OT Trailblazers 2015: The team that could have been...

[Stevenson]

That team from 2014-15 had serious championship potential:

Dame
Lamarcus
RoLo
Wes
Batum

And the trade for Afflalo, contrary to popular opinion, was perfect. They all played so beautifully together.

Of course, Wes and Afflalo's injuries changed everything and caused Olshey to panic sell, but man, what could have been...

This era, what I think of as the Al-Farouq Aminu era (because him at starting PF sums up everything), just pales in comparison. So boring and mediocre.

 

[illmatic99]

He kept saying he had two possibilities depending on what Aldridge did. Which I have to begrudgingly agree as the smart approach.

Neil and Paul were in DC to meet with Greg Monroe to be our upgrade at C that summer. And once Aldridge left, that team had to break up. I still wish we would have kept Rolo though and I also wish we got SOMETHING for Nico. Henderson for a season and a scrub in Vonleh was not good value.

 

[wizenheimer]

That team from 2014-15 had serious championship potential:

Dame
Lamarcus
RoLo
Wes
Batum

And the trade for Afflalo, contrary to popular opinion, was perfect. They all played so beautifully together.

Of course, Wes and Afflalo's injuries changed everything and caused Olshey to panic sell, but man, what could have been...

This era, what I think of as the Al-Farouq Aminu era (because him at starting PF sums up everything), just pales in comparison. So boring and mediocre.

that team was better, by quite a bit, than any Blazer team since, but I'd disagree that it had any championship potential. They were fun to watch, most times, but I just think they were more pretender than contender.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

that team was better, by quite a bit, than any Blazer team since, but I'd disagree that it had any championship potential. They were fun to watch, most times, but I just think they were more pretender than contender.

I kind of agree but they were a team that had things went right wouldve been close.

 

[42N8Bounce]

This era, what I think of as the Al-Farouq Aminu era (because him at starting PF sums up everything), just pales in comparison. So boring and mediocre.

Wow. I guess we all have our own view of the team. I certainly don't view this team as boring and mediocre.
- Dame is one year removed from a 1st team NBA selection.
- Nurk is becoming one of the dominant big men in the league.
- CJ is a dynamic scorer, and a great 2nd scoring option.
- Aminu is a perfect glue guy that every team needs, always taking the tough defensive assignments.
- Collins is a young up and coming player showing tons of promise.
- Layman is showing flashes of talent that excite me with his potential.

I know I'm a bit blinded with my fan goggles. But I enjoy watching this team. Can they win a championship? That a big ask. They're sitting in 4th place in a loaded Western Conference. There's a lot of parity in the league this year. With the right match ups, and a bit of luck, I think they can go deep into the playoffs.

I'm excited about this team, and I'm excited to watch some of the young prospects grow over the next few years.

Go Blazers!

 

[illmatic99]

The west was wide open that year. GS hadn't fully popped yet and the Spurs were still on a championship high. And CLE was still figuring out Lebron,

We had an awesome comeback win in GS that year after Wes got ejected and Mo/Aldridge just destroyed em. Signature game of that season that led me to think we actually had something. Phil Jackson's definition for an elite team is one that wins 30 games before it loses 10.

We were 30-8.

Damn shame.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Wow. I guess we all have our own view of the team. I certainly don't view this team as boring and mediocre.
- Dame is one year removed from a 1st team NBA selection.
- Nurk is becoming one of the dominant big men in the league.
- CJ is a dynamic scorer, and a great 2nd scoring option.
- Aminu is a perfect glue guy that every team needs, always taking the tough defensive assignments.
- Collins is a young up and coming player showing tons of promise.
- Layman is showing flashes of talent that excite me with his potential.

I know I'm a bit blinded with my fan goggles. But I enjoy watching this team. Can they win a championship? That a big ask. They're sitting in 4th place in a loaded Western Conference. There's a lot of parity in the league this year. With the right match ups, and a bit of luck, I think they can go deep into the playoffs.

I'm excited about this team, and I'm excited to watch some of the young prospects grow over the next few years.

Go Blazers!

I think what frustrates me about the current roster is the inconsistency in how they play. You’ll always have a certain amount of inconsistency with results. Sometimes they move off the ball and pass and get out in transition and play good defense. Then sometimes they dont do any of that and just stand and watch CJ and Dame try to run the whole show.

Certainly potential with this group to be a great watch every night, just doesnt work out that way.

In terms of mediocre, I see them pretty on par with most of the top 8-10 teams in the west. Which at times can feel mediocre, but really they’re a good team, just not a great one (in my opinion).

 

[Chris Craig]

So did the 1999-2001 team. I still don't get why Whisitt didn't keep that group together.

 

[Chris Craig]

That team from 2014-15 had serious championship potential:

Dame
Lamarcus
RoLo
Wes
Batum

And the trade for Afflalo, contrary to popular opinion, was perfect. They all played so beautifully together.

Of course, Wes and Afflalo's injuries changed everything and caused Olshey to panic sell, but man, what could have been...

This era, what I think of as the Al-Farouq Aminu era (because him at starting PF sums up everything), just pales in comparison. So boring and mediocre.

If Lamarcus stayed, Neil might have resigned Wes and kept the group together, who knows

 

[Chris Craig]

He kept saying he had two possibilities depending on what Aldridge did. Which I have to begrudgingly agree as the smart approach.

Neil and Paul were in DC to meet with Greg Monroe to be our upgrade at C that summer. And once Aldridge left, that team had to break up. I still wish we would have kept Rolo though and I also wish we got SOMETHING for Nico. Henderson for a season and a scrub in Vonleh was not good value.

Oh, to think of what could have been.

I wish they had gotten more for Batum too. But, Henderson was good, he was a sixth man, Blazers missed him the year after. Vonleh was young, and the Blazers should not have given up on him. He is proving to be a capable player in NY

 

[Chris Craig]

Wow. I guess we all have our own view of the team. I certainly don't view this team as boring and mediocre.
- Dame is one year removed from a 1st team NBA selection.
- Nurk is becoming one of the dominant big men in the league.
- CJ is a dynamic scorer, and a great 2nd scoring option.
- Aminu is a perfect glue guy that every team needs, always taking the tough defensive assignments.
- Collins is a young up and coming player showing tons of promise.
- Layman is showing flashes of talent that excite me with his potential.

I know I'm a bit blinded with my fan goggles. But I enjoy watching this team. Can they win a championship? That a big ask. They're sitting in 4th place in a loaded Western Conference. There's a lot of parity in the league this year. With the right match ups, and a bit of luck, I think they can go deep into the playoffs.

I'm excited about this team, and I'm excited to watch some of the young prospects grow over the next few years.

Go Blazers!

The Blazers can't win a championship with the team as is. They are young and raw, and even though winning a championship isn't all necessarily all about talent, the Blazers need another consistent shooter outside to pull defensive pressure off of Dame and CJ. Layman could become that. The Blazers also need more trust. They have good chemistry and play well together, but there isn't enough trust. I don't see the Blazers getting past the Warriors at this point to get to the finals. I am excited to see what this team becomes. In a few years when the Warriors disband, and the Blazers get a few more upgrades and some development maybe there is a chance. But, by then Lebron will have more help in LA and it will be the Lakers turn.

 

[Mediocre Man]

He kept saying he had two possibilities depending on what Aldridge did. Which I have to begrudgingly agree as the smart approach.

Neil and Paul were in DC to meet with Greg Monroe to be our upgrade at C that summer. And once Aldridge left, that team had to break up. I still wish we would have kept Rolo though and I also wish we got SOMETHING for Nico. Henderson for a season and a scrub in Vonleh was not good value.

HE FUCKING KNEW WHAT ALDRIDGE WAS DOING ALREADY

 

[tlongII]

So did the 1999-2001 team. I still don't get why Whisitt didn't keep that group together.

Because we really needed Shawn Kemp to take the next step?

 

[SheedSoNasty]

So did the 1999-2001 team. I still don't get why Whisitt didn't keep that group together.

They might have killed each other.

 

[Pinwheel1]

The problem with that team was it revolved around LMA too much on offense. Terry changed the offense after LMA left, and as much as some of you incorrectly (IMHO) bitch about our guards dominating the ball.......having LMA being the 3rd option in that lineup, instead of the 1st, would have been optimal.
But at that time there was no way his ego would have let it happen.

 

[Chris Craig]

Because we really needed Shawn Kemp to take the next step?

But, the Blazers didn't trade for an at the top of his game in great shape Kemp. They traded for fat, bloated coke head Kemp. Should have kept Grant

 

[Chris Craig]

They might have killed each other.

Or went all the way. They should have a gotten a revenge season against the fakers with the same group.

 

[Cippy91]

That team was special and really fun to watch. When Wes went down, that was it. Only good thing that came out of it was cj shining in the playoffs. That team was so fun though.

 

[Cippy91]

The problem with that team was it revolved around LMA too much on offense. Terry changed the offense after LMA left, and as much as some of you incorrectly (IMHO) bitch about our guards dominating the ball.......having LMA being the 3rd option in that lineup, instead of the 1st, would have been optimal.
But at that time there was no way his ego would have let it happen.

I remember games I got so sick of his fade always. He became all about volume. Had monster games though. When he was on it was great to watch. Shit, he can still ball. Imagine if he stayed and dame grew to the player he is now. Wouldn’t have ever worked probably but my broken blazer soul still loves wondering what oden would be without injuries and Roy. The big three of Roy, oden, Aldridge. Etc.


Being a blazer fan...

 

[illmatic99]

HE FUCKING KNEW WHAT ALDRIDGE WAS DOING ALREADY

Then it's even more inexcusable what he did

 

[Mediocre Man]

Then it's even more inexcusable what he did

Yes

 

[Pinwheel1]

People always give Neil shit about not taking chances. Playing devil's advocate here, maybe he was taking a huge one hoping that LMA might change his mind.
He held out hope til the end. Talent like his does not come around very often. I complain about him being the #1 option on those teams, but I sure as hell wish he was still on the team. With the right attitude ( I know a big if) he would still make this team a hell of lot better. To me that is a risk worth taking. Much better then say tanking and taking a risk in the draft.

 

[tiredhunter]

HE FUCKING KNEW WHAT ALDRIDGE WAS DOING ALREADY

Everyone, in their heart, knew what was going to happen the second Wes went down.

 

[DUB]

Everyone, in their heart, knew what was going to happen the second Wes went down.

Even when Wes got injured that was still a great team in the context of that NBA season. Unfortunately, and unforgivably Aldridge quit on that team as soon as Wes got injured.

 

[tiredhunter]

Even when Wes got injured that was still a great team in the context of that NBA season. Unfortunately, and unforgivably Aldridge quit on that team as soon as Wes got injured.

Well, and it was after the trade deadline, so it isn't like changes could have happened at that point. There were a few weeks before AA got banged up too we were able to maintain some hope of salvaging, but it was very much looking for the silver lining at that point.

 

[KingSpeed]

That team started sucking long before Wes got hurt and in the playoffs, they still had two All Stars and couldn’t win 2 games in the playoffs. Yes the Afflalo team looked good for 5 games but it was just 5 games. We played 5 good games last year too.

 

[KingSpeed]

Wow. I guess we all have our own view of the team. I certainly don't view this team as boring and mediocre.
- Dame is one year removed from a 1st team NBA selection.
- Nurk is becoming one of the dominant big men in the league.
- CJ is a dynamic scorer, and a great 2nd scoring option.
- Aminu is a perfect glue guy that every team needs, always taking the tough defensive assignments.
- Collins is a young up and coming player showing tons of promise.
- Layman is showing flashes of talent that excite me with his potential.

I know I'm a bit blinded with my fan goggles. But I enjoy watching this team. Can they win a championship? That a big ask. They're sitting in 4th place in a loaded Western Conference. There's a lot of parity in the league this year. With the right match ups, and a bit of luck, I think they can go deep into the playoffs.

I'm excited about this team, and I'm excited to watch some of the young prospects grow over the next few years.

Go Blazers!

Great post

 

[KingSpeed]

The west was wide open that year. GS hadn't fully popped yet and the Spurs were still on a championship high. And CLE was still figuring out Lebron,

We had an awesome comeback win in GS that year after Wes got ejected and Mo/Aldridge just destroyed em. Signature game of that season that led me to think we actually had something. Phil Jackson's definition for an elite team is one that wins 30 games before it loses 10.

We were 30-8.

Damn shame.

1) GS won 67 games that year. They had absolutely popped.

2) We were 24-5 the season before too but both seasons, we played like crap after quick starts.

3) Was Mo Williams on our team in 2015? I don’t think so.

 

[LayneStaley]

Injuries ruining what coulda been, sounds par for the course to me.

What this franchise needs is something MAJOR to break our way once, something to make us forget taking Sam/Greg over Jordan/Durant and losing Superstars we did get early in their careers to injury or important role players during great “coulda been” seasons. I really feel like this franchise has had more than it’s share of bad luck. It’s our turn!

Ok goodnight.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Everyone, in their heart, knew what was going to happen the second Wes went down.

The difference is Aldridge FUCKING TOLD Neil he wanted out.