If my memory service correct that was later on in the process after Paul and Neil Flew down to meet with him and even then he was wishy washing in what he wanted keeping them hanging. Wasn't till later that he finally told them what he really wanted.
I'm skeptical that Melo "spreads the floor" in an significant way. I know what the theory is, but I just don't believe somebody shooting under 39% on three's and making less than 2 a game makes any defense adjust. Especially when that player has below average shooting efficiency and is only in the 50th percentile as a spot-up shooter. And even more especially when any adjustment for Melo would mean the defense pays less attention to Dame. I think we 6-7 years of evidence it will take a much bigger threat than Melo to force defenses to spread the floor for Dame, and that what Portland desperately needs. Even CJ hasn't been able to accomplish that kind of floor spreading that said....I don't want Aldridge back.
I think that happened - but I know that not months but a full two seasons prior to his contract ending - yes years - he told them his plan. It was about two years if memory serves. They knew all along what he wanted. Now maybe he went back and forth and said ok ill stay, and then changed mind again, but there should have been NO surprise whatsoever when he left.
Yup. Some of us wanted to trade him when the first rumors came out that he wanted to leave. I think it was after Dame's rookie season? Anyway, I was 100% on board the "trade LMA" train. I wanted to go after Harden or Klay Thompson.
Melo gets double teamed often...it helps free up Dame...we haven't had a bench player who commanded a double team maybe ever. It's one of the things I love about him coming off the bench...teams know he can fill the basket and they game plan for him...it's why he gets to the line so much...Michael Holton drew my attention to this fact on a radio call...
LMA is the hot ex girlfriend that you mistakenly call up when you're drunk. We dodged the bullet. It needs to stay dodged. No drunk dials!
The thing is if he was that clear years before, no doubt about it they would have traded him, that my opinion. If Dame told ownership now that hey, I want to go back home when my contract is up, period, they would make effort to change his mind but at the same time fielding offers.
Single, divorced on the road for business, in the bar after five, after a couple, hey i'll give Darlene a call! Who cares if she doesn't have any front teeth anymore!
Prior to Game 1, LaMarcus Aldridge tells Clyde Drexler (now a broadcaster for the Rockets), "I'm coming for your records," then scores a franchise-best 46 points. This was in 2015 Rumors of things said before that are probably real but he was still talking about playing here. 20/20 hindsight says they should have traded him. Before Mathews went down I'm not sure anyone really knew for sure what Aldridge was going to do. I get the feeling he was in wait and see mode. If they would have put together a big push into the post season that year things might have been different. I don't know? We also all know now Lillard and Aldridge were a simple conversation away from understanding where they stood. All of this matter nothing to me now. If they are looking for a big to help this year i would not be opposed to signing Aldridge but i would hope they look at all their options first. Aldridge seems to always be "One Conversation" from being just fine. They better have that conversation before he gets here. #1 Damian Lillard is the #1 option #2 Jusuf Nurkic is the Starting center #3 Enis Kanter has earned the backup role #4 YOU are coming off the bench and will do exactly as you are told. Do not sulk about not playing or not getting enough touches. #5 IF YOU FORGET ANY OF THE FIRST 4 rules. Sign up to S2 and ask for help remembering and listen to the posters tell you how to act! Keep your account at Sports Two Blazers open and check it daily for updates on how you are doing. The members there will keep you filled in and can even coach you a bit about your defensive weaknesses. Kjironman is a fan!!!
I guess Terry might not cover a PF who is on pace to make well over 100 three-pointers (off the bench) this season, but I think most teams will refrain from leaving him alone on the perimeter.
with the all the caveats you mentioned, it makes absolutely 0 sense to still bring him in after all that. Especially if better pieces who actually do fill a need and don't come with the baggage are available.
So you don't want LaMarcus Aldridge as an S2 poster? I agree. I would rather look to a player that was younger and possibly had some better future upside or might even be tradable in the future. Aldridge on the other hand might give them a solid 10 mins a game that they could use in certain places against certain lineups. Tough call.
That's certainly not what he told the Oregonian in July of 2014 after he'd been offered a contract extension by the Blazers: It wasn't until the following summer, after Pop and Duncan gave him the big sales pitch, that he changed his mind and joined the Spurs. The chance to play alongside Duncan, one of his basketball idols, and to be closer to family were reportedly big considerations.
I don't believe that; at least I don't believe that's true to any significant level but if it is true, we should see positive results for Dame in lineups that include Melo how about 5-man lineups: going down the list, when Dame and Melo shared the floor, the Blazers net points were: -4.3 -14.3 -1.7 +0.6 +11.8 -2.2 note that the two net-positive units had Little or Giles, telling me that there's probably some noise in the numbers. Also, if you math, Dame/Melo were net-positive for 49:18 and net-negative for 138:02. That's not showing Melo doing anything positive for Dame but of course, there are lots of variables at work here how about just two-man lineups? well, the Dame/Melo combo is -1.7. The only Dame combo worse is he and Hood. The rest of Dame's combo's are net-positive. And unsurprising is that all 6 of the Melo combo's are net-negative this isn't conclusive evidence. But it is pretty substantial evidence that Melo doesn't make life easier for Dame. Looks like the opposite is true
most teams refrain from leaving almost any perimeter player alone. Where defenses break down is in secondary rotations. Teams rarely rotate off of Dame, whether he has the ball or not. Melo hasn't changed that situation as far as I can tell
