This hasn't sunk in yet. So this was at Meyers camp as you can see here and it's dated form the 26th-28th http://www.makingmeyers.com/camp/ The question is, what the fuck is going on? Neil interacts with his players right? so Dame should of known about this when he tweeted last night to recruit LA. That's fishy. Also, fucking woj. Woj has been saying it's between us and the Spurs and he still had us not being counted out. This is all around weird as fuck and they have a lot of explaining to do. I don't even know what to think but we gotta chill a little. Neil said nobody in the organization was made aware that Aldridge was leaving on draft night. Here come the dominoes
I'm a pretty damn positive Blazer fan but if you still think LMA might stay you've lost touch with reality. He's gone.
I always was realistic and thought he would leave but none of this adds up. What could Neil and Pauls response be to this? Meyers must of known but Dame didn't? the whole thing is confusing. Woj of all people didn't catch this and this motherfucker is just openly saying Lamarcus is gone the whole time. This is wild
We gave LA too little love too late. I go to a lot of games and Neil and Paul Allen were continually giving LA awards before games last season - most rebounds, pieces of hardwood, etc. Too little too late. It looked desperate.
It benefits LA if there are multiple teams interested. Just like when his agent said The Lakers were still an option after the meeting (even though it went terrible). He may want a 2 year deal or something along those lines and needs other teams as leverage. Also Portland may be using his coming back as a selling point to FA. It would be really ballsy for Hughes to say that if it wasn't true. Woj gets most of his info from agents and in this case I would bet he is being fed by LA's agent to help LA get what he wants. How do you think Woj gets all the info he does??? Gotta scratch some backs. I've seen this first hand, not with Woj, but media being fed stories that benefit the person leaking it with a promise for later info.
technically, the draft was the 25th, so Neil could've been telling the truth on draft night and they found out in the next 3 days at Meyers' camp. But whatever.
I actually think Woj blazers source is someone in the front office. He's always first to break blazer transactions. I mean literally, always first.
I am just patiently waiting for the shit to hit the fan. You know within hours the basketball world is taking this shit and running with it. Then Neil and Paul will have to do damage control because Portland fans will be going crazy. I saw this coming. Some are gonna lose their minds though.
Why would they lie though? where is the benefit? loses us time in free agency waiting for LA and his decision, why would we postpone that?
Could be spin control from the Blazers end. They want to save face and don't want it to appear as though they never had a chance. Look how poorly everyone looks at Detroit and the Monroe situation since he won't even consider resigning. Neil is all about perception...meetings with players and agents to build relationships.
Ok the only explanation I can see is if Kim Hughes is totally out of the loop but assumed the ESPN 99.9% report was accurate. He then is talking at this event to people he thinks don't know of the 99.9% report so he says "we haven't released this". If I'm Neil thats the PR spin I might put on this regardless. This was supposedly taped at Meyers camp the day following the draft.
Yeah I was thinking that. If indeed this was before the draft and he went off rumors with the whole 99.9 percent thing and that Lamarcus let portland know he was gone, that's the only explanation. Either way it's not a good look at all. Dame would of been let in on this info if so but who knows. Guess we will see. Shits about to go down
Part that gets me is he says "We haven't publicized it but we lost Lamarcus Aldridge.". That doesn't seem well
