Should we have traded Oden for KG last year?

by MiledAnimal on Oct 29, 2008 6:08 PM PDT

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to Blazer fans. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle-ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of our fears and the latest Blazer MRI. This is the dimension of aggravation. It is an area we call the Blazer Zone.

Now imagine, if you will, the time last year when Kevin McHale offered to trade Kevin Garnett straight-up for Greg Oden. Kevin Pritchard said no to that offer. Shortly after that, Greg's season ended and Garnett went on to win a championship. Now GO is hurt again, this time for two to four weeks. My question is: Knowing what you know now, would you do that deal?

Poll

Given Greg's health history, do you wish KP had traded him to Minnie last year for Kevin Garnett?

Absolutely. KG still has plenty in the tank and brings a lot of Hall of Fame goodness to the buffet.

3 votes

Yes, but I would second-guess myself for years.

1 votes

Impossible to decide. Who am I, Solomon?

0 votes

No, but I would second-guess myself for years.

1 votes

Absolutely not. We already have a buffet of goodness and Greg's just working through a temporary bad streak.

14 votes

19 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 19 comments

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Comments

where's the poll?

Seems like a perfect poll question.

But I’ll take a stab at it: I think I would have to answer “YES.”

To tell the truth, though, I’ve never been much of a KG fan.

The perfect is the enemy of the good.

by fisheyes on Oct 29, 2008 6:20 PM PDT 0 recs

You're right fisheyes, I was just in a hurry to go car shopping earlier.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 29, 2008 9:44 PM PDT up 0 recs

No

Cuz I can’t stand KG. He’s not very likeable.

When asked about his thoughts during the Olympic games about playing against Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, Rudy responded "My first thought was respect. My second thought was to kick their ass".

Man I love him.

by twiggs on Oct 29, 2008 6:22 PM PDT 1 recs

No deal Howie.

KG is very very good. But his career will be winding down soon. Oden has (let’s hope) a good 10-15 of Basketball in him.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Oct 29, 2008 6:36 PM PDT 0 recs

Tempting at THIS point in time though.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Oct 29, 2008 6:37 PM PDT up 0 recs

no

by dyshooter182 on Oct 29, 2008 6:48 PM PDT 0 recs

We could have had KG?

If that is true, then I think we should have taken KG. With Garnett on our team, we would have been the champions last year.

by trk on Oct 29, 2008 7:08 PM PDT 0 recs

Absolutely not

I have faith in Kevin Pritchard and you’ve got to think that he’s going to make the right decision no matter what.

Rip City REVIVAL

by HonestPete on Oct 29, 2008 7:18 PM PDT 0 recs

Not even close

The Celts had Pierce, Ray Allen, and savvy veterans. We were the third youngest team in NBA history, playing in the West.

Do that deal and the Blazers are bounced in the first or second round last year. With Garnett aging, you start to do panic trades for questionable veterans. Ron Artest, anyone?

by Engineering Problem on Oct 29, 2008 7:36 PM PDT 0 recs

Can we at least let him reach 25...

before we ask this question?

Did you really believe that KG could lead a team to a championship before he did? Would he have been able to lead Roy, LMA and the rest to a title before he retired or moved on by trade or free agency?

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on Oct 29, 2008 11:10 PM PDT 0 recs

lol...I do dig the polling results though.

as of now only 7 people (myself included) felt it worthy to even vote…..

now that’s a statement, considering polling results usually number in the hundreds.

The faith (and I'm a guy) perverts. :)

by faith on Oct 30, 2008 12:13 AM PDT 0 recs

That's about as bad as Devin Harris plus picks for Jason Kidd :)

Sorry MiledAnimal, I like your comments and posts, but why should KP have traded a 19 years old talent for a 31 years old realized potential (or at this time rather unrealized)? Yeah, Kevin Garnett is probably a future hall of famer and now he has a championship. But even if Greg never becomes the once-in-a-generation dominant center we all hope for, KG would start to decline soon and retire at about the time all our other guys are in their prime. It’s doubtful the Blazers would have won last year or would win the championship this year even with KG or Tim Duncan in the paint instead of Oden and LaMarcus.

Odenied: If you're given lemmings—make lemming-ade (Bow4Meow)

by Norsktroll on Oct 30, 2008 3:26 AM PDT 0 recs

Asking the question doesn't mean I would do the trade.

I love Greg Oden, and I’m onboard with the 90% so far who would not do that trade. I’m just curious to see how many BEdgers would.

I disagree that KG is going to decline soon. He’s 32 now? I think he’ll be a Top 10 player for at least the next three to five years. He’s so good that even a 20% decline in his athleticism won’t lessen his impact that much.

When I posted this, I thought about reminding folks that we could have traded Oden for Garnett and then, after 30 days, traded him again. Or we could have traded LaMarcus and kept Garnett. Not that Jersey would have gone for a LaMarcus for Harris trade, but how does a black unit of Garnett, Roy, Harris, Webster, and Przybilla sound? With Outlaw, Rudy, Frye, Batum, and Blake in the white unit? Think that Blazer team would make the playoffs last year? It’s a legitimate question.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 30, 2008 8:54 AM PDT up 0 recs

Er, yeah, Nic and Rudy weren't on the team last season...

I was thinking last season and this season. Just not exactly the way I put it…

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 30, 2008 8:57 AM PDT up 0 recs

Boston was a 24 win team before trading for Garnett

After trading for Garnett (and Ray Allen) they were a 66 win team. They made that impressive 42-game improvement despite losing a good player in Al Jefferson.

The Blazers would be adding Garnett to a 41 win team last year, and they wouldn’t even have to give up a healthy player to get him.

41 wins + KG = 60+ wins and a good chance of winning the championship.

by trk on Oct 30, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up 0 recs

If I could vote in this poll...

… I would vote no. But none of the pre-defined reasons you listed cover my reason, so I couldn’t vote.

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Oct 30, 2008 9:08 AM PDT 0 recs

It's like politics, douglast.

Sometimes you just have to go with the lesser of two evils.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 30, 2008 10:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

the answer is no

It didn’t make sense at the time.

Knowing what we know now, I’d do it (if I could go back in time), but that’s the way it goes.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Oct 30, 2008 10:57 AM PDT 0 recs

No! Oh wait a minute let me think...NO!

Am I being too subtle? NNNNOOOO!!!!

Lets see what happened the last time we collected a bunch of ageing superstars?

Does anyone remember Shawn Kemp?

I would rather never have another championship, than have KG or cuby stinkin’ up the Blazers locker room.

We have been universally singing the praises of KP for how long now? Then we have one bad game and one minor injury and suddenly we want to throw the whole thing out? GET A GRIP!

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by LaMarvelous on Oct 30, 2008 9:28 PM PDT 0 recs