Gonna put it out there: LMA WILL STAY.

[Blazinaway]

This I will agree with you on. But I don't see it as much as of a lack of effort as utter confusion (which doesn't make it much better).

so if it's "utter confusion" does a lot of blame then fall on Stotts?

 

[magnifier661]

People keep posting about LA putting off the surgery as proof that he is committed to the Blazers in the long term.

Maybe. Maybe not.

First, it might have been more for the sake of his teammates than the Portland Trail Blazers. Those aren't the same things.

At the time LA decided to play through the injury, the Blazers were a very strong contender, too. Wes was healthy, RoLo was coming back, there was no reason to believe Lillard would get into his current rut, and the team was poised to add something at the trade deadline, which it did. So he was chasing a title at the time, and, simultaneously, he or his agent could have thought he was proving to potential suitors that he was willing to sacrifice and play through injury.

So let's not delude ourselves into thinking there was absolutely nothing for LA himself to gain by putting off the surgery. Although it wasn't without some risk, there was a lot individually to be gained from it.

I'm sorry but he would get a max contract from any team in the league that wants him. Sacrificing injury to prove he will play through pain doesn't add value since the value was already there.

Secondly, he publicly said he wants to retire here and be the best blazer ever. That's not something a player than wants out would ever say.

Thirdly, it's Quick, Clonfucktard and his henchwoman posting the rumors. Hardly credible sources if you ask me

 

[magnifier661]

Dirk's championship was a fluke - he's damn lucky to be the lone exception to the rule. Aside from Duncan (who's the best to play the position in the modern NBA, AND has the best coach of the past 30 years) no other PF has come close to leading a team to a championship. Neither Pau nor KG did shit when they were their team's first options - they only won when they went to teams dominated by wings.
I never said LMA shouldn't be one of the TEAM'S 3 highest paid players - he absolutely should. But unless you've got a guy like Duncan your PF should never be your team's HIGHEST paid player because PFs have to be ancillary players in order to win championships.

Excuses excuses

 

[KeepOnRollin]

so if it's "utter confusion" does a lot of blame then fall on Stotts?

Yes.... Maybe not enough to can him though.

 

[MarAzul]

You know, I think Paul has transformed himself well in the last couple years. But he is still a meddling owner who has a lot of say on the roster. It's his right. But this organization still has a dark cloud over it, it's had for years. I don't think it's over the Seahawk organization because he doesn't get involved. But it's still over this one and I am starting to wonder again just how responsible he is.

I don't want him to sell but I don't think it would hurt his franchises future title chances if he completely removed himself from operations like he has the Seahawks. Who knows, if LA doesn't sign it might be gut check time on whether or not he can go through another rebuild or retool. Because that is where it would be headed.

I don't know either. But I am beginning to think he will let him go if Neil doesn't have a way to convince Paul that Blazers will be strong contenders next season. One max play is not very useful on a team that has no chance. We may have so figgin many draft picks... Oh geez, I hate that.

 

[HailBlazers]

If the Blazers are healthy there is no convincing needed

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I don't know either. But I am beginning to think he will let him go if Neil doesn't have a way to convince Paul that Blazers will be strong contenders next season. One max play is not very useful on a team that has no chance. We may have so figgin many draft picks... Oh geez, I hate that.

The last thing I want to see is another rebuild. We haven't seen the depths of the playoffs in years.

 

[PCmor7]

I'm sorry but he would get a max contract from any team in the league that wants him. Sacrificing injury to prove he will play through pain doesn't add value since the value was already there.

But playing through it might make more teams want him.

Secondly, he publicly said he wants to retire here and be the best blazer ever. That's not something a player than wants out would ever say.

Really? I've known a lot of players and coaches to say that or something along those lines. When you are playing for a contender with a chance at a title, why on earth would you say you don't want to be there, especially when you can pick a new home in a few months?

Thirdly, it's Quick, Clonfucktard and his henchwoman posting the rumors. Hardly credible sources if you ask me

I don't know that it's just them. Maybe you know LA and know some of the Blazers and have more insight into what LA is thinking than I do. I'm just saying there are a number of reasons why he would have passed up the surgery that have nothing to do with a commitment to the Blazer organization. I haven't seen anything other than hope and speculation to contradict that.

 

[magnifier661]

But playing through it might make more teams want him.

Him and Gasol Have been the big prize with or without playing through injury.

Really? I've known a lot of players and coaches to say that or something along those lines. When you are playing for a contender with a chance at a title, why on earth would you say you don't want to be there, especially when you can pick a new home in a few months?

Or not... The fact is, he said he wanted to stay at the beginning of the season. Only hack writers have publicly said otherwise.

I don't know that it's just them. Maybe you know LA and know some of the Blazers and have more insight into what LA is thinking than I do. I'm just saying there are a number of reasons why he would have passed up the surgery that have nothing to do with a commitment to the Blazer organization. I haven't seen anything other than hope and speculation to contradict that.

If a murderer says "I did it" does a court say "well maybe you are blowing smoke up our ass so we are gonna let you go". The only "otherwise" comments being made is from hack beat writers that have a long history for stirring shit up. Aldridge has been pretty straight forward throughout his career. So his word means more than tongue and cheek based on his history.

 

[stampedehero]

In my opinion, he stays. I am 100% certain of it.

Ya'll can bump it if he leaves, but it doesnt take away the fact that at 7:35 pm on April 22nd, 2015, I have 100% confidence that LMA will stay.

+>I like your opinion. It is positive. LMA's reality starts when the 2016 season starts.

 

[stampedehero]

You son of a bitch. I'm at work and I can't stop watching that. lmao.

+> Its crazy what those energy drinks can do.

 

[PCmor7]

Him and Gasol Have been the big prize with or without playing through injury.

Or not... The fact is, he said he wanted to stay at the beginning of the season. Only hack writers have publicly said otherwise.

If a murderer says "I did it" does a court say "well maybe you are blowing smoke up our ass so we are gonna let you go". The only "otherwise" comments being made is from hack beat writers that have a long history for stirring shit up. Aldridge has been pretty straight forward throughout his career. So his word means more than tongue and cheek based on his history.

I'm going to say this one more time, because you don't seem to be understanding it or you are willfully ignoring it: You cannot cite LA's decision not to get surgery as proof that he is fully committed to Portland. There are a number of reasons why he'd have passed on surgery that have nothing to do with this city, its fans or the organization, many of which are totally in his own self-interest. And there are plenty of athletes and coaches that say one thing and end up doing another -- some just to put off controversy and others because that's what they thought at the time but eventually changed their minds.

I get it. You want him to stay. So do I. But you are being blind to the realities here. We don't know what he is really thinking, and there are reasons he might want to and could leave. I could see him staying, too, but I am not going to ignore facts and reasoning contrary to my wishes just to convince myself that he's going to stay.

 

[TheMadHatter]

If LMA leaves with only one true healthy LMA/dame era squad (last year) then that tells me he never really was willing to give it a shot

Look at Marc Gasol his team is out every year in the playoffs, Zbo is getting old, Tony allan getting old, how come nobody says Marc is out rumors?

 

[PCmor7]

Maybe it just seems that way because we are Blazers fans and look for Blazer news and not Grizzlies news.

 

[maxiep]

The idea we haven't built a winning formula here is crazy. This team was 30-8 before the injuries. THIRTY and eight. That's almost a 65 win team.

And to that mix, we took some of our bench scraps and got a legit sixth man swing player in Afflalo. Bottom line, we bring everyone back, this team is a contender next year, more than any other team LA could move to.

Extra year, most money, gathering team records, best chance of winning. He also has a young star who will only get better as he gets older (see Parker and Duncan). Unless there's something going on behind the scenes I don't know about--which certainly could be the case--then there's no reason for him to leave.

 

[PCmor7]

There are a lot of reasons to stay, I agree. I'd hope he'd look at Carmelo Anthony's situation or maybe Dwight Howard with the Lakers long and hard before he jumped at leaving the Blazers. But, it's LA's thoughts and feelings that matter, not ours. Like they say, the grass is always greener. He could leave because maybe he just doesn't like the city, maybe he wants to be somewhere he'd perceive as more exciting or somewhere that is more like his home. Who knows?

 

[oldmangrouch]

The idea we haven't built a winning formula here is crazy. This team was 30-8 before the injuries. THIRTY and eight. That's almost a 65 win team.

And to that mix, we took some of our bench scraps and got a legit sixth man swing player in Afflalo. Bottom line, we bring everyone back, this team is a contender next year, more than any other team LA could move to.

Extra year, most money, gathering team records, best chance of winning. He also has a young star who will only get better as he gets older (see Parker and Duncan). Unless there's something going on behind the scenes I don't know about--which certainly could be the case--then there's no reason for him to leave.

There is a great deal of truth in what you are saying. I'm really not concerned at the idea of him leaving for somebody like the Knicks or Lakers.

There is one scenario that worries me: Texas kid gets to go home to play for the best coach in the league and join Tim Duncan for one last title run. That would have to be real tempting.

 

[riverman]

I want LA to stay here but that's just me wanting him to be a career Blazer. He'll make his own decisions. I don't see any benefit to him giving up his alpha male situation in Portland to be a role player elsewhere. The thing about this Blazer squad is that they actually like each other. I don't think playing with Melo or Rondo is going to get him closer to a ring and I don't think San Antonio is going to keep up their run going forward. Too many positives financially and culturally here for LA. He doesn't strike me as a restless guy and I think he has a solid relationship with the front office here as well as his teammates. Watching what happened to Wes, Oden and Roy has to make him aware of what an injury could do to his pocketbook down the road and he'll get max pay here and security as he approaches his mid 30's

 

[Strenuus]

If LMA leaves with only one true healthy LMA/dame era squad (last year) then that tells me he never really was willing to give it a shot

Look at Marc Gasol his team is out every year in the playoffs, Zbo is getting old, Tony allan getting old, how come nobody says Marc is out rumors?

Perhaps because they don't have douchebag news writers like *uick and C*nzano.

 

[magnifier661]

I'm going to say this one more time, because you don't seem to be understanding it or you are willfully ignoring it: You cannot cite LA's decision not to get surgery as proof that he is fully committed to Portland. There are a number of reasons why he'd have passed on surgery that have nothing to do with this city, its fans or the organization, many of which are totally in his own self-interest. And there are plenty of athletes and coaches that say one thing and end up doing another -- some just to put off controversy and others because that's what they thought at the time but eventually changed their minds.

Yet you find stock in hack beat writers that base their opinion he wants to leave because he didn't renew his lease to his home 2 years ago?

Yes, he could change his mind, but saying he wanted to say completely blew out the original statement that he never had interest in Portland earlier in this thread. The "playing through injury" would lean more towards dedication to the team than wanting to showcase himself to the rest of the league. End of story.

I get it. You want him to stay. So do I. But you are being blind to the realities here. We don't know what he is really thinking, and there are reasons he might want to and could leave. I could see him staying, too, but I am not going to ignore facts and reasoning contrary to my wishes just to convince myself that he's going to stay.

Of course he could leave, but nothing he has said or done publicly has given me reason to think that.

 

[magnifier661]

If LMA leaves with only one true healthy LMA/dame era squad (last year) then that tells me he never really was willing to give it a shot

Look at Marc Gasol his team is out every year in the playoffs, Zbo is getting old, Tony allan getting old, how come nobody says Marc is out rumors?

Because the beat writers in Memphis don't make mountain out of ant hills to get hits on their shitty paper sites.

 

[Strenuus]

Because the beat writers in Memphis don't make mountain out of ant hills to get hits on their shitty paper sites.

Ahh, too slow Joe!

 

[riverman]

With a max 5 year deal I think LA can afford to lease another house

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

twitter.com/tommybeer

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Can someone clarify if that second scenario still involves the Blazers being able to give LA the most money?

 

[TheMadHatter]

Perhaps because they don't have douchebag news writers like *uick and C*nzano.

I get what you mean but man it's like even Marc stein and some national people always mention LMA but never Marc gasol for example

Is LMA ppl telling them things? I just don't get with only one healthy LMA dame era squad they pick on us we literally just started our window. I see grizzles get knocked out every year since like 2011 but gasol is a lock to resign?

That's weird to me. If LMA leaves that tells me he really never wanted to be here plus leaving the money behind only clarifies that

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Can someone clarify if that second scenario still involves the Blazers being able to give LA the most money?

As far as I know we are always allowed to pay the most money for our own player vs him going somewhere else.

 

[magnifier661]

Can someone clarify if that second scenario still involves the Blazers being able to give LA the most money?

Because if Aldridge did an opt out with the Blazers after next season, we still hold his "bird right", so we can still offer another year and sign him for more, even if we are over cap.

If, let's say, Spurs did a 2 year deal, he wouldn't play for them for 3+ years so they wouldn't have bird rights. They could only offer 4 years and must be under cap for the contract amount when signing him

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Awesome, thanks guys!

 

[Strenuus]

So, it's 2:25 PM on Apil 24th, 2015. I am still 100% certain LMA stays.