I posted this little blurb as a comment on O Live, and as often happens I ended up thinking it was so brilliant ;) that I had to post it on Blazers Edge so I can get some reaction from the true hardcore fans.

It seems like Jerryd gets judged by a different standard than other players. I think the reason for this is the fact that he was our #1 draft pick going into a year (last year) that carried so many hopes and expectations. Then you combine that with his Summer League MVP performance, and you have this situation where half the fans think he is a sure-fire perrenial All-Star and the other half think he's nothing but an over-hyped future bust. This is further fueled by the lack of playing time he's been given to date, so nobody can get a consistent read on the kid. (And he is a kid.)

Let's get some perspective people. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe he's just a guy who can be a solid contributor for this team.

I disagree with (Geoffery Arnold's statement) that Jerryd has to prove in the next few games that he can consistently play at a high level. And he certainly doesn't need to prove anything against Orlando tonight. His so-called "break-out performance" last night simply cemented the fact that this kid deserves consistent playing time over the long-haul, not spotty minutes here and there.

And now i will digress.

I personally think it's obvious that Andre Miller should be traded. He's a good player, but he doesn't fit in here chemistry-wise, or basketball-wise. I could go into a long diatribe about how he doesn't fit in basketball-wise, but I won't. I just want to quickly address the chemistry aspect. We all know that Jerryd is a firey guy on the court, and personally I love that. But let me ask two quick questions:

Did you see the way Jerryd bear-hugged Brandon Roy near the end of that Pheonix game? Can you imagine Andre Miller doing that? I can't, and that's why I think Jerryd is perfect for this team, and fits in as one of many talented contributors.

To the question of where I think we should go with Jerryd from here, I think he and Blake should be the Blazers' point guards. Jerryd can come off the bench with the second unit at first. But eventually I think Jerryd can be Brandon's back-court mate on the first unit. (How soon, I'm not sure. But the way this season is shaping-up, I'd be inclined to say the sooner the better.)

Jerryd can take the ball across, and Brandon can run the point in the half-court when he wants, and have Jerryd play off the ball. This would be much like how the Blazers started out the season, only it was Steve Blake who shared the back-court duties with Roy.

Anyway, that's my take. I'd love to hear your comments.