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Playoffs vs Development

When does it become more important for the team to work on player development as opposed to a push for the playoffs?

Star-divide

In my opinion, this season has been a great success to date.  I thought the team would have a chance at the playoffs, but I also thought 45 wins would just about do it.  But we are getting to the stretch run, and being 6.5 games out of a playoff spot with 17 to go, its looking like the playoffs are more and more of a stretch.  I'm curious when you all think the team crosses the threshold and begins to look at the bench players a bit more.  Or, is the push for the playoffs the learning and developing experience the players need?  When should we expect to see McRoberts, Von Wafer and Sergio more?

Poll
Player Development
Push to the Playoffs! They need to experience it.
28 votes
Look and develop the bench players. They need to know what to expect from them.
11 votes
The key players are so young, this is the development they need.
21 votes
[Insert Jim Mora's rant here]
4 votes

64 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 12 comments

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The players we have to develop are Brandon Roy, Martel Webster, Lamarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, and maybe Jarret Jack.

Lucky for us, those guys are the one we need playing to get us into the playoffs. And all those guys are really young and need more games, need more experience. Roy may seem like a veteran, but he's only played 118 games in his professional career. Aldridge has played 123, and has only started 82.

The fact that the Blazers have a legit shot at the playoffs in the brutal west and they have something big to play for every night is HUGE for the development of our young stars. No offense, but I wouldn't sacrifice these extremely valuable last games to get fringe players like Sergio, Von Wafer and McRoberts time. Those are the guys you play to improve your draft position.

by matthewcc on Mar 12, 2008 7:41 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

when and if we lose
enough games to eliminate us from the race, we should (like I proposed in a recent diary) shut Jones and Blake down, cut LMA's and Brandon's minutes to about 24 each, and put Martell at the 2, Travis at the 3, JJ and Sergio at the point, and Fry at the 4. These guys have been playing out of position all year, and we need to see them in their natural positions for awhile to see where our strenghts and weaknesses are. Can they be better at their natural position, will they improve with extended minutes, etc. How do we know who to draft, trade, and keep, if we still aren't sure who our best backups are? Is Travis or Fry the best backup 4, who is capable of playing the 3 (is anyone totally sold on Martell's performance) can Martell score better as a 2, can Sergio play if given more time and a longer rope, can Jack play point? I think we know their strenghts and weaknesses at the positions we have put them in this year

by crakarjack on Mar 12, 2008 8:09 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Always play to win
The best thing we can do for the team is develop and winning attitude, we should always play to win and fight to be in every game.  I agree that the players that we need to develop are already playing anyway and they will have the summer to rest.

The only thing we may want to do is experiment with some line ups.  I would like to see us go big for short periods and use Roy at PG, webster at SG, Outlaw at SF, and LMA and Joel at the bigs.  I think finding out if Travis can function at the 3 and Martel can play the 2 is much more important than getting McRoberts game experience.

by lonevoiceofreason on Mar 12, 2008 8:52 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

When we turn to development
When we have less than twice as many games left as we are out of the playoffs.  If we're six games off the pace, that means when we have 10-11 games left.  Up to that point, you keep hoping, at that point, you have to acknowledge it's gone.

What should we do differently?  Reduce Brandon's minutes, so he doesn't get hurt.

Showcase the guys who might be traded.

While we want to see guys play, Nate and KP have been seeing them in practice.  They know pretty well what we have.  We don't know, and would like to, but they know.  So there's no point in playing guys to learn about them, that's not really part of the picture.  Play guys that you want to keep because they are projects for the future and can use the experience, and guys you are prepared to trade.

There's no real benefit in playing Raef, unless you want him at center so Frye can play PF.  McRoberts?  Well, we'll get nothing for him in a trade, so only play him if you think he's got a decent chance to stick around.  Wafer?  Forget it.  He won't be here next year, so there's not really much point.

Jones?  Not if his knee is still sore.  Let him rest.

I'm frequently right, but always certain

by jscot on Mar 12, 2008 8:55 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

We need to experience the playoffs...
the sooner the better.

Also, I'd like to spoil somebody's playoff party by giving them some losses in April.

by TallTimber on Mar 12, 2008 9:44 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

It would be helpful
to know what we have so we know what to go after in the draft and the off-season.  So heck yeah, let's experiment a bit (after another loss or so  eliminates our playoff chances).

But we do need to get 41 wins as 500 ball was my prediction pre-season.  

by TwoDeep on Mar 12, 2008 9:46 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Who do you need to look at?
With the exception of maybe McRob, we know what all these guys can and can't do.  What they need is an off-season full of work on their weaknesses.  Then re-evauluate during the first part of next season.  I suspect that that point, KP will be making some major decisions about the futures of the borderline players.

Making the playoffs this season would bring some more experience, and I think it could only help.  On the other hand, these guys aren't making the playoffs this season.

by leeroyjenkins on Mar 12, 2008 10:19 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Only if we are out of the playoffs mathematically
should we start winding down.  To lose LMA, or Brandon, or Joel, to a late season injury would be foolish.  Last year we got to see Travis come of age late in the season.  That would not have happened if we wouldn't have rested some of our players.  Wonder if Waffer or McRoberts comes in and lights things up like Travis did last year.  That would be fun.  Martel getting minutes at 2 after he has been watching Brandon all year might be just what he needs.  Martel hasn't been consistent this year but at times brilliant.  
"I was in the neighborhood, feeling a little daffy, so I thought I would stop in for an aperitif." Tom in Miller's Crossing.

by Kampeska on Mar 12, 2008 11:48 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

You are the only one here that has...
said much that makes sense to me. Come on people, get over it I don't need to wait for the math to tell me that we wont be in the playoffs - and don't call me a quitter. It has never been about the playoffs remember? How many million times has that been said? We have already had several bites from the injury bug and it just isn't necessary to continue to flirt with disaster. I also don't believe that what some does in practice is the same as what someone does in a game against another team. Let some of the bench get a chance to play that hasn't. Especially Sergio - we are not going to be trading him.
35:12 Min, 14-20 FG, 1-2 FT, +15 +/-, 1 Off, 6 Rebs, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 29 Pts - LMA vs. Bucks

by LaMarvelous on Mar 12, 2008 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Here's something that should make sense
the other direction though.  If our guys are going to learn to grind out an entire season they need to grind out an entire season.  And if they can't make it without injury through a single season of their career we need to know that right now so we can make contingency plans.

That doesn't mean we need to play Brandon and Lamarcus 44 minutes a night.  But they do need to keep starting and playing the bulk of their minutes.  The difference, if any, should be 5-8 minutes per game at most.  You can't keep shutting your guys down after 60 games without sending the wrong message and missing out on THEIR development.  And the development of Roy and Aldridge is far more important than the development of anyone else on the roster.

--Dave

by Dave on Mar 12, 2008 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Training
The Blazers are developing.  For the next 10 to 15 years, they are going to have to learn how to fight through the last 3rd of the season to better position themselves for the post season.  

by clonigro on Mar 12, 2008 3:47 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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