Game Thread Game #40 - BLAZERS VS KINGS - JANUARY 9, 2022 - SUNDAY - 6:00 PM (PDT) ROOT SPORTS

For the poll question I initially wanted to go with the second option: no. We shouldn't continue to rest him if he's ready to play. That's if we're looking to trade him which I fucking hope we are. Get him out there and let him show other teams that he is healthy and that without Dame he is a potent offensive weapon that can make a difference to his new team the day after the trade is made.

I'm sure there are a lot of CJ trade possibilities that I don't know about. Maybe a trade is already on the table that Cronin likes and he's just negotiating with other teams that more attractive trades are still a possibility with. If none of the teams that we're talking with about a CJ trade care if they see him on the court again then my answer would be the first option: yes. Keep resting him until the right deal is official.

All of this points to the fact that my real answer is the third option: quick trade him before he gets hurt again. I want CJ gone, even if Dame is going to be out for the majority of the rest of this season with his ab injury for surgery or it just takes that long until an MRI can no longer see any tendinopathy because of rest and rehab. If Dame isn't going to be out for too long I also want CJ gone because those two don't work together.

So the poll question was really tricky and I could go with any of the three answers depending on variables that are unknowns but when all else fails I'll take any answer that has CJ being traded as a definitive part of it.

 

We've lost to these guys twice. Once with everyone playing on opening night but Dame playing like a shell of himself because of his injury. Then we lost to them with everyone playing and Dame playing like Dame because of his cortisone shot. The first game of the season they had a healthy Holmes the second game they didn't, they won't have him for this one.

Basically we're playing a team that has shown us that with or without Holmes they can beat us with our entire roster playing. The time they did it without Holmes, Dame was even healthy or at least numbed to the point that he was playing like he was healthy. So with them still having everyone available that was playing last time they beat us and us being without Dame, CJ and Larry... they should kick our asses.

 

I think the Blazers accidentally get a Lottery damaging win.

 

Nope. Kings are 2-0 against us when we were healthy. This is a big L. Kings legit want play-in. We don't.

 

I must have missed the part where Alvin Gentry became the Kings coach.

 

https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/21/kings-fire-luke-walton-slow-start-2021-season

 

Been paying little attention to the NBA this year. Even less to the Kings.

 

NORM OUT

 

Well since they beat us with Dame, CJ and Norm playing, I would think they would really kick our asses without them.

 

Covid or other?

 

So who starts for Powell, mclemore?

 

Or Snell but that lineup might not be short enough.

 

nurk about to drop 50

if not, then a career high for sure (career high is 33)

 

Its Blevins Time!

 

I'm pretty sure those of us that complain about our pieces not fitting together aren't advocating for paying CJ and Norm 47M to sit, we would like to get players of relatively similar value who fit better together. For the record, while I do think that there are better fits to share the back court with Dame, I won't be angry if the season ended and we entered next season with Norm starting at shooting guard and with Dame at point guard.