To be fair... They probably didnt make it because they couldnt utilize secondary pitches and be consistent.
There are always various reason and I agree that some didn't make it because they couldn't consistently throw strikes, lacked movement or didn't have a decent breaking ball. It might get you noticed but it takes more than that to make it. stomp seems to think the god given talent is enough.
Blazers were 36-17 at the trade deadline during LA’s last year in PDX (55 win pace). Before WM injury they were thought to have one of the best starting 5 units in the league. After winning first playoff series in 14 years the previous year, LA guaranteed that offseason that he was going to re-sign the next summer when he was eligible for a 5 year extension instead of a 3 year. There was no reason to believe he was going to bolt before the trade deadline of his final season here. It was bad luck that WM Achilles blew because afterwards the team took a nosedive, which probably caused LA to change his mind. There were obviously other reasons for his departure, but it’s hard to fault NO for the way things played out. LA gave his word that he was coming back, & then decided to play through a hand injury (that required surgery & would have ended his season) because of how well the team was playing that season. All signs pointed to LA being committed to PDX. Let’s say NO had traded LA before the deadline when the team was still considered a contender. How would he explain that when EVERYONE thought LA was going to re-sign? We made the move because, even though we were playing well & in contention for a championship, we were afraid LA was going to go back on his word & bolt? You have to go for it when you’re having a season like that!
A guy with Olsheys ego doesnt care what fans think. Unless he feels like getting a laugh at some of the comments, maybe.
While true, Olshey feels there are only a handful of people whose opinion of him truly matters. Which I think is a very good thing. Everyone else doesnt know that the F they are talking about.
I’m not saying he actually makes decisions around what fans say, obviously that’d be dumb, but the question was whether or not he’s actually read this board. My bet is he has.
yeah, wasnt insinuating that he actually considered anything, obviously not, but i just dont think he reads this. i'd bet money on it, but can understand why others would believe this.
The only reason I really had asked the question was because I know for a fact that KP used to read our forum....as well as other fan sites. KP was/is kind of a free spirit, though.
He was never going to re-sign with us. A guarantee without signing on the dotted line meant he was leaving. He should have been on the trading block as soon as he said he wanted to wait to sign. And I said that publicly leading up to that season. I don't blame Olshey too much for trusting him (which is why I still gave him an A), but the smart move would have been trading him for the best possible return we could get.
The rules were different then. Signing an extension would have been way less than what he could make the next summer. Saying what you said also ignores the fact that Aldridge maybe was planning on staying until Wes got hurt.
None of that matters. If you're Portland you can't afford to take that chance. If Aldridge isn't ok with that he's not a good fit here long term anyway. You trade them before they can do what Aldridge did. Every time. No exceptions.
Respectfully, this is complete and utter bullshit. The Blazers were contenders. You don't trade your best player when you have your first glimpse of contention in 15 years. No exceptions.
Got to agree with this. You just don't trade a dominant PF on a contender. The year before he put up 40+ twice in the Playoffs against Houston. You certainly don't trade him if he is saying he is staying.
Were they contenders? They made it out of the 1st round against a pretty bleh Rockets team. They looked like a good regular season team but who knows if that team was built for the post-season. I couldn't see them having a chance against the Spurs or Warriors. And then you consider that we had a young star in Dame who I think it was pretty obvious that we should build around instead, and we could have easily built ourselves for a 10-year window of contention by being a little more patient and not taking the risk on an aging PF staying true to his word (when he already caused problems). A great GM would've flipped Aldridge for young assets/picks and went forward with Lillard, McCollum, Barton, etc. We were a 2nd round team after Aldridge left, just imagine if we got value back for him, and kept Barton?
Sounds like it was the perfect time to sell high. If he didn't want to resign that summer and there had been inklings of him wanting out and he had immense trade value due to that series, then that could've set the franchise up for a possible dynasty if we got value back for him. I see why people are saying why we wouldn't trade him but I think a GM should have more insight and foresight than Blazer fans. I don't know. Looking back on it, we were in a perfect position to trade Aldridge and build around the better, younger player in Dame.
Right. That's always worked out well for small market teams. Like, never. Aldridge was as good as gone as soon as he decided not to extend. And you see how giving him the benefit of a doubt ended up. His wishy washy character coupled with his first great playoff performance made it a slam dunk. He should have been dealt.
