Did Pritchard "Jump the Shark" this past off-season?

It used to be that the Blazers had this major piece (RLEC - Reaf) that was going to allow them to make a major impact move. It was part of their tremendous potential. Then we end up with Andre Miller.

I hate to say it, but I think the Blazers may have "jumped the shark" in the off-season, and it's Pritchard's fault. I supported him on the Turkoglu attempt. But after that fell through he should have had the balls to risk letting our cap-space go to waste. If he had waited (instead of jumping on Miller - who is old & doesn't fit) the Blazers WOULD have clearly been able to out-bid everyone in Ramon Session's restricted free-agency. We would have a legit, young, up & coming, true point guard.

Then - in the draft Pritchard should have had the balls to take DaJuan Blair. We had two shots at him - Could have gotten Victor with the first pick and STILL gotten Blair with our second pick!! Pritchard got Pritch-Slapped by San Antonio, along with the rest of the league, on that one. Imagine Blair cleaning the glass like a vacuum cleaner on the second unit and scoring points in the paint instead of Travis Outlaw jacking up jump shots and never rebounding. I believe Blair is putting up numbers similar or better than Oden right now. Well at least we have Jeff Pendegraph.

Or how about Ty Lawson?? Couldn't we have traded up a few spots to get him (given all the assets we had)?? I would much rather have Ty Lawson as our back-up point guard than Andre Miller.

I like Pritchard. He has made some good moves in the past - getting Roy, Aldridge, and Rudy for us. Drafting Oden over Durant was clearly a mistake (lets just be honest about it, shall we?) but I can't blame him for that one. But the bottom-line is that this team as currently constituted will likely not succeed at the level Blazer fans expect, and it's up to Pritchard to redeem himself by making an impactful early-season or mid-season trade. (May I suggest Travis Outlaw be included?)

Pritchard I love ya, but if you don't man-up and make a big move soon, you may find yourself out on your a$$ along with McMillan in a couple years.

Also - McMillan is rapidly losing my support. I'd hate to see him fired in the middle of the season, but if this season continues to go down-hill, I would support a change at the end of the year.

Ok all you patient, level-headed, B-Edgers out there. Let me have it. :)

3 months ago ajinoregon 56 comments 0 recs |

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Comments

Talk about a knee-jerk reaction...

seems to me Miller has been doing pretty well.

by Escrote on Nov 4, 2009 10:06 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Knee Jerk Reaction? Sure

But Miller isn’t playing well. He’ll come around, but right now, he’s not integrated at all. The team has no cohesion. The positive in all this, is that the Blazers are hanging in there and could have won all 3 games, while playing terribly. And they’ve shown flashes of being a good “team”.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Nov 4, 2009 11:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Miller isnt playing well

In 5 games hes shot poorly except for 1

1.vs hou he went 3 – 11 7ast 4rebs
2.vs den he went 3 -11 5ast 0rebs
3.vs hou he went 4 – 9 (his good game?) 2ast 5rebs
4.vs okc he went 1 – 1(his other good game?) 0ast 3rebs
5. vs atl he went 1 – 6 11ast 0rebs

Not starter type numbers in my opinion. But also Blake hasnt been playing well either. Not quite as bad as Miller but definitely not good. When both your pgs arent playing well, the rest of the team will reflect that. Hence our 2 – 3 record.

The Dude: Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!

by cavejunctionblazer on Nov 4, 2009 3:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

They are not starter type numbers because HE IS NOT STARTING. This is a career 16 point, 7 assist, 4 rebound guy when starting. Physically, he should still have another 3 years left in him to compete at this level.

by jthomas on Nov 5, 2009 10:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I just had to get all that off my chest.

Had to. Otherwise it was going to slowly eat a hole in my Blazer Mojo.

We’ll see how Miller ends up fitting in. I truly hope it works out. I have my doubts though (as I suspect Brandon Roy does.) Just a hunch.

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 10:26 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Seems to me Miller is fitting in okay with 11 assists last night....

seems more like Roy is having trouble playing off the ball.

by Escrote on Nov 4, 2009 10:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't know people still used the term "jumped the shark"

"We didn't start the fire. It was always burning. Since the world's been turning." - E. E. Cummings

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Nov 4, 2009 10:36 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

it's typically only in reference to a TV series

sometimes for bands. It’s really not being used properly in this context. The Blazers are not doing something so over the top that they lose credibility. Now, if we traded half the roster for SJax or Artest, that would be borderline shark jumpery but still, the definition doesn’t fit well

Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash

by HurraKane212 on Nov 4, 2009 12:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Happy Days went downhill after the Fonz "jumped" a fake shark while water skiing

there’s even a website that speculates on when past TV series have “jumped the shark”

KP’s “JTS” date for me is last February when he stood fast and didn’t deal RLEC. He has plenty of time to “recover” from this setback and regain his “aura”…but his “turnaround” as a uber-GM hasn’t begun, yet, and the clock is ticking

To rebound, he needs to make a blockbuster trade. Like Gasol, or Billups. “Calm waters” and “cake baking” ain’t gonna get ’er done, in the playoffs

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 2:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jumping the shark to me is more of doing something drastic when you are falling apart...

jumping the shark to me would be shipping out a bunch of talent only to have it blow up in another year.

by Escrote on Nov 4, 2009 3:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

the Kiki Vandeweghe deal is a good example

the Blazers traded Fat Lever, Calvin Natt, Wayne Cooper and 2 draft choices for Kiki

Clyde and Kiki had good chemistry and the team was fun to watch for a few years, but they still couldn’t beat L*A in the playoffs until Buck Williams came along.

Meanwhile, Lever might’ve become a “better” Blazer PG than Porter, but perhaps Fat wouldn’t have played as well with Clyde as Terry did (TP was like Drexler’s “Steve Blake” while Lever would’ve been like Brandon’s “Andre Miller”?)

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 4:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

lol to be a good GM he needs another GM to be enormously and historically dumb?

free bayless

by Cablinasian on Nov 5, 2009 12:05 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yep

Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash

by HurraKane212 on Nov 5, 2009 8:33 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I know what it means

I honestly don’t recall the last time I heard someone use the term. I’m thinking it’s been at least a good ten years since I remember clearly someone using it.

"We didn't start the fire. It was always burning. Since the world's been turning." - E. E. Cummings

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Nov 4, 2009 7:46 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The term "jump the shark" has jumped the shark

by BlazerTag on Nov 4, 2009 2:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It would be more accurate to say that KP "screwed the pooch"

And the phrase “screwed the pooch” is infinitely more humorous than the phrase “jumped the shark.” I giggle whenever I hear it. I picture the unfortunate pooch and the cuckolded spouse coming home and I just start giggling.

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. -- Thomas Paine, US patriot & political philosopher (1737 - 1809)

by Love on Nov 4, 2009 3:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hhhmmm

Given that well though-out retort, I’m wishing I’d have gone with the beastiality reference.

Well played sir.

Not sure how long it would last before being taken down though.

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 8:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not just about what we got in Andre Miller

It’s more about what we could have easily gotten with:

Sessions
Blair
Lawson
etc.

Anyone want to defend the Blazers’ draft right now?

There’s something deeply amiss with this team right now, and it happens to have coincided with the arrival of Miller. Maybe its a coincidence. (Hopefully its just part of growing process.)

I hate to be so negative, but I was at the game last night, and it was the most disappointed I’ve been in a Blazer team in several years. I don’t know if it was the same for people watching on TV, but it was a bad feeling in the arena last night.

The Blazers were actually booed at one point, not the refs, not one player, but the Blazers as a team were briefly booed as they were walking off the court for a timeout in the fourth quarter.

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 11:09 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

and the players should be booed

if they aren’t executing and giving a better effort than their opponents

and Nate should be taken to task for his substitution patterns and poor PnR defensive philosophy

and KP should be questioned re: how he assembles a roster and runs the draft

being critical doesn’t make you “less” of a fan. It means you’re more engaged with the process

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 3:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was wanting us to take Blair in the draft (primarly when he fell into our laps 3 different times) or Lawson. Hell we could of ended up with both and had two young promising players.

by Oden_Favre_28 on Nov 4, 2009 5:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't agree with you on Miller

I think the fact that Miller is struggling to fit can be placed on McMillan. I do think that Miller was a weak pickup considering the opportunity though. I don’t like Sessions either though. They should have moved Raefs contract at the trade deadline. There were more options at that point. The whole Blair thing is pathetic and that is on KP…and how about just giving away Sergio for nothing.

McMillan has never taken a team beyond just making the playoffs, I hope I’m wrong but I think he may be in over his head at this point.

by the glide on Nov 4, 2009 5:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Where did this idea come from that we could have gotten Lawson?

by Escrote on Nov 4, 2009 11:19 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Because Denver traded up to get him

Problem is, they had a first round pick from the Bobcats from an earlier deal to do so. And a Bobcats pick should remain more valuable than a Blazers pick, unless we don’t just jump the shark but get eaten by it, too.

But slowly things happen that they cannot help and the Blazers Fellowship of the Ring begins to break apart

by Norsktroll on Nov 4, 2009 11:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The Blazers drafted at 22. The Nuggets drafted Lawson at 18.

We are supposedly fifteen players deep, and we had multiple second round picks. You don’t think we could have traded up far enough to get him?

Oh and we also had RLEC. Like I said, I would rather have Lawson than Miller.

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 11:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

RLEC couldn't be used after the deadline, even if Canzano suggested otherwise. And Minny didn't want new contracts.

I would rather have Sessions than Miller which would have been possible with our cap space, but that didn’t happen since the team wanted more experience and not just more young talent.

But slowly things happen that they cannot help and the Blazers Fellowship of the Ring begins to break apart

by Norsktroll on Nov 4, 2009 12:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I suspected that may be the case, but

we still could have gotten Lawson if we really targeted him, given all the assets we were holding.

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 9:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

KP was trying to trade up

but his target was Hansbrough, not Lawson

to select Lawson in the first round would’ve been to “admit defeat” re: Bayless, who was the team’s last lottery pick, for awhile (at least, we hope so…)

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 3:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

that’s a pretty bold claim when you have no way of knowing that it is correct.

free bayless

by Cablinasian on Nov 5, 2009 12:06 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Save our Sonics!

But slowly things happen that they cannot help and the Blazers Fellowship of the Ring begins to break apart

by Norsktroll on Nov 4, 2009 11:28 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

It's been said before, but hindsight is always 20-20. The teams gets to start from where

it is right now. All this handwringing over the past s just boring and sad.

by raoulduke on Nov 4, 2009 11:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Some of us have been saying this since it happened on draft night...

at that point it wasn’t hindsight.

by the glide on Nov 4, 2009 5:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was going to include something about

Hindsight is 20-20 BLA BLA BLA, but I figured that was understood.

Also, I was saying these things at the time.

I thought we might well be better off letting the cap-space go (hypocratic oath – first do no harm) Not knowing how the Sessions free-agency would play out.

I also thought it was a no-brainer to draft Blair, and was shocked when he dropped so far.

So, maybe that makes it a little less sad. (Sorry if youre bored. I think thats a personal problem.)

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 11:41 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I still put more blame on Nate than KP but...

KP needs to make a trade to consolidate the talent we have, balance the roster and allow players to clearly understand their roles.

I don’t even care if we give up more talent than we get….if we can get some proven production for one our ‘potential’ guys then just do it.

BTW TO’s expiring should be used before season’s end – I highly doubt he’s resigning. Blakes should be too but fat chance of that happening.

"What happened to Bayless anyway? Did he turn into a pumpkin? Most teams don’t just let #11 picks rot." - Xiane

by MadBlaze on Nov 4, 2009 12:55 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I don’t even care if we give up more talent than we get

I do. (for example) An Outlaw for Turiaf trade may be seen by some to be an “inequitable” deal, but Ronny provides something that Travis can’t, while Cunningham will eventually “duplicate” and surpass Outlaw’s production as a 4/3

TO’s expiring should be used before season’s end – I highly doubt he’s resigning. Blakes should be too

I agree re: Travis. I expect Blake will be “back” in 2010 and not dealt. He remains a good NBA backup PG, it’s not Steve’s fault that Nate still chooses to start him

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 3:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Talent does not equal production

If you are not willing to give up some talent (which we have boatloads of) then you can’t expect to get players who are consistently productive (which we need).

"What happened to Bayless anyway? Did he turn into a pumpkin? Most teams don’t just let #11 picks rot." - Xiane

by MadBlaze on Nov 4, 2009 6:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think we're still looking for that "special fit"

Mitch Kupchack’s L*ker team was imploding. K*be was unhappy and wanted to be traded to the Bulls. Along came Mike Wallace and the Pau Gasol deal and everything turned around for L*A

By the same token, Devnver had made a bad decision and traded for Allen Iverson. About this time last year the Nuggets were a collection of talented individuals pulling in different directions. Mark Warkentein found a trade partner who was looking to shed salary and brought in Chauncey Billups. Denver won 54 games, went to the WCF and is now undefeated

So if that’s the kind of blockbuster deal that you’re talking about giving up Rudy Fernandez for, then I can get behind it wholeheartedly. But I don’t know who’s “out there” that’s in the Gasol/Billups category that KP could conceivably get with his expiring contracts, meager capspace and current crop of underachieving talent.

I’ll feel a little more optimistic after Dec 15th, when Andre Miller is tradeable, assuming he and Roy still aren’t meshing, and (especially) if a contender suddenly needs a starting PG. Then KP might have enough “chips” to make that deal to bring in a “consistently productive” player, or two. But for now, those guys aren’t readily available. because they’re being consistently productive for their own ballclubs

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 7:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Players who are consistently productive on teams that aren't winning tend to be traded

just as much as those who are under performing, just for different reasons. I don’t see anyone in that Gasol/Billups category either but commonly mentioned names like Gerald Wallace and Kirk Hinrich could have a tangible impact of how this team plays immediately. Mike Conley would be a forward looking acquisition, someone who could be a starter for us over the next decade, but wouldn’t necessarily give us a better shot at winning now (but we kind of hashed that out in the other thread huh). I’m not particularly worried about that, but some people are and its seems Nate and KP are in the ‘win now at all costs’ mode.

Other names that seem possible if not ideal (without looking at financial feasibility): Brandon Bass, Caron Butler, Jose Calderon, Baron Davis, Raymond Felton, Tayshaun Prince, Udonis Haslem, Nick Collison, Nate Robinson, Ronny Turiaf.

By no means would I want all of those players, but they are all impact guys in one way or another and all could quite easily be moved at some point this season.

"What happened to Bayless anyway? Did he turn into a pumpkin? Most teams don’t just let #11 picks rot." - Xiane

by MadBlaze on Nov 4, 2009 9:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nate and KP are in the ‘win now at all costs’ mode

That’s because of the team’s regular season success last year, and Paul Allen’s (and Brandon Roy’s) competitive nature

Of the names you mentioned, I’d only include Rudy in a deal for Caron Butler, but I don’t think the Wiz is interested in dealing him. Prince could be a target, but I wouldn’t put Rudy in a deal for him.

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 5, 2009 8:25 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

McMillan is not letting go of blake

Unfortunately. I’m with you on McMillan taking the brunt of this. His young guys aren’t developing very quickly, his offense is dead and he can’t seem to get them to play spirited defense.

by the glide on Nov 4, 2009 5:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So what’s our solution here? You wanna be our new GM? Nobody makes all the right moves, and KP has done better than most IMHO.

Let’s see how you feel about this post the next time we win a few tough games.

by shralpster on Nov 4, 2009 1:04 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I agree he's been better than most

I basically said as much in my post. “I like Pritchard. He has made some good moves in the past – getting Roy, Aldridge, and Rudy for us.” (Sorry to quote myself.)

Asking if I think I’d be a better GM is just juvenile. This is a blog where people express their opinions. What’s wrong with pointing out where KP’s made the wrong decision.

But if you’re gonna press me, I guess if I’d have been the GM and gotten Sessions in free-agency, drafted Blair, and managed to snag Lawson….Then ya in that particular case for that short period, I would have been the better GM.

Btw – (If there’s any NBA team owners reading this, I can provide my e-mail address offline.)

by ajinoregon on Nov 4, 2009 9:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Can’t we just have a PG that can get around a screen so Oden and Aldridge can stick to the defensive system Nate put in place versus having to adapt on the fly because our PG is literally stuck in the chest of the screener?

I’m beginning to think that Aldridge and Oden aren’t necessarily bad on the screen and roll but more that they’ve never had an opportunity to be good at pick and roll defense because our PG defense is atrocious. We do not have one backcourt player who can get around a screen.. maybe Bayless..

by jukelike20 on Nov 4, 2009 1:18 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Play Bayless!

by prof.mike on Nov 4, 2009 1:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

ummm...what?

by the glide on Nov 4, 2009 5:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Definately agree we should have taken Blair...

…the rest I’m not yet too sure about. Does anyone have any good theories as to why we didn’t take Blair? I know “The Graph” and Cunningham impressed when we brought them in, but really??? I know he is also apperantly missing knee ligaments, but C’mon!!! Perhaps I am the one being kneee jerk only one week in, but the dude looks pretty solid. As I figured he would.

by Dub9 on Nov 4, 2009 2:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It was plain and simply the knees

The info was out there and once he started sliding every team except the spurs apparently started freaking out thinking somebody knew something they didn’t.

I can’t tell you how excited I was on Draft day when he slipped into the blazers lap…

Rooo-D!

by truls on Nov 4, 2009 2:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Blair was a very low risk, very high reward pick at #33

You would only have to guarantee him for a maximum of 2 years, if he falls apart, so be it. It is rare that you find a guy that can come in and contribute right away in the 2nd round, but there were few that doubted Blair could do exactly that. Even if you only get him for a half season before his knees give out, that is likely still more of a contribution than Pendy will ever make for the Blazers.

BTW, Blair is averaging 8 ppg and 8rpg while shooting 70% from the field in 20 mpg. That is 14 points and 14 rebounds per 36 minutes for those who keeping score at home. Big time blunder by KP, especially considering it was, and still is a big position of need….

by Rudiculous on Nov 4, 2009 3:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Even if he was high risk...

he at least has reward. Pendergraph…not so much.

by the glide on Nov 4, 2009 5:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

the best explanations, so far

Ben says he knows why the Blazers didn’t have Blair on their draft board, but he can’t tell us

DeJuan’s knees were a medical red flag to some team doctors. The Blazers were already “sensitive” towards taking a player with known knee issues following their incident with Darius Miles

Blair was notorious for over-eating and weight problems at Pitt. Mike Rice’s son is on the Panther’s coaching staff

Knowing all of this, I still would’ve drafted DB at 31 or 33, RC Buford got himself another draft “steal”

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 3:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I heard he has no ACL's...

although some people can get by without them

by Escrote on Nov 4, 2009 3:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

note this is the rumor... uncomfirmed of course

by Escrote on Nov 4, 2009 3:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Relax

We are only 5 games into the season. It’s way to early to hit the panic button.

by tcwoods on Nov 4, 2009 2:29 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I supported him on the Turkoglu attempt. But after that fell through he should have had the balls to risk letting our cap-space go to waste

I supported the Millsap toxic offer. Paul would’ve provided interior toughness, and—with the way Greg and Joel have been on the bench with foul trouble so far—Millsap would’ve gotten plenty of PT. (He certainly would’ve made a better small ball frontcourt “partner” for LMA than Travis or Juwan…)

But if KP had decided to “wait” with the capspace and not sign Miller, he still could’ve made an unbalanced trade with the capspace up until next July 1st, when Brandon and LMA’s extensions kick in. So, he didn’t have to be in a rush to spend the capspace, back in July. I think KP has an adversion to making mid-season deals, though, and that could’ve explained why he felt compelled to sign the “best FA available” in July.

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 4, 2009 4:38 PM PST reply actions 0 recs