Sometimes I wonder if the Blazers are wasting Lillard’s best years. I worry that he’s going to become the Barry Sanders of the NBA, a super star destined to play his whole career with the same team and never win a title. I know it’s early, and we have lots of injuries, but Bazemore, Tolliver and Hezonja have so far not been particularly impressive, and I’m not sure this team can beat Denver, the Clippers or the Lakers in a seven-game series, even with a healthy Nurkic, Collins and Gasol. It’s a shame really. Lillard is playing his heart out this year, but it still may not make a difference.
Barkley never won a title, Malone never won a title, Ewing never either, tmac, the list goes on it’s not unusual at all Lillard won’t have a ring.
Dude Lillard is a legend ring or no ring. You can still be hall of famer and an all timer without a ring. Jesus Christ your overtly dramatic
To the OP’s point, it’s pretty premature to say if Dame will or wont have an Ring at the end of his career, He’s got 6 years left on his contract, realistically his prime should be the next 4ish years, without injuries. A lot can happen in 4 years. Did anyone have Kawhi and PG in LAC last year at this time? Or Harden and Russ in Houston? Im sure someone threw it out but no one really expected it. Last year at this time GS was a mostly consensus pick to win another ring, injuries happen. So sure its possible Dame finishes his career in Portland, has all the Portland franchise records is a first Ballot HoFer, and no rings, but its possible things change and he gets more opportunities to win. Heck this season isnt as over as people are acting it started what 3 weeks ago..?
You're surprised that with the season being only 9 games old, people are acting like they know what's going to happen for the rest of his career? That's 90% of the posts in this forum.
I agree with this, but what I do have is years of watching CJ being CJ and Stotts being Stotts and this is easily the most apathetic season we have had in years. It's like going to see Iron Eagles III. You know how it ends, you know who's in it, and you know it's going to be a shitty movie.
I remember renting iron eagles on VHS as a kid. Because I wanted to see a movie with fighter jets, and it was so bad it was depressing. Piece of shit movie.
Getting a ring isn't everything. I think pretty much everyone respects Lillard more as a person and a competitor than, say, Kevin Durant and his rings. KD has more talent, but he embarrassed himself in a way Dame just wouldn't. Besides, you could do a hell of a lot worse than to be remembered the way Barry Sanders is remembered. 10x pro bowler, 6x first teamer, Heisman..... My big worry was that he was going to be a T-Wolves version of Garnett, squandering the best years of his career on teams that always lost in the first round, only to win it all for another organization. I'm pretty sure when he retires Dame is going to own Portland the same way Dirk owns Dallas.
Not that playing for Detroit was ever going to get him a ring, but.......Sanders voluntarily chose to walk away with plenty still left in the tank. He didn’t play until he couldn’t anymore. He just walked away. But then, when you know you’re gonna be beat bloody for the next umpteen years in Detroit without even a hope of a ring, then it’s better to get out while you still have your health.....