Game Thread 2022-23 Game #41 - BLAZERS VS CAVALIERS - JANUARY 12, 2023 - THURSDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT) ROOT (1 Viewer)

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

I wish I could hear what was going on in GP 1's head when he was watching that last quarter.

 

[calvin natt]

what?

what is dame's contract stopping this team from getting this year?

if anything the GP2 deal and hard capping ourselves for that clueless contract is far more of a handcuffing than dame's 42 mil.

I think guys who make $35-$45m a year should be guys who are the centerpiece of a championship team. I don’t think Lillard is that guy. Scoring point guards who are low level defenders don’t win championships as their main guy. Name one besides Curry who is top 2 PG ever and the best shooter ever, who also has other hall of famers with him. He’s incredible and I’m fine if they keep him until he retires, as long as being a middling team annually is ok.

 

[wizenheimer]

Now I was told I didn’t know what I was talking about when I said Nurk should NOT be shooting 3s. Hmm

since that high water game when Nurk hit 5-7 three's and some people were saying he should keep shooting or even shoot more, he's gone 2-17

 

[illmatic99]

since that high water game when Nurk hit 5-7 three's and some people were saying he should keep shooting or even shoot more, he's gone 2-17

Grant is shooting worse

 

[THE HCP]

Thankfully, we don't have stotts. We have a competent coach now. Light years ahead of stotts and there's no debate on that.

Yet not in the playoffs again.

 

[Tince]

We wont, there are no guarantees. But we are guaranteed not to win a title as currently constructed. It’s called taking a chance for something greater over a decade of continued mediocrity.

Let me try this for a 3rd time: What's your realistic plan to replace Dame's production?

 

[illmatic99]

I think guys who make $35-$45m a year should be guys who are the centerpiece of a championship team. I don’t think Lillard is that guy. Scoring point guards who are low level defenders don’t win championships as their main guy. Name one besides Curry who is top 2 PG ever and the best shooter ever, who also has other hall of famers with him. He’s incredible and I’m fine if they keep him until he retires, as long as being a middling team annually is ok.

So we should just give up then and tank? Without ever successfully building a compatible roster around the guy? He's still in his prime. This guy isn't a washed scrub.

 

[illmatic99]

Let me try this for a 3rd time: What's your realistic plan to replace Dame's production?

Why are you wasting your time?

 

[Tince]

Why are you wasting your time?

I should ask you the same question!

 

[illmatic99]

I should ask you the same question!

Good call. Think im done venting.

 

[AldoTrapani]

But where we are today is garbage. We might improve a bit to mediocre, but that isn't exactly the bar we are looking to clear.

Well said

 

[LayneStaley]

are you aware that the first year of his extension comes in the season AFTER new media deals, including lucrative international streaming rights are signed? And that projections of the salary cap in 2025 with no smoothing (like last time) are in the 170-190M range. If it is 190M, Dame will be making about 30% of the cap instead of 35%; at 180M, that's 32% of the cap, which is about the level of his current salary vs the current cap. The conservative number of 171M has Dame's salary as 34% of the cap. People have been acting like his extension is going to be half of the cap

now, those cap projections are for the impact of the new TV deals. I've seen speculation that streaming rights deals could add another 10-20M to the salary cap on top of the 170-190M

going by the rumors and conjecture, this new round of media deals should increase the cap by at least the same amount as the media deals in 2016. That increase was 34.5%. The current cap is 134M. That was up 11M from last season. If the 2024-25 salary cap is, for instance, 145M and the media deal bump in 34.5%, the cap would be 195M; and Dame's share of the cap would be 29.8%.

the owners will want smoothing. The player will almost certainly reject smoothing...like last time

Ok sounds great, so let’s say Dame pulls a Chris Paul and is ballin at 35, what’s the plan? He’s sitting here making 29%, now what? My point is trading him now while his value is higher than in 2-3 years and acquiring assets to put with Simons and Sharpe that fit a more realistic timeline is a better move than the status quo. We can’t draw FAs and we don’t currently have flexibility to acquire anyone who “moves the needle”. We aren’t contenders so what’s the plan to make a contender in the narrow window Dame has left?

 

[wizenheimer]

I think guys who make $35-$45m a year should be guys who are the centerpiece of a championship team.

that's a really wide range and seems a lot more theory than reality. 22 NBA players make 35M or more this season. That will go up to at least 29 players next season, and maybe even more after this off-season

35M is only 26% of the salary cap.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[AldoTrapani]

I hope PK buys the blazers and completely resets the clock from the top down. Everyone whining about trying to make the playin game is gonna get some harsh reality in 3 seasons when Dame is a spot up shooter in the corner making 50 mil a year. Look how fast Love fell off. He’s 2 years older. We are most likely fucked.

and I love Dame.

Yup. Glad you said it and not me

 

[THE HCP]

Who cares? We’ll still be sub 500.

Has a sub .500 team ever made the finals?

 

[Tince]

I think guys who make $35-$45m a year should be guys who are the centerpiece of a championship team.

There are 22 players making over $35m and only one of them can be the centerpiece of a championship team on any given year.

There are 6 players making more than Dame, and he's better than 3 of them. There are also a few players making less than Dame who are better than him, but not a ton. I think it would be very hard for the Blazers to use his salary to identify, obtained, and retain assets that produce more than him. Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? No.

If the goal is to better long term, we should be making moves that are likely to increase the value of our assets. Taking a chance for the fun of it, isn't the move.

 

[Tince]

Has a sub .500 team ever made the finals?

We're only 0.5 games out of the play-in, the West has no championship contenders, so once we get healthy, we sneak into the playoffs, run through the West, then once we make the finals, we'll have all the confidence to shock the world!

 

[LayneStaley]

Let me try this for a 3rd time: What's your realistic plan to replace Dame's production?

You are having a real hard time with this huh? The plan is not to replace his production. The PLAN is to reset and hopefully build it right this time instead of being in purgatory for a decade. That clear? I’m not worried about replacing the production of Dame, cause we are currently not a playoff team and have zero chance of contending for a championship. Do you understand now? The plan is to start over and hopefully have a competent GM in place so that we actually construct a roster capable of winning more than a playin game. It’s a REBUILD. This means clearing space and acquiring draft picks.

 

[THE HCP]

He is old. It’s a fact. And yes he scored 50 but couldn’t deliver game winning plays,

You know who else is “old” Lebron. Having a historic season. I wish we had more “old” players.

 

[Tince]

You are having a real hard time with this huh? The plan is not to replace his production. The PLAN is to reset and hopefully build it right this time instead of being in purgatory for a decade? That clear? I’m not worried about replacing the production of Dame, cause we are currently not a playoff team and have zero chance of contending for a championship. Do you understand now? The plan is to start over and hopefully have a competent GM in place so that we actually construct a roster capable of winning more than a playin game. It’s a REBUILD.

If in 3 attempts you were unable to answer my question directly, I think that answers my question.

"Hope" isn't a plan I'm signing off on, but when "hope" can drop a 50 piece, I'll reconsider.

 

[wizenheimer]

Ok sounds great, so let’s say Dame pulls a Chris Paul and is ballin at 35, what’s the plan? He’s sitting here making 29%, now what? My point is trading him now while his value is higher than in 2-3 years and acquiring assets to put with Simons and Sharpe that fit a more realistic timeline is a better move than the status quo. We can’t draw FAs and we don’t currently have flexibility to acquire anyone who “moves the needle”. We aren’t contenders so what’s the plan to make a contender in the narrow window Dame has left?

he can't be traded now. Can't be traded till next summer. And let's be real, The Blazers will not trade Dame unless he asks to be traded

and if Simons was worth building around he'd be good enough to help Portland win some of these close games they are losing when teams are doubling and tripling Dame in the last 5 minutes. I don't know why people keep insisting that Portland should trade Dame and build around Simons. If the Blazers are trading Dame the goal is to find another young superstar in the draft. Holding onto players Ant's level just keeps Portland in the purgatory of weak draft picks and end-of-lottery/play-in

Ant is a tweener. He doesn't have the vision to be a full-time PG, so he's more of an undersized SG that plays poor defense and can't guard 60% of the wings in the NBA. That's not the kind of player a team should build around. I mean, can anybody right now realistically project Ant as ever being a top-20 player in the league?

 

[LayneStaley]

If in 3 attempts you were unable to answer my question directly, I think that answers my question.

"Hope" isn't a plan I'm signing off on, but when "hope" can drop a 50 piece, I'll reconsider.

Yeah hope is pretty bad, being content with your favorite player dropping 50 while ur headed for the lottery AGAIN is a much better plan.

 

[blazerfan11]

 

[wizenheimer]

Sorry, gave up is a bit strong.

He became too passive at the end.

he was being doubled and tripled. When he forces up three's against tight defense and misses, people trash him. So now, tonight, when he didn't force up three's against two defenders, he's too passive?

what I saw Dame do was draw the defense too himself and set up teammates with open shots...which they bricked. But I guess it's dame's fault his teammates are throwing up airballs

 

[THE HCP]

Grant is shooting worse

We’re talking about Nurk.

 

[Tince]

Yeah hope is pretty bad, being content with your favorite player dropping 50 while ur headed for the lottery AGAIN is a much better plan.

Just because I don't like your thoughtless plan, doesn't mean I'm content with ownership, the front office, the roster, etc.

Those are two different things and I have the receipts to prove my lack of content in multiple areas.

 

[LayneStaley]

19-27 seems very realistic at this point.

 

[riverman]

Has a sub .500 team ever made the finals?

For many seasons the bottom of the eastern confeerence playoff seeds had teams under 500...don't remember them getting to the finals but we're the SUMMER LEAGUE CHAMPS BRO

 

[LayneStaley]

Just because I don't like your thoughtless plan, doesn't mean I'm content with ownership, the front office, the roster, etc.

Those are two different things and I have the receipts to prove my lack of content in multiple areas.

I’d love to hear your master plan, the guy going around telling everyone they are wrong must have the solution so let’s hear it?