The Lillard Blazers peaked 2 seasons ago

[bobf]

just noting that the post of mine you initially responded to was when I said that teams don't trade their franchise players, after a trade demand, and get better over the next 5 seasons. It just doesn't happen. Teams get worse. Utah got worse after it traded Deron Williams; Denver got worse after Melo; Indiana after PG13; Pels after CP3 and AD; Chicago after Butler; Spurs after Kawhi.

if it comes to the nuclear option of having to trade Dame, I hope for 2 things: one is that Olshey isn't the GM any more; the other is that the Blazers use the opportunity to fully rebuild by trading CJ, Nurkic, and any other decent player over 24. Load up on picks from the trade and maximize their best asset which would be a couple of years of suckage and high lottery picks

I wasn’t disagreeing that we’d likely get worse. My point was that as far as Dame is concerned we’re gonna get worse anyway. Most players peak in the 26-30 range. Dame’s last season BPM was not as good as his prior two, though that could easily be due to variance or injury. Anyway it would be rare to peak much beyond 30 and it would be normal if Dame peaked two seasons ago.

So we can keep Dame and be better for a 2-3 seasons and then get not much for him or we can trade him and be worse for 2-3 seasons but after that we’d be better because we got some young value for him.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Bump.

Although I'm ready to give up CJ much sooner than originally stated, given current obvious ball-stopping. Just getting value for him continues to be the problem. At this point anyone who offers a pick jumps to the front of the line.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

I never thought we’d be back after 1992 finals. That team had run its course.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I never thought we’d be back after 1992 finals. That team had run its course.

But it was a pretty precipitous decline...

 

[KSF-ERIC]

But it was a pretty precipitous decline...

Yeah. I was just so bummed and felt we had given 3 shots at it and failed. I didn’t have much hope after 2000 either. I had legit hope in 2019. I thought we’d beat the Warriors. I could see the parade in my head.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Calm down, CJ-haterz - we just need to keep CJ for the first half of next season. He's at a low in value right now, but if he can start next season like he started this one, then some team is going to be tempted into offering us something of value

UPDATE: he didn't and they weren't.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Think there is truth to the fact that the WCF run is the high-water mark of the era, I still say you play it out with Dame. With him around, it's hard to discount the possibility of greatness. I look at the post Jordan Bulls and the recent Celtics amassing of picks and don't see much hope in assembling a war chest of picks. Also, not sure how the trade market gives value for picks if two teams have massive hordes of picks, and OKC already beat us there.

Curious if you're still thinking this.

 

[tiredhunter]

Curious if you're still thinking this.

Well, this team certainly isn't doing better than the WCF, And if the roster can't be fixed, I'm hoping for a lottery pick this year.

Mostly still rather have Dame than some nebulous future draft picks. Don't regret not cashing in on this draft class, and think the teams that stocked up on picks (while still early) haven't done enough for me to envy them. The abdomen injury haunting him makes it a tougher sell that he is a breath away from transcendence, but it doesn't take it off the board. It is clear the team is currently broken, so everything is on the table. It is also clear that at least one of Dame, CJ, Norm or Ant needs to go before the trade deadline to make Ants extension not stupid. I would still start with any roster shakeup with CJ(and at this point, would take bad contracts, and not be looking for value), because I think a Dame/Norm/Little/Nance/Nurk starting lineup would give a damn, and be balanced enough not to get down every 1st quarter.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Good question!



(And no, this is not me.)