Dame unfollows the Blazers on IG

This is so very true. While it was hip to be a vegetarian in the 1970's, they paid no attention to vitamins and supplements and everything a body NEEDS, especially the body of a world class athlete. Now you can be a vegetarian and not actually look sickly. So much more in vitamin and supplement technology has taken place as well as the growing plant based food industry.

 

I think we can add trading for Jerami in the first place and signing GPII as other things that don't align with the "they lied to Dame about even trying" narrative. Surely, one can't say they weren't trying when they acquired a 20 PPG scorer in a reasonable trade and signed a rotation guy from a championship team, both with Dame's urging and blessing. Not trading the seventh pick two years ago didn't really turn out to be a bad thing, either, so I think we can pretty effectively squash the notion that the Blazers weren't trying even in the offseason following the 2021-22 season. Clearly, moves were made that without hindsight would have appeared to upgrade the roster, even upgrading it in the way Dame wanted.

 

This is why I argued with some here weeks ago that Dame going on his world tour talking to anyone that put a microphone in front of him was the cue to me that this would not end well. It was obvious to me that Dame was sending a message despite having an incredible contract to rely upon. Dame wanted to be the GM, like Lebron. These things should never be discussed in public, and for those claiming Dame was just "keeping it real," how's that working for him now? He has tarnished his legacy and many consider him a fraud. Of course has has half a billion reasons not to be concerned with mine or your opinions. If I lived in Portland I certainly would not purchase a vehicle from his store. The way he is trying to bend the Blazers over. He would have no problem ripping off any of us on our trade in. But then that is Dame just being loyal to himself.

 

Things have changed since the extension.

 

Those players all left winning situations. Dame isn't. That's a big difference.

The team is under zero obligation, even though Cronin stated what they were obligated to do.

This whole thing is subjective. I don't see how adding a PG and no depth makes this team pretty good. They're still be a bottom 3-5 defense and even more undersized.

 

I dont think Ive seen one person say the Blazers shouldn't hold out for a suitable offer from Miami. The problem is their best package was going to be harder to get better than across the market given what teams have and want.

If the Blazers told Dame they'd accommodate him if he wanted out, then there'd be no motive for Dame to publicly ask put whatsoever. But he felt a need to go public with it, the answer it why?

Also, what name-calling?

 

I’m just glad everyday I can come on here and read that “inside info”. Lucky for us we have so many with “sources”.

The only person on here that has the inside stuff is the guy who orders pizzas all the time. New guys GOOGLE it.

 

Okay. Bradley Beal.

Dame will certainly end up in Miami despite himself and his god awful decisions. As noted by everyone on earth, Dame put Cronin in a tough, if not impossible, spot. And yet still expects to get what he wants. People always say basketball is business, except in this case it’s bad business.

And lol! I said “exciting.”

 

Simple, to harm the Blazers ability to get good value back so his new team (Heat) can keep more of their assets/players.

Also to try and prevent other teams from significantly beating the Heats offer and being able to trade for Dame.

Finally to just go scorched earth and not give a shit what relationships/owners/fans you piss off. Dame is doing a pretty good job of getting that last result. That is regardless of how we guess their conversations/agreements/mindset is at.

 

sure...we went from the 7th pick to the 3rd pick in a stacked draft since the extension which should have thrilled Dame actually. Dame makes so much of our cap money that you celebrate getting another player that dynamic on a rookie deal...any pro will recognize that. Dame has said for 11 years he wanted only to win a chip in Portland...the front office had that msg to go into maxing his contract out at the same time..GMs have to be flexible and Dame has been around long long enough to understand how things change with a phone call in the world of free agency. No GM can control that but they can control the draft and their own contracts. Things have changed in Dame's world I'd say. Without the trade demand, Joe could have tried to get more help in free agency but the trade demand clogged up the whole league. Tied the Blazers hands as to moves they could make. Shitty timing to demand a trade

 

Sharpe & Scoot aren't what pissed Dame off. It's the 500 other rookies & sophomores & 3rd string temps that Cronin keeps shoving on the team instead of hiring legit NBA players.

 

Give us names of these legit NBA players Cronin hasn’t hired

 

Scoot is Dame's replacement, that's why.
Also, this team needs culture change, not free agents.

 

I've been reading this and reading this and reading this and I'm no longer willing to just let it go without a bit of pushback. I think the "Scoot is Dame's replacement" is a bit played out. About the only things they have in common are being 6-foot-2 and very talented. Their style of play and their strengths actually are very complementary aside from the fact that one of them is going to have to guard a taller player.

When the Spurs had David Robinson, they didn't pass on Tim Duncan. When the Rockets had Ralph Sampson, they didn't pass on Hakeem Olajuwon. When the Celtics had Larry Bird, they didn't pass on Len Bias. The Rockets had Harden but still acquired Chris Paul. When the Blazers had Jim Paxson, they didn't pass on Clyde Drexler and when they had Clyde they shouldn't have passed on Jordan.

The Blazers also have been playing with a pair of small guards for years now. As far as we know, Dame wasn't bent out of shape when the Blazers drafted C.J. McCollum and neither Dame nor C.J. were ticked off the Blazers drafted Anfernee Simons. All three of those guys profile as the same player. Scoot's the one that doesn't. He's a pure point guard, not a smaller combo guard.

That's not to say what the Blazers did worked, playing two of the same player in the backcourt together. It's just telling that it only became problematic for certain people on the team or in the organization (depending on what you choose to believe) now.

I've said before, Dame would thrive playing with a PG like Scoot who can handle bringing the ball up, initiating the offense, setting him up for easier shots so he doesn't have to do everything for 38 minutes every game. Scoot probably adds a good year to Dame's career. Scoot likes playing defense and profiles as an above-average defender down the road. Dame could take on a role of tutoring Scoot, giving him a little more time to rest both on the bench or playing off the ball, because Scoot's almost certainly not ready to be THE guy on a playoff team.

People need to stop just accepting and disseminating the "Blazers dissed Dame by keeping the pick and drafting his replacement." It sounds good but wilts under scrutiny. It always comes from people trying to either push pro-Dame or pro-Heat (or formerly pro-trade-in-general) agendas. If Dame or his handlers really believe this, then it's more indicative of a problem with Dame's ego and mindset than reality. It's more a situation where Brandon Roy couldn't exist with Andre Miller because he liked to be a two-guard who dominated the ball and never was willing to adjust to playing with a PG that made the offensive game easier for everyone else on the floor with him.

 

Another thing I get a kick out of is Heat fans who say the Blazers were unfair to Dame by "drafting his replacement" and then use the argument that Dame only has a couple of good years left and won't be worth the final years of his contract because of his age, trying to justify trading scraps to get him for right now.

 

Blevins

Yes I get the joke. Would that qualify as ironic?