Ready to blow it up yet? This team is mediocre without a star to build around. Worst place in the NBA to be. We cannot build through trades or FA. Need to blow it up and start over from scratch. Trade Wallace, Trade Felton, Trade LaMarcus, Trade them all. Hank
I like LaMarcus just fine and Nicolas is fun to watch ... maybe keep Nolan and Elliot too. This is not a "tear it down to the foundation" situation (but it probably needs a new roof, new drywall and some paint).
The problem with keeping LaMarcus is that he's good enough to keep you out of the top of the lottery. We will not be able to build through the draft by trading our spare parts. They're not going to get you what you need.
This is an under-achieving bunch. Instead of trading players, bring in a fresh thinking coaching staff.
Ya, mediocrity is the single worst place to be in sports. I think what's sad is a lot of fans accept it because the team makes the playoffs.
How do you consider this group "under-achieving" exactly? Wallace and Felton have never won anything. LaMarcus is barely a 2nd option on a great team and our young players are garbage. I'd be happy to see Nate go, but the reality is that talent wins and we dont have it.
Hank, I think there's a nugget of truth in what you're saying, but it's not nearly as dire as you portray it. I think LaMarcus is somewhat miscast as a true number one guy, but he'd probably be a fantastic number 2 (his PER of almost 23 as the only go to option on a team with horrid guard play supports this). And how are you going to replace him when he's probably a little bit underpaid and in his prime? Furthermore, I think Nic is maybe exactly the kind of guy you want as your third best player (a "utility knife" type) and there should be enough adequate role-players like Craig Smith and Matthews to help fill in the holes if the team decides to start making trades into their cap space or potentially getting a decent draft choice in a fairly loaded draft. This team certainly has its warts and there are some fairly big decisions that need to be made, but to suggest that there's "nothing" is just over the top.
I think we agree. My question to you would be how do we get that #1 option while we keep LMA? The guys we are going to trade will not get us a top 5 pick. LMA is good enough to keep us hovering around 30-40 wins per year by himself. We would be stuck in mediocrity. No thanks.
Then you need to watch more hoops. These guys are the very defenitinon of average NBA players. The whole lot of them.
LMA joins Team USA, bonds with free agents to be, convinces them to come play with the Blazers /pipe dream LMA joins Team USA, bonds with his teammates, decides he wants to leave PDX where he has a real chance to win a championship and publicly demands a trade /reality
After enduring six years of being terrible, Iwould much rather have a medicore team that is trying to improve than a terrible team hoping to get lucky in the lottery. I get those that are championship or bust. Personally I don't think that should be the motto to run a team by. I want to know that when the Lakers or the Celtics or whoever is tough is coming to town, we are going to take it to them and have a chance to win the game. I don't think I could attend the games knowing we really don't have a chance to beat these teams and that all we are really playing for is to get a good draft pick.
who's in bunker, who's in bunker i've seen too much i haven't seen enough you haven't seen enough i'll laugh until my head comes off women and children first
The trouble is that nobody is going to give you a top ten player for LMA + hot-plate-of-garbage. It's either acquire another top twenty player via free agency or the draft or probably nothing at all.
One dip into the high lottery odds guarantees nothing. Look at how many times Chicago did it, before they struck Gold (Rose).
Look how many times OKC did though. Also, staying mediocre does guarantee something, but it's not a good thing
define #1 option. you could tank for 10 years and not get a Rose or LeBron type in the lottery. anyway LMA is closer than you think. with him it's more of a problem of motivation than skill, so he might do better with better individual coaching (and a PG who doesn't have trouble dribbling because his fingers are too pudgy to handle the ball.)
