It's more about our record, but since we've played so poor defensively Dame (in particular) has taken a lot of heat. There seems to be a gray cloud over him this season, at least with the local media, undoubtedly due to the team's slow start. Not sure if that narrative is the same nationally, but around PDX the "Dame and CJ won't work" talk has been gaining momentum. I don't agree with it, but it's being thrown out there by guys covering the team, and the talk radio people as well. They always talk about the teams defensive woes, and point to the guards. Off topic, but I often wonder how Dame/CJ defense would look if they had a wing who could defend like D. Green or K. Leonard and a shot blocking big in the middle like Gobert (none of which were lottery picks) I'd prefer we try and retool our roster and not trade Dame or CJ, at least for 2 more years. But the more we lose talk becomes they can't coexist, which I hate. Won't that hurt Dame's All Star credibility? It's unfair, but you have to wonder.
Dame didn't get "snubbed" last year, it's a numbers game. Would we be having a conversation about him making it THIS season if CP3 was healthy? Probably not. It's the format holding him out, not his play. That said, have you guys thought about the chance of the coaches possibly voting BEFORE Cp3 got hurt? Silver might replace CP3 with somebody very different then who the coaches would vote in.
CP3 is not going to be replaced by the commish because he won't be voted in to begin with. He got hurt with enough time before coaches submitted their picks. So coaches woudl be putting Dame on the team (or not) not the commish.
I am one who doesn't think the team's performance should mean anything when comes to all star selections. Kinda like how championships won and considering their greatness(Mailman,Stockton,Barkley,etc) Just because a player puts up big numbers on a bad team, they are STILL putting up those numbers! There are tons of players on bad teams NOT putting up good numbers. Allstar game should be the 12 most fun and exciting players, regardless of position. If you want to reward some guy for being on the team with the best record, give him a post season award.
Used to be of the same mindset. But maybe these past two weeks have soured me. When you get blown out at home by teams like Orlando and fail to show up in games (and Dame is one of the biggest culprits to our defensive troubles), I don't think you should get rewarded with an all star spot.
I can understand that view, but Dame is busting his ass out there 10X more than Klay. Nobody is even guarding that guy.
They're not getting blown out because of Dame Lillard (copying Stein with that formulation--"Dame Lillard" sounds like an old woman) though. They're getting blown out because of the other, non-McCollum guys. Of course, Lillard's defense doesn't help, which is why he's not a slam dunk choice, but I don't think Lillard should be punished for his teammates being poor. Do you think that if you swapped Klay Thompson and Dame Lillard, the Warriors would have a terrible record?
No they wouldnt have a terrible record but then again they would have 3 top 15 players in the NBA instead of 4 so maybe the defensive rating takes a dive but thats not a fair comparison. Real life comparison would be if we traded dame for klay would WE be better... And I think so yes.
I wasn't comparing Lillard and Thompson directly, I was pointing out that teammates matter. Lillard isn't driving the Blazers' poor record, the bad players on the Blazers are.
Why don't they just have the Cavs and Warriors wear East and West All Star jerseys and play each other in the All Star game
