LA gone before or on draft day

he already is.

 

He's a "franchise player" for a lottery team. He's not a franchise player for a winning team though.
Also, all-stars don't win rings - superstars win rings. The league is full of all-stars that can't produce wins. Here's a short list of all-stars that wouldn't be more than a role-player on a contender:

G.Wallace
Granger
D.West
P.George
Iggy
Harris
Nelson
M.Williams
Boozer
Butler
Josh Howard
Okur
Kaman
Bosh
Rashard
Jamison
Magloire
Kenyon
Shareef
Szczerbiak

What matters is how players play and impact the game, not whether they made an all-star game. (Especially if they only made it because some of the better players at that position were coming off of injuries.)

 

We're only a lottery team because we need to fill some gaps. Once we have some more balance we'll be fine. On the list of "things wrong with the Portland Trailblazers", LaMarcus Aldrdige ranks very low on it.

If Dame Lillard is going to be a superstar in the league, which he is on his way to, Aldridge would be a great addition in a 1-2 punch. I don't think we're that far off, we can make a run given a little more depth and this current roster. And we do have the cap space to make that happen.

Diluting talent and getting rid of a legit go to guy is the wrong direction here. We need some stability on the team, and LA is as stable as anyone..here. He's a solid 20ppg guy, solid citizen, gets along with the rest of the guys, I really don't see the problem.

and you're really going back to Shareef Abdur Raheem and Wally Szcerbiak?

 

All-Star's dont automatically win rings in this league. They only do when they are the best in the league at their position AND have another top player next to them (Paul Pierce didn't win squat till Allen and Garnett arrived)(Kobe Bryant wasn't winning (post Shaq) until Pao Gasol arrived)(Dwayne Wade hasn't won without either Shaq or Lebron).

Detroit and Dallas Championships are the only in recent memory that had only one all-star on the roster when they won it.

 

Who do you think we could sign using $11M cap space this summer that would allow us to "make a run"???

 

As I've said before, I'm not necessarily on the bandwagon when it comes to trading LMA. I think there's a good chance of building enough around the current core to make a solid playoff team either next year or the following one. That said, if Olshey wants to go for a reboot, then the obvious move is to shoot for a good draft pick in 2014. Dumping LMA for this year's No. 1 pick, say Noel, and maybe trading the No. 19 and No. 10 for the No. 4, gets two solid NBA players. If the Blazers hold on to most of their cap space, it also pretty much guarantees serious suckage next season, so you get a good pick in a deeper draft in 2014. Add that pick to the mix, use the cap space next summer and you've potentially got a talented young team with some quality veterans around them and a chance to do something pretty spectacular.

Of course, there's no guarantee your picks aren't busts and the fact this strategy is what kept the Clippers the Clippers for like a quarter century.

 

That Aldridge is traded in the next 4 days? You REALLY believe that?

 

Yes. To prove the point that "all-star" means dick-all. It shouldn't be a reason for trading or not trading someone - LMA or otherwise. It just should not even factor into the decision. If that's the basis for needing to keep LMA, then it's a poor reason.

 

I am always curious when I read things like this to know what about our current roster plus whatever we could realistically get makes you think solid playoff team?

We all know I am overly pessimistic, but I see a

Very good PG, who will improve, but is not a good defender
One dimmentional SG
SF who is a poor defender
PF who doesn't like to bang or rebound
No center

Joel Freeland, who is not good
Victor Claver, who has a high BBall IQ, but is an 8-9 man
Will Barton, who looks like he might be a solid sixth man on a poor team
Meyers Leonard who is a high post big who can't play a lick of defense or rebound

Am I the one who is way off base?

 

Just really need some role players. Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, OJ Mayo, Carl Landry, David West, Al Jefferson, Chauncy Billups, Tony Allen, Nick Young, Jermaine O'Neal, Tiago Splitter, Manu Ginobilli, etc etc etc.

Are we really THAT far from the Golden State Warriors or Indiana Pacers, who had a legit shot at making the NBA finals this year? I don't think so once we have one or two more guys that can impact our team with some veteran experience (i.e. not Luke Babbitt)

 

Lets see, all star versus role player...what would you take? Trading LA and hoping that a guy like Omer Asik is enough to get us to that next level is completely backwards thinking.

 

So we'll take arguably the best talent from your list....and trade him for more role players and you think that's the way to salvation? In your scenario, the only way out is really to blow up the roster now and tank for Andrew Wiggins.

 

ABsolutely agree. I just don't get it man. You need more than one star on your team. Lillard can't do it on his own.

Personally, I would rather trade Batum than Aldridge. I think a player like Batum is much easier to replace than an Aldridge.

 

Finally some sanity. Repped. I'm no LA apologist by any means, but if we're gonna blow this up and trade LA, I hope we get a lot more than a guy who has rock hands and can't finish around the hoop to save his life as the biggest piece in the trade.

 

If you wanna tank for Wiggins, you're going to want to move a lot more than just LMA to get there.

 

You better trade Lillard.

 

Its a great plan......if we want to have a decent shot at Wiggins.

 

Well, I guess we'll find out shortly if NO thinks the way you do about the Blazers' roster or not. If he does, then a dump LMA strategy is the way to go.

When I say the Blazers can be a solid playoff team building around the current core, I'm saying that with a few moves they can be on a par with the second tier of playoff contenders for the 5-8 playoff spots. We don't know what's going to happen exactly this summer, but as of now, I'd say the Thunder and Clippers would have to be the favorites for the next couple of years. The Spurs should be able to retool a bit and eke out a top-4 in the West. The Grizzlies are solid and it wouldn't take much to see them favorites for a top-4 spot. The next tier of teams all have some serious question marks surrounding them.

I don't agree with your assessment that Batum is a poor defender. I think he's got the tools to be a really good defender, but the Blazers' defensive schemes are weak and he and other Blazers spend too much time trying to cover for a lack of a defensive center. LMA regressed, in my view, last season from the player he was the season before. I attribute some of that to Hickson playing C and some of it to Stotts seeming to see LMA as Dirk-lite. Hopefully, that will change next year with the addition of a defensive center and Stotts adjusting his thougts after having a year under his belt.

If the Blazers can add a C like Gortat or Asik using some of their cap space, then I think their starting 5 is as good as any of the next tier of playoff contenders. They'll have to use the rest of their cap space on a backup PG and then fill in with some vets on minimum contracts. Is that good enough to make the playoffs? Depends on health and what the other contenders are able to do. The next summer, the Blazers can add to their depth with a MLE player. At that point, I think they can be a consistent playoff team. Contending for an NBA title? That will take some breaks or a future trade to bring in another top-level talent.