Do we want Dickau or Livingston?

by Norsktroll on Jul 10, 2008 7:01 AM PDT

RealGM reports that the Clippers renounced five players in order to create more cap room (Emeka Okafor, Josh Smith, etc.). Among those five are former Blazer Dan Dickau (04, 06-07) and Shaun Livingston. Both could be good pickups for cheap (part of the MLE or something), as PG backups in case Koponen isn't ready.

Dickau averaged about half of Blake's numbers in about half the minutes per game last year, for $770.000. He is a reliable veteran with experience from multiple teams. Yet most likely he will never be more than a decent backup since he is on the small side and not getting quicker at 30 when the new season begins. So definitely not our PG of the future.

Livingston has a lot of potential and is a rare huge 6'7 point guard (more like a point forward) who can also play the 2. He was a #4 pick in 2004 ahead of guys like Devin Harris, straight out of high school (he had an offer from Duke). He was on a good career track, and averaged 9.3 points and 5 assists in his last full season before he had that horrible knee snapping injury after going up for a seemingly easy layup in a game against the Bobcats in February 2007. I won't post that video here anymore, look it up on YouTube if you want to get scared again. Suffice to say doctors pondered shortly if they had to amputate, and he blew out pretty much all ligaments, his kneecap, ...

Now he seems to be back on track, and has demonstrated amazing work ethic to make it. He is still only 22! Of course you would have to get him and his medical records evaluated by some great orthopedic surgeons and trainers before signing him to a contract that is more than a year for the minimum (the Clippers were not willing to give him a qualifying offer, which would have been around 4.5 million on the rookie scale). And we would get yet another guy with lingering health concerns, a future severe injury to that knee could end his career for good/bad. Seems like a high risk, high reward option. A while ago this was also discussed on Courtside, with split opinions if I remember correctly.

What do you think, would you want Dan or Shaun on the team if Koponen goes back to Europe and signs a longer deal there?

Tweet Comment 27 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Livingston

i know he had that injury but i think that he can come back from it

by BLAZERS#52 on Jul 10, 2008 7:19 AM PDT reply actions

I’d be really leery of taking on Livingston as we really won’t know how he responds to his rehab until he actually goes full speed and has some contact. So in a nutshell….NO.

by ColoradoBlazerFan on Jul 10, 2008 7:48 AM PDT reply actions

Where in Colorado are you?

I just recently relocated from Portland to Colorado Springs, CO. I hate the Nuggets now more than even, if that’s even possible.

by noaher on Jul 10, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions

Lafayette (right outside of "The People's Republic of Boulder")

Colorado Springs….where you don’t have to focus on your family cause somebody else already is…;)
Been living as an out of state Blazer fan for 22 years now…ain’t easy. When the Blazers come to Denver… all the BE’ers should go to a game together. I feel alot better when I’m not the only guy making an ass of himself at the Pepsi Center…;)

Cheers and welcome to Colorado

by ColoradoBlazerFan on Jul 10, 2008 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I am a Blazers fan

in Albuquerque and went to the Denver games last year. Let me know if you guys want to meet up for the game and go as a group

jonestr at unm dot edu

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jul 10, 2008 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm in SLC

but I could ponder a trip out yonder for some blazer loving.

Ford: Bill, you're claiming victory already? Have you had a "Mission Accomplished" banner printed yet?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?page=DraftDebate-080624

by ratbastird on Jul 10, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Both

With Petko and Batum in europe for a while.

They consider themselves forward thinking in Portland from what friends tell me. Apparently they have this global warming issue handled. They’ve found ways to end your life as a profit making venture. And they’re hip to counter culture icons.

by NBA Observer on Jun 27, 2008

by Kampeska on Jul 10, 2008 8:20 AM PDT reply actions

Livingston

is worth looking into, but we don’t have enough information yet as fans.

As the blazers I’d look into it and evaluate the likely hood of him being effective, recovering, and his future potential considering the preexisting injury.

Can’t say, but interested.

Dan… i love the guy but I don’t want to see him cry again when we send him away.

Ford: Bill, you're claiming victory already? Have you had a "Mission Accomplished" banner printed yet?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?page=DraftDebate-080624

by ratbastird on Jul 10, 2008 8:33 AM PDT reply actions

OMG! No Dickau!

First off, Dickau and Portland are in a mentally abusive relationship right now. If Dickau came back, it would only get worse. The guy wants to be a Blazer so bad he took out an ad in the local paper. On the comics page. In a Clippers uniform. Mind you it was an ad for some lasik surgery place in Tigard but it was still pretty desperate. Especially when he was introduced as “Former Trail Blazer Dan Dickau.”

This may be the end of the line for Double D’s. He wasn’t really a contributer the last time he was here (really more of a subtracter) and he’s only gotten slower since. Someone should write a swan song fanpost for him. Not me, though.

BLZRS FRVR

by nightbluefruit on Jul 10, 2008 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Why not?

We’ve got roster space for Shaun Livingston and could probably offer a portion of the MLE, right?

He was one of the best young point guards in the league before he got hurt…

"Now, you take a bobcat or a Jayhawk. You know they'll run if you give 'em the chance. But when one don't run, why, you shoot him and shoot him quick. Raef's my dog, Pa. I've gotta do what's right..." Old Yeller (1957)

by RoyGoesTheDynamite on Jul 10, 2008 9:02 AM PDT reply actions

Agree

Asuming the price is right, why not take a chance on Livingston? If it turns out that his knee isn’t right after his puke inducing injury then he aren’t out that much. And if he knee is right then you get a solid contributor and a potential trade asset

by tingeyga on Jul 10, 2008 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Dickau for sure

that way I can wear my old Dickau Blazer jersey I bought during his first stint here…

by jameade20 on Jul 10, 2008 9:09 AM PDT reply actions

Why?

We have 5 guards right now on the roster – not including the Finn. Sergio is alrady the odd man out for playing time. So, would someone please explain to me who you ask to give up playing time – Fernandez or Bayless? Not enought minutes. And, if we need a PG in a pinch, we still have Sergio. Seems like over-kill to me.

by Eben Calder on Jul 10, 2008 9:24 AM PDT reply actions

blake of course

he’s not young any more. we know what we’ve got… obviously without potential it’s time for him to go!

Ford: Bill, you're claiming victory already? Have you had a "Mission Accomplished" banner printed yet?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?page=DraftDebate-080624

by ratbastird on Jul 10, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions

It would be a great environment for Livingston...

First off, Portland has a track record of successfully rehabing Zach Randolph and Greg Oden, plus we have a young team here in Portland that also sports a rare solid work ethic. The pressure wouldn’t be on Shaun Livingston to get out immediately and produce or be cut loose again, No, Livingston would be afforded the opportunity in Portland of being part of a positive culture that is working together to win and become successful. I am not sure if he will rebound, someone will pay him and Paul Allen is a rich enough dude to take a flyer on talent like this. All indications are that his attitude and character aren’t street or gangster, so he might fit in.

Livingston is a long shot, no doubt, but if Portland could get him cheap, it may be big bargaining tools in a couple of seasons. You never know how someone could bounce back from an injury as horrific as his. Heck, NFL running back Willis McGahee had a pretty brutal knee injury that I thought he could NEVER return from, and now he is a 1,000 yard rusher.

McGahee’s injury: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSySFNv9xNE

Livingston’s injury: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kalIPs18BI&feature=related

Livingston’s rehabing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zBvZH_MEX8

by Portland Dynasty on Jul 10, 2008 10:23 AM PDT reply actions

I did not need to see that!

Flashbacks to (one of my) knee injuries. I need to lie down now.

by DonkeyShins on Jul 10, 2008 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions

Hoo boy.

I don’t need to see that again. Livingston’s injury is the most disturbing sports injury video I’ve ever seen.

"I think it’s going to be very beautiful game next year."
-Batuuuuuuuum!

by rockingharder on Jul 10, 2008 11:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Well..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qkg3hvXBJmI&feature=related

"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan

by 12sharks on Jul 11, 2008 12:03 AM PDT up reply actions

That one is bad too.

But I would still contend that Livingston’s is worse.

Also, the video says “Ray Allen”... that was actually Allen Ray.

"I think it’s going to be very beautiful game next year."
-Batuuuuuuuum!

by rockingharder on Jul 11, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Livingston’s is about the worst knee injury I’ve ever seen—and I’m a huge football fan.

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Jul 13, 2008 7:15 AM PDT up reply actions

Heck NOOOOO!

Are you guys all crazy Livingston is donezo, and even if he had a chance of being decent, he was putting up Jarrett Jack like numbers BEFORE the injury. If you haven’t noticed by now, we just signed Jerryd Bayless, whom I would not like to piss off any further by acquiring yet another young Point. I think unless we can land Josh Smith or Igoudala, which we can’t, the Blazers stand pat. Bayless/Blake/Sergio is a great PG rotation for us. Once PetKo takes over Sergio’s role next year, we’ll still have three solid starters. I just don’t see any space or need for yet another busted knee.

"You can't buy your woman a watch because she got a clock on the stove."-Sir Charles Barkley

by shwa on Jul 10, 2008 11:58 AM PDT reply actions

As long as people are still mentioning Sergio as part of the PTB PG rotation...

.................................... I vote HELL YEAH! for Livingston.

"You don't live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot." ---Charles Barkley, 2/7/08

by timbo on Jul 13, 2008 7:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Livingston for sure.

We’ve seen what Thunder Dan can do, twice. He seems like a nice guy, but I didn’t like how much he shot. Some one on another forum used to call him Dick-Bo (after Z-Bo and his stat grubbing ways).

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Jul 10, 2008 12:17 PM PDT reply actions

nope

by kickbrass on Jul 10, 2008 12:29 PM PDT reply actions

I'm for Livingston

Sign him to a one-year deal – if he comes back, he’s one tough MF, If he doesn’t no bigs. The risk is ridiculously low and the reward’s much higher than, say, Koponen.

"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan

by 12sharks on Jul 10, 2008 11:08 PM PDT reply actions

Risk vs. Reward?

What kind of reasoning is that?

by Portland Dynasty on Jul 11, 2008 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m sure that there are plenty of other teams willing to take a chance on Livingston, most of whom have less of a logjam at guard.

The only way I could see taking a flyer on him (and this would be a HUGE flyer) would be if we knew that Webster or Outlaw would be traded sometime this year, and perhaps we envision him filling out a bit more and becoming a point forward (which would be an incredible complement to a three guard rotation of Roy/Rudy/Bayless).

That being said, the answer is no for the Blazers, and no for Livingston (who has at least a dozen better situations he could step into).

MLB2PDX!!! (someday...)

by The Cactus Leaguer on Jul 12, 2008 12:34 AM PDT reply actions