The reason Bayless could start as a PG for the Blazers, the reason he is such great a fit for us, and the reason KP got to steal him for the 13th pick and chump change … ???

Bayless is too small to guard big, strong SGs and does not distribute enough to start at point in the NBA. He probably won’t be any bigger or much stronger, or any time soon develop the court vision to average 5+ assists/p.g. And other GMs saw this as a deal-breaker.

Heck, if we just had an all-star level guard who distributed like a god running the offense, with his only weakness the possibility of being broken down on the defensive end by a few of the premier smaller and quicker PGs in the Western Conference. Geez, if only. That would be such a good fit! That would …

Wait a second! We do have that player! I remember this dude named Brandon Roy, an all-star oversized PG, saying a Bayless-type combo guard is just the ticket. Roy even went so far as to say that he would not fit well alongside a traditional PG, and that Blake’s flexibility and outside game was the reason the current structure works as well as it does.

Shucks, I guess KP is as smart as we thought he was! All others Pale-in comparison. You betcha!

Seriously, I think that your analysis on Bayless is right if you opt for the traditional way to run the team. But Bayless does not need to develop a full-on, traditional NBA PG game to make a big impact on Roy’s team!

that may be “a little” strong

Look at who he’ll have to pass the ball to in three years. Oden…LMA…Roy…Rudy. Any one of those guys could make an assist machine out of a heady PG. CP3 can get you points, assists, and play respectable defense. Bayless should be able to score from the jump. With Nate to coach his D, he should surpass Paul. Assists is where Paul really shines, and I think Bayless has the tools (ie skills and teammates) to beat him there too. It’s a dream I have, but a good one.

I’d agree that his “natural maturation” as a player will allow him to expand his situational awareness, but how many gifted scorers never had the drive, discipline, or mentorship to develop into good team players. My worry with Jerryd isn’t his ability as much as it is for his psychology and its effect on how he channels his training and abilities. It’s like the difference between the diminishing returns of building a strength versus the exponential returns of improving a weakness. Without a new perspective and mindset, Jerryd is most likely to continue doing what has brought him success in the past…playing alone. For him to be successful in the NBA, he needs to include his teammates more.

Nice story.

was the combo guard prospect who received rave reviews from scouts for his lockdown perimeter defense.

Jerryd Bayless, however, was highly touted for his mid-range game and slashing ability rather than defense.

and there’s no need for pre-judging this guy. What “few and far between” outbursts are you speaking of that did or didn’t occur on a basketball court? Because if you can’t think of any you should cease the needless haterisms. Let’s not get caught up in how this kid “looks” but rather how he performs. Every player in NBA history not named AC Green has dropped an F-Bomb during a game, so I don’t agree that Jerryd’s doing so warrants you referring to it as vocal obscene cockyness. Speaking as a basketball player, you drop F-bombs when things aren’t going your way or you know you are not playing up to your potential. Thus, it’s a way of him motivating himself. I personally don’t care how a player motivates themselves as long as they are trying to motivate themselves. The one caveat being Sheed because his technicals often cost us points, however we all know he brought his A-game immediately following those outbursts. I don’t think Jerryd will be nearly as bad.
Oh by the way, it’s also ridiculous that you said he was on the side jerk prickyness, I mean what is that? Have you met him? He’s not a comic book character. He’s not Wario and Brandon’s not Mario. He’s a 20 year old in one of the most athletic, competitive PRO leagues in the entire world. You bet he wants to exude confidence. But unless you can prove it it’ll take more than facial gestures to persuade me he’s anything more than just confident.

the difference between jordan and other jerks is the talent level not the jerkness level.

How about invert. Or even Type A personality. Neither of which are “bad”.

I find your pre judgements to be distasteful.

Sophia

Look. Unless you’ve got Jerryd on the couch then don’t try and psychoanalyze him. He is being paid to play hoops. That’s all.

I fail to see why any run of the mill fan would develop a harsh set of judgments about a young man who you have never met and whose only purpose in your life is to create enjoyable basketball-viewing opportunities.

Let’s just love ALL our Blazers and leave psychoanalysis to the pecker headed Germans.

I don’t see the pecker head, rude, snotty and irritating side of Jerryd. I must of missed something…….but that line seems pretty harsh, rude and snotty to me.

is that he is naive with overconfidence. Sure he has said a lot for a young kid that hasn’t proved anything yet in the league, but he hasn’t ever been rude about it. If we fast forward five years and he never amounts to anything but still continues to crow like the cock of the walk, then you can put him into the category of headcase. He hasn’t yet shown enough to justify all his talk, but enough that he should be given the chance to prove it before being dismissed. I like the attitude, and I like to think that he will back it up.

You are right, I shouldn’t have came right out and called the kid a punk, because he’s not. He is a little high strung for my liking, meaning something along the lines of there being a huge diffrence in attitude between rookie A.I. and today’s A.I, I put Bayless’s somewhere in the middle.
 
What I’m implying is that the way he carries himself and the way he competes may not be appreciated by the leaders of this team. He may be the most competitive guy in the world, but that won’t do him very well if he’s alienating himself amongst his teammates and those he’s meant to entertain.
 
I don’t know how receptive Brandon and company are to him. Nor do I know how alot of us fans react to him, but I’ve read things like F-bombs, talking smack to his own team mates, Joel giving him crap, always thowing insults at the opposing pg in scrimmages, and pre-draft opinions of his demeanor. Can he become a calm “Jordan prick”? Sure! and tha’d be great in my book, because jordan didn’t create havoc in his own locker-room,… well.(cough)(hack)…..jordan didn’t do it in the way that marbury does, or francis would have. dare I say some of the traits of bayless that are being praised, are shared by these kinds of players (marbury,francis). Am I sugesting Bayless could be a lockerroom cancer? yeah. but I’m also saying that he could be jordanish good given he learn to crawl before he walks.
 
He is a rookie on a good team he needs to recognize that, and act accordingly. Competitive sure, but earn your stripes before you wear em.
 
that’s all I really meant. I apologize for being offensive.
 
note: jordan(4 years of college) vs. bayless(1 year of college) comparisons by me are really only to be taken in a attitude and heart view… I’m in no way saying that bayless plays like, or remotely close to the level that jordan did. but hey…stranger things have happened and one day he may.

But hat’s a valuable trait on a team in order to become not too nice (read: lame). A winning mentality. Losing games sucks. Dropping in the draft stinks. Etc. I think KP likes that attitude Jerryd brings to the floor, and so does Nate. As was mentioned, a host of good to great players displayed that trait. Jordan, KG (the NBA player to go most into refs faces), Arenas,… the list goes on and on.

anyone in here had any idea Travis would be as good as he is now when he first came into the league. I think you have no idea how good Bayless will be. He is the PG of the future. Besides the Big 3, Boston showed you really don’t need much out of your PG other than solid D. Court Vision like John Stockton is one of a kind, and Bayless has yet to show any magical passes, but with his abilities I wouldn’t put it past him. I hope this year you are pleasantly surprised.

“a fraction of rudy’s court vision” you talk like you have seen both these guys play a full season in the league before they have even seen the pre-season. I get that everyone is high on rudy, but come on, lets be realistic here. Wait and see how they play with the blazers and then we can make comparisons.

meaning if he is / does go over the line, they will take care of it. He is young and passionate and confident. Nothing wrong with that, as long as it doesn’t go over the line. Anecdotes abound in sports about “young and passionate” rooks coming into their respective leagues with ’tudes that needed to be slightly adjusted. I know Roy and LMA are young, but they seem to be exceptionally mature for their ages, and they just happened to be here first (post Z-bo).

This is Roy’s and LMA’s team, IMO. The co-leader thing is just my perception, but I have a favorable impression of LMA as more the “leader by example”, if not vocally.

Hey, anyone remember the collective desire of the entire fanbase that Sheed take the reins of the teams he was on? He didn’t want it. “Just CTC man.” No disrespect to Sheed for his stance but that stance was a disappointment.

We’re lucky to have two dudes like Roy and LMA. One of the aspects that I think excite the hardcore fanbase so much. There appears to a someone piloting the ship.