watch this
season, not the least of which because he's actually been able to play and
stay healthy. What makes not just so special and so effective for this team
being one of the few players every single night to just be like so excited
to be out there. And I think some of it might be because it
took him so long to get into place where he is healthy enough to be
there like he It was a difficult path for him to get to, you
know, get into the regular rotation, and he every time he steps up
on the court, he just lights up the court with his energy and his
enthusiasm and you know, having a player who will just go for it.
Like he had an awesome block the other night. I can't remember who he
blocked. I think it was in the Golden State State game, and you
could just see it develop like you're like, oh, this is turning into
a block, and he had plenty of room underneath. There was nobody standing
in front of him in the basket, so you could just see him planting
and rising up and it was just he has those impact plays that get everybody
excited. He has the dunks that get everybody excited. He's the one who
can wake up the rest of the team when they need a little bit of
wake up. So that's what I love and I appreciate about him. It's
just like when energy seems to be failing or lacking, you just run nas
in and all of a sudden you've got everybody waking up, going, oh,
yeah, this is fun. This is fun. And that's why kind
of like I liked him off of the bench, which is like not a
fair reason to like bench some buddy, but you can rely on him bringing
energy. He I think the block was on want to Conna Anderson, which
the name might detract from the shine of it, but one if people don't
watch him, want to Conno Anderson is awesome. And that block he had,
like JT had all the runway in the world, So he had this
built up at his team, and Nas just sent that thing back and kept
it in play. I believe, unless I'm wrong, I might be disremembered.
He's getting better at all of those little things that you appreciate about a
guy who's gonna have a really nice long career in the NBA. His rebounding
this season has gone to a whole nother level. I don't know if it's
gonna, you know, show in the numbers, because I haven't looked.
I just know watching games, I'm like, that was a great NAS rebound.
He is he has a way of like what Ed Davis used to do
is like get small and just like wiggle his way up. You know how
like have you seen that video of the of the Octopus that like leaves the
boat through this tiny little slot and you're just like how's it, Octop And
like he just like makes himself so small and can get up into these tiny
little areas and then get big again and like get everybody out of the way.
Like nas can like knife his way in there into these tiny little spaces
and grab a rebound. And you know, rebounds can also create a lot
of energy. And my new thing is I am lobbying for a rebounding contest
in the All Star Game. I think they need to figure out some way
to have a rebounding contest and put nozz Little in a whole series of Blazers
who over the years I've enjoyed watching the rebounds. But yeah, that's another
thing. And he can score in multiple ways, like I didn't know that
he could score off a step back. He also is driving. He's getting
to the line. He gets to the line on drives this year, and
he's averaging I think like three drives a game. It's not an insubstantial number.
Whatever. It's like if I'm not watching closely and I see a drive,
you know, first all I'll think it was Damien and then I'll think
it was Norman Powell. But like part of the times, it was not
as I'm like, Oh, he's like he goes into it with so much
authority and like, at this point, there's no you know, there's no
concern. If the ball is in his hands, there's no concern. And
he can take a couple of dribbles and shoot it. He can catch and
he can shoot it. He can put it on the floor and take it
to the rack. He can do a lot of things, and he can
know that he's getting fouled. I mean, that's like, that's fantastic.
It's been a hard it's been a long road that we've been waiting to get
you know, guards or you know, forwards who are not Damian Lillard to
the line. I eat CJ and I love, but CJ does not get
to the line. In support of your rebounding point, he has the third
highest defensive rebounding rate among Blazer's rotation players. And the first two are obviously
they're they're bigs in Zeller and Murkis, but he has a higher defensive rebounding
rate than Mayer nance Junior. I think that that's probably more situational than anything.
It's not the huge friends, but that's this is someone I think it
was not six nine six eight around there, so it's not this huge guy.
But but you're right on the rebounding front. Is there any other bright
spots to sort of glom onto with this team? Is it? Anthony Simons
between the leg dunks from Greg Brown? Like what should people be watching about
this team and actually be happy about or be looking for? Is a sign
of optimism moving forward? One of the things that I am looking forward to
is when we get Greg Brown time, because it's a blowout on the Blazer's
positive side. We've seen a lot of Greg Brown water. It's like,
well, at least we get breg Greg Brown tonight. Instead of like,
oh sweet, maybe the Blazers are gonna get such a big lead that we're
gonna get Greg Brown. It's more like, well they threw in the white
flag. At least we get Greg Brown. But Greg Brown is super fun
and he just pulled off that in game dump and I noticed that since then
one other player did it as well. I'm not sure who it was,
may have been somebody from Detroit, and I was like, not great,
Browns is better, But so Anthony I am. I'm happy that he is
having a lot more games where scoring is like almost automatic he still has games
like every good player does where they you know, it's just not his night,
but most night scoring is automatic and that's like, you know, super
valuable. Out of necessity, Dennis Smith Junior has been having to play and
he's been fun, and it's been nice to like actually have a true backup
point guard because for years the Blazers just they don't have a backup point guard.
CJ is their backup point guard. Anthony is being groomed to be the
next backup point guard. They've never it's been a long time since they had
somebody who's actually a point guard playing backup point guard. And you know,
just because Damien has been out, Dennis Smith Jr. Has done really well
and been fun. It's been fun to watch him actually run the floor,
and he and use of Nurkic had some nice chemistry. And I think it's
possible with the new coach, after more people come back and they're more healthy,
maybe he'll be more willing to think about like having an actual backup point
guard than Stots ever had. But yeah, it's been fun to watch Dennis
Smith Jr. That's kind of by necessity, just due to injuries. But
I'm hoping that that can be a thing. And you know, I had
a lot of high hopes for Tony Snell. He's an odd player. He's
just really odd. He can play for like a lot of minutes and not
have any whatever. I thought that was kind of charming at first, but
now it's kind of like, maybe get a rebound or maybe he's just like
helping box people out so nuts can get the rebounds. I don't know.
And you know, I think Ben McLamore has done well considering he's not gotten
particularly regular rotations. It's just kind of like, oh, you're on tonight,
Okay, go in, and you know he at least knows how to
play some defense and you know, not make things worse. But yeah,
NAS is definitely the brightest spot for me. Uh, no argument for me
here. Larry Nance Jr. Has also been just really good for him and
just rock solid. And look, if people want to question the merit of
what we're talking about, you and I discussed on your former podcast at Blazer's
Edge Robert Covington trade that off season they traded for Robert Covington. Then we
were we had a podcast either end of last season or was at the beginning
of the off season about how they should trade for Larry Nance Jr. What
did they do? They were the one who know all is seeing, You're
the you're the seer and all of these ones uh Roco was at least both
of us. Maybe that was just in the ether for so long, but
all of a sudding is when Tara and I talk about it, it clearly
gets rolled into existence, so we can talk about which is why people should
pay attention to this next question. I asked you and I send you a
list of players, but what is the even if it's not a specific player,
like, what is the if there's one archetype, one genre of player.
This team needs to continue winning now by the way, not to hit
reset and rebuild around, but to enhance the roster to the level that they
want to be at. What type of player is it? So I have
been also trying to come to the I've been coming to the realization that it's
super possible that the Blisters will not be trading CJ. McCollum, that it's
just not gonna be feasible for what they want and what other teams want,
and it just might be hard for that. So when you're when you ask
me that question, I didn't go like Ben Simmons because that I think that
would be really fun to have somebody like that Ben Simmons on the team,
who's a really great would be who can Yeah, and I will say it
again, c J would be perfect in Philadelphia, But I just don't think
that's gonna happen, so kind of to talk go to my point that earlier
I would love a younger player maybe you know, twenty one, twenty two,
twenty three, you know, who still is still developing and still has
things to learn. Somebody who is a wing or a four, somebody who's
somebody who's taller than six six, Like they need height, they really do.
Like the other night, I was watching it and I was like,
Tony Snell did nothing but raise his hand, and it was harder for Depth
Curry to score. Like all Tony Snell had to do is put his arm
up in the air and it was like twenty times harder than you know,
guarding one of their smaller, more dominiuative guards. So I was just like,
just please, so somebody who's young, somebody who's tall, somebody who
can shoot the three and has they don't have to be fully developed, but
who has room to grow. There's a name that springs to mind that I
did not give you my list, now that you described it, I don't
think I understood how much you wanted to go the more youthful route. And
I don't know if he fits your height qualification. You might be six six
exactly. Let me check this really quick. But he's having a good season
after being injured for the first two years of his career. Romeo Langford in
Boston. Oh, he's six four. He's way shorter than I thought he
was. So but he's been defending up If that's any consolation. I just
I'm none of the names I sent you and you I see in our dock
that you put their age and hights next to it to fit the bill.
I think the youngest name I sent you on there it looks like they're twenty.
Oh there, look, I'm gonna suggest Frank everybody, Oh, there's
a twenty two year old. So I had lu dort On. There were
of the names that I sent you, though, was there any one that
intrigue or that you thought would be a good And by the way, Ben
Simmons would be a great fit. I think I've always leaned more towards I
think the Blazers really need to attach stuff to CJ to get him. I've
still been curious and maybe they wouldn't do it, and I guess Philly doesn't
need like a backup five anymore. But if you went forget CJ, if
you went the Norman Powell route and picks and like one of your other players,
does that not intrigue Philly. Maybe it doesn't because they're apparently looking for
a top twenty five player, which is just so so ambiguous and feels so
impossible at this stage. But I do agree that Ben Simmons would obviously be
a perfect fit for Portland. Well as you can see the one that I
highlighted on the list you set me as Miles Turner. You know, he's
twenty five, so he still has a lot of years to go on.
He's you know, obviously he's a forward center, so he's tall, but
he also does shoot the three. And he's also ready for something new.
And that's kind of the other thing. As I'm I'm looking for somebody who
you know is ready for like is looking forward to a new situation, And
it sounds like just he's He's heard for years that you know, he and
Sibonians don't fit together, so you know, come on, we'll see if
you fit over here. I just I just like him. I don't know
if he's a great fit, but he I think he would be. He's
he would be the best fitting big on the roster. I think immediately,
I guess, I just don't know what you give up to because the Indie's
not gonna want nur Kitch. In that situation, I would imagine you have
to attach a first there. I just don't know what else it costs you.
Blazers basically don't have any I guess if Indie still wanted to win,
because I still question whether they actually want to blow it up. CJ McCollum
does make some sense there, especially if Carris Lavert continues down this trajectory of
just not being I don't say he's not good, because every red him very
high and Carris Laver, but he very much needs the ball in his hands,
and I think with CJ you can at least do other stuff with him.
The name that stood out to me, and I think it. I've
thought CJ. McCollum would be very interesting in Boston and one of the players
you just sort of described as Jalen Brown, who I don't think the Celtics
will trade, and I definitely don't think the Blazers have the AMMO to get
him unless they're trading Damian Lillard. He's shorter, but he can be like
the lifeblood of your defense Marcus Smart guarding positions one through four. And I'm
curious where you land on the idea of I don't know what the exact structure
would be because he makes so much less than CJ. And for the nerds
with us, he Smart can't be traded until January twentieth. But if it's
like Smart and you know Richardson for CJ. McCollum, like, are you
willing to go that type of a route at this point? Does Norman Powell
make CJ at all a little more expendable in that regard where you can prioritize
fit and need over talent. So I love Dame and Nora and Powell next
to each other, and so if they were, you know, sending out
CJ, I would be perfectly happy with a Powell and Lillard backward. And
I don't think you know, I don't I don't know. I guess isn't
this sounds really gross to ask? But how tall is Marcus Smart? Six
four? He's the thing I'll say, give his arms up though, like
if you're if you're six four, but you keep your arms up, then
okay. But like I just you know, like there's the Blazers have I
mean, I texted you when they played their four guard lineup like they've they
played a four guarding up like twice, Like what are you? What are
you doing? Like? But just give us some more versatility, like I
just I would I would rather have a non guard return. He's well if
Josh Richardson's a little bit bigger, but Marcus Smart sixth three with a six
foot nine wingspan, he can defend capably one through four. Though I agree
with what you're saying, but if it was Marcus Smart, I might throw
the hype thing out of the equation. I'm curious what the makeup of that
deal would look like, because personally, if you told me Marcus Smart was
the centerpiece of a CJ. McCollum deal, I have no d Boston would
be interested in that. But just watching their offense this year, I think
CJ. McCollum healthy, of course, could help them. How do they
feel about his contract? YadA, YadA, YadA. If I'm the Blazers,
I would do it. I don't know what else needs to be.
There needs to be money included. I don't know if it's is it Josh
Richardson and Romeo Langford is you could? Really it would have to be a
complicated deal because of his extension. But the Celtics don't see as hot seam
as high on Robert Williams the Third as other people are just based off Robert
Williams the Third Minutes and so like. Can he be involved? Would they
have interest in, you know, Larry NaN's junior or Roco or even use
of Nurk. It's just for sometimes the way they want to play since al
Horfor is already there so many moving machinations there. But if you told me
Marcus Smart was the centerpiece of a CJ. McCollum return for Portland, I'm
going to tell you right now, I actually wouldn't blink at it. I
would do it. I would I wouldn't hate it, especially if he promised
to keep his arms up. I want a player who can do two things.
I don't care what two things there are. But I want a player
like who has two things that he can do. He can you know,
defend and he can dunk, he can shoot from three and he can get
a fast break, you know, Like I want a multidimensional player. And
so as long as it's somebody who can do a couple of things and it
isn't just like a one note player. God, I sound like Danny Murring
he finally sunk in, he finally got third of me about he always you
know, he always talks about, like, you know, people who can
do more than one thing. But I like, I see it like I
want somebody who's got two separate, two sets of skills that so if one
thing isn't working, they can do the other thing rather than you know,
just do their one thing and on the night they they will have it.
Well, SUBBN, Tony Sell, would you do I'm thinking like Miles Turner
and Jeremy Lamb get you basically to see j you mccollins salary. I don't
know what else you would have to include for the pacers to want to do
that, and they're probably gonna want to at least another I know that they
want to play. Uh, oh my god? Why am I blanking on
his name? Isaiah Isaiah Jackson? Is that who they have? Isaiah Todd?
Why am I isaias? You know four hundred and fifty I clearly don't
five hundred NBA players, well, you know, four hundred and forty five
of them, like years, so many light years ahead of me. Maybe
it's like, I wonder if if the Pacers still want to be competitive and
not actually rebuild, would if would you Tara being in charge of the Blazers,
do CJ McCollum a first? At that point you're looking at a twenty
twenty four first and Cody Zeller for Miles Turner and Jeremy Lamb. I No,
I don't. I mean, first of all, I don't know that
they even have a first. Twenty four is the first first that they could
trade. No, like that goes against me wanting to get younger and build
a younger you know, build a younger Core Turner is twenty five, I
do, I don't know if Indie is younger, but like to give away,
like, are any chances of any more chances of drafting? Like I
just I don't want to give any more picks up. They gave up two
picks for Robert Covington. They just they don't have very many picks, and
so I unless they wanted to like do something else entirely and do a second,
you know, deal with a team that has a lot of picks,
like New Orleans or okay, see and pick up some other picks that way,
I just do not want to get picks unless they've got other ones coming
in. Yeah. I mean the other way to go is maybe Indie if
they if McCollum comes back soon and he's really good, I think you can
justify flipping Turner and Lamb. Who's really dead salary for Indie at this point.
For CJ. McCollum, straight up, you are losing a lot of
offense. But I think Turner does more of what you would need. But
then you run to the overlap nerd kitch is still there. It's so tough
to come up with when now moves to the Blazers, just because they've traded
some of their best assets already, and especially like you said, if you
want to keep your picks, it gets really hard to sort of suss out
moves. It still revolves really around CJ. McCollum, unless you look at
maybe moving Larry Nance or Norman Powell. The final question I have jotted down
for you, though, is when you look at the players that I think
are most likely to get traded on the roster, who springs the minor CJ?
Nurk, Anthony Simons but just because he's entdering restricted free agency, and
then Robert Covington because he's going to be a free agent as well and has
not been good. Is there like a how would you like rank those players
in terms of the likelihood that they would be traded this year? I would
rank Roco and Simons as the most likely, followed by Nurk and CJ.
They I think they should just trade Nurk Hitch like that is something I'd actively
do, even if it's you're not going to take back negative value, but
I don't know what you're gonna end up paying him if you can just get
something for him, and I think it would just be easier to build a
more athletic center rotation having Larry Nance Junior there already and even NAS just a
better fitting one for probably cheaper than he's gonna command. And so he's the
guy that I look at where I don't think I'd be surprised there's a Again,
we're dealing with an interim general manager. Still wouldn't surpris me if the
Blazers do nothing. To be honest with you, but I think he's the
player that if I'm Portland's I don't know what the market for him is,
like it's tough to find home for bigs. He is very good offensively though,
so he's the player I would be looking to move. I think though,
if I'm Portland, let me ask you this, like, which player
do you think is somebody that another team would really want to have on their
team? Wait? Like that the Blazers have? Yeah, Like, I
think how many teams need somebody like? That's the I think that's the problem
you run into is Charlotte needs a big. I don't know if Nurkic is
that well, I would say, I do know. I don't think he's
the big that they need. But because he probably doesn't cost you a ton,
is that something they look at? Do they view him as an upgrade
over Mason Plumbly? I honestly have no idea. You run out of stuff
like just really quickly after that In teams that that need Biggs. I guess
the the Pacers would need a center in theory if they decided to trade the
Turner elsewhere. I hate the Nurkic Sabonus fit though, and Sabonus should probably
be playing center, I guess. I mean the Clippers have Zoobatch and Hartenstein.
It's it's tough to find teams that need Biggs there. I think there
are a bunch that need backup Biggs. But you already mentioned that you can't
use use of Nurkich is sort of your your second string center. Yeah,
and can you imagine being the Trailblazers on the night that nur Kich who you
traded away and got benched? What plat like? What he would do to
your team when he does come off the bench somehow he's the first player to
score fifty, you know, off the bench, or maybe Jamal Crawford's in
that already, but like I could just like, oh man, he might.
He's probably most valuable as part of a bigger deal, just as an
expiring contract. The terrible as that is to say, because he's better than
that type of player. But if the Blazers were looking to let's just say
they wanted to after a Harrison Barnes and you need to step ladder your way
to salary. If you're getting a young player and a pick to Sacramento having
an expirment contract like Nurkic having one like Robert Covington, even that's at least
an incentive for the offer. But it's it's this weird it's this weird thing
where I think he's more valuable to them on the court, but I also
just don't think he's going to be more valuable to them moving forward based on
how it seems like they want to apply on defense. Well, and this
is where I think we're all sort of like existing in the old Shay fog
of like what he left behind. Which is why I would love to see
like some players come in who we really don't know, but they have a
really high ceiling, because right now we kind of know exactly who all these
folks are. So when you're talking to another team about making a trade,
like they may look at him and go, that's not who we need right
now, because there it's really clear who they are. The other team I
might be like, yeah, I don't we don't need a player like nurkis
right now, we need, you know, a player like Larry Nance,
and you know, we might be like, well, we're not ready to
give up Larry Nance. So I just I feel like like, sort of
like whatever has been left behind by the former GM is going to be really,
really, really tough to do something with, which is why I'm like,
instead of going for you know, minimum vets year after year after year,
if they could figure out some way where they could at least get some
young, dynamic players in Oh darn New York just scored. I'm watching the
I'm devoting ninety nine point nine percent of my attention to you, but the
Portland Timbers are playing in the MLS Cup right now. Let me allow you
to shift that attention to there by wrapping this up with the question of is
there anything that we need to talk about or that you want to talk about
that we have not discussed yet. No, I don't think so. You
always ask such great questions. I'll just say that I think that, you
know, I am feeling optimistic based on the fact that we're still early in
the season, that the players are still figuring out who their new coaches,
the new coaches still figuring out who their players are. And I feel like,
even if no moves are made, you know, right now, we
may have to wait until February, we may have to wait until somebody else
comes in. I feel like at least the front office is starting to care.
That means so much, and I think, you know, it means
a lot to fans, and I think it will trickle over to the team
as well as they put it together and figure out, you know, who
they are. I just I do feel more hopeful about this team than I
did like a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure if I feel more
hopeful, but I'm definitely with you that the vibes seem better and this seems
like a more workable dynamic that they that they have. Sara, are you
able to tell our listeners where they can find you on social media and hear
you talk about Groops? Absolutely. You can find me on Twitter at tcb
B I G G S two bs and two gs, and you can find
me my other podcast as We Have a Take at We Have a Take and
yeah, I'm mostly on Twitter. Nobody wants the pictures that I post on
Instagram. Yeah, but it's so great. As always talk to you Dan,
Thank you so much for having me on and thank you so much for
giving me a bunch of your time as usual. And as you know by
now, there will be a future request coming down to five LiLine at some point