You got to see a championship. I have not. I'd like it if we didn't piss away the next 5+years just to keep Lillard. Small market teams get stars through the draft and flexibility. We had a good run and Olshey failed miserably at getting a star next to Dame after Aldridge left for nothing.
Yeah...'cos surrounding HIM with talent has/is worked so very well. This team is hot garbage because trying to surround Dame with talent has not worked, and as his salary goes up, the chances of finally after 10 years of finding that talent you speak of goes down. Way down.
Nobody has to piss away the next 5 years to get behind Dame's run for a ring in his prime.....my advice is you don't kick him under the rug when he has his first career slump ....we get players now that want to play with Dame....not with Dennis Smith Jr.....Dame is the draw. If you do blow it all up and dump the best thing to ever happen to the franchise for a gamble....it could easily turn out much worse and put you much further away from seeing a parade in Portland....and you can watch the 77 game on youtube today....then we've both seen a championship in your lifetime!
He said trade Lillard now but that now has passed and it's later. But trading Lillard later does nothing to help the team now.
That team was a contender....after trading Garnett...hasn't come close to the playoffs...which was my whole point.
Nope. I am pro trading Lillard but I can't give you any scenarios. I chuckle whenever anyone tries the trade machine because it fails to factor in the mindset of any trading partner. But after trying for 10 years to "surround him with talent", it would seem time to try a different approach.
Nobody wants to play in Portland at their own will. Not stars. Dame is a great leader and guy, but who has that gotten us in a trade that is a star? Stars want to recruit him to them, not to Portland. Not the same watching old championship stuff. We had opportunities and we had numb nuts Olshey as our gm. The time has come to put up and trade for a star now, or trade Lillard and start over.
A lot of Cowboy fans felt the same way about Herschel Walker. I'm not advocating trading Dame, but it has to at least be open to consideration for the long term betterment of the team. Somehow, that will come across to some as I'm a Dame 'hater' or want to trade Dame......kind of like what Dame accused Quick of when it's not what he said at all.
I’d have to agree even though I’m in the don’t trade Dame unless he makes it clear that he wants out. Even if Dames trade value is still not at it’s peak right now, it would still bring back quite a haul. And it’s still higher than most.
Ed Davis loved Portland.....Evan Turner loved Portland....Will Barton loved Portland...plenty of players loved being here once they got here...mostly because they loved playing with Dame.....trade Dame and you flush that chip down the toilet.....NEIL OLSHEY IS GONE.....give Cronin a fair shot at fixing this roster and get back to me....giving up talent for draft picks you'll go dozens of decades without finding another leader like Dame....he's not expendable but we have other expensive guys that are.....shore up the team and get us some big frontcourt help and some shooters who can defend...
What talent have they surrounded him with!? Mario Hezonja, Tony Snell, Moe harkless, Evan Turner, Nick Stausksus, Ben McLemore, Anthony Toliver? That kinda talent? oooh boy!
I completely understand this. I have felt the same way for the past few years. But, like you, I wanna see another title in my lifetime. For me, the only thing worse than not winning a championship, is not being close after 10 years with the greatest player this team ever has or ever will have. But a championship parade, would happen in Portland, not in Damian Lillards driveway, if ya get my drift.
I disagree with Quick too and as I've said...he's the one guy on this team that is untouchable because he's a unicorn....you can't find another guy in his league with all the draft picks you could get for him. More than likely you end up trading Dame and getting back a TRob and Noah Vonleh type rookie....or 4........I think Quick threw Dame under the bus for clicks and he has advocated for blowing up the team as well....
And those are the players PRIOR to Dame sucking up our salary cap! Just think how good you can do now... C'mon man, it's time.
You named role players. Barton we drafted, which is my point. We can draft decent players, who may want to stay. We overpaid Evan Turner, and he sucked. Those aren't stars whatsoever. Yay. Dame can recruit role players. That's not going to do jack shit to change a team trajectory. You are absolutely right. We may never find a leader as good as Dame. But, who cares if we are just gonna get bounced in the first round. I'm fine keeping Dame until the offseason. Then we can either A. Trade Dame for young players and a boatload of assets to go with our lottery pick. Or B. Trade our lotto pick and other players for a star to give it one final shot with Lillard.
Everyone that wants to trade Lillard should be voting for him to be an all-star because that will help his trade value.
