I'd rather get bounced in the first round than miss the playoffs and like the Cavs...have 7 coaches over 7 years...I like franchise stability
A lot of Blazers, especially from the Drexler team, made their homes in Portland way before Dame came here. Then again, Portland used to be a lot nicer. You can disagree with what Quick said, but Dame accused Quick of something he didn't say, then posted the 'snake' picture. Dame may not have even read the article....perhaps one of his boyz told him what they interpreted.
Pointless. Also the Cavs are better than us now, if you haven't noticed. With a better future. They also won a title in the past 5 or so years.
The Michael Jordan Bulls were full of role players....that's what you do when you have superstars to pay....Steve Kerr was a role player..my point was players love playing with Dame in Portland....Chris Kaman loved coming here too....probably be hard pressed to find anybody who didn't....maybe Ariza or TRob...Neil just wouldn't make big moves with guys like CJ.....which is the move....or even Norm or Nurk
They had three of the top 50 players of all time on that team too. The second threepeat. Pippen is two times the player CJ is. Jordan is the best player of all time. Dame isn't Jordan. Bad comparison.
And that is where we can agree to disagree. Completely understand being okay with the mediocre stability, but I'll take at least trying to get to the ultimate goal even if there are swings and misses, versus what to me is and has been a stoppage of growth for years with this group. It was fine in Dame's first few years. That ship has sailed for me. But no worries, we are all fans. Cheers!
Might have been able to get Simmons and Thybulle along with a pick or two. Now probably just Simmons Resetting your franchise with 2 all defensive players would have been smart. I get not trading Dame though. Fans would have stormed one center court.
We have our Pippen (Dame) and Kukoc (CJ). We just need our Jordan and Rodman and we have a chance at a title!
They need fans.....I'll never be one...and the Lebron championships are for sale if you want him to take over your team....funny what happened when he left....they also haven't won anything this year. Maybe Rondo makes the difference and KLove stays engaged....we'll see. I'm not jealous of the Cavs by any stretch...and yeah...just about 25 teams are better than us this season...and we've been banged up early.
....except every one of those Bulls players is bigger than Dame and/or CJ. They were incredible! They could switch anything with Jordan, Pip, Grant, Rodman, Harper, etc.
They had tradeable assets and didn't trade them, and when they did make trades they made bad trades. Damians cap has nothing to do with Olshey refusing to trade CJ, or signing Turner to 19 million, Crabbe to 19 million, and trading away multiple picks to get a broken ankle, and drafting a fat ass (swanigan) instead of someone with skill. Damians contract has nothing to do with them re-signing CJ for far more than he was worth. You claimed they had surrounded him with talent, and when it's brought up that the talent that he was surrounded with was crap (both literally crap, and helping with taking the weight off of Damian, crap). If the Blazers were the Nets, it'd be Kyrie Irving surrounded by mediocrity, instead of surrounding him with Durant and Harden. Portland had the chance ot upgrade the roster, but instead Olshey decided that a short, defensive weak 2 guard was good enough to make up no offense from the PF and SF spot for the last 5 seasons. This summer he filled the teams roster with fringe NBA talent, almost all who were PG sized. Damian has never been surrounded by another all star caliber player, so the answer to that is to trade him. Because look at how often other teams who trade their best players thrive after. Answer: They don't.
I threw out a Simmons, Maxey and three firsts for Dame offer a few weeks ago and people were up in arms. That's pretty good value. Look at what Harden got in a trade.
Revisionist history does nothing to improve this team now. You, julius, are looking backwards. I, am looking forward. It's 2022 now, not 2018, or 2016, or 2020, or any other year they've tried it your way.
I understand but to me...making the playoffs is not mediocrity...it's success....winning the ring is the biggest thrill but getting a chance to compete for that takes a lot of success and work..to me mediocrity is being a lotto team for decades and having no franchise identity ..like the Kings have been since Adelman left.
2022 is Joe Cronin...that's the key to improving over a decade of Neil Olshey and his multiple small ISO guards fascination....Joe is where the answer lies as far as this team this season...I hope he gets it right
You're also missing the point. They haven't given him a decent roster to compete. If you look at the shitty rosters he's had to play with, and the team has done as good as it has, imagine if they actually rolle the dice on someone? But no, let's trade him because we want to suck for a long time after (see: Minnesota, see: Orlando, see: Sacramento, see: New Orleans)
That's the thing, Portland has made the Playoffs, (not really a big deal since over half the league does) but they have had ZERO chance to compete for the ring. And comparing us to the Kings.....great, so our crap stinks a little less than theirs. Still, no where near getting out of the outhouse.
Half the league makes the playoffs brah. It is not a reward for success as much as an opportunity for the league to make the $$$$$... Teams with losing records make the playoffs. But then again, Oregon State went to a Bowl game. Participation ribbons for the Gaylord Focker Wall of Fame.