He has been injured and if you look at his nine games since getting treatment and rest for the injury he's been Dame. He wasn't great last night against the Lakers but he's not going to be perfect and never has been. Dame isn't the problem and we better make damn sure we address the real problems before we throw away the best and only loyal superstar we've ever had.
If you look at the post I was replying to it said we've sucked for years meaning that poster isn't cool with our relative stasis over the post LaMarcus debacle that was the majority of Olshey's tenure. For having someone of Dame's caliber we have sucked but again those weren't my words initially I was just willing to let @Bingo Bango have that and move on to the fact that the stasis that he was referring to as sucking has been because of Olshey, the rosters he has constructed around his all nba player but not because of Dame.
He has cost us games even since the treatment. Bad threes, horrible FTs, lazy on D. As for loyalty, Sheed was loyal. Never asked for a trade. Loved Portland.
Glad to see you've given up on Dame as well, without ever giving him a chance with a roster that makes sense around him. Great job.
Did I say I’ve given up on him? The truth is he’s been awful this season. I listened to a whole podcast where they discussed who should start on the All Star team and Dame’s name didn’t come up in the discussion. How the mighty have fallen. Even if we get Ben Simmons and Myles Turner, Dame has to play better. It’s not the coach. It’s not his teammates. It’s him. I’m fine with keeping him but we have to be honest.
Then be honest that he has been hurt and since coming back... just look at his numbers. All I am saying is give Dame a chance with more complementary teammates around him on a balanced roster and see what he can do when healthy... and don't give me some bullshit about the mighty falling using twenty nine games in a career where he's proven himself more times than the guy you're calling this season's MVP. (Sorry to cross threads)
Ja Morant deserves it over Dame this year. Not starting, but making the team.
That’s bullshit. We won two incredibly competitive playoff series. I think the road team has won a Game 7 on the road like about 30 times. We’re one of them. I’m not sure it’s ever been done in Denver’s altitude. We won two fucking playoff series. That was fun. We did get swept in WCF though we had big leads in three of the games. But that doesn’t cancel out what we DID accomplish. We made it to the Final Four. Nets signed Durant and Kyrie three years ago and traded for Harden two years ago and guess how many playoff series they’ve won? ONE. Total. Getting to the conference finals is an accomplishment and it’s not “sucking” or “mediocrity” or “stasis.”
I think the coaches will pick Dame if it's between him and Ja. While this season Ja probably does deserve it a little more than Dame (their numbers are really close but Ja has been more efficient and his team is doing really well) that's just not how all stars have ever been picked by the coaches. When it's even a little close the perennial all star still gets the nod. Maybe Dame would sit the weekend out for rest and give Ja the chance after the coaches select Dame but given how this shit has been awarded historically Dame deserves it due to tenure and him still putting up big numbers.
Most players who play in Portland love Portland. He has never been quoted as saying he wants to play in CA. He can’t leave as FA til 2025.
Nobody wants to come to Portland. How well has Lillard recruited any star players? It won't happen.
That would be absolute robbery if Dame made it over Ja this year. It isn't gonna happen. Cp3, curry, mitchell, booker, ja will make it over Dame.
That’s not true. Coaches traditionally look at team record when selecting reserves. Remember when Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver made the All Star team? They will favor Ja over Dame. Let’s say 6 guards make the All Star team out West. Curry, Mitchell, CP3, George, and Booker are locks. Ja is having a better year than Dame and his team is having a better year. Also there is Conley, Luka, Edwards, and Westbrook (by your standard, he should make it since he's been an All Star in 9 of the last 10 years and is a Top 75 guy). Honestly, unless we start winning more games, he won't make it. Maybe as an injury replacement but right now I think the coaches would go Curry, Mitchell, CP3, George, Booker, and Ja. Maybe Doncic instead of George who could be in as a front court player instead. There's no room for Dame. He's probably better than Mitchell but coaches will want to reward Utah.
SGA will be in the Convo for honorable mention guards that don't make it too.
I don't think getting to the conference finals by the skin of our teeth and then getting swept out once we were their is a big enough accomplishment given how great Dame has been for this team. We haven't put a roster around him that has made sense. CJ has always been a terrible running mate for Dame. If you think I'm over estimating Dame and that Olshey did a great job then I guess we have to agree to disagree but I think Dame has been and still is one of the very best in the league and I think Olshey was pure shit and rode Dame's coattails to whatever perceived success you give the team credit for over the last six or more seasons.
Yes but he definitely won't make it unless OKC won their next 10 games and even then, probably not.
I guess we'll see but I think star power has a lot more sway than you guys obviously do. Also, I don't know the answer to this but I'm wondering what perennial all stars Teague and Korver made that team over?
Beating OKC in the first round in 5 games is not mediocrity and then beating Denver too isn't mediocrity either. And it was CJ who rescued Dame in the Denver series so that was an example of the duo working. Maybe it's because I was at the games, but the 2019 Blazers playoff run was very special. I mean, I saw Dame hit a series winning buzzer beater. I saw us win Game 3 vs Denver in 4OT. And we all saw what CJ did in 4th quarter of Game 7 on ABC. And that was a VERY good Denver team that had earned the #2 seed and deserved to be there. Don't tell me you weren't entertained by those two series and weren't thrilled that we won them. And with Nurk out and Freedom with a bad shoulder. I'm thankful for that run and I get pissed off when people write it off. It was one of the best playoff runs in the history of the franchise. Like it or not.
You're so stuck in homer land, you think Ja doesn't have star power. Wow. Ja is a superstar in this league. Where've you been? Do you just watch Blazers games?
Yep unless we get over .500 or if one of the All Stars get hurt, Dame's out. Not happy about it either.
It's as good as we've gotten in a long time but without trying to diminish how fun it was... we weren't competitive in the Conference Finals and haven't won a game past the second round with this core. If you are saying that CJ has been a great complement to Dame and that the roster construction has maximized what Dame can and could do then we are at a total impasse and if I thought that we'd put great complementary rosters around Dame and what we've done is the best we can do with him then I'd be on board with giving up on him like so many in here are ready to do... despite him repeatedly saying that's not what he wants. I just don't think Neil has ever come close to putting together a well balanced roster that suits Dame during his prime and I still think Dame is in his prime despite his play being terrible by his standards to start the season due to an abdominal injury.
I like you calling me a homer... that's jut fun.
With Memphis a playoff team by the all star break, Ja is their best player. They don't have another player worthy of an all star nod. There is zero chance he does not make the team.
Dame doesn't even get talked about that article. Just a mention of receiving some votes. He's barely in the running.
Memphis isn't just a playoff team too. They are starting to pull away as the #4 seed. Yeah, I can see the coaches talking.... let's see... Memphis has a top 4 record in the West and their star player Ja Morant is Top 10 in the entire NBA in PER. I have a better idea... let's give it to Dame who is having an awful year (50th in PER), has been shooting his team out of games resulting in losses, is lazy on D resulting in more losses...... let me look at team record one more time.... the Grizzlies are 23-14 and the Blazers are 13-22. Okay, let's go with Dame. Ummm not.
