Free Agent Watch 2008

by drexlerdreamer on Nov 13, 2008 10:27 PM PST

So there have been a lot of posts/discussions about who we should be trying to trade for, but I am more interested in who we might pick up from free agency with our extra cap space.

And so, I have spent some days perusing potential free agents to be.

I think I just found the answer to our biggest problem.

First, I'd like to say that I think our biggest problem right now (and I feel lots of you will agree with me on this) is our defense. Enter: defensive specialist Ron Artest. Artest is going to be a free agent at the end of the year and I think he would be a great fit. With just over 2 steals per game, and the ability to lock down players (remember what he did to Roy already this year) he would be an amazing addition to our defense. Also his offense is nothing to scoff at.

And like I always say: "You can never have too many small forwards."

Anyway tell me what you think and list some other possible free agent pickups below.

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Comments

Artest is a great player. And I can’t deny I’ve kind of wondered what it would be like if he were a Blazer. Problem is, he is still Ron Ron. I don’t think we can have that here.

by ucatchtrout on Nov 13, 2008 10:43 PM PST reply actions

Ron is not a team leader... and he will want too many shots.

He will not accept the role of being a role player on a young roster

by Stegie33 on Nov 13, 2008 10:52 PM PST reply actions

I like Ron Artest.

I don’t think they would sign him purely from a publicity standpoint . He would be perfect though. It’s too bad there isn’t a defensive specialist like Ron Artest who isn’t crazy… oh wait, isn’t Gerald Wallace available?

by Nick Van Excellent on Nov 13, 2008 11:05 PM PST reply actions

I was waiting for the "just kidding"

section of your post. I can’t think of many guys in the NBA that are worse character guys than Ron Arrest. The guy is nuts. Good player if he ever got his head right. And while I do think Ron is one of the best defenders in the league, this years Rocket game was a bad example; I don’t know how many times Roy broke his ankles.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going in different directions...

by porterfan30 on Nov 13, 2008 11:19 PM PST reply actions

Artest always gives Roy a headache.

I remember Artest giving Brandon a lot of trouble last year.

by Nick Van Excellent on Nov 13, 2008 11:21 PM PST up reply actions

I Think Artest has matured

A good sign… he was no where to be seen in that Rockets/Suns fight… when everyone else was involved.

by Salem Stephen on Nov 14, 2008 12:41 AM PST reply actions

He wasn’t in the game when it happened and nobody left the bench. I’m sure if he had been in the game, he would have been right in the middle of it. It was a pretty entertaining little scrap though.

by ***Jason*** on Nov 14, 2008 1:01 PM PST up reply actions

he's past his peak

and will not play team ball on offense. last year when he was at sacramento there was much talk about how a play would be called coming out of a timeout but artest would completely ignore this again and again, preferring to launch 3s or go 1 on 3.

he requires constant extra attention from the coaching staff.

we don’t need that.

ignacio

by ignacio on Nov 14, 2008 12:56 AM PST reply actions

No to Artest

Yeah he’s good on defense, but he’s totally erratic on offense and he’s a headcase. Pass.

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Nov 14, 2008 8:07 AM PST reply actions

I agree with all the folks who said NO

Artest is indeed mentally ill.

And on offense he is an inveterately selfish bonehead.

We cannot put up with this flagrant lack of accountability anymore.

by MT Suit on Nov 14, 2008 8:35 AM PST reply actions

Culture.

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 14, 2008 8:45 AM PST reply actions

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=09FreeAgents-081113

Josh Childress is intriguing…

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Nov 14, 2008 9:26 AM PST reply actions

I thought you guys liked 'character'.

The guy’s a douche. He got multiple calls to animal control authorities for leaving his pit bull in a kennel for days with no food or water. How you treat your animals says a lot about what kind of person you are.

Also, he goes through stretches where he tries to do too much on offense and becomes a black hole for the ball, kind of like a SF version of Zach Randolph. He doesn’t strike me as a team player.

That said, he is an excellent defender and I remember BRoy having a lot of trouble with him.

I still say hell no.

by Benjamanic on Nov 14, 2008 10:44 AM PST reply actions