Notice This feels like it's one of those moments

It feels like we're on the precipice of one of those franchise defining moments.

Bowie over Jordan.

Trading back and passing on CP3.

Trading for Brandon Roy and LMA.

Oden over Durant.

This draft has that feel. This is going to be an offseason that will change the course of this franchise, for better or worse...... and it terrifies me. I'm making this thread as a time capsule.

 

This specifically reminds me of the Oden/Durant draft. I had a bad feeling about that draft. There was no pressure last draft. This one worries me. Does anyone else get this feeling?

 

it's quiet....too quiet!

 

I have a generalized anxiety disorder. You are goddamned right, I am worried. This is as big of an inflection point as I have seen as a fan of this team.

 

That could be part of it. I just think overall this is going to be a draft where Blazer fans either look back and say it was a major win and set us up for the next decade or it's going to be up there with the CP3, Oden, Bowie list.

 

the 'Dame factor' certainly stirs the pot. If Portland ends up trading him it will be marking 12 years of failure. And the turn-around is going to be a lot longer than some imagine

I'd say, if there is an inflection point, it would be more like the 2017 draft than Bowie or Oden

 

That draft still pisses me off, but it doesn't put the same sour taste in my mouth that the Paul draft does. I'm worried this will be another Chris Paul draft.

 

Definitely possible. I'm not getting super excited about any of the prospects available at 3. There's some pretty significant boom or bust potential.

 

Draft has always been and will always be just luck. You never know what's going to happen. You never know how players develop. Shit, even Wemby could just become a Yao Ming. Sure Yao was really good, but was he a Superstar leading his Team to a Championship? No he wasn't, Rockets never even made the Conference Finals with him. You just never know before

 

my hope is Lillard is pumping up ticket sales. When the Blazers grab a couple more Dame friendly vets this summer, without trading the #3 pick, it will be PR'd as the most epic basketball unit since Drexler. If (and when) the Blazers struggle to stay above .500, because the team is still terrible at defense, engage tank #3 > go get Shaedon and the new rookie another running mate.

Keep reshuffling the deck, by the time Lillard is in his final years of his contract, Portland will have 3-4 top rookies, a new owner, a better coach, and be well prepared to start a new era of Blazers basketball.

 

The reason it feels like one of those moments is that suddenly (and supposedly) the Blazers face two choices:
1. Win a championship now
2. Trade Dame

The media and some fans have decided there’s no middle ground. Unless Dame demands a trade, or a “can’t say no” trade emerges, the middle ground is the correct route to take.

 

I worry we will throw away the future for a feeble 2 year run at something unattainable with whatever they can put on the floor.

 

We are kinda fucked either way value wise. I don’t think we will get the value we should if we trade Dame or the 3rd pick.

 

I worry that there won’t be enough threads for those set on trading Dame to express their dissatisfaction and concern over the plan of building a contender around him.

In actuality, I don’t think it has to be an either/or situation. I think Cronin may decide to keep the third pick and still get some experienced vets to compete now with Dame.

 

I don't feel that way if we actually draft. I think it is Miller or Scoot and if the one we pick doesn't work out it isn't a gaf like the Paul draft. As my old brain remembers it, taking Webster was a big stretch at the time over the guys like Paul and Williams.

The Bowie draft was only upsetting to me at the time because of Bowie's injury history and how 7 footers don't do well with that history going into the NBA. Jordan wasn't Jordan yet though from what I read everyone associated with college basketball told Portland not to pass on that guy.

 

But we should especially with a Dame trade. No superstar coming backbit enough assets to move us along at a better rate than the current road we are on. But as we all witnessed over the last decade, they will probably prove you right.

 

I think the most humorous part of all this is that people wanting us to deal the pick for a championship run know this organization hasn't had such a run in 30+ years but since the goal is to do it for Lillard we can now get it done within 2 years.

 

Why would the expectation be that we get fucked? The Clippers deal was shit but it was also for two bench players. Since then Joe has been good, not great but good. We got a pretty good return on the Pelicans trade. The Detroit deal was really solid. We sent out Josh and we got back Matisse and a first round pick, that seems like another very good deal. No we haven’t really fleeced anyone but since that first trade Joe hasn’t been fleeced either.

For people that think GP2 was a misstep. We got 5 second round picks and no impact to the cap in that deal.

I honestly expect a competent off season. I’m not sure what that will entail but it is what I expect.