What franchise has ever been successfully run this way? I know that, like, the Lakers fired Westhead due to Magic. And the Lakers have made deals thanks to LeBron's input... But what borderline playoff team has ever bent over backwards to tread water to keep a superstar happy? I honestly can't think of one. (Other than maybe the aforementioned LeBron team )
With, like, Moncrief and Sikma? Because the Bucks haven't lost in the first round in the last four seasons, and I don't think they were making roster moves to make Antetokounmpo happy back when he was 23...
When they sacrificed multiple first round picks for Jrue Holiday. They don’t make that move they probably lose Giannis. There was actually a time when Giannis and Dame were talking about linking up in Portland.
Thanks for the clarity... I don't think that's quite the same because the Bucks had made it to the conference finals and then the second round in the two previous years. That's not where Portland has been.
No. We didn't make the playoffs last year and didn't advance past the first round the two years before that. That's not the same as making it to the conference finals and then the second round in the last two years, as the Bucks did right before getting Jrue. In the GRAND scheme of things, we were recently in the conference finals, sure. In the grand scheme of things, T-Rex was alive closer to us now (about 66 million years apart) than the stegosaurus was to the T-Rex (about 85 million years apart). None of these facts are relevant to what I was asking about, though.
Who do the Blazers have from the conference finals team on their roster besides Dame? You might as well also point out this Blazers franchise beat the Rockets in the first round with me on the team.
This quote is tough to decipher. First off you say "Borderline Playoff Team". Portland made the playoffs many years in a row and had good seeding quite often. Yes they tanked last year but to say they are "Borderline" seems off a bit? They are essentially perennial actually and it's pretty much because of Lillard. Then you say "Bent over Backwards" like it's a bad thing? I would expect no less and many on this board are essentially demanding they do more! Are you suggesting they tell Lillard to like it or lump it while not trying to improve? I can personally guarantee every team is discussing moves they make with their best players either directly or through committee with the coach. The fact that most great players don't and have not stayed with the same team more than 3-4 years is not lost here. Then you point out he is a "Superstar". Well yes he is and they don't come around often. Yeah In my opinion they should try to keep him happy unless what he is asking is unreasonable. In this case I don't see Lillard as unreasonable about much other than his willingness to stay in Portland. That might be the only "unreasonable" thing this man is doing?