BE

[Norm2953]

https://www.blazersedge.com/2024/8/21/24225306/damian-lillard-podcast-interview-lamarcus-aldridge-portland-trail-blazers-nba-champions

It's interesting to listen to this podcast about Dame's feelings if LA had not left for SA.

Dame of course ignores the GSW in the 2016, 2017 seasons won 67, 73 games and even with LA,
would be hard pressed to win more than 1-2 games in a 7 game series even with LA playing at an AS level.

[Walton1one]

Yeah, Olshey screwed that up big time, losing LA for nothing was a major blow, especially for a team like POR, with known issues attracting FA. Olshey badly handled that.

[Red Robot]

They might have had a chance, but it would probably require at least one more big hypothetical event of some kind.

Lillard/Aldridge is a nice couple of stars but not transcendent or anything and the roster around them was just ok. I don't remember that offseason well enough to remember how likely it was we could have kept the other departing starters in Batum, Wes, and Lopez. They all fell off fairly quickly after they left Portland though, and even apart from that the roster needed some serious upgrades to be near a championship level. CJ was the only other rotation-quality player on that team.

Maybe Aldrige staying keeps the band together enough to let them trade off some of the other players to build around the two stars. Maybe they could have been one of the top buyers when the salary cap jumped in '16 instead of being forced to overpay for meh players or walk away with nothing.

So they might be starting from a much better position, but they would still have to go out and actually build a contending roster.

[Pattycakes]

It’s a highly valid question. LA was arguably the top pf rotating in and out with KLove and BG, for a good amount of years.

Granted we wouldn’t have known how to surround their massive flaws (LA and Dame are not defensive savants) anyway so it would have just been another iso heavy spin on a playoff pretender each year.

We would have had to have better leadership for it to have meant much then. But, I will say a few more years of Rolo and LA/plus Nic and even mixing in Aminu/Roco types… things could have got interesting - more than they were

[PDXKnight]

Dame is entitled to his opinion. Unless we acquired a 3rd all star or Wes never gets hurt there's no way we would've even had a shot at a title. That said wes was a far superior sidekick to Dame in the back court as he didn't dominate and played defense. Also should've never dealt Nic who was arguably more important to Stotts's scheme than LA even

[JasonStern]

The KD era Warriors would have been unstoppable. The exception being the 2018-19 year, where Durant had that Achilles injury.

The problem with all of this is the salary cap. That beloved Dame/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Rolo team was due for extensions - expensive extensions. Just look at what Batum and an injured Matthews got. Matthews could probably walk and you could play CJ. Nurkić would probably still be available. But that is still a massive luxury tax for a team that could contend but wouldn't be a favorite. I honestly don't remember the last time the Blazers paid luxury tax.

But yeah. 2018-19 would have been the year. Replacing Aminu or Harkless with Aldridge would have put us in the finals. And in this hypothetical return to SPAM, retain Batum and Aldridge universe, I think we could have beat the Raptors that year. But again, Paul Allen had passed away. So, now you're also adding a hypothetical "what if Jodi Allen cared about basketball?" question into this.

[m0ng0]

If I remember correctly LA wanted out for some reason, could be money, lack of support outside of Bstum or maybe he got tired of watching plays be called and instead Dame jack up a 40ft 3 pointer with 20 seconds on the shot clock. just kidding

[DusterBuster]

Yeah, Olshey screwed that up big time, losing LA for nothing was a major blow, especially for a team like POR, with known issues attracting FA. Olshey badly handled that.

The Blazers were very close to trading Aldridge to Chicago for Butler. Would have been interesting to see what would have come of that. Have to wonder if younger Butler and Dame wouldn't have butted heads a lot?

[Norm2953]

Might not have had enough basketballs with Butler, Dame and CJ

[DaVoiceMaster]

Aldridge hung the Blazers out to dry. He told everyone he was going to re-sign, then he just walked away. Olshey should not have let it get that far. Either sign the extension or we will find you a new home.