Damian Lillard meets with owner Paul Allen over team direction

[noknobs]

WHO leaked this info and WHY?

Seriously, if the meeting with Mr. Allen had gone well and Dame got the answers he wanted to hear...... why leak that this meeting even happened? What can you gain from a meeting with the team owner is put out to the public?

From the article:

According to sources, the meeting was held without knowledge of anyone else in the organization. Allen notified the Trail Blazers' basketball operations and business branch afterward.

Lots of people could have leaked it.

 

[trailblazer18]

Eff yeah! Loyal to the Soil!

 

[tester551]

From the article:
Lots of people could have leaked it.

Especially if some of them don't agree with NO approach.

 

[TBpup]

Especially if some of them don't agree with NO approach.

He has rubbed more than a few people the wrong way.

 

[Scalma]

If Olshey gets fired billups would be near the top of my list, especially since he would know more than anyone what type of players Dame would need around him.

Also, if Portland really isn’t a destination, hiring someone with the connections a former player like Billups has could be the way to go.

 

[BBert]

Especially if some of them don't agree with NO approach.

Or his dickish egotistical superior self aggrandizing attitude.

Just hypothetically speaking of course.

 

[Scalma]

http://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/...weighs-meeting-trail-blazers-owner-paul-allen


The ESPN report says Lillard questioned some of Olshey’s moves in the meeting, including the 2015 trade of Will Barton to Denver. But Lillard on Tuesday said that is not entirely accurate.

“The only thing I said about Will Barton is that he could be good on our current roster,’’ Lillard said. “Never once mentioned having an issue with the trade. That was three years ago.’’
———-

BRING HIM HOME

 

[BBert]

Will didn't exactly raise his trade value last night, LOL.

Playing his way out of Denver?

 

[dviss1]

http://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/...weighs-meeting-trail-blazers-owner-paul-allen


The ESPN report says Lillard questioned some of Olshey’s moves in the meeting, including the 2015 trade of Will Barton to Denver. But Lillard on Tuesday said that is not entirely accurate.

“The only thing I said about Will Barton is that he could be good on our current roster,’’ Lillard said. “Never once mentioned having an issue with the trade. That was three years ago.’’
———-

BRING HIM HOME

Bring Barton back? How do you suppose we do that? Also, does Denver even want to?

 

[Scalma]

Napier and Vonleh for Barton and Mudiay? Or just Napier straight up. Add a second if need be. I’m fairly confident Barton would re-sign in Portland. Would we have his bird rights?

 

[Scalma]

Bring Barton back? How do you suppose we do that? Also, does Denver even want to?

Considering he’s a free agent after the season, and Denvers depth on the wing, he should be available.

 

[AFully22]

Considering he’s a free agent after the season, and Denvers depth on the wing, he should be available.

How funny would it be if Olshey translates the entire PA/Dame exchange as “I want Barton back”. Then goes and flaunts to the media how he was able to trade for Will Barton with a first rd pick.

 

[jlprk]

Small potatoes. Dime a dozen. I sure hope that Olshey gets players better than Barton.

 

[Scalma]

Small potatoes. Dime a dozen. I sure hope that Olshey gets players better than Barton.

If Olshey gets Barton I’ll be more than happy. If a guy like him is dime a dozen why don’t we have one?

 

[Jade Falcon]

So I'm gathering two things:

1) Stotts is the problem and needs to go
2) The team is the problem and needs to be blown up except for Dame and Nurk.

Some argue that Stotts, when he had players that better fit his playbook, had a 50+ win team. So what do you do?

-Get another coach who can better coach up the team we have NOW?

or

-Get a new team?

To me, it would seem easier to get a new coach. Some of the players I've seen listed in trades in this thread don't seem as likely to happen as getting a new coach.

Personally, I want a new coach and coaching staff, but one that's not just going through the motions with what he has, which is what I feel Stotts is doing.

Stotts seems to be stuck in 5 years ago, and he hasn't adjusted to this new team. At all.

At the same time, Olshey has done shit. He built a "hold-over team" after 4 of our starters left in one season, and never improved upon it. It was never meant to be a permanent team, but it became that after they over-achieved. That's the problem with this current squad.

Either get a new coach for this current team, or get rid of the current team. Personally, I say get rid of Stotts, and try your luck with someone else.

 

[jlprk]

If Olshey gets Barton I’ll be more than happy. If a guy like him is dime a dozen why don’t we have one?

Think hard. The name starts with O.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

So I'm gathering two things:

1) Stotts is the problem and needs to go
2) The team is the problem and needs to be blown up except for Dame and Nurk.

Some argue that Stotts, when he had players that better fit his playbook, had a 50+ win team. So what do you do?

-Get another coach who can better coach up the team we have NOW?

or

-Get a new team?

To me, it would seem easier to get a new coach. Some of the players I've seen listed in trades in this thread don't seem as likely to happen as getting a new coach.

Personally, I want a new coach and coaching staff, but one that's not just going through the motions with what he has, which is what I feel Stotts is doing.

Stotts seems to be stuck in 5 years ago, and he hasn't adjusted to this new team. At all.

At the same time, Olshey has done shit. He built a "hold-over team" after 4 of our starters left in one season, and never improved upon it. It was never meant to be a permanent team, but it became that after they over-achieved. That's the problem with this current squad.

Either get a new coach for this current team, or get rid of the current team. Personally, I say get rid of Stotts, and try your luck with someone else.

What exactly do you think a new coach could do with this roster? No matter who the coach is this is a 5th seed at best team. A different coach is not going to change that. There is no magic coaching wand that can transform this team into a contender.

 

[BrianFromWA]

^Good points laid out @Jade Falcon , but I disagree.

I think that Stotts is an above-average, though not great coach. Unless Steve Kerr or Brad Stevens or 45y/o Popovich Part Deux is walking through that door, he's good enough.
If nothing else, he has the backing of the Franchise's Alpha Dog. Wasn't sure of that until today, but looks like he is.
I think a creative dismantling/redistribution of our talent is required, but it'll take some time to get to optimum. 2016 hurt us a bit, but the root causes of that were wanton spending of draft capital for "win-now" situations that weren't "win-now". PG3 is a win now and would've been a good use of a few picks. Kawhi as well. Melo, not so much. Deandre Jordan? Puhleeze.
Dame won't go for a rebuild. However, I think he's smart enough to realize that, in order to not have to overpay middling players, you have to have a) a pipeline of young, cost-controlled talent and b) vets willing to come here on a defined role and salary (i.e., Chief and Big Ed.)

If NO stopped with the "homerun swings that missed" (Whiteside, Chandler Parsons, ET, etc) and was able to close on others (PG3, not overpaying for Afflalo, getting more for Batum, getting anything for LMA) then we may be in a different place.

Does anyone here not think Dame could be the lead dog on a championship team?

 

[KeepOnRollin]

https://sports.yahoo.com/damian-lillard-blazers-just-cant-come-grips-warriors-reality-195559906.html

 

[Scalma]

If Olshey gets fired billups would be near the top of my list, especially since he would know more than anyone what type of players Dame would need around him.

Also, if Portland really isn’t a destination, hiring someone with the connections a former player like Billups has could be the way to go.

Hehe

 

[illmatic99]

http://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/...weighs-meeting-trail-blazers-owner-paul-allen


The ESPN report says Lillard questioned some of Olshey’s moves in the meeting, including the 2015 trade of Will Barton to Denver. But Lillard on Tuesday said that is not entirely accurate.

“The only thing I said about Will Barton is that he could be good on our current roster,’’ Lillard said. “Never once mentioned having an issue with the trade. That was three years ago.’’
———-

BRING HIM HOME

Finally quick starts working. Lot to dissect here in this article with Dame speaking instead of "sources." The Barton thing is like the least important quote in this whole piece.

 

[Scalma]

Finally quick starts working. Lot to dissect here in this article with Dame speaking instead of "sources." The Barton thing is like the least important quote in this whole piece.

Meh, the rest isn’t really newsworthy unless you didn’t trust Lillards public persona. Never doubted his intentions.

 

[jlprk]

What exactly do you think a new coach could do with this roster? No matter who the coach is this is a 5th seed at best team.

I think that Stotts is an above-average, though not great coach.

Stotts is way below average at defense. A new coach would be better at defense and worse at offense. The same roster would have the same record as now. But...we might go a little further in the playoffs with a balanced system. (Not the same as a balanced roster, which is on Olshey.)

 

[BBert]

Small potatoes. Dime a dozen. I sure hope that Olshey gets players better than Barton.

No kidding

 

[illmatic99]

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i..._damian_lillards_meeting_wit.html#incart_2box

"It's definitely been blown way out of proportion," Lillard told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

"I met with Paul to figure out how we can improve," Lillard said.

But, sources said, Lillard initiated the talk to make sure the two were on the same page, not to create controversy. It was just two weeks ago, after all, that Lillard told The Oregonian/OregonLive he was committed to building on his legacy in Portland.

"I want to be the Best Blazer ever," Lillard said. "That's one of my ultimate goals. There's only a few names you throw out there that make you think, 'Blazers.' You know the names. Clyde Drexler. Bill Walton. Jerome Kersey. I feel like after my six years, I'm on that list. But I feel like there are things that I need to continue to do to outperform them individually. And I've got to win a championship. That's my goal."

 

[TBpup]

"Best Blazer ever"

That phrase doesn't have a great track record. Or maybe Dame has a sense of humor and is tweaking LA a bit.

 

[Rhal]

So let me sum up the last few days as i'v seen it. Haynes, shockingly, wrote an article that in retrospect that was very much his own opinion with very little accurate information from the meeting, that paints a picture of storm clouds on the horizon in Lillardtown. Clownzono puts it out that it seems like Lillards agent is weaving this as a way to get him out of town in a year or two and reads way more into the meeting then there was. Lillard/Freeman/Quick all come out and say the meeting was blown out of proportion but it was a meeting about how to improve the team.
So basically Lillard wants to know the direction the team is going and if there is a plan or not. I'd be more worried if Lillard was just okay with us being a very hit or miss team that plays down to our opponents level.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

if there is a plan

 

[jlprk]

Uhhh what? Lillard is having his 2nd best season in terms of TS%

Then he must be shooting less, because the eye test says he's not dominating the offense as in the past.

No kidding. If I owned the team I'd make it a point to have one-on-one meetings with all the players. Do NBA owners not do that?

3 levels beneath him? Not in a company of any size. It usurps management authority. And you're a selfless public servant? Where...in a town where the mayor is also the garbageman?

Yeah, because if there's one thing this board never does, it's latch on to unheralded prospects who we think will be better than the national guessers. If only we had a few-thousand posts thread or two about the draft and prospects and the like...

That was a very little joke about seeing him coming.

Stotts philosophy seems to be that even though he lets one opposing player go crazy with scoring; if he holds the rest down, then it's OK. How can we test this theory? Are there many game where a guy goes for a career high and the Blazers win? I can't remember any.

Just about every night there is some player that goes off in an NBA game and the fans for the losing team complains that they should have been guarded more.

But not always at the same position--guard. And not always against the same team--the Blazers.

 

[BonesJones]

Then he must be shooting less, because the eye test says he's not dominating the offense as in the past.

Or maybe you're vision is blurry?