Interesting mostly unbiased view of the Blazers

I agree with you completely. Some of the scenarios that have been thrown out there I would do. Unfortunately the other team would not. Then there are the scenarios that are extremely risky. If the gamble (i.e draft pick) does not work out...... a lot of people get fired.

I believe that more times than not, the team that gets the best player in trade always gets the best end of the deal. Even if multiple players are included for him. But again, if someone offered the top pick in the draft for LA, I would not rule out taking the trade. But I think that if someone has the top pick in the draft they may also want to go young and start over. Not sure why they would do it.

 

I guess that's what separates your opinion from mine. Personally, I have a feeling that Lillard will become a superstar.

But everything else I can actually agree with.

Yet, I see us giving those contending teams a run for their money already this season, with a dismal bench. I can imagine that if our bench was just a little better, we would have an easier time against them.

 

See, I don't think Lillard is a superstar because I see Irving, Rose (if healthy), Paul, and maybe Westbrook ahead of him. Then you have Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, etc. There are a lot of really good point guards in the NBA right now, so where does Lillard rank with them? We honestly won't know for a couple seasons, I think. I see him up there, but a superstar in my mind is the best at his position. Either the best or the second best. There are only a few superstars in the league right now.

LBJ
Durant
Howard
Kobe

Those are the kind of players I'm talking about. Do you see Lillard on that same kind of list?

 

I think Lillard can make a big next step. I think a big thing working for us towards competing is having top players at their positions. Aldridge is a top 5 PF. Batum is in the argument for that 5th best SF, easly top 10, but around there. Lillard has the potential to make that leap. You fill in with the right type of role players, and I think you can get there.

 

I doubt he gets to a LBJ, Durrant, Kobe level. I won't count on Howard because I don't think he has the superstar leadership like the others you mentioned.

So in terms of leadership, I think Lillard can definitely be at that level; but those players are legends when all is said and done. That's unfair to ask anything of that magnitude from Lillard.

 

You named Howard and Kobe and they are both on the same team. And they currently are out of the playoffs. So it obviously takes more than having a super star. Not sure I want to keep blowing things up to get that elusive superstar.

 

Good point! LOL

 

Those are the superstars though. I think there is a distinct difference between an "All-Star" caliber player and a "Superstar" caliber player. The NBA sees a difference as well. Just look at how the refs handle those guys and tell me there isn't a difference. There's also a different way that they're marketed, a different way the fans view them, and their popularity level. All of those guys were voted into the All-Star game by the fans.

Howard became a Superstar from when he was on the Magic. The D12 that is on the Lakers is a very different player, and he might not ever recapture that level of play. Back injuries have a way of robbing someone of their athleticism. Kobe still fits under the Superstar label, but he's pretty much in the twilight of his career. If Kobe was in his prime and Howard wasn't recovering from a back injury, yes, they would be in the playoffs. They would probably be the best team in the west.

 

Carter, T-Mac, and others like them were superstars.

I could definitely see Lillard being at Tony Parker's level. He won 3 championships.

 

Playing devil's advocate here.....Did Howard become a superstar in Orlando because they built their team around him and they are not in Los Angeles? Maybe he will never be a superstar if he has to play with one. I have seen some monster games from Howard this year, yet they still lost. I think it is more that he and Kobe have bad chemistry and/or they play in the wrong system. Not sure it was his back.

 

Howard is less than a year removed from back surgery. Don't get it twisted, D12 was every bit the top five player that he was when he was in Orlando, leading a pretty mediocre band of players to the finals. The Lakers' troubles are that they can't defend for shit and their personnel is mostly old and super slow trying to play D'Antoni ball.

 

I could also see Lillard eventually becoming as good as Parker. But that doesn't mean he'll be good enough to lead us to Championships, just because Parker won 3. Parker won those because he plays for the Spurs, not because he's Tony Parker.

 

But Parker is a superstar no?

 

Weren't the Lakers a strong defensive team under Brown? At least I remembered them being one.

 

That's what Brown wanted, but they weren't good defensively. Just too old.

 

ahhh I see said the blind man to his deaf son.

 

No. At best that's a team that'll reach the "heights" that DEN achieved a couple seasons ago.

No. Lillard has an outside shot at becoming one, but you certainly don't plan on it happening because it's much more likely that he's just a very good player.

No. In order to win without a superstar you need players who can do A LOT of things VERY well. Lillard may be Billups, and Nic may be Prince, but that's as far as we go towards matching DET's recent championship team. You also need an EXCELLENT coach - I'm fully convinced that Stotts is NOT that coach.

This is why I'm fully convinced that the only way to be anything more than a middle-of-the-pack playoff team is to trade LMA for multiple players and draft picks. It's the most bang for your buck in terms of getting assets. By obtaining multiple players/picks you're increasing your chances of having more potential trade fodder down the line to continue making the right moves to keep the team on a championship track.

 

Not in my mind.

 

It's just too bad we couldn't move Aldridge for Harden, because I think Harden could have been that guy for us.