First Sheed, then ZBo, now Aldridge...

What does "behind the scenes" have to do with anything? I think a lot of us want to trade him because we have so many holes and trading him could fill a lot of holes.

 

by diluting talent and having our starting lineup look like our bench? We don't need to dilute the talent on the team, we need some real contributers and go-to guys.

 

as bad as people make LA to be, he's still 7th in the league in scoring....takes about as many shots as the other guys in the top 10 in scoring...only PF in the top 24 scoring leaders (Love will be there once he's qualified). These trades are motherfucking laughable.

sorry they just are. Like I said, if you want the starting lineup to start looking like the bench, go ahead and start trading Aldridge away for "young talent" and draft picks. A lot of y'all are obsessed with undeveloped talent for god knows whatever reason.

Its just the Blazers fan mentality to chase the centerpiece of the team away when the going is a bit rough. Has been since I've been a blazers fan.

 

trading Lillard could fill a lot of holes too, but he's the new guy... maybe next year

STOMP

 

Plus Myers Leonard. We're basically 6 or 5.75 players.

 

We have depth at forward right now..... we have zero depth at guard. Outside of Lillard and Matthews, we have.... who? Price? Barton? Smith? JJ Hickson isn't chopped liver. The guy has put up All-Star caliber numbers as a starter. He's basically averaging a double double right now playing out of position.

Damian Lillard is an All-Star caliber point guard in a league that favors All-Star caliber guards. LaMarcus Aldridge is a jump shooting power forward. Enough said.

 

That's the crux of the Aldridge problem. His self-conception is as a scorer. There is a reason for why PFs are rarely big scorers. It's that so few are like Love, who can be real PFs who put up great rebounding numbers, while they score. Aldridge isn't a real PF. He's a wannabe Channing Frye. His priorities are screwed up because his head is.

 

I for one am not turning on Aldridge, but I think long term the franchise would be in better shape if they traded him for young prospects and draft picks.

 

For Bigs outside of JJ and LA, the Blazers have Freeland, Leonard, & Claver... they are as thin there as anywhere. JJ Hickson is on as many All-Star ballots as Wesley. He's fresh off of an off-season where he generated little interest following being released by dreadful Sacramento. He struggles on D vs everyone and his offensive game is primarily limited to putbacks. Regardless of which Big spot he's listed as playing, his role is the same... garbageman on O, ole! on D.

I'm not sure what a league that favors All-Star guards means to you, but it reads like you've just pulled some fresh hyperbole out your ass. The last 3 NBA champion PGs are Mario Chalmers, a 37 year old Jason Kidd & Derrick Fisher. The last 3 NBA champion PFs are Chris Bosh, Dirk & Pau. None of those three PGs made the All-Star game the year their team won it but conversely all three PFs were honored in their year. Bosh, Dirk & Pau are also all jump shooting PFs and LA is an actual All-Star. I can also recall him leading the league in dunks by a wide margin when he played with a real playmaking PG. btw...Enough said (or the even worse 'Nuff said) invariably seems to cap a really stupid post... it's like a finishing dollop of poo

Personally I'm in favor of trading anyone as long as it improves the team... go laundry! No doubt that Portland's two best player assets are their starting PG and PF. Both seem to be quality people as well as players. Both of their trade values should increase the next year as LA regains his health/game and Lillard learns the league and physically matures. The two of them should also develop better chemistry, further raising their trade values. I don't merely want to patch some holes to be competitive in games. For me it's either you're a contender or you're not. As such, barring a better trade then I've read on these boards I'm in favor of trudging on through this season, letting their assets improve and reassessing things in the offseason. I know thats going to drive some crazy in this instant gratification society of ours... oh well

STOMP

 

King Speed, don't confuse professional kvetchers with "Blazers fans" generally. I liked Sheed to the end but finally it was time for him to move on. I cheered for him in Detroit. Randolph had become a distraction. Dealing him was needed to make the Blazers unquestionably Roy's team. It's not that a bunch of teams all made the same mistake with him. No one ever denied his talent. The question was would he be another Bonzi Wells, undeniably talented but never grew up enough to act like a responsible adult. Fortunately for himself, after 3 teams dumped him, Randolph did finally grow up and he's doing great. Should the Blazers have kept him around being disruptive for 3 or 4 years in hopes? As for Aldridge, I think it would be an enormous mistake to trade him. I'd be really surprised if the Blazers dump him.

 

Maybe they did, and he changed because he realized he had to. Ever think about that?

 

Yeah - if you want to talk about a player who really WAS underappreciated, it's Andre.

 

Agreed, and I think that's the majority view. Aldridge is kind of in a no-win situation. Does he accept being the best player on a mediocre team in the prime of his career? Loser! Or does he complain about it? Traitor! He needs to be saved from this dilemma.

 

I don't. Not the ZBo in PDX who hoisted up 25-30 shots and ignored all of his teammates. He's grown now, though.

 

Sorry I jumped to conclusions an figured you had some sort of decent reason to trade our all star PF. What I meant by behind the scenes is that we don't know what the coach or the team says to LA or any layer for that matter. Example: "don't go for the offensive rebound and get back on D to stop transition." if you really wanna trade lamarcus to "fill holes" then I really don't see your logic. He's our best player in basically the first year of his prime years. Let the guy play. I just get bothered how do many people nitpick every player we ever have no matter how well they play. Sit back, relax and try to enjoy the game. Before you know it la will be gone and everyone will be saying "waaa I wish we had lamarcus back."

 

Don't forget that fucker Buck Williams. Asshole.

 

Sheed was frustratingly great. Once our team starting loosing and having issues his antics became more trouble than they were worth. Sheed is the type of guy that is great to have around when your winning and/or you have a solid veteran locker room.

ZBo didnt figure out how to not be a thug until about five years after he left the blazers. Im happy he finally figured it out, many guys end up the way of Bonzi Wells and Latrell Sprewell.

LA is a stud and everybody needs to STFU about trading him.

 

I don't see that Zach has changed. He was no worse then than now. That's a reason invented later to justify the giveaway trade. If we hadn't gotten Aldridge, we'd have remained happy with Zach.

Some posts here say that Aldridge was a top dunker with Miller, or that Hickson's offense is junk scoring. This is exactly why I prefer Hickson. Instead of roving around hoping someone will set him up for a score, he creates his own inside shots which don't require him to stray from his main duties of rebounding and occupying the middle. He's a true PF, not a prima donna shoot-only SF in a Center's body who is listed at PF only because he refuses to play Center.

 

That is a valid point. One well taken.