So long, Dame
The Trail Blazers drafted Scoot Henderson last night. He's 19 years old and been down in the minor league for a couple of years. The scouts all seem to think he's an All-Star in the making. I'm skeptical. He's a 6-foot-2-inch guard without a 3-point shot. And bless him, he seems just a little green in the personal comportment department.
But more importantly, it sure looks like the Portland team is entering a rebuilding phase. And that means that its current star, Damian Lillard – one of the greatest Blazers of all time – is probably going to be asking to be traded soon.
I don't blame him. He deserves better than the front office that currently controls his destiny. He deserves a better head coach, too. And he deserves better teammates than the limits of a small market like Portland can afford.
I'm sure they've been trying to wheel and deal over the past month or two to get another superstar-caliber player here to join Lillard on the Blazers. They'll probably keep trying for a while. But if it didn't happen with a No. 3 first-round pick on the table, it's unlikely to happen ever.
Godspeed, Dame. You've still got a few good years left to try to win a championship. At least you can make some playoff runs. Good luck wherever you're going.
I hope Dame stays in Portland. I think that “fame and fortune “ are not his lifestyle goals. But, the Blazer management has to make a business decision about the team’s future.
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest shooters yes. However, defense is just as important as offense if not more so in championship basketball and Dame has ever excelled in that department. Oh well, won’t be crying for him and his $45million a year in salary.
ReplyDelete45M is significantly below market value.
DeleteYes, the #5 salary in the NBA is definitely “below market value.” Definitely worth more than Jokic.
DeleteA friend pointed out to me today that Allen's Seahawks traded their most popular player before last season and came out better for the experience. I think the franchise will be MUCH better off in a year or two.
ReplyDeleteWe can always hope. It all depends on who owns the team at that time, who's working in the front office, how much they are willing to spend on player salary, who the coach is, and plenty of other variables that are not clear at this time. I would like to see what Phil Knight would do as owner, personally.
DeletePhil Knight is 85 years old. I did some work for the company he founded a few years ago. He appeared on a video discussing supply chain constraints, told a few old stories, and cursed a bit. He looked every inch of 83, or however old he was. Knight is not the silver bullet here and is not what's needed. If you need any evidence of that, watch how he and convicted murderer Larry Miller are using Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp to try negotiating the sale in public. I suspect that's because Jody won't return their calls. We all need to move on from Phil as the world has moved on from him.
DeleteThe people running the franchise have all the freedom they need to run the thing. The only BIG decision that would get to Her level is whether to trade Dame. Otherwise, the team is running as it should.
If getting past the first round twice in the past ten years is running as it should, then, yeah, they are a well-oiled machine, and the Allens' ownership has been like a beautiful dream.
DeleteWe will see. I like the talent upgrade. And free agency/trades have not started. And all of these new kids are not one-and-done college rooks- they all played either in pro leagues or stayed in college.
ReplyDeleteYes, hope springs eternal, worse situations have been turned around. It's just that I have little trust in a FO and ownership that thinks Chauncey Billups is its best option for head coach, and that squandered one of the best talents of his generation, failing to build a viable team around him year after year.
DeleteThey also need to give up on Nurkic. They should have drafted two big men.
ReplyDeleteNo worries they just added this big fella to the Summer League team: Jo Lual-Acuil Jr is a basketball player born on April 26, 1994. His height is six foot eleven. He is a center who most recently played for Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings in China
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