Let me start off by saying that I did not follow the team at all last year. I'm a die hard fan, but various issues led to me not even watching a game. Mainly the inability to get Comcast, a kind of sports depression stemming from the smashed dreams of Roy and Oden, and just a general lack of competitiveness in today's NBA...I don't think I'm alone in these feelings. Anyways, this puts me in a unique position away from all of you, in that I am somewhat emotionally severed and distanced from the current team. I feel I can comment on the current team situation in an almost unbiased manner. TO THE POINT: This team is nowhere near competing for a championship. We have LMA and we have a young Lillard. The rest of them are mediocre/average players or worse. Guys like Batum and Matthews are arguably overpaid. Why am I seeing so many comments about "moving the needle", like we are 1 or 2 pieces away from solid contention? Omer Asik....really? Possibly worth an extra 5-7 wins... THE ONLY WAY we have a chance of contending is by adding a massive superstar SG or SF...AND locking down the C position with a solid 35 mpg big...all without losing any current assets basically. There is no way that will happen. It's time to blow this shit up. LMA has been great, but we need to send him on his way so he can actually do something positive with his career. We need young assets/picks back in his place. EVEN IF some miracle trade brought in a Chris Paul type (not him exactly, just that caliber)..that would only bring us up to mere contention, not over the top. It's tempting to let the rest of summer/first half of the season play out and then make a decision, but really, what's the point? I'm sure we could score a very nice return on him the sooner we act. Does anyone else feel the same about this team?
Some of us do, yes. Maybe you should take a poll: Build around Lillard/LaMarcus or Trade LaMarcus/Blow it up? And welcome back.
Bring back Bob Whitsitt, spend some money, ignore Oregonian whining, and we'll be rolling again in a year.
Nothing personal, C_note, but you're just singing the chorus of the most popular song on this board right now. "Can't win it all this year, so trade LA, Doodah, doodah, Blow up the team and start again, Oh doodah, day." My problems with this approach: 1. I have yet to hear anything approaching a reasonable plan for trading LA. Dave on BE has a pretty good synopsis of the position of each team in the league as a potential trading partner for LA and I don't see anything there that would be reasonable value in return. http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/7/1/4485356/lamarcus-aldridge-trade-rumors-portland-trail-blazers 2. Each year there are about 4-5 teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the title. Should every other team in the league just keep blowing it up and recycling? That seems pretty fricking lame. 3. If it is clear that LMA will leave at the end of his contract, then make a deadline deal next season. I don't want half-assed recycled mediocre players for him like I've seen in so many trade suggestions, I either want a proven All-Star of equal talent or I want a good draft pick in next season's draft. Absent that, I'd rather let him play out his string and use the cap space to get another player. I prefer an incremental approach. Get decent, make the playoffs, attract better FAs and/or make trades, add to talent base, make the playoffs again and win a round or two, wait for an opportunity for a big trade and hope to build a contender. I don't have anything against trading LMA per se, but I'm getting damned tired of the notion I see spread around here that it's some sort of a guaranteed panacea that will lead to a contender. History says in the NBA that loser franchises tend to stay loser franchises.
I have read almost nothing on this board aside from the last couple days, so I'm just calling it like it is. 1. I'm not the GM, and I don't have the direct lines of discussion that management has to discuss offers...so it meaningless to craft or discuss a plan. I hate trade speculation, it is stupid. You need solid information which the public doesn't have. The point here is that he needs to be traded. 2. Yes. Do you care about winning? Why would you settle for anything less than the best roster possible? Do you want to end up stuck in the mid to late lottery? If the idea of the journey is too much for you, then why even try? 3. This is a common view, and seems like the easy way out. But seriously think about this. Do the Blazers have a chance in hell of landing a MAJOR free agent with that cap space, if you let that happen? No, they don't Those players go to the Florida teams, or LA, or NY...it's never happened to PDX and never will. So throw that idea out the window. Trade him now and LMA has far more value as a 2 year contract than he does as an expiring. He has far too much talent for any team to consider him a throw the dice salary dump 1 year from now. If you wait another year, the Blazers will have their hands tied. The entire league will know we have to trade him and it will destroy his value.
Also e_blazer, the problem I have with your incremental approach is that it doesn't work. MAYBE in the NBA of the past. But there is absolutely no way we are going to trade for/sign players that are going to compete with the Miami trifecta, the Spurs masterful roster, the Lakers if Howard stays, OKC... How are you going to do it? What FA roster is going to compete with Miami? Because that's the ultimate goal. I don't want to be "pretty good". Excuse my language, but the Spurs have a FUCKING PERFECT ROSTER balance wise, and even they couldn't do it. The NBA is sadly an unbalanced playing field as a result of free agency; a free agency market Portland doesn't have access to.
I am not completely convinced this is true. He is on the market now. Where are these quality offers? Waiting another year may make a difference to some teams, but for others......not that much. Is Dallas going to offer us more now, then next year? How about the Lakers? There are teams that will be in better position next year then this year. Either way I agree you take a great offer if it occurs. But if it is not great then you wait. You do not give his ass away. The worse case scenario is after two more seasons as a Blazer he walks and you either get a sign and trade, or cap space. I will take those chances. Right now Neil is listening to offers, but not hearing what he likes. He needs to be patient.
Dude, the Spurs are OLD. Their "perfect roster" is going to be retired within 2 years and won't be relevant after 1 year. The Heat are likely to blow apart when LBJ is tempted to move on when his contract runs its course. DWade is getting creaky and Bosh isn't what he used to be. The Thunder seem to be unwilling to spend what's needed to add that third piece in order to get over the top. The Lakers? Get serious. Kobe will be lucky to be anything approaching his former self and Howard is unlikely to re-sign. Two years ago the Clippers were irrelevant and now they've added pieces that will make them possible contenders. The Nets are trying to buy their way into contention. The NBA is constantly in flux. If the Blazers want to be relevant, they need to build a winning program and keep upgrading year after year.
If the Blazers put together a team that looks "close" to being a contender, it becomes more attractive to FA's and also encourages existing players to want to stay. Nearly all players have a desire to win. Put a roster together that can and your team becomes a more enticing destination. I'm not saying we can compete with the bright lights of LA, Miami, NYC, etc. but we can be more attractive. I'd rather to incremental than blow it up again. Gramps...
Patience. We aren't going to get a superstar unless we draft one and imo we drafted a superstar last season. We aren't a big market so say goodbye to adding a big dog that way. Are Batum and Matthews overpaid? Slightly but we have to pay that extra to get them here in the first place. I'm tired of hearing Wes and Batum getting hated on when in reality they are both arguably top 10 at their position.
I love "fans" that quit on a team and then advocate for them to get worse. Thanks for the insight. Sorry that continuing comcast issue that started many years ago got you to stop watching, conveniently, during a time they planned to start a rebuild/retool/whatever. You say you want it, but you quit on th eteam when it's happening, and call it depression from Roy and Oden. Gimme a fucking break. Sorry, you don't understand the term die hard fan. Look forward to seeing you around more during positive times, undoubtedly.
you're not, especially with the apathy. Blazer fans remain a whiney bunch as opposed to the rest of us biased posters jaded by having actually watched the team Adding Omar would shore up their greatest weakness, interior D. As those of us who watched saw with JJ at 5, defense is a pretty important component to winning hoops. Asik's addition would also give them an at least decent starting player at every position. I particularly like the potential of 3 long shotblockers along the frontline. Defense + Chemistry is worth more then 7 wins. If Howard goes to Houston as expected, then Asik becomes available... the question is what Houston would want/accept in return. btw, the Blazers have also added CJ and Thomas Robinson to what was the worst bench in the league. The rest of the main backups are still young/new to the league, but at least they've some experience now. Things should be trending up I view the NBA as corrupt. As such, a superstar who transcends hoops as a marketing force would be a way for Podunkland to escape their small market pigeonhole as the bridesmaid at best. Not sure who you're eyeballing in HS/college, but I don't see that guy. I'd settle for at least seeing some well played hoops by a talented team. Add Asik to this team without subtracting from the core, I see them having a very competitive squad that could contend. STOMP
The first I agree with. The second is a new idea to me, but not Pritchard fans--Just totally forget about major FAs. We're too small of a market. Interesting. I don't see the big difference of opinion in this thread. It IS incremental to trade players every year. Even a star, if he indicates he will leave. I see a synthesis of the two sides.
Sure, if they continue course, they will be competitive. Will they contend? Absolutely not. Still 1 major superstar away from contention. Scottie Pippen ain't walking through that door.
Amen. You are so much better than me because you can watch all the games and I can't. BTW, I never quit on the team and never said I did. I still followed them. I'm just laying out what needs to be done after not posting here for a year. Stop being a dick.
You are WAY out of line! You can only call people dicks after you've been back for 5 or more days. Sent from HCPs Baller-Ass iPhone 5...FAMS!
Your words, not mine. You quit on the team, and are making excuses like comcast and roy/oden depression for it. To each their own.
