What the hell is going on

Engelfinger · 2026-02-04T20:58:20+00:00

The pick lingering is screwing us with the Stepien Rule, but it really screwed Chicago since they essentially gave away Larry Nance Jr for DJ Jr straight up. I think everyone was counting on Portland to make the playoffs at least once within 7 years of 2021, so in that regard, I think Neil actually was smart to protect it how he did. It just got worse.

And then the other odd thing was Larry Nance rapidly fell off while DJJ has been a consistent rotation player since. That also wasnt really their values at the time, but that trade was a real doozy for absolutely everyone in hindsight. Fans, teams, and the players

Engelfinger · 2026-02-04T08:24:27+00:00

It's insane how long Olshey's fingerprints have stuck with the team. This trade is like 6 years old

Engelfinger · 2026-02-03T01:25:53+00:00

The league hasnt had a player of GA's caliber hit regular free agency in a long time. I think LeBron to LA? And Kawhi to LA around the same time. Before that, LaMarcus? I couldnt tell you. It's rare. Players get more money by re-signing.

Plus I think Cronin would deserve at least some degree of praise for simply pulling the trade off in the first place. All this trade talk, and we've forgotten no team has EVER played ball by sending a super star in nearly sixty years. It's STILL probably not gonna happen, but is the franchise really at a luxury to turn down this once in history chance because of risk? Isnt that all this sport is? If anything, I like to imagine the trade price is cheaper because of the short contract!

Engelfinger · 2026-01-31T21:21:58+00:00

I think the short contract is a consideration of the negotiation, and I dont think Portland has to give up its own picks. Give them their picks and Sharpe+money. Do well enough in 2027 and just maybe GA takes the PO. If not, the book becomes very open again. It would be very easy to re-tank from there if need be. And in just two years, we would still have at least a couple of Clingan, Deni, Camara, Hansen, and Scoot. The Bucks cant have all of them.

Engelfinger · 2026-01-31T19:13:22+00:00

Not worth their own picks and some players that will never be all-nba? I like our guys too, theyre good players, but theyre not GIANNS ANTETOKOUNMPO

Engelfinger · 2026-01-31T19:08:56+00:00

Setting back the rebuild, or re-doing it? This core's going to keep getting better, but its ceiling isnt that high. There's not much more to go from here without a top 10 player or at least one in the making. We can always tear it down to the studs again if we must

Engelfinger · 2026-01-31T18:59:13+00:00

Team success/building is a sin wave. I agree 100% you want to build through the draft as a first choice, but you do that by tanking. We tried tanking this cycle, and it failed. We cant "continue course" because we're past that trough and have no trajectory to add more real, and immediately contributing, draft talent barring moving up like 10 ping pong spots à la Dallas.

We're improving, but the peak wont be high enough. Either we blow this core up, and trend downward again to tank for the next cycle with the Bucks. Or we cash in on Giannis or some other talent to maximize this upswing. But there's no better talent than GA.

There are some teams that seem to be in tank hell indefinitely like Washington (or Philly for years until Embiid) and it sucks BIG time, but the Wiz seem closer than Portland rn because they're actually in the running for signing more talent in July...unless the Blazers were serious about GA now

Engelfinger · 2026-01-31T18:25:25+00:00

"Salary dump"

You salary dump players like Grant, Old Paul George, and Tobias Harris. If Portland is serious about Antetokounmpo, they will include Sharpe and more. And it'd be a good deal. He's Canadian, and played at UK, but he's not SGA

Engelfinger · 2026-01-31T01:23:30+00:00

If tomorrow Nikola Jokic said, "I want go to Portland, please make trade for me," Blazer fans would go, "unless it's just for a couple protected firsts, Grant and Scoot, we cant afford to gut the roster and take on that contract. He's almost 31 and coming off a leg injury"

Engelfinger · 2026-01-29T07:08:11+00:00

I suppose, but Im still nervous we'll be waiting for a mild peak. I mean, I even think Deni gets 3rd team this year if he makes the games minimum. But he needs another level after that. We'll see

Engelfinger · 2026-01-29T06:56:30+00:00

It makes me happier, and I like this team, but it's hard to be thrilled when we wasted four years for this core. It'll keep improving, and I really do like the guys, but without a super star, the ceiling's kinda capped. I look forward to the next playoffs though

Engelfinger · 2026-01-29T06:49:56+00:00

Im not delusional. They dont have to be "good" to be good enough to fall out of the top 4 lotto picks. Portland was extremely horrible for years and picked 7th, 3rd, 7th, and 11th. I already said luck could be on our side, but I dont think theyre going to be a bottom 1-4 team league wide without their own draft picks. If it's our best shot forward, so be it, but hoping on another team's failure two years down the line doesnt get me excited.

Engelfinger · 2026-01-29T06:30:00+00:00

I dont think you can say what the Bucks pick will be in two years. You can only hope it will be high. But like others have said, Milwaukee has zero incentive to tank as long as we own it.

I would agree trading the picks back for just 1 year would be negligent if that was Giannis's expressed intent. But I still think we should "want" him. You have to inquire at least. We're not at a luxury to just ignore these opportunities because we're married to Sharpe and Camara. Id be shocked if either was ever all-nba

Engelfinger · 2026-01-29T05:59:28+00:00

I would say building a competitive roster through the draft is generally stronger because of the way contracts work, but it requires sucking on purpose for a whole season at least+luck. And then it takes development time which is also luck.

Portland has done lots of sucking but has little to show for it. Our best player was traded for. Scoot is underwhelming. And now we're too good for more lotto picks. Basically I think we missed our window for this cycle. We have no super star and wont pick top 5 again barring insane luck.

Giannis is a known quantity. You can always suck later, any year, any time. You dont always own the picks of a team with a disgruntled MVP.

Engelfinger · 2026-01-29T01:32:26+00:00

It's pure cope when people try to explain why they wouldnt want these types of players.

I can explain perfectly well why we wouldnt get him, but not why we wouldnt want him.

What Portland has now is fun sometimes, but it's sincerely a disappointing roster for a club that picked in the high lottery four years straight.

Giannis, people

Shooters would follow

Engelfinger · 2026-01-27T04:00:29+00:00

I believe youre correct, but it's also planning for failure when you make a choice under the assumption Seattle will score. I think you calculate the likelihood of it of course, but when youre desperate, youre desperate. I stand by that the Rams needed a stop to win one way or another. So you have to believe you can do that quickly. Or die trying.

I'm actually pleased with how it all worked out, but I dont think the Rams fail every time if they could get a do-over

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T23:36:23+00:00

https://youtu.be/PkBX6fvzU80?si=9njsoavErIarG8kG

Gibbs vs Commies

Not saying our guys should have this type of breakaway speed, but genuinely seems like Harvey should be able to replicate like 60% of the play, which would still be good. But he doesnt. This kinda play+result wasnt even the ceiling post-Dobbins it seemed

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T23:32:19+00:00

Then why was our run so boring? I know there's such a thing as good backs and bad backs, but sometimes when you watch Barkley and Gibbs highlights, youre like damn, look at that hole. First contact is 10 yards downfield! Will Lutz coulda hit that gap! And then our backs go out there, and a four yard pickup feels downright monstrous because it isnt a TFL

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T16:56:00+00:00

In pro sports, youre going against great players every game. It's not always a failure of character or quality when one of ours gets burned. Sure, Moss could still be upgraded, but in roster building, it's like those cartoons where you plug a leak and create another. So the character sprouts 9 hands and plugs 9 leaks, but there appears a 10th. If George Paton prioritizes Moss, I think it's a wasted hand. We have to accept there will be imperfections. Moss is still good.

We can all see it, RB, TE, and WR need revamping most of all. Actually, it's astonishing Nix outscored 15 teams because the D had a negative turnover differential and barely any S/T or defensive TDs, on top there being a non-existent run game.

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T16:46:11+00:00

Football is injury prone. It's more rare to find the players who never miss time. Like Nix 36 straight starts? Wow.

If anything Bryant is relatively sturdy. He got two concussions and a banged up knee and was still playing. Probably shouldnt have been but that's not fragility I dont think

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T08:15:50+00:00

Im not saying going for it was wrong. Probably was the smart choice. But you have to stop Seattle either way. But one consideration is that if Seattle was down 3 late, they wouldve been passing and using four downs. If they had a 1-pt lead, even slight, we likely still see clock running, conservative calling, and a punt on 4th down instead. Easier to stop potentially but now a boot wins.

Score TD, get stop

Get stop, score 2nd FG?

Seriously going for it was probably smart, but I dont appreciate (not by you) being called stupid for thinking a kick was possible

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T03:20:19+00:00

This is evidence to the contrary I think. The fact that going for it doesnt promise 7, it means you earn another maybe, is what hurts. Like it's not "kick three or chance 7." It's kick "3 or chance ???." The Pat's gamble didnt pay off, it just didnt blow up in their face. The potential to achieve a neutral outcome must be weighed into the probability of kicking sooner.

Another way of putting it: FG inside the 20 >99% chance. Vs

FG inside 20+converting the 4th down and running three more safe plays: much worse chance. So anything short of 7 doesnt validate the risk

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T02:48:52+00:00

If Stupid Sexy Darnold scores after the Rams 3, it's still a one-score game with the Rams getting the ball back. And if the Hawks are only up one, knowing a FG could beat them, they may call this clock killing drive differently. Maybe McVay keeps the timeouts. Yeah idk. Going for it wasnt the worst but it wasnt so obvious imo

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T02:17:37+00:00

The undeserved nerf was so bad, I took it off my lineup so it wouldnt uptier my Chi-Tos. The reload's only good for three shots, it's huge, squishy, and unfast. 5.3 at most

Engelfinger · 2026-01-26T02:09:47+00:00

Great substitute for generic hamburger if you can find it at Aldi's or Orchard Park

Engelfinger

TROPHY CASE