Casinos have big winners all the time. There is a reason just going to casinos isn't considered a smart financial plan.
Who has said championship or bust? Pretty sure if anybody felt that way they wouldn't be Blazer fans...
You can rebuild without trying to lose on purpose. A bad team will be plenty bad without trying extra hard to lose.
I don't think most wanted the players or coaches to actively try to lose. Certainly not extra hard. I wanted scrubs playing the minutes Ant and Grant (and possiblity Ayton) played this season. I think we could easily be looking at a top 4 pick right now if that were the case. Trying to make the playoffs with this roster was just silly.
Players simply wouldn't have gone along with that. They aren't just going to go out and deliberately look bad. That just doesn't seem realistic. No NBA team did that this year. Coach can develop the young guys. But they aren't telling guys to miss on purpose.
1. Lottery. Top 4 or at 10. Either way, the talent improves on the roster. 2. Trades of veteran players has to happen for the team salary in the near future. Running it back will be unacceptable to fans. It won’t help the growth curve. Cronin knows it. Letting guys walk is unlikely compared to getting some assets. Clean out the roster. Cronin cannot say it but has to do it. The direction is positive even though it’s early in the rebuild. 3. One thing I can say is that the Blazers already have an elite player in Toumani Camara on D. Soon to be 25 and headed into only his 3rd season after taking one leap — the next is predictably the 25-26 season. He’ll even get treated differently by the refs. May 12.
Rebuild towards what? We can’t sign a star. We probably can’t trade for one. Our best chance has always been to draft one. Dame LMA Roy Drexler Etc do we have a star on the team? Maybe. I don’t know the future for Sharpe, Scoot or Deni. But I wouldn’t say there’s a clear star on this team. You can’t contend without a star. Championship or bust might not be the best approach, but trying to be in the mix is the goal. Be a contender. A team with a legit shot.
I don't like the guy but no question Draymond Green is impact player. Second round. Recent article recalled his arrival in NBA, as second round pick not guaranteed a slot and only one year contract. Lived in cheap apartment, hauled his own belongings upstairs, shopped at SavMart. Not doing that now
I'm banking on Mike Schmidt's little wish list book on guys he's followed since they were in middle school to produce another Deni or Toumani taleent or overseas players our expanded overseas scouting team finds in Africa or Europe, etc. I think we'll see more G league players drafted as well. Teams no longer have to look primarily to college players to find impact players.