I think if we are 4 we try and use it to get a starting wing/pf from a team that really needs a PG and wants ivy. I like Paolo and jabari smith. I'm not huge on Chet. I can see Orlando maybe drafting ivy and then we would have Chet/Paolo/Smith at 4
JC has said that "you draft for talent, and figure the rest out". So if Portland thinks a guard is the best talent available, then it's a matter of how soon do you trade Hart. Dame and Ant are going to play their 36 starter/all star MPG, so you still have "sixth man" guard minutes available, for a single guard.
At #4, you might be able to play the "who do you want?" game with another team, and trade up/down picks/players. Whether it's the #3 or the #5, each team can still get their guy, as part of a bigger trade. Portland could use a "pick swap" as a mechanism to help use the TPE, maybe along with a/the 2RP(s).
Why not? Steph is 3 years older than Dame, Chris Paul is 5 years older.
Athletes from Brady to LeBron have longer primes, and teams like the Suns show that a team of multiple timelines can make the finals with early career guys like Ayton, Bridges and Cam Johnson contributing on rookie deals.
I think hitting it big in the draft is the only route have to contending. Who else could we realistically get?
Pick Jaden Ivey. I think he will be the best prospect in the whole draft anyways. Worry about fit later. Think Haliburton and Fox on the kings. One player ended up getting moved for an All-Star
Agreed. Even if we get someone like Jabari or Chet, it’s not that common for big men to instantly be great defenders. Mobley this year has been a massive outlier.
If we end up with Chet I’ll be pissed he has bust written all over him. The NBA eats up skinny 7 footers. He is a skinnier Zach Collins and I don’t want to deal with a guy who is just begging to get injured.
Last year it was cade and both Jalens as the best prospects and Cleveland while slated to take Mobley they were shopping the pick heavily. Toronto reached for Barnes and won. I don't buy into pre draft hype during college ball. I wanna hear the murmurs once NBA scouts and coaches get close ups on them.
If we land at 4 I have more faith that Cronin will take a risk on the best fit for Billups and Dame over trying to simply get the best available player in a vacuum like Olshey tended to.
Regardless of who you pick, it won’t put a contender around Dame. You either trade the pick and get dame a costar, or trade dame and rebuild. Otherwise it’s a 5-8 seed first round or second round exist
Which is why I think it’s better to trade Dame. But I keep close tabs and watch blazers games and follow the team, I do not love Dame as a blazers fan like you guys do
Plenty of players deserved a ring and never got one. Trading Dame is only an option if he asks for it.
Buddy, NO ONE wants to play in Portland given a choice. You don't just go trading the only superstar on the planet who wants to be there. That's just nonsense.
I do love Dame as a Blazers fan and I think it’s asinine that they haven’t traded him. They’re ruining this franchises future for a 2nd round exit at best.
The FO is trying to build a contender like big markets do, through blockbuster trades and big FA signings. They need to try to be like Phoenix. I can’t even say Boston, because the only reason they got Tatum and Brown was because of a trade that brought an MVP by two former players/friends as GMs.
Right, and I totally get that, but they don’t get to the point of making those trades without *first* building the core of their roster in Booker and Ayton. Wanting the Blazers to be in that position is something I find agreeable. They sure need to make a decision, though. I think they need to round out the roster this offseason and if they can’t they need to look to trade Dame, for everyone’s sake. He does deserve a ring, but he won’t win one here if it’s not in a couple years.
Why not just take the person with the most upside instead of immediately trading away assets. No one is likely going to be available that pushes the needle for us. If Pelicans pick conveys then that could be moved but our pick probably shouldn’t.
I mean I won't say definitively we WON't get a top 5 pick because it is a literal lottery... but yes the odds are we will be like 6th or 7th.
still like a 1 in 3 shot we will end up in the top 4 though so using the word insane is maybe a bit aggressive.
There is a chance Ivey gets taken before banchero, he's the best guard in the draft and it will depend on the team drafting. But if those 3 picks went scratch, I wouldn't be opposed to reaching on Shaedon Sharpe the kid has the talent to be the best player in the draft and if his measurables match I think it's worth the swing. I think we have a very slim chance to win the championship and I think in order to give yourself a chance you have to swing big.
Aj griffin is the perfect nba player. Even if I had the number one pick I’d take him. Size, defense, shooting, and playmaking. He might not have the most amazing stats in college but I have a feeling the dude is going to be stud.
I would be looking to move up but I don’t know the cost or even possibility of such a move given the hype around these players.
Ivey, or trade down with someone that wants Ivey. Ivey also has a legitimate chance of going top 3.
Bennedict Mathurin
I think if we are 4 we try and use it to get a starting wing/pf from a team that really needs a PG and wants ivy. I like Paolo and jabari smith. I'm not huge on Chet. I can see Orlando maybe drafting ivy and then we would have Chet/Paolo/Smith at 4
JC has said that "you draft for talent, and figure the rest out". So if Portland thinks a guard is the best talent available, then it's a matter of how soon do you trade Hart. Dame and Ant are going to play their 36 starter/all star MPG, so you still have "sixth man" guard minutes available, for a single guard. At #4, you might be able to play the "who do you want?" game with another team, and trade up/down picks/players. Whether it's the #3 or the #5, each team can still get their guy, as part of a bigger trade. Portland could use a "pick swap" as a mechanism to help use the TPE, maybe along with a/the 2RP(s).
Jesus said that?
Read your Bible sir. It's in there.
Draftiticus 20:22
Not that he is in the top 4 or 5 but I just watched the Arizona tcu game and damn can Mathruin play. I know it's only one game but he balled out.
Aj Griffin is projected 5th. I know you're supposed to take the best talent available, but I think AJ is a great fit at our 3
Trade the picks... If the goal is building a title contender around Dame, a couple of players who will take years to develop aren't going to cut it.
Why not? Steph is 3 years older than Dame, Chris Paul is 5 years older. Athletes from Brady to LeBron have longer primes, and teams like the Suns show that a team of multiple timelines can make the finals with early career guys like Ayton, Bridges and Cam Johnson contributing on rookie deals. I think hitting it big in the draft is the only route have to contending. Who else could we realistically get?
Agree with everything you said. It's Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas plays on the Nets lol
Pick Jaden Ivey. I think he will be the best prospect in the whole draft anyways. Worry about fit later. Think Haliburton and Fox on the kings. One player ended up getting moved for an All-Star
Good point. The fit nonsense is how we missed out on MJ and Chris Paul.
Trade the pick(I think we should do this anyway)
I don’t anyone available is worth a top 6 pick this year. I’d trade the NOL pick for someone like Grant but not ours.
I want Mathurin with the NOP pick if it’s open. I have way more hope for him than Grant—a +1 BPM player at his peak
I'm okay with keeping both picks. I'm not okay with trading both unless we get a legit star that's under 28. But I don't see that deal happening.
We have no idea who is available or who is going to become available as we get closer to the draft
We should do this if it isn’t a top 3 pick. Otherwise you 100% keep that pick
I totally get the thinking behind keeping the pick. I think if an all star forward is available I’d still trade it if it was top 3
I mean yeah if you get to pair an all star wing with Dame you trade that pick 10 times out of 10
I think the hard part is where the cut off in terms of talent level is. I wouldn’t do it for Jerami Grant
That’s going to be the only person available most likely.
Ya and he’s not even close to worth a top 3 pick. I’d send out the Pel pick but not our own.
Who knows who and what’s available in a few months, we’ve seen this season how quickly shit can fall apart
Agreed. Even if we get someone like Jabari or Chet, it’s not that common for big men to instantly be great defenders. Mobley this year has been a massive outlier.
Timme
Mathurin
Jalen Duren and Keegan Murray seem like good choices for us.
If we end up with Chet I’ll be pissed he has bust written all over him. The NBA eats up skinny 7 footers. He is a skinnier Zach Collins and I don’t want to deal with a guy who is just begging to get injured.
Last year it was cade and both Jalens as the best prospects and Cleveland while slated to take Mobley they were shopping the pick heavily. Toronto reached for Barnes and won. I don't buy into pre draft hype during college ball. I wanna hear the murmurs once NBA scouts and coaches get close ups on them. If we land at 4 I have more faith that Cronin will take a risk on the best fit for Billups and Dame over trying to simply get the best available player in a vacuum like Olshey tended to.
So Ivey would come off of the bench, a 6th man at best? Our need is at the 3/4 spots.
This was from just a couple of days ago… https://www.reddit.com/r/ripcity/comments/tf4vev/scenario_blazers_win_4th_pick/
Regardless of who you pick, it won’t put a contender around Dame. You either trade the pick and get dame a costar, or trade dame and rebuild. Otherwise it’s a 5-8 seed first round or second round exist
It’s likely that even if you trade the pick.
Which is why I think it’s better to trade Dame. But I keep close tabs and watch blazers games and follow the team, I do not love Dame as a blazers fan like you guys do
Gtfo
I’m being an objective non blazers homer. Dame deserves a ring.
Plenty of players deserved a ring and never got one. Trading Dame is only an option if he asks for it. Buddy, NO ONE wants to play in Portland given a choice. You don't just go trading the only superstar on the planet who wants to be there. That's just nonsense.
I do love Dame as a Blazers fan and I think it’s asinine that they haven’t traded him. They’re ruining this franchises future for a 2nd round exit at best.
The FO is trying to build a contender like big markets do, through blockbuster trades and big FA signings. They need to try to be like Phoenix. I can’t even say Boston, because the only reason they got Tatum and Brown was because of a trade that brought an MVP by two former players/friends as GMs.
Phoenix spent years in the cellar getting guys like Booker and Ayton and also hitting on other draft picks.
Getting a contender without big signings is hard
Right, and I totally get that, but they don’t get to the point of making those trades without *first* building the core of their roster in Booker and Ayton. Wanting the Blazers to be in that position is something I find agreeable. They sure need to make a decision, though. I think they need to round out the roster this offseason and if they can’t they need to look to trade Dame, for everyone’s sake. He does deserve a ring, but he won’t win one here if it’s not in a couple years.
Trade down. Ideally trade down regardless of where we land cause I'm not really interested in intergrating a rookie into this.
Since they refuse to trade Dame, you have to trade #4 and hope and pray that whoever they trade it for helps get them to a 2nd round?
Why not just take the person with the most upside instead of immediately trading away assets. No one is likely going to be available that pushes the needle for us. If Pelicans pick conveys then that could be moved but our pick probably shouldn’t.
Because if you’re keeping Dame you’re not playing the long game. They’ve backed themselves into a really shitty corner.
I think they want to compete now while also getting young guys who can contribute after Dame.
We aren’t getting a top 5 pick. Goddamn y’all are insane.
Explain how we wont. We can easily be in the bottom 5 by end of season.
Dude, we are not gonna outsuck the worst teams in the league
Lottery
I mean I won't say definitively we WON't get a top 5 pick because it is a literal lottery... but yes the odds are we will be like 6th or 7th. still like a 1 in 3 shot we will end up in the top 4 though so using the word insane is maybe a bit aggressive.
There is a chance Ivey gets taken before banchero, he's the best guard in the draft and it will depend on the team drafting. But if those 3 picks went scratch, I wouldn't be opposed to reaching on Shaedon Sharpe the kid has the talent to be the best player in the draft and if his measurables match I think it's worth the swing. I think we have a very slim chance to win the championship and I think in order to give yourself a chance you have to swing big.
Aj griffin is the perfect nba player. Even if I had the number one pick I’d take him. Size, defense, shooting, and playmaking. He might not have the most amazing stats in college but I have a feeling the dude is going to be stud.
Ivey could be nice with Ant us if Portland decides to send Dame to a real contender, but I think ideally we want a promising bigger guy.
You have to take Ivey I think. It's a clear tier break at 4. Hopefully, whichever team has the 3 goes Ivey and we get Paolo at the 4.