Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

Age is the only thing Ja Morant has over Damian Lillard right now, and I say that fully aware that Dame probably won't be the same dynamic player he was pre-injury. Ja is a headcase, a malcontent, and a locker room cancer. He's plagued with injuries despite being younger. His freakish athleticism is his biggest strength, and we don't even know if he still has it. He's a HORRIBLE shooter, and at least as bad defensively as Lillard, and probably worse given that he's usually checked out most of the time.

But let's put that aside and give Ja the benefit of the doubt. Let's say he fully realizes the opportunity here, as do the people in his inner circle, and he undergoes a Z-bo-esque transformation and all is well. That's obviously what the organization is banking on, so let's slot him into a starting role, because he's obviously the highest-upside PG on our roster for the long haul.

That leaves Dame and Jru as our next most-talented guards, in that order. Dame is the better shooter and scorer, Jru is the better defender. Ideally I'd play Jru alongside Morant to make up for his bad defense, but this is a roster that needs long-range shooting more than it needs more defense, so Dame (if ready for significant minutes at the start of the season) gets that nod. Dame's ability to shoot at a high rate from several feet beyond the 3-pt line will be crucial for stretching the defense, especially considering two of our top three scorers (Deni and Ja) prefer to do most of their damage from in the paint. Dame is the only one of the three who will consistently pull defenders out of the paint.

I'm still hoping Cronin has another trade up his sleeve to flip a few pieces and get us another shooter. Heck I'd even be happy with moving Jru+Shaedon to get us a more pure starting shooting guard and bring Dame off the bench. That's just how badly Ja fits with our roster as constructed. And the last thing I want to see (which I've seen suggested) is playing Dame, Ja, and Jru at the same time. Hard pass on that.

pezsez1 wrote: Tue Jun 30, 2026 3:33 pm Age is the only thing Ja Morant has over Damian Lillard right now, and I say that fully aware that Dame probably won't be the same dynamic player he was pre-injury. Ja is a headcase, a malcontent, and a locker room cancer. He's plagued with injuries despite being younger. His freakish athleticism is his biggest strength, and we don't even know if he still has it. He's a HORRIBLE shooter, and at least as bad defensively as Lillard, and probably worse given that he's usually checked out most of the time.

But let's put that aside and give Ja the benefit of the doubt. Let's say he fully realizes the opportunity here, as do the people in his inner circle, and he undergoes a Z-bo-esque transformation and all is well. That's obviously what the organization is banking on, so let's slot him into a starting role, because he's obviously the highest-upside PG on our roster for the long haul.

That leaves Dame and Jru as our next most-talented guards, in that order. Dame is the better shooter and scorer, Jru is the better defender. Ideally I'd play Jru alongside Morant to make up for his bad defense, but this is a roster that needs long-range shooting more than it needs more defense, so Dame (if ready for significant minutes at the start of the season) gets that nod. Dame's ability to shoot at a high rate from several feet beyond the 3-pt line will be crucial for stretching the defense, especially considering two of our top three scorers (Deni and Ja) prefer to do most of their damage from in the paint. Dame is the only one of the three who will consistently pull defenders out of the paint.

I'm still hoping Cronin has another trade up his sleeve to flip a few pieces and get us another shooter. Heck I'd even be happy with moving Jru+Shaedon to get us a more pure starting shooting guard and bring Dame off the bench. That's just how badly Ja fits with our roster as constructed. And the last thing I want to see (which I've seen suggested) is playing Dame, Ja, and Jru at the same time. Hard pass on that.

It's already been said that Portland intends to keep holiday, which is smart given that he's probably the best defender on the team. I would love to see Sharpe traded. Can you imagine the defensive holes with morant, Lillard, and Sharpe on the floor? Clingan's and Williams' heads will be spinning.

Since Lillard can't be traded, they've announced that they intend to keep holiday, and morant can't be traded immediately nor can he be packaged, the best bet is that Portland trades Scoot and Sharpe, and draft picks. They need a PF that can play with his back to the hoop and square up, but more importantly they'll need a PF that can reliably defend anywhere on the court. I hate the everyone wants Portland to still trade for brown. The major gripe right now is they have too many guards, but people want them to trade for another guard? Portland needs a defensive reliable forward

I love what Jru brings to the team, but now that Grant is gone we're running out of big contracts to move. (And we have too many guards.) I'd love to bring in another PF (I've seen Aaron Gordon mentioned) and move Toumani to the bench. Getting Aaron Gordon now would be pretty funny considering that Neil Olshey could have had him in exchange for Anfernee Simons several years ago.

Yahoo Sports is projecting a starting lineup of:

PG: Dame
SG: Ja
SF: Deni
PF: Toumani
C: Clingan

I just don't see how Ja plays off ball without a reliable jumper.

Last year Yahoo Sports projected starting five:

PG Jrue Holiday
SG Toumani Camara
SF Deni Avdija
PF Jerami Grant
C Donovan Clingan

Actual most frequent starting five:

PG Jrue Holiday
SG Shaedon Sharpe
SF Deni Avdija
PF Toumani Camara
C Donovan Clingan

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I can't say who the starters will be this season, but in terms of minutes played, I would expect:

PG Ja Morant
SG Jrue/Shaedon nearly even
SF: Deni
PF Toumani
C Clingan

Lillard may or may not start, whatever the front office thinks is best for a show pony, but I would expect him to be about 7th or 8th on the team in minutes played this season, behind both Shaedon and Scoot. Then, after this season..POOF!...he is gone.

Blazers has signed OKC C Branden Carlson as their 3rd string C. He's a stretch 5 who can rebound and play some decent defense. Good option to have with how injury-prone RWIII has been.

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As for RWIII's deal, he'll make $14M guaranteed next season but then that drops considerably over the next 2 seasons unless he plays over 50 games. That's a genius way to structure his contract.

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Oh man, I love that RWIII contract. I didn't see that bit about 50 games earlier, that is genius. There is definitely a new sheriff in town. Can't wait to see all the headlines condemning Dundon's draconian practices.

1 league minimum big: check. Looks like a decent signing and his shooting is a plus. Need that rotation power forward who can hit the outside shot, and we'll see what they do with that 15th spot. If they sign someone else, there is less chance they trade Jrue, since his contract is large enough that they would have to allow for getting 2 players back.

Think they can get someone who would push Toumani for minutes the way RWIII pushed Clingan last year?

Lillard may or may not start, whatever the front office thinks is best for a show pony, but I would expect him to be about 7th or 8th on the team in minutes played this season

I also love the RWIII contract, and I'm loving Tom Dundon with each new contract. I can't help but wonder if he'll spark a change in how all NBA teams do business. I bet other owners are looking at these contracts and thinking "wait, we can do that?"

pezsez1 wrote: Tue Jun 30, 2026 9:27 pm

Lillard may or may not start, whatever the front office thinks is best for a show pony, but I would expect him to be about 7th or 8th on the team in minutes played this season

What, you think RWIII and whoever they sign with the MLE will end up playing more minutes than Lillard too? You are probably right.

‘I just hope he keeps the team here’.

The city (leaders) would be giving up the team, not the other way around. It’s the city’s arena. I personally could give 2 sh*ts about an upgrade. Totally up to Portland/state government. Give me a seat, a beer and dog, I’m good. Not there for shenanigans, just to watch my team. But there are plenty of cities willing to build a new arena to attract the Blazers, and can understand the financial benefits. How beneficial to Portland, would it be, to forfeit 41+ days of sales revenue, plus players tax dollars? Portland is a ridiculously DUMB city, on too many fronts.

Yeah, if the Blazers leave, it would be the City Council's fault, not Tom Dundon's. If Dundon really wanted to move the team he'd be demanding a new arena for two or three times the cost. The city bought the building and already knows it must spend at least $500 million on baseline renovations whether the Blazers are here or not. To refuse to renovate now & let the Blazers walk would be a catastrophic, self-inflicted nut punch.

Now, re: Dame, our new coach told The Athletic that Dame will be starting if he's ready to play the minutes. In his interview with the team, he'd pitched Jru and Scoot starting (pre-Ja trade) before he knew of Dame's status. Cronin had Dame sit in on the interview, and Dame was surprised to hear that & assured the coach he was ready to go, and the coach told him "If you can walk, you will start." That's what the coach told the media.

https://www.blazersedge.com/trail-blaze ... view-story

So yeah, anyone fantasizing about Dame being a glorified mascot is going to be disappointed. He's either our second-best player right now, or he will be after a few weeks back in the saddle, assuming his rehab is on schedule.

pezsez1 wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:25 am Yeah, if the Blazers leave, it would be the City Council's fault, not Tom Dundon's. If Dundon really wanted to move the team he'd be demanding a new arena for two or three times the cost. The city bought the building and already knows it must spend at least $500 million on baseline renovations whether the Blazers are here or not. To refuse to renovate now & let the Blazers walk would be a catastrophic, self-inflicted nut punch.

Now, re: Dame, our new coach told The Athletic that Dame will be starting if he's ready to play the minutes. In his interview with the team, he'd pitched Jru and Scoot starting (pre-Ja trade) before he knew of Dame's status. Cronin had Dame sit in on the interview, and Dame was surprised to hear that & assured the coach he was ready to go, and the coach told him "If you can walk, you will start." That's what the coach told the media.

https://www.blazersedge.com/trail-blaze ... view-story

So yeah, anyone fantasizing about Dame being a glorified mascot is going to be disappointed. He's either our second-best player right now, or he will be after a few weeks back in the saddle, assuming his rehab is on schedule.

He might say he's ready to go, but making hard cuts and jumping is completely different when there's someone guarding you. Achilles injuries have a tendency to be nagging injuries too.

What i don't get is why the city and state don't propose a player tax to pay for renovations. It's what they've proposed, and pretty much agreed on, for the baseball stadium build. Something like that would not only pay for renovations, but it would guarantee that the Moda Center is consistently up to date

pezsez1 wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:25 am
Now, re: Dame, our new coach told The Athletic that Dame will be starting if he's ready to play the minutes. In his interview with the team, he'd pitched Jru and Scoot starting (pre-Ja trade) before he knew of Dame's status. Cronin had Dame sit in on the interview, and Dame was surprised to hear that & assured the coach he was ready to go, and the coach told him "If you can walk, you will start." That's what the coach told the media.

https://www.blazersedge.com/trail-blaze ... view-story

So yeah, anyone fantasizing about Dame being a glorified mascot is going to be disappointed. He's either our second-best player right now, or he will be after a few weeks back in the saddle, assuming his rehab is on schedule.

Thanks for linking this, I never saw it when it was posted. I do not doubt that Lillard will start some games if he is physically able to go, especially at the beginning of the season. Like I said above, he is being promoted to sell tickets. That's why he is here. It would be a huge waste of $28 million if they didn't squeeze Lillard for all he is worth. Have you bought your season tickets yet, Pez? Don't read the rest of this before you do...

Okay, now that Pez has purchased the Damian Lillard family package, let me just point out a few things. First of all, Scoot is in a contract year. That means the Blazers are negotiating with him as the point guard of the future. If they want him to sign a deal, he has to play. He won't stick around if he doesn't even get minutes over a hobbled, 36-year-old has-been. Shaedon is under contract, so they can crap all over his minutes for now, plus he was in Tiago's doghouse about something during the playoffs. Scoot needs to play, and his position is point guard.

Second, listen to actions over words, and follow the money. Ja and Jrue are the two highest-paid players on the team; they make nearly $80 million between them this season, and they both have two years left on their contracts. They are both career point guards. You cite an interview that happened sometime in June...and Then They Went And Traded For Ja Morant. Why did they do that if they actually expected Lillard to 'start and finish games' and 'play more than 24 minutes per game'? When that article was written, Jrue was purportedly on the trade market, then they made a point of taking him off the market. Why did they do that if Lillard is getting all the minutes? Jrue makes $35 million this year and we have already established that Dundon is a cost-conscious owner. Why would he keep Jrue if he wasn't going to play?

Ja and Jrue are playing. Scoot is playing. So where does that leave Lillard, the guy they have the least amount invested in? I'll tell you where. He will be front and center on media days. He will be on all the posters. They will play him early in the season and then one of several things will happen, either: A. He is obviously not the same player and stinks up the court, or B. He gets injured like he has been the past five years, or C. He finds a more organic role playing into his strengths as a spot-up shooter off the bench and shooting free throws at the end of games. If Lillard is getting significant minutes in this situation, it means they gave up on Scoot as their future point guard. Even if that happens, he still has to play in order to evaluate him. There is no way Lillard is getting big minutes on this team. It would be lunacy.

Expect to see Lillard get some play early, and then as the season progresses, Ja and Scoot will be the ones floating to the top, with Jrue playing his usual role as the glue behind the scenes, showing everyone how to play basketball.

Phalanx, if I didn't know any better I'd say you don't know a damn thing about Tom Dundon or Joe Cronin. (Which I know isn't true.)

Joe Cronin traded for Ja Morant because it was the only move he could pull off. He's not a great GM, and I don't know how much more evidence we need to agree on this. Nobody else wanted Ja, so we picked him up. Simple as that. Additionally, Cronin has never drafted/traded with much respect for roster construction. He values talent above all else. We've seen this again and again and again. Drafting Scoot at #3 while trying to keep Damian Lillard (which happened, even if you don't want to believe it did) is Exhibit A. Remember, Cronin is a disciple of the Neil Olshey GM tree, and Olshey's ideal roster featured three guards and poor balance.

And then there's Tom Dundon. Dude's a winner and he wants to win now. Do you honestly believe he's playing Scoot or Shaedon over DAMIAN LILLARD? I know you hate Lillard but come on man, be real. Shaedon Sharpe is the biggest disappointment on the team, and Scoot is still a high-end backup point guard at best. Dame, Ja, and Jrue are all-stars. If Dame is healthy enough to begin the season as a starter then he's not getting benched for Scoot Henderson. To believe otherwise is laughable.

Despite Cronin's incompetence I'd still be shocked of Jrue is on the roster to start the season. He should be packaged and shipped out for a true wing player.

If anything, Cronin's history is that he tells Lillard what he wants to hear while actively working to replace him. Remember when Lillard insisted that Cronin better not draft another 19-year old after Shaedon or else he was going to leave? What did Cronin do? He promptly drafts a 19-year-old at Lillard's position, like a huge 'Go Pound Sand'. Lillard sits in on Nori's interview and demands more than the 24 mpg Nori is projecting, and what does Cronin do? Trades for an all-star point guard. Do you like apples, Dame? How did Cronin build this team? By trading Lillard away to a team of Cronin's choosing, not Lillard's, that's how. This team is moving forward, and Lillard is not part of that future. Scoot might be, which is why he will get guaranteed minutes to see if his playoff performance in which he shot better than Lillard ever did in any playoff series in his whole career was real or just a fluke. You think after that playoff series, Scoot is going to just get kicked to the curb with no minutes? You are dreaming. Scoot is playing. Ja is playing. Jrue is playing. Even Shaedon will get minutes at his natural position. Lillard is the odd man out, no matter how you slice it. He just doesn't know it yet.

It would be the cherry on top if he waives that no-trade clause to get out of Portland once he realizes he isn't the center of the universe. Let's see what happens.