Arguing Over Trail Blazers Draft Position, Players

Portland Trail Blazers podcasts don’t come much sweeter than Dave and Dia, This week Dave Deckard and Dia Miller reflect on Portland’s 2022 NBA Draft lottery position. Is it really that disappointing? How can we weave sunshine out of overcast skies? And what exactly will the Blazers do with that pick, anyway? Franchise representative Damian Lillard looked a wee bit disappointed when his team’s pick wasn’t promoted on lottery night, but what if it turns into the lever that finally gets him enough help to contend?

The dynamic duo focus pretty hard on trade possibilities with the pick. Is Deandre Ayton a realistic target? Would he help the team enough to justify the cost? Why might he be superior to Jusuf Nurkic or other trade candidates at center? Is a center enough? What about some wing help? How many players, or starters, or stars do the Blazers need before they can feel comfortable going forward?

Dave and Dia then tackle the agonizing topic of Keeping or Yeeting Damian Lillard, the grand finale to their month-long Keep or Yeet series. Dia not only gives rationale why moving Dame shouldn’t be on the table, she takes critics to task and explains her reasoning for keeping most of the team despite a poor record this season. Dave, on the other hand, lays down the law, outlining Portland’s timeline and likely parameters for this decision...at least ideally. Both agree that the organization would be resistant to trading Lillard at this particular moment. Would or could that ever change?

You get all this in Episode 78 of the podcast, plus the tale of When Dia Met ‘Melo and more!

You can download this episode or subscribe to the podcast here, or just click play on the embed below!

Note: We had a link up to the wrong episode in error. It’s fixed now.

Enjoy!