Event Do you all want to get together and watch the draft lottery on May 16th?

What about the Dirt guy? I haven't listened to the radio in a while.

 

No idea other than hearing him on his show in the morning.

I think the Blazers are hesitant to do it because in all likelihood, they will end up trading the pick. There is a small chance it is high enough that they keep the pick, but it seems they don't want the fans getting all hyped about a potential player that will never hit the court in a Blazer uniform.

 

What does that have to do with 'Dirt'?

 

never thought of it this way, but this is the right choice. I would venture that Schmitz has spent more time scouting Wemby than any other scout in the NBA. He apparently knows Wemby's family and is really close to Victor from years ago.

And ESPN would love that storyline.

And Joe doesn't seem like the kinda guy who would care if his assistant got all the attention front and center.

Send Schmitz!

 

?

 

Being since I live in NC,ya'll can just FaceTime me in haha.Be warned mind that if I drink too much I tend to go off on random topics.

 

She said something like that. She wanted to organize a Draft Lottery party and was seeing if the Blazers where going to either host one or help her host one. Something to that effect.

 

This really concerns me.

I mean if we trade the pick and other stuff bringing in both Bridges and Siakam resulting in the Blazers being a legit contender I'm all for it.

I just have a hard time seeing Cronin being able to pull off a trade of the pick for a vet that is equal value and that has the Blazers positioned to realistically contend with Dame. Given both Cronin negotiation history, the roster current talent level, and Jody's penny pinching.

Hope I'm proven wrong; super concerning we are working to throw away great long term draft picks for the familiar short term mediocrity.

 

You can be concerned but I would be very surprised if we kept any pick that isn't the first pick. That is unless Joe decides to go for the ultimate punt and trade Dame for picks, youth and possibly bad contracts.

 

Bridges and Siakam would be great! But IMO, we don't have near the capital to pull that off. Even trying would gut the team for years on the hopes of the players re-signing and Dame having more than a 2-3 year window left.

 

Well OK.... but just trading away lottery picks shouldn't be a goal. I get if we are afterwards a legit contender or have a path to be a legit contender. Just seems beyond shortsigned to commit to giving away lottery picks regardless of the result.

 

Path is the key. Overnight fix is not possible.

 

Thats why I've commented the team needs to do any move all at once that directly results in being a contender.

They shouldn't ship out a bunch of draft picks with it being step1 of multiple steps to eventually become a contender. Because then if those other steps don't happen, we are screwed long term as you note.

Better to just do nothing and draft BPA and move on. If Dame asks out then so be it.

I'm all for trying to build a contender around Dame, but if the opportunity isn't there; well then it just isn't there.

 

I very sincerely doubt that our front office is operating with a commitment to give away lottery picks regardless of the result. I think the first choice and the choice they are really trying for is to maximize the value of our pick and future picks to put a contender around Dame but I don't think they would ever take trading Dame off of the table because doing that would give opponents too much leverage.

That being said, I think they'll be able to justify to themselves a move or moves that at least placate Dame and at most make us a contender.

 

People thought trading picks for Collins, Roco, Afflalo and Nance would get us on the path. Well guess what, lots of times that path isn't what is expected or doesn't work out as planned.

Sending out lottery picks is just different than all of those moves though. They are so valuable to a franchise like Portland. They have a realistic chance of being a starting level player if not allstar. Its one thing to give up a late pick for Afflalo, but if we win a top4 pick and ship that out for more years of mediocrity.... thats just a failure on a whole different level.

I guess to me it means is it a realistic path to contend. Roco wasn't a realistic path to contend, and just such a tiny insignificant step even if the trade had worked out well. LeBron and Anthony Davis is a realistic path to contend. Kawhi and Paul George is a realistic path to contend even if its never worked out any of these years for them. Embiid and Harden is a realistic path to contend; etc.

 

Is it just me or does the draft lottery still feel like it’s about 84 years away?

 

At least we can say it's this month now.