Me thinks that could have an impact on how KP decides to move forward…

WHAT’S IT GONNA BE, JJ, WHAT’S IT GONNA BE?!?

DRAFT TIME!!!!!! LETS GO GET ?????!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I have to work until 4:30, but I’m going to RUSH out of the office. I love draft day these days.

Ouch… but I will be getting updates from a fan who gets off at 4:00. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow and beyond.

It’s only 11:49 and you posted this at 11:37

You must live up near Moscow in N Idaho right? Cause people say they live in Boise or they live in Idaho, at least all the people I know from Idaho. Cause in Idaho theres basically Boise….and the rest of Idaho.

I expect at least one forehand and one backhanded pritchslap before it’s all over…

Get ‘er done, KP…

GO BLAZERS!!!

I am slow but it’s early.

They had a danger named TJ Ford and trade for a danger named Oneal. BIGS are far more fragile and a TJ Ford serious injury probably would be an ending career, giving at least cap space to the team, while Oneal´s new knee injury would be probably a dead weight for Toronto´s cap space.

Way to have completely blown over a pretty substantial portion of the Blazers offseason. Do we have James Jones, or did he opt out? Seriously people… someone in the know has to know by now. His deadline has come and gone, yet I’m still sitting here without a single clipping about it. Something has to give.

If he decided to stick with us, my dream scenario has us coming out of the day with Devin Harris. It’ll probably cost either Outlaw or Webster plus 2 of these guys(Frye/Jack/Blake/SRod/#13/#27), but we’d then have our franchise PG that is excellent both on the defensive and offensive ends.

My favorite prospects of the day include:
Ajinca, Batum, Ibaka, Dorsey, Chalmers

My nightmare scenario is anything that involves us getting Richard Jefferson.

Someone needs to do it around this place. It will be like Bombay in here on draft day!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=MockDraft-080626

Quite a few changes it seems, more than I expected… but none more curious or thought provoking than his prediction that Bayless falls all the way to TWELVE, to the Kings.

He had us likely picking DJ Augustin if we trade to #10, like the rumors suggest. Does anyone think we pass up Bayless for Augustin if given the chance? Bayless was always slated to go to the Sonics or Knicks before, and I’m surprised to see him fall so low… aside from having the arms of a normal person and not a normal NBA freak, he seemed pretty dang good and was enough of a PG to play alongside Roy.

I fully admit I am not an expert on the kid, however.

Augustin’s size worries me, though I will think he is awesome if we move up to draft him.

I still say this draft is a lil’ overrated, and I’m not sure who I’m crazy about in it… but this is where the complete trust in KP comes in. If we had McHale as our GM, I’d feel like we already lost. No matter what we do, I have complete faith it was the right thing to do.

This will be extremely interesting, if only because it can go dozens of different ways.

So, Bayless seemed possibly out of reach before, what does everyone think of the kid? Is he Arenas-lite? Is he a Monta Ellis with potential for defense? Can he defend? Can he PG it up?

Mortimer

...congratulate you in advance for your GM taking advantage of our FO and landing the point/lead guard of your future. I don’t know how it will happen, but I’m fully prepared for the inevitable scenario where you guys end up with Mayo or Bayless and the Wolves get Ajinca and possibly a cupcake. :)

In an article about new GM Chris Wallace, the Memphis Commercial Appeal has this anecdote.

A Western Conference executive pointed out that while Wallace’s mistakes have been among those commonly made, he has earned his keep in the NBA because the general public isn’t in tune with how collaborative many draft efforts can be with scouts, coaches and owners often involved.

For example, the Griz took Hakim Warrick at No. 19 in the 2005 draft. West wanted Gerald Green.

But when Green went to Boston at 18, West stormed out of the room and declared with expletives that he was done. That temper tantrum left the Griz on the clock and with subordinates discussing the pick in the war room. By many accounts, assistant general manager Tom Penn convinced the room that Warrick falling to 19 meant a team drafting late in the first round would try to trade up and acquire him.

The Griz took Warrick as an asset on Penn’s advice.

I really laughed when I read this. Can you imagine KP doing this? You just can’t go into the draft counting on getting a particular player unless you are #1. And to have a temper tantrum? How professional.

Here’s a rumor from Hoopsworld. Maybe you’ve already seen it:

“There is some truth to the idea that Portland will trigger a draft day deal with New Jersey. The way Nets sources classify this is that if the players the Nets covet start dropping off the board, a deal in which Jarrett Jack and Portland’s pick at #13 (and possibly a second rounder as well) gets sent to New Jersey while the #10 and Marcus Williams gets sent to Portland. Nets sources say they have several deals like this on the table…”

That KP is going to trade Petteri Koponen.

Here’s the link.

We draft a Euro project #27 and Brandon Rush at #13. Would people be disappointed?

Ohhhh…You mean 20 players with mustaches that are better than Morrison

Funny how 4 of the 9 trade talks on ESPN’s Rumor Page are about our Blazers.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features/rumors

Frye and Martell for TJ Ford, but Toronto rejected it.

Toronto Star reports:

LINK

“Jermaine O’Neal was too enticing a proposition for the Raptors to pass up. With health concerns from both sides eased, a blockbuster trade involving O’Neal, T.J. Ford and Toronto’s 17th pick in tonight’s NBA draft has been agreed to in principle, a significant move the Raptors hope gives them the most potent frontcourt in franchise history. Even as the Portland Trail Blazers tried to get back into the Ford sweepstakes yesterday, the Raptors decided they like the immediate impact Indiana’s O’Neal will have rather than waiting for anything they could have obtained with the draft pick.”

The reason this bothers me is, if true, KP seems willing to settle for a pint-sized point guard. I’m now worried that we are targeting Augstin. And a year or so ago KP said he liked tall guards. I do too. But I guess KP didn’t mean it.

Ratbastird is going to be traded to Forum Blue And Gold for an undisclosed user name to be determined later.

This draft is really up in the air …. so much going on. I can’t imagine how busy these draft teams are at this moment.

Theres only one thing I’m confident about concerning this draft. Rose and Beasley or Beasley Rose will be the first two picks. They’re head and shoulders above the rest.

Most think Chicago will probably take Rose, although they’ve wanted a low post scorer for a couple years now and they already have their PG in Heinrich. The heat need a PG. Will the Heat make an offer to the Bulls to get them to lay off of Rose?

I’m trying to figure out how the Blazers can get one of these two guys. We probably have the best chance of prying the Beasley pick away from the Heat.

I’m so much hoping for something like this …... I know it could cost a lot but the Blazers are in the enviable position of having a good number of accumulated assets … something not every team has.