Damian Lillard Appreciation Thread

I’m not the biggest Karmel fan but this was an entertaining pod. Pretty much sums up the Blazer fan experience the last few seasons and more.

 

Go get a couple rings Dame. Then come back and be that missing piece willing to come off the bench to help our new core win a couple more for you.
Wish you the best in Milwaukie.

 

https://ripcityproject.com/2023/10/...n-breaks-silence-relationship-damian-lillard/

looks like the same stuff already reported.

Blazers’ GM Joe Cronin breaks silence on relationship with Damian Lillard

 

Just aggregating the Golliver article.

 

I watched them. It's a different experience then watching regular season matador defense.

Old school basketball comes back around. Teams can't just shoot 40+ threes a night and win. Defensive energy is ratcheted up, adversely effecting outside shooters. Hustle for rebounds gets wild at times. Just look at Draymond stomping on Sabonis, get that board and go !!

Remember Portland's hot start to last season? The 10-4 opening month saw super active Blazer defense. More aggressive takes at the hoop. Not relying on 3 pointers to score points. Teams play like that in the playoffs. But at the end of season after a long journey of tired legs and bumps and bruises. Not the very beggining of the year with every player not named Gary Payton Jr. fresh and ready to rumble.

The playoffs are a fun experience. Teams that do well have very deep rosters. Teams like Portland developing young players and acquiring future picks don't stand a chance.

Maybe I'm wrong and the Blazers will do amazing? I'd be happy to see Portland winning and grinning.

Though I've read through a half dozen updated preseason power rankings, and the highest spot awarded to Portland was 24th. That's a helluva ping pong ball.

 

So Joe admits that he wasn't amicable. I don't think that means Joe takes all of the blame I just think it means that when Scoot fell to us despite what Joe was saying, the team decided to move on from Dame. They made Dame demand the trade instead of just saying they were moving on and that makes sense. Dame tried to fuck the front office with the Miami only shit because they pretty much fucked him. In the end the front office got Dame to a better place to try and win championships and Dame's scorched earth didn't cost us.

Great job by Joe, stabbing the greatest Blazers player ever in the back but still making sure our team got a good return and thank you Dame for remaining loyal to Rip City while standing your ground and not staying on an obviously rebuilding team. Let's Go Blazers first and foremost!!! but for this upcoming season Fear the Deer.

 

So you subscribe to the theory that Joe forced Dame to request a trade?

 

Dru: “I don’t think it was a secret that Miami is where I wanted to go when I asked for a trade. When this conversation started, it was like ‘We’re not going to be able to build this team out. We’ll help you get to where you want to go’. And that was where I wanted to go” @Dame_Lillard

 

I don't subscribe to the theory that forcing Dame to demand a trade was the plan before drafting Scoot. I do think that Joe knew when he drafted Scoot what Dame would do (demanding a trade, not the Miami shit) and all of the shit Joe said about still wanting to build around Dame was spin; if you consider that forcing Dame to request a trade, then yeah that's what I think Joe did. Joe heard all of the same stuff that we did and probably heard it in person before we ever did. So when Joe chose to go young I sincerely doubt he expected Dame to follow him down that path.

 

I think it's fairly cut and dry, Joe left Dame with the assumption he would send Dame where he wanted to go. Thats what pissed his off.
It worked out in the end that he goes to the Bucks and Joe can re-engineer, which he probably wanted to do anyway.

 

I think "we" are over thinking it, and at the end of the day it should always be what's in the best interest of the fan base. Screw Lillard's feelings, just like he pretty much said, "screw the fan's feelings" when he tried to tie Joe's hands. The NBA is a business and Joe has a job to do (and keep). I appreciate all that Lillard has "done" for Portland, but I also appreciate that he has been exceedingly well paid for his efforts. Loyalty is a two way street. I don't appreciate that he continues to act like a spoiled little bitch after the people he is trashing gave him the absolute best opportunity to win a (IMHO) overhyped championship. It's not a good look. And when the place Lillard wanted to go to wasn't willing to offer up what what Lillard himself seems to think he is worth, then maybe he should take a step back and look within himself a bit harder. Why isn't he feeling insulted by Miami??? Screw the guy. I'm looking forward to a season void of hero ball and entitled egos.......Kudos to Joe for giving us a future we couldn't have with Dame on the team......

 

Joe probably would have been able to work something with Miami if they were more motivated to work. As soon as Dame and his agent went public about wanting Miami they screwed themselves. I don't blame Joe in the least. He was forced to play extreme hard ball with Miami by Dame and Goodwin. Harder ball than Miami was willing to play.

 

Disagree 100%. Dame and his agent screwed both Dame and Portland. Joe made the best of it. Joe did the right thing.

 

Boo freakin hoo.

 

I didn't say that Joe did the wrong thing. I just said that when he drafted Scoot, that was obviously him pivoting away from Dame. I don't think Dame ever wanted to play anywhere but Portland before that. What happened after that seems to me to be Dame reacting emotionally. That being said, I don't think anyone really got screwed. We got a very good return for Dame and Dame got a better chance at a championship than he would have had in Miami.

 

I guess I should have been more specific about what I disagree with.
You said:

I disagree. Joe didn't stab Dame in the back. At least, I've seen no evidence that would suggest he did.

 

I think it’s extremely entitled and disingenuous to take a statement from Joe that he would work to get you where you want to go, and then publicly air that destination, work to poison the well with other teams, and then be offended when Joe is unwilling to take a horrible offer from your one destination. You aren’t a free agent. You signed that huge contract. Nobody else gave Joe a list of one team. That’s absurd and Dame needs to stop talking.

 

agree, Both Dame & his agent were wrong in going public.