- Blazers 2009 Offseason -
by TheGreatDane17 on May 1, 2009 5:16 PM PDT
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PrintI have been planning this for a long time & hope this to be "The" Offseason thread. I am not here to waste your time, just to provide you one post with the most complete coverage of every single option of the Blazers offseason. If you have something to add, please tell me & I will add it !
Big Men ~
Greg Oden: Shows flashes, he is our guy. Mentor - Me & my brother notice this every single game in the pre-game warm ups. He is working against someone who looks 6'0", 200lbs. He is wearing these odd foam arms as if to simulate what a big man may feel like. Why not bring in someone who can actually challenge him? The physical advantage is just ridiculous, bringing in someone who has experience as a dominant center would do wonders for Oden. Look what Patrick Ewing has done for Dwight Howard's game ! Hakeem Olajuwon with Yao Ming ! Andrew Bynum with Kareem Abdul Jabbar. It would help his offensive game development, his foul trouble issues, moving his feet on defense, keeping his arms from getting hooked when he is banging in the post & offseason work ethic. Paul Allen & Kevin Pritchard made the commitment to Oden, it is up to them to put him in the best situation possible to succeed. I have heard Olajuwon coaches a big man camp every offseason. We would be smart to send both Oden & Aldridge down there. It would help them immensely with their low post moves & strengthen their friendship/comradirie. At the very least, McMillan must have Oden & Aldridge looking at film of the dominant big men of days past frequently in the offseason.(Preferably Olajuwon's Dream Shake) His offseason development will determine if he plays because he loves basketball or he plays because he can.
via swamigp.files.wordpress.com
Joel Przybilla: Brings his lunchpale to work every day. I love him & want him as a Blazer for life. But there may be a time where he will not be a Blazer. I expect him to accept the 2010/2011 Player option. After that, I am not so certain with all the other salaries that we could pay him as much as another team, unless he takes a pay cut to come back here. Future Backup Center - Instead of "standing pat" we can look to start developing the "FBC" now, so we don't have to panic later. A few options, Ryan Hollins from Dallas is a restricted free agent after this season. He has shown some strong defense & rebounding in the small amount of minutes he recieved. Alexis Ajinca from Charlotte is raw, but has shown flashes. Played with Batum in France & has range out to the NBA 3.(Would be a nice balance to Oden) All our posts could help bring him along, by the time Przybilla is gone he should be a good backup center. Could come over as a package with some other players?
LaMarcus Aldridge: He really developed well as the season went along, but even Roy said himself. We need a banger, someone to fight for rebounds while he is out & Frye is not that guy. Reserve PF - Patrick Patterson with our first round picks, if he drops he is an option. Tyler Hansborough, he would bring an extreme intensity as a backup PF. I am hoping for a Chris Andersen-type, with no off the court issues. Instead of a rookie, signing a free agent veteran is also an option. Veteran PF - First thing that comes to my mind is Antonio McDyess. Experience developing backup PF's like Maxiell & Amir Johnson. McDyess is one of the best character guys in the NBA(Fits our new culture), one of the hardest workers(I see this having a positive effect on LaMarcus) & this move would allow him to end his years with maybe the NBA's most talented young roster, with as good a chance as any to win a ring. He hates to lose more then anyone in the NBA, something that could rub off on our young team. He has good experience developing young PF's players, like Amir Johnson & Jason Maxiell. Another player I like is Ronny Turiaf from Golden State, who would have to be acquired in a trade. Does anyone really think we could get a better backup PF then Turiaf with our 1st round pick?
Point Guard ~
Jerryd Bayless: Shows flashes but also showed his short arms & hyper aggression may be a weakness at the NBA level. Has a lot to work on his game this offseason. Particularly passing/court vision & shooting if he plans on being the Blazers starting PG.
via www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com
Sergio Rodriguez: McMillan showed a lot more faith in him this season & it showed. Still not consistent from deep, but has been improving his ability to get to the basket. Needs to bulk up if he plans on being anything besides a road block on defense. Also, he should start working on his 3PT shot right now, if he wants to be an NBA starter. ESPN Rumor Central says Sergio & Frye could be traded. Although those alley oops are certainly fun to watch !
Steve Blake: Runs the offense, hits the open shot & makes the open passes. But on a team with the talent we have, I think it is fair to say we should expect more from the starting Point Guard.
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Here are some options:
Mike Conley - Mike Conley, has been playing much better basketball since Iavaroni was fired. We all know, he is best friends with Oden & they have a well documented history. Acquiring a Conley would perhaps speed up Oden's development & improve his on-court emotion. Conley presents a lightning quick player(allows him to get around just about anyone), excellent with both hands(can finish with both too) & I don't think anyone expected his shooting to be this far along at this point in his career. Fits well as a distributor.
via i.cdn.turner.com
DJ Augustine - Amazing 3Pt shooter for his age(.439%). Splits time with Raymond Felton in Charlotte, which means it may be easier to acquire him then some of the other options(Although Larry Brown loves him). Average rebounder for the PG position(1.8rpg). Has a good mix of skills & is commited to defense. 2.10 A/TO Ratio. Has a nice quick release & good court vision. Blazers had a positive pre draft workout too. Fits well as a distributor.
via www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com
Ramon Sessions - Shows great court vision & has done an excellent job with the players he has around him. The only knock on him is he is a very poor 3Pt Shooter(.176%) he has only made 6 three pointers all year ! He is a restriced free agent this offseason. Fits well as a distributor.
Nate Robinson - This one will be well disputed I am sure. Apart from Blake's 11ppg, we don't get much scoring from the point position. Robinson would provide instant offense, a "mini microwave", he has sneaky hands. There are some knocks against him, he can be posted up & sometimes takes bad shots. But you have to look at in perspective, he has had some terrible coaching & D'antoni isn't exactly a D-First type of guy. He would take a lot of pressure off of Roy & the two have previous experience playing together(Isn't the end all-be all but it does not hurt). The Little Big Man would make the transition to Bayless as the fulltime PG much easier.(Could be a great 6th man) They would make a nice tandem too, I imagine a great camp competition.
Rodney Stuckey - Has had a breakout season. Averaged 13.4 ppg/4.9apg/3.5 rpg in the regular season. Even though the Cavs have been dominating the Pistons he has stepped up his game. Going for 15ppg/5.3apg/2.3rpg in the playoffs, but has gone cold beyond the arc. Has the size to dominate most PG's on the glass & slash against them too. He is a northwest guy. More of a combo guard then pure point guard & he is most likely one of the few players Detroit will hold onto, now that they will be starting to rebuild. Will be tough to pry away as a RFA.
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Bayless/Sergio Mentor: This route indicates KP believes that either of our current backups are capable of starting at a high level in the future. There are a few options here:
Andre Miller - He would present a superior option over Blake. Much better scorer off the dribble, he has always played well in Portland. He makes the transistion much easier then Blake. He seems to have a lot left in the tank, can physically dominate a lot of PG's.
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Jason Kidd - Not sure how much he has left in the tank, but he could bring a lot to our team in terms of getting our guards to rebound better, becoming more fundamentally sound on defense & improving everyones ability to get the ball into the post. Although the Mavs reportedly want to keep him.
Mike Bibby - Atlanta may very well want to resign him. The question I have with Bibby is how much of an upgrade over Blake is he? He scores 4ppg & 1rpg more... But he averages the same amount of steals & assists this past season. Blake also shoots a .428 from the field, with .427 from 3. Bibby hits a slightly higher .435 from the field but a weak 3PT% at .390. Would we be better off searching for a long term option to grow with our young team?
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Steve Nash - Nash does not bring much on defense & he is getting much less sneaky regarding steals. He would benefit both Sergio & Bayless in numerous ways. Would make the transistion to Sergio/Bayless easier, but his major lack of defense makes this an unlikely choice.
via thedeafsage.files.wordpress.com
Kirk Heinrich - Put into a tough situation with Derrick Rose being drafted #1 overall. He has resonded well though. A strong defender & has looked good in these playoffs against Boston. A very smart player who could potentially bring a great complimentary player to our projected starters. A very large salary, around 10mil per year, making him a riskier prospect. Again, would it be a better long term plan to find a young PG to grow with our team?
Lionel Hollins -(Coach) If Hollins is hired/demoted in Memphis, bring him on as our PG/Guard coach. He was the starting PG of the 77' Champion Blazers & his experience with developing Conley in that short period has been nothing short of amazing, regarding the improvement we have seen. Bringing him in would help with the problem that McMillan has in regards to stunting the growth of young PG's. Not sure if Hollins is "There Guy".
Shooting Guard ~
Brandon Roy: What is there to say. Already my favorite Blazer of all time. He is amazing on & off the court. He is our franchise player. He is the one player guaranteed to not be in any trade talks.
via www.nba.com
Rudy Fernandez: Unless we are approached with a blockbuster trade that includes Rudy+Others for someone like Chris Paul or Tony Parker... I think Shooting Guard is the least of our needs. For the sake of the post I will list some options for an Alternate Reality - Jamal Crawford in free agency. Great friends with Brandon Roy, never really had a good coach much like Nate Robinson. He provides a microwave type scoring threat, but he would have to come at the right price. In the draft, the only one I would consider is Terrence Williams. Also a Northwest guy, I think he could bring a lot as a defender, coming from that fullcourt press system Pitino runs. My favorite player in the draft.
Small Forward ~
Nicolas Batum: I absolutely loved what I saw the entire season from Nicolas. But there are some ways he could improve... If he wants to be considered the best defender in the NBA, you must bulk up to hang with the best of the best. A good goal should be 220-230. His frame certainly has the room to add the weight without much if any loss in speed. As long as he adds it over time, he will be fine. It will help him a lot on rebounding & scoring as well. I just hope he isn't the same case as Travis Outlaw, who added almost no muscle since he got drafted. In my opinion he is on the "untouchable list".
Travis Outlaw: There are already plenty of posts on him, so I will go with a brief summary. Was a terrible defender, spirit of competition with Batum & coaching helped him improve, but even now... He is still a liability on that end unfortunately. It seems like he is refusing to get in the weight room & that causes him to be dominated by the bigger SF's. I hope Batum doesn't make the same mistake ! He has a questionable shot selection on offense too, although the coaches did get him to drive a lot more. Became a more reliable 3Pt Shooter last offseason. One of the more likely players to be traded this offseason.
via www.portlandtrailbloggers.com
Martell Webster: He has had a season off. Supposed to be our straight from HS superstar. He has an extremely smooth shot stroke & at the end of the 2007-2008 season he appeared to becoming more committed to driving, rebounding & defense. Lets hope we see more improvement, because he probably won't have much trade value if any.
via www.nba.com
The Draft:
Point Guard -
1)Ricky Rubio - He is projected top 3, we would have to give an arm & a leg to get him. Team mate of Rudy on the Silver Medal Spanish National Team.
2)Ty Lawson - One of the best college PG's since Chris Paul & has a lot of the same qualities. We would have to move up for him.
3)Johnny Flynn - The junior decided to call it a career at Syracuse after he hired an agent. His coach Jim Boeheim coached alongside McMillan in the Olympics. Projected top 15 by most.
Power Forward
1)DeJaun Blair - He is a freak rebounder. One of the only players in the NCAA to stop Hasheem Thabeet from dominating. Projected top 15
2)Patrick Patterson - A banger, I know some Portland'ers will fall in love with the Buck Williams comparison.
3)Tyler Hansborough - Doesn't have the physical advantage, but he tries harder then anyone on the court.
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Comments
Uhhh...
wow. Don’t know where to begin.
by Portland Dynasty on May 1, 2009 5:22 PM PDT reply actions
Why say anything then?
If you don’t have a response, good or bad, then don’t bother typing anything. Obviously this post took a while to put together so at least have the courtesy of offering some praise or constructive criticism. “Uhhh, wow” Brilliant…
Maybe basketball just isn't your game. I know, let's have a spelling contest.
Man, that is so harsh! So, just what did your post add to the conversation other than being rude. You managed to comment on this guy's post, but seemingly couldn't muster a comment on
Man, that is so harsh! So, genius, just what did your post add to the proceedings? You managed to attack another Blazer fan, but made less of a comment about The Great Dane’s thread than he did. I read Portland Dynasty’s post as saying he was blown away by the work that went into starting this thread, as am I. Let’s try to keep our anger in check and be a little more civil. Please.
As for my comment, I very much appreciate the thought that went into putting this thread together. I’m not a big follower of college hoops, so am only vaguely aware of some of the names that were mentioned. It’s also cool to hear about the options that are out there in the league that might improve the Blazers.
Peace.
by kuhnsmith on May 2, 2009 8:48 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
If I read the post in the wrong context then I appologize
but when I see a post started out with “Uhhh…” it usually seems like a negative. If someone responds to something I tell them with “Uhhh…” I usually assume that they are either confused about what I said or just flat out dislike it. I wasn’t trying to be a jerk to Portland Dynasty but rather come to the defense of the hard work and research of TheGreatDane17. Again if i read the post in the wrong context, then I appologize to Portland Dynasty. If I read it correctly, my first post still stands.
Maybe basketball just isn't your game. I know, let's have a spelling contest.
Follow up...
I wanted to see what the chances were that I mistook the post by Portland Dynasty so I had a look at his/her previous posts and noticed a trend of negativity. In addition, I saw at least one other person call out Portland Dynasty for their negativity as well. So that leads me to believe that I read his/her post the way it was intended and me calling him/her out for their negativity in defense of GreatDane17’s well written post was justified.
Maybe basketball just isn't your game. I know, let's have a spelling contest.
I'd say you mistook the post
I had the same reaction as PD. Uhhh may not have been the right word. But this awesome OP is a lot of info to digest. I think the whoah reaction is right.
Whoa, let me digest this and figure out what to say. Nice post!
by keepfryealive on May 2, 2009 10:27 PM PDT up reply actions
I just hope
It gets everyone through the time that it takes Dave/Ben to get their offseason posts up.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Haven't started to read this really
But I’d love to see Oden -25 pounds workin that 10ft high-release turnaround like The Dream.
Exactly
Nate needs to get access to all the old Olajwon tapes.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 1, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Added top 3 prospects for PG & PF
The Draft:
Point Guard -
1)Ricky Rubio – He is projected top 3, we would have to give an arm & a leg to get him. Team mate of Rudy on the Silver Medal Spanish National Team.
2)Ty Lawson – One of the best college PG’s since Chris Paul & has a lot of the same qualities. We would have to move up for him.
3)Johnny Flynn – The junior decided to call it a career at Syracuse after he hired an agent. His coach Jim Boeheim coached alongside McMillan in the Olympics. Projected top 15 by most.
Power Forward
1)DeJaun Blair – He is a freak rebounder. One of the only players in the NCAA to stop Hasheem Thabeet from dominating. Projected top 15
2)Patrick Patterson – A banger, I know some Portland’ers will fall in love with the Buck Williams comparison.
3) Doesn’t have the physical advantage, but he tries harder then anyone on the court.
meh
NBA draft.net also compares Jordan Hill to Chris Bosh, they are on crack.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
This is very well done, thanks!
Rip City Baby...People have no idea what is coming.
Follow my twitter www.twitter.com/PDXBlazersFTW, @PDXBlazersFTW. Lots of random Blazer Posts from links I find around the blogosphere.
My initial thoughts.
Add Joel Freeland and Antonio to our big three.
Trade all this year’s draft picks, Sergio, Travis, future firsts and our exception for future picks for Rubio or Lawson.
Bedge or go home.
Good plan
Rubio or Lawson would be a great addition.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 1, 2009 8:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Man. I must be tired, sorry all.
I meant trade everything else for future picks and/or a top PG.
Bedge or go home.
I will continue to update
With draft prospects(as we get closer to the draft)
More trade prospects
Other options or ideas.
If you have something to add, again please tell me ! I will be sure to add it !
Ronny Turiaf
Golden State’s management lost its mind. I don’t think we could find a better backup PF in the draft with our first round pick either. He is a team player & plays only 20MPG as it is, yet is still very productive.
Dude can't rebound though.
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
by dyshooter182 on May 2, 2009 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
4.6 rebounds per 20mpg?
He is a great rebounder.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't want to post on top of you
but I really agree with the GreatDane that Turiaf is far and away the backup PF for us. He would have developed his rebounding much more in LA than with the Warriors. They just run and shoot so no one rebounds on that team. I’ve mentioned before that his size and good vision let him make the good outlet pass and run the fast break. He’s good for 6 pts and 6 rbds and steady box outs which is plenty for the backup in our scheme. Plus he’s from France so how can he be the wrong guy.
Missed that one.
I remember a picture of Kobe jumping over a car. Is that what you mean?
Youtube
it was a video released on youtube, but it wasn’t real.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 3, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Good stuff
About Joel: I am thinking that he will retire a Blazer. He probably only has 4-5 years left in the tank and is owed a player option here in a few years. My hope is that he will decline his $7.4m PO and sign a 4 year extension for about $4-5m. He will lose some in the short term, but will gain in the long term, ala Baron and Brand who both took paycuts for longer guaranteed $. Let us not forget that he turned down SA and Det to stay here as he liked Portland more. I just hope he can win more titles here than he could of in SA.
Backup PF, I cant lie I would like Frye to stay in Portland, and people are lusting over the newest flashy PF, but still how much can you do in 8mpg? The situation will not change unless Travis is moved from the PF as him at SF is not working out. I think that Frye would be able do well if his minutes were bumped up to 15 mpg.
Rubio is nice but unobtainable, Lawson is too small and the same as Flynn. Besides Bayless will be as good is not better and either way there will be a curve for a younger player to learn.
"Damn the Blazers. Damn them to hell. They are working the rest of the league like a speed bag." - Bill Simmons 6/26/08
I think bayless is gone
He showed almost no ability this year to play the point, and if he ever can play that position its gonna take another 2 to 4 years. I dont think the blazers can wait that long for him to develope. Bayless and Outlaw are our two best trade pieces, I expect both of them to be traded this offseason.
True
they do have trade value, but not enough to makeup for what they bring. Unless you want to go Hinrich, Miller, or Kidd you are going to have to wait for the PG to develop and even then it will take about a year to fully get in sync with the team.
"Damn the Blazers. Damn them to hell. They are working the rest of the league like a speed bag." - Bill Simmons 6/26/08
You say it as if it is a fact
We can package picks + Bayless + Outlaw + Blake(if needed), in order to put us in contention for Augustine or Conley.
Look at the jump in Rondo’s production when KG & Allen were added to the roster in Boston.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Open question
You are drawing a definitive conclusion based on very little observation. I think the jury is out on Bayless.
He averaged 4.0 AST/ game on only 22 min/game during the time Blake was out. Clearly he is not comfortable, but I think he showed some promise. If he could drive and dish and shoot with the consistency he showed at UA and was rumored to show in practice, he might be a good compliment to Roy.
Maybe a better alternative will become available through trade, but I think your evaluation is pretty harsh. Conley looked like crap for a season and a half. Hollins gave him a chance, and now everybody is in love with his game. Different players develop at different rates. Bayless had only one year of college ball and was playing out of position.
by upper left corner on May 2, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Conley
Look at the jump in his stats when KG & Allen were added to the roster. Compare what Conley has done at 21 years old, to what Rondo did as a rookie at 21 years old.
Another reason I like Conley, is he gives us the best chance to sign Roy & Aldridge + Oden & himself. Long term, keeping the team together.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions
Frye
I like him as a person, but if we plan on being champions we need defensive & rebound contributions from everyone. I like Turiaf personally. I don’t think we can find a better backup PF with our 1st round pick.
PG – Lawson is too small? He is the same size as Chris Paul ! So is Flynn ! Bayless looks like an undersized 2 guard, hasn’t shown much true point guard potential.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 1, 2009 11:10 PM PDT up reply actions
2 things
Frye playing 12mpg as a 3rd PF behind LMA, and Travis does not work. If you lose Travis and give all the backup PF minutes to Frye then his production goes way up. Last year he had the 2nd highest reb % on the team behind only Joel and he averaged 18mpg.
What I am saying is that as long at Travis is playing PF2, ANYBODY will not play well with only 10mpg, Lee, Bass, Milsap, anybody. You cannot get into any sort of feel for the game in a 4 min stretch.
Frye is better than anyone we will draft in the 20s and given the same amount of time Frye will kill them.
Two, we do not need a true PG, with Roy @ SG. Look at the great SGs over the years, MJ, Wade, Kobe, etc. they did/do not have true PG with them. Fisher is a championship PG and only overages about 5-6 apg. Same with Chalmers, Jason Williams, BJ Armstrong, Steve Kerr and Ron Harper. If we pick Lawson or Flynn they will take a while to develop and will be in the same boat as Bayless, a PG who needs time to develop on a top 4 team in the league.
"Damn the Blazers. Damn them to hell. They are working the rest of the league like a speed bag." - Bill Simmons 6/26/08
That is a good point about PF2
It is one of the reasons I don’t like Outlaw on our roster. Takes away from our team defense & rebounding. Just based on observations throughout the season, Frye is not the banger we need. There is a reason Roy made that comment.
Your second comment, you are looking at exceptions. Look at Adrian Dantley. He was a great scorer, but needed Isiah Thomas & a great team around him(Bad Boys) to win the championship. Sure we could try to let Bayless develop, but there are plenty examples of past teams that tried to do that & it backfired. To put us in immediate contention next year, KP should make a move for a true PG. Someone who can distribute the rock the the myriad of talent we have on this team. Roy is one of the few superstars in the NBA’s history doesn’t demand the ball, we should take advantage of that in a way to make our team much better & more balanced.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 12:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Tragedy
Dantley did win championship with Detroit. He was traded mid-season for Mark Aguirre and missed out on both championships.
Frye's first five minutes off the bench
Frye’s biggest problem this year has been that he is a slow starter off the bench; sort of Cazzie Russell in reverse. When circumstances allowed him to stay in for extended periods, he did much better, but he always seems to come in tight, and Nate did not give him enough rope to get loose.
That said, as commentators have pointed out ad nauseum, and Brandon Roy’s opinion to the contrary notwithstanding, Frye is just about the perfect backup for LMA. He is LMA’s length, plays a similar style, and likes to get the ball at the same spots on the court as LMA; so, when Frye comes in for LMA, the other players on the court don’t miss a beat, don’t need to make adjustments.
But here’s the deal. Anybody playing behind LMA over the next five to ten years will see 12-14 minutes per game maximum, and almost anybody who is any GOOD will chafe at those minutes and complain and demand “play me or trade me” and become a locker-room lawyer and cancer on team chemistry. Except Frye. Frye won’t. He’s happy to be here. He won’t complain.
You aren’t going to find a better player who fits that description.
But DeMarre Carroll will be the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year.
by monkeysuncle on May 2, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
If outlaw & frye are gone
We can give 20 minutes to the backup PF, if he commands those. A tenacious player like Turiaf fits it perfectly & already is super productive only playing 20 mpg for Golden State. Go look at his line VS Houston at the end of the season. Really could have used him.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Frye
He doesn’t provide the hustle plays. Period.
Even when Batum got a small amount of minutes, you could see him going 100% making every effort for defense & rebounding. Turiaf does.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 5:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't think it matters what Frye is or is not content with
he isn’t good enough to demand minutes
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
HAHAHA awesome typo
Joel Przybilla: Brings his lunchpale to work every day.
The Vanilla Gorilla…nobody pales in comparison :)
by Marvin100 on May 1, 2009 11:17 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Glad you enjoyed it :)
He is the Patriots Offensive lineman of the NBA. Most NFL fans should get that.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 1, 2009 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Idea:
A bigger SF that Batum could be pushed by physically. Forcing him to bulk up? That is if we trade Travis. Grant Hill is a FA…
grant hill is not going to leave phoenix
and if nelly stays in GS turiaf will stay. plus turiaf is a mini oden which is good when the block attempts work, bad when you can’t play him because of foul trouble.
"The refs have caused a bird-pig flu pandemic"
I'm not sure
Lawson would be so good because we already have a pg project in Bayless and they have a similar skill set with speed and intensity. Lawson could also get abused pretty easily by bigger pg’s at the NBA level. At that position we really can’t wait for something to develop at this point we need someone like Sessions (personal favorite) Hinrich or maybe Miller to come in like you said.
If Oden can come back next year around 265-270 instead of the bulky 285 he is now I think he can be everything we expect and maybe more. Depends on what he does in the offseason though he may decide to go back to school again.
I totally agree that Batum needs to put on more weight. That is why the Rockets were such a bad matchup. Artest was just too large and physical for him. If he puts on the weight he will be able to lock down anyone in the league.
I think the real x-factor here though is Martell. Nobody really knows how good he will be coming off the injury and it makes forecasting SF very difficult. Hopefully he comes out strong and spreads the floor for us well. I do remember him and Rudy really connecting in a few of those first pre season games and that would be great especially if we solve the pg problem and Sergio is the one to leave the team.
Great analysis
Please do not feed the B-Rex
Great points
Lawson – He has experience running a very talented team, one of the best PG’s I have seen since Chris Paul in the college game. He might take a year to develop, but he could also be rookie of the year. I have watched many of his games in college, nothing short of amazing.
Oden – I completely agree. He needs to slim down, regain his agility he had in college. I want to see improvement Greg !
Martell – Definite wildcard.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 12:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Webster Question
If Webster was finishing his senior year at UW where would he be drafted in June? Getting him back is like getting a very high lottery pick in this draft.
Where would he have been drafted
if he had the foot injury?
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/bk_AAHP110_8x10~Jamal-Crawford-Posters.jpg
When I walk down the street, people will say, "There goes BRoy... the best there ever was."
When I walk down the street, people will say, "There goes BRoy... the best there ever was."
by two buck chuck on May 2, 2009 1:13 AM PDT up reply actions
Crawford is a microwave
He would be great for us if he was cheap & we didn’t have Rudy.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I think he could start at PG for us.
Crawford, Roy, Rudy, LMA, Oden = Championship.
"There goes Brandon Roy... the best there ever was in this game"
by two buck chuck on May 3, 2009 12:03 AM PDT up reply actions
No.
We would be the pre 08-09 suns. No defense.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 3, 2009 12:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh you mean the Suns that dominated the league?
The only reason they didn’t win it all was David Stern. But, I got to thinking… In this scenario (or for you Hinrich lovers out there, plug him in) does Rudy start or do we want Martell to (or Batum)? I almost think Rudy may be a better player off the bench.. He can come in as a change of pace type of player, giving him some time to watch the game might allow him to get a sense for how he can help on the court since he pretty much does everything well. So, Martell or Batum. Tough one.
"There goes Brandon Roy... the best there ever was in this game"
by two buck chuck on May 3, 2009 1:28 AM PDT up reply actions
HAHAHAHA
They lost because they have no defense.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 3, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
No, they lost because Stern suspended Amare Staudemire AND Boris Diaw for leaving the bench area
after Horry hockey-checked Nash into the scorer’s table in the Western conference finals against the Spurs. Had Amare and Diaw played, Suns win.
I guess we got a bit off topic though.
Adding Crawford doesn’t lower our defense, and doesn’t make us into the Run-n-gun suns. We still have Oden, Pryzzy, Batum who are defense minded. Webster’s defense could prove to be good also, we’ll have to see. What Crawford brings is ridiculous offense, the ability to shoot and drive to the rim, which is something we lacked from the PG position..
"There goes Brandon Roy... the best there ever was in this game"
by two buck chuck on May 3, 2009 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
adding crawford does lower our defense
I just had a convo with “Brother Wendell” Maxey about Crawford and PDX because of the Roy ties. Wendell said (paraphrasing) that Jamal doesn’t play D and that in the 3 year he’d covered Jamal in NYC, he’d never once seen him make a sound defensive play.
By every basketball metric I could find, Wendell is right, JC plays no D.
Also, since I am quoting the man, is his website and should be required reading. He was the first to call “no moves” at the trade deadline fwiw.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
http://www.beyondthebeat.net/
bottom line people
get"the franchise"b.roy some real ballers to ball with period,you can talk except for oden about improvements all you want.oden is the only player in my opinion who gets a pass.he just needs to work on his offensive game and power moves.the rest of these jokers need to just man*up period.just be real men and stop acting like the vilnilla wafers you guys showed america most of you guys are.roy pryzbilla batu rudy and bayless ballers.oden gets a pass,the rest of these guys are just too damn soft.and i’m glad that people in the blazers organization are’nt happy with a lot of these soft guys.
ur thinking of von wafer
blazrs shu’dnt akt like von he.has a dam funy hairkut k*be wil eat him lik a shugr wafer from the hairkut dwn hes to sweet tha’ts wy kp cent him packing whut nhell am i trying tu say.
Question...
What are the odds that a big player move happens for the Blazers this offseason? 100% chance? 50% chance? It sounds like the Blazers are in a perfect position to get better this summer. Teams are in financial trouble. The Blazers are nasty deep and nasty young. KP is a genius etc…
by TrentEdwardsHoF2018 on May 2, 2009 8:42 AM PDT reply actions
the problem is
pricthard likes these soft type of players he assembled,i get the feeling that upper management finally agrees with me and coach nate.if i’m pricthard,i would swallow my pride,and get an enforcer and get a real baller or 3.but if goes by the monicker of he has to be a so called"core"guy,we’ll see something very interesting a year from now.
That makes no sense
pricthard likes these soft type of players he assembled,i get the feeling that upper management finally agrees with me and coach nate.
When has Pritchard ever said he likes “soft” players? The core is Roy, Aldridge, Oden & Batum. Everyone else is on shaky ground as far as I am concerned.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 9:12 AM PDT up reply actions
core guys
are also role players,if not then how come outlaw*blake recieved extensions 2 years agoand webster this year because they’re part of the core dude.
Plenty of players
get extensions even though they aren’t “core guys”
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions
The odds are high
because we need a 3rd scorer. That can come from any position; new PG, backup PF, even a SF where we are deep. Until Martell comes back it’s hard to know for sure but KP was flirting with V. Carter and R. Jefferson. There’a a reason for that.
I don't understand the "3rd scorer" problem...
Werent the Blazers the 6th highest scoring team in the NBA?
by TrentEdwardsHoF2018 on May 2, 2009 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions
I think we saw it in the houston series
We need a 3rd CONSISTENT scorer. A threat every single night. Outlaw vanished and despite rudy’s efforts we were screwed.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
We wanted Martell to fill that role
but it just goes to show you can’t be too deep in professional sports. When we lost him we lost the ability to take the pressure off LMA and Brandon every single game. That really set us back because no one else on the team could fill that role. So now they don’t have a choice in the matter. They have to go out and get someone no matter what happens with Martell. The worst that can happen is we let go of 4 of the current guys instead of 3 or the guy doesn’t fit and he sits till the end of the year. We are bound to improve.
Yep
And Martell is stupid young still. People forget that he’s younger than some of the people who were rookies for us this year.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
There's no hurry now to bring him back
Maybe we’ll get him back to 100%.
I hope his feet heals completely. I'm worried that it won't.
That type of injury sometimes never fully heals, or it can take years to heal.
I wonder how many wins we would have had if Martell had not been injured and had played as well as we hoped he would back in November.
i feel bad
for outlaw,he seems to be the scapegoat by coach nate for being very passive&soft.i read he had to be restrained by pryzbilla the other night.see we did’nt get the game to 4min left in the 3.rd.qt the other night.look i know coach was very frustrated with his players.but he’s to blame,why because he did’nt put his foot down,and gave this team a identity from day 1 of training camp.it’s up to you coach to give them an identity this training camp.do your damn job coach,put your damn foot down and just do it.
There is a problem
Since we drafted Travis, he has almost refused to put muscle on. If Batum goes that same route, we can expect him to be limited defensively against the bigger 3’s.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions
What are you talking about?
He’s wiry, but he hits the weight room after every game. “Refuses to put on muscle” sounds like an attitude thing, and I don’t think that’s true. It may be that tall & skinny is his body type, for better or for worse.
If you ever hear of someone punching out a girl scout and stealing her Samoas, it was me
- Mortimer
by Clevelander among roses on May 2, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
We need to play great defense to win a championship
If he does hit the weights often then … He isn’t eating enough calories & isn’t putting up large enough weights.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
Some People are just skinny
Look at Tayshaun Prince
up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter
by The Arkitect on May 2, 2009 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions
I know
and he gets dominated by big 3’s.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions
but he's still considered one of the best defenders in the NBA
Point being, I don’t think it’s the muscle that Travis lacks, I think it’s a commitment to defense. (something a lot of the players who jump from HS to the Pro’s seem to have trouble grasping(people don’t get drafted out of HS based on defensive ability unless they are 5’s)) I don’t think it’s a lost cause, Travis is still young, and has the athleticism to be an amazing help defender. If Webster comes back healthy though, I think Travis is our backup 4 which negates some of his liabilities on defense because he can out quick the opposing back up 4’s and because most back up 4’s are not one on one offensive threats.
up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter
by The Arkitect on May 2, 2009 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
Good points
Although, I would like to see a veteran low post banger on the roster. If KP keeps Travis, I think he should primarily be used at the 4. He has to learn to block out and use his athleticism to rebound. Having a big guy on the bench as an alternative to Trout for certain match-ups would limit the downside risk of Trav at the 4.
On the other hand, my biggest priority for the off-season is a savvy veteran PG who can play defense. If we need to use Trout as bait for such a trade, so be it.
by upper left corner on May 2, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah this was one of the things in your post that bothered me,
Some people just can’t gain muscle like others, it’s just his body type I think.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
Either you want to gain muscle or you don't
I guarantee you if Outlaw went to college he would have been much bigger before he was drafted.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I couldn't gain a pound for years
until my metabolism slowed when I hit 35. Now I’m trying to lose weight!
I had a great friend
Who was 160 in highschool. He came to eat at my house every day, ate my mothers delicious cooking & worked out with me too. We destroyed people in basketball & football. He was 6’1" 220 lbs after highschool, now he is out of shape, down to 200 but looks a lot worse then what he did. Travis doesn’t have the off season “want to” to become a great rebounder or defender.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Not to turn this into another Travis thread
but while I see his flaws as well as anyone, there is no denying that during the regular season, at least, when he entered the game, the other team puckered. There has to be a place on the Blazers for a guy like that.
Actually, probably not w/o PEDs.
Outlaw is a classic ectomorph (to call out the somotypes). He’s what bodybuilders call a “hard gainer.” He’s not going to get bulky with all the running he has to do all ready. He just doesn’t have the genetics necessary to get big and stay big with all the time he has to spend running and working on basketball skills.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
What do you mean by giving them an identity? It is kinda vague.
The Blazers just played an entire season without any identity at all? And if you read anything more about that situation, both Outlaw and Nate said it wasn’t as bad as it looked and that it only looked bad because Pryz grabbed him unnecessarily. I am not sure I agree with you on him being the scapegoat. I think that alot of times Outlaw plays weak defense and doesn’t crash the boards. Someone as athletic and big as him should probably be more physical so I don’t see Nate making him a scapegoat.
Can I get a headband? One for my peeps, one for the fans in the really cheap seats, one for my momma, one for the mayor, and if you wanna get down with the players, YOU GOTTA GET A HEADBAND!
it means
either you’re an offensive team like the lkaers,or your an defensive team like the cavs.the blazers have the guys to play defesive half8court in roy&aldridge.but if they decide to be an offensive type team.they’re going to surround roy with step up to the plate guys."ballers"like yao has in houston.see we don’t have a inside presence to recieve double teams on offense.and no until oden can prove to the world he can be an real inside presence,w seriously are lacking in that department.
What we could need offensively is an additional slasher who attacks the rim
Houston finished many plays directly around the basket, while we had to take jumpers from further outside (lower percentage). Currently Roy is the only one who really does.
Rudy (the way he played in Spain) or Bayless (if he cuts down on his turnovers) could be such a player for the second unit. We will see if Rudy starts more next year.
Our point guards are not (Bayless maybe, but still needs time and needs to improve other things before he starts). One of our small forwards could be that attacker for the first unit in theory, but their ball handling isn’t the best yet. And no, I include Martell in that. He had worse handles than Travis last season. Unless there is a sudden improvement after the off-season, he isn’t that player. LaMarcus could also be with his athleticism, but he doesn’t yet have the quick first step to drive by defenders. So yeah, such a player might have to be brought in via trade.
Defensively, we could need what Roy already agreed was needed: A backup banger for the power forward spot.
"The playoffs now are my grind. My grind for a championship,'' Roy said. "Whatever needs to be done to get there I'm gonna do it.''
Someone referenced Jordans Bulls
Not needing a PG, but like you said we need someone who can get by there opponent & finish at the rim at any moment. Sure Jordan didn’t have an allstart PG but he did have Pippen who had better handles then anyone on our team. Nicola has a lot of work to do in that regard.
I like Conley, due to the fact that when contract extension(keep the team together) time comes around, both will stay together. Same agent & they won’t split for more money.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions
I saw flashes of this from Martell
I hope and pray that Martell can develop a slashing game and get to the rim consistently.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
By this I mean in a couple seasons
Dude is younger than Rudy, people forget just how far from his prime he is.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
Batum
Showed more defense & rebounding then Martell showed in three seasons.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Sergio can blow by and take it inside just as well as Bayless,
and is arguably the better ball handler, but his (at first glance) fear of contact, coupled with his inability to finish at the rim negate any real value. Add his poor outside shooting and defenders have little to focus on aside from taking away passing lanes. Improving his outside shot is the only outside shot that I would give him to be an effective NBA guard.
I want to see Bayless focus solely on creating opportunities for his team mates this summer, passing, passing, and passing some more, with a little outside shooting sprinkled in. I’m sure confidence is the only real issue with his shot, and if he can add some reliable court vision to his game, the shooting should likely be just fine.
I am no longer able to participate in this discussion due to a moderators request...
by TrentEdwardsHoF2018
Nicely done
KP said he’s not expecting huge changes this summer. Not sure what that means, exactly, but I will be disappointed if the Blazers don’t do something at the SF and PG spots. It makes no sense to have three guys at each position who deserve minutes, and no stand out guys good enough to make you a championship contender. Gotta consolidate talent at those positions.
The other priority, of course, is back up PF. Hopefully a workable, good rebounding back up four can be acquired in the draft. Would love to see Dejuan Blair and his 7’3" wingspan.
There are some good point guard prospects who the Blazers may have a shot at acquiring, but at this point, does the franchise really want to spend more time developing a rookie point guard? Especially with a certified point guard confidence murderer at the helm? I think Lawson, especially, is underrated, but I’d much rather see the captain brought in.
My biggest concern is that KP may be happy with Steve running the point. I think that would be a big mistake, as far as pursuing a championship is concerned.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
I completely agree!
Great post. Having a rookie man the point is a risky idea. Like you said, with Nate at the helm. I like the captain, but not if he puts any risk into being able to sign our “big 3” long term.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Agree with your general sentiments
If I were calling the shots, I would prioritize it like this:
1) Veteran point guard: I continue to see PG defense as the biggest weakness on this team. Blake is OK against about 2/3 of the PGs in the league, but that means he is in trouble against the quicker third and needs a lot of help to keep his guy out of the paint. I do not think another rookie PG is the answer. Get a starter, trade Blake and/or Sergio plus perhaps Trout and/or Frye to get him, then give Bayless a chance to compete against the remaining guy for the back-up job.
2) Back-up PF, Channing is a great guy and he has some skill at the offensive end, but his defense is just plain lousy, and his rebounding is limited. Ideally, I would like to see a veteran PF who can board , bang, and help mentor LMA .
3) SF: I would be willing to stand pat at SF. I am hoping that Martell is ready to blossom and that Nic will develop enough offense to be a legitimate threat. I think Nic is going to be a great defender, but we can’t play 4 on 5 at the offensive end. If Martell can shoot 40% from 3, improve off the dribble and show that he can occasionally get to the rim, and play solid defense he is the solution while Nic develops his offense and grows into his body a bit more.
by upper left corner on May 2, 2009 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions
For the record
Travis Outlaw lifts after every game with Aldridge and Blake. So, I don’t think it’s a lack of effort.
The Kings have the best bench I’ve seen. There are easily 14 guys on this team good enough for every bench in the league. Now if we could only get some starters, I’d totally jizz in my pants.
Kings fan
He is pretty notorious for not working that hard during the offseason though
You know what would be amazing? If Roy said “Travis, come live at my house in Washington for three weeks and we train together in July with Jamal and some other guys” or “I come down to Starkville for a while. LaMarcus could join us, too”. Roy is possessed now to work as hard as Kobe and LeBron and other great guys according to Quick’s articles, really wanting to add something to his game every year and not take much time off. It would be great if he could instill such a drive in Travis. That would really push him along.
"The playoffs now are my grind. My grind for a championship,'' Roy said. "Whatever needs to be done to get there I'm gonna do it.''
by Norsktroll on May 2, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Amen
up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter
by The Arkitect on May 2, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions
That's Trout's rep...
But, to his credit, he had turned himself into one of the better three-point shooters in the league over the past couple summers.
I agree wholeheartedly, though, that a summer with BRoy, Trout, and LMA busting their butts together would be the best thing that could possibly happen to this franchise (other than perhaps Oden dropping 20 pounds and getting his quickness and agility back).
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
At the pg position
I think if we get a vet to lead the first unit we still have the problem of what to do with Bayless. With an even deeper bench it will be hard for him to ever see the light of day and we need him to in order to develop. If we get Hinrich or Sessions or someone do we decide to put Bayless as backup and not renew the contract for Blake?
Also it looks like Sergio is the odd man out (especially after reading Rudy’s last blog post). If he goes what does that do to Rudy? I know he will continue to play but I am worried things will get to him without Sergio around to help him out he already said he was really lonely this season. Hopefully he is friendly enough with the rest of the team now that there is not that big of a difference for him.
Please do not feed the B-Rex
I think the core is the thing
Everyone else is expendable for use in trades, free agent acquisitions or moving up in the draft. I think the core is currently Oden, Przybilla, Roy, LMA and Fernandez (not in any order). Of the rest I would keep Batum, Webster and Blake but would use them if needed to trade for a higher level player.
Batum
I put him in the core group. He is our starting SF.
If Rudy is really going to be sad/depressed we could send him to Memphis with Sergio. Who might land Rubio & they already have Marc Gasol.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions
NOOOOOO
That would give the Spaniards entirely too much playing time together and would be even harder to handle when the olympics roll around. =)
Maybe basketball just isn't your game. I know, let's have a spelling contest.
As long as it nets us a championship
They can have the Olympics :)
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 9:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Trade Blake, draft picks, and Outlaw for Parker, Sign millsap
We should try and spend our roughly 10 million in cap space on Paul Millsap. We would easily be the most feared team in the league. We would have a center and pf two headed monsters and would outrebound by even more. He is a great defender and is a terrific rebounder. Then we could trade draft picks, outlaw, and blake for tony parker.
Starting unit:Parker/Roy/Webster/Aldridge/Oden
2 unit: Bayless/Rudy/Batum/millsap/Pryzbilla
Our second unit would almost be as good as our first unit.
Saying on average each player misses around 7 games on average then these could be the minutes distributed.
Roy:35mn
Rudy:27mn
Parker:34mn
Bayless:15mn
Webster:25mn
Batum:15mn
Aldridge:36mn
Millsap:30mn
Oden:28mn
Pryzbilla:16mn
This would lead us to a championship!!!
Plus the slashing of parker would leave more wide open threes for roy, webster, and rudy.
please get it done Mr.Pritchard
by philthebballplayer on May 2, 2009 6:03 PM PDT reply actions
Millsap
He will want WAY too much money & would put us at a risk in regards to resigning Roy, Aldridge & Oden(if he improves) long term.
Parker as far as most anyone is concerned is not for sale & we would have to give a WHOLE lot more for him. Although I would love him & Batum starting + watching them in the offseason for the french national team together.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions
If value like Blake, Picks (especially late first + 2nds) and Outlaw could get Parker
Somebody would already have him. The Spurs are not blowing up to the point where they get rid of Parker, that I can guarantee. (and hopefully jinxed)
I don't see Parker
We would have to give up way too much to get him. The idea that we could just give away role players plus draft picks for Parker is totally unrealistic. It is not like San Antonio is just giving up now and there would have to be a true fire sale on pretty much their whole team to even consider getting rid of Parker especially after his performance this season. Maybe it could happen in a couple years when the Spurs do have to completely restructure due to age and Parker is going into his twilight but right now it is not happening.
Please do not feed the B-Rex
by BRoyTheNatural on May 3, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
My overall take . . .
I agree that a physical PF would be the #1 necessity for us. That doesn’t mean we get rid of Channing. I love Channing Frye not as LMA’s backup, but as his understudy. By this I mean when LMA gets hurt, Channing can step in and fill that void without disrupting our offense too much. Sure he isn’t nearly as good as LaMarcus, but he brings a lot of the same things to the table. As for guys to come off the bench, Turiaf and McDyess are great examples. I also like Brandon Bass a lot. Ultimately I think we should get someone in the draft though.
Oden already has a great big man mentor in Maurice Lucas. Sending him to a camp isn’t a bad idea but I don’t think we need to bring anyone new in. I have total confidence that we have the staff needed to develop all our young players.
The point guard dispute is interesting. Some of the players you mentioned I simply don’t look at as possibilities (DJ Augustine . . . he was picked right before Bayless less than a year ago and you’re already talking about acquiring him?), but the overall idea is a good one. I actually think Mike Bibby would be good for us if we could get him cheap, but I’d be worried about the possibility of his decline in the near future. I’d love to have Conley, but his price tag is undoubtedly high. In the end I’d like to see , blake, bayless (developing). Depending on how good said starter is, bayless could be involved in the trade to get them. Sergio simply does not and will not fit on this team since I see blake moving to backup.
Ultimately, I’d love to see a rough depth chart in a year or two looking like: /blake, roy/fernandez, webster/batum, aldridge/, oden/przybilla. Anyone not on that list is expendable to make it happen in my opinion.
One last wildcard is draft-day trades. We’re in the position to do some consolidation and grab a very good player. The 24/32 and maybe one of our 50’s could be packaged to move up nicely, and if a player was included then who knows what we could pull off.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
ugh I screwed my post up.
corrections:
“In the end I’d like to see starter, blake, bayless (developing)”
“Ultimately, I’d love to see a rough depth chart in a year or two looking like: starter/blake, roy/fernandez, webster/batum, aldridge/banger, oden/przybilla. Anyone not on that list is expendable to make it happen in my opinion.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
I like that line up
and the good thing about it is very little needs to change. The only thing that I’d do differently from you is to switch the roles of Webster and Batum. If Batum were in the starting line up that would mean that between now and 1-2 years from now his offensive game and his size (bulk not height) would have improved. That would give us a great defensive stopper in the starting five to take some pressure off of Oden and Martel would be a great scorer off of the bench a la Trout this year.
Maybe basketball just isn't your game. I know, let's have a spelling contest.
You're right
We also have to see what we get out of Martell defensively, and what we get out of Batum offensively.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
Maurice Lucas
is a good coach… For power forwards.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 8:13 PM PDT up reply actions
I can't really pretend to know how good of a coach lucas is
But I’m sure he could teach greg plenty. It wouldn’t hurt to get someone else just for oden, but I can’t really think of any hall-of-fame centers just lying around who we could grab. Maybe david robinson?
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
Oden...
Olajuwon said he is willing to teach anyone for free who is willing to commit. I know Emeka Okafor did. You have to be willing Greg. I want to see big improvement, but it is a two sided affair. I want to see KP make every move he can to put Greg in the best situation possible. Paying Ewing whatever he wants, sending Oden to the best offseason camps he can that Paul Allen’s money can buy. Even bring in Mike Conley(Who would also solve our PG issues).
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions
hah,
you’re the only one with such humility. Everyone else is convinced that it’s Mo Lucas that can’t teach Greg how to work in the post and not the microfracture limiting Greg.
How the hell do people suppose that Mo “the Enforcer” Lucas can teach someone how to be a PF but not a C? Is that extra 2 inches of height magical? Can only another C teach a C? Lucas went to work in the post every night, it’s not as if he played like Dirk Nowitski!
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on May 3, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Lucas
Weighed what 220 in his playing days? That is a SF in todays game.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 5, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions
more like 240 I'd say
Brandon Roy: Strengths-remarkably efficient player who appears to effortlessly score and facilitate. Weakness-he’s just a figment of your imagination. - Canis Hoopus
but you are right
today’s PFs are generally much larger than they were back in the day. La Russo was probably 220. – Elgin
Brandon Roy: Strengths-remarkably efficient player who appears to effortlessly score and facilitate. Weakness-he’s just a figment of your imagination. - Canis Hoopus
Thanks
for agreeing :)
Offseason:
Trade For Mike Conley Jr
Draft Kevin Seraphin/Edwin Jackson
Sign Othello Hunter & DJ Mbenga(Both for big man depth)
by TheGreatDane17 on May 7, 2009 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions
what does that have to do
with teaching a drop step or an up-and-under?
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on May 8, 2009 12:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Cap Room
Here’s my issue.
Lots of talk about signing a FA or back up. Problem is; most talk is aobut giving that new player (a role player) more money than anyone on the team currently earns. NBA is a business. Some newbie back up better not be making more than Roy, LMA or Oden. I konw they’re still on rookie contracts and will have large pay increases. But blowing your load of Cap Room on a “role player” would cripple this franchise once it comes time to sign the big 2 (hopefully big 3).
Conley
That is why I have been pimping him. He & Oden would not split for more money. They want to play together like peanut butter wants jelly.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 2, 2009 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions
my favorite
triple decker pb and grape jelly, mmmmmmm
Nice post GD17.
by keepfryealive on May 2, 2009 11:34 PM PDT up reply actions
I would love to have Mike Conley
But seriously, it’s not like we can just snap our fingers and make memphis trade him to us. He’s 21 years old, a former #4 pick who is starting to pan out, and they have their starting backcourt locked up for a decade between him and mayo. I don’t know what it would take to get him but the price would not be cheap, if it’s even possible.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
That is true
It does seem that Mayo is slowly being groomed to move to the pg position though and that could create the possibility of us being able to trade some role players to Memphis for him. They really have no second unit so it could be pretty attractive. Maybe a Trout/Blake plus sign and trade Channing for Conley/filler? I could see that flying and benefiting both teams.
Please do not feed the B-Rex
by BRoyTheNatural on May 3, 2009 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions
That was on the table earlier this season
The breakdown in negotiations was that Memphis wanted Blake and Portland wanted to include Sergio instead.
No way Memphis make the same deal now, though. Conley was out of favor, at the time, but after the coaching change and the Lowry trade, he was a stud. He’s probably unavailable now, regardless. Or, if he were, the price tag would go way up (Bayless + Trout, or something).
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
I would pull the trigger
Bayless, Outlaw, 1st round pick, Four 2nd round picks
Sign MyDyess. Sign a very cheap mentor for ’Dyess.
/offseason.
by TheGreatDane17 on May 3, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Oden looks so tempted to swat this shot
"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''
If I remember correct, He DID go for the block...
but got called for a foul …. badddum CHING!
"There goes Brandon Roy... the best there ever was in this game"
by two buck chuck on May 3, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions
a couple of teams have considered Mo for a head coaching job
So we may have to replace him
by southern oregon on May 3, 2009 12:53 PM PDT reply actions
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