Forum Game How do you build a contender around Dame in the next couple years?

[andalusian]

I would have 100% agreed with you, but is Dame going to be a #1 next season? We don't know what he's going to look like post-surgery. And if he is a #1, how much longer will he be a #1? 2-3 years?

That's why I think Portland is trying to only commit to young players - in case Dame does not seem like the super-star he used to be - they will likely pivot quickly and try to deal him to a contender for picks and prospects.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Of course. The question we have to ask is - are the Blazers selling us lies because all they wanted was salary relief or do they mean what they said and they intend to try and use these tools.

I am not going to look for conspiracy theories and going to take the Blazers at their word that they want to try and use these tools - since I have no way of knowing what is really happening behind the scenes - this seems like a reasonable expectation for me. If they succeed or not - well, that's the $64K question, isn't it?

Maybe you're both right--the Blazers front office fully believes that they'll be able to use the "flexibility" they've created, and they'll find out this offseason that it's not actually as valuable as they hope, and it ends up that the TPE goes mostly unused anyway.

 

[FlashWad]

We get a top pick in the draft that is a generational level talent. No other way imo.

 

[andalusian]

Maybe you're both right--the Blazers front office fully believes that they'll be able to use the "flexibility" they've created, and they'll find out this offseason that it's not actually as valuable as they hope, and it ends up that the TPE goes mostly unused anyway.

To be pedantic - That's not both, that's still intent to do what they told us they would, it is just giving them the option to quickly pivot if it does not work - I suspect they mostly went for younger prospects or short-term veterans (Bledsoe) for exactly this reason.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

To be pedantic - That's not both, that's still intent to do what they told us they would, it is just giving them the option to quickly pivot if it does not work - I suspect they mostly went for younger prospects or short-term veterans (Bledsoe) for exactly this reason.

You would still both be right in regard to his perspective that the things being touted as "assets" are actually of little value to this franchise.

 

[wizenheimer]

I would have 100% agreed with you, but is Dame going to be a #1 next season? We don't know what he's going to look like post-surgery. And if he is a #1, how much longer will he be a #1? 2-3 years?

but you have been advocating trading him before any of those things are known. Trading him on speculation that is all negative. trading him as if he is either damaged goods or over the hill

let me counter by asking what if he comes back better than he has ever been? Free of abdominal pain. What if he's a great #1 option till he's 35? 3-4 more years of him being a worthy #1? For fucksakes, 9 months ago Dame averaged 34 & 10 in the playoffs. He had a 30.6PER and a TS% of .660. He led all NBA playoff performers in winshare/48 and BPM. That was only 9 months ago and some of you guys are counting him done and want to dump him to turn the team over to Ant. When Ant may never even be 50% of what Dame was in those playoffs

all I see from you guys are Dame trades that would trade away a #1 for maybe, if Portland is lucky, a #2; plus crappy draft picks and a young prospect or two. It makes not one iota of sense to me, especially not till we see what Dame can do after the corrective surgery

there's a real disconnect in the trade-Dame crowd. They are talking about him being injured, being old, being on a huge contract, being over the hill. And they are using those arguments to advocate trading him away. Then they turn right back around and talk about the great return Portland would get for trading him. As if they could evaluate Dame's true value better than 29 other front offices. If Dame is damaged, over-the-hill, and on an albatross contract why would any team offer a godfather package for him? And if he is none of those things, why the fuck would Portland trade him away?

 

[andalusian]

You would still both be right in regard to his perspective that the things being touted as "assets" are actually of little value to this franchise.

My reference was just about intent. They are certainly assets and I believe they are trying to use - but if they fail to use them - it does not change the original intent imho - but we are really just splitting hairs here.

 

[Idog1976]

Did we get better assets no did we get more flexibility yes. It was stated by another poster we have


Do we have better assets no but flexibility may be even more valuable and allow us way more possibilities. To me no one on this team is untouchable if you want to build a championship you have to sacrifice. Say Boston or lakers want to blow it up and wants Ant or Nas, trade exception, 2 first rounders for Brown or Davis do you pass that up, maybe but you have the option to make a deal like that. Am I disappointed we didn’t get 1st in clips deal absolutely but I’ve moved on and see the some possibilities

Well I like your POV even if I'm more depressed than you.

 

[Idog1976]

but you have been advocating trading him before any of those things are known. Trading him on speculation that is all negative. trading him as if he is either damaged goods or over the hill

let me counter by asking what if he comes back better than he has ever been? Free of abdominal pain. What if he's a great #1 option till he's 35? 3-4 more years of him being a worthy #1? For fucksakes, 9 months ago Dame averaged 34 & 10 in the playoffs. He had a 30.6PER and a TS% of .660. He led all NBA playoff performers in winshare/48 and BPM. That was only 9 months ago and some of you guys are counting him done and want to dump him to turn the team over to Ant. When Ant may never even be 50% of what Dame was in those playoffs

all I see from you guys are Dame trades that would trade away a #1 for maybe, if Portland is lucky, a #2; plus crappy draft picks and a young prospect or two. It makes not one iota of sense to me, especially not till we see what Dame can do after the corrective surgery

there's a real disconnect in the trade-Dame crowd. They are talking about him being injured, being old, being on a huge contract, being over the hill. And they are using those arguments to advocate trading him away. Then they turn right back around and talk about the great return Portland would get for trading him. As if they could evaluate Dame's true value better than 29 other front offices. If Dame is damaged, over-the-hill, and on an albatross contract why would any team offer a godfather package for him? And if he is none of those things, why the fuck would Portland trade him away?

Sadly it's nearly impossible to trade a superstar and get value. It happens, of course, look at Houston and the Harden trade, or more recently Simmons for Harden trade. You're absolutely right that trading Dame makes little sense as we would never get back close to equal value. We have to hope and pray that Ant becomes a two-way star (it's possible and people who say it isn't are just being unnecessarily pessimistic) and that we can trade other assets for another star. I guess if we could bring in a certain #2 at a position of need like Jaylen Brown then I could be talked into trading Ant. I just feel like we'd then have Dame and Brown and little ability to get better. I guess in that case you hope that Nurk becomes a legit #3 and we fill out the rest of the roster with solid defensive role players. I think we would be crazy to trade Dame. I also have a very strong feeling that Ant is going to be an offensive star in this league and possibly even better than that. Ant to me has unlimited potential and I even see a lot of defensive potential based on athleticism, length and lateral quickness. Perhaps under Chauncey's tutelage Ant becomes a two-way player. Hell Dame can defend when he wants to and has buy-in. Perhaps even Dame can learn to play average defense.

So I think if at all possible I would want to build around Dame and Ant and yes I know that means we need good to elite defenders 3-5. It's a long shot and we need a lot to go right, but I think that's true of almost all NBA champions.