OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA: SEPTEMBER 2024

I’m a Blazer fan to the core. I’d feel way better as a fan if they tried a million times over again to try and make the roster better. Instead we’ve sat on our hands and claimed guy like Aaron Afflalo were the trick

 

Are you talking about the Knicks or the Twolves? One of them is stupid IMO

 

that was about 5 CBA's ago. Rules were different back then. A 6-for-1 trade 3 weeks before a season begins would be next to impossible to complete now

but yeah, then there was Paul Allen totally willing to spend money and pay tax with trader Bob as the GM. That's a night and day difference from Jody & Joe

but a big reason why the Blazers can't swing for the fences like this is that Knicks/Wolves trade was exchanging two players who combined for 7 all-star games and 4 all-NBA selections. The Blazers don't have anybody close to value like that; not after trading Dame

 

Yeah, this was my first thought.

And that's also why Dame doesn't already have a title. A bit more help for a couple seasons... Would have been nice.

 

We’ve had times where we could’ve swung for the fences. I called for trading Lillard 3 years before he forced his way out.

One of the biggest parts of being a GM is realizing when shit isn’t working and maximizing trade value. Not holding onto an asset to the point you have no leverage. It happened early in McCollums career when we realized he and Lillard were redundant as well

 

They both are has been’s that are trying to move the needle. Can’t fault them in that.

 

The Knicks got a lot better. The T wolves got worse. I am glad about that.

 

Good point. I was for keeping Dame because I knew rebuilding without him would be a LONG slog. I don't think we were ever going to get more than we got out of him and that would have never been enough put us in a better place to win than with Dame.

So I wanted to take swings with him as long as he was willing.

But now here we are. And we need to get all we can out of the draft while we can and swing for the fences when we get the chance.

 

You trying to move past them in the standings?

 

Unless you feel like last year was an aberration with Towns like I do.

Either way. Both sides tried. Much more than the Blazers can say

 

I will take Smart over aggressive.

 

I wanted to move him even more when I realized our management was inept.

I loved Lillard. Thought he was the shit. But I’ve been following basketball so long that I knew he couldn’t do it alone. Their attempts at arming him with help was comical.

 

Lemme know when that iteration of smart works. To me they haven’t taken nearly enough chances in the last 10 years and have missed out on maximizing anything that they had the opportunity to

 

As a general rule, I like to see all the other teams in the West get worse. How long ago was it that we were giving them credit for putting together a contender? 90 days?
They were hard to match up with Towns at PF. It was working.

 

I am talking about the Twolves. Are you saying this trade was smart?

 

doesn't have to be either/or. In fact, if you're a team close to contending aggressive can often be smart

as to NY getting better and Minny getting worse? maybe; maybe not. Randle + Divincenzo combined for 41 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists last season. They weren't chopped liver although Randle is pretty inconsistent as a shooter

Edwards + Divincenzo + McDaniels is a pretty dynamic wing rotation

 

Considering for most of his career Towns has been empty numbers, yes.

I feel like honestly it was a lateral move. Slight advantage Wolves because of Divencenzo.

But at least both teams are attempting to mix it up !

 

The difference is that the Knicks desperately needed a center. They had nothing to lose. IMO they wanted Randle gone.

 

While I agree NO wasted Lillard's career, I do not think the Trader Bob strategy would be very effective with the current CBA. We are swinging for the fences by playing the draft lottery.

 

Not if we half ass the draft lottery. If we truly were serious than Simons and Grant have no business on this team