Plan B: If LMA bolts

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in
Rastapopoulos said:
Here's a good analysis of "rim protection" that shows (a) Hibbert's value, but also (b) how good Robin Lopez is. And given how much better RoLo is at other things than Hibbert, and how Hibbert has been in free fall, I'm not sure it's a good trade.
http://nyloncalculus.com/2014/07/22/protecting-paint-sportvu-rim-protection/
Click to expand...

Yes! Hibbert would be interesting as a tag team with Robin but he's not an upgrade as a replacement. All the big problems with Robin; his fumbling of rebounds, being slow on his feet, trouble with quick or stretch shooting opponents, well they are the same deficiencies Hibbert has. Robin is much better on offense, similar but not quite as good on help defense.
 
With Rolo, you know what you're getting and he won't have to play big minutes with Meyers on the roster. With Hibbert, he had a no-show in a playoff series, locker room problems and a pretty big dropoff in production. Rolo had a slump about the same time the whole team had a slump so that can be contagious.
 
Draco said:
Id bet $20 he gets a full max deal. He's obviously not a LeBron / Durant / Curry level of superstar but when there are 30 teams and room for 2-3 max players a team all the near allstars get the max. Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons got maxed last summer.
Click to expand...


The trouble with him is that if he is you 2nd or 3rd best player you are in trouble. He plays exceptionally well when he is surrounded by good talent but looks out of place when the players around him aren't up to par. He is a great defender, I think he should have won dpoy but #2 isn't too bad, but his defense really isn't game changing in the way that a dominant defensive big can be. His offense is built on open shots which are created by the players around him and making the smart pass to someone who is in the right place and can hit a shot. If a defense pays any attention to him, he is shut down pretty easily. I love having him on the Warriors and I'm sure the Warriors will match just about any offer, but he is a great complimentary piece, not someone you build around.
 
Based on the doom and gloom in the "Wes didn't go all 'Tom Cruise on Oprah' over Portland during his SportsNation segment, therefore he and everyone else must be leaving" thread, I figured we should bring this one back too.

Perhaps Draymond Green is not the answer, but there are some decent suggestions in here. Somewhere. You'll probably have to dig for them, but they're there...
 
I think if LA goes, we start by letting Wes and Rolo walk and dealing Batum for Hibbert. As of that point, we'd be looking at $32M in cap space. I could see us retaining DW1 (having hopefully drafted his brother) for something like $7M/2y, then signing Gerald Green ($22M/3), Al Farouq Aminu ($30M/4), and Paul Millsap ($55M/4) to start at 2-4.

Lillard/Wright/Blake
Green/CJ
Aminu/Wright/Crabbe
Millsap/Leonard
Hibbert/Kaman

I have no doubt that would be a very competitive team.
 
Honestly, I'm going to be extremely bitter towards LA if he leaves. After all the bullshit he spouted about wanting to retire as the best Blazer ever, and that he was only waiting to sign because he wanted the bigger contract, if he leaves he will be a huge piece of shit in my eyes. And I really wish we would have dealt him to Cleveland. At this point I would take Tristan Thompson and Oladipo over a big bunch of cap space.
 
LA will become this fanbase's most hated player in the league if he bolts and honestly, I don't think he's mentally strong enough to handle that kind of hate
 
yuyuza1 said:
LA will become this fanbase's most hated player in the league if he bolts and honestly, I don't think he's mentally strong enough to handle that kind of hate
Click to expand...

I don't want LA to leave as much as most here. However, he'd be a FOOL not to sign a 2 year deal with a player option and go to SAS. If he left I wouldn't blame him, hate him, nor boo him when he returns to play against us. I will stand up and cheer. He has gone through 3 rebuilds and has re-signed with us. Why would people hate him for chasing a ring?
 
Last edited:
dviss1 said:
I don't want LA to leave as much as most here. However, he'd be a FOOL not to sign a 2 year deal with a player option and go to SAS.
Click to expand...

You think so? I think he'd be a fool to go to San Antonio. Duncan can't play forever (he just can't). Parker finally showed signs of slowing down. Manu is a ghost. Pop will most likely retire after his guys leave. So how exactly is San Antonio going to be a better situation in a few years? That team has been a dynasty BECAUSE of Duncan/Parker/Pop. Once two of those three are gone, or all three of them, I can see SAS finally hitting a downslide for a while. And let's face it, Aldridge isn't LeBron. He isn't Kobe. He can't single-handedly prop up a team. I'm not convinced that Kawhi and LA will be enough to keep San Antonio in the title hunt.
 
Natebishop3 said:
You think so? I think he'd be a fool to go to San Antonio. Duncan can't play forever (he just can't). Parker finally showed signs of slowing down. Manu is a ghost. Pop will most likely retire after his guys leave. So how exactly is San Antonio going to be a better situation in a few years? That team has been a dynasty BECAUSE of Duncan/Parker/Pop. Once two of those three are gone, or all three of them, I can see SAS finally hitting a downslide for a while. And let's face it, Aldridge isn't LeBron. He isn't Kobe. He can't single-handedly prop up a team. I'm not convinced that Kawhi and LA will be enough to keep San Antonio in the title hunt.
Click to expand...

Do you really think Pop will retire if he nets LA this offseason? Manu retiring will be great. Duncan has 2 years left EASY. Parker was injured. The common denominator is who? POP.
 
Aldridge would be a fool to leave. He would be leaving a ton of money on the table. Sign a one year deal here, then sign a five year max next year. That's the smartest and best thing for him to do.
 
dviss1 said:
I don't want LA to leave as much as most here. However, he'd be a FOOL not to sign a 2 year deal with a player option and go to SAS.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that's the case. First, the Spurs are going to have to dump some good players to clear space to max LA. Second, he'd be going to a team where Duncan and Ginobili are on their last legs. Yeah, with LA in tow and a re-signed Leonard, they'd probably have a good shot at winning one championship. But, once Duncan goes and Manu will follow. Pops has said he's going to retire when Duncan does. So, LA is left as the not-quite-as-good-as-Duncan replacement with an aging Parker at PG and who knows whom for a coach and he gets to be the goat for a franchise used to winning. Add to that, the Spurs won't have Bird rights on him so they can' t go over the cap to max him out, meaning a new contract probably leaves them strapped for money to spend on other role players. Doesn't sound like all gravy to me.
 
I think too much is made of Pop's comments about retiring once Duncan retires. It's him being humble and shifting praise onto one of his players, rather than accepting praise for himself. I suspect he won't be far behind Duncan, but before he goes I think he'll make sure the Spurs have a good replacement coach. That means he'll spend another 2-3 years grooming his successor before he walks into retirement.
Maybe not - maybe he does drop it all the moment Duncan retires. But I don't take his comments at face value.
 
JFizzleRaider said:
Aldridge would be a fool to leave. He would be leaving a ton of money on the table. Sign a one year deal here, then sign a five year max next year. That's the smartest and best thing for him to do.
Click to expand...

He can't do that in SAS?
 
dviss1 said:
He can't do that in SAS?
Click to expand...
No. They wouldn't have his bird rights.

Best case scenario would be for him to play here one year, then sign a four year max with them next year, but his raises would be 4.5% instead of 7.5% each year and he wpuldnt have that fifth year at 40 or so million.
 
JFizzleRaider said:
No. They wouldn't have his bird rights.

Best case scenario would be for him to play here one year, then sign a four year max with them next year, but his raises would be 4.5% instead of 7.5% each year and he wpuldnt have that fifth year at 40 or so million.
Click to expand...

The theory is that the cap will be jumping up so high next summer they won't need bird rights.
 
Natebishop3 said:
If I could choose between a prime Dirk and a prime Aldridge, I would choose Dirk 10 times out of 10. The guy was unstoppable in his prime. Virtually unguardable.
Click to expand...
There should be no one who would EVER take a prime LA over a prime Dirk. Dirk is arguably a top 25-50 player of all time and even if LA continues to put up 24 and 10 for another 4 years he won't be considered a top 100 player of all time.
 
yuyuza1 said:
Jalen Rose says LA goes to SA (on his podcast with Jacoby: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=12972063). He's usually spot on with these predictions.

I think it's easier said than done.
Click to expand...
Jalen is usually correct when he says stuff like that but its not 100% and he has said that when he talks about where a player goes its just what he is hearing and if a player tells him 100% he doesn't say where that player will go. If SA wants LA they are going to have to gut their team, its possible but the only realistic way for them to do it is if we agree to a S&T.
 
24 pts | 11 rebs | 8 ast | 5 stls | 5 blks

He was THE reason why they pulled out this 24th win.

Anyone else still feel he isn't worth the max? His deal is probably the best bargain in the league - 5/$85 is nothing when the TV money kicks in.
 
I'm happy for him. He was so emotionally fragile he needed a change of scenery. Was my favorite player but the team is funner to watch without him some how.
 
Last edited:
Fez Hammersticks said:
24 pts | 11 rebs | 8 ast | 5 stls | 5 blks

He was THE reason why they pulled out this 24th win.

Anyone else still feel he isn't worth the max? His deal is probably the best bargain in the league - 5/$85 is nothing when the TV money kicks in.
Click to expand...

*raises hand and wiggles in seat* ME ME ME ME ME!
 
LMA is nice. Super nice. The Blazers would have been amazing with him and this new bench
 
While I miss LMA's production I certainly don't miss the man. There isn't that shadow of "will he or won't he" stay with the team any more.
And his constant moodiness was a bummer. I'd rather have scrappy players like Aminu and Davis who actually want to be part of this franchise.
This team is much more fun than many in seasons past.
 
Tunchi said:
LMA is nice. Super nice. The Blazers would have been amazing with him and this new bench
Click to expand...

It'd of been the same iso ball... nothing would have changed. CJ wouldn't be allowed the touches, Plumlee wouldn't be nearly as used... He was holding us back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top