SB Nation's Mock Draft: Brandon Rush

Obviously you can’t predict your GM’s wheelings and dealings on draft day no matter how hardcore you are, but I’ll bet the average hardcore fan-forum fanbase has more knowledge of what their team’s necessities and proclivities are than the average talking head “expert”. Who here really thinks Chris Sheridan knows more about the Blazers than them? I’m gonna go through this board and see who each fanbase wants their team to pick….should be interesting to match it up against the real thing.

I like Rush for all the reasons the BlazersEdge correspondent listed (who is that anyway, Dave?) but I’d be mildly disappointed if he’s all we have to show for June 26th. I want some poor schlub GM to get Pritchslapped! One objection to our rationale for drafting Rush: the Blazers need more outright athleticism on the wings? When I think of Trout and Marty, “not athletic enough” doesn’t crack the top ten of “things I wish I could change about our wings”.

“All Along the Watchtower” needs to be in the next Guitar Hero or Guitar Hero knockoff (looking your way, Rock Band). What’s the holdup?

If it plays out that way, we SERIOUSLY need to move to 7. If we can get Bayless at 7, pritchard needs to do the damn thang and get him!! Sadly I doubt the draft plays out like that for us, but still it wouldnt be terrible.
As for Rush, ehh I will take him. Could be worse.

the talk is that the Blazers trade out of #13 altogether and use the second round picks on players they can stash in Europe.

But that could all be misdirection. It’s gonna be interesting.

promised Danilo Gallinari that they would take him if he fell to the 10th spot. It’s one of the reasons he stayed in the draft.

....If the Blazers trade #13 for a future first-round pick, package 33 & 36 together for a late first-rounder… Then trade that for another future first round pick.

And do nothing else.

To me, this would be a positive move. We do not need more young talent, at any position. We need roster spots for role players we can get on the cheap for a one-year deal to create cap room next summer.

Unless we want to dangle Outlaw, nothing we’re going to be able to offer in trades is going to bring back anything useful, long-term. Unless some team becomes desperate to unload a talented player for capspace (ala Memphis ditching Gasol), then we’re far better off to just stand pat.

If we like Rush it would make sense to draft him 13 then trade Webster and Jack for help PG. The same would be true if we decided to draft Alexander.

We could also use Jack to move up and grab possibly Gordon whose stock has been slipping while Alexander and Westy seem to be rising. Mil supposedly has its eyes set on Alexander @ 8 and Cha with Westy at 8. Could be smoke, maybe not. It may depend on what LAC does with their pick, if the go Gordon, we may have to take rush as it would be

LAC: Gordon
Mil: Alexander
Cha: Westy
NJ: Gallinari
Indy: Agustin
Sac: Jordan
Por: Rush

Which would kinda suck as I think that Rush is a super role player but not enough of a player to be taken at #13. I just think that we will be able to use that 13th pick in a more productive way, wither trading up, or trading for a vet as part of a bigger package, I just don’t see him as significantly better than what we have at SF already, while Westy or Gordy would be a big improvement over what we have at our G position.

I am guardedly enthusiastic for the 26th, as I see how things could get a bit rocky, but I am assured that we have the best captain at the helm to get us through it looking better than ever, worse come wo worst it will be hella-interesting come the 26th and we will have lots of stuff to chew on here at BE.

Can’t wait.

I think we will somehow get Hinrich or Calderone (I know the Raptors said they don’t want to deal him, but I still think it could happen.)