Dame or Ant?

[MickZagger]

Respectfully disagree about aging star. If you look at the top contenders they have players as old or older than Dame.
Butler 33
Lopez, Middleton & Holiday over 3o plus
Harden 30 plus
Horford ancient/ Boston needed another star player in their 30's to beat GS.lol
GS...afew old duffers.
remember today 30 is like the last decades 1990's 20's

but they’re contenders NOW. Not hoping to be contenders in a few years in a wet dream scenario.

 

[Mr. Robot]

 

[inconceivable]

Poole extended 4/140

Is he the much better than Ant?

 

[Hoopguru]

but they’re contenders NOW. Not hoping to be contenders in a few years in a wet dream scenario.

So you think by trading Dame (still in his prime) will in a few years make us contenders?

 

[wizenheimer]

So you think by trading Dame (still in his prime) will in a few years make us contenders?

that's the giant disconnect...

I think people advocating trading Dame because Portland can't build a contender around him in the next 3-4 years know that Portland couldn't build a contender around what they traded Dame for either

 

[Cugel]

Poole extended 4/140

Is he the much better than Ant?

He has proven himself all the way to the finals. Ant has played well on a tanking team. Sure swap them and Ant could have done as well or better, especially with the ~best coaching in the league.

 

[MickZagger]

So you think by trading Dame (still in his prime) will in a few years make us contenders?

I think we could’ve traded him for pieces to build a young team in the Boston ilk with young stars. Simons and Sharpe are nice young pieces in the mold for a young foundation. I think we waited too long and won’t get the value back for him anymore.

But I still think we should trade him because I’d rather be really bad instead of just treading water and hoping to make the playoffs. I’ve always felt that way with my pro sports teams. Especially in a team like the Blazers who essentially have to build through the draft to compete.

 

[Driew]

I think we could’ve traded him for pieces to build a young team in the Boston ilk with young stars. Simons and Sharpe are nice young pieces in the mold for a young foundation. I think we waited too long and won’t get the value back for him anymore.

But I still think we should trade him because I’d rather be really bad instead of just treading water and hoping to make the playoffs. I’ve always felt that way with my pro sports teams. Especially in a team like the Blazers who essentially have to build through the draft to compete.

Yeah personally I'd like to see Dame on a real contender before he's too old. Would love to watch Dame while also watching our young guys get playing time and getting better. So long as it wasn't on the Lakers I'd be happy to cheer for Dame on a different team.

 

[oldmangrouch]

that's the giant disconnect...

I think people advocating trading Dame because Portland can't build a contender around him in the next 3-4 years know that Portland couldn't build a contender around what they traded Dame for either

In other words, we should hang on to Dame because our front office can't be trusted to do their job?

Not that I disagree with that! For the remainder of Dame's contract, this team will be mediocre to bad. With our current ownership/GM there is no alternative scenario that looks much better.

 

[wizenheimer]

In other words, we should hang on to Dame because our front office can't be trusted to do their job?

Not that I disagree with that! For the remainder of Dame's contract, this team will be mediocre to bad. With our current ownership/GM there is no alternative scenario that looks much better.

no...that's your interpretation

mine says you don't trade the best, most loyal player in franchise history on fairy-dust speculation, that somehow someway, 5 or 6 or 7 years in the future you magically find a way to build a contender I think that's nonsense; at least it's nonsense if you don't allow for the same magic to work with Dame on the team. Magic is magic

 

[SlyPokerCat]

no...that's your interpretation

mine says you don't trade the best, most loyal player in franchise history on fairy-dust speculation, that somehow someway, 5 or 6 or 7 years in the future you magically find a way to build a contender I think that's nonsense; at least it's nonsense if you don't allow for the same magic to work with Dame on the team. Magic is magic

How did we acquire Dame again? Was it the draft? I forget.

 

[tykendo]

My dream is that Phil Knight just figures, fuck it, I've only got a few years left, and offers Jody an absurd amount of money, and comes in ready to make wholesale changes.

You realize Phil is 84.

no...that's your interpretation

mine says you don't trade the best, most loyal player in franchise history on fairy-dust speculation, that somehow someway, 5 or 6 or 7 years in the future you magically find a way to build a contender I think that's nonsense; at least it's nonsense if you don't allow for the same magic to work with Dame on the team. Magic is magic

Damn Straight! Let Cronin and his staff work this thing for a few years. Funny how some aren't willing to give this plan a few years, but are ready to blow it up for hope that 7 to 10 years from now it will be different. And a new owner doesn't guaranty anything either . I'm hoping with a little player development, and a few tweaks of the roster with some additions ,over the next couple of years, the plan works. If Ant, Nas, and Sharpe meet expectations, we will all be glad Dame is still here. Wanting him to win it all on a different team is ridiculous.

 

[Hoopguru]

We haven’t even started the season with a healthy Dame a new power forward, Anf ready to bust out and possibly one of the best players in the resent draft. Couple that with Hart, GP2, Winslow, and a mix of good young talent , we could be a dangerous team. Plus there could be trade to improve.

Someone tell me a Dame package that brings back equal value and guaranteed success?

 

[MickZagger]

no...that's your interpretation

mine says you don't trade the best, most loyal player in franchise history on fairy-dust speculation, that somehow someway, 5 or 6 or 7 years in the future you magically find a way to build a contender I think that's nonsense; at least it's nonsense if you don't allow for the same magic to work with Dame on the team. Magic is magic

This pro sports. Loyalty is neat and all and like I said it’s nothing personal with Lillard I think he’s awesome and a great ambassador for the team and city. But it’s all about winning baby.

 

[MickZagger]

We haven’t even started the season with a healthy Dame a new power forward, Anf ready to bust out and possibly one of the best players in the resent draft. Couple that with Hart, GP2, Winslow, and a mix of good young talent , we could be a dangerous team. Plus there could be trade to improve.

Someone tell me a Dame package that brings back equal value and guaranteed success?

We will scrape to make the playoffs.

Sending Lillard away to make us dreadful to rebuild around our young guys would be a plus in my book

I hope I’m wrong and we’re some kind of miracle Mets aberration. But I’m not seeing it.

 

[wizenheimer]

How did we acquire Dame again? Was it the draft? I forget.

lol...do you really believe Portland would be getting any top-6 picks for Dame in the next 3-4 years?

 

[Hoopguru]

We will scrape to make the playoffs.

Sending Lillard away to make us dreadful to rebuild around our young guys would be a plus in my book

I hope I’m wrong and we’re some kind of miracle Mets aberration. But I’m not seeing it.

Wont be long and the season will start.

 

[SlyPokerCat]

lol...do you really believe Portland would be getting any top-6 picks for Dame in the next 3-4 years?

We could be bad enough to get one ourselves.

 

[wizenheimer]

We could be bad enough to get one ourselves.

yeah if they trade, Nurk, Simons, Grant, & Hart too.

even then:

13th pick - Sebastian Telfaire
3rd pick - Martell Webster
2nd pick - Aldridge
6th pick - Brandon Roy's knees
1st pick - Greg Oden
11th pick- Jerryd Bayless
6th pick - Dame
11th pick - Meyers Leonard
10th pick - CJ

Dame was by far the best outcome of those 9 lottery picks and 5 top-6 picks. One top-20 player. And the two all-stars besides Dame showed no loyalty at all to Portland when they had the chance to

 

[oldmangrouch]

no...that's your interpretation

mine says you don't trade the best, most loyal player in franchise history on fairy-dust speculation, that somehow someway, 5 or 6 or 7 years in the future you magically find a way to build a contender I think that's nonsense; at least it's nonsense if you don't allow for the same magic to work with Dame on the team. Magic is magic

If you believe the current team/FO/ownership can get to the finals before Dame's current deal ends, I'm not the one snorting fairy-dust!

 

[wizenheimer]

If you believe the current team/FO/ownership can get to the finals before Dame's current deal ends, I'm not the one snorting fairy-dust!

they probably can't

but that's not a compelling argument for trading Dame

 

[SlyPokerCat]

yeah if they trade, Nurk, Simons, Grant, & Hart too.

even then:

13th pick - Sebastian Telfaire
3rd pick - Martell Webster
2nd pick - Aldridge
6th pick - Brandon Roy's knees
1st pick - Greg Oden
11th pick- Jerryd Bayless
6th pick - Dame
11th pick - Meyers Leonard
10th pick - CJ

Dame was by far the best outcome of those 9 lottery picks and 5 top-6 picks. One top-20 player. And the two all-stars besides Dame showed no loyalty at all to Portland when they had the chance to

Nah. The rest staying we would be bad enough. With Dame we are gonna struggle to get to the play-in.

Yes. It depends on drafting well and we could whiff and a miss. I don't have faith in this management team but they could prove us wrong. Sharpe and Walker both appear like good picks for the future.

 

[MickZagger]

yeah if they trade, Nurk, Simons, Grant, & Hart too.

even then:

13th pick - Sebastian Telfaire
3rd pick - Martell Webster
2nd pick - Aldridge
6th pick - Brandon Roy's knees
1st pick - Greg Oden
11th pick- Jerryd Bayless
6th pick - Dame
11th pick - Meyers Leonard
10th pick - CJ

Dame was by far the best outcome of those 9 lottery picks and 5 top-6 picks. One top-20 player. And the two all-stars besides Dame showed no loyalty at all to Portland when they had the chance to

It’s a crapshoot for sure. But our only viable option to contend. Our drafts have been promising lately with Simons, Little and Sharpe.

Those guys development and some solid future high picks and we have something good to build off of.

 

[oldmangrouch]

We haven’t even started the season with a healthy Dame a new power forward, Anf ready to bust out and possibly one of the best players in the resent draft. Couple that with Hart, GP2, Winslow, and a mix of good young talent , we could be a dangerous team. Plus there could be trade to improve.

Someone tell me a Dame package that brings back equal value and guaranteed success?

There's that word again - guaranteed.

Nothing in this life is guaranteed. By setting that as the criteria all change is impossible by definition. All team decisions are a calculated risk. The keep Dame plan is based on a the calculated risks that he will not age or get injured and that after over a decade of bad choices the team will actually put the right supporting cast around him. Good luck with that.

 

[oldmangrouch]

they probably can't

but that's not a compelling argument for trading Dame

Serious question: at what point or under what circumstances would you consider a serious attempt at a rebuild to be acceptable?

 

[Hoopguru]

There's that word again - guaranteed.

Nothing in this life is guaranteed. By setting that as the criteria all change is impossible by definition. All team decisions are a calculated risk. The keep Dame plan is based on a the calculated risks that he will not age or get injured and that after over a decade of bad choices the team will actually put the right supporting cast around him. Good luck with that.

We’ll see.
I think Dame has at least 4-5 good years left alot can happen that time.

 

[BankTeller]

There's that word again - guaranteed.

Nothing in this life is guaranteed. By setting that as the criteria all change is impossible by definition. All team decisions are a calculated risk. The keep Dame plan is based on a the calculated risks that he will not age or get injured and that after over a decade of bad choices the team will actually put the right supporting cast around him. Good luck with that.

What is a feasible trade out there for Dame that you love so much you’d want to get rid of him right away? Right now, I don’t see a single one. So if our front office trades him to where he wants to go for less than he’s worth like last year’s deadline, we’re f’d even more than with Dame on the roster.

I’d get having this convo 20 games into the season, but we haven’t seen how this team plays or any other team play.

 

[BankTeller]

We could be bad enough to get one ourselves.

The Blazers probably haven’t even asked Dame about the possibility of another tanking season yet. Waiting till Jan to see how bad we are and asking Dame to sit the rest of the year to get a higher pick is better than trading him for less than he’s worth just to get rid of him.

 

[SlyPokerCat]

The Blazers probably haven’t even asked Dame about the possibility of another tanking season yet. Waiting till Jan to see how bad we are and asking Dame to sit the rest of the year to get a higher pick is better than trading him for less than he’s worth just to get rid of him.

I agree with this and hope we at least listen to offers at the deadline for Dame to do our due diligence when we are struggling to make the play-in.

 

[wizenheimer]

Serious question: at what point or under what circumstances would you consider a serious attempt at a rebuild to be acceptable?

January 17, 2025