An Epiphany: Dame should reconsider

[tykendo]

I was out delivering and this came into my head. I had to rush home to post it.

First off, to those I offended, I'm sorry. That's not who I am.

The shot! After seeing Kris Murray hit that gorgeous perimeter shot the epiphany came to me. Murray will be the steal of this Draft, and is going to have a better career than his brother.

Next. The boss ( played by Brian Doyle-Murray) in Christmas Vacation says "Sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks".

I think the chatter in the Nat'l Media of what he should do, and even the chatter around him at home with relatives and friends ( who want what makes Dame happy) and on Social Media ( who want to cause a stir) has been overpowering , and probably overbearing.

Dame has built something special here. And the reaction to his announcement has been brutal , and vicious to say the least. I feel he should rethink this out, see what the new additions are about, and make a decision that better enforces who he is , and what he's really about.

It will take some mending by both sides, and a few hugs, but i really see this as Best. Not for me selfishly . Sure I'd be elated. But I will Have Dame's back forever.

It's about all the others. And I know he cares about you. And it's about what's inside him. He's made of the Right Stuff. Portland is one of the most special places on earth. And underrated for how much we care, and wear it on our sleeve.

Dame knows this as well. Reconsider Dame. You won't regret it. Peace and Love.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don’t really have anything to say to this so I will just say this…… Go Blazers!

 

[wizenheimer]

the water has passed under the bridge...the horses have left the barn...the chickens have come home to roost....the bloom is off the rose...there's no road back...the fat lady has sung

bad-metaphors-r-me

 

[tykendo]

I don’t really have anything to say to this so I will just say this…… Go Blazers![/QUOTE


That's fair.

That's fair

 

[tykendo]

the water has passed under the bridge...the horses have left the barn...the chickens have come home to roost....the bloom is off the rose...there's no road back...the fat lady has sung

bad-metaphors-r-me

I understand

 

[bemac]

This group needs to play a new style of team ball...time to turn the page and let them fly. The best for the team and Dame. I want to see Dame in Miami.

 

[tykendo]

This group needs to play a new style of team ball...time to turn the page and let them fly. The best for the team and Dame. I want to see Dame in Miami.

Fair point.

 

[inconceivable]

The last 5 players we drafted are legit steals. We might as well change our team name to the Portland Thieves.

 

[SlyPokerCat]

It's a new era of Blazers Basketball.

 

[Strenuus]

If Dame is moving on from us I'm moving on from him. I'm ready for the new chapter.

 

[AquaXI]

I think Cronin deep down wanted this but didn't want to be the bad guy. Dame listened to the advise of Garnett and I doubt he reverses his decision.

At this point all sides are setting in stone and have the cogs turning and the trade winds cannot be turned back. Let it go and look forward to the turning of a new leaf

 

[HoopsFanAZ]

Before telling the Blazers that he wanted to be traded, the different conversation is pretty simple stuff.

The Blazers used 3 draft picks on young guys -- all of whom I like just like the last draft. With Dame, four really cool guards is at least 1 too many. Ant.

After signing Grant with a bag, the basic question is, "Is it your intention to trade Ant, and other guys but not named Shaedon, to bring in a stud forward? And to building out the bench?" It would mean sending out picks and committing to an overpay. Even if it kinda sucks. Brown, Bridges, OG ... the usual suspects. It means Ant + 3-4 picks or even both Ant and Scoot and a couple picks (1 month after signing the rookie contract). If the answer is no, then ask out. The cost is too high to build around Dame. Got it. It's not really more complicated than that. If something like this happened previously or at that time, okay. What Cronin said he was committed to doing changed. Over-promise, under-perform. It wasn't going to be easy, but if there's no overpay, then at some point Cronin changed his mind. Period.

What's left is building around the youth and having guys like Grant and Thybulle around to give some stability and some defense while they lose a lot of games. THIS is where Cronin earns his bag. Get young guys with talent at positions of need -- forward and center -- and picks. Again, it seems pretty clear to me, but I'm not a GM.

 

[Idog1976]

The last 5 players we drafted are legit steals. We might as well change our team name to the Portland Thieves.

So Sharpe, Scoot, Murray, Rupert and who is the 5th steal? Jabari Walker?

 

[glredig]

As I mentioned in the trade thread, I get the impression Dame is pissed at Cronin.
I don't think it's simply about running out of patience anymore. I think he feels straight up betrayed leading up to the draft. Rightfully so.

I don't see him reversing course.

 

[beast blazer]

This group needs to play a new style of team ball...time to turn the page and let them fly. The best for the team and Dame. I want to see Dame in Miami.

I've been tired of the Lillard/CJ era for awhile. And we are still basically in that era with Simons at SG. It produced 1 hot run in the playoffs, but aside from that it's been .500 ball and bounced out of the 1st. It would only get worse when Damian is 35-36 earning 60 million per year.

 

[Blazinaway]

I've been tired of the Lillard/CJ era for awhile. And we are still basically in that era with Simons at SG. It produced 1 hot run in the playoffs, but aside from that it's been .500 ball and bounced out of the 1st. It would only get worse when Damian is 35-36 earning 60 million per year.

Same here: END ISO BALL STAGNATION!!!!!!!

 

[Bingo Bango]

I was out delivery

Huh?

 

[robson]

Yes, yes. Posting a lot of Miami Heat ball movement is the only chance to make Dame reconsider his decision.

 

[crandc]

It's too late baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it.
Something inside has died and I can't hide and I just can't fake it

 

[e_blazer]

Breaking up is hard to do.

 

[Everything Beagle]

And we enter the bargaining stage of grief… it’s okay, this is how process something traumatic.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Oh buddy...

Somebody's reached the bargaining phase.

 

[Cugel]

I wish the same thing

 

[tykendo]

Love Hurts

 

[BigGameDamian]

I don’t think so. It’s over and move on. 11 great years in an era that players just bounce around from team to team. I wish Dame the best and there’s no hard feelings as far as I’m concerned.

 

[julius]

Since Dame apparently gave an ultimatum of improve the team, i.e., trade the pick for vet help, he has to realize that is a difficult task to do.

Why?

It's rarely been done. Find me a team that has traded a top 3 pick for a vet player AT the time of the draft (or after). There are examples of picks being traded for vets, but usually that is a future pick, sometimes years away.

It's not as easy as "hey I like this player, he should be my teammate". Dame may like Mikal Bridges, but so do the Nets. And there are some players that Dame has liked and wanted to be teammates that didn't exactly set the world ablaze once they were Blazers. Players don't always make the best GM or talent scouts, and even rarer do they make good decisions based on the entire fitment of the team (ex: Carmelo Anthony made no sense to the team, but Dame advocated it).

The story is after the meeting he said "get me help, I'll give you time" and then not even 24 hours into the FA period he demanded out. Did he honestly expect them to get anything done in not even 24 hours? What players were signed that could've A: been signed by the Blazers and B: made sense to the Blazers?

Despite what some people think, it's not a black and white world out there. Saying you plan on trading to improve the team doesn't mean you HAVE to trade. You look into it, and you make a choice. Trading away a combo like Simons + #3 +23, Simons + Sharpe, or Simons + #3 + Sharpe, or Simons +#3, Sharpe and the #23 pick, is hamstringing the franchise MASSIVELY, and the likelihood of the team getting a veteran player that would make a difference in the teams current season and future seasons, are slim.

Let's say the team did trade for Zion, and it cost them Simons +#3 + Sharpe.

And even if Zion is healthy, who is the starting SG? Who is the backup? Who is the backup SF? This scenario would mean the bench would be absolute crap (we've seen how that movie plays out). So I can see why the Blazers were reluctant to trade potentially 3 players for Zion.

And that's IF Zion is healthy.

So far the other players that were "connected" to Dame wanting to play here haven't been traded. So is it really Joe and Co's fault that the Blazers didn't trade for Bridges of Brown? Both of which are currently on their teams still? And honestly, it would be another bandaid on the issue of the Blazers not having enough talent all around.

Is Damian, Bridges, Matisse, Grant and Nurk a better lineup than what they have now? Yeah, no doubt. But what's the bench going to look like? Little is often injured, Winslow is often injured, IF they had kept Drew or Cam, of those 4, only Drew is the one who plays...but they're all small. Who is the backup PG? Who is the backup SG? Who is the backup C? They'd have to ride the hell out of the starting 5, and there's no evidence that Nurk can last a whole season anymore.

And is Bridges *enough* better than Simons to cover the losses of possibly Simons, Sharpe and Scoot? Same with Brown.

Bostons roster is better than this mythical Portland roster, same with Denver, LA, Memphis, Milwaukee, Phoenix (even without a bench), Philadelphia. Portland would be probably slightly above the play-in with this team.


And throw into the equation that Brown is either due for, or will soon demand a HUGE salary increase, which given the new CBA could potentially hamper the teams future even more, especially given that it's not really likely that the team would be competing for a title with that roster (which is the only way you can realistically justify spending that much in salary and future assets).

Dame has to know that (I know he's confident in himself and what he could do with a starting 5 I list). Otherwise, he's delusional about what realistic things they could do.

Dame knew what he was doing, and it seems more evident that he did this on purpose as to make the team look like the bad guy and not him.

 

[Sloth]

Time to move on and let Scoot lead us.

 

[andalusian]

Dame knew what he was doing, and it seems more evident that he did this on purpose as to make the team look like the bad guy and not him.

I like Dame, I just choose to think that he is as inept as a GM as we have seen from the things he endorsed through the years than believe he is such a cold heartless man that took a huge extension and started scheming his way out immediatly.

 

[LayneStaley]

When it’s over it’s over, when’s the last time getting back with your ex worked out for any of you? Same situation here, things have been said, actions have been taken, best for all(including the fans) to move on. Not to mention even though it was an exciting decade, we didn’t win shit and adding a Siakam or similar talent wasn’t gonna change that. I will look back fondly on the Dame era but I will be much more excited for my new young squad and rooting for their development, mostly because I think we are FINALLY building the correct way.

 

[julius]

I don’t think so. It’s over and move on. 11 great years in an era that players just bounce around from team to team. I wish Dame the best and there’s no hard feelings as far as I’m concerned.

Well, easy for you to say. You think he drinks like a fish.