What's really funny is seeing how 100 different people all write the same thing about the Super Bowl.
He nailed it, imho. It's exhausting to hear, constantly, about how Dame wants out, Dame should want out, Dame should go to XYZ, Portland will never win a title, etc...it's just tiresome. Especially considering Dame is planting seeds, knowingly or unknowingly, and imho it isn't doing himself any favors.
This is why I cling so hard to words that actually come out of Dame's mouth because he actually said them and they're not coming from someone else.
I also love when it's a full interview and not a snipped quote from an interview. Since you're in the industry I'm sure you know, quotes are taken out of context all the time. If it's a full interview I can see the entire statement, the inflection, body language (if it's video) etc. All of that can be extremely important when understanding exactly what someone said.
Yeah there is always way more to it than "they could have so why didn't they?". It's not black and white and i also agree there is some ego involved as well as fishing for clicks on lets say a site or channel they are pushing. It pays money to be controversial. On another note that you mentioned. I personally feel and have heard both Rocco and Norm did not want to be here any longer and did not want to continue under Chauncey. That left Cronin in a position that he needed to make changes or risk total havoc with the team. What i heard, and no it's not a great source, is that they wanted to make the moves that made at least some sense for the players as well as the teams involved. Blazers didn't do well with those moves but it could have been worse for sure. It did open up room for Grant.
Yeah, if Cronin executed draft day as best as he possible could given the circumstances, a smart man that Lillard is would not say, "Because you did not trade for a veteran, I wanna ask out"
I'm ready to be fully invested in a youth rebuild. Exciting basketball in which I'm more invested in how much better the players are getting than in wins and losses. If Joe and Dame somehow surprised me I'll be really happy but I think the writing on the wall is pretty clear at this point.
That's not the point. These guys echo the feeling on both sides (Dame and the team), because they talk to people on both sides. Prior to draft night, that vision was aligned. After, it's clearly not. Not sure what happens in Cronin and Dame's meeting, but sense is that Blazers chose a path, and it's not Dame's.
I remember being a fan through those Telfair and Ha Seung Jin days. I really don’t think it could get any worse than that and if it did, as long as they give us effort I’ll keep rooting.
I just don't think it was a surprise that they took Scoot. I'm sure that decision was made weeks in advance if a certain quality of deal didn't happen. I'm sure they had contingencies about what to do if Scoot or Miller dropped. I don't think Dame was surprised. I think he was disappointed.
I think that's why Dame made it very clear that he wanted to stay here but if the team chose going down the path of youth, that wasn't the path for him. So if those trades were there then Dame was down to stay but if they weren't then...
It's interesting that Marang, who likes to toot his own horn and been blasting that there's almost no chance Dame leaves, acknowledged for the first time that Dame is likely gone.
Huge Dame fan and last time i comment on this subject. He's currently my top Blazer. That changes if he leaves. I don't care who thinks he deserves to go play for a contender. He gets paid to do a job. Nobody is guaranteed a championship when they enter the leg. They are promised what they deserve and earn and that's been delivered. Everything he's said up to this point becomes garbage if he goes a new route. That's just my opinion and take. I have no problem with anyone elses. If he stays and continues to help the team, organization then he cements his status of GOAT.
He has time and again lied to make it appears he knows stuff. Why do you fall for this? It might very well be that Dame asks out, but this notion that it's apparently changed based on our draft night is speculative at best. This is the same dude that was convinced Dame was pissed we didn't trade 7 + Hart + Simons for OG last yr when it was proven false.
