Exclusive Vote - If Dame is on the roster - where do you want him opening night?

I hereby submit my declaration that I believe Damian Lillard is a ring away from being undisputed as the greatest player in franchise history. I will always be a fan of the team, and will always stay optimistic for the future. But I cannot deny that landing Damian Lillard was really a turning point for the franchise back towards the level of competition we’d expect from the Trail Blazers.

Now…

I think sometimes emotions seem to be speaking louder than logic.

Do you think Scoot is going to be a better player than Damian Lillard? Do you really though? I really am an optimist, but I think you might need an optometrist if you feel that way right now.

Talent around him has held him back, he knows it, you know it, we all know it.

Where’s Allen Crabbe at today?
Even CJ hasn’t impressed like he did along with Dame.

I hope you pro tankers don’t talk any trash about hitting the lotto if/when we trade Dame. I don’t want to hear about how Scoot needs experience. I don’t want to know about the 7’2 dude out of Nairobi that is a steal with the 7th pick. I want to see us win a championship, and I’ll bet (3 of you) $20 that Dame will win one before we do if we trade him (wash if neither win before he retires).

You’d better be ready because if Miami lands Dame while retaining Butler and Adebayo, he might win more than LBJ in MIA, starting next season.

I don’t even know why anyone here would ever doubt the dude…

You gotta put yourself in other people’s
shoes man. And in this case that means being eliminated from the playoffs because of the guy.

Get out of here if you’re actually gonna throw that much shade like the dude
Might as well not even come around and try to help the guy you think can replace him out of the gate…

 

Do I think Scoot will be better than Dame? No. Do I think he could becone a better team player? Yes.

 

There is no chance in hell that we have enough talent to be the 5th seed.

 

No offense, but those two bolded statements can sound the same. That said, it's not apples to apples. Impossible to compare. One reality remains....Portland Blazers because of our location, amenities for star players, and viewership, is a franchise that needs outstanding drafting and great fortune to get to the top. Lillard has been that guy. N.O. did not get it done. Don't know whether that was possible. To me, it appears he missed it. There is not enough talent capitol now to buy the needed additions to get there.....or....stars are just not willing to come. It's sad, but that window is passed. No way to know if Scoot is the guy, but him....or another player like him....is the only way this team does get there.

Just my 50 cents.

 

Fair enough

 

One solid pickup with Dame, Grant, Nurk, Simons and Sharpe with Scoot plus Little, Thybule, Walker, Brown. makes a team that could compete for the playoffs.
The difference between a playin team and 5th seed would be health assuming the player that they picked up had some length.
Without Lillard yes I agree no way they play well enough to get the 5th seed.

 

Can’t believe we might F up the best thing to happen to this team in my lifetime because the FO doesn’t understand the phrase “addition by subtraction”.

Get Ant out of here
Get Nurk out of here

Play Scoot and Dame together

If you can’t land Turner with Nurk and Ant then you’re not actually trying to do so. Yeah, I realize if you read what I post then I sound like I’m beating a broken drum…

Scoot
Dame
Sharpe
Grant
Turner

Forget the 5 seed @Natebishop3 that team should see HCA if all this talk of Scoot being an easy replacement has any credence.

 

Whole thing is good, but 8:01 ….

 

We've got a fever, and the only answer is more tiny backcourts!

Dame and CJ didn’t work.
Dame and Simons didn’t work.
Dame and Scoot is gonna work dammit!

 

That team is not close to a contender

 

I love the future but Scoot and Sharpe won't be ready to win games for many years. They'd be some of the worst starters in the league next year for a team trying to make the playoffs.

It's fine if the Blazers are rebuilding, but it's a joke to think they are ready to win now.

The rotation you list would be far worse than what the Blazers started with the last two years, both of which resulted in trips to the lottery.

HCA? Not a chance. Even making the playin would be unlikely.

The hype for Scoot and excitement is for his career over the next 15 years, not wins his first rookie season.

 

Nobody thinks contender YET. Add a solid player with some length and they compete and get some experience.

 

Who is this player and where do we get him from? We have been dealing with this hypothetical “what if we get this” talk for two years since Dame first voiced his displeasure. We aren’t any better today than we were two years ago. We have a brighter future but this team is still a far cry from even top 8 in the west.

 

addition by subtraction in Portland is easy.
adding another top 5 rookie next summer,
by subtracting the ability to win games.

 

So you think by having Scoot on the team and not Dame, we are closer to being a contender? We are not going to get a proven super star for Dame and Scoot & Shae haven't proven anything yet.
If Dame doesn't think this team is built to contend, Why should I think it is? Plus we need to keep playoff bound or we will end up losing Shae & Scoot after their rookie contracts. They won't stick around as long as Dame has, and it's because Dame got a taste of playoff ball.

 

In a world where restricted free agents don't exist....

 

All they need is to express they want out, or we give them a reason to stay on top of the money. They will get their bag.
All the media and players over the last several years publicly said Dame should leave, plus guys like Scoot has a whole marketing team behind him with parents and agents having a say.

 

Dame was at least two years into his second contract when the calls for him to demand a trade started. All of the all stars that people think of as mercenaries (PG13, Kawhi, LeBron, KD) played at least seven seasons with the team that drafted them. So, I really doubt that we need to worry about losing Shae or Scoot for the next five years at least. I also think if you're trying to plan for our roster construction more than five years into the future, you're kind of kidding yourself.

 

Yeah we don't need to worry about adding starters or key bench players the next few years, doesn't really matter if the Blazers win or not right now.

But we do need to add talent and assets (draft picks). Those need to be something here in 5 years to then build a winner around Scoot Sharpe Ant etc.

That's why it's important to get this Dame trade right and have some assets many years from now.

Olshey didn't do that when Aldridge left or the next 5 years after. That's what eventually lead to this Lillard situation today. The way to prevent that is to build assets and talent so eventually Scoot/Sharpe/Ant will have a chance to be part of a winner.

The Blazers need to have a long term focus, they don't need to push all their chips in to win now, that would actually be counterproductive.