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Feeling Rosy

Kitten_tiny by Dave on

Ace 71 beat me to the punch by one day in his fanpost, but I’m going to post this for main page discussion anyway.

 

Some folks have been talking about the possibility of acquiring Derrick Rose.  We should preface this discussion by saying we do understand that you don’t have to get the #1 overall pick every year in order to be successful…or at least I hope we understand that.  It’s the natural tendency of fans to be unnecessarily greedy.  As soon as a decent player on any team is rumored to be available for any reason one of the first posts you see is, “How can we get Player X?”  Player X may not be right for this team at all, let alone attainable, but in true Trader Bob fashion we like to fantasize about plucking every decent fruit from the vine.  This is also true of draft picks.

 

But let’s go with it for a minute and assume that Rose would be an irreplaceably perfect fit in our backcourt and we must have him.  There is one, and only one, scenario I see in which this has a ghost of a chance of happening.  That would be to trade Lamarcus Aldridge.  (I’m assuming that we’re not crazy enough to consider shipping Roy or Oden, though the former might work and the latter surely would.)  The more difficult possibility would be to convince Chicago to part with a hometown boy.  However if they were offered the forward they missed two years ago plus another decent-potential player plus the #13 pick for Chris Duhon and cap filler they might go for it.  The easier possibility would be making a deal with Miami if Chicago goes with Michael Beasley.  With Dwyane Wade and (potentially) Shawn Marion already in the fold they’d be more eager for a frontcourt scorer than another small guy.  That package would have at least a chance of pulling the #2 pick. 

 

Of course neither of these possibilities takes into account what other teams would offer, but for the sake of our discussion let’s assume that ours was the most attractive package in either case.  Would you be willing to part with Lamarcus to get Derrick Rose?  If you ever decide to trade any of the Big Three he is the most likely by far.  Would this be the time and the player to get in return?

 

Vote and explain below.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

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no

lamarcus is in my view untouchable.

ignacio

by ignacio on May 21, 2008 11:21 PM PDT   0 recs

No

I think the combo of Roy, Aldridge, and Oden has too much potential to be great to trade Aldridge for Rose. Big men who are impact players are harder to come by than guards who can make an impact.

Just thinking about the high/low game with LMA and Oden has me salivating for next year. They will cause some very difficult match-ups for years to come. Add Roy in there and I can hardly contain myself.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 21, 2008 11:26 PM PDT   0 recs

It's funny....

In the RealGM forums there was a thread about trading Aldridge for Rose, and suprisingly people said absolutely not. They value Rose much more than Aldridge. They think Aldridge will be a slightly above average player and maybe an all-star once or twice, whereas they expect Rose to become the next Paul, then they laughed at the Portland fans for saying they wouldn’t trade Aldridge for Rose and that we’re “homers”.

I don’t get why Aldridge is so underrated by other teams. I think he will easily be a top 5 PF in this league down the road, because his progress in the last 2 months of the season is undeniable. I don’t know if he will be a bonafide superstar, but I think he will be fairly regular at the ASG.

And I think it’s funny, because people are already annoiting Rose as the next Paul/Williams, yet when a Blazer fan hypes up Oden, they insist that he play a game first and he has proven nothing. There certainly are some characters over there.

Oden+Roy+Aldridge+Rudy=Dynasty. Believe

by OdenRoyLMA on May 21, 2008 11:29 PM PDT   0 recs

You have to understand

that when you win the lottery you tend to value that pick very highly as a fan. It’s like your dream come true so you automatically assume that your pick is going to be as valuable as that dream. I’m sure people were saying the same thing about Andrew Bogut and Joe Smith. That’s not to say that Rose and Beasley are Smith-Bogut level, just that you can’t assume fans-especially fans that now want to forget about all of their team’s past draft mistakes-will assess well. Aldridge, as a #2 overall pick two years ago who has developed well, would at least make GM’s think about a trade. I’m not saying it would be a done deal, but they wouldn’t laugh in KP’s face as the fans are implying.

(The flip side of this, as I said, is that non-Chicago fans are greedy for the #1 pick and tend to assume too easily that it can be acquired.)

—Dave

by Dave on May 21, 2008 11:35 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Add-on point:

The fans who are uber-greedy for that pick are also overvaluing it in their own minds. Any given draft is 50% hype, 50% reality. In rare years-of which last year was one with Oden and Durant-the reality is far stronger. A lot of these picks won’t amount to anything. Some of them won’t amount to as much as people say before the draft…and that includes the very high picks. But before the draft EVERY pick looks good…the higher, the better. If there’s not an old axiom like this in the league there should be: the player makes the pick, not the pick the player.

—Dave

by Dave on May 21, 2008 11:40 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

While I agree that last year was special

in that the players were both franchise players, I sadly note that Greg has yet to play a game for us so we will see in October what he can give us and I hope fans are patient with his development. Durant also is a gunner and his team will not win until he can get better shot selection and shoot better . (To support this look at loss shares where he leads the league – even worse than Ricky Davis! Then his 28.8 from 3-point supports it as well)

I also agree that fans build up expectations for draft picks far beyond reasonableness. Looking at Oden, Durant, Beasley and Rose it appears that three of these simply dominated all competition in college and Rose is the odd man out. Rose dominated mediocre point guards but was severely limited in the NCAA title game (1-6 from 3-point while giving up 4 steals to Chalmers and three steals to Collins). Rose is clearly a talent but he is a PG and with only 1 year of college I think it will be two to five more years before we see his ceiling.

Aldridge said. "We feel like we can beat any team. We feel like we can beat the Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, whoever any night right now, and we'll still be here when those teams get old and their guys retire. We're going to be here for a long time."

by lee3022 on May 22, 2008 12:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I agree with your points...

But to add on to what I said, this was posted in the general board on RealGM, and this was before Chi got the #1 pick and it was fans of various teams.

Oden+Roy+Aldridge+Rudy=Dynasty. Believe

by OdenRoyLMA on May 22, 2008 12:15 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

...

“It’s like your dream come true so you automatically assume that your pick is going to be as valuable as that dream. I’m sure people were saying the same thing about Andrew Bogut and Joe Smith.”

or LaMarcus Aldridge.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 22, 2008 9:00 AM PDT to parent up   1 recs

Congrats on getting the pick

I am in the camp that says…keep Aldridge.

1. Why trade Proven Ability for Potential

2. Why trade big for small. Look at the starting 1’s in the Conf. Finals. Tony Parker, Chancy Billups, Derek Fisher, Rajon Rondo. All talented players but none required the #1 overall draft pick to be obtained.

I think we should stick with the plan and get a point another way

"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss" Robert A. Heinlein

by 92wastheyear on May 22, 2008 9:26 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

PS...I really like your blog

I drop in from time to time and really enjoyed it (lurking only)

"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss" Robert A. Heinlein

by 92wastheyear on May 22, 2008 9:28 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I also value Rose much more than Aldridge

Rose is going to be one of the 2 or 3 best PGs in the league. Aldridge is going to be one of the top 5 PFs. I think the former is quite a bit better. I think Aldridge will play in the ASG but won’t be a regular. Look at the Spurs- their 2nd and 3rd fiddles are outstanding players but they are usually passed over for the ASG. I think LMA’s fate will be similar.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 21, 2008 11:48 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Who cares about the ASG? I care about winning titles. LA was scoring over 20 a game

at the end of the year and that was with him getting doubled teamed on a regular basis. As LA continues to fill out you will see his defense and low post game improve as well. LA has also shown an awesome work ethic and desire to improve. Rose should be a great player no doubt but for our team I take LA every day of the week over him.

by oderiferous emanations 74 on May 22, 2008 12:24 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

ASG doesn't matter, true

I was just responding to a previous post. I strongly believe turning LMA into Rose would be great for our team and I’m pretty sure the Bulls would hang up the phone if we offered LMA for Rose+cap filler.

I think LMA is underrated by many fan bases around the league, but I believe he’s very overrated on this forum.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 22, 2008 12:43 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

There is no "this forum"

It’s not monolithic.

—Dave

by Dave on May 22, 2008 12:59 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

no

but there is an “average” opinion. I don’t think the Bulls would even call back if KP left a message offering LA for Rose. He’d have to include more to even get a response.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 22, 2008 10:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I will not call Rose overrrated but I will call him unproven

He has not played a single game in the NBA and we have already seen LMA improve dramatically to the point of already requiring double teams by the opposition. With the improvement we have seen thus far can you tell me 3 years from now what power forwards will be better than LA? I have listed all of the relevant power forwards and I listed the age of the players who will be a bit long in the tooth in three years.

Stoudamire-
West-
Boozer-
Brand- 32
Bosh-
Duncan-35
Al Horford-
Al Jefferson-
Dirk-33
Zach-
Sheed-36
Tyrus Thomas-
Lamar Odem-32
Garnett-35

by oderiferous emanations 74 on May 22, 2008 1:17 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

As far as being better in three years I would only say with any sort of certainty that

Amare is the only one. I don’t see LA hitting his level of dominance. All of the others he could reasonably meet or exceed.

by oderiferous emanations 74 on May 22, 2008 1:21 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Amare is a poor defender and rebounder

And he has Steve Nash setting him up for all those dunks. Most of the others also have serious limitations. (Bosh, West, & Horford are possibly the exceptions among the younger fours). LMA may well be the fastest big on that list.

LMA’s only weaknesses, in my opinion, stem from his relative lack of bulk and strength. And he improved tremendously in those areas in just one season. OK, his ball handling also needs work, but he’s indicated he plans to work on that. Given his work ethic and coordination, would you bet against him? West was considered a bust after two seasons. And you think LMA is as good as he’s going to get? He could conceivably end up being the best power forward in the league. Pair that guy with potentially the best center and you’ve got a twin towers combo that’s unprecedented since Robinson and Duncan. And our two bigs could play together for their entire careers.

I agree the Bulls wouldn’t take LMA for Rose, but that’s because a) the home town fans would crucify their GM for trading the number 1 pick-a hometown guy; and b) Paxon probably doesn’t realize just how good LMA is. It isn’t that we Blazer fans are homers (of course, that’s true): it’s that we’ve just seen much more of LMA than the league has-so far.

The grass is always greener. But I don’t think KP would seriously consider this deal. He saw in San Antonio how devastating a great twin towers combo can be. Add Roy and you have the nucleus of an extremely good team. You don’t need a top-3 point guard-let alone a POTENTIAL one-to win with that group. As a poster said at the other thread, look at the teams currently leading the conference finals—the Lakers & Celtics. They’re being quarterbacked by Fisher & Rondo. STILL say you can’t win without a dominant point guard? There’s more than one way to skin an orange. (OK, that’s a lame metaphor, but I love cats!)

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on May 22, 2008 3:16 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Ditto

Except for the orange part.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 22, 2008 6:29 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I am thinking

Hartford, Boozer, Jefferson, Beasley, Stoudamire, West and Bosh will still be playing in 3 years.

"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ

by Rankdog on May 24, 2008 2:43 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Where were all you Bulls fans a week ago?

I find it funny how you’re on here downplaying our players all of a sudden.

Horford? He’s not even better than Aldridge right now, and Aldridge still has a higher ceiling.

Beasley hasn’t even played a game yet.

I think he will be better than West and comparable to what Bosh is now.

I have no clue if he will be better than Boozer or Jefferson. And I doubt he will ever be the explosive scorer stoudemire is.

Oden+Roy+Aldridge+Rudy=Dynasty. Believe

by OdenRoyLMA on May 24, 2008 10:13 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Downplaying?

I am merely pointing out the fact that there is a lot of talent at the 4 and will continue to be in the next 3-5 years. For all your confidence in Aldridge you forget that Oden will likely be dominating the ball down load in the future. Do you think your boy is going to score 20 a game with the offense going through Oden and Roy on your team?

Lets get realistic instead of Rah Rah Blazers own, all our players are future HoFers.

The question for Blazer fans is…Do you think you have a better chance to win with a Dominate PG/C or Dominate C/above average PF?

"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ

by Rankdog on May 25, 2008 3:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Add 1 more

Can’t forget Roy, who is a great PG/SG.

If we win championship, it will be because of Roy and Oden, with some LMA spoiling us a lil’ extra. I would say Roy is sometimes a dominant PG (in 4th quarters, certainly) and will improve as he gains more experience… he’s only gonna be in his 3rd season after all. Him, along with an inside/outside athletic threat like LMA and a beast inside like Oden is a magical combination—and all 3 together is probably better than just Oden and a PG, or just Oden and a great PF. They all compliment each other.

LMA had a terrific season for a second year player, especially one who was supposed to be a few years away from contributing. He gets undersold by many non-Blazer fans, but that’s okay. LMA has to earn their respect. He works hard though, and he’ll get a chance to do so.

LMA will probably lead the team in scoring down the road. He is a very talented offensive player, and has lots of room left to grow. His biggest and only true weakness, rebounding, will be more than adequately covered up by Oden if it continues to be a weakness. LMA has a lot of very smooth, nice post moves and a wonderful touch around the basket. His arms are 7’5” long, he shoots with his arms completely extended like Rasheed does, he is unblockable. The last few months of the season, he had some outright DOMINANT games inside.

Basing my opinion off of their college coaches, various scouts, HS coaches, and LMA’s improvements the past season, I think he could become Bosh-like. He would need to be a better dribbler though. Right now, I’d say he’s much better than David West was at the same age and is actually only a shade under him numbers wise this past season—and LMA is a lot bigger/longer than West and has a body that will really fill out.

I think top 5 is attainable for LMA, but yeah, there will always be competition at the PF spot with Boozer, Duncan, Amare, Dirk, Brand, etc. Where he ranks won’t matter, because he’s gonna be pretty dang good on a pretty dang good team. If we’re winning, he’ll be ranked high. And if we’re winning, no one will care if he’s overrated for it.

Perhaps LMA will be our Tony Parker, where some consider him one of the best at his position, but realistically he’s just a good player on a great team being put in the ‘Best PGs of Today’ list because his team is so good.

Then again, LMA works harder than any starter he has ever seen, says Coach Nate, and we know LMA will get the most out of his potential. He just works too hard not too.

Time will tell, but the fortunate thing for us Blazers fans is, if Oden is healthy, him and Roy are more than enough to be a good to great team. LMA just makes the magic all the more easy to conjure.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on May 25, 2008 3:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I can buy that...

I truly feel that Roy was the best player in that draft. That debate over Tyrus over Aldridge is overstated when Roy was clearly the better player.

Can Roy by the answer at PG or is he better suited at playing off the ball at the 2? I know in the early days the Bulls tried Jordan at the point and he was above average playing the position however, the Bulls became champs with Pippin bringing up the ball and initiating the offense.

So you have to ask yourself are would you be happy with Roy being an above average PG or a dominate SG?

Most outside of the Blazer fan base view Aldridge as a soft player. Fairly or not they view as a guy that will take the jumper rather than bang in the post. He also viewed as a poor rebounder. Thats the perception.

If true, a player like that would not solve the problems the Bulls or many other teams have with a strong interior presence. Of course having Oden would be the perfect storm with Aldridge’s particular skill set because he would pull his man away from the basket and allow Oden more space.

Here’s the core of the argument. Finding a PF who likes to play away from the basket is not difficult to find. Finding a dominate PG who can score, break down his man, play strong defense and make his teammates better is a lot harder to find.

If you need proof look at the Spurs. The formula works. (Duncan, Manu, Parker) (Roy, Oden, PG???)

"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ

by Rankdog on May 26, 2008 11:57 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well, I think you are underrating him right here.

If you make that trade, Rose for Aldridge, you are basically making PF the position for a role player. Bring in a string of Obertos, Horrys, Willis’, Thomas’ etc instead of having PF be one of your star positions. PG becomes your star position with Rose filling the bill.

Looking at those two players, combined with Oden and Roy, Aldridge is the better choice for the long run. You may not think so, but I think his ceiling is higher than Roy’s. His size, athleticism, skill and work ethic seem to be the right combo for the making of a huge impact player.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 22, 2008 6:48 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

#2?

hasnt aldridge developed just as fast an well as you could possibly hope for? is it a givin that every team chooses watisname over lamonster in the draft that pritchard built? can he be considered proven yet? Chicago will never do it becoese tradeing woul be admitting there mistake. I would never do it becouse we KNOW that la willl work hard, we KNOW that la will drop 20 and grab 10 will spearheading the offence, so against double teams. we KNOW that la is not a bust.

the only reason the bulls would “hangup the phone” if pritch drunk dialed chicago, is becouse they would know that they were just5 being made fun of. I think Dsve said{someone said} that in all drafts at all positions, there is a split of Hype and Hope, mixed in the reality of every pick, a little fear of the bust in all. No bust in La.

awesometastic, (v)? first surfaced within an internet comunity centered around the Portland Trailblazers basketball team in 2008 during the last year of the pre-Oden era. Origin is commonly attributede to a prolific poster within the Blazers edge comunity using the moniker Mortimer....

by ptwnblzr on May 22, 2008 7:17 AM PDT to parent up   1 recs

Dude

What? Can I not read or can you not spell?

"The next day in practice, if you sweat, it's going to come out of your pores, regardless. If you ask any coach around the league how many times they have smelled liquor on a player . . . As long as that player is showing up on time, doing the drills and running, that's part of it. But there have been times, yeah. Yeah, you probably smelled liquor on me. But it's not like I'm at practice drunk. I'm totally focused."
-Darius Miles

by Steve Guttenberg on May 22, 2008 11:00 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

kant spel

What did Oden say to the stork?. "Admit that you have got lost". amlmart

by ptwnblzr on May 22, 2008 6:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Ignoring the old PGs (Nash, Billups, Kidd)

that means that Rose will be better than at least one of:

  • Chris Paul
  • Deron Williams
  • Tony Parker

or at least in that pantheon.

He could be… but then again, he might not be.

It’s interesting to note the draft positions of the aforementioned players—Williams and Paul were #3 and #4 in 2005; Tony Parker was like #28 however.

But still—it’s hard to evaluate PG talent that young. Many last year were throwing superlatives around concerning Mike Conley Jr.; however he struggled his rookie season. OTOH, DW didn’t do squat as a rookie, but came on big as a sophomore.

by EngineerScotty on May 22, 2008 11:03 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yep

I think Rose will be better than TP and DW, but not CP. Conley is a nice prospect but nowhere near Rose. Rose took his team to within a few minutes of the NCAA title as a frosh (without someone like Greg Oden to help him).

Might I be wrong? Absolutely. Is there a very realistic chance Aldridge will be the better player? For sure.

The Bulls would still be crazy to do the LA for Rose straight up deal.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 22, 2008 11:22 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Rose had CDR helping him

Don’t forget that CDR was the team’s leading scorer and had better stats than Rose this year.

by trk on May 22, 2008 12:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yah, well

Taurean Green was the leading scorer at Florida.

by Sabonis4Ever on May 22, 2008 1:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Add on to previous comment...

I mean…come on… the Spurs won a title with Avery Johnson as their PG. He had intangibles and I don’t mean to disrespect him the way Damon did back in the day… But Duncan, Robinson, Elliot, Avery Johnson… One of these guys is not like the others.

We can win a title without an all-star PG if we have a one two punch inside and Roy.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 21, 2008 11:31 PM PDT   0 recs

I think Roy

Will be our all-star PG

by trk on May 22, 2008 12:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

#12

P.S. Dave, I saw a poll on the main page over at blogabull. So, I guess it is possible.

by Sabonis4Ever on May 21, 2008 11:35 PM PDT   0 recs

Naw...

I agree that LaMarcus is untouchable, and I think Russell Westbrook is the best fit, though Rose is arguably the best player in the draft. I see a lot of people saying we don’t need an all-star point guard anyway, and Westbrook fills all the needs of the kind of role playing point Portland lacks. In my opinion.

by Junior Del Norte on May 21, 2008 11:40 PM PDT   0 recs

Thank you, JDN...

...I realize the reference to Trader Bob was a bit tongue-in-cheek… and Dave’s post was somewhat hypothetical, but c’mon! We’ve already established our core. We need a defensive upgrade at PG and an aggressive scorer at SF. Those should be our target areas this summer. I too, like Westbrook and an improved Martell or savvy veteran with playoff experience at SF. I just don’t see KP messing up his masterpiece with this year’s crop of players.

by Dr Dave on May 22, 2008 8:27 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I just don't think...

... that the Bulls would do a trade for LaMarcus. If you offered LaMarcus, Travis and #13, then they might do it, but I still doubt it (note that KP would never offer that much either).

If it was LaMarcus+13 and the Bulls took the offer, the Blazers would have to do it in my opinion. LaMarcus is an excellent player (a very solid chance to be a 2-3 time allstar) but he’s not a franchise player the way Rose is likely to be.

In short, my take is that in order to get Rose, you would have to give up more than LaMarcus+13, and I don’t think KP would be willing to go above that price. So, if Pax and Pritch are on the phone the next few weeks, it’s likely that Kirk Hinrich (who I don’t think we’ll end up trading) and not Derrick Rose is the topic of conversation.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 21, 2008 11:45 PM PDT   0 recs

Really?

I think that that just maybee lamanster could have been a #1 just like durant, or beasly just might. He is living up to all his pre daft hype and putting alot of the questions to rest. He plays against double teams against the best teams pretty well and will only improve from hear. his second year is allready one of the better 4s. will that be said about rose? maybee, but it is allready said about LA. in this case a bird in the hand in Definatly bettet the a bird in the bush. I dont think Rosies upside is greater then Mr Aldridges’ by any streatch. Rose is still a coin flip, LaMarcus is money in the bank. Your offer of travis and the 13 on top…...

If pritchard made that trade, I would cash my 401s and buy crack and hookers till the money was gone or I died, becouse life just wouldn’t matter anymore.

awesometastic, (v)? first surfaced within an internet comunity centered around the Portland Trailblazers basketball team in 2008 during the last year of the pre-Oden era. Origin is commonly attributede to a prolific poster within the Blazers edge comunity using the moniker Mortimer....

by ptwnblzr on May 22, 2008 7:39 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

yep

I concur. No way could you not trade LA + 13 for Rose, gotta take that one.

by begottenson on May 22, 2008 8:22 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

absolutely not..

and here is why…

What do we need at power forward alongside Oden?
-To save space I am just going to say: “describe Aldridge”. Thats the answer. Every championship team has at least one dominate big, we will have two, plus Roy. (who needs another playmaker? wait, Rudy?)

I drool over a Oden/Aldridge front court. The high/low will be unguardable between LMA and a healthy Oden. Goodnight NBA, “pick your poison” will take on a whole different meaning when facing the Portland Trail Blazers…

RUDY > MJ

by myemic23 on May 21, 2008 11:46 PM PDT   0 recs

Plus, I'm a sucker for a feel-good story.

He’s from Chicago, so he obviously grew up idolizing Michael Jordan as a hometown hero, and wore #23 in college. I can live with that. Not that I have any other choice. And it makes me feel good.

by Junior Del Norte on May 21, 2008 11:46 PM PDT   0 recs

Also

Rumor is that Miami covets Rose more than the Bulls do. While they certainly could use some inside presence, imagine having to defend a Rose/Wade backcourt. YIKES.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 21, 2008 11:55 PM PDT   0 recs

No way

but now that hand checking is outlawed it sure has caused point guards to have a much bigger impact on todays game then it has in the past. Still wouldn’t give up LMA though. We can always get a point guard through free agency later. Our big three should attract someone good who wants a chance at a title.

by lethaldose on May 22, 2008 12:05 AM PDT   0 recs

Thomas

What about Tyrus Thomas, the guy that we traded to Chicago for Aldridge in the first place? If Chicago took Aldridge they would be acknowledging that their guy is a bust after only two years. Then there would be the added difficulty of Chicago having to move Thomas, because they probably don’t need 2 of the same player

by isaacjoe on May 22, 2008 12:37 AM PDT   0 recs

I agree about the embarrassment factor

But Thomas isn’t the same player as LMA—not even a poor man’s version. At 6-7, he’s a three, not a four. (Whereas LMA is 6-10 barefoot.) What Thomas is is a shotblocking small forward who can run the court but can’t dribble, shoot, or think. KP fleeced the Bulls on that one. (Hmm: can you fleece a bull?)

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on May 22, 2008 3:23 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

you forget Khryapa

It seems ‘development’ = ‘gotten minutes’.

If Thomas received the minutes Aldridge did, it wouldn’t be so ‘embarrassing’, and Thomas might actually be considered better.

And above everything, if the Bulls need an Aldridge-type so bad, why not just take Beasley?

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 22, 2008 9:05 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Because

Beasley is NOT going to be a dominate 4. IMO, he’s best suited to create mismatches at the 3. At the 4, he is the mismatch.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on May 22, 2008 10:27 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Thomas is talented

But he’s not in LMA’s league, and all the minutes in the world won’t change that. LMA is also a rock-solid character guy with an amazing work ethic, whereas Thomas is a headcase. Besides which, Thomas is only 6-7: small forward size. Which was my original point: that those two aren’t “the same player” because they don’t even play the same position.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on May 22, 2008 11:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I seemed to remember a fellow by the name of

O’Neil who didn’t get the minutes and development he deserved before he became an Allstar in Indiana. It happens and even the hometown team makes errors.

"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ

by Rankdog on May 24, 2008 2:48 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

O'Neal

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on May 25, 2008 6:03 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

tyrus

u greatly underestimate tyrus. he can dribble, his midrange shot is developing, he can rebound at a rate similar to shawn marion at a similar size, and the media exaggerates his character issues. A LOT. i agree that the bulls missed badly on lamarcus, but tyrus is a decent, developing, young player who has, at times, shown the ability to take over a game. i bet he develops into a better player than aldridge.

by kite on May 24, 2008 6:16 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Dave's a one smart dude ;)

I’d make the Aldridge, Webster & 13 pick trade for Rose & Duhon in a second. KP is going to get this done…

by Ace71 on May 22, 2008 1:29 AM PDT   0 recs

Dave is not saying that the trade should be done

just asking if we would give up a left hand for a right

awesometastic, (v)? first surfaced within an internet comunity centered around the Portland Trailblazers basketball team in 2008 during the last year of the pre-Oden era. Origin is commonly attributede to a prolific poster within the Blazers edge comunity using the moniker Mortimer....

by ptwnblzr on May 22, 2008 7:50 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Duhon's a FA

go sign him. (please, heh)

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 22, 2008 9:05 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Derrick Rose will be a star and awesome playmaker. He can get to the hoop at will and finish. Great vision on the court. Pushes the ball well on the fast break. All the physical tools to become the best PG in the NBA. Mature and a leader.

Oden + Rose would be insane. No disrespect to LMA, but Rose will be the superior player.

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on May 22, 2008 3:28 AM PDT   0 recs

Seriously?

None of this is going to happen.

Juan Dixon Owes Me $5 Dollars.

by Outlaw is Rejector on May 22, 2008 3:32 AM PDT   0 recs

Q: Petteri Koponen ???

... from everything I’ve read, this guy is a great PG. When is he available to the Blazers? Frankly, I’d like to see the first and second round picks go away for a year and instead add some sage on-court wisdom ala Scott Pippen (“don’t call it a comeback”). Bring in a young stud like Koponen and have the core gel a little more before tossing another youngster in there. Kopo is already 21; right about middle-age on our team, right?
Egh, but what do I know? Truth is, if there is some serious baller available in the draft at 13, perhaps a sleeper of some sort, nab him up.
But my real questions is: When is Kopo availablo’?

RipCity's a state of mind

by Y5k on May 22, 2008 6:26 AM PDT   0 recs

Koponen

Is a good player in THE FINNISH LEAGUE. What kind of compitition does he have to show his true skills? I think we’ll get a better idea about how Petteri will pan out during summer league when he plays against NBA caliber players.

"The next day in practice, if you sweat, it's going to come out of your pores, regardless. If you ask any coach around the league how many times they have smelled liquor on a player . . . As long as that player is showing up on time, doing the drills and running, that's part of it. But there have been times, yeah. Yeah, you probably smelled liquor on me. But it's not like I'm at practice drunk. I'm totally focused."
-Darius Miles

by Steve Guttenberg on May 22, 2008 11:17 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!

Dave nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Jason3123 on May 22, 2008 6:47 AM PDT   0 recs