NBA Playoffs, Round One
- Thread starter kingsboi
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I think that the non-Blazer fan Lillard fans who'd like to see Lillard win a ring before he retires aren't as philosophically opposed to the formation of "superteams" as people who live in Portland, or other places where they know that nobody would ever want to go to form a "superteam."
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
To be fair, Dame winning a ring probably wouldn’t even require a super team, just a team with better 2nd and 3rd options than CJ McCollum and Melo’s bloated corpse.
... And, by "playing his whole career for one franchise," you're basically talking about the era before free agency. And, by "going on social media," you're basically talking about the era pre-internet. The "good ol' days," right?
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
well I'll tell you what, I'm glad Blazers fans at least have something to root for, even if it's all going to waste the more Dame spends in Portland because while there may be more individual fans of Dame than there are Blazers fan, let's keep him home
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Northern California?
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
when did free agency come into existence? using the pre-internet talk for a reason a player sticking around doesn't sound exclusive. not many players are the same, they see players chase rings and they want the same. it takes a strong personality and loyalty to stick it out but its easier for me to say that having never played a competitive sport before so its just my point of view
Put it this way - I'd rather Lillard + scrubs win a championship than Lillard + Durant + Harden win a championship.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Throw Melo in there too for his "work" in regular time/1OT.
Getting a shot up is one thing, but he was creating good looks for his teammates and they rewarded him with blown dunks and TOs.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
I mean, depending on how congested the Bay Bridge is, Sacramento is probably closer to Oakland than the Warriors arena is now.
SLAB
Hall of Famer
I haven’t watched them close enough to know why but it just seems this Lakers marriage hasn’t worked out at all for whatever reason.
Free agency, as we understand it today, didn't exist until 1988. There have been at least fifty players, drafted after 1988, that played at least 15 years in the league. You know how many of those players played their whole career with one team? Five. And only one of those five stuck around on a perennial "bridesmaid" team; the other four all won championships in the first third of their careers, and played for organizations that built a winning culture. None of those guys, aside from the one, were declaring their loyalty to "second round and out" franchises. And even that one got a ring, a little past the halfway mark of his career.
The era that you remember so fondly is the era from before players had the right to leave. And, as far as guys wanting to leave to "ring chase," blame y'all's idol, Michael Jordan. When he was anointed "The GOAT," and RINGZ~! Culture was born, it changed the definition of what allowed players to be considered great. There used to be a time when players were allowed to play their whole careers, and not win a ring, and still be considered great; those days are gone, too. If you want to blame players for leaving to "ring chase," then you need to start with blaming the people who are responsible for the cultural shift that resulted in us telling players that their careers meant nothing, if they don't get a ring.
I just find the notion that athletes then wouldn't behave like the athletes of today, if they grew up in this era, to be ridiculous. It has jack to do with a "strong personality": If Instagram had been invented in 1959, Magic Johnson would have been James Harden.
Only if, by "falling off," you mean, "was never actually that good."
steelevt
All-Star
He prob heard about how good the blazers/nuggets game was and wanted to catch that game instead of being courtside for the suns/lakers stinker.
captain bill
All-Star
Blazers have and have had talent top to bottom. CJ is a great player this somewhat reminds me of Derozan / Lowry except that Dame is a million times better than DD and CJ is on par with Lowry. Trading Gary Trent Jr was incredibly stupid and they should have kept Seth but they’re still a very good team overall. There is no reason that the Blazers should have lost *two* games this series with Dame going nuclear
idk if there’s any precedent for it but Stotts needs to be fired before game 6
idk if there’s any precedent for it but Stotts needs to be fired before game 6
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
plenty of players that have never won a ring are in the hall of fame and the same will happen with the current crop of players that have yet to win a ring or their time is running out. Cultures come and go. players start new trends. Bron, Wade and Bosh made it cool to create superteams. it doesn't necessarily mean every player will want to go out and do the same. Lillard and Giannis are two players I can think of that aren't a part of that chirade. Westbrook during all his years in OKC playing with Durant couldn't get it done and he accepted it. Strong personality has everything to do with Sports Psychology and if you think that doesn't factor into all this, then I have nothing else to say and I'll bow out gracefully.
captain bill
All-Star
most guys don’t look for the exits until giving their teams an honest shot dame more than others. Ofc Giannis signs his rookie max bc the Bucks have put together a good team for him - and yes he’s def a family man valuing stability and loyalty type guy
Dame is on the other side of 30 and has given it all for Portland but this postseason is so brutal for him. In the WCF vs the Warriors they had tons of chances to win games but ducked things up enough to get swept in what should’ve been a close series with a chance to win
I really hope they bring in a coach who can take them to the next level because they should be contending on talent alone. If they can’t figure it out I wouldn’t blame Dame for moving on
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
I think Dame is one of those that won't ask for a trade but if Portland decides to trade him on their own accord then they are ready for a proper rebuild but Dame can still provide a quality of 4-5 more seasons at this clip
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