Warning: This May Sound Crazy

by axel360 on Feb 7, 2009 1:10 PM PST

Would Portland have been better off getting the 2nd pick in the 2007 NBA Draft?

There's a chance you have already stopped reading this, but here I go. This is a question, not a statement. In now way am I angry we got the first pick. It was one of the most exciting Blazer moments of my life. I'm also not taking into account anything that has happened since that draft.

But would it have been better if that second-to-last envelope was Portland, rather than the last envelope? Think about. We'd have the easiest pick in the draft, be immune to any criticism, and still pick up Kevin Durant. Durant (or possibly Oden) wouldn't have to deal with all the pressure of being a number one pick. We wouldn't have to hear from all those knuckleheads online about how terrible Oden is and how amazing Durant is or vice-versa (if Seattle picked Durant #1) because we just would have picked the player Seattle didn't pick. Who knows, maybe Pritchard was pressured into picking Oden, based on the fact he was the consensus #1, and really liked Durant. Portland wouldn't have to deal with all this crap about picking the wrong guy. The whole team might be more relaxed not dealing with the circus of having the #1 overall pick.

I'm not saying I would have rather had the #2 pick, but just think about it. Please, leave your comments below, I wanna hear what you think.

PS: don't blast me, this is just some food for thought

Poll

Would Portland have been better off getting the 2nd pick in the 2007 NBA Draft?

Yes. There'd be no pressure or the media circus.

27 votes

Maybe. We wouldn't have to hear from these Blazer-hater punks on the message boards.

9 votes

Probably Not. We still could have picked Durant.

26 votes

NO! Rather have the #2 pick than #1 overall pick?!?!

71 votes

133 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 22 comments | 1 recs |

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Comments

When it comes to the franchise center and star wing player

you take the center. I’m glad we got the first pick and took Oden.

by Cablinasian on Feb 7, 2009 1:12 PM PST reply actions

Ask me again in 3 years

I'm a little confused by your tactics

by oderiferous emanations 74 on Feb 7, 2009 1:13 PM PST reply actions

Uhhhgggg !

I’m sick and tired of this being repeated over
and over. K-Bone is a gunner and a good one,
but Franchise (someday) centers help you win
championships. I didn’t watch the game, but I
listened on the radio. My voice got tweaked from
yelling, DEFENSE ! Then I remembered we aren’t
a very good defensive team and won’t be for a while.

P.S. – Get GO involved in the game early, then the BIG
DOG will rebound and be active. "Jump shooting
teams don’t win championships ", CB.

COINCAST SUCKS !!!! ANOTHER LOST YEAR !!!
Thank you Blazer management, great decision !!!

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Feb 7, 2009 1:22 PM PST reply actions

I'm with you on this one...

High volume shooters are all over the place – we have some too. The opportunity for a franchise center should NEVER EVER be passed up. The same is true about the point guards – Chris Pauls and Derrick Roses don’t grow on trees and should NEVER EVER be passed up.

Blazer's Edge Ambassador to The Dream Shake Blog
LMA Rocks and B-Rex ROARS!!
RRRRRRROOOOOOOWWWWWRRRRRRSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by LaMarvelous on Feb 7, 2009 2:22 PM PST up reply actions

was MJ a "gunner"?

Just askin’. My questions are meant for walkoff and LaMarvelous both.

Was MJ a “gunner”? And in your reasoning was it the right decision to pass up the “gunner” MJ for the “opportunity for a franchise center” Bowie? Sounds like the answer to this last question, under your reasoning, is “Yes.”

But if the answer to this last question is “Yes,” then isn’t your reasoning kind of ridiculous? Why should you even have a seat at the table to talk about this issue?

Truth comes as a conqueror
only to those who have lost the art
of receiving it as a friend.

Rabindranath Tagore

by dwarfgoper on Feb 7, 2009 5:56 PM PST up reply actions

yes it was the right move.

we had a star wing (drexler) and didn’t need jordan’s skill set. Bowie turned out to be a bust but you don’t know what his career would have been like had he not gotten hurt.

Sure, if you KNEW jordan would be jordan, you take him—but you don’t. The draft is a crap shoot and smart money says that GREAT centers are harder to come by than good wings. You have Amare, Dwight, Duncan & Yao down low as an undisputed top tier center rotation (I know Amare is semi-PF). The drop off from there is huge (Dalembert? c’mon). At the wings you got more star power (Kobe, LeBron, D-wade, etc…there are a lot to name) but then you have a 2nd tier ‘non-superstar all star’ with people like caron butler, richard jefferson etc, then you got tayshaun prince & a next tier. there are a bunch of people who could help you there—even role players..

But back to the point: Jordan is a 1 in a million shot. If you look at a great-but-not-jordan SG, Drexler, did he win a ring? Would he have if we had, say, Sabonis at that time? I would say yes. Then look at the last 18 years: How many teams won without a franchise PF/C (besides the bulls)?

Rockets: Hakeem
Spurs: D-rob/Duncan
Pistons: Wallace^2 weren’t scrubs
Heat: Shaq
Celtics: Garnett

Plus, franchise centers don’t need the ball 24/7 to be effective—they can help a lot on defense. They allow wings/guards to do their thing and pump in the points. If you put Durant in there, how many touches you think Roy/LMA get?

Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".

...no seriously--stop.

by nima on Feb 8, 2009 7:20 AM PST up reply actions

I'm with you on this one...

COINCAST SUCKS !!!! ANOTHER LOST YEAR !!!

I would always prefer the first pick, over the second.

Elizabeth had a partner and he had a rap from the cops, Him and Lenny Suckerpunch were just out Tooling around

by Lizzy Lowblow on Feb 7, 2009 2:55 PM PST up reply actions

I can't wait until the day when we start giving Greg the ball and he scores 15 a game

I will have a poll for you all then.

Karma

by Sabonis4Ever on Feb 7, 2009 3:07 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Oden was the right pick

both in terms of what the Blazers specifically needed, and in terms of general basketball strategy.

Jerryd Bayless = Marlo Stanfield
- Early stage Marlo at this point, but Bayless is the emotionless killer new to the game. He will take over, and there will be casualties – it’s just a matter of time.

by blazeraddict on Feb 7, 2009 3:45 PM PST reply actions

Greg WAS the "right" pick . . . I agree, but his point isn't about Greg being the right pick at number 1 overall . . .

It’s about would we have been better if we just had the number 2 pick and took Durant by default . . . . absolutely.

The Dude abides

by noaher on Feb 7, 2009 4:55 PM PST reply actions

if we got oden at two everyone would write fanposts about how we shouldn't have traded down (see Martell situation).

Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".

...no seriously--stop.

by nima on Feb 8, 2009 7:21 AM PST up reply actions

The Paradox of Choice!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice

by crhsrunner on Feb 7, 2009 7:02 PM PST reply actions

“Schwartz finds that when people are faced with having to choose one option out of many desirable choices, they will begin to consider hypothetical trade-offs.”

by crhsrunner on Feb 7, 2009 7:03 PM PST up reply actions