Suppose our projected starting backcourt of Dame and Anfernee just doesn't work. Suppose also that you hear a rumor from a reliable source that one of them is going to be traded. Which do you hope for? (And don't bother to say "depends what we get back" - just imagine a fair package for either.)
Mentioned it in a different thread, but I would try Dame and Sharpe at PG/SG with Ant as the 6M before trading Ant. But ultimately, I would trade Ant. Ant still has too much potential for me to want to just trade away though. Ant is a star PG on another squad. It would have to take something like OKC making a consolidation move by trading Dieng or Dort and multiple 1sts for Ant for me to consider trading Ant right now to make me want to do it. Or a wing with almost as much potential with many years left. That means I wouldn’t even trade him for OG straight up.
I'm not a believer in Ant. Sure he can score, but I haven't seen him be a true net positive on the court (yet). He has shown glimpses, but I am still skeptical that he'll be able to put it all together. The right answer might be 'Trade Both'.
I love ant coming off the bench. Be our Microwave. But I see no different than a Dame/CJ backcourt when he starts really.
I'm gonna stay with "Where are they at 20 games?". I'm also going to hope Chauncey is willing to make changes to the lineup that will best suit the team. At this point I have faith in Lillard.
What are you talking about? We have given them like.... six years! The Damian Lillard / CJ Simons experiment just doesn't work!
Agreed. Need a better defender from that position. Honestly, move Hart to the 2 and try Little, Johnson, and Winslow in the starting lineup. Have Ant and Sharpe as our reserve back court.
Rules are meant to be broken… or thats what my felon friend always tells me! Ant off the bench. Ant/Hart/little would be a great backup to Dame/Sharpe/Grant (on a contender, Grant would be our three)
They will be if they continue to run them the same way that CJ and Dame ran. The big issue with CJ is that his outstanding NBA value is his handle and ability to create a shot for himself out of nothing. The big issue with Ant now is his ungodly catch and shoot 3 ball - and the Blazers are not running enough stuff to get him moving off the ball to become that catch and shoot pain. If we can see the kind of off-the-ball movement with off-the-ball screens to free Ant you see from the Heat (with Herro) or GSW - you have something very exciting we have not seen yet, but the Blazers, at least so far, use Ant the same way they used CJ in the last couple of years. He and Dame do a "I run the offense now" for a high pick and roll with everyone standing around - of course it looks the same. But, I would let Ant do it only when Dame is out of the game. If he is in the game, he is a little Reggie Miller - and get people of the ball to screen for him so he can be free. Have Dame and Nurk continue to run the high pick and roll while Ant is running around and at least one of the other guys is screening to get him free. That's where this combo can be super dangerous.
You're right. CJ is still a much better player right now. However, neither one can play a lick of defense.
On the one hand.....I would rather trade Ant and get to see Dame retire a Blazer. OTOH....trading Dame to a team with a legit chance to win a ring would be the best way to thank him for his contributions here. Would trading Dame give us the assets to start a strong rebuild (like Utah trading Golbert)? I honestly don't think so. At best we might get a pair of firsts somewhere down the road and 3 or 4 turdburger contracts to make the money work.
