LMA Trade Algebra

[RR7]

A) Did you think he was a prospect on par with Davis before the injury?

No, and I don't think anybody else did either. Everyone wanted to compare the two of course. Same school, similar build, etc. But everyone discussed Davis in the same breath as Duncan, KG, an ELITE prospect whose offense would come. Nobody was talking about Noel like that. Most of his comparisons are to very good to great defensive players. Dikembe, Larry Sanders, Theo Ratliff.

Nobody is mentioning him the way they did Davis, rightfully so. I don't think the ACL will destroy his prospects. But it is a concern. So that right there immediately knocks down scenario #1, where you've moved Aldridge for Noel as the primary piece, as having the lowest floor, when you go worst case scenario. Because there's the potential he can be troubled forever with his knee issues.
His best case scenarios, combined with Thompson, still don't give you anyone that projects as a low post threat. So we'd be a very perimeter oriented team. When the 3s are falling, great. If not.....

And then there's tanking for Wiggins, Parker, etc. People wanted to tank for Shabazz. How's that working out? People wanted to tank for Barnes. Wiggings looks good. I'm not saying he'll slightly bust in college like them. But there's that possibility. And, of course, the strong possibility that Lillard makes a big jump and, combined with Wes, Batum, Thompson, Noel, we're just not good enough to get a top pick. So we're stuck late lotto, and the prospects of giving up our pick the next year.

There's also the chance that adding Jordan, McGee, Robin Lopez, etc. turns out to be a large benefit to our team, and to our defense. The options seems as much a possibility as Noel becoming an elite C, IMO.Hell, there's a chance that Lillard takes a similar career arch as Brandon did, or even Rose, with a good jump from 1-2, and then a huge jump from season 2-3. That huge jump aligning with that defensive C and whoever else we added to our bench, plus the MLE from the following season. All that is of course ignoring trade opportunities, and thinking that :eeyore: all we have to add is a MLE to that bummer of a team:/eeyore:

 

[PapaG]

Roy and Oden are gone and the team has nothing to show for it. They can't let that happen with LMA.

Roy's amnesty space allowed the Blazers some cap flexibility, and almost $12m this summer to spend.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Roy's amnesty space allowed the Blazers some cap flexibility, and almost $12m this summer to spend.

So, they're in the same position as if they let Roy walk.

 

[PapaG]

So, they're in the same position as if they let Roy walk.

Let him walk when? When he signed his extension, Roy was an All-Star. Plus, had they let Roy "walk", I assume they would have signed someone else is my guess.

Also, unless you advocated letting Roy walk and can prove it, all you're doing is 20/20 hindsight nonsense.

Imagine if the Blazers had drafted Josh Smith instead of Telfair, and then had listened to KP and drafted Chris Paul in 2005 instead of Webster.

We'd never have to even worry about Roy, Oden, or even LMA, possibly.