I'd love to maintain my normal unrealistic Blazer optimism and say "The series ain't over!" or believe Olshey when he gives the inevitable "the cake is still baking, we're division champions and ahead of schedule, blah blah blah" speech after our playoff exit. Unfortunately, I think this series just confirms what I've long believed: the roster is fundamentally flawed with a 2nd round ceiling.

The main problem for me is I don't know that we have even one player who is above average on both sides of the ball. Dame and CJ are great offensive players and improved-but-still-below-average defenders and as we've seen, stoppable in the playoffs without a reliable supporting cast. Zach has the potential as a two-way player, but isn't there yet.

There have been a lot of opinions in comments and posts about how to proceed from here. I am curious on the overall thoughts and consensus on path forward. Of course, it's still not over but I think the Pelicans have established themselves as the clearly better team, and if we win a game or two that doesn't change much for me.

哪个选项do you think we should take this offseason?

Let the Cake Bake- Keep the same core and coach. Re-sign Nurk and possibly Davis/Connaughton/Napier. Potentially move up in the draft or trade for a veteran without touching the current core (I'd define as Lillard/CJ/Collins/Nurkic).

Trade CJ -Trade speculation regarding CJ McCollum always comes up periodically, as there have always been some who questioned the long-term viability of an undersized, score-first backcourt. The most common proposal is to include CJ in a Kawhi Leonard deal, but there are other more imaginative scenarios out there.

Coaching Change -Terry Stotts is generally a beloved figure for good reason. But it would be really tough for him to completely escape blame for our performance in this year's playoffs, and past failures. Could a change-up here, without a significant roster move, help advance the cause?

Blow it All Up! -For some fans, the NBA is an all or nothing approach and it can be difficult to get off the mediocrity treadmill. For any of those fans who don't see a Dame-led team without significant changes at least making the WCF, a fire sale and a long-term rebuild through the draft is likely the only option.


哪个选项would you go with if you were calling the shots? How would you execute that vision?