Trade Drawer: The answer is the Clippers!?!?!?

by Taskmaster on Jun 1, 2009 8:45 PM PDT

It is widely known, and the Clippers have even admitted, that Griffin is going to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft. They have a problem, in a sense. Their starter, Al Thornton, averages about 17ppg, with 5 rebounds to boot. Griffin seems to be too small to work the PF spot, so if they want to move him to SF, Thornton may either be a bench player, or maybe have to be traded.

The question: Is Thornton the answer for the Blazers?

Draft Profile

A super-athletic forward who plays with great intensity. Is an excellent perimeter defender who can bust out for big games offensively. Has developed his upper body strength well and possesses an NBA ready body. He does a great job of getting rebounds when he’s not in perfect of position; thanks to his leaping ability and foot speed. Has shown some shot-blocking ability this season. Has an explosive first step which allows him to blow by defenders when he faces up and converts easily around the basket. His jumper has 3 point range. Needs to work on his ball handling skills, rebounding, and consistency with his jump shot.

I think that I like this trade for the blazers definitely:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=noz2ct

Now, if we add some second round picks to that, or maybe our first, i think that we can even out the trade to make it more appealing to the Clippers. Jordan is a high upside big man that can play the backup PF for us, and perhaps develop into a solid center if Oden happens not to.

What do you guys think? Yay or Nay?

Poll

Would Thornton be a good asset for the Blazers?

Nay, Batum/Webster will hopefully be more valuable to this team along the road.

140 votes

Yay, Thornton adds a 3rd scoring option that the Blazers seemed to lack last season.

30 votes

Which one means yes?

11 votes

181 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

um....no..

The problem with Blake Griffin is not Al Thorton, its Zach Randolph. Hes the guy that they need to trade. Thorton is going no where. I also dont think he would improve this team in any way.

by ggassen85 on Jun 1, 2009 8:57 PM PDT reply actions

and Blake Griffin

is a PF, not a SF. No one has ever said that he is too small to be a PF. He is actually almost the perfect type of PF that you would want. Hes a rebouding machine, and scores all his points in the paint.

by ggassen85 on Jun 1, 2009 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions

When your own owner

calls you out as the most selfish player he’s ever seen, chances are you’re not going to be able to contribute to a winning team. But maybe that’s just me.

by Royster on Jun 1, 2009 8:58 PM PDT reply actions

The Clippers owner is not that basketball

saavy in my opinion. Business saavy, yes. Basketball saavy, no.

Certified blazer.fangirl

by Roybot on Jun 1, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions

hes also a racist

by ggassen85 on Jun 1, 2009 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah, this guy needs to be taken out of the league.

The Clippers should move to a city that actually needs a team, and they should change their name and colors and start from scratch.

by sagcat on Jun 1, 2009 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Exactly.

I read the article in ESPN magazine. He is disgusting.

Certified blazer.fangirl

by Roybot on Jun 1, 2009 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Me too.

He’s a kook.

"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."

by GonzoFan on Jun 1, 2009 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't mean to imply that Sterling

is basketball saavy or anything but a largely despicable human being, but he’s had tons of knuckleheads playing for him, and Thornton is the first one to provoke a tirade about his selfishness.

by Royster on Jun 2, 2009 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions

did he say that about Thornton?

Cause wow, he’s got Zach right there for comparison.

by sagcat on Jun 1, 2009 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Selfishness is contagious

by tcwoods on Jun 1, 2009 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions

I still say, in my fantasy world .....

Caron Butler is the new Starting SF for out Portland trailblazers

by blazerbeliever97504 on Jun 1, 2009 9:55 PM PDT reply actions

Errr

our*

by blazerbeliever97504 on Jun 1, 2009 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions

I would expect the Wizards to trade Jamison before him, since Butler is younger and has the better contract

Which wouldn’t be a bad thing. Jamison was one of the top 15 scorers in the league last year (in fact he was on a level with BRoy) and can play 3/4 at least as good as Travis ever will.

by Norsktroll on Jun 2, 2009 7:41 AM PDT up reply actions

Wouldn't the Wizards do a Travis & Frye (S&T) and pick for Jamison deal?

They could use Travis as the first guy off the bench to backup Butler which would enable them to play Nick Young full time as a shooting guard (his natural position) and maybe trade Stevenson to a team that gives them a pick for him or in a package to get rid of another guy they want to move. They can develop Blatche as their future power forward, with Travis (if they need more shooting), Frye and the useless Oleksiy Pecherov on the bench.

I know their plan is to have one season with their “big three” together, but where does that really lead them in a conference with Orlando, Boston and Cleveland?

by Norsktroll on Jun 2, 2009 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Why not.

It is not as ideal as Butler, but as you pointed out, it is a lot more realistic.

It wouldn’t break the bank either.

I heart taxes.

by everett on Jun 2, 2009 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions

You know

Im thinking a few years from now the clippers are going to be in a very good place, they will fire Isaiah have a few nice expiring contracts, a lot of young talent and the money to spend in FA on Lebron…. oh wait this is LA not NY oh well same story different GM

Draft Cole Aldrich 2010

by jlarose78 on Jun 1, 2009 9:57 PM PDT reply actions

Isiah?...

Offseason:
(T)Mike Conley Jr
(T)Reggie Evans
(D)Taj Gibson
(D)Kevin Seraphin
(D)Jerel McNeal/Lester Hudson

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 1, 2009 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Walsh is a million times better

then what the clips have

Offseason:
(T)Mike Conley Jr
(T)Reggie Evans
(D)Taj Gibson
(D)Kevin Seraphin
(D)Jerel McNeal/Lester Hudson

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 1, 2009 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions

I think they are going to have a real hard time finding

A toxic waste dump that would take ZBO and his obese contract and I wouldnt want Thornton unless it was a fire sale and trade him thing

by southern oregon on Jun 1, 2009 10:06 PM PDT reply actions

yup. good luck moving Z-bo, that horrid contract, and the hoops family in this economy. its a buyers market.

by dario argento on Jun 2, 2009 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Dan Patrick show, earlier today

They were asking if you could be the owner of the Yankees, Mancester U, etc which would you choose?

Easy answer for me. I’d buy the Lakers from Jerry Buss. Fire Phil Jackson (or piss him off so he would leave, take his thone away, etc) Then hire Isiah Thomas. Maybe Elgin Baylor, too. Tell them to keep Kobe, but slash the payroll. Get John Nash to be the draft coordinator. And bring in MIke Dunleavy and PJ Carlesimo to coach ’em.

How fabulous are my dreams?

by two4larue on Jun 1, 2009 10:15 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs

I'm confused.

6’10" in shoes with a solid frame… how exactly is he too small to be a PF?

"Respect everyone, fear no one." -TP

by Arby on Jun 1, 2009 10:24 PM PDT reply actions

Power forwards

i think people are constantly parnoid that a pf will be too small, they all can’t be aldridge’s size. rebounding has much less to do with height and more to do with toughness and motor. Griffen is going to be a beast

by StocktonNEP on Jun 2, 2009 9:00 AM PDT up reply actions

He's really 6'8"-ish

With Bayless-arms.

He could still make it work (the wingspan will hurt him more than the actual height), but it’ll be waaay different than what he was able to do in college over much smaller opponents.

Morty

by Mortimer on Jun 2, 2009 9:53 AM PDT up reply actions

If you don't like Outlaw's BBIQ

(and I think he’s ok), you’ll HATE Thornton.

Thornton makes bad decisions and lots of foolish goaltends. He’s not an efficent scorer, nor is he a defender. He’s a clipper.

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

by HurraKane212 on Jun 1, 2009 10:25 PM PDT reply actions

And, he's a year older than Outlaw

Thornton was a 24 year old rookie, so while his game might be promising (if overrated, like Gay is) in a 21 year old, he’s actually turning 26 this next season.

He takes a lot of bad jumpers, doesn’t play defense (whether it’s because he’s on the Clippers or whatever, it doesn’t matter… he’s 25 and plays no defense), and if he isn’t scoring he isn’t doing anything else. He looks nice when dunking, though, but his jumper is wiggety whack.

I actually saw Thornton at the mall on Sunday (no foolin’). This reminds me that I need to check his pre-draft measurements because he looked shorter than he’s ’sposed to be I think.

He was wearing basketball shorts in the Kings colors, so we should start a rumor that he is headed to the Kings.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jun 2, 2009 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Ok, looked him up

He’s really 6’5.75" without shoes, which jibes with how he looked when I saw him. He is listed as 6’8".

So, he’s shorter, older, and does less than Outlaw.

He has talent and great physical attributes, but I think the situation he was in before has made his raw numbers look better than they really are.

Morty

by Mortimer on Jun 2, 2009 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

don't know where you got that, official NBA combine measurement is 6'8.5" in socks and 6'10" in shoes

by rip_city_swagger on Jun 2, 2009 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Right here:

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2007&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=

He’s not even listed on NBA.com as 6’10", he’s listed at 6’8", so I don’t think he was measured as 6’10" in shoes.

Morty

by Mortimer on Jun 2, 2009 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions

If I was offered Batum for Thornton straight up

I still wouldn’t take it.

"Respect everyone, fear no one." -TP

by Arby on Jun 1, 2009 10:26 PM PDT reply actions

I like the outside-the-box thinking

But I don’t like Thorton at all. Plays no D, and tends to take whole quarters off, effort-wise. I know, it’s hard to stay motivated playing for the Cs, but his drive is often unacceptable.

And that’s before you consider losing Nic, who is just invaluable when you consider he’s on the rookie pay scale.

by samuelleejackson on Jun 1, 2009 11:31 PM PDT reply actions

Batum>Thornton

Lets get on to the next idea …

Offseason:
(T)Mike Conley Jr
(T)Reggie Evans
(D)Taj Gibson
(D)Kevin Seraphin
(D)Jerel McNeal/Lester Hudson

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 1, 2009 11:47 PM PDT reply actions

Terrence Williams, Payton Vouching/Training with him

http://www.freep.com/article/20090530/SPORTS03/905300365/1051/Louisville+s+Terrence+Williams+takes+a+big+leap+into+NBA+draft+spotlight

Williams, who signed with agent Aaron Goodwin, is working out in Las Vegas with former NBA star Gary Payton. Williams, a Seattle native, got to know Payton when the All-Star guard played for the Sonics and played on Payton’s AAU team.

Offseason:
(T)Mike Conley Jr
(T)Reggie Evans
(D)Taj Gibson
(D)Kevin Seraphin
(D)Jerel McNeal/Lester Hudson

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 1, 2009 11:56 PM PDT reply actions

Can Williams be our PG?

He has the vision, defense, rebounding… Payton wasn’t much of a 3pt shooter either.

Offseason:
(T)Mike Conley Jr
(T)Reggie Evans
(D)Taj Gibson
(D)Kevin Seraphin
(D)Jerel McNeal/Lester Hudson

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 1, 2009 11:59 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

major off-court problems with him, and KP only drafts character guys

by rip_city_swagger on Jun 2, 2009 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Proof?

I have heard it before, no proof

Offseason:
(T)Mike Conley Jr
(T)Reggie Evans
(D)Taj Gibson
(D)Kevin Seraphin
(D)Jerel McNeal/Lester Hudson

by TheGreatDane17 on Jun 2, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Dont think so

I would love him to be on the team and have said many times i think we should draft him. As point guard I dont really see it. It is possible though..
Good idea

by quezadaz on Jun 2, 2009 8:31 PM PDT up reply actions

I will leave that up to KP

I will go with who ever KP vouches for

"Knowledge will get you from A to B. Creativity will get you anywhere." Einstein

by Garden of ODEN on Jun 2, 2009 2:27 AM PDT reply actions

I want smart players

so NO

by Falcao on Jun 2, 2009 5:54 AM PDT reply actions

He was the least productive player in the league in terms of Wins Produced last season

It’s not my favorite metric and I doubt he really was the worst of ALL players in the league, maybe just of those seeing significant minutes on a really bad team. But it’s not a promising sign either.

http://www.wagesofwins.com/BottomTen2009.html

Obviously Thornton and the Clippers struggled this year. But as we scan down the list we can that the Clippers’ problems are not all about Thornton. In addition to Thornton, the LA Clippers employed Ricky Davis (ranked 7th), Tim Thomas (ranked 11th and a Clipper for part of the year), and Steve Novak (ranked 31st). So although the Clippers also employed Marcus Camby (the 13th most productive player in the game), the abundance of unproductive players did much to limit this team’s success.

by Norsktroll on Jun 2, 2009 8:00 AM PDT reply actions