KC had something interesting on tb.com

Look guys we all love our players, and a part of every Blazer fan wants to see our home grown players develop into great producing players on this team when he starts to make noise in the playoffs. However we have to be realistic, now I don’t like Deng for the Blazers, mainly because I don’t think he is a good fit for our system, and will want too much money for the production we will need from him, (considerably(sp?) less than CHI needs from him). But that doesn’t mean every trade idea that includes Outlaw or Web or Frye should be turned down simply because they are included!

If we can move a combo of Travis and Frye to upgrade our starting SF spot, than KP will and should do it, and ultimately I think he will do it. Outlaw is a very valueable trading piece for this team, and to get where they want to go, the Blazers will have to give up some pieces they value highly.

I think Deng can be another real star. So what if he’s not home grown. I love Travis’ play, his willingness to take clutch shots and the way he fits in so well. But he’s not in Deng’s class. Deng’s numbers suffered last year because Paxson let the Kobe trade rumors go on way to long.
IF KP thinks Deng will fit on this team I’d say do it. If his makeup won’t let him be 2nd to Brandon then it’s true we don’t need him.

for the Sudanese Sulker – Never Never Never

a starting primary scoring option on a big market team gets 15.4 ppg in 07

compared to

a second team guy getting 13.3 ppg in far fewer minutes off the bench

rebounds are nearly identical

and when the games on the line – who will block the shot

who will get the ball for the last shot – and bury it?

were really Homers, then
Brandon Roy would be Hercules and
GO would be a son of the basketball God.

Any discussion of Deng needs to be put in the context of our cap and the players we can expect to be available next year. Further, if Deng opts out, as one blogger mentioned, we can sign him next year and trade nothing. At the same time, we will be putting a very different team on the floor this coming year, as opposed to last year. Travis has good 6th man production and can play two positions, SF & PF. Frye can also give us effective minutes at two postions, C and PF. Until we allow the 4 rookies we’re inserting to gel with the team (Bayless, Fernandez, Oden and Batum), we don’t actually know where are greatest needs are going to be. If Oden is durable, then Pryz may ultimately be the primary trading chip downstream if we need one, as Frye can cover two spots. If Bayless can turn into the right complement for Roy, then Fernandez would be the third option off the bench. If Fernandez is as effective in shooting in the NBA as he was in Europe, he could even slide over to give us minutes at SF at times – particularly given the height, length and athleticism we have at C and PF. If Outlaw and or Webster take their games up another notch, then given that Outlaws production last year over the last 66 games was 14.3 ppg in 26 minutes, which would be 20 ppg over 35, we may get the kind of production we want and need at SF in the new system w/Oden, Bayless, Roy and Fernandez. We tend to think in present terms, not future terms. Oden, Pryz and Frye enables Aldridge to permanently settle in at PF. Further, teams will no longer be able to double team him given Oden. Outlaw will settle in at SF – and very few other SF’s in the league can guard Outlaw effectively. Further, he will no longer have to guard other PF’s – only the SF’s. But these are all if’s right now.

KP talks in three year terms – as he should. Since defensive and offensive assignments are going to change once Oden, Bayless and Fernandez are inserted into the lineup, I think that adding another player at any position is a little premature right now. In a sense, it would be a blind trade, in that we’d be giving up two pieces for one, but would not be entirely sure that the team would be that much better. Webster is still only 21. Outlaw is 23 but developed slowly. The new frontcourt will change the defensive assignments at SF.

However, by next spring I think we’ll begin to get some clarity. Then, we’ll have the cap space. As much fun as it is to talk about Deng, I doubt that KP, right now, is likely to add a player with his contract until he can be certain that this works for the entire team. Once you own those contracts, after all, as we found out with LaFrenz, Francis, and all the rest, you own them – and they can become a real millstone.

After all, how much more would you pay for 4 or 5 ppg and two ror 3 rebounds – because that’s what we’re really talking about. Deng wants $12 million a year. That’s $4 million to $5 million more that Outlaw will actually get, and as much as both Outlaw and Webster are likely to sign for. Are the two better than the one?