Give Dame a Jimmy Butler and He Can Win a Chip

[Myth]

Just give Dame any legit second all star and they could do wonders. CJ is not even close to an all star with how streaky he is. Nurk is good and still has a lot of room to develop but still isn't quite there. Sadly, Olshey just loves CJ so much he will never trade him.

Aldridge didn't count?

Lillard was just a pup when Aldridge left. Now he is ready to play with the big dogs.

[Myth]

I was wondering tonight while watching the game if Dame has the ability to be a championship no. 1 option.

I think you're going to need a very good coach to build a team around 2 iso guys like Lillard and Butler.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y5s87o62

Bos:

Dame
Smart
Tatum
Hayward
Nurkic

Por

Walker
McCollum
Brown
FA
Collins

This is a really bad trade for Portland.

[KingDavid]

I've seen enough. He was in aposition where he had to win like four or five games straight and he grabbed them all narrowly while averaging 44/8.8/4.2 on like 65 TS% and a LOT of clutch shots. In today's game his team was shooting like 6/22 from three but he kept passing it to them and they hit the necessary shots. He knew when to speed up, when to slow down, how to get free of the double team, how to get some free throws, who to pass to and the right time and he just kept hitting shot after shot. Like he never really cooled down. They were doubling him in the back court and if it weren't for that he'dve had another 50 point game.

These games were fall intents and purposes like playoff games and he just did everything he needed to whenever it was needed. I'm convinced that if Dame had a strong two-way wing like a Jimmy Butler (also a top 10 player, but really more like top 12) he could win a chip. The supporting cast is good and CJ has showed guts by playing through injury and is a top 30 or so player but Jimmy replacing him would go a long way and it would cover for Dame's one real weakness while giving him a solid bail out scorer who can also run an offense.


I say that to say that Dame is a legit 1st option on a championship level team type of guy. I think he's firmly distanced himself from the Embiids, Jimmy Butlers, Paul George's and the Kyrie's. He's LEGIT. Just needs a second option that fits his strengths.

Time to put respek on his name, is what I'm saying.

No sir, give us Dame and he will win.

[Pelly24]

I've seen enough. He was in aposition where he had to win like four or five games straight and he grabbed them all narrowly while averaging 44/8.8/4.2 on like 65 TS% and a LOT of clutch shots. In today's game his team was shooting like 6/22 from three but he kept passing it to them and they hit the necessary shots. He knew when to speed up, when to slow down, how to get free of the double team, how to get some free throws, who to pass to and the right time and he just kept hitting shot after shot. Like he never really cooled down. They were doubling him in the back court and if it weren't for that he'dve had another 50 point game.

These games were fall intents and purposes like playoff games and he just did everything he needed to whenever it was needed. I'm convinced that if Dame had a strong two-way wing like a Jimmy Butler (also a top 10 player, but really more like top 12) he could win a chip. The supporting cast is good and CJ has showed guts by playing through injury and is a top 30 or so player but Jimmy replacing him would go a long way and it would cover for Dame's one real weakness while giving him a solid bail out scorer who can also run an offense.


I say that to say that Dame is a legit 1st option on a championship level team type of guy. I think he's firmly distanced himself from the Embiids, Jimmy Butlers, Paul George's and the Kyrie's. He's LEGIT. Just needs a second option that fits his strengths.

Time to put respek on his name, is what I'm saying.

I mean in a must-win game against the nets he was a missed levert jumper at the buzzer away from missing the playoffs. a nets team that played 5 G-leaguers and had no backup center.

Dame is great. but pump the brakes. the bubble is an awful example too. small sample, weird conditions. i mean do you think the suns are a 55 win team?

Well on a sidenote, I have to remind you that the Blazers won 53 games last year and I think that's with Nurkic missing like the last two or three weeks of the season. Maybe subtract CJ but replace him with a servicable, 16 ppg guy who can handle the ball and shoot along with Jimmy, i don't think this is a big stretch. They'd have what was needed and it wouldn't even be more over the top then the help Kawhi had last year.

Also the nets had so many new pieces being used in different ways I actually think that gave them an advantage. it was weird, teams have been really confused by them. NBA talent can pull out surprises as we know. Nearly-single-handedly winning like 3 of these 5 games is an accomplishment. I hope CJ is healthy enough man. He's done enough to deserve to be there, especially in the playoffs.


But yeah, get Dame a Jimmy Butler caliber No. 2 he could get a chip and see his legacy get boosted a lot. I think he's way better than the Ray Allen's, Paul Pierces and Tony Parkers, etc. He's operating at a very rare level right now, and he was already ridiculous this year and last year.

[Asianiac_24]

Dame needs a Draymond Green to screen and roll with. Siakam is an amazing fit

[TheSheriff]

I was wondering tonight while watching the game if Dame has the ability to be a championship no. 1 option.

I think you're going to need a very good coach to build a team around 2 iso guys like Lillard and Butler.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y5s87o62

Bos:

Dame
Smart
Tatum
Hayward
Nurkic

Por

Walker
McCollum
Brown
FA
Collins

Yeah. The Celtics make that trade everyday. The Blazers never make that trade. I suppose the blazers (in a less risk averse world) MIGHT trade Lillard for Tatum, but I don’t see Boston making that move.

[EGame]

Just give Dame any legit second all star and they could do wonders. CJ is not even close to an all star with how streaky he is. Nurk is good and still has a lot of room to develop but still isn't quite there. Sadly, Olshey just loves CJ so much he will never trade him.

Aldridge didn't count?

... What? Of course he counts, but that was in Dames early years, still adapting to the NBA style and is clearly not the player he is today. Not exactly a similar comparison. If you give todays Dame with Aldridge back then and then especially get to throw in CJ then maybe things would be different. Basically if Aldridge wasn't butthurt with the whole situation of becoming second banana to Dame and stayed with us, maybe we could have made noise?

[JRoy]

I was wondering tonight while watching the game if Dame has the ability to be a championship no. 1 option.

I think you're going to need a very good coach to build a team around 2 iso guys like Lillard and Butler.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y5s87o62

Bos:

Dame
Smart
Tatum
Hayward
Nurkic

Por

Walker
McCollum
Brown
FA
Collins

Nothing on BOS is worth Lillard

[Spintown]

How about Trade Nurkic and Collins to the celtics for Jaylen Brown
Trade CJ and Ariza to the sixers for Horford and Josh Richardson
Resign Whiteside

Dame/Simons
Richardson/ Trent Jr.
Brown/ Hood
Horford/ Melo
Whiteside

First trade is good value wise for Portland, but leaves a hole with the bigs. I see that you tried to fill that hole with Horford, but the value on that trade is way off. Richardson is a potential rental for Portland, which means we just swapped CJ for an aging Horford. I think that big lineup gets smoked. It would need to be something around Harris/Richardson for CJ/asset (17th pick?).

Dame/Simons
Richardson/Trent
Brown/Hood
Harris/Melo
Whiteside

Still not ideal with Whiteside as the only center, but something Portland would have to consider because of the rest of the lineup.

Then you can sign former oregon duck Jordan Bell for pretty cheap. You can always find serviceable bigs in the free agent market like Joakim Noah, Marquis Chriss, Noel

[TheGOATRises007]

I wish Dame and Giannis teamed up.

Would be great.

[Pelly24]

A lot of players would have a contender/championship level roster if you gave them a two way wing like Butler that's also a top 10-15 player.

I agree that Dame needs a better co-star, but I don't agree with over projecting from the bubble games

Idk. I don't think Anthony Davis would get it done with Jimmy Butler, or embiid would. But I've mentioned before that these days having two players like that is a prerequisite, so the idea of a "batman" and "robin" has become a bit outdated. My real point though is that Dame is definitely a Batman. Def. has that all around play and shouldn't be looked at in that tier he generally is (with embiid, Kyrie, Paul George, people like that).

As for projecting, they went to the WCF last year without Nurk. I think with even just their healthy wings they had and Nurk they could be a 55-58-win team. Replace CJ (which I don't want to be done honestly, but...) with Jimmy and that's a serious powerhouse.

You've got a guy that can drop 5 50 point games in a year and average 30/8 on 60 TS%>>>> and playmake, a wing that can get you 20/5/5 on good efficiency, run the offense and get you easy buckets at times and takeover when you're off and guard the other team's best player. Basically someone that can do different roles at different times well. Then Nurk I think can be a top 25 player with his defense, playmaking and solid scoring. Then Hood and Ariza are solid 3&D guys and Trent has come into his own. A healthy CJ instead of Jimmy, but having all of the healthy wings would make this portlant team a very hard team for most squads to beat and could be a sleeper contender, IMO. Not even just projecting, looking at their record last year to. 53 wins could've been 55 or 56 with Nurk.

[Myth]

How about Trade Nurkic and Collins to the celtics for Jaylen Brown
Trade CJ and Ariza to the sixers for Horford and Josh Richardson
Resign Whiteside

Dame/Simons
Richardson/ Trent Jr.
Brown/ Hood
Horford/ Melo
Whiteside

First trade is good value wise for Portland, but leaves a hole with the bigs. I see that you tried to fill that hole with Horford, but the value on that trade is way off. Richardson is a potential rental for Portland, which means we just swapped CJ for an aging Horford. I think that big lineup gets smoked. It would need to be something around Harris/Richardson for CJ/asset (17th pick?).

Dame/Simons
Richardson/Trent
Brown/Hood
Harris/Melo
Whiteside

Still not ideal with Whiteside as the only center, but something Portland would have to consider because of the rest of the lineup.

Then you can sign former oregon duck Jordan Bell for pretty cheap. You can always find serviceable bigs in the free agent market like Joakim Noah, Marquis Chriss, Noel

Serviceable bigs like Bell are fine on a stacked team like the Warriors were. Like I said, I'd consider the trades I proposed, but the Horford based trade is a non-starter for Portland, and the first trade you proposed (involving Brown) only happens if Portland has a better backup plan for losing our bigs than Horford.

[Myth]

I wish Dame and Giannis teamed up.

Would be great.

Portland is ready to open their arms up to Giannis.

[jason bourne]

Just give Dame any legit second all star and they could do wonders. CJ is not even close to an all star with how streaky he is. Nurk is good and still has a lot of room to develop but still isn't quite there. Sadly, Olshey just loves CJ so much he will never trade him.

Aldridge didn't count?

Lol. Dame had LaMarcus Aldridge and they made the second round. They overachieved and made WCF in 2018-19, but lost in four straight to the Warriors. I don't get this thread at all. Lot of great players don't win a ship.

[RoyceDa59]

Lakers better find that 'playoff gear' asap or they'll be leaving the bubble early this season.

[Tim Kempton]

Lol does he need to be given that Lebron too? Let's throw in Jokic in the mix as well.

Relax, pedophile username. The OP isn't even in the same ballpark.

[Johnny Bball]

Nope, he needs a real second option that doesn't disappear as much.

[monopoman]

Just give Dame any legit second all star and they could do wonders. CJ is not even close to an all star with how streaky he is. Nurk is good and still has a lot of room to develop but still isn't quite there. Sadly, Olshey just loves CJ so much he will never trade him.

Aldridge didn't count?

Aldridge left in Dame's 3rd season Lillard was nowhere near as good as he is now back then, keep in mind that team was also very good and was on the rise. Aldridge left mostly because he was annoyed that Lillard was becoming a superstar and getting most of the limelight in Portland.

CJ was also a nobody back then, people were just hoping he would be a decent player then he blew up in the season after LMA left.

[xb3at band1tx]

Lakers better find that 'playoff gear' asap or they'll be leaving the bubble early this season.

Depends if Portland finds their defense first

[picc]

I still need to see him play at this level in the playoffs.