No point in waiting. Just repeat everything in my Game 3 loss rant. Add to it that as much as I wish I could write otherwise, this team won't make the playoffs next year. With the Griz, Suns and Pels coming on, and I doubt the Spurs and Warriors have another down year, we're probably 13th in the West. The organization needs to bring in a GM who is a genius to undo the mess that is a roster lacking in both talent and chemistry and give Dame a chance to have decent personnel around him in the next 5 years or the Blazers need to accept that Dame is the one tradeable commodity on this roster to get competitive again in the near future. It's one or the other and probably both. But we owe it to Dame, if we can't find a way to put complementary players around him that help him thrive and prolong his career, to trade him somewhere that will. This roster ... yeesh ... I'm not sure what is worse, the lack of talent or lack of chemistry. No depth whatsoever. I stood by Stotts as long as I could. He needs to go. Unfortunately, with this abbreviated offseason and a first-year owner, there's no way we change GM or coach and we probably don't change either, and the Blazers are going to drop from mediocrity to obscurity. If you think it was hard to get free agents before, wait until we start losing. BTW, Gary Trent = OK player. I think the people who think he'd be any kind of suitable replacement for CJ or a starting off-guard on a contending team see something I definitely don't see. I see a guy who plays hard, can come off the bench and get streaky from 3. But you better have a couple of other players on the team that draw defensive attention and at least a really great ballhandler at the point and an unusually good ballhandler at the 3 because he's not going to handle the basketball and facilitate. Anyway, sorry to be blunt. That's not what I want to see, but that's what I see.
Look on the bright side. At least we are #1 in team payroll this season, $139 million. The Lakers are only a puny #17. We're #1 ! Say it loud and say it proud !
The worst part of the Blazers being blown out again is it almost makes me wish the Suns had gotten in. Perhaps they would have presented more of a challenge. sad to see the ream looking so outclassed.
I think it's officially time to make wholesale changes to the team. Everybody except for Dame is on the table. Unfortunately I have almost zero confidence that this will actually happen. Neil Oshley is enamored with our roster as it is constructed and is seemingly convinced that it is destined for championship contention.
This isn't an organization that is serious about winning it all. The exit interviews will be the same shit...wcf last year...injuries...didn't make shots...liked our energy.
I think we have to accept that might happen and just deal with it. If we are making an effort to put a better team around him and he doesn't want it, it's kind of pointless for him to be here. If we don't see a way to put a competitive team around him and try to send him to a team where he could experience that and he doesn't like it, it really doesn't matter.