The cap space was use it or lose it. If we let Crabbe, Meyers, and Harkless all walk, it doesn't help us a bit. There wouldn't have been any cap space this summer, regardless. Dame's contract kicks in and then CJ's contract kicks in. So is our team better with Crabbe/Harkless/Leonard or would it have been better without them? We can still potentially trade Crabbe, Turner, Harkless, or anyone else on the team this summer. The outcome is yet to be determined. You know that I was on the "trade Aldridge" bandwagon back in 2013, but it might not have been Neil's decision. And talk about an awful situation, trading a guy who was telling people publicly that he wants to be the best Blazer of all time and that he wants to retire a Blazer. If that asshole would have just been honest and told everyone that he was leaving, I think Neil would have been able to trade that fucker without the shit storm that would have followed. Do you remember that there was still people that were CONVINCED that LMA was coming back? They were convinced all the way up until the last possible minute when he finally said he was leaving.
I know you knew what was up with Aldridge. I also know it was use it or lose it. Still so many poor decisions.
I suspect that Neil knew it was not a good chance to retain LMA, but that turncoat piece of shit wasn't being public about his displeasure with the team, and the fans were in complete denial about him leaving. Some of us could see the writing on the wall. I had a feeling he was going to leave before there was ever any rumors, just because he never seemed to completely buy into our team or our city. I just think Neil was in a shitty situation. I don't know where Paul stood on the matter, but I wish Neil would have sacked up and just traded him. Can you imagine if we could have gotten Wiggins? Hell, even the original rumor of the #1 and Tristan Thompson would have been better. The best rumor was obviously Golden State offering David Lee and Klay Thompson. God I wish that could have happened.
We have not had a contender out of this franchise since the year 2000. It is now 2017. No Blazer fan has been spoiled over that period. We've had exactly (2) playoff series wins during that time - and one of them came as a result of the opponent's two best players being lost to injury. If you truly believe we shouldn't expect better than what we've been given over the last 17 years, then the problem here is that your expectation level is far too low.
Plus that off-season we were fresh off the rockets series, his big games in 1 and 2, tons of goodwill. And the team looked poised for a longer run the next year. LMA would have straight up had to demand a trade like Love did for blazers brass to have been able to pull the trigger PR wise. But instead of expressing that he wanted out, he instead started with all the "I want to retire the best blazer ever" bullshit, and basically took us for a ride. Cock knocker! But can't really blame NO for not dealing him, his hands were tied by a cavalcade of unfortunate circumstances.
Blazer fans are spoiled because they continue to shit on their best player, who many teams would absolutely love to have, despite his few inadequacies. They're spoiled because this team should have been total trash last season, after losing 4 out of their 5 starters, and yet we made it to the second round of the playoffs. But here we are seeing a bunch of people trash Neil Olshey and the job that he has done in the past couple years. They're spoiled because Neil pulled off an absolute heist by trading for Nurkic AND a first round pick, but yet again here we are seeing people bitch about him re-signing Leonard. Fate is not a Blazer fan. It was horrible luck that Roy and Oden were rendered useless by injuries. It was unfortunate that Aldridge was a dishonest piece of shit and didn't come clean about his intentions to leave. And yet, here we are with a pretty damn good (and young) core of Dame, CJ, and Nurk. We're getting lambasted by the best team in the league, which everyone expected, but people are STILL finding shit to complain about. Spoiled and ungrateful.
Spoiled and ungrateful, as if we don't pay the same money that fans who follow the teams that have won over the past 17 years do. This team has the SECOND HIGHEST PAYROLL in the NBA, and is about to get bounced out of the first round as an 8 seed. You celebrate that all you want.
This isn't a haircut at Great Clips. You don't get to complain to the manager because it didn't turn out the way that you hoped it would. It's Paul's money. He's the one who paid all those millions of dollars. You're free to stop caring about the team. It doesn't have to cost you a dime to be a Trail Blazers fan.
Spoiled? Huh . . . The Jailblazers era Oden's saga Roy's saga Darius Miles saga 2 times past the 1st round. Fuck me. If this is "spoiled," then god help me when things get bad.
I literally begin my post by referencing those years.... So explain to me how so many fans can go through all that and STILL not appreciate someone like Dame or Neil? Because, after all, that was the whole point of my post
I guess I missed that bit, but it still doesn't follow. Just because things aren't dire, doesn't mean they are now "good." Personally I like Damian's offensive game, but his defense is just plain bad -- the one doesn't paper over the other. As for Neil, I think he's been a decent drafter and mediocre to below average at the other parts of his job, so a solid 'C.' It's OK for people to expect more. Spoiled is Packers fans with two first-ballot hall-of-famer QBs back-to-back. Spoiled is being a Spurs fan with Pop, Buford, Duncan, The Admiral, TP, Ginobli and Kawhi. Spoiled is Lakers fans for most of the past half-century. Blazers fans aren't spoiled.
Apparently they have been spoiled on point guard play because they have forgotten Steve Blake and Nolan Smith.
I actually think he's been a bad drafter. He got Lillard with his first pick, great. But then he took Meyers at #11. And CJ is a very nice player, but not so much next to Lillard, and Antetokounmpo and Gobert were available. His major strength is finding good cheap centers in trades. RoLo, Plumlee, Nurkic.
Nate Im with you. People are bitching because we haven't been a contender in 17 years. Hmm.. I wonder what fans of the following cities think of some of our fans' sense of entitlement: Denver Milwaukee Sacramento New Orleans LA Clippers NY Knicks Washington Memphis Charlotte Cleveland(Pre LBJ) GSW (Pre Curry) All of these cities have had similiar, if not longer droughts. In the NBA 29 teams lose. In the NBA there are chances that must be taken to contend and not all of them pan out In the NBA a great team is one that can stay in the playoffs year after year. In the NBA a good team will be in and out of the playoffs In the NBA a mediocre team will rarely make the playoffs In the NBA a bad team is regularly in the draft lottery In the NBA a terrible team is a team regularly in the draft lottery and still never in the playoffs. There are worse teams/franchises who would love to have had what we have had over the last 5 years. Some of us DO need to get off our high horse and accept that we will not be a contender all the time and we need things to bounce the right way for us to become a contender. Expect too much and you are bound to be let down. But yet those that do, insist on spreading their negativity over being let down to everyone else. You dug the hole you are now in. Deal with it. Don't bitch about it. The best of owners and the best of GM's and the best of coaches still lose. and they are not magicians.
I will add that the guy with some of the biggest expectations around here, Kingspeed, rarely bitches or tosses negativity around the team. Go figure huh?
Hmm. Its an act to not post negativity on a team you have somewhat unrealistic expectations of? Ok. If you say so.
Ive seen one thread where he went all negative and gave up and I think he did it to do the reverse jinx and it WORKED IMO. If you guys are seriously cxomparing King to other posters on here about complaining incessantly about things then I must not read enough threads, but I try to read them all. I see King as one of the more positive members here. I am not saying good or bad either way, just saying that You can be a happy fan without expecting a ring or to contend every year.
