Going forward

[Pinwheel1]

Guards: I agree, it's solid - but Portland DESPERATELY needs a legitimate backup PG. Last one we've had is Evan Turner... Steve Blake before that (almost 10-years ago!)...
Forwards: Biggest thing needed at this position right now is REBOUNDING and muscle. Out of Cam, Nas, Grant, & Watford -> Watford is the one that will bang and play 'big'. Nas can on occasion. But Cam & Grant are finesse players.
Center: Nurk is good when he plays a limited role and ~20-minutes/game. His game deteriorates quickly when he tries to do too much & fatigued. Ideally, he'd tag-team the C position.

I agree with this, especially the more muscle part at forward.
As for PG.......I think Ant is capable for the 14 minutes that Dame is out. However, we do need a 3rd PG in case of injuries. (and of course, a 2nd string PG if Ant is traded)

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

I use this for building a team as well.

I have mixed feelings on this. Olshey tried to immolate the warriors and failed.
The flaw i see in this is, as a champion goes, so do the leagues adjustments. If trying to immolate something that worked a few years back, odds are it will be much tougher to repeat because of the adjustments other teams make.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I have mixed feelings on this. Olshey tried to immolate the warriors and failed.

Fortunately, Draymond has initiated the Warriors' self-immolation, so we don't really have to worry about them much anymore.

 

[BassPlaya]

I watched Nurk get blocked what..2...3 times in a row under the basket last night? Did he get more than a foot off the ground? Missed 3 pointers? Missed FG's? We win 2 games ago if he makes even 50% off his free throws in the second half. I rarely try to point at a single anything....but until we have consistent paint & restricted area prowess...no trade is gonna get it done.

Also, I like Billups....not sure if he can manage a game in the last 5 minutes well enough to drive a contender.

 

[AngryFan]

For those that advocate trading Dame, give me names of players and or picks you think you COULD acquire that would put us in contention. Stating we need to trade Dame doesn't answer the, For What/What specific. Lay out a trade as if you were trying to convince Jody & Bert to pull the trigger.
Otherwise your suggestion is like saying that car has a feature but you don't clarify the "so what" is the benefit.

Why would anyone need to jump through the hoops you've created? Nobody that supports trading Dame thinks you can trade him and quickly become a contender from those pieces. That was never the argument.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

I have mixed feelings on this. Olshey tried to immolate the warriors and failed.
The flaw i see in this is, as a champion goes, so do the leagues adjustments. If trying to immolate something that worked a few years back, odds are it will be much tougher to repeat because of the adjustments other teams make.

Olshey tried to set the Warriors on fire???????? I knew he was a flaming asshole but this is new information......

 

[Shaboid]

If the past is any indication, I imagine we would be going guard, not forward.

 

[Hoopguru]

Why would anyone need to jump through the hoops you've created? Nobody that supports trading Dame thinks you can trade him and quickly become a contender from those pieces. That was never the argument.

Not my point. The question was for those that advocate trading him, submit a realistic trade package? I would believe the goal going forward regardless would be to build a competitive/contending team within a couple years.

 

[Labinot41]

everyone should be on the table except Dame and maybe Sharpe.

 

[AngryFan]

Not my point. The question was for those that advocate trading him, submit a realistic trade package? I would believe the goal going forward regardless would be to build a competitive/contending team within a couple years.

You said people need to list what we could trade Dame for that would put us in contention. Nobody thinks that is realistic. They want picks and they hope to hit on them. It isn't complicated.

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

Joe was director of player personnel for 8 years and lead scout before that, also cap dude.
Seems he has the background to orchestrate a block buster, but does he have the nards? I think he’ been working on nards exercises on his free time.
Remember he is methodical but he knows Dames expectations and I believe JA’s

I think it is more a question of will Vulcan let him get away with a blockbuster than him having the nards.

Ok, both come into play but constantly having the Vultures looking over your shoulder puts a bit of a crimp in the nards.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Dont know if it has ever been known to happen, but how about trading off our popular talent, and target guys that are out of favor, troubled or stuck behind super stars.

OK Whitsitt, stop lurking

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I use this for building a team as well.

I nominate the 1955 Syracuse Nationals

 

[Mediocre Man]

Great discussion. Thanks

 

[Hoopguru]

I think it is more a question of will Vulcan let him get away with a blockbuster than him having the nards.

Ok, both come into play but constantly having the Vultures looking over your shoulder puts a bit of a crimp in the nards.

I get it but he needs to Nard up and sell Jody & Bert that he's got the blockbuster and they need to approve, that's part of the gm's job.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I really think we could have gotten Julius Randle and the #11 at the draft for #7 last year. His PER has him at #35. Jeremi Grant is at 107 PER. I think Grant's PER would improve to the 30-40 range if he were playing next to a player like Randle as well as Dame. And if you had a 2 like Hart.... you might be cooking.

Obviously it would be better to get Siakam, but even if not, I think there will be very good players available to us this summer.

 

[HansenYang]

As for PG.......I think Ant is capable for the 14 minutes that Dame is out. However, we do need a 3rd PG in case of injuries. (and of course, a 2nd string PG if Ant is traded)

I can't comprehend how anyone can believe this. Anytime Dame goes to the bench - the offense goes to $#!t.

 

[Ed O]

The thing that makes the most sense if you don't consider like, feelings and shit, is probably trading Dame.

But man it's tough to trade Dame.

*robot voice*

What. Are. Feelings.

 

[Ed O]

Don't need a superstar or two. Just a top 20 player along with Grant and good pieces around them.

Getting a whole new team, including a top-20 guy, to go around Dame and a guy we'd have to pay a small fortune to after this year may be more work than getting another superstar.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I can't comprehend how anyone can believe this. Anytime Dame goes to the bench - the offense goes to $#!t.

So that is all on the PG? No one else? When Ant was injured they certainly struggled to bring the ball up the court, but the bench looked good against Philly.

 

[Tince]

Because it's just not at all likely. He's ball-dominant, he making half of earth's GDP in salary (when his extension kicks in), and he's gooooooood. What kind of roster is going to exist given where we are where Dame is just a piece, rather than the key? What kind of offense would we run to take the ball out of Dame's hands?

Dame could be acquired by a team with a current superstar or two, but I don't see how Portland is going to acquire a current superstar or two to team with Lillard.

I agree it's not likely.

Trading Dame, tanking for 3 years, and coming out of it with young players with championship potential, then retaining them into their prime, while surround them with championship level role players is also not at all likely.

 

[Natebishop3]

I agree it's not likely.

Trading Dame, tanking for 3 years, and coming out of it with young players with championship potential, then retaining them into their prime, while surround them with championship level role players is also not at all likely.

What IS likely is spending another 3-4 years just dicking around doing jack shit and ending up back in that scenario that you just described.

 

[blazerkor]

What IS likely is spending another 3-4 years just dicking around doing jack shit and ending up back in that scenario that you just described.

I think that it's likely that Joe does some ballsy shit this off season and we have the best roster around Dame (on paper) that he's had in his career. Will what looks good on paper work together? Can Chauncey coach a team that's good and should win? That could end up with us making the second round and getting booted until Dame and whoever we pick up to pair with him start to really fall off. That could also give us our second championship.

 

[Tince]

I think that it's likely that Joe does some ballsy shit this off season and we have the best roster around Dame (on paper) that he's had in his career. Will what looks good on paper work together? Can Chauncey coach a team that's good and should win? That could end up with us making the second round and getting booted until Dame and whoever we pick up to pair with him start to really fall off. That could also give us our second championship.

I tend to agree with this.

I think there is a good chance Cronin will have traded for multiple players who are are better than the best player we traded for from 2014-2021.

 

[blazerkor]

I tend to agree with this.

I think there is a good chance Cronin will have traded for multiple players who are are better than the best player we traded for from 2014-2021.

I honestly think that this is one of two possibilities. It's either huge swings to put the best roster around Dame that he's had or another press conference like his last followed by reports of Dame demanding a trade, followed by Dame being traded.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I think this off-season is going to brutal for this forum.

Guy like Ant, Sharpe, Little, our picks, will all be gone, and the return will be fringe all stars that won’t really make us that much better. Then we’ll need to rebuild the following off season

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Olshey tried to set the Warriors on fire???????? I knew he was a flaming asshole but this is new information......

you know, Autocorrect is such a bitch it made me question my own knowledge. Every time i typed emulate, it says its wrong and tells me to type immolate!

lol. So i was like, im an idiot. I must have forgotten how to spell it.
You just made me grab a dictionary to confirm! Haha.
Even though i was right on this im still an idiot.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Nope. Wrong again. I was typing immulate and it kept correcting me the wrong way. Lol.

 

[TBpup]

With Dame, we are 3rd from the bottom. Do we have enough assets to put around Dame to build it into a contender in the next couple of years? It seems like a lot to ask. Not advocating it, but from a reality standpoint, if we were to trade Dame for a large haul, would we worse than #13 in the West?

It's not good now......it might not be good either way in the future. Sadly, it's just where we are.

 

[HailBlazers]

With Dame, we are 3rd from the bottom. Do we have enough assets to put around Dame to build it into a contender in the next couple of years? It seems like a lot to ask. Not advocating it, but from a reality standpoint, if we were to trade Dame for a large haul, would we worse than #13 in the West?

It's not good now......it might not be good either way in the future. Sadly, it's just where we are.

Next couple of years, Doubtful...after that, maybe?