Post Draft Thread

by JasonT on Jun 25, 2009 9:34 PM PDT

So this draft ended with a whimper. We ended up shipping out Sergio and acquiring Claver, Pendergraph, Cunningham, and Mills...not too splashy. However, I do think it is a sign that KP and the Blazers want to add some veterans through free agency or trade. In the end, if KP thought that a rookie in this draft wouldn't significantly contribute this season, the best move was to save our cap space and trade assets. I would look for the Blazers to make some moves in July.

So what did you guys think of the draft?

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So...

How did Dejuan Blair and Sam Young fall so fast? Weren’t they both projected as first round picks.

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 Jun 25, 2009 9:38 PM PDT reply actions

smelly pitts

by Twith on Jun 25, 2009 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Blair and his injury history with his knees and Sam Young err Old's age scared teams away

by JasonT on Jun 25, 2009 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Sam Young is already 24

and did not have great college numbers so it is not surprising he slipped

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 26, 2009 1:05 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm pretty upset about not taking Blair.

I also think Lawson is going to be really good for Denver. I’m hopeful about Pendergraph and ok with the Claver pick for the future.

by jksnake99 on Jun 25, 2009 9:43 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah...it's a head scratcher regarding Blair...

I say at least give him a shot with a second round pick. It’s not like we had to pay him, unless he could make the roster.

Lawson will be a nice backup in Denver.

by JasonT on Jun 25, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions

I didnt see that Denver move coming

great for them

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 26, 2009 1:07 AM PDT up reply actions

I felt fine about Blair...

until the Spurs picked him. I thought to myself, “KP and the Blazers know much more about all of these players than I do. There is probably a very good reason that they did not take Blair.” But when the Spurs took Blair, the logic of that thought disappeared because the Spurs also know a lot more than I do. In fact, the Spurs have a better track record of success than the Blazers.

I’m not big on judging the draft on draft night—seems unnecessary to me—but I am still confused.

by PoliSam on Jun 25, 2009 10:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Gonna make moves in July FOR SURE.

…But really? HOW could we pass up Blair not once, or twice, but THREE times. Seriously? And of course he went to the spurs. Ughk…

by Dub9 on Jun 25, 2009 9:43 PM PDT reply actions

I'm just in shock that the knee thing scared so many teams away

and when the team that picks him is the spurs, I automatically assume the ones that passed on him made a mistake.

his surgeries were in high school. he hasn’t missed a PRACTICE in 2 years. at the very least he makes more sense than the villanova guy who I refuse to name.

The Blazers as a whole are far more like my wife than like me in the sense of their physicality on defense.
-Dave

by chrischa on Jun 25, 2009 9:44 PM PDT reply actions

No kidding

The second the spurs snatched him…i thought the same thing. Unbelievable.

by Dub9 on Jun 25, 2009 9:46 PM PDT up reply actions

Does anyone know...

if the Sergio + cash trade created a trade exception?

by parkinglotj on Jun 25, 2009 9:44 PM PDT reply actions

I think so, but only for his salary this year, not the $1.6 million for next year.

by Norsktroll on Jun 25, 2009 9:49 PM PDT up reply actions

speak the words "trade exception" softly in my ear

Being ecstatic about getting a trade exception out of deal (Ruffin, February) is getting so tiresome

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not "ecstatic"

I just like to have an idea about the chips that KP holds.

by parkinglotj on Jun 25, 2009 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions

I was referring to KP and Penn

word was they were all geeked up about getting a trade exception in the Diogu deadline deal

And it may yet amount to something, but right now that’s small consolation

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions

Honestly

If we had picked Blair instead of Cunningham I would be perfectly happy. I trust Blazers management on Claver and understand the wait-and-stash rationale.

But come on! We don’t need any more small forwards! DEJUAN BLAIR MAN, we could have had him at 33! I think he would have been well worth the risk.

by austinpwnz on Jun 25, 2009 9:45 PM PDT reply actions

ABSOLUTELY!

Couldn’t agree more.

by Dub9 on Jun 25, 2009 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions

All I can think..

is that KP knew something we didn’t know about Blair, Cunningham, and Pendergraph. It appears that many other GMs were scared away as well.

by JasonT on Jun 25, 2009 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions

not RC Buford

and that’s a reverse Pritch=slap

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions

If you want to trade your draft picks...

You can’t pick players with big questions marks or you won’t be sure of their having value with the teams that you eventually want to do business with. KP has shown before he’s not scared off by claims of frailty without proof, but it just doesn’t make sense if you’re trying for a veteran.

by Decaf on Jun 25, 2009 9:45 PM PDT reply actions

Does Mills play SG at Summer league?

Nate said that B-Rex will be the PG in Vegas. Mills seems like a 6-foot gunner from what I’ve read. I don’t want him running the point, if it cuts into Bayless’ minutes down in the desert.

by parkinglotj on Jun 25, 2009 9:49 PM PDT reply actions

interesting...

they’re way too similar. mills is just less athletic…for bayless’ sake I hope he figures out how to run an offense regardless of how the summer league coaches stack the rotations.

The Blazers as a whole are far more like my wife than like me in the sense of their physicality on defense.
-Dave

by chrischa on Jun 25, 2009 9:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know how we have enough capspace for a quality backup PF

AND a starting caliber PG. we basically don’t, so I’m guessing pendergraph will get some play next season. personally I think Blair is better which is why I’m still pissed but I guess this is where you have to trust KP.

Note to everyone: its ok to doubt KP once in a while. he’s not a god. he’s capable of making mistakes and if you were to point one out, it doesn’t mean the guy’s not still a great GM or that you think you know more than him.

The Blazers as a whole are far more like my wife than like me in the sense of their physicality on defense.
-Dave

by chrischa on Jun 25, 2009 9:49 PM PDT reply actions

yep

that’s why getting a solid PF out of this draft should’ve been a priority

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Pendergraph is probably solid

but I would really like to see KP address the Blair issue

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 26, 2009 1:10 AM PDT up reply actions

right, thinking that his mentors (the Spurs) are still more savvy than the young grasshopper (KP) seems reasonable to me

by PoliSam on Jun 25, 2009 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions

A- for the first round, D+ for the second round

I like the Claver pick, although I would have preferred him in the second round. I like the Pendergraph pick. I think Mills at #55 is great value. I hate to pass up on Blair three times and end up with a guy who is basically Outlaw with less athleticism. Blair at #33 is incredible unbelievable value, even if his knees should go out in three years. You can’t sign a veteran with those rebounding skills for that money. Not even Shav or Ruffin would cost you less.

by Norsktroll on Jun 25, 2009 9:53 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

"INC" for the first round

You can’t give the Claver selection a grade until he comes over

kind of like Joe Freeland, it’s only potential until they’re out there on an NBA court

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Okay, then Inc. for the whole draft

I have seen Claver before and like what he can do. If he gets a little quicker he will be very NBA-ready. He will be on the Spanish national team this year (very likely), then we can see him play some more against top teams in the EuroBasket.

by Norsktroll on Jun 25, 2009 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions

but like with Freeland

if Claver does well in Europe the Blazers could easily get outbid for his services

Not every Euro has a burning desire to play in the NBA, like Rudy

KP stashing Euros for a rainy day reminds me of putting your trust in the future’s market

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions

That's why I wanted to pick him in the second round. Then you can pay him what you want (or at least up to the MLE)

Which is better than almost any European contract. Even J.C. Navarro only makes $5 million playing for Barcelona, while Claver players for a mid-league team.

by Norsktroll on Jun 26, 2009 12:04 AM PDT up reply actions

am I dumb on this

or cant we wait 3 years and then do the same thing even if he was first round?

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 26, 2009 1:12 AM PDT up reply actions

Bayless is the future, but Blazers fans will love Mills

Mills is a blur up and down the court. He’ll have to make the transition from being a shoot first PG to a pass first PG to fit in with the Blazers.

There are a few differences between Bayless and Mills though. Mills is more comfortable shooting the ball from a deeper range and has more developed PG skills than Bayless at this stage. Bayless seems more committed to defense. Mills reminds me a lot of Aaron Brooks.

Interesting about the PF’s we picked up…they both are fairly mobile, work hard, and are smart bball players. Clearly the Blazers didn’t think Channing or Outlaw could effectively defend the post off the bench and didn’t want just another low post space eater in Blair who will have trouble defending the pick and roll in the nba.

by VegasNed on Jun 25, 2009 9:58 PM PDT reply actions

I like Mills better than Bayless. He's proven in international play that he can

beat elite NBA PGs off the dribble and defend them. I really don’t see how Bayless fits in here with our team. He can’t shoot and can’t run the point.

On Mills:

“He’s good,” said Chris Paul, whose poster is on Mills’s wall.

“Man, he’s fast. I read something that says he’s faster than me. They’re probably right. He can move.”

It is a measure of Mills’s performance that US coach Mike Krzyzewski could not stop raving about the young indigenous point guard after the game.

“I’m glad my (Duke) team doesn’t play St Mary’s next year, I can tell you that,” Krzyzewski said.

“He’s a great guard. He’ll be an NBA guard. I’m very, very impressed. He really has great quickness. And I love him defensively. I’ve been a defensive coach my whole life and there aren’t very many people who stay with the guard, like right on him, when he has the ball, and if he’s beaten, he doesn’t retreat, he continues to play the play.

“He’s got to be an extremely tough-minded kid. But as good as he is offensively, he’s got a chance to be a great defender. I think the kid has got a big-time future, quite frankly.”

by Rudy4three on Jun 25, 2009 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions

I like Mills. But he can't shoot better than Bayless from what I have seen in games in stat sheets. He isn't a pure point either.

by Norsktroll on Jun 25, 2009 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Neither guy seems to be able to shoot consistently from the perimeter.

I just think Mills can be more of a true PG than Bayless. Plus I like that Mills has gotten praise from guys like Coach K, who I respect.

Mills has elite speed. Bayless doesn’t have elite anything.

by Rudy4three on Jun 25, 2009 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Elite athleticism? Elite work ethic?

by Norsktroll on Jun 25, 2009 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Elite work ethic? When Mills hits the floor he is right there with Parker and Paul

as fastest man with a bball in his hands.

I don’t think Bayless is top 3 or top 5 in the NBA in anything.

If we’re going to praise work ethic, I guess we can say Mills has elite leadership since everyone raves about him in that sense.

by Rudy4three on Jun 25, 2009 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Norsk is right on this one

his athleticism is top notch, as well as his work ethic and determination to be the best player he can be.
Mills could eventually be a very solid PG in the league, but as far as supplanting Bayless, I just can’t see it.

"Smile! You're on a poster!!" - Mike Rice

by lefty6283 on Jun 25, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Based on what though. All we know about Bayless is he can jump out of

the gym. He hasn’t shown any showing ability, mid range game, passing ability, or great defense.

It’s nice that he wants to be the best, but that doesn’t mean he has the skillset to be the best.

by Rudy4three on Jun 25, 2009 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions

*shooting

by Rudy4three on Jun 25, 2009 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions

In college Bayless had a good outside shot

I love that people now take what is likely the worst year of his career in the NBA, and compare that with what other players did in college. Coming out of college everyone thought Bayless would be amazing. Guess it takes him some more time, just like most players.

Nobody can say yet who of these college PGs drafted tonight will be able to best translate his game to the NBA. Maybe it’s Evans. Or Lawson. Or Curry. Or Mills. All very different players at different stages in their development.

by Norsktroll on Jun 25, 2009 10:46 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Well said

by parkinglotj on Jun 25, 2009 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions

#1 in staring contests

books on it!

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 26, 2009 1:14 AM PDT up reply actions

Bayless will get some international competiton

for team USA (or, at least he’s in the tryouts)

Can you believe this, Mills is a Blazer for less than an hour and there’s already a debate re: “who’s better, Patty or Jerryd?”

it never ends

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions

he scrimmages against them

he is not in the pipe line for the team

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on Jun 26, 2009 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions

There are a few differences between Bayless and Mills though.

you mean, like 3 inches and 30+ pounds of muscle?

Patty has a nice Aussie accent, by Crikey

by two4larue on Jun 25, 2009 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Transition for Mills

Mills was asked to do a lot at St. Mary’s with average talent around him and he certainly forced up more shots from the perimeter than he should have. However, if you surround him with talent I think he could take off. I imagine him coming off a pick and roll in the 2nd unit, driving into the lane and kicking out to Rudy, Webster, or Outlaw for the 3 ball. He could add some offensive stability to the 2nd unit.

There’s no question that he has the quicks to get into the lane…will he able to adjust his game to utilize his teammates’ strengths, or will he continue to be a shoot first PG?

And yes, Mills is small and slight and definitely won’t consistently look to draw contact like Bayless in the lane. Although he did go to the line 13 times in one of the Eurocamp games a few weeks ago.

by VegasNed on Jun 25, 2009 10:16 PM PDT reply actions

I agree. You put talent around him and he's at worst a good NBA backup.

He has a special skill with his quickness. And probably could become a damn good perimeter defender under Nate.

Personally, if I had the choice and had to pick one, I’d take Mills over Bayless any day.

I hope we have three PGs (Blake and somebody via trade) on the opening day roster and Mills is that #3 guy

by Rudy4three on Jun 25, 2009 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions

The moves fit the day

We got a guy that will be oversees (don’t need him here) and we got a couple of guys that can bang on the inside. Look how effective Luis Scola of the Rockets was against us. Dante Cunningham is more athletic and more aggressive. Pendergraph probably has the more polished offenisive game, but it will be a great battle this summer for the back-up “4” minutes. Patty Mills is an experienced player who can get some minutes in Boise or somewhere during the season. So, I’m pretty pleased. Now can we please get a guard that plays “D” to teach JBay. RIP CITY!

by Chris-8ally on Jun 25, 2009 10:58 PM PDT reply actions

patty mills is a steal

i have watched a lot of basketball and the only player that i have seen live who is as fast as patty would be the warriors monta ellis. Patty is awesome in the open court. i had the pleasure of watching him for the last two years at my alma mater saint mary’s college. i believe his game is made for the nba. his speed allows him to get an open shot whenever he wants, he is a very good passer and will be even a betterr passer now that he has teamates that can keep up with him. he will bring great energy when he enters the game. best of all he is a great person off the court, he has great character. no one will out work patty in practice. i see him as a back up for a couple years and then a starter with many great years ahead of him. what a steal many teams will regret passing on patty!!!

by sss on Jun 26, 2009 12:45 AM PDT reply actions