Trail Blazers' list of concerns after Game 1 should include the future of LaMarcus Aldridge

[SlyPokerDog]

MEMPHIS - It was 40 minutes before Game 1 here Sunday when Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen arrived at FedExForum and caught the eye of LaMarcus Aldridge.


The Blazers star was in the midst of his pregame warmup when he stopped to run over to the corner baseline to greet the man who has paid him nearly $90 million over his career.


As they stood and visited, Allen told Aldridge he visited the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.


"Did you have fun?'' Aldridge asked.


Allen shrugged his shoulders with indifference.


"Well, hope you have fun tonight,'' Aldridge said, shaking his hand again, and patting the owner on the shoulder before returning to his shooting routine.


A couple hours later, after the Blazers were embarrassed by Memphis, I'm beginning to wonder whether Allen, and the rest of the Blazers, shouldn't be the ones offering Aldridge the well wishes.


After an atrocious performance by the Blazers that at one point left Aldridge sitting alone on the bench as his teammates joined a late-game huddle, the Blazers need to worry about more than just losing this series.


They need to worry about losing one of the greatest players in franchise history.


Some Blazers players have already said they are worried free agency will take Aldridge away from Portland this summer. Earlier this month, before a home game, a Blazers player estimated the chances of him returning to Portland at 50-50...

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...ers_list_of_concerns_after_game_1_should.html

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Yeah, I would be super-concerned if I were Allen. But let's see how the rest of the series goes. If LA keeps putting up 30 a night while his bandmates fuck up over and over, he has every right to tell this team to get bent.

The Blazers have to win three games to regain lost pride and to keep LA (in my opinion).

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I played golf with Lanny, Wookee and Homer. Then had drinks with Bbert.

Today was a good day.

 

[magnifier661]

If LMA leaves this team I will be so depressed. It will be the Blazer curse where old blazer stars leave and actually win their ring on another team. How many have done this so far?

Walton (but won on in Portland too), Drexler, Kersey?(I can't remember), Porter, Sheed, Smitty, who else?

 

[lordninja11]

I'm not wishing him away but if he does decides to leave I can see him on the Spurs, Warriors (depending on what they do with David Lee and Draymond), or Cavs (if Kelvin loves leaves)

 

[BBert]

What Blazers player said it was 50/50 Aldridge would leave?

 

[PTBfanEST87]

Damn if only his sidekick superstar can make him think twice. This is where the problem is. Great players usually leave teams when they have no help. It's so critical Lillard and others atleast be respectable to the point LA can atleast think he has a great team.

 

[KingSpeed]

What Blazers player said it was 50/50 Aldridge would leave?

That's the only thing that stood out in the article. 50/50??? Really?

 

[PTBfanEST87]

That's the only thing that stood out in the article. 50/50??? Really?

That's not scary to you? At one point he was a lock now 50-50??

 

[BBert]

I would like some verification on this 50/50 claim.

 

[maxiep]

LOL. I still don't see LA leaving. This team was 30-8 before the injuries. It's not like we suck; we're crushed by freakish injuries.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Well hopefully he stays but if he does leave hopefully he lets the Blazers work out a sign & trade from his desired teams he wishes to play for.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If LMA leaves I can play power forward.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

One thing I will say. Aldridge for the past few months has been going one direction and the rest of his teammates have been going the other. I'm not sure what this means. But I do find it kind of odd that a player who was willing to come back for the team after his thumb injury to play and compete for a title, the teammates haven't followed suit. Nic's heart is not there. Damian seems listless. The soul of this team has seemed down the entire year. Not sure what it means. I'm going to take a stab at it though. Because that's what I do. Perhaps they know he is gone. So they don't feel the need to go out and sell out because he is not with them anyway. He is somewhere else. I made a comment a few months ago after his thumb injury that it seemed liked he was putting on a show for Cuban. That I hope him coming back, was not his way of saying good bye to the team, fans and ownership. As if If he thought he owed it to them.

I still hope that is not the case.

 

[PDXFonz]

What Blazers player said it was 50/50 Aldridge would leave?

Probably somebody ridiculous like Alonzo Gee or Tim Frazier, lol.

 

[Rhal]

5/127 sounds a LOT better then 4/90

 

[BigGameDamian]

I'm not wishing him away but if he does decides to leave I can see him on the Spurs, Warriors (depending on what they do with David Lee and Draymond), or Cavs (if Kelvin loves leaves)

Kevin Love for Aldridge?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Kevin Love for Aldridge?

Dear God, no.

 

[MickZagger]

One thing I will say. Aldridge for the past few months has been going one direction and the rest of his teammates have been going the other. I'm not sure what this means. But I do find it kind of odd that a player who was willing to come back for the team after his thumb injury to play and compete for a title, the teammates haven't followed suit. Nic's heart is not there. Damian seems listless. The soul of this team has seemed down the entire year. Not sure what it means. I'm going to take a stab at it though. Because that's what I do. Perhaps they know he is gone. So they don't feel the need to go out and sell out because he is not with them anyway. He is somewhere else. I made a comment a few months ago after his thumb injury that it seemed liked he was putting on a show for Cuban. That I hope him coming back, was not his way of saying good bye to the team, fans and ownership. As if If he thought he owed it to them.

I still hope that is not the case.

Nic played fine. Lillard on the other hand, good grief. Getting Afflalo back will help.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Dear God, no.

You would make this deal if LA leaving was a certain and you didn't want to lose him for nothing though right?

I would.

 

[PDXFonz]

You would make this deal if LA leaving was a certain and you didn't want to lose him for nothing though right?

I would.

He'd trade him for a bucket of tennis balls, not Kevin Love.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Nic played fine. Lillard on the other hand, good grief. Getting Afflalo back will help.

With the exception of maybe a week of solid play, Nic has been bad all year. I didn't think he performed at the level he needed to play at this evening for the team to take game one.

 

[MickZagger]

With the exception of maybe a week of solid play, Nic was been bad all year. I didn't think he performed at the level he needed to play at this evening for the team to take game one.

I'm not talking about this year. I'm talking about tonight. His defense was kind of blah tonight, but he did fine offensively. Outplayed Green.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I'm not talking about this year. I'm talking about tonight. His defense was kind of blah tonight, but he did fine offensively. Outplayed Green.

He had a lot of bricks.

I think for this team to take this series he needs to average 20 points a game. As does Damian. Averaging over 20 points a game is a sign of upping your game in all facets.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

He'd trade him for a bucket of tennis balls, not Kevin Love.

lol.

I don't think you can take a signed fa and trade him or another signed fa though. So this isn't even worth discussing. You would have to sell Kevin on the open cap space and coming to Portland which I assume at that time he will already have verbally agreed to another team.

 

[MarAzul]

I don't get all this talk about Aldridge leaving? How can this happen unless the Blazers just let him go?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Jason Quick article. Maybe there is some truth, but even more likely he made the damned thing up.

"Unnamed sources/players". lol. We've seen this charlatan before.

 

[Kaydow]

That's not scary to you? At one point he was a lock now 50-50??

I listen to all of the post game interviews. Around the time of the 5 game losing streak LA resigning started to feel like less of a "lock". After the loss at Orlando there were questions if it could be a catalyst, like it was the year before when they won 9/10 to finish the reg season after the low point loss to the Magic, then won a playoff series. He said "No. Different year, different feeling . . . " There are other similar examples where he just seems despondent, especially since Wes went down. Of all the signs, his body language tonight was the worst to date. Nobody knows what he's going to do this summer, perhaps not even he does. But it's going to get a lot more tense if this series ends like it started tonight.

On the other hand this is life in the NBA 2015. Halfway through last season it appeared we were set for the next 5+ years. One of the best starting units in the league, outstanding chemistry, 2 stars coming into their own. But there are no assurances. Halfway through last season Indiana also looked like the best team in the league, and poised to battle Miami for the next several Eastern Conf championships. Now they're both in the lottery, perhaps for the foreseeable future. At the end of the day, LA can still make a lot more $ here than anywhere else. He's also comfortable here, and is on track to break every meaningful record in franchise history. That still means something, just not everything, I still think he resigns here, but I'm a lot more nervous about it than I thought I'd be.

 

[Stevenson]

I do think the massive infusion of cash from the new TV deal and the huge increase in the cap starting next year have changed the equation.

 

[Strenuus]

Kevin Love for Aldridge?

Green font, BGD. Use the green font!