Based on everything Cronin has said about going all-in this summer, I think the plan is to use multiple picks and players to trade for someone like Siakam or Towns. An established, All-Star level player is what is needed to compete in Dame’s window, not someone who may be ready to make a difference in three years. I don’t have any illusions about being anything but a one and done in the playoffs, but making the postseason means Chicago gets the Blazers’ first rounder, clearing the way for trading the Knick’s pick and multiple future firsts to get the player we need.
Im sure im late to the game on this, but thanks for that. The lightbulb just went on. We need to make the playoffs to take that big swing. Tanking is fully off the table for me.
I just assumed he was soft from the fact he got bull rushed and dunked on by some 250 lb no name euro. That and the fact his limbs look like they are about to snap off like twigs.
I understand what you are saying but i think back to when i was a kid and the Cleveland Indians finished last every year, but every Spring I would look at the roster and think if these two guys could just have career years and thes young guys improve some and so and imagine how they could win the pennant. Hope definitely springs eternal.
That makes sense but I think a lottery pick and New York pick and some of our players should be enough. And the value of a lottery pick right now should be worth more than a couple future FRP's. And I just can't imagine it would be that difficult to get the condition off that pick if more was necessary.
Yeah, I’m not saying what I laid out is the only route, but I think it’s the plan given that Dame is healthy, playing otherworldly basketball, and wants to make the playoffs. I also think that when Nurk, Simons and Winslow get healthy, the Blazers can be pretty darn good.
Please, please, please Blazers do not do this. You could add either of those guys to the existing team and they still wouldn’t be close to contending. I don’t think you realize how dangerous that would be. You trade our future like that and we still aren’t contenders and you risk losing a good portion of the fan base.
Having our pick tied up in Chicago is really hurting our chances of trading for an all star to pair with Dame. Look at the recent player movement. 4 1sts for Gobert. 4 for Durant (PLUS Bridges and Johnson). Right now our picks would be 10 & 23 for this year's draft. That's not gonna do it. Hoping we get extremely lucky in the draft AND New York drops just enough to barely make the playoffs seems like a much bigger risk than getting into the playoffs and lose in the first round so our future picks are freed up.
Why? The Blazers were very average when those guys were healthy earlier this year. Thybulle & Reddish are an upgrade over Hart & a compromised GPII, but I don't see them rising above the mediocre malaise if they were whole. Hell, they were just blown out at home by a mediocre W's team which was missing 2 All Stars... going into that game they were 6-23 on the road this year. STOMP
I don't get this infatuation with going all in. Is it just to be able to say that you did? So you trade everything for Towns, Siakam or Butler... then what? You would have 2 all-stars surrounded by the worst supporting cast in NBA history. And you would have no way to fill out the roster and change that. The Celtics have 2 stars and Brogdon off the bench. The Bucks have Middleton coming off the bench. The Warriors just slapped us around without Curry or Wiggins. What is the point of gutting our future when you have no path to assembling a roster that can compete with these?
You know the answer, it's to satisfy Dame's ever shrinking win-now window. So they can look back and say they tried. For what it's worth though, I agree with you. Towns, Siakam and Butler wouldn't move the needle significantly enough with our current roster, let alone gutting it completely in order to get them. The 'all-in' move only makes sense if it's an Embiid, Jokic or Giannis, which are all unrealistic. To me, the sensible play is to build on what we have with clever drafting and trades. Easier said than done. Perhaps then Dame can win a ring with Portland as a vet. He can still play way into his 30s.
Im a bit confused. It seems some of the same people who are upset we don't have enough assets also say there is no way to swing big here and need to draft our studs. Arent assets for trades? Meaning if e only option is to draft a winning team, then why care about assets to swing big?
What are you talking about? We have nothing of value to trade for this 2nd all-star except Shaedon and picks. People don't want to trade Shaedon or the picks when they know it is a dead end. If you want to trade the rest go for it. You won't be getting a star back but sure trade them all.
Last night’s game doesn’t really say anything about how a healthy Blazers team will do: A. It was on the road, not at home. B. The Blazers we’re missing two starters and a prime reserve. C. The Blazers had no backup PG at all. Keon was a total disaster and the Warriors made their run with Dame on the bench. The Blazers really haven’t been healthy since the first 20 games or so of the season. The bench has constantly been shorthanded as better bench players were pulled into the starting lineup. As a result, the Blazers have been at the tail end of bench production all year. I’m looking forward to how the longer new guys improve that situation once Simons, Nurk and Winslow are available. If they don’t come back soon, it won’t make any difference in the Blazers being able to claw their way back into the playoffs, but it will be instructive for Cronin’s plans next summer.
Sorry about my home/away mixup... being a Bay Area resident, my access through the pass was blocked last night. Nonetheless, Portland missing Nurk, Simons & Winslow pales in comparison to what the very mediocre Warriors were missing (Curry, Wiggins, Payton). Whining about the Blazers having no backup PG is rich when the W's had none either. I don't know how you're turning a blind eye to that. That game is just another example on top of the mountain of evidence that the 2022-3 Trailblazers are not good no matter how healthy the roster is. STOMP
Im talking aBout exactly what I'm talking about. For those angry we never take chances, the only way to take a chance is to make the playoffs to free up our future firsts for a big trade. So for those who want to try to land a difference maker with say, Ants salary and a bunch of future firsts, we need to win now. It seems some who complain about not swinging big are also the ones who want to tank, preventing us from attempting a big swing.
Well then you are completely misreading the room. The people wanting to tank are not the ones that want to trade the future away.
