This one is on Dame, and many more to come...

This loss is totally on Dame.

not CJ's fault, not Stotts's fault, not Olshey's fault.

Every star in the league at some point has asked for better teammates, even at a cost to sacrifice some friends, but Lillard has ALWAYS made it clear that friendship is more important to him than winning.

He doesn't want CJ or Nurkic to be traded so that's the result, he's the one who said multiple times that he's ok with ending his career without a ring as long as he can say that he was a good teammate.

There will be many more historic nights from Dame and every single one of them won't result in a success because with McCollum and Nurkic the ceiling is low.

 

Except for maybe Curry, every star in the league at Dame's level also has forced their way out after 9 yrs of treadmilling. Careful what you wish for.

 

The same goes for Stotts, Dame has always made it clear that he wants to continue with Stotts.

Trying to win an NBA title with Stotts/CJ/Nurkic is like trying to win an F1 race with a scooter, good luck with that...

 

You should be quite nimble with all this stretching you're doing.

 

There are some seriously dumb threads right now

 

I'm not sure how you guys can argue that this isn't at least partially the case. Dame hasn't put enough pressure on the team to shake things up. We keep moving around the deck chairs on the Titanic. The problem is the foundation of the team. Dame/CJ/Stotts.

 

Are you privy to conversations Dame has with Olshey? DO share!

 

Well I was peaking through the blinds...

 

Dame is 6'2...that's known. He's unflinchingly loyal to people around him....that's also known. It should not be on Dame to change the qualities of his character that make him such a good leader for the team. It's on the GM to do his job, and his job is not to bow to Dame's loyalty when due diligence & objectivity instruct otherwise

 

GM's lose their jobs all the time. Olshey has had an immensely successful career of outlasting probably 30 or 40 GM's who were fired from other teams during his stay in Portland. He hasn't done anything that remarkable with his team, given it has a legit superstar, but he has endured.

He's been able to keep his job as long as he has by not shaking things up too much and keeping his star player happy. If he had traded CJ 5 years ago (like he should have) he faced the serious risk of being fired within 12 months if the deal didn't pan out. Instead he got 5 more years of fat paychecks and NBA lifestyle out of it. All of his incentives have been to not stick his neck out.

The glaring embarrassment of the game we all witnessed last night as EVERYBODY but Dame shit the bed has to have consequences. Olshey needs to start working on his resume. The gravy train ride is over.

 

I reject this notion that Neil hasn't taken risks just because he hasn't traded CJ.

Look at 2014-15 when he gave up Barton AND picks when he went for Afflalo to be a backup. Or giving up two picks for Roco last year who was thought to be the quintessential 3&D forward.

I would point to him sticking with Stotts so long as a sign of playing it safe much moreso than not letting CJ go.

 

Who do you suggest they get?

There isn't really anyone out there to trade for.

2 times in 9 seasons, Dame has shot at least 45%. I say that because, can you guarantee Dame, will be Dame if he hypothetically had another superstar beside him? Playing with another guy means less shots, and you have to be very efficient.

People hate em, but Kyrie was able to do this twice, with James and KD/Harden. The latter, he joined the 50-40-90 club.

Curry was able to do it with KD and Klay, in the 50-40-90 club.

The reason why I would trade Dame, is he has never been as efficient as a Curry or Kyrie.....I don't know if he can play well with another star cause he is a high volume shooter. It is VERY fun to watch, don't get me wrong...but were has it gotten us all these years? What has Dame ever accomplished? He is not winning MVPs with this playstyle, nor titles.....Because this playstyle, imo, is not winning basketball.

I would pull Dame in my office, and let me know straight up our plan. We want assets, but we want you to be able to contend, cause we do respect you. However, we need to get the best deal for us.

 

Stupid criteria. Dame's TS% is at or near the level of all those guys you mentioned.

 

Both the Afflalo and Roco trades weren't that risky, really. They were the kind of trades any reasonable GM would make to exchange future potential for win-now role players. Same thing with Gary Trent for Powell.

We gave up a few young pieces with promising but not exactly rock solid futures. In exchange we got veteran guys who were above mediocre in the present. I don't begrudge those moves. They were solid base hits.

There haven't been enough of the "diamond in the rough" grand slams or even solid triples like Nurkic. The acquisitions that look like genius afterward that nobody saw coming.

But yeah, sticking with Stotts so long is definitely a great example of him playing it safe.

 

How does this thread happen? Where do people get these ideas?

 

picks are more valuable for a team in our market than others. I would argue that giving up two first rounders is a heavy price for a team in Portland. Turning the 37th pick in a draft two years ago into a guy who will earn 20 mil this summer is pretty solid homerun if you ask me (key of course will be retaining norman).

I just don't understand the things people blame Olshey for. The Stotts thing-- absolutely agree. The 2017 draft-- an unmitigated disaster.

But not trading away CJ or not signing a backup C? meh.

If you want an example of a guy wasting assets and not taking risks, look no further than Ainge. Olshey has other problems.

 

Kyrie is one of the most overrated players in the league.

 

Trading for Afflalo and RoCo sure look like normal, everyday risks GM take all the time.

tinkering with the middle and end of the rotation aren't risks...it's just normal turnover. Trading a non-lottery first isn't much of a risk either

real risks happen with trading a player out of the top of the rotation, not the bottom and not the middle. Olshey would be taking a real risk if he leveraged CJ or Nurkic into a big change. But he has been loathe to do anything like that

 

I am blown away that you actually found 3 people to click the LIKE button on this one.