Top Prospects decline workouts with Portland...

by Portland Dynasty on Jun 6, 2009 10:55 PM PDT

This is from www.RealGM.com wiretaps....

this is the article, but here is what it says:

"A number of top prospects have declined workouts with the Trail Blazers, citing the team's successful young roster.

"We're fighting to get some of these kids in for workouts," said Chad Buchanan, Portland's director of college scouting.

After having more than 15 separate workouts prior to last season's NBA Draft, the Blazers have a total of just eight scheduled this year.

"The agents are saying, 'Where is my guy going to play for you guys? I understand you like him and you may move up (in the draft) to get him, but I don't know if I want him playing for you,'" Buchanan said. "Even though we have a history of being able to move up in the draft to get the (prospect) we like, we're having trouble bringing guys in for workouts."

Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard and his staff attended two "Supercamps" in Oakland and Minnesota, where they were able to evaluate 68 prospects."

Really? This is what "the kids these days are saying"... All I know is, if a player literally doesn't want to play for an up and coming team they are too much of an egotistical idiot. Really? The best fans in the NBA, one of the Top-5 arena's and one of the RICHEST owners in hoops and you are too good because you are scared to play with this up and coming franchise. Any player Portland brings in this offseason can become part of the core and yet some of the young prospects are scared to "risk" joining this team? I think it is weak, but lets be honest.... the success of the Blazers is starting to scare some away...

Has anyone read anywhere else who might have turned down the Blazers? Maybe this is why Portland is actually looking to trade out of this years first round?

This is the first report I have read saying that prospects don't want to "waste their time" working out with Portland... has anyone read this in other places on the web? What do you think about this and the impact it could have on Portlands ability to negotiate?

How much do you think Bayless' situation this season is weighing on kids or agents shying away from Portland as a "potential destination"?

Poll

What is going to happen with Portland in the first round of the 2009 Draft?

Portland trades out of the 1st round this year all together

36 votes

Portland trades up in the 1st round this year,picking higher than #24

62 votes

Portland trades #24 pick, but buys another 1st rounder to use

12 votes

Portland actually picks and keeps the player at #24

25 votes

135 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

1st vote and comment. yay! this is my first time doing such a thing!

i think they will trade up for Rubio. Yep

by rolo_poloo on Jun 6, 2009 11:00 PM PDT reply actions

Some refusals I can understand

I believe players/agents pay out of pocket to travel to these workouts, and maybe also for a hotel room too. If a team isn’t predicted to pick in your range, then why should you waste resources working out w/ them? Especially Portland as the nearest team to us are Sacto and GS who are not picking anywhere near us.

That said, its ridiculous for a player to decline an invite from a team that ACTUALLY MAY pick them w/ little to no maneuvering. So what if you’re a talented SG who may not see minutes right away? If you’re a great player you’ll get played, and paid to do so. Maybe not by Portland, but you can learn from one of the best and see firsthand what it takes day-in and day-out to be the best. Then when an injury happens (and there almost always is) you can show what you have and get interest from a team that CAN use you more. This goes for C’s too.

PF’s would have a role, so I doubt there are many shunning us. PG’s could come into play immediately IF talented enough, same w/ SF.

"I don’t have the first clue who he is talking about, because all I worry about is Jerome." – Jerome James, on comments by coach Nate McMillan about Seattle SuperSonics players being selfish.

by Devenex on Jun 7, 2009 12:12 AM PDT reply actions

I can understand why players would want to avoid playing on a talented team

On a less talented team, some of these players would be starters or at least solidly in the rotation. After they play there for a few years and their rookie contracts ends, they will be proven players who will be able to get a fairly large 2nd contract.

On the Blazers, these same players would be 11th/12th men who rarely get off the bench. When their rookie contracts end, these players would probably still be unproven in the NBA and would either have to settle for a minimum contract or end up in D-League/Europe.

Most players would rather play for a good team than for a bad team, but there is a difference between actually playing on a good team and just watching from the bench.

by trk on Jun 7, 2009 1:49 AM PDT reply actions

I agree with this

it is all about the money, The story said the Agents for these drafties were saying “why would I send my guy to you?” Agents are there to get their players the most money, rookie deals are good money, but nothing compared to the 2nd contract. Bayless is good, but if he doesn’t get playing time over the next 2 or 3 years, his 2nd contract will be far shy of other players in his draft class who went to bad teams and played 30 mins a night, someone like OJ Mayo, who I believe Bayless is just as good as if not better, will get a larger contact extention.

Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by usmcr3049 on Jun 7, 2009 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions

makes sense

these kids have no attachment to Portland or Oregon. They want to play basketball. Getting stuck behind Brandon Roy or Aldridge or Oden or even Blake or Bayless or Batum isn’t what they want. They have a pretty short window, and they’ll be tied down for years with whoever drafts them. You can say they should compete for their time, but sometimes minutes just aren’t there on one team to be competed for.

This is just the sort of problem that comes with having a stacked young roster: late lottery types don’t see the best opportunity to thrive on your team. I think I can live with that.

by matthewcc on Jun 7, 2009 6:37 AM PDT reply actions

yeah, this is just common sense

you’re not gonna find too many rookies who are more focused on winning championships than just becoming a successful NBA player. You could make them sound humble or greedy depending on how you look at it. I just think most people would look for the greatest opportunity to “make it” in this league and sitting on the bench behind established players does not represent that opportunity.

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 7, 2009 8:58 AM PDT reply actions

Agents are only thinking of short term

If the Agents were smart they would be thinking longterm, any player with a championship ring and playoff expieriance is going to get paid more then one who doesn’t and if there players are half as good as they think they are then they will earn playing time

Draft Cole Aldrich 2010

by jlarose78 on Jun 7, 2009 2:09 PM PDT reply actions

please cite the original article next time…
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/06/top_draft_prospects_decline_to.html

Blazers Edge.com

by Ben Golliver on Jun 7, 2009 3:01 PM PDT reply actions

I did site it....

all you needed to do was click the work article in red, that is linked to the exact same thing that you pasted here… I learned how to use the linking functions better than posting the entire web-address and now people are confused?

by Portland Dynasty on Jun 9, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions

This is not really surprising

The Blazers have been used to getting first-class treatment from draftees because of their high/lottery draft picks. Chances that Portland is going to move up to select any particular player are extremely small. There’s less than zero percentage in the top-flight prospects working out for Portland. I say “less than zero” because in many ways the LESS people see of these players the more room for mystique and overvaluing. Players with bad reputations want to work out as much as possible to dispel them. Players with good reputations, which by definition all of the top guys have this year, want to work out as little as possible. If you’re slated for the top three you don’t want to be seen in public until somebody calls your name on draft day and you get to shake David Stern’s hand. You can only go down from your current perch.

—Dave

by Dave on Jun 7, 2009 10:15 PM PDT reply actions