Don't trade the pick

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I have to agree with Aaron Fentress:

Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
The Trail Blazers would have a better shot at winning a title by going all in and acquiring two impact players now than they would by trading Damian Lillard and hoping that a bunch of kids develop into championship-caliber stars. And, they remain in Portland.

This is easy to say if we're just saying "impact players" without naming names or knowing who is out there.

But we don't know...

We don't know who is available. We don't know what the price is. We can toss out names like Siakam or Bridges, but we don't know what those teams are asking for.
 
So in that scenario you are shafting Dame , because only the crappy teams have potential high draft capital. And most of them are in serious rebuilding mode. Doing right by him, is sending him to the good teams that he could put over the top . They are sending overpaid decent players back to make the numbers work, and end of 1st round draft capital because Dame is taking them to higher ground. Big pass on that one.
I can see why you would pass if your #1 concern is making Lillard happy. Cronin may even agree with you. But my #1 concern is making the Blazers better, and building a championship team. I don’t see it happening by adding one or two veterans around Lillard.
 
I have to agree with Aaron Fentress:

Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
The Trail Blazers would have a better shot at winning a title by going all in and acquiring two impact players now than they would by trading Damian Lillard and hoping that a bunch of kids develop into championship-caliber stars. And, they remain in Portland.
And who would those impact players be, according to Fentress?
 
I'm not sold on him yet. I need to do some of my own research. I was sold on Sharpe eventually, but it took a lot of time on youtube to get there.

you must have discipline

every time I go to youtube with a specific purpose in mind I immediately get distracted. It goes something like:

Joe Rogan talking to a guest about the Comanche tribe--->Grizzly bear charges fisherman--->hippo chases a boat--->huge anaconda in swamp--->hot blonde in tight spandex jumps rope to music--->same hot blonde in different tight spandex jumps rope to music--->Bill Burr ranting about CoCo Chanel--->two black guys react to Bill Burr ranting about CoCo Chanel--->idiots in cars--->fails of the month---> orangutan baffled my magic trick--->that hot blonde in different tight spandex again--->The Marshal Tucker Band--->funny cats....I then leave youtube without doing what I came to do
 
I have to agree with Aaron Fentress:

Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
The Trail Blazers would have a better shot at winning a title by going all in and acquiring two impact players now than they would by trading Damian Lillard and hoping that a bunch of kids develop into championship-caliber stars. And, they remain in Portland.
Happy Aaron has been listening. Preaching to the choir.
 
And who would those impact players be, according to Fentress?
Well Bridges and Claxton would be a nice start with the # 3 / Nurk . And the Blazers haven't even reached into their other future capital yet. What could Ant , plus 2 to 3 1st get?
 
Well Bridges and Claxton would be a nice start with the # 3 / Nurk . And the Blazers haven't even reached into their other future capital yet. What could Ant , plus 2 to 3 1st get?
Time to go shopping Joe.
 
Well Bridges and Claxton would be a nice start with the # 3 / Nurk . And the Blazers haven't even reached into their other future capital yet. What could Ant , plus 2 to 3 1st get?

There isn't a shot in hell we could get both Bridges and Claxton for just the #3 and Nurkic. That is so far away from reality.
 
This is easy to say if we're just saying "impact players" without naming names or knowing who is out there.

But we don't know...

We don't know who is available. We don't know what the price is. We can toss out names like Siakam or Bridges, but we don't know what those teams are asking for.

that's true

what is also then true is we don't know what the trade market for Dame is. So how can we slam the brakes on a 'build-around-Dame-path' when we don't know the market for Blazers assets, while not slamming the brakes on the 'trade-Dame-path' when we don't know the market for Dame?
 
Imagine three years from now seeing Scoot/Miller/whoever becoming a superstar on another team. While we're stuck with regret adding another name to the list of legends we passed on drafting. And for what?

Say we trade the pick for a low end all-star then what? We have a three year window of mid-seed playoff appearances and our shitty defense doing us in every time. And with Dame on the floor the defense will be shitty. It starts with your best player, if he can't defend the rest will follow.

I love Dame, but building around a scoring point guard that can't defend doesn't work. How many volume scoring PG's win championships? Steph is the only one and that's because he's played with 2/3 likely hall of famers his whole career, and he's a decent defender, and his teams have been good defensively, with a ton of great role players. The Blazers have none of that and they wont in the next few years.

The Blazers will not be contenders in Dame's prime. We aren't getting Giannis or any top ten player for this pick so why bother?

The only path to a championship is the old fashioned way. Building a team through the draft. Wasting a top 3 pick for nothing will bite us in the ass.

God this is well said..

I just wish Dame can just beg to be traded. That would solve so much of our problems
 
that's true

what is also then true is we don't know what the trade market for Dame is. So how can we slam the brakes on a 'build-around-Dame-path' when we don't know the market for Blazers assets, while not slamming the brakes on the 'trade-Dame-path' when we don't know the market for Dame?

I agree that we don't know what the market is for Dame right now, but would you agree that the assets that we could get for Dame right now are going to be better than whatever we might be able to get for him in 3-4 years when he's 36 or 37?
 
"rebuilding" means keeping and using your picks. It doesn't mean trading four first round picks for Afflalo, RoCo, and Nance. Or wasting full-MLE signings on Derrick Jones and Gary Payton (or Spenser Hawes). Or making max contract offers to Roy Hibbert, Enes Kanter, Greg Monroe, Chandler Parsons, and Hassan Whiteside

Portland did not rebuild at any time during the Olshey era. What they did was turn the keys to the team over to an ego-blind idiot GM who was determined to straddle every fucking fence in sight while being head-over-heels in love with marginally talented CJ while not once trying to build a team around Dame; not one time. Olshey didn't rebuild or retool...he just regurgitated.

It's why I said 'rebuilding', not just rebuilding. But I do appreciate the fascination with almost every post I make. :cheers: Can't wait for the response to that.... :breakdance:
 
This is easy to say if we're just saying "impact players" without naming names or knowing who is out there.

But we don't know...

We don't know who is available. We don't know what the price is. We can toss out names like Siakam or Bridges, but we don't know what those teams are asking for.

We don't but I bet Cronin knows how much Toronto and Brooklyn value Siakam and Bridges respectively. They must have explored trades with them last summer and/or deadline
 
We don't but I bet Cronin knows how much Toronto and Brooklyn value Siakam and Bridges respectively. They must have explored trades with them last summer and/or deadline
I think the hype for the number 3 pick is going to make it much more valuable, and able to secure a super player with that asset and fodder. Where as before we had that pick, it might have taken more assets to make that happen.
 
This is easy to say if we're just saying "impact players" without naming names or knowing who is out there.

But we don't know...

We don't know who is available. We don't know what the price is. We can toss out names like Siakam or Bridges, but we don't know what those teams are asking for.

Absolutely true, but it’s also true an awful lot of people on this board are willing to say that Dame has to be traded despite the fact that they don’t know those things. That’s what drives me crazy. As I see it, Joe has a mission to try to build a contender around Dame and is in a position to talk to other GMs and actually see what deals are available. If he can find moves that lead to a contender that will satisfy both his and Dame’s goals, great. If not, then a mutually satisfactory parting of ways with Dame can be worked out and a full-on rebuild begun.
 
I agree that we don't know what the market is for Dame right now, but would you agree that the assets that we could get for Dame right now are going to be better than whatever we might be able to get for him in 3-4 years when he's 36 or 37?

would you agree that if Dame doesn't want to be traded Portland shouldn't trade him?
 
God this is well said..

I just wish Dame can just beg to be traded. That would solve so much of our problems
Maybe your problems and few of the Dame detractor's. Most people i've talked to want to build around Dame.
 
It's why I said 'rebuilding', not just rebuilding. But I do appreciate the fascination with almost every post I make. :cheers: Can't wait for the response to that.... :breakdance:

let's see...you have 24 posts today and IIRC I have only responded to one

so my response would be the only fascination around here is you with yourself
 
It's why I said 'rebuilding', not just rebuilding. But I do appreciate the fascination with almost every post I make. :cheers: Can't wait for the response to that.... :breakdance:

I think you are a fantastic poster with great insight. It's the regurgitation of the same message several times, dead horse beating.
 
would you agree that if Dame doesn't want to be traded Portland shouldn't trade him?

No. I would not agree. I don't think his wants should trump the ultimate goal of building a contender.

I want to see this team win a championship in my lifetime. I think a lot of Blazer fans would fall into that same category, no? If we cannot realistically put a contender around him, I'm not really interested in riding out the Damian Lillard retirement cruise. Kobe got to do that because he brought the Lakers five championships. How long were they terrible before LeBron went there? And who would be our LeBron to swoop in and save the day once Dame is gone?
 
Ok. That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

:cheers:

you mentioned wanting to see a championship in your lifetime. I'm 71 so there's a lot less sand left in my hourglass than a lot of people have. Meaning I have to accept it is very unlikely to happen before that last grain of sand drops down

also meaning that my gauges for Portland are a little different. The first Blazer game I attended was in 1970. A friend's father had season tickets and took me to a game against Milwaukee. They had Kareem and Bob Dandridge; IIRC the Bucks ended up winning the championship that season. That was Portland's 1st season

and I have avidly followed the Blazers since then. Thru Wicks/Petrie-->Walton/Lucas-->Clyde/Buck-->Pippen/Sabonis. And after 53 years, I consider Dame to be the best Blazer ever. And a big factor in that, after all the defections of guys like Walton & Clyde, Dame's loyalty to the franchise is a big part of why I regard him as the best Blazer ever

I don't give a shit that he hasn't brought a championship to Portland. That's not on him; that's on Paul Allen & Neil Olshey.

so in my mind, Dame has earned the 'right' to remain a Blazer if that's what he wants to do. I'll also remind you that I've several times said I'd prefer to keep the pick than trade it
 
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Im about trading UP to avoid any shenanigans to secure Scoot Dogg
 
let's see...you have 24 posts today and IIRC I have only responded to one

so my response would be the only fascination around here is you with yourself

Thanks for checking all my posts. :twothumbs: And you know I'm a bigger picture guy. If you think I meant just today, that would be very inconsistent with how I post. But you knew that and there was the predictable response.

#muchappreciated
 

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