Grade Olshey Thus Far As Blazers GM (2 Viewers)

[hoopsjock]

Right. That's always worked out well for small market teams. Like, never.

Aldridge was as good as gone as soon as he decided not to extend. And you see how giving him the benefit of a doubt ended up.

His wishy washy character coupled with his first great playoff performance made it a slam dunk. He should have been dealt.

Wrong!

Aldrige could only sign a 3 year, $55 million extension that summer. The following summer he could sign for 5 years, $108 million. Why would anyone in Aldridge's position want to take $53 million less in guaranteed money? The extension process was a joke back then. If he could've signed the full 5 year extension like Dame did this summer, he would've.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Wrong!

Aldrige could only sign a 3 year, $55 million extension that summer. The following summer he could sign for 5 years, $108 million. Why would anyone in Aldridge's position want to take $53 million less in guaranteed money? The extension process was a joke back then. If he could've signed the full 5 year extension like Dame did this summer, he would've.

Say wrong all you want. I wanted to trade trade him and we'd be a much better team today if we had.

So who's wrong? Lol

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Say wrong all you want. I wanted to trade trade him and we'd be a much better team today if we had.

So who's wrong? Lol

You cant prove they’d be better now had they traded him. It sounds good go young, get picks, get the best offer. Its all question marks.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I disagree. They had like the 2nd or third best record in the NBA before injuries started to creep in, we point to the Wes injury (and I agree that was the final nail for sending him out), but Lopez had been hurt that year, Dame was a year older and was getting better, lets not forget LMA played through an injury too. That team had a good chance to make noise.

Its easy to say now it was a mistake to keep LMA, BUT, had they decided that summer or midyear to just throw in the towel fans would've been upset about that too.

For the record Barton is at best an NBA Role player losing him wasnt a big deal. Afflalo got hurt that year too.

I know GM’s get judged largely by hindsight, but had that team stayed healthy and had made it to the WCF’s (or further) people wouldnt complain. Instead injuries did that team in, much more than the GM.

I'm not just saying it now. I said it as soon as he blew up against the Rockets.

And then I begged for it when he refused to sign the extension.

 

[Phatguysrule]

You cant prove they’d be better now had they traded him. It sounds good go young, get picks, get the best offer. Its all question marks.

Go young? We'd have a ton of assets. Nothing is guaranteed, but we'd certainly have a lot more assets.

Are you going to honestly argue that letting Aldridge walk was likely a better outcome than trading him could have been?

 

[hoopsjock]

Say wrong all you want. I wanted to trade trade him and we'd be a much better team today if we had.

So who's wrong? Lol

Name one star in their prime that would sign for that low of an amount instead of waiting?

It is kind of interesting how there is no post history from you between 2012 and 2016 to back up your claim to have wanted to trade Aldridge at the time.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Go young? We'd have a ton of assets. Nothing is guaranteed, but we'd certainly have a lot more assets.

Are you going to honestly argue that letting Aldridge walk was likely a better outcome than trading him could have been?

Who knows?
LMA left, they went young had cap space used it.

Who knows if they wouldve gotten a “ton” of assets in return.

 

[hoopsjock]

Go young? We'd have a ton of assets. Nothing is guaranteed, but we'd certainly have a lot more assets.

Are you going to honestly argue that letting Aldridge walk was likely a better outcome than trading him could have been?

If you knew Aldridge was leaving the moment he didn't sign the extension does that make you smarter than other teams or if not why would any other team trade for him knowing he was a one year rental?

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I know there are people who wanted to trade LMA at the time and good for them, but I disagree. Its not very often in a small
market you have two legit all stars and a chance to try to make a run. I think they had to make a run for it. Injuries wrecked that team (and yeah a lack of depth didn't help).

You can get caught in a cycle of perpetually restarting the process and trading away what talent you have because they “might” leave. I am not sure we want to be in that cycle either... If a guy doesnt extend just trade them go young and hope you find someone else about as good so you can trade them when you think they may leave.

I mean eventually you gotta build a team to try to win instead recycling the we’re playing for five years from now thing...

 

[hoopsjock]

I know there are people who wanted to trade LMA at the time and good for them, but I disagree. Its not very often in a small
market you have two legit all stars and a chance to try to make a run. I think they had to make a run for it. Injuries wrecked that team (and yeah a lack of depth didn't help).

You can get caught in a cycle of perpetually restarting the process and trading away what talent you have because they “might” leave. I am not sure we want to be in that cycle either... If a guy doesnt extend just trade them go young and hope you find someone else about as good so you can trade them when you think they may leave.

I mean eventually you gotta build a team to try to win instead recycling the we’re playing for five years from now thing...

There's people who think we should trade Dame too......

 

[kjironman1]

Sounds like it was the perfect time to sell high. If he didn't want to resign that summer and there had been inklings of him wanting out and he had immense trade value due to that series, then that could've set the franchise up for a possible dynasty if we got value back for him.

I see why people are saying why we wouldn't trade him but I think a GM should have more insight and foresight than Blazer fans. I don't know. Looking back on it, we were in a perfect position to trade Aldridge and build around the better, younger player in Dame.

There were a lot of people with that opinion. But i guess i am just one to look for the best and hope the season went well enough to make sure he stayed. Didn't work out that way.

 

[kjironman1]

There's people who think we should trade Dame too......

His value is high.....

 

[Hobbesarable]

That post wasnt based off hindsight, because I think our best chance to win a championship with Dame wouldve been trading Aldridge, regardless of if he stayed or not. Im not saying he shouldve traded Aldridge because he left, Im saying he probably shouldve traded Aldridge regardless. I also understand why he (and others) wouldnt have.

I was on the trade Aldridge train. It wasn't hindsight either. That's a lousy bullshit retort.

 

[Hobbesarable]

There's people who think we should trade Dame too......

Dame is a player you can build around and go the distance. He has the mentality for it. I was ready for him to take over and trade Aldridge. I even said so on the Oregonlive Forum.

 

[kjironman1]

The Warriors hadn't won a title yet. They were the 6th seed the year before and lost in the 1st round. Many people thought they were a good up and coming team but no one foresaw them being as dominant as they were the following year.

Even more so they won that year playing team after team that was dealing with substantial injuries. All the way through the Finals. A healthy Blazer team that year gives them a run no question.

 

[hoopsjock]

Dame is a player you can build around and go the distance. He has the mentality for it. I was ready for him to take over and trade Aldridge. I even said so on the Oregonlive Forum.

The only person that I can for sure say they wanted to trade Aldridge during that time on O-Live was BendBlazer22 and that was only because he had some personal hatred of him.

I don't understand why people are saying now that we had to trade Aldridge for Lillard to take over. The stuff about Aldridge not liking Lillard getting the spotlight didn't come out until afterwards. Why all of a sudden is the narrative that we couldn't build a team around both them?

 

[Hobbesarable]

The only person that I can for sure say they wanted to trade Aldridge during that time on O-Live was BendBlazer22 and that was only because he had some personal hatred of him.

I don't understand why people are saying now that we had to trade Aldridge for Lillard to take over. The stuff about Aldridge not liking Lillard getting the spotlight didn't come out until afterwards. Why all of a sudden is the narrative that we couldn't build a team around both them?

We didn't have to trade Aldridge for Dame to take over. Dame just took over as I knew he would after watching a full season of him as a rookie. I disliked many things about Aldridge at the time.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Name one star in their prime that would sign for that low of an amount instead of waiting?

It is kind of interesting how there is no post history from you between 2012 and 2016 to back up your claim to have wanted to trade Aldridge at the time.

I was posting in another forum at the time. But honestly even there I wasn't posting much.

 

[kjironman1]

The only person that I can for sure say they wanted to trade Aldridge during that time on O-Live was BendBlazer22 and that was only because he had some personal hatred of him.

I don't understand why people are saying now that we had to trade Aldridge for Lillard to take over. The stuff about Aldridge not liking Lillard getting the spotlight didn't come out until afterwards. Why all of a sudden is the narrative that we couldn't build a team around both them?

Oh boy. Wonder where bendblazer is now? That dude was off the rails but he did want to trade Aldridge without question.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I know there are people who wanted to trade LMA at the time and good for them, but I disagree. Its not very often in a small
market you have two legit all stars and a chance to try to make a run. I think they had to make a run for it. Injuries wrecked that team (and yeah a lack of depth didn't help).

You can get caught in a cycle of perpetually restarting the process and trading away what talent you have because they “might” leave. I am not sure we want to be in that cycle either... If a guy doesnt extend just trade them go young and hope you find someone else about as good so you can trade them when you think they may leave.

I mean eventually you gotta build a team to try to win instead recycling the we’re playing for five years from now thing...

But Aldridge was never going to stay. I just had a feeling, and when he wouldn't sign I would have traded him.

He was too pouty and moody when he was here. It's not a risk I would have taken. I said on O-Live I wanted to trade Aldridge many times. Not as a firesale, because he was a valuable player, but for as much value as we could get, because he was going to leave eventually.

 

[hoopsjock]

I was posting in another forum at the time. But honestly even there I wasn't posting much.

Convenient!

 

[hoopsjock]

Oh boy. Wonder where bendblazer is now? That dude was off the rails but he did want to trade Aldridge without question.

I saw him make an awful fanpost with some stupid trade ideas on Blazers Edge a couple weeks ago.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Convenient!

Eh, I guess so. I've used this same screen name since the early 2000's. Many in here know that. And I'm sure some remember my stance on Aldridge.

You're the one's arguing that we shouldn't have traded him even with the benefit of hindsight lol.

 

[hoopsjock]

Eh, I guess so. I've used this same screen name since the early 2000's. Many in here know that. And I'm sure some remember my stance on Aldridge.

You're the one's arguing that we shouldn't have traded him even with the benefit of hindsight lol.

All I'm saying is it's your opinion that he was for sure leaving. I don't believe that for a second. I think he meant what he said until the disaster that was the end of that season.

And for the record, fuck Aldridge.

 

[Phatguysrule]

All I'm saying is it's your opinion that he was for sure leaving. I don't believe that for a second. I think he meant what he said until the disaster that was the end of that season.

And for the record, fuck Aldridge.

I'm not saying he was lying. I don't think he was trying to screw us. But I also don't think he thought of things in those terms. He was always going to do whatever made him feel better. And in that situation the grass is always greener.

I didn't think he had it in him to turn down the pretty girl who came calling.

*Edit*
And yes, of course it's just my opinion. I never claimed to have any inside information.

 

[hoopsjock]

I'm not saying he was lying. I don't think he was trying to screw us. But I also don't think he thought of things in those terms. He was always going to do whatever made him feel better. And in that situation the grass is always greener.

I didn't think he had it in him to turn down the pretty girl who came calling.

*Edit*
And yes, of course it's just my opinion. I never claimed to have any inside information.

Which goes back to my and several other's point that had Wes not gotten hurt the grass might have been greenest in Portland.

 

[calvin natt]

All I'm saying is it's your opinion that he was for sure leaving. I don't believe that for a second. I think he meant what he said until the disaster that was the end of that season.

And for the record, fuck Aldridge.

I know Phat believed they should trade LMA, because I was Of the same opinion. LMA told them he was leaving.

 

[hoopsjock]

I know Phat believed they should trade LMA, because I was Of the same opinion. LMA told them he was leaving.

LMAO, okay!

 

[BonesJones]

I'm sorry Bones but anyone who claims we didn't have a chance against the Warriors and should've traded Aldridge is a liar.

The Warriors hadn't won a title yet. They were the 6th seed the year before and lost in the 1st round. Many people thought they were a good up and coming team but no one foresaw them being as dominant as they were the following year. The Blazers could've and were just as easily thought of as a greater threat in the West than they were heading into the season.

I think the argument should be that signing Steve Blake and Chris Kaman that summer were the mistakes. Barton showed some things in the Spurs series the year before but was awful when given more of a role that following year. Barton absolutely sucked that year. His game is not designed to be a core piece on a winning team. Look at how his role diminished on Denver last year when they got good.

Well we got embarrassed by the Spurs after beating Houston, so I think the same would've happened the year after against whatever contender we ran into. I dont think that team was built to win, and I dont think it stood a chance against a LeBron-led team either. I think Blazer fans overrate that team a bit.

Barton was hurt last year. Thats a terrible gauge to correlate his drop in production with anything other than he was hurt basically all year.

 

[BonesJones]

There were a lot of people with that opinion. But i guess i am just one to look for the best and hope the season went well enough to make sure he stayed. Didn't work out that way.

I juat think the best case scenario of trading him was better than the best case scenario of him staying, and the worst case scenario for trading him was certainly better than the worst case scenario of him leaving.