Some of this has to fall on coaching no? At some point even a poorly constructed lineup of bad defensive players can be coached up to the point where they are, say near the top of the bottom third I would think.

Offensively they are no different than last year, and I wonder if it was a case of Portland overvaluing their players based on a few guys having outlier years in 2015/16.

I got Curry Buckets Durant Labron Goatbert.

It's totally valid to place some blame on the coaching. I think that's why people are frustrated, you can find flaws everywhere but there isn't some easily pinpointed problem to remove to fix a lot of it. There's no locker room cancer or massive feuds between players pouting or anything like that.

And yeah, I think they have overvalued their players. Tons of stuff has been written about it, like how the Crabbe decision was simply Paul Allen saying "we're matching" and that was that, or how the team realizes it has problems attracting FAs so they keep anyone with promise. I'm slowly starting to dislike Meyers Leonard; I don't like the player he's trying to become, don't see what he could be or how that would help the team, and have no problem shipping him. Opposite of that is Harkless, who I've always liked and think he was a great deal with his resigning. It's annoying that they suck so much now, but also kind of interesting to see what they're going to do. If they make no moves whatsoever and finish like 37-45 in the 10th spot without anything like major injuries to Dame or CJ contributing to that, PortlandFan is going to be mad.

I'll be courtside tomorrow in my Kobe jersey

I'll offer up another cause, and admittedly it's because my team is suffering through a defensive malaise that makes Portland look like the '04 Pistons.

Sorry for the poker reference, but perhaps they are just running bad and tilting at the same time? They were never going to be an elite defense, but I have watched enough of my own team to know that there are times when they play perfectly, get in position to rebound, and then a lucky bounce leads to an another possession and a 3. When things are going bad these sorts of breaks seem to happen four or five times a game,, and when they do it inevitably leads to players pressing and then finding themselves out of position.

Boston kind of went through it at the start of the season, and although they had key defenders out they should never have been that bad.

what's the consensus on whiteside these days

edit: also, how good would the hornets be with rwb

No kiwi is blasphemy

i don't see why there has to be something, it's a team with very, very little defensive talent, why do they have to be able ot defend? they've got what i owuld guess are two avg or a little above wings in mo and afa and afa missed half the year. they have a backup big in ed davis who might be a good backup defensive c, but he doesn't even have a solidified role/minutes. everyone else is trash on D from a tools standpoint. i mean maybe crabbe is passable, but a few decent and a passable does not a top 20 defense make.

i think they are who we thought they were and they just ran a little hot last season and rushed the rebuild

looooooool butler over kawhi

Curry
Kawhi
Lebron
Durant
Noah

Paul
Harden
Durant
Lebron
Brow

http://bkref.com/tiny/hgl3B

Outrageously different...

EDIT: Butler 6.27 RPM vs Leonard 5.56 too

Justise Winslow out for the year. Finishes the season with a .397 TS and negative win shares.

Kawhi is a better fit on that team though. His D is way more valuable than Butler's edge in creation or w/e, it's not needed on that squad

Noah goat

Curry doesn't belong on the super teams though
Klay creates enough for someone that doesn't need to create with that lineup
And the defense doesn't have a weak link to attack now

MJ GOAT.

I think he'll be okay though.

he wont be needed once future heat lifer markelle fultz forces jrich to the 3.

pretty terrible loss for mempis tonight

I went over to CanisHoopus and saw some "can we get Otto Porter for Wiggins?" Maybe they should have went for that deal back in early October when I originally suggested it, "while his value is at it's highest" I said. They could have gotten assets with Otto then, now they'd have to send said assets out imo.

But yeah, TZ was projecting Wiggins to make this huge jump and Otto not to during preseason.

D00D>Thibs at GMing.

Clearly needs to work on his shot
But he's what 20 years old

I think he's gonna be a low level all star 3 and D guy

Justice Winslow will not be an all star

Leonard really isn't fast enough to guard premier combo guards. Team in general too slow on D with Kiwi over Bulter (who can be lockdown on this squad).

Ignoring that, Butler is simply *better* this year and he doesn't have the benefit of an elite coach and system and the same teammates for his entire careeer.

i don't think butler is really better than kiwi at guarding small quick guys. he was pretty effective on westbrook in last yrs playoffs and it doesn't get quicker than that. he's also been a good option on curry at times. he just swallows small guys up with length even if they do occasionally burn him

kawhi also a better spotup shooter and rebounder which matters for that team

also disagree that butler has even been better than kawhi this year, and even if he has it would be reasonable to assume it won't continue due to kawhi's superior resume

CLARK

Kawhi is better than MJ on a super team, and you're in here talking about Jimmy Butler

I think if I'd build a super team I'd go something like
Chris Paul
Klay
LeBron
Durant
MGasol


Actually probably Kiwi over Klay. I just think Klays off ball offense would be really necessary