andalusian
Season - Restarted
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It's at this point of your post that I simply quit reading.
No it was not "Inevitable".
It was inevitable eventually (once Dame retires / injured / declines).
The only way it would have been eliminated in the interim when Cronin got the job was if he got super lucky in the trade market or the draft (Wemby). That did not happen in the 18 months he was in charge while acquiring assets, so given that the Wemby dream did not happen, the only other option given the roster was time to build assets and pounce when that opportunity came in the trade market, and Dame did not want to wait, which is fair enough, but it is not Cronin's fault.
Basically, if Cronin traded the assets he acquired in 18 months to keep Dame around, it would have, at most, given the Blazers a chance at the 2nd round built around an aging, super expensive player. So, we just would have delayed the inevitable a year or 2.
All roads lead to Rome, and Rome for all purposes is the draft suckage and rebuild cycle for a team in Portland's situation. Accepting it makes life easier.