This Just In: In Oregon It Might Rain

by Dave on Jun 7, 2007 1:25 AM PDT in News

Here's an article from the Oregonian saying that the paper has learned that Kevin Pritchard is pursuing another first round pick. Nobody knows yet where in the draft he's targeting but Al Thornton's name was mentioned quite prominently.

The Thornton bit was exciting but Kevin Pritchard possibly pursuing extra picks ranks right up there with "Ice Cream is Cold" and "Women Flock to Multi-Syllabic Bloggers" as shocking news items of the century.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

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dave

i'm hear in g he'll have atlanta's 11.th for jack and he'll either make a deal with the bulls for the 9.th for zbo to get thorton or with the bucks for the 6.th pick.

by fatty on Jun 7, 2007 7:20 AM PDT reply actions

i also

told you guys he's going to make some trades on draft night.and dave you should seriously ask the public who do they think is goin on draft night...

by fatty on Jun 7, 2007 7:22 AM PDT reply actions

Al Thornton = bye bye Zach

Adding more young players, particularly of the Forward variety, can't bode well for Zach's future. I don't know if I understand adding a bunch more young players to a team that is already very young, but Quick's pretty reliable so something must be in the works.

by leeroyjenkins on Jun 7, 2007 8:53 AM PDT reply actions

Think of it as quality over quantity.

I don't think we'll have more young players next year, just better ones.

by EnglandDan on Jun 7, 2007 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions

I think Thornton's a ruse ....

I think Pritchard really wants Jeff Green. Green seems to have every quality that Pritchard looks for in a player: size, intelligence, character, unselfishness. He'd be a great fit in our culture. But if he were to come out and say that, then someone might pull an end around on him like he did with Minnesota last year: Minnesota took Roy thinking Houston was going to take Foye so they could swap. Pritchard smelled it out and took Foye instead, forcing Minnesota to deal with him. If he were to come out and say, "We're hoping to get Green," Then plenty of teams would draft Green earlier in the hopes of forcing us into a trade. It's just good business to not show your hand--and if you see that a hand is shown, like in this article, then it's probably a smokescreen.

I love this stuff. It's like spy games.

by bfan on Jun 7, 2007 8:57 AM PDT reply actions

Thornton thinks he has a work out....

Quotes from interview:
Al Thornton

Q: What teams are you scheduled to work out for?

A: Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Charlotte Bobcats

Q: Do you know who you will work out against?

A: Corey Brewer, Thaddeus Young and Julian Wright.
http://www.nbadraft.net/2007predraftcamp004.asp

spencer

by Eugenefan on Jun 7, 2007 12:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Doesn't mean he's not a ruse ...

by bfan on Jun 7, 2007 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Good possibility of a ruse..

Al Thornton (Birthday: Dec. 7,'83) is actually older than
Travis Outlaw (Birthday: Sept.18,'84).
Thornton's weaknesses are stated as:
Despite his physical gifts he's not the rebounder one would expect ... Ball handling ability is satisfactory at the collegiate level but will clearly need to be refined as he is prone to turnovers ... Defensively while he is a adequate shot blocker, he still bites too often on pump fakes ... Mid-range shooting has improved but is still not consistent ... Back to the basket skills are still a work in progress ... Although he is an extremely talented player his ability to fit a position could be a concern ... Despite his age, his fundamentals and basketball IQ are still not yet there as he often relies more on his athleticism ... Lacks the court vision to be a real factor as a passer ... Tends to get frustrated at times and force shots that aren't there ... Has a bad habit of getting out of control on his drives to the basket ... Will need to focus on developing his post footwork as it is unrefined ...

Outlaw, with his NBA experience, seems like a better bet.

spencer

by Eugenefan on Jun 7, 2007 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Where does Travis fit in all this?

Haven't heard anything about him, and Thornton's a 3/4 just like Outlaw.

I know you obviously have to trade zach to get this pick probably, but does this mean Outlaw's going to be gone? Or will they keep him, cause technically he's more experienced then rookies although the same age.

But he's probably going to command a contract starting at 4 or 4.5, and maxing around 7 million. That's alot for him, or it could turn out to be cheap if he keeps progressing and becomes a truely solid dependable player.

Outlaw's suppose to be a PF now, but with Aldridge, and the possibility of Thornton, where does T.O. play? Or will Thornton be a SF? Isn't he a PF? Or will T.O. go back to SF?

I want to hear an update on Travis? Is the team waiting till after the draft to discuss him? Maybe Fatty is right and the travis outlaws/martell websters are a thing of the past.

Welcome Greg Oden

by junit3123 @ Blazer's Edge on Jun 7, 2007 9:02 AM PDT reply actions

Outlaw

If Outlaw finds a team willing to give him $7 million he should take it and I'd be happy for him.

I think Outlaw's best bet even if we draft a small forward is to stay with the Blazers. He'll have the opportunity to get plenty of minutes at the 3 (sharing with Udoka and a rookie) and the 4 (backing up Aldridge), and a good shot at starting. I think at least he'll develop into a valuable bench player, with a shot to blow up if he can play all the time like we've seen him play in spurts.

What would be good for both the Blazer and Outlaw would be if he signed a modest 5 year contract that he can opt out of in the 3rd year. Its low-risk for everyone but still gives Outlaw the opportunity to make big money in a couple of years if he really takes off, or even if he feels he's not getting enough playing time.

by matthewcc on Jun 7, 2007 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions

Haven't heard a thing about Outlaw

How do you not re-sign him though after the display he put on at the end of the year? Yeah I know he shot nearly every time he touched the ball, I know he was playing for a contract, I know it was the end of the year and the good teams were resting their players. Still, I think you have to see if that was a fluke or not since he probably comes relatively cheap. I haven't hear anything nationally about him either so I don't think he's too much on peoples' radar.

by leeroyjenkins on Jun 7, 2007 9:10 AM PDT reply actions

Teams cannot talk to Travis

or his agent, until July 1.

This includes the Blazers.

Expect free agent talk to heat up after the draft.

by EngineerScotty on Jun 7, 2007 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions

You don't sign him for two reasons,

first if someone offers him more money than he's worth (he's not worth the full Mid-Level exception) and secondly if you have better players at his position. Jeff Green and Al Thornton are likely to be better players playing at the same position. Udoka is clearly better than Outlaw. I think Webster is close to as good as Outlaw with half the time in the league. Outlaw shot horribly for most of the season.

by EnglandDan on Jun 7, 2007 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Outlaw

We don't need to use the MLE to re-sign our own players, so he wouldn't count against that.

If we re-sign Udoka and draft a top small forward, Outlaw probably is the odd man out.

However, along with Jack, Sergio, and Randolph, Martell Webster is one of tradable assets. If he does go somewhere in a trade, re-signing Outlaw to a reasonable contract would be a good idea even with Udoka and a rookie.

I'm not really sure how much it matter either way. Neither Webster or Outlaw look like they're going to be more than bench warmers. Calling either a role-player would imply they did one thing really well, and neither of them do.

It might be worth giving Outlaw a contract just so we can trade him next year if he can get his averages up just a little bit more.

by matthewcc on Jun 7, 2007 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm sure that's how the Blazers are thinking.

If Outlaw can be signed for what he's worth he does serve some purpose. The Blazers will look at where they are in July for bench players at the 3/4, and how much Travis has been offered and then make a determination. The truth is that Outlaw is probably not going to make the difference between championships or not. There are probably fifty players in the NBA who can replace him.

by EnglandDan on Jun 7, 2007 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm really beginning to think

That Outlaw has played his last game as a Blazer.

Welcome Greg Oden

by junit3123 @ Blazer's Edge on Jun 7, 2007 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions

it seems unfair

to only list al thornton's alleged weaknesses. from the same source, here are his strengths:

Strengths: Physically Thornton is a jaw dropper type of athlete ... Because of the high energy level and aggressiveness Thornton plays with, he draws a good number of fouls from opposing players ... Has developed his upper body strength well and possesses an NBA ready body ... Does a great job of getting rebounds out of position thanks to his leaping ability and foot speed ... Runs the court like a guard ... Is a threat in transition where he is a tremendous finisher ... Loves to face-up the opposing defender and blow by them using his length and explosive first step ... Excellent lateral quickness enables him to be a very good help defender ... Owns a great set of hands that allows him to catch passes without problem, even bad passes ... Possesses three point range on his shot ... Converts with ease around the basket ... Despite being a senior that is a year older than most he has a load of potential that he has yet to scratch ... Versatile player who will be a match-up problem for most defenders ... Has developed into a great free throw shooter ...

ignacio

by ignacio on Jun 7, 2007 3:54 PM PDT reply actions

thornton

has been my sleeper pick for SF because he can flat-out SCORE. he has 3 pt range (as opposed to most of the other SF prospects).

hes also known for his fierce competitive scowl.

i think whoever gets him is going to be very pleased.

ignacio

by ignacio on Jun 7, 2007 4:02 PM PDT reply actions

Thornton

To be completely honest, Thorton has been completely off my radar until this spike in interest from Blazer-land. So I looked him up a little, and the guy hit 44% from the three this year, and FOURTY-EIGHT last year!

I'm officially in the draft Thornton camp! A three-point master is what we need more than anything else (after Oden).

by matthewcc on Jun 7, 2007 6:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah but ...

Stats don't always tell the whole story. From one the scouting reports on DraftExpress:

"On the offensive end, Thornton is a downright atrocious passer. He is averaging less then 1 assist per game on the year, and is sporting a .33/1 assist to turnover ratio. He just doesn't really seem to have a good feel for finding the open man, and often dribbles with his head down. His ball-handling ability has also been a question mark, considering that some view him as a full time small forward prospect."

Something tells me that KP is not about to draft anyone that is "atrocious" at anything. Someone bombing away consistently would be nice, but Roy and Jack should continue to improve in that category. I would much rather have a player like Jeff Green who will do everything: run the offense, pass, rebound, and take the smart shot. Very few come into the league shooting the lights out (see: Martell Webster), so it's probable Green could develop a long range shot. He hit around 37% this last year as it is, so it's not that he can't shoot at all ...

by bfan on Jun 7, 2007 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions

head down

Actually, things like that don't seem like red flags to me. It sounds like a coaching issue. Was Thornton expected to carry his team offesnively? Thats not rhetorical, I'm wondering if anyone has watched him play much.

Really, coaching someone to not to do that would not be a problem for someone like McMillan. Now, if one of his negatives was also 'not coachable', that would be a problem.

I think one thing a lot of us (especially me) forget with these guys is so many of their flaws can be corrected with better coaching, especially when going from seasonal college ball to full-time.

I imagine the best way to identify diamonds in the rough is to identify people who have seemingly major defects, but which are readily corrected by better coaching.

by matthewcc on Jun 7, 2007 8:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I think very often

it's the reverse...they had really, really successful coaching in college--i.e. a guy who runs an air-tight NCAA "system"--but that system doesn't allow them to show all of their individual skill. In some ways less coaching frees a guy up. Or maybe not "less" but "less restrictive". That often happens in the NBA.

--Dave

by Dave on Jun 7, 2007 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions

The first two losses for Florida

last year were because of Julian Wright and Al Thornton. of the two, Al Thornton had far less help than Wright. But Julian Wright is the best rebounder of the top small forwards, has the best floor IQ, and has the best upside.

Last year in Las Vegas Wright dominated Noah, Brewer and Horton. No matter who tried they could not guard him. And he is an outstanding shot blocker and steals per game for a big man. Wright was forced to play out of position at KU because Rush had the small forward spot. It is one reason he is in the draft - because he is a 3 and want to play the position. With Ime already here, Wright does not have to come in a start, giving him time to develop. In the end he may be nearly as dynamic as Kevin Durant (yes I watched them both all year). He certainly is a better defender than Durant.

by lee3022 on Jun 10, 2007 12:48 AM PDT reply actions