No, not at all but adding young talent isn't necessarily a sign that you are giving up on your prime players. Carter might have had a better chance at winning a title had he not sulked that year (not that his career wasn't really good).
Honesty until the last couple years I’m not sure I could have ever afforded season tickets without asking my parents for it. So I haven’t been a season ticket holder either, I don’t think that makes ones opinion more valid though.
Reading all of this thread, finally.....I offer these comments: 1) July 2015 - Aldridge leaves for Spurs, Blazers break up very good starting 5 and begin to RETOOL around Dame. 2) Olshey brings in Aminu, Davis, give more playing time to CJ and Blazers are SURPRISINGLY NOT a lottery team! 3) Olshey uses RARE cap space to sign ET and matches on Crabbe offer sheet and re-signs/retains Leonard and Harkless. 4) Steve Blake turns into Jusuf Nurkic!! 5) Drafting quality skilled players in past few yrs: Collins - Simons - Swanigan - Trent (via trade) Is it perfect? No, of course not. But we didn't have to go through 2003-2006 again! We avoided being a bad team and the pain that goes along with it. But it also means, that its MUCH HARDER to land an impact player in his youth. We're still transitioning from Aldridge and the guys (Lopez, Batum, Matthews) to Dame, CJ and the young guys! Olshey is being patient........something some in here could benefit from.......and he really hasn't made a BAD trade or move. The only close one for me was re-signing Leonard without him having received an offer sheet. We could have matched his $8M/yr deal from someone. Olshey is working!! He will pounce when the deal is right. He's not going to swap CJ for DeRozen and just create a new, same level lineup! He wants to improve.
Bosh has always been overrated as fuck, IMO. He was a moderately better version of LA. The only reason he ever won was because he got traded to a team with LBJ and Wade where he could play his rightful role as 3rd wheel. I think it's entirely possible that Collins or Simons could put up big numbers on a crap team like Bosh did in TOR.
Nice post! It puts the whole growth stage in perspective, imo. But also, the expectations this next two years goes way up.
I would add (easy looking back) that signing Leonard and Harkless to 4yr deals tied our hands. Deals (obviously) would have been better if 2yr guaranteed and then T.O. for both. We wouldn't have ML and we would still have MH on roster IMO.
A little ironic, eh? VC “trade for Vets!” Drafts future all-star VC “god damnit, I’m out!” So maybe Dame’s patience is understanding that Neil’s approach to team building is the appropriate one; something VC failed to understand - in your own example.
Chris Bosh is an 11 time all star. Gimme a break. Overrated? Next time we land a prospect as highly touted and as good as Bosh, maybe we won't be as disappointed. Our best prospect averaged 8 points per game on 40% shooting in summer league going up against guys that won't be in the NBA next year. Yes his defense was stellar, but you're telling me he is our next great hope?
*Played the majority of his career in an INCREDIBLY WEAK conference, and then with two HOFers. Did he ever lead TOR to a winning record? Edit: I just looked it up and TOR had a winning season ONCE while he was there. If a WC all-star selection doesn't mean shit to me, than an EC selection - ESPECIALLY during that era - means a whole lot less. Yeah, he's overrated.
Neil can't trade a rook until Aug 5, right? Maybe we need to wait until then to draw conclusions about the summer.
30 days from whenever they signed. It seems like they would have waited to sign either if there was thought they could include one in a deal.
Unless something broke loose after they signed Trent (they did sign him, right?). A lot of pieces have moved this past week. Might change things.
You sir should ready yourself for a great letdown. Ed was the heart and soul of this team ON and OFF the court. Stats don’t show true value sometimes.
