LMA is the best player on the Blazers. I know you hate him but he is the best Blazer at the moment. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Wat. Dude can't create shots for himself or others off the dribble, cause he can't dribble. All he does is shoot threes for offense, how is that well rounded? Don't even get me started on how overrated his defense is. Batum is the third best player on this team, no doubt.
Setting aside my "hate" for LMA - he IS a worse dribbler, defender, passer, and scorer than Batum. Lillard is a worse defender and doesn't quite have Nic's court vision for creating easy scoring opportunities (yet). Nic isn't terrific at any one thing, but he does everything (aside from ball handling) well. The only weak part of Nic's game is his dribbling. Creating your own shot off the dribble should not be the primary criteria for defining who is the best player. Yes, Nic is a role player - but he is also the best player on the team. I fully expect Lillard to become better, but he's not there yet. He's better at scoring, but not better at basketball. I think Nic SHOULD be the team's 3rd best player if we ever hope to contend for a title...but that means we need to draft or trade for a #1 or #2 guy.
I wouldn't say Batum is better at scoring than Aldridge, but other than that, I see your point. There's no way he is better than Lillard though. The only thing he's better at is defense. Lillard is a better scorer and, while you're right about Batum having better court vision for easy baskets, a better overall passer as well due to his ability to create off the dribble.
I can see how someone would argue that Lillard is the better passer, but for my money I connect good passing to court vision more so than drive/dish - I never liked Roy's passing abilities. But Nic does pass off the dribble quite well. He might not do it often, but he's good at it (and I do think he was hampered for half the season with that wrist injury). He doesn't make quick moves to the hoop with the ball and then dish off like Lillard does, but he has that probing methodical dribble that he passes well out of to players moving towards the hoop. I guess if you take leadership and the mythical "clutchness" into account, I can get on board with Lillard already being better. But based solely on basketball skills I still think Nic edges out Lillard at the moment. With regards to scoring and LMA - IF he actually played in the paint I'd say he's a better scorer. But he's only really had about 2-3 months of really strong offensive play, and that was two seasons ago. He's very offensively limited if he gets the ball anywhere other than the left block or the top of the key...and even at the top of the key he's not a very good shooter. Nic's offense is limited because of his dribbling, but you can give him the ball anywhere on the floor and he at least has the ability to create a scoring opportunity. And he doesn't take 6-8 low percentage shots per game like LMA does.
I can't stand this new Batum. He's well below average in creating offense for others but he tries every freaking time. He'll pass up a wide open shot or lane to pass. Total stat padder in that regard.
So, if I've read some other posts correctly, the Blazers should just play their cards close to the vest this summer, then go after a FA(s) next summer when there's a seeming glut....a buyer's market? In that scenario, I wonder if Klay Thompson would be available?
To me, the whole question of NBA finals or bust is wrong. Right now, the Grizzlies and Pacers are playing in their respective conference finals. Neither one would have been remotely considered likely to do that, let alone make the NBA finals. Obviously, neither one has much chance of accomplishing the latter, but they're in the position where one injury to a major player on the opposing team would move it into a real possibility. The Blazers' first goal is to get into the category of the Pacers and Grizzlies, watch the contracts they give out, and be in a position to make the next level of legitimate contender when a chance arises to be a player in a future trade for a major player, the way the Heat and Clippers did and countless other teams before them. The Blazers can certainly rise to that level over the next two years with some sound moves starting this summer.
We're already the champions, in my mind. In fact, next month in June, we're beating the Seattle Supersonics 4-0.
If our posters are correct (80% saying need 3 years or more (never?) to make the finals); then what are the implications? It seems to me that Aldridge would need to be traded now. there is a good chance that if we are not very, very good within the next two years, he will leave. So he may have the most value right now. Something else to be considered is that apparently the 2014 draft and free agent class will be a lot better. So if we traded Aldridge in an unbalanced trade for picks and possible a younger player; this could possibly help us roll into next summer in a good position. First, it would make us a weaker team; thereby allowing us to again keep our pick owed to Charlotte; we would have a lottery pick in a really good draft. Also we could lower our payroll; putting us in better position to go after free agent(s) in 2014. I know that some commentators have suggested we trade LA to Cleveland for the #1 plus more draft picks or younger players. Now, if Olshey could somehow pull off a deal instead that somehow puts us into strong contention for a finals spot within a year or two, he should do that. But if he can't; shouldn't this be considered?
No offense intended, UKRAINEFAN, but that's the line of thinking that kept the Clippers such an NBA powerhouse for so many decades. Keep trading away proven vets for unproven rookies and you're not going to get anywhere. For the Clippers to break out of their weenie ways, it took assembling enough proven players on the right contracts that when Chris Paul had finally had enough of New Orleans they had the assets to make a play for him. They wouldn't have had a shot if they'd continued their previous mode of a never ending parade of high draft picks passing through the organization. Sure, they needed the young talent in the form of Blake Griffin, but the deal doesn't get made without a very good Eric Gordon being available to be packaged in the deal. It's hard to say if Paul will stay or go, but he at least made the team relevant again. Regarding the timeline, I've already said that the realistic goal for the next two years is to join the second tier teams like the Pacers and Grizzlies. From there, you look for a deal or a lucky break in the playoffs to get you to the Finals. As for LMA, I think that the hypothesis that he's going to leave if the Blazers aren't a Finals team in two years begs the question. Where's the logical support for that idea? If, as I suspect, Olshey can put the Blazers on the same footing as the Pacers and Grizzlies within two years, that means that the Blazers will be as good as, or better than 25 or so team in the league. How likely is it that one of the top 5 teams will have the cap space to make a play for his services in two years? Not very likely, IMHO. If they're that good, then they will already have 3-4 big contracts of their own. If it does look like there's a good chance the Blazers will lose LMA in two years, there's still the option of a deadline trade or a summer sign-and-trade to get value back for him. I am not saying that LMA is untouchable (none of our players are), but I am saying that he'd better bring back another established star of approximately equal value or else no deal, from my point of view.
No offense taken. I'm not strongly attached to this idea; it just occurred to me today that maybe the Blazers should be planning to somehow take advantage of the fact that the next draft and the next free agent class are expected to be a lot better than the upcoming ones. I don't really like the idea of being out of the playoffs for another year but I still think that unless Olshey can make a major improvement this offseason, that they should prepare for the next offseason by shedding salary and maybe thinking about keeping that draft pick. there may be several ways to do that; trading LMA would only be one.
