Haynes: Damian Lillard Requests Trade

[720]

The win now crowd doesn't want Dame, too old, too expensive. Rather build around the margins and run the treadmill.

Getting Dame and having him be your number 1 option is treadmill.

[Senbonzakura]

The win now crowd doesn't want Dame, too old, too expensive. Rather build around the margins and run the treadmill.

Getting Dame and having him be your number 1 option is treadmill.

Who's better offensively between Dame Lillard and Jimmy Butler?

[NinjaBro]

The win now crowd doesn't want Dame, too old, too expensive. Rather build around the margins and run the treadmill.

Evaluate. Accumulate. Participate.

Sounds like TWO to me.

[docholliday99]

It depends on how seriously you take the regular season. If you want to get the highest seed possible, quality depth definitely helps.

But you can't win in the playoffs without star power, regardless of how great your depth is, so you need to prioritize acquiring stars above all else to have a shot at a title.

100% agree with you, definitely need at least 2 stars and quality role players to win it all. As for deeper depth, I'm not meaning just for positioning, but to also offset the minutes for the starters during the regular season to save them for the playoffs - so I 100% agree with DreamTeam09.

The new CBA though will parity this all out and keeping depth will be more difficult.

A team like MIL doesn't have quality depth but they just play the depth they have in order to preserve their starters, even if it means not winning as many regular season games. They'd be a 60 win team every year if they had a top end bench or if they played their starters heavy minutes. .

They play their starters heavy minutes again they'd all be on the bench with injuries. Bucks are great, if they can stay healthy, Roughly speaking, GA averaged 32.5mpg over the last 3 seasons, KM averaged 33mpg for a couple seasons before this last season when it dropped to 24mpg amidst injuries, Brolo averaged 30mpg this past season which is more than in his previous 6 seasons (and his injury last season reduced him to a non factor), Jrue has averaged 33.5 mpg over his last 7 seasons. Their respective playoff minutes are higher - when they've played lately. Seems heavy to me considering all the regular season and playoff games over the last 3-4 seasons. I'm sure lack of that depth has nothing to do with that though.

[docholliday99]

The win now crowd doesn't want Dame, too old, too expensive. Rather build around the margins and run the treadmill.

Getting Dame and having him be your number 1 option is treadmill.

Who's better offensively between Dame Lillard and Jimmy Butler?

When it comes to the playoffs and this stage of their careers....Butler. That Bucks series was an offensive master piece by Jimmy Buckets.

[OakleyDokely]

100% agree with you, definitely need at least 2 stars and quality role players to win it all. As for deeper depth, I'm not meaning just for positioning, but to also offset the minutes for the starters during the regular season to save them for the playoffs - so I 100% agree with DreamTeam09.

The new CBA though will parity this all out and keeping depth will be more difficult.

A team like MIL doesn't have quality depth but they just play the depth they have in order to preserve their starters, even if it means not winning as many regular season games. They'd be a 60 win team every year if they had a top end bench or if they played their starters heavy minutes. .

They play their starters heavy minutes again they'd all be on the bench with injuries. Bucks are great, if they can stay healthy, Roughly speaking, GA averaged 32.5mpg over the last 3 seasons, KM averaged 33mpg for a couple seasons before this last season when it dropped to 24mpg amidst injuries, Brolo averaged 30mpg this past season which is more than in his previous 6 seasons (and his injury last season reduced him to a non factor), Jrue has averaged 33.5 mpg over his last 7 seasons. Their respective playoff minutes are higher - when they've played lately. Seems heavy to me considering all the regular season and playoff games over the last 3-4 seasons. I'm sure lack of that depth has nothing to do with that though.

32-33 mins is on the lower end of what a typical star plays.

[docholliday99]

A team like MIL doesn't have quality depth but they just play the depth they have in order to preserve their starters, even if it means not winning as many regular season games. They'd be a 60 win team every year if they had a top end bench or if they played their starters heavy minutes. .

They play their starters heavy minutes again they'd all be on the bench with injuries. Bucks are great, if they can stay healthy, Roughly speaking, GA averaged 32.5mpg over the last 3 seasons, KM averaged 33mpg for a couple seasons before this last season when it dropped to 24mpg amidst injuries, Brolo averaged 30mpg this past season which is more than in his previous 6 seasons (and his injury last season reduced him to a non factor), Jrue has averaged 33.5 mpg over his last 7 seasons. Their respective playoff minutes are higher - when they've played lately. Seems heavy to me considering all the regular season and playoff games over the last 3-4 seasons. I'm sure lack of that depth has nothing to do with that though.

32-33 mins is on the lower end of what a typical star plays.

Looking at the stat sheet in a vacuum, yes, but GA is a different cat. A big part of what makes him so good is he plays with so much force, probably more than any other player outside of Zion. The last 3 years he's played in 231 NBA games, fighting double and triple teams the whole way (especially after 2019 and the Giannis Wall that Nurse employed). Not counting his National commitment. Now he seems to be hurt when he pushes for more minutes and seems to be struggling to stay healthy as teams pile players onto him when the games really matter. Personally I think he's going to need to change his style as he won't be able to maintain what he's doing. Force is a young man's game, he needs little more finesse now - or less mpg and the only way to do that is more depth.

[ArthurVandelay]

I wish this trade would happen. It’s the domino that will make any other transaction going to happen fall…or it’s the turd clogging the toilet - take your pick.

[T-d0t]

Dame should not have said anything, he would be in Miami already

[TheRaptor!]

This sounds like a contradiction, I mean 10-12 key guys sounds like depth when you consider it's a 15 man roster. If you don't have the "12 key guys" to take the grind of the 82 game season, you have to over-use the starters and they won't be as fresh for the playoffs. Seems like you need depth to increase the chances of success in the playoffs.

It depends on how seriously you take the regular season. If you want to get the highest seed possible, quality depth definitely helps.

But you can't win in the playoffs without star power, regardless of how great your depth is, so you need to prioritize acquiring stars above all else to have a shot at a title.

There is always an outlier. 2004 Pistons always comes to mind in this debate. But overall I agree, you needs at least 1 star. The less stars, the more and better depth.

There seems to be a misconceptions about that Detroit team. They had MULTIPLE all stars

[TheRaptor!]

Shut up and get Dame

We are hopeless in the playoffs without a scoring threat

I actually think we'd be much better with Vanvleet gone. Last year it was FVV taking every shot with his 39% FG. We're much better without him. It will be the Rudy Gay effect when he was gone our team got so much better when Lowry and demar took over. I'm expecting the same thing this year with OG, Trent and Barnes taking a step up without that ballhog here anymore and the coach that enabled him.

Thank the lord that both these cancers are gone from the team.

Sorry but I didnt see Barnes Trent or OG step up when Fred was injured

[Son Goku 25]

Team will need to adjust not having Fred just because he was a huge part of our offense, it's normal and may take a bit of time.

I think in time there will be others, whether its positive or not it'll just happen.

[NinjaBro]

Shut up and get Dame

We are hopeless in the playoffs without a scoring threat

I actually think we'd be much better with Vanvleet gone. Last year it was FVV taking every shot with his 39% FG. We're much better without him. It will be the Rudy Gay effect when he was gone our team got so much better when Lowry and demar took over. I'm expecting the same thing this year with OG, Trent and Barnes taking a step up without that ballhog here anymore and the coach that enabled him.

Thank the lord that both these cancers are gone from the team.

Sorry but I didnt see Barnes Trent or OG step up when Fred was injured

Trent played great when FVV was injured and out of the lineup last season. Was like a new man.

[Pointgod]

Dame should not have said anything, he would be in Miami already

If that’s true. It just shows how amateur hour the Blazers front office is which is why I suspect it’s true.

[causal_fan]

Dame should not have said anything, he would be in Miami already

If that’s true. It just shows how amateur hour the Blazers front office is which is why I suspect it’s true.

I'm starting to think that the Blazers may trade him to any team not named Miami - ala Kawhi situation in San Antonio - some team may get a good deal.

[Pointgod]

Dame should not have said anything, he would be in Miami already

If that’s true. It just shows how amateur hour the Blazers front office is which is why I suspect it’s true.

I'm starting to think that the Blazers may trade him to any team not named Miami - ala Kawhi situation in San Antonio - some team may get a good deal.

Well that would be stupid if they take a worse deal. I think he ends up in Miami and all this is just posturing from the Portland front office because they’re butthurt Lillard chose Miami.

[HumbleRen]

If that’s true. It just shows how amateur hour the Blazers front office is which is why I suspect it’s true.

I'm starting to think that the Blazers may trade him to any team not named Miami - ala Kawhi situation in San Antonio - some team may get a good deal.

Well that would be stupid if they take a worse deal. I think he ends up in Miami and all this is just posturing from the Portland front office because they’re butthurt Lillard chose Miami.

It's crazy because Portland basically started a rebuild while lying to Dame lol. The ones who were following this situation called it too.

[docholliday99]

It depends on how seriously you take the regular season. If you want to get the highest seed possible, quality depth definitely helps.

But you can't win in the playoffs without star power, regardless of how great your depth is, so you need to prioritize acquiring stars above all else to have a shot at a title.

There is always an outlier. 2004 Pistons always comes to mind in this debate. But overall I agree, you needs at least 1 star. The less stars, the more and better depth.

There seems to be a misconceptions about that Detroit team. They had MULTIPLE all stars

I don't think there's a misconception, as the discussion was about having a true star player/superstar and not just all star players - which is usually not one and the same. Detroit played so well as a team that the starting 5 went to the all-star game together - a testament that a group of high level, elite role players, that are well coached, can overcome not having a superstar on the team and win the championship. That said, as good as they were, they could only do it once.

[T-d0t]

If that’s true. It just shows how amateur hour the Blazers front office is which is why I suspect it’s true.

I'm starting to think that the Blazers may trade him to any team not named Miami - ala Kawhi situation in San Antonio - some team may get a good deal.

Well that would be stupid if they take a worse deal. I think he ends up in Miami and all this is just posturing from the Portland front office because they’re butthurt Lillard chose Miami.

I agree a trade like the Kawhi trade will likely never happen again.

Lakers had offered the same package they offered for AD more or less but Pop hated the Lakers and decided to take the lesser offer with us.

[HiJiNX]

There is always an outlier. 2004 Pistons always comes to mind in this debate. But overall I agree, you needs at least 1 star. The less stars, the more and better depth.

There seems to be a misconceptions about that Detroit team. They had MULTIPLE all stars

I don't think there's a misconception, as the discussion was about having a true star player/superstar and not just all star players - which is usually not one and the same. Detroit played so well as a team that the starting 5 went to the all-star game together - a testament that a group of high level, elite role players, that are well coached, can overcome not having a superstar on the team and win the championship. That said, as good as they were, they could only do it once.

The other piece is that Billups routinely played like a superstar at the end of games during their playoff run. Rip Hamilton was no slouch with the shotmaking as well.