It's Official: Andre Miller to Portland
by Ben Golliver on Jul 24, 2009 4:34 PM PDT
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PrintPress Release from the team...
TRAIL BLAZERS SIGN ANDRE MILLER
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Andre Miller to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are excited to add a player of the caliber and character of Andre Miller," said Pritchard. "He is one of the league's ironmen who brings a wealth of veteran leadership to our team and is a great fit for our young and improving roster."
Miller (6-2, 205, Utah) holds career averages of 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.38 steals in 815 games (768 starts) during his 10 NBA seasons with Cleveland, L.A. Clippers, Denver and Philadelphia.
"I'm really excited for this opportunity with the Trail Blazers and look forward to working with my new team," said Miller. "I hope to provide veteran leadership to a young talented nucleus and help Portland take the next step in the pursuit of a championship."
Originally selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the eighth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Miller is tied for the 16th highest assists average (7.4) in NBA history and is currently fourth among active players. He has also played in 530 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NBA. Miller has missed just three games in his career.
Miller, 33, has 174 career double-doubles and averaged one for Cleveland in 2001-02 (16.5 ppg, 10.9 apg) while leading the NBA in assists that season.During the 2008-09 season, Miller averaged 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.33 steals and shot 47.3 percent from the floor in 82 games (all starts). He ranked 14th in the NBA in assists, 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.68) and tied for 15th in steals. Miller recorded 12 double-doubles last season, including two triple-doubles.
Miller averaged 21.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.17 steals in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. He has career postseason averages of 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.30 steals in 27 games (all starts).
Kevin Pritchard is having a conference call this evening. Here are a few of his comments...
"Nate and myself had a long dinner and was absolutely convinced he was part of Blazers fabric going forward"
"He's an ironman... he makes everyone around him better... reminds me a little bit of Avery Johnson"
"We wanted to keep this 54 win team together and just add to it. Get some experience. Andre's been in big games.
"i don't see many moves. there could be smaller free agent signings... we really like [our roster]... good depth at every position."
"We were impressed with his leadereship ability."
"I would call this [signing] a Plan C."
"Andre was terrific. He knew our team. He knew how he could help our team. He seemed like a coach. Nate and him hit it off in the first five minutes. I got out of the conversation."
"He's more of a team defender now than he has ever been before. He's able to send guys to their weaknesses. Quite frankly, we've got some big guys that really defend the paint and do a good job on the boards. We think he's going to be fine there."
"We can say it's a 3 year deal. As he gets older it's important he understands his role."
"Nate felt great about the meeting. One of the things we do is debate pretty hard, the merit of each deal. Nate was fully on board with this and you can tell the chemistry they had in the dinner we had."
"He just has that basketball savvy and knowledge that young guys need to see. He can make Greg Oden better. He can make Nicolas Batum, he can get shots for Rudy Fernandez, Brandon, LaMarcus. He said all that in the meeting. He couldn't have said it any better."
"His leadership is something we'll lean upon."
"I know we'll be a better team throughout the season and hopefully into the playoffs."
In response to a question about Bayless's role: "It's going to be competitive at every position. Nate has been pretty demonstrative in that. Good competition leads to better play."
"There's going to be competition at that point guard position. I'm not saying Andre is going to be the starter. I didn't say that. Nate didn't say that in the meeting."
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
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Comments
I'm excited about having a proven floor general
Not a great three point shooter, but so what?
Let’s light this candle.
dude
that is sick! Ricky I can see, but a pg blocking Dirk at the basket?
wow…
I have my P.h.D in unreliable hyperbole.
by Eat Politicians on Jul 24, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm excited about having a proven floor general
I was trying to think of the last time the Blazers had a PG with Miller’s skillset, and I had to go back to Rod Strickland. I know Roy has PG skills and Scottie Pippen brought some veteran leadership from the guard position, but I think from Strickland to MIller the Blazer’s PG position has been mediocre, at best
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
DAMON!!!
shame on you two4larue.
wasn’t damons fault he was short. but he was dam good for what he was.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
what was Stoudamire?
not a distributing PG, really.
Damon was a SG in a PG’s body. Scottie Pippen actually played “PG” for those teams
If we’re talking about a PG who penetrate and finish at the rim, as well as make the other players around him better, you have to go back to Strickland to find a PG with Miller’s skillset in a Blazer uniform
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
ohhhhhh, my bad homie....
I’m just a sucker for misunderstanding things.
your right. I almost forgot allllllll about pippen his height alone kept him out of my pg thoughts .
my appoligies. and I will take the issued shame :( :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
no problem
people tend to think Damon was a PG because he “looks” like a PG, but if you remember how he played you realize he was a scoring guard, first and foremost. (I think he once had 54 points in a game, or something?)
Rod and Andre are “real” PGs, and it’s nice to have one of those again after all these years…Miller can pass like Sergio but he has an all-around game to go with it
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
.26 3pt% doesn't qualify you for "all-around" game...missing piece
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 24, 2009 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions
well when ya go and point out the one bad spot n don't mention the brighter points...
I’m thinkin that he’s only missed somethin like 3 games his entire career…. that’s a big + yeah? provided it stays a constant, but in anycase, it’s fairly well rounded other than that :) … corupppptt VVV proved it via nba live!!! /s
but really though…. that’s like saying blake isn’t solid becuase he can’t guard aaron brooks… or that roy sucks becuase he whines to the officials more than he used to.
sort of no?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Pritchard was just on the radio telling how ALM was giving examples
to him and Nate as to how he could create opportunities for particular players in Portland’s set plays. That’s scary good considering he was still the ‘opposition’ at the time of the meeting!
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
In NBA basketball, it is not about the plays themselves as much as it is about the execution. don’t you think most experienced floor leaders could do that for any team in the league?
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
not necessarily for a team i only see 2 times a year.
not unless i watched some tape to refresh my memory, which perhaps he did. Anyhoot, it left quite an impression on Nate and KP – but what in the heck do they know. right?
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
fair enough
But it’s not like we heard about them having meetings with other available veteran floor leaders, did we?
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
pick and roll
easy buckets…..half court playoff offense
"show me a good loser and i'll show you a loser" - coach
it's miller time!
i recommend that all bedgers enjoy a delicious high life tonight in honor of our newest blazer.
GG MFer!
-joel przybilla
Count me in!
"be where you are when you're there"
by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Jul 24, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions
there ya go
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Wasn't my first choice.
Nor my third or fourth for that matter.
But now that it’s done, He’s my guy.
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
by T Darkstar on Jul 24, 2009 4:39 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
I'm happy with this move
Andre Miller is experienced and unselfish and doesn’t get hurt. He’ll be good for the team.
ignacio
I am excited to see how scary a backcourt of Roy and Miller can be.
Plus with Stevie Blake backing Miller up, we are more than “ok” at the 1.
woa woa woa
Blake backing up Miller?? I don’t think so.
Sometimes I wonder if there could be really
UFO's that come from other planets-- CTD's
Right.
It might be Bayless, with Blake in Charlotte.
by Free Bayless on Jul 24, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Ha ha very funny indeed
Don’t assume my man Blake is just going to concede the starting position to Miller because hot dog prices just went up 50%
Sometimes I wonder if there could be really
UFO's that come from other planets-- CTD's
I didnt know they sold pop sickles at the Rose Garden
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
more likely bayless in Charlotte or somewhere else
Truth never was or can be propagated by fire and sword - Albert Gallatin
Or Andre and Rudy and Marty and Travis on the break!!
Best of all the added mental toughness, and hardened experience.
I've scoured the 'net...
…looking for all the relevant stats. This guy is a serious upgrade. I’m glad it’s only two years, but it puts us in contention in the division with a content Nuggs squad. We might even win in Denver next year
The real question is
Are the Hinrich trade ideas going to stop?
"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"
Probably not.
I think we can still trade Blake, Outlaw and Bayless for Hinrich….
:p
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
KP said he likes the team as it stands, give or take a vet free agent. Which might mean another big guy for the minimum, or Freeland
“i don’t see many moves. there could be smaller free agent signings… we really like [our roster]… good depth at every position” — KP
and if you believe that
you probably also believe it when KP said that no deals were imminent, the day before yesterday
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
oh please no
bayless leaves over my dead body
by thomasikehara on Jul 24, 2009 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not sure..
I don’t see how there are enough minutes for Chris Paul, Hinrich AND Miller
by 2005TelfairJerseyForSale on Jul 24, 2009 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions
I hope so
Big D from Blog-A-Bull - "Pritchard is such a genius that teams just give him players for free."
Greg Oden - The only other rookie with more than 500 points, 400 rebounds, and 65 blocks in under 1400 minutes played. Since 1946
by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Jul 24, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes
This signing will help Greg Oden the most. Now we have a legitimate lop passer in Andre Miller. Rudy won’t miss Sergio so much now too.
not as much…but some nonetheless
"be where you are when you're there"
by BLAZER_FAN_199 on Jul 24, 2009 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions
There are going to be a billion lob dunks next year.
…he’s an outstanding open-court player who throws the alley-oop as well as anyone who has ever played the game-Hollinger
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Tyson Chandler would have to agree
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
The funny thing is that so many people have bagged on Miller's 3pt%
as something that would detract from Roy’s game…while forgetting that Miller’s ability to give Oden and LMA dunk after dunk will make this team that much better.
Which is better… a PG that takes Roy from great to great, or a PG that takes LMA from good to great and Oden from average to great at the same time?
PER has to be useful...I'm sure it helped determine to keep Batum after Summer League
Rudy will love that
Someone who can do what Sergio did there but so much more besides.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I was just thinking about alley-oops last night
and wondering who was going to throw that pass.
The best player I ever saw was Sherman Douglas, at Syracuse and then as a Celtic while in the NBA.
This will both help us run and help the Blazers avoid stagnant half-court sets.
ignacio
Not a failure of an offseason afterall...
we even drove up the price of a division rivals back-up PF.
Can we now re-sign Roy and LaMarcus next KP? Pretty please
by Norsktroll on Jul 24, 2009 4:53 PM PDT reply actions 22 recs
this should be greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen
green I tell you TURN IT GREEN!!!
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
for the price, the player, the skills he brings, and his on-court contributions, you don’t get any better at the price we got him for. dollar for dollar this is a better deal than they’ve pursued, and it fills our strongest weakness at the point. still would like a SF/reserve PF but i’m willing to wait it out and see how eccentric mw works out…
Baylessedge - A Site by Bayless fans, for Bayless fans
I know one of the main points of this offseason
was to get experience but………… Isn’t Sessions the same player younger and cheaper ?
Sessions isn't as good at the moment.
Could change by the middle of next season though.
But Miller has the experience this team was looking for. Plus, Miller wasn’t a restricted free agent. And he was willing to do a shorter deal.
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
Of course Sessions
is not as good now, but with him progressing and Miller regressing, it’s just a matter of time until Ramon is the better of the two…
I have always liked Miller and prefer this signing to Turkoglu’s, but the biggest knock on Sessions was his outside shooting, hence my surprise with this new aquisition.
So if you add that to the fact that he’s cheaper, I would have taken a (small) risk on Sessions
Re Energized Miller
I might be a bit optimistic here, but I am hoping for an uptick in Miller’s numbers this year. New team, new attitude?
Just remember
We play a slower pace than everyone.
Also re:Sessions, he’s restricted and if we waited another week Miller could have been gone.
Sessions played in Milwaukie
That = no experience. We don’t need another guy with 0 playoff experience.
by Chris-8ally on Jul 25, 2009 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
No way you can compare them
Miller is a great PG. Sessions is a “potential” good player. You can’t look at numbers when it comes to the point guard spot. A lot of it is intangibles. Make the right pass, start the fast break. With Miller pushing the ball and finding Roy and Aldridge, it is very exciting. Then you can have Blake come in for some firepower off the bench. Great signing, and for a good price. If it doesn’t work out, you don’t have to worry about it being a five year affair…
Pretty much, in my opinion even better already or at least prone to be better. But the Blazers might have feared to lose out on both if the Bucks match, and Miller signs elsewhere (Knicks were rumored).
bucks wouldn’t have matched. they’re broke and shedding payroll.
by where's billy ray on Jul 24, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Actually, Bucks have been pretty aloof about the whole thing.
No one knows if they’ll match or not. They don’t have to be under the luxury tax until the end of the season. And they might just keep the guy, no matter what he’s offered.
They could just as likely let him go from a slight breeze.
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
maybe. but it still would have been worth making an offer right when utah matched the milsap offer. that was seven days ago.
by where's billy ray on Jul 24, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Could be that we did.
But that offer might not have been what the Sessions camp was looking for.
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
No point guard...
except maybe Billups is as good at posting up smaller guards. Miller also runs the offense more efficiently, controls the tempo better, plays better team defense, throws a better lob pass, etc.
They are very similar in a lot of way, but in terms of winning now I think Miller is the better choice, especially if you still believe in Bayless.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with those points
(except the defense) and really like Miller but at his age, Sessions should improve in a lot of areas, and outside shooting may be one of them…
On a side note, Miller is moving well and taking good shots inside the 3pt arc, hopefully cancelling his lack of outside shooting.
Sessions should improve on defense.
Younger players usually do. The thing with Miller is that he gets burned by quick guards, but he’s good with his rotations, help defense, decision making, etc.
He doesn’t look great while he’s playing defense, but the end result isn’t half bad. Just like he looks funny running the break with his chunky body, he looks awkward trying to defend. I’m not an expert by any means, but in my eyes he’s a better defender than he gets credit for.
I’ve never thought quite as highly of Andre Miller (-4.40) or Raymond Felton (-2.36), but each defended both backcourt spots more than adequately and their strong adjusted plus-minus numbers warrant a shout-out here, too "-Hollinger
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I like this quote
“Andre was terrific. He knew our team. He knew how he could help our team. He seemed like a coach. Nate and him hit it off in the first five minutes. I got out of the conversation.”
I bet Nate is happy to have a solid vet at the one.
Hello Dum Dum
by ryryslyry on Jul 24, 2009 4:57 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I remember him being a great lob passer with Nuggets.
Oden, LMA, Batum and Rudy will all benefit from that…..
Hopefully Martell too.
He and Rudy were awesome in limited preseason action last year. As good as this is for oden, it might be an even bigger opportunity for Martell and Rudy
by sfiles on Jul 24, 2009 8:49 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Travis haters will be disappointed
We just signed an upper-tier PG—not an All-Star, mind you, but one of the better ones—and didn’t unload Trout in the process.
Even with Martell coming back from injury, and Penderham spending time backing up the 4, I still foresee lots of Outlaw three-balls from the corner….
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Jul 24, 2009 4:59 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
If Penderham is backing up at 4
can we assume Cunningraph is going to be carrying the luggage on and off Blazer1 this season?
Sometimes I wonder if there could be really
UFO's that come from other planets-- CTD's
by bow4meow on Jul 24, 2009 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
They'll both be carrying luggage
They’re rookies.
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Jul 24, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions
That was one of my initial reactions
Now that the capspace is gone and we still have no backup at the 4 (we don’t seriously want either of our rookies to have significant minutes), it looks like Travis might be around for another year.
I love that we added a good player (and I much prefer Bayless as #3 PG rather than prematurely forced into the #2), but I dread another season frustrated by Outlaw’s sloppy play, ill-advised shots and complete lack of passing awareness. But a lot of people love the guy, so hopefully I’m just overlooking his strengths.
by 2005TelfairJerseyForSale on Jul 24, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions
His strengths will be stronger
with less need to rely on him for longer minutes.
He won’t need to spend much time at the 3; and we’ll have some options at the 4.
Actually, it wouldn’t still surprise me if he is moved.
But a lot of the problems with Trout stem from the fact that we had to play him when the mismatch favored the other team; with more depth at forward Nate can better pick his spots.
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Jul 24, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Outlaw won't be stuck in the corner shooting threes.
A better PG could run the offense in such a way that Outlaw gets lobs at the rim. Outlaw can outjump anybody in the league pretty much, and I’m excited about Miller feeding him the ball near the rim so Travis can throw it down without having to make decisions . . . or (shudder) dribbling.
by unblindloyalty on Jul 24, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions
You're assuming Travis moves without the ball
Since when does that happen? I predict Outlaw will run to the corner or top of the key, holler for the ball, then hold it for 10 seconds before jacking up a halfcourt jumper contested by no less than 3 opposing players…. That’s just how he rolls.
I also predict that Nate will be seen at about that same time pacing up and down his bench glaring at Travis while shaking his head and squeezing the bajeebus out of a stress ball.
Well it will be very interesting
to see all the backtracking by Outlaw haters after the season begins. We’ll see what happens. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
no one is hating on Travis
but I think Outlaw will be “hating on” playing 10 minutes a game behind LMA at the PF
minutes CRUNCH at the SF, there is still a need to thin the herd
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
looks like bayless is going to have a similar role
as last season. unless he shows some huge improvements offensively (TO’s speciically) or blake’s D starts getting to be a problem, bayless will probably not be happy with his PT next season.
kinda sucks. would have liked to see what he can do when given the green light to play like he wants to. miller is great though, his experience and knowledge will help us tremendously.
We're too good for Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd would have been fun to watch on the ‘05-’06 Blazers. But now he’s just not good enough to play on this team. That’s a good thing.
"It all depends on where his growth will come and we think his growth will come within us" -- Kevin Pritchard on Jerryd Bayless
by Jumbo on Jul 24, 2009 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree
Bayless will put up decent numbers for somebody else, and it would be sad to see him go. But as I was telling my friends today, the Blazers are in “Win Now” mode and developing Bayless during regular season NBA games isn’t a good idea. In fact, I would be fine if the Blazers traded more young talent for veterans. The Blazers won in the early 90’s with veterans, and they won in the late 90’s with veterans.
by unblindloyalty on Jul 24, 2009 5:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Miller will probably only be a two year guy...
Hopefully Bayless will watch and learn and use the opportunity to get better and be ready to explode when he gets his chance. He can learn a lot from Miller.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
You can't learn to play PG by watching if you've never been a PG.
There is no point in keeping Bayless around because he isn’t good enough at PG now and unless there is a serious injury he won’t have an opportunity to learn the job. Besides he isn’t wired to sit and watch for two years in a row. He’ll be gone soon, hopefully with Outlaw for a good backup PF.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Jul 24, 2009 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Why not?
Why can’t he learn in practice? Playing with good players will make him better if he is willing to learn. If he isn’t willing to do that, then you are right, he should be moved. Baptism by fire is not the only way to learn.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
You don't become a surgeon by jumping in and starting cutting...
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
wow. I'm kinda in that camp...but ... where and when does all the bayless love end.
I’m going to go way out on a limb here, I want to encorage everyone to stop and think about this a bit.
Why do you like jerryd bayless as much as you do? Is it becuase he can dunk? Is it becuase he’s much faster than most point guards that we’ve had? Is it becuase he won summer league mvp? is it becuase he’s just so scowlish? is it becuase you truely believe that he can and will be the point guard of the future?
Is it becuase he took the place of a few nice butted undesirables (read jack/sergio)?
Is it becuase KP drafted him therefore he must be the real deal?
I don’t have any real reason for liking Jerryd Bayless’ play I do on the other hand have a few reason to not like his play, he’s turned the ball over, hes no real 3 point shot, hes done no better job than sergio did on either end of the floor. he hasn’t shown hes able to distribute the ball and take care of it. He doesn’t shoot freethrows at an out of the world percentage despite his only really obvious strenght is being able to get to the line.
I’m sorry I just dont see it.
oh yeah and…. he’s how old again? and in what year of his contract?
given my last line there I understand the raves and rants about how good he is but….. I still just don’t get it.
then again I think Martell is on his way to being Ali esque on the floor so. take my thoughts with a grain of salt, or a shot of penicilin whatever helps you not freak out on me.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
jacks most loved asset :) (like that hu? :) was .... cough...... his butt :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Jarryd Bayless = Jarrett Jack 2.0
Not even. Jarrett Jack was a PG Nate failed to convert into a 2 guard. Bayless is a 2 guard Nate will fail to convert into a PG. Oh wait, maybe you mean Bayless will go all sour grapes about his role like Jack did and get traded. That always seems to work.
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
No Jarryd is a like Jarrett in that they are a certain type of player
trapped in another certain type of player’s body. Plus, neither fits well playing off the Blazer’s main scorers in LMA and Roy. Both deter from the offense not add to or compliment.
I think they fit a different offense on a different team much better… even though both are great guys and justifiably demand a lot of Portland “love”.
PER has to be useful...I'm sure it helped determine to keep Batum after Summer League
Faith, Your points are very sound
and when it comes down to it, this whole Bayless conversation isn’t really about how good he “can” be, but how will he help this team now and over the next 3-5 seasons.
Four teams gave up on Chauncy Billups before he became “Mr. Big Shot”, before he won the finals MVP. He had that same dazed look in his eyes as a 20 year old trying to pick up the idiosyncrasies of playing PG in the NBA. Both spent one year in college, both struggled initially to pick up the quickness of the NBA game.
If I were forced to bet, I would put my money on Jerryd being that same type of player as Billups a few years from now and on through 2025 (he is only 20 after all). The real question is, do Blazer’s fans, and more importantly, the higher ups have the patience to see it through… and if not, when is the best time to pass him along to a team who has PT to spare?
never!!! (if he's just gonna be chauncy 2.0 and come back and kill us)
…. perhaps the plan all along? /s
I hear you, but I guess I just don’t see the potential coming together anytime soon or ever.
But, I know squat and depend on everyone here to set me straight on my basketball facts…
matter a fact I do believe this is kinda the first time I let it be know that I’m kinda leaning towards being antibayless …. IN ANY LAID OUT DECENT SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME FASHION….. (becuase I’ve thrown a few low blows his way before this just never as …. I dunno…. readable)
I mean I know he can score we’ve know that since he’s played college ball, but game after game turnover after turnover. sooner or later you’re either a point guard or just an undersized shooting guard. When will that point come. (?)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
that point will come
either when Jerryd is part of a Blazer championship run, or when he is averaging 20 and 8 for a Clippers, or Warriors’ team that is 20 games out of first by December.
Don't obsess on Rex, Faith. He's the third stringer now. Handsomely paid, to be sure, but the third stringer. His day will come.
Think of him as a savings bond with a due date about 2 years from now. Don’t trade it away for pennies on the dollar.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
I wanted him from the beginning
He will prove to be worth it. He single handily kept the 76’rs in the playoffs (with a little help from Andre I). I am excited to see him man the point with more confidence then our beloved Blake. He will attack the hoop and supply Greg with easy buckets.
Love the move and I am a immediate fan.
My thoughts exactly.
Miller is a more-than-solid player, but I was hoping for a bigger move to get rid of logjams, not add to them.
I wonder if Bayless’ poor PG play during summer league helped speed this signing along.
miller + travis + blake = what in trade?
opposed to …. travis + blake =
I’m just guessing but this was the easiest way to maintain flexability? just my hunch though …. and I’m dumb.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Lessee, he's been a Blazer for about 5 hours and you're trading him?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?
New record for Most Fickle Fan.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
lol :)
E-crack across the head you to me
was wonderin when you’d come around n bring me back down a peg or two.
few hrs late timbo, blushes as you can see I’ve littered quite a bit in this thread :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Owwwwww! M-O-M!!!!!!!! HE HIT ME!!!!!!!!!!
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
you to me
pretty sure you hit me!!!
I"m telling!!!
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Yeah
I’m not mad, just think it’s only worth a shoulder shrug. I think he makes the Blazers better, so that part is nice.
I'm dissappointed
And I don’t get signing Miller if Sessions isn’t a fit. But, whatever. I’ll be interested to see if his floor leadership makes a difference.
welcome to the family
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
I would have preferred Sessions or Hinrich
but I’m on board with the length and amount of the contract and think Miller can help.
by jksnake99 on Jul 24, 2009 5:19 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
theres always still the chance
that we trade blake and outlaw as expirings by the trade deadline for someone like crash.
+1 to that idea
An athletic, defensive-minded wing who takes it to the rim is really what we need now (and did all along). I really wince when I see the Blazers jacking up so many outside shots. Shame if we have to give up Blake though, he makes a clutch back-up PG (and a decent starter).
Also, I’ve been hoping for Miller all along. He’s a perfect fit and fills a lot of needs for us. Too bad he’s 33. Hopefully Bayless can really learn the 1 and take over when Miller’s production takes the inevitable hit in a few years.
ANDRE MILLER IS THE BEST PG IN THE LEAGUE
Love,
TEHOF2018
...refusing Coolio's sloppy seconds since 2001...
Now accessible for R rated comments at thetinfoil@gmail.com
by TheTinfoil on Jul 24, 2009 5:21 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Who starts??
I know the company stance is that it’s open for competition, but who do you think will start Blake or Miller? Who will play more minutes? Who is the better PG for Portland? If you had to pick one PG for the Blazers would you take Miller or Blake?
Miller
Blake may be gone, perhaps for a backup PF.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
naw.
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
This signing makes our team better.
Simply by moving Blake to backup PG. We’ve improved our starting lineup AND our bench in one move.
Blake, Rudy and Przybilla are coming off of our bench. That’s good stuff. Does Outlaw become our 9th man with a bench like that?
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
Via Andre Iguadalas twitter
Practice is over and I got the worst news of the day… Dre Miller signed with portland…ruined my day…what the @#!¤?
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
looks like his teammates love him too..
hehe
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
Sorry Andre
But I ain’t crying for you.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I wonder what number he will wear?
He wore Brandon’s #7 in PHI. Maybe he’ll go back to #24, his number in Cleveland and Los Angeles. Welcome to Portland, Andre!
"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 Jul 24, 2009 5:30 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
My guess is #24 also
He has worn that # most of his career. Cavs, Clips, Nuggets, and at Utah.
Only had to change because of a guy named Bobby Jones in Philly
_________________________________________
If "It's Only a Game", then why do we keep score?
Better deal for us than Hedo in any case
Only three years, not a lot committed.
WELCOME!
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
by skywaker9 on Jul 24, 2009 5:40 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
yes yes yes!!!!
exactly what i wanted to say!
Welcome ’Dre!
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
I like it.
Andre is legit. I dunno what the fuss is about is 3pt shooting. I mean it’s not like he’s ever played on a team this deep before.
he’s probably never gotten any open looks or some other silly reason …. I hope he’s workin on his 3 ball as we speak.
but I welcome this deal. oppose to what we were after before this.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
We rely too much on outside shooting as it is. There’s nothing worse than a guard who takes the ball down the court and instantly jacks up a three (unless his name is Chauncey and he does it at just the right time).
I'll admit I know very little about andre, other than he's bigger than most pg's and can bully his way around, ..... so I'm curious if .....
he can shoot a three and ….. just couldn’t do it well on the teams that he was on….. or if he just shouldn’t ever try to shoot a three becuase he indeed sucks butt at it..
do we have any quassie proxie philly fans who knows something about this?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
You might check out the comments sections on the various Philly sites...
Quick summary:
1. They are PISSED that their management got nothing for him, when they knew they were going to be lowballing a UFA all along.
2. They like him as a player and consider him a team leader and a big part of the offense.
3. They are consigning themselves to the lottery now but are trying to look at the bright side of that.
4. They know they are in deep doo-doo at the PG position with rookie Jrue Holiday and a combo guard.
No, he can’t shoot 3s. Fortunately, he knows it and takes very few of them. That is not his game.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
Like it a lot
More easy buckets, faster pace, and a guy who can let B Roy play off the ball a little.
by Hawthorne Wingo on Jul 24, 2009 5:55 PM PDT reply actions
I'm going to repost my earlier comment in this thread, because I'm lazy like that.
“I expect the Andre Miller signing will ultimately backfire on both the front office and the coaching staff, but it’ll nevertheless be interesting to see how things play out the first season. Here’s a few prognostications of mine for Miller’s first season in Portland, though.
1. Although Miller has played in up-tempo offensive systems in the past, it’s the coach rather than the players who dictate pace. As a result, Miller must adjust himself to Nate McMillan’s offense.
2. While I bet Miller’s post-up opportunities against opposing point guards will be limited in the high/low zone offense, he should still get several chances at dribble-drive isolation plays — rather than spot-up three-point shots that are Steve Blake’s forte — as well as hopefully some give-and-go plays wherein LaMarcus Aldridge passess back out of the pick-and-pop mid-range jump shot.
3. Miller is a good floor general at point guard, which should greatly benefit Greg Oden. For Oden, running a high pick-and-roll and side screen-and-roll with Miller should be money on offense. McMillan can even add a wrinkle in his offense by calling for a side give-and-go, which’d allow Miller a chance to occasionally post-up down on the low block.
4. Miller is a mediocre defensive player on the perimeter, but gets slaughtered by quicker point guards. That, without a question, will be a problem, since Oden will likely continue to get into early foul trouble by having to switch out constantly on guards who burn Miller.
5. Miller’s substandard long-range shot means that Brandon Roy will have to improve both his efficiency and proficiency from downtown. If Roy doesn’t evolve in that respect, opposing teams will clog the lane and stifle his iso game. Because Miller is extremely unlikely to shoot above 30% from beyond the arc, it’s therefore up to Roy to make this work without a hitch.
On a final note, Kevin Pritchard should offer up Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and Jerryd Bayless to the Chicago Bulls for Kirk Hinrich. With Nicolas Batum, Roy, Miller, Rudy Fernandez, and Hinrich, there’d be consolidation, versatility, and depth at the 3 perimeter positions. Since Fernandez and Hinrich are fairly interchangeable at the weakside corner, ballside wing, and point off of the bench, opposing teams would have matchup issues every game."
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/7/24/961789/miller-blake-and-bayless-how-will#18643767
As an aside, let me end with one more following remark. While I’m lukewarm on the Andre Miller signing, it’s at least not as damning as the Hedo Turkoglu pseudo-signing would’ve been in the long run had it come to fruition. Yes, there are some positives to glean from Miller.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
I sort of agree.
it’s the coach rather than the players who dictate pace.
Not exactly true. It’s usually somewhere in the middle. Blake and Jack were both terrible at running the break, so I’m not sure Nate had any choice but to slow the tempo. I believe him when he says he wants to run when it’s appropriate and Miller is a genius at dictating the tempo. Nate will love him, which means looser reigns.
I expect the Andre Miller signing will ultimately backfire on both the front office and the coaching staff,
The contract is just too resonable for that to happen. Even if Miller isn’t a perfect fit he’ll just turn into a ridiculously attractive expiring contract after next season. In fact you could probably trade Miller to the Bulls straight up for Hinrich if you wanted to by the deadline. Not sure that will happen, but this signing basically gives the Blazers more trade flexibility not less.
On a final note, Kevin Pritchard should offer up Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and Jerryd Bayless to the Chicago Bulls for Kirk Hinrich.
They probably did offer something similar, although the Bulls are in no position to demand Bayless. Whether you like him or not it just doesn’t make sense from a value standpoint. Unfortunately Rinsdorf loves Kirk to death, like he should, and Ben Gordon leaving kills any chance of that happening. The fact that Utah hates us probably doesn’t help either.
Miller’s substandard long-range shot means that Brandon Roy will have to improve both his efficiency and proficiency from downtown
Roy is already more proficient than his peers. He shoots better from distance than Lebron, Wade, CP3, Kobe, etc. That’s just not going to be a problem. If anything the fact that Miller can create for others should help Roy in almost every conceivable way on offense including 3 point shooting.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions
bravo...
The fact that Utah hates us probably doesn’t help either.
I laughed really hard at this for some reason.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
i'm still betting
On a final note, Kevin Pritchard should offer up Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and Jerryd Bayless to the Chicago Bulls for Kirk Hinrich.They probably did offer something similar, although the Bulls are in no position to demand Bayless. Whether you like him or not it just doesn’t make sense from a value standpoint. Unfortunately Rinsdorf loves Kirk to death, like he should, and Ben Gordon leaving kills any chance of that happening.
That Rudy has to be in the offer or it never would happen! And that’s why it hasn’t happened.. yet..
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
I believe him when he says he wants to run when it’s appropriate
Yes, didn’t Nate tell the team he wanted to get into the offense in the first 8 seconds of the shot clock? It will be much easier to do this with Miller bringing the ball up the floor
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
4. Miller is a mediocre defensive player on the perimeter, but gets slaughtered by quicker point guards
But he’s a smart team defender who will direct a penetrator away from his strengths and towards help
It takes 5 defenders “performing in concert” to limit penetration and still defend the perimeter shooters. The Blazer’s BBIQ just got a bump by adding MIller to the mix
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
sooo?
we can keep travis now becuase miller balances everything out? /s :) chuckling
but yeah 4 real!!! we’re gonna kill next season.
rudy back greg 100% with hardly any expectations. batum WEBSTER… and we get to keep blake and outlaw….
this is … better than …. insert something tom would say here
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Do you really want to keep Travis around
when you have a pretty good idea he’s going to be really unhappy with his playing time?
Players are like puppies, they’re so cute but you can’t keep ‘em all. As much as it hurts, sometimes you just have to let them go. But don’t feel too bad, because there’s a big backyard and a loving family just waiting for Outlaw, right around the corner. And they’ll even let you “visit” him on NBA.TV just about every night of the week during the season, for years to come.
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
cough..
grins
but? but? he plays back up 4 better than he starts/subs at the 3!!! that’s gotta count for somethin.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Aldridge plays 35+ minutes per game at the 4
that leaves 12-13 minutes for Travis, he’s used to playing 25+
We talked about this all last year during the offseason, there is a “logjam” at the 3. The only thing that “saved” Outlaw’s PT last year was the injury to Martell. Now, Webster should be healthy, and we know that Batum is deserving of more minutes. Plus you’ve got Rudy, who will want to play more than the 12-15 minutes that will be “available” behind Brandon. It’s a number’s game, and one of these wing players has to leave the island. It can’t be Martell (yet) it shouldn’t be Batum or Rudy…so that leaves Travis. Then there was the little problem of the Rocket’s series, where Frye and Trout got outplayed by Houston’s backup power forwards? KP made a commitment to upgrade the team’s toughness, and that’s still an area of concern, even after the drafting of “Pendergram”
It all adds up to a deal of Outlaw for a veteran PF who can bang and maybe play some center in case of emergency. Maybe they’ll hang onto #25 until mid-season, but Travis’ expiring contract will be too good to keep around after the trading deadline, because another team is sure to need it more than the Blazers
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think you nailed it
Those r my sentiments exactly about the Miller signing b/c our offense as currently instituted by Nate does not allow Miller to do what he does best which is post up smaller PGs and constantly run the break. If you watch his highlights very rarely do u see a play from a half court set it seems like everything is from the fast break. And there was only one 3 pointer in the entire 7.5 min. clip. Also he is a complete liability defensively against quick PGs and that hurts the whole team. The few highlights on defense are all blocks which are spectacular considering he is a PG and all but it never shows him locking up his man and taking his candy. The blocks are also on the fast break against someone other than his man but show his great timing. Anyways I hope another move is coming particuraly for a playmaking SF or another solid big man. I hope we make a play for the other Andre on the Sixers as he is obviously disappointed w/ Miller signing w/ us.
by MitchRich23 on Jul 24, 2009 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions
the pic
Gimmicks don't make dynasties
by WarEaglePDX on Jul 24, 2009 6:00 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
tooting my own horn here..
but i thought i did better.
GG MFer!
-joel przybilla
by hossticles on Jul 24, 2009 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
niice
AM1 FTW!
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
nice.
scarlet jersey now please
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
a young Richard Pryor?
Wendell and I agree
http://twitter.com/beyondthebeat
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
We've been wandering in the wilderness for, what, 24 days?
It feels more like 40 years. Mr Miller was certainly high on my list. I like this deal.
We got a steal if you ask me
An absolute steal.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
keep us posted.....
pun ;)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
post him up against the bad guy's ......oh .... and shoot a bunch of threes with him and let me know...wait..scratch that....
make him shoot a bunch of OPEN 3’s …. then somehow make him shoot contested 3’s ….. let me know what happens.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
lol.... uh has he turned it over yet?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
word? KOB'S hasn't blown by him yet?
…. keep up the testin… play against a scrub team too later.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
He shot 47% last year and 49% the year before.
Roy shot 48% last year. Miller shot a higher percentage than Travis, Blake, Rudy, Batum, Sergio, Bayless, and Frye. So while he can’t shoot the 3-pt shot (and rarely tries) he can shoot and score. He shot 83% from the line.
He averaged 6.5 assists (higher than anyone on our team) with only 2.4 turnovers last year, which was a 2.71 assists to turnovers ratio. That’s a hair better than Roy.
He is an upgrade over anything we have at PG and he will help us.
Period.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Jul 24, 2009 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions
another urban legend debunked
well played
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
i need a game like this to test prospective lovers.
did i just say this?
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Yeah I tried that too
Hesitation move is awesome, gets to the paint easy and dishes to Oden. Dunk.
And when he’s on defense he has the “lock-on defender” icon. lol.
do you guys realize that we have a pretty big back court now.
Andre and Bradon are both pretty big dudes for guards, I think Andre’s scoring will go down a little here since he doesn’t have to be the second option and i think that might make his assist totals pick up. I think this could work out really well for both Andre and Portland. It sounds like he is excited to play here which might make him step up his game a big. Also with Nate as his coach I think he could do good things.
Allright Nate,
now you got to put your money where your mouth is. Let ’em play the game!
by Blazin' on Jul 24, 2009 6:22 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
+1000000
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I really love
that it seems that any four of our guards could play together.. even Blake and Miller could be a viable back court in some situations! even three of them could play well in several situations..
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
I’m trollin hard here…. I agree with this too.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I'm trollin hard here....
I agree with this too.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I cant wait to see Andre dominate Derek Fisher in the post....
and as Gasol rotates over to force a pass, Dre sneaks one in to Greg for the throwdown.
hmmmmmm
Great stat I got from Twitter:
FT attempts last year:
Miller: 409
Blake: 75
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
nice stat
Portland's PG of the Future - Meet John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
WOW really????
Subjective yes, but IMO Andre Miller has been playing in his prime for the last 2 years now. And Andre Millers prime is pretty darn impressive. He is selfless yet dangerous with the ball simultaneously. If he can give the team 2 more years of the same, this move will turn out to be fantastic.
Mr. Pritchard, you’ve just signed the 3rd scoring wheel this team had to have next year. I speak for all BlzrEdgr’s, when I say this town never doubted you for a single moment.
Well done.
The Oden Era, Day 765
I like this signing a lot, becasue it finally brings a real PG that can properly distribute the ball.
Truth never was or can be propagated by fire and sword - Albert Gallatin
Hate to be a hater, but
I also dislike the fact that McMillan and Miller getting along is being cited as a consideration in the signing. First impressions tend to be misleading. I was reading a book about first impressions and hiring practices. The initial face-to-face interview is a poor predictor of employee competence/fit.
lol .....
does this make a paul trade more likely?/s
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I agree though polisam..... I've done some hiring in my day, and I never ever ever ever ....came out of the intterviews set in stone about my choices....
I always told em we’ll see how it goes for a few weeks….. (mind you that was always part of the plan) ……
and if they kept the happy happy joy joy I wanna be here attitude after the first few weeks I’d usually kick in the full time status ….. but….. often enough… the interview was all roses and cupcakes only to find out later that they dude/dudeettte was lazier than a sack of rocks … but could b.s. with the best of em.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
the happy happy joy joy
I believe I have proprietorship over that colloquialism
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
wooooow...
dumb it down bro. (too big words together that I gotta look up)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
he probably uses big words
during his job interviews, too
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Don't think it was their first face-to-face meeting.
Of course, I get all of my information on this subject from Mike Barrett.
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
Good stuff
i like how multidimensional the rotation between blake and miller could be against the opponent’s 1st unit.
GOLLY GEEE WIZZZZ....
where is the fearless leader at!!!!!! (dave) I want my rational reasoning for this move. (not that I don’t love it, cuz I do) but …..
for some reason …. ben!!!! wha’d ya do with dave
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
right?
I need Dave’s take on this or I’ll be confused about what to think all night..
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
lol....
cummon now idol… not everyone is as sharp as the sr edgers…. I’ll fully admit I’m to dumb to think anything basketball related up myself….. I just wanna sound smart tommorow when the even dumber fans than I ask why we did what we did.
forgive my stupidity will ya? :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
LOL!
u funny, faith; that’s great! i have developed a great sense for instantly reading someone’s bb faniq when they want to chat blazers. when i think about the nuanced discussions that occur here and compare that to some of the random discussions I have with people on the max or at a store where they don’t really get anything at all about the game. learned to really tailor the depths i will dive into a bball conversation with someone.
ahemm.. and without Dave… ahemmm.. I feel like I am forgetting something. ;)
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
:)
then we understand one another? lol….. feeling too defensive I suppose …. my bad.
respect 4 ya though :) lots. N I hear you.
I’d be the guru in my circles but amongst the swath that is the edge, I’m the dummy. it’s a hard edge to ride but….
I think I pull it off nicely given my obvious limitiations (grammar and edumakation level and what have you :). as do you I’m sure amongst the many max riders and friends :)
really though I think ben did something to dave. >:)-~
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
completely understandable.. in these days of lying turks, toxic offers, and peephole videos.. we cannot be too careful.
Do you think ben would ever want to move up in the rotation and take Dave out? Doesn’t Ben have a WWBD (What would B-Rex Do?) bracelet?
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
by idoltime on Jul 24, 2009 7:32 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
:) the faith chuckles hard....
We’re on the same page. walks away from the key board giggling and shaking his head VVVV
Doesn’t Ben have a WWBD
we love ya ben.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
16 and 7 from a PG sounds sick to me
We didnt address our dfensive deficiency at PG but that opposing PG is gonna have to be working hard on his end as well. It seems like good penetrating PGs can FSU against the lackers so that is a plus.
Before last season a lot of people were saying they wouldnt want Cbillups cause his age…We know how that turned out. Hopefully miller can have 3/4 the effect for us that billups had for Denver.
We didn't completely fix our PG D, but Miller is a defenite improvement over Blake at D
Truth never was or can be propagated by fire and sword - Albert Gallatin
The only thing we lose with Miller
Is outside shooting, he’s definitely not as good at Blake at the outside shot.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I think this puts any chance we sign Pooh to rest
Unless we trade Blake or Bayless, which is not terribly likely.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
who?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
if Jerryd is dealt
I think Jeter’s chances of being invited to fall camp would go up quite a bit
Before Andre I thought KP would bring in a veteran #3 PG…not so much, now
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I like the fact we have kept main contributors to 54 wins intact
and made an addition in andre miller and indirectly made our bench even stronger
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
This is surprising only in that it didn't involve a trade of Travis Outlaw.
It was clear that the Blazers were short a PG, it was clear that Rex is still not ready for prime time. The questions were WHO and WHEN?
Rex is more or less 2-3 years off of being the player that he will wind up being. And that’s about the time frame that André Miller will be a Trailblazer, barring injury, knock on wood… He’s a character guy and not a show me the money chlen. So I REALLY like this acquisition…
Now, ummm, KP — howzabout that low post masher backup 4???
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
That's the best part
It was a straight FA acquisition, now we still have our tradeable guys like Outlaw.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I think
Even though I view Travis as a good trade asset and not a guy we want here long term, Martell has to come back, stay healthy and contribute before he’s traded (unless something exception comes up).
howzabout that low post masher backup 4
Yep, that’s the final piece, I did a fanshot that explained how KP could pursue a PF with any salary in the range or 2-7 mil by using a combination of remaining salary cap and/or Bayless’ salary and/or Outlaw’s salary
Ronny Turiaf? Sure, if Nellie really likes Outlaw or Rex
There are literally dozens of potential candidates, but only KP knows who the “right” one is, and which GM wants to get their hands on Trout or Rex
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I keep telling people — Rex is going nowhere.
If Sessions came to town, Rex would be out the door. But bringing in a 33 year old PG about whom KP just said “As he gets older it’s important he understands his role” is an ABSOLUTELY CLEAR vote of confidence in The Rex.
Sorry, haters.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
by timbo on Jul 24, 2009 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Exactly!
Bayless is the heir apparent. He’s just a little ways off right yet. All Bayless needs is time and the Blazers can afford to wait. No old vet PG or even old vet PF is going to be worth more than Bayless. I would submit that with a full 48 min of Przybilla/Oden and 36+ minutes of LMA, the need for a banger is limited and would not make a huge impact. With a more athletic Oden, we might even roll out the twin towers look a bit more. Honestly, who realistically is going to out rebound us if Oden is healthy? I’m fine with Travis playing ~10 minutes a game at PF and some at SF. He’s a good matchup problem off the bench and we can bring in spot minutes of Cunningham if we need a bit better D.
Anyhow, Bayless is valuable, moreso than some re-tread. Our team doesn’t really have any glaring needs at the moment (on paper), so what would we realistically trade him for?
C= Oden/Przybilla/Pendergraph Helluva rotation here. 2nd best in the league next to the Magic.
PF= LMA/Outlaw/Cunningham Ever notice that all our 4’s can stretch the floor? I think that’s a theme.
SF= Batum/Outlaw/Webster Defense, One-on-one scoring, Shooting, a solid SF corps. Best No-Star corps in the League IMO sep maybe Battier/Ariza.
SG=Roy/Rudy/Bayless Great SG rotation.
PG= Miller/Blake/Bayless Solid PG rotation. A little bit of everything.
I’d be happy with this roster. I wouldn’t mind rolling the dice on Leon Powe with the rest of our cap space, maybe he comes back awesome, if not, no biggie.
We’ll see who comes off the waiver wire too.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on Jul 25, 2009 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Hey, it was just a suggestion
Adding Bayless to Outlaw to get a veteran PF is just one of the potential options, and probably not even the “best” one. But need I remind you that Jack and Sergio looked like the heir apparent at PG after their rookie years, too, and that Steve Blake has outlasted them?
Bayless should be around for 2 more years, unless KP gets an offer he can’t refuse. Jerryd may or may not whine about his role/minutes like Jarrett/Sergio (Vance, Jaynes and others expect that he will complain, a lot) but I don’t think Bayless’ “potential” will induce KP to deal Blake anytime soon. On the contrary, I suspect Steve will get an extension and sign it before Halloween. We’ll see
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I've hit pretty hard on my anti bayless drum today,
due to the fact that I feel comfortable with a set rotation at pg to do so now, but I honestly don’t think he’s going to be happy sitting on the bench for another entire season.
Maybe jerryd should have just stayed in school.
We took a chance taking him so young and unpolished, but we also did the same thing with a sure thing in telfair.
so. yeah bayless is what he is. An undersized score first 2 guard
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
ohhhhh great@!!
as im testing Miller out on 2k9 he pulls a hamstring early in the 1st….
this is a sign…
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
wait until the end of the game... it lets you know how bad of an injury it was doesn't it?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
wasnt that bad i put him back on the court
ohh and rudy just did one of those sick reverse dunks like the ones he does on alley oops but ti wasnt a alley oop
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
Ohhhhh
Miller steals it form Turk!!! And alleys it to Webby!!
On 2k9
dam that was nice
Trade for Luis Amundson!!Do it KP!!
Trade?
Now that we have our vet PG how about trading Joel and Jerryd for David Lee? Lee can play both the backup 4 and 5 extremely well. He’d get at least 20-25 minutes a game and be very happy. Would we?
by Original Blazer Fan on Jul 24, 2009 7:30 PM PDT reply actions
i don't think so
Milsap probably could have played with both LA and Oden as well as any player I could think of that was sort of possible to get.. I am not sure David Lee provides enough toughness to replace what we would lose without Przy
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
Yea.. we do need something..
And it’d be great to get value for Przy while we can! I am just not sure if Lee is the guy at that position. It’ll depend a lot of Greg’s development this year.. which is why I would think that nothing like this will happen before everyone’s gotten to play..
"...the primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor, so progression can be born." - LiL C
Pryzzy isn't going anywhere either.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
It's crazy how we agree 100% about a staunch low-post defender like Joel Przybilla, ...
but 100% disagree about a flat-out awful me-first, undersized gunner like Jerryd Bayless.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
You analyze the current guy, I see the dude two years from now...
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
All right, I'll give you that.
Let’s see where Jerryd Bayless is in two years, though.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
unless greg Has the monster of monster seasons and is able to make it 5 games without garnering 5 fouls, and is able to command 38 min a game....
joel won’t be going anywhere.
this is his home, he’s helped build and nurture this team, if joel opts out it’ll only be to become our big man coach due to him not wanting to be pulverized in practice anymore.
but I don’t see joel going anywhere…… ever.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Joel-Ever Is A Very Long Time
Dave wrote a whole article on why now would be a good time to trade Joel. He can opt out next year or not and take the $7M for 2010-2011. It’s his choice. Dave thinks that he will opt out. I agree, he is an important part of the team, but wouldn’t a younger David Lee fit our championship timeline better?
by Original Blazer Fan on Jul 24, 2009 7:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Joel has alot of time and energy invested in this team.
he’s been here through the transformation.
he’s a hard core lunchpail kinda guy…. n most of them types I’ve met don’t like to leave a job half finnished.
honestly n not disrespect to the fearless leaders opinion of why and what not, I just don’t think joel wants to leave.
He get his, he’s respected, it’s as much his team as it is anyones……
When joel barks at his teammates it’s a little deeper than I’ve seen of most “leaders”
I believe that joel really cares about his team and his teammates.
probably alot of wishfull thinkin on my part but…… . I know he knows his value to THIS team.
INDESPENSABLE…. unless my formentioned fantasy comes true :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
p.s.s.s.s.s.s
keep in mind the economic times and the timing of his “opt” out clause…. won’t he be diving into one of the largest free agent markets? with about 14 bigger names than his seeking that huge contract?
I think he’ll get extended (if we can ??? cap guru help out here).
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Joel
If Joel wants to stay with the Blazers he doesn’t have to opt out next summer. Dave wrote a very logical and concise article on why this coming season would be the right time to trade Joel. Strictly a business decision, certainly not an emotional one. He is my second favorite Blazer after BRoy. I don’t want to see him leave either, but sometimes business is business
by Original Blazer Fan on Jul 24, 2009 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions
KP is not logical and concise about Joel
Everybody’s worried that there won’t be enough money or PT to keep Przy happy
You know what? I doubt JP is losing any sleep over it
He signed when Portland was at the bottom, he’ll re-up to “be there” when they reach the top
and it’s a lead pipe cinch that KP makes Joel a fair offer
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Pryzzy is already paid.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
Dave's piece on trading Joel
that was just rub-off from hanging around the MSP. Ain’t no way Joel is going anywhere. Ain’t no way.
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
by bow4meow on Jul 24, 2009 8:18 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ha ha, +1
This whole fricking site is a “rub off from MSP” sometimes, truth be told.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
the Blazer offered Lee an opt-out in 2011 during negotiations yesterday
Tell me, does that sound to you like KP is expecting to lose Przybilla?
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Anyone have ESPN Insider?
Hollinger has to say about this signing
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
the gist...
I didn’t like Andre Miller going to the Blazers if it was going to cost them $40 million.
At $14 million guaranteed? At that price I can talk myself into it.
what say you though jksnake?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I more or less agree
I would have liked Hinrich or Sessions more, but the contract is reasonable and Miller is an upgrade.
Just checking Miller's stats
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/millean02.html
I notice he’s almost never missed a game and played about 35-37 minutes since his second season. Points and assists also EXTREMELY consistent.
played about 35-37 minutes since his second season
those will be coming down next year, and Andre will be the better for it
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I was going to suggest Miller a couple of days ago...
but didn’t, figuring the ridicule would be pretty strong. Looks like I was right after all, Portland thought it was a good fit too.
I like the move, this gets Blake, who should never be a starter in this league for any team with serious championship aspirations, back to the bench where he belongs. This might kill the Bayless progress curve, but this team wants to compete now, not 2 or 3 years from now.
I’m positive now that Portland will win the West, and it’s no longer a question of only if Denver collapses down the stretch. Portland will run out to an early lead (maybe even a full month of leading the entire conference), stumble a bit mid-season, then turn it on late. Miller is one of my favorite PGs, and this was a great pickup by the Blazers.
Now Portland has to start comparing itself to the other top 4 teams in the conference (Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, and Los Angeles), and try to figure out what trades makes them better against those teams. Small Forward is still an issue (except when playing LA…. but maybe Artest can finally put the clamp down on Travis “Laker Killer” Outlaw).
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
stumble a bit mid-season
is the schedule out, yet? What makes you think they’ll struggle at mid-season? Do you see a rash of January injuries in your crystal ball?
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Miller has been my PG fave all along, but I know better than to spend much air talking about PGs in this company...
Blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah Kirk Hinrich blah blah blah Ramon Sessions blah blah blah Chris Paul blah blah blah Devin Harris blah blah blah Jason Kidd blah blah blah Steve Nash blah blah blah Chris Paul Again blah blah blah Ricky Rubio blah blah blah …
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
congrats timbo.
I heard ya. ?? I think? stares off into the distance confused
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Dear Andre Miller,
Feed the low post. Feed the low post. Feed the low post. Feed the low post. And in conclusion, feed the low post.
thank you,
pxilpooshr
by pxilpooshr on Jul 24, 2009 8:04 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Yeah that's what I'm saying...
People are talking about having a third scorer. Um, no. Greg is the third scorer. No one has been able to feed him consistently for monster dunks. Make it happen Andre.
he is actually quite durable. i was surprised myself.
he holds a record i saw on wikipedia
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
Thank you Phil.
How quickly can we get you to sit down with Nate for this discussion?
I see LaMarcus and Greg ( and Joel) becoming much, much more dangerous on offense.
And no one will benefit more from this than Brandon.
As said before, this is not a home run signing, but a solid double.
Bedge or go home.
Over the next two seasons, Andre Miller could perform similarly to Antonio Daniels circa the 2003-2004 ...
and 2004-2005 seasons. As a big, methodical dribble-drive point guard who’s careful with the rock, Miller will bring everything to the table — except for efficiency from downtown — that McMillan expects in a vetreran floor general.
Yet, no matter the signing of Miller, Kevin Pritchard must buck up and admit his ridiculous error in drafting an undersized, me-first gunner in Jerryd Bayless last season. Pritchard, without question, can do that by trading for Kirk Hinrich. As it stands, the following assets should be made available to the Chicago Bulls in any trade discussions regarding Hinrich.
PLAYERS
Steve Blake
Travis Outlaw
Jerryd Bayless
DRAFT RIGHTS
Victor Claver
Joel Freeland
Petteri Koponen
Patty Mills
FUTURE DRAFT PICKS
2010 Second-Round Draft Pick (The More Favorable of Chicago’s Pick Acquired for Ömer Aşık and Portland’s Own Selection)
CASH CONSIDERATIONS
$3,000,000
If Portland can acquire Hinrich for any or all of those assets, the team would have the following roster heading into the 2009-2010 season.
C: Greg Oden (24 to 32 m.p.g.)
C: Joel Przybilla (16 to 24 m.p.g.)
C: Jeff Pendergraph (0 to 8 m.p.g.)
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge (32 to 36 m.p.g.)
PF: Dante Cunningham (12 to 16 m.p.g.)
SF: Nicolas Batum (16 m.p.g.)
SF: Martell Webster (16 m.p.g.)
SG: Brandon Roy (36 m.p.g.)
SF/SG: Rudy Fernandez (24 m.p.g.)
PG: Andre Miller (28 m.p.g.)
SG/PG: Kirk Hinrich (24 m.p.g.)
To fill out the roster, Pritchard should then subsequently sign Ime Udoka as insurance for Martell Webster — whose chronic foot problems still could be a tough situation — as well as another serviceable big (e.g., Sean Marks) for frontline depth.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
advocate for the captain kirk homie :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Well, it's not the Star Trek logo.
Yet, there are some similarities between the symbol in my avatar — which means something entirely different — and the Star Trek logo; plus, it’s somewhat ironic how that fits into the whole “Captain” Kirk Hinrich advocacy of mine.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
sorry for chimin in there AK....
I’ve yet to see the avatar… I turned my avatar shower off due to avatars luring me into typing …. stuff I normally would say diffrently due to whom I was responding… this way I almost complete my comment before I notice who I’m responding :)
it just comes out realer this way :)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
although I wouldn't mind going after Hinrich
I think Blake and Miller means our PG rotation is no longer an area of need.
I’d rather dangle Trout + stuff to get a good backup PF.
For 12 to 16 minutes per game, I've come around to the thought that Dante Cunningham could ...
adequately play power forward behind LaMarcus Aldridge. So long as Cunningham efficiently drains his mid-range jump shot at a 45% to 47% clip — which’d put him in the company of guys like Antonio McDyess and Brandon Bass — as well as play outstanding weakside help defense as a rookie like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute did with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, then he’ll do a satisfactory job.
Now, with a point guard rotation of Andre Miller and Kirk Hinrich, this how absolutely awesome playing time along the perimeter could work itself out throughout the season.
FIRST QUARTER & THIRD QUARTER
8 Minutes
Weakside Corner: Nicolas Batum
Ballside Wing: Brandon Roy
Point Guard: Andre Miller
4 Minutes
Weakside Corner: Martell Webster or Ime Udoka
Ballside Wing: Rudy Fernandez
Point Guard: Kirk Hinrich
SECOND QUARTER & FOURTH QUARTER
4 Minutes
Weakside Corner: Martell Webster or Ime Udoka
Ballside Wing: Brandon Roy
Point Guard: Andre Miller
2 Minutes
Weakside Corner: Rudy Fernandez
Ballside Wing: Kirk Hinrich
Point Guard: Andre Miller
6 Minutes
Weakside Corner: Rudy Fernandez
Ballside Wing: Brandon Roy
Point Guard: Kirk Hinrich
That’s looks just beautiful on paper.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
If KP doesn't think Bayless is the answer
If Bayless isn’t the answer, I would not expect a trade for a veteran Point Guard. I would expect a trade for a young point guard with potential. We’ve got two veteran point guards at reasonable contracts. It would be a good time to bring in someone young that we can develop.
I think, KP would likely trade Bayless + draft picks + ??? for a younger point guard that could be developed. Minnesota has an extra one. Perhaps we trade for Flynn or Rubio. Bayless + Rudy = Flynn. Bayless + Trout + Pryz + draft picks = Rubio. Either way we pick up another top 10 draft pick to replace Bayless if we don’t think he’s going to fit our system.
The youngster fights with Blake for playing time. If he steals the backup role from Blake we expect him to eventually take over for Miller. If he can’t win the backup role from Blake, we pickup Miller on the option year, resign Blake and go Point guard hunting.
by boppitywop on Jul 24, 2009 8:38 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
No, Jerryd Bayless should be packaged with Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake for a veteran backcourt ...
player who’ll help open the championship window with Andre Miller. Once Greg Oden fully recovers from microfracture surgery and gets into full gear, it’ll be up to him and his fellow franchise cornerstone — with that obviously being Brandon Roy — to start the team’s title chase.
With Miller on board in a role given to him by “Sarge” Nate McMillan that’ll likely resemble Antonio Daniels time with the Seattle SuperSonics earlier this decade, the Portland Trail Blazers ought to fuel up the gas tank, start the engine, and go full speed ahead—with the awesome Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy waiting there at the finish line.
As a result, the idea of stockpiling should be tossed out the window in lieu of building a team — via well-balanced roster construction, of course — that’s unquestionably capable of going head-to-head with the best in the business (e.g., Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Orlando, & San Antonio).
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
by AK1984 on Jul 24, 2009 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
We have a winner!!!!
If Bayless isn’t the answer, I would not expect a trade for a veteran Point Guard. I would expect a trade for a young point guard with potential.
King the man!!!
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
Roster set; just sign Joe Smith to play PF/C
Keep Bayless. Why? Because Blake’s contract is up next year and he’ll be needed at that time. Bayless can learn from Miller and Blake one more season, the summer league showed he still has a lot of growth remaining.
Might as well keep Outlaw and $3M trade exception for during the season when other teams get desperate. That is $7M right there to be traded for another player. More players can be added to a potential trade if the returning player is worth it.
The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to lend Jerryd Bayless to the Philadelphia 76ers for two years
Can we do that? That would make everyone happy.
Thats a brilliant first
Farm are players out to other pro teams…makes me laugh. Poor Bayless. You know he’s saying, “I’ll work harder and go to the gym more.”
by Vader Brewing on Jul 24, 2009 10:06 PM PDT up reply actions
You've gotta send them somewhere really nasty so they want to come back though...
Okay, just set up a Cleveland joke…
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
What makes you think Blake will walk or be traded?
Has anyone from the Blazers or Blake’s camp given you that impression?
It’s just as easy for me to say that KP will offer Steve an extension and Blake will sign it before Oct 31
We could both be right, or wrong (as the case may be.)
Bayless’ future is not tied up with Blake’s. Jerryd will be around until he’s traded or his rookie contract expires (unless he’s extended like Webster was, last fall) There is no logjam at PG, there are 2 veterans competing for 48 minutes of PT and a 20 year-old who has nowhere else to go but back to the bench unless he can beat out one of the 4 guards ahead of him on the depth chart
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
One of the guards will probably be gone in the next season or so.
If Bayless progresses at a normal clip for a player his age then it would make sense to let Blake walk. The odds of Blake staying seems low unless Miller, Bayless, or Rudy gets moved first.
Not saying it will happen, but it seems likely. Just like Jack and Sergio’s departures were pretty easy to predict. Seems like the writing could be on the wall, especially since Bayless is held in such high regard by the guy who makes all the trade decisions.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions
well, Jack and Sergio wanted out
and they got their wish, once their 3 years of servitude were over
the next time that Steve Blake asks to be traded will be the first. In Portland, anyway. I can’t speak for what he might’ve said back in Milwaukee…
Rudy and/or Bayless could eventually wind up like Jack/Sergio, but we’re not anywhere near the 3 year “threshold” for them, yet. Would KP deal them before that time? Sure, if another GM made him an offer that provides him with a “special fit”
KP is a nice guy but if we’ve learned anything in the last 6+ months it’s that you can’t make him move until he’s ready
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I said one of the guards.
I could see Rudy or Bayless asking to be traded. Blake is just too professional for that sort of thing, but I could also see him asking for more money than we want to give him when his contracts up. It would be a shame to let him go for nothing.
Miller is a two year solution, after that the Blazers are going for championships every year and Blake is not going to work as the starter and drafting another PG is probably out of the question. Seems like you would want to have Bayless up and running by then. Also seems like a very doable situation, especially since Miller is the perfect guy to groom the youngster. Bayless at 20 is going to look a whole lot different than Bayless at 23.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 25, 2009 6:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Of course there was no way we were ever going to go with Bayless
as our 2nd string point guard to start the season.
Guess we can say so long to any Heinrich visions we might have been entertaining.
Who will start, Miller or Blake? Duh, we need someone who can shoot …. Blake of course.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
I don't think it's a "duh" kind of question.
Miller is more skilled than Blake. The three pointer is about the only thing Blake has the clear cut advantage on. Still, it’s not a “duh” the other way either. Without Blake in the starting lineup, the only way to spead the floor is with Roy and either Webster (who may or may not be ready in time to start) or Batum (who has to get better before he can be considered a real threat). Though Aldridge was trying to get range out that far last season as well.
Personally, I think Miller makes the starting lineup. Our offense will look different than last year, but I think it’ll work.
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
Thought to be fair,
if you would have asked me yesterday, I would have said that it wouldn’t have worked. Actually getting a guy on the team works wonders for the personal opinion. :p
μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.
LaMarcus Aldridge is strictly a high-post scorer via the pick-and-pop and shouldn't be expected ...
to expand his range, since that’d be a fool’s errand. On the contrary, Aldridge must focus on improving his man-to-man interior defense, weakside help defense — which he was a worthless bum at last season — and developing a quicker first step from the elbow so he can draw fouls via a dribble-drive game.
While Aldridge will almost assuredly never reach the level of a true star like Chris Bosh — as he lacks the necessary intensity on the defensive glass and any semblence of a first step from the elbow — it’s my hope that he can at least make enough strides in those areas to make him no longer a liability at times.
Regarding the likelihood that opposing teams will clog the lane against a backcourt of Brandon Roy and Andre Miller, the onus there lies squarely on the superstar’s shoulders. If Roy can boost both his efficiency and proficiency from downtown — with approximately 40% shooting on 300 or so attempts — then his iso game shouldn’t suffer too much; that’s ’cause guys will be too afraid to sag off of him.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
that’d be a fool’s errand
I guess LMA fooled around last summer, then
He shot and made a few corner 3s last year. No, I don’t think that should be a “staple” of his game, but he’s already got range out to 21 feet and there’s a guy named Greg Oden he’s gonna be playing with for the next decade, so we all better get used to watching LMA shooting jumpers from every angle of the floor, just like a really tall guard.
I’m wondering…did Nate start Ridnour, or Daniels up in Seattle? If memory serves he started Luke and closed with Antonio…I wonder if this has any impact on how Blake/Miller will be utilized
(Keep trying on Hinrich if you want, and I’ll keep skipping over reading your long posts)
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Yeah, Nate McMillan started Luke Ridnour and finished with Antonio Daniels.
At any rate, LaMarcus Aldridge is a pure 4 who’s unable to play the 3 or even adequately slide over to the 5 for anything beyond short spurts. If Aldridge had the range and defensive fortitude of Rasheed Wallace, then I’d undoubtedly support playing him at all three frontcourt positions; however, that just isn’t in the cards. Instead, Aldridge should focus on improving his all-around game at the 4—there’s no denying it!
Oh, and with regards to Kirk Hinrich, there’s still a spot for him on this team — as is noted how playing time could be distributed if he was here — yet, I realize that my pleas to Kevin Pritchard are worth no more than if I begged to a brick wall. That’s life, though, but I won’t give up hope.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
LMA can stay at the 4
and still pop jumpers like a 3, or even a 2. It’s not about what position he plays, it’s how he can continue to help spread the floor for Roy, Oden, Miller, etc
Aldridge should focus on improving his all-around game at the 4
He’s been working out with Chris Bosh this summer in Dallas. LMA can do everything that you want from a PF, both inside and out (like a young Duncan and even more skilled than Malone at the same age, although Karl was a man-child) I’d like to see LMA rebound a little better, but that’s not a huge problem on this team.
What he needs most is a veteran backup who’s better than Outlaw, and it would be nice if that backup could also play a little 5 as well, so LMA never has to slide to the center position again. (Jeff Foster sounds good to me)
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
We wanted Hinrich so bad.
KP is a Jayhawk and he’s supposedly had his eye on Kirk for a long time. The Bulls won’t give him up so what can you do? If we could have had him, we would have had him.
But we can’t, so I’m done dreaming about it.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
This is all speculation on my end; yet, if the sticking point between Kirk Hinrich being with ...
the Porltand Trail Blazers over the Chicago Bulls is Jerryd Bayless, then I’d be pissed off as all hell. On the other hand, I’d also decline trading for Hinrich — which may shock some of y’all — if Rudy Fernandez is the desired piece by the Bulls’ brass.
I doubt that’s the case, though.
Yet, if it’s Fernandez that the Bulls want, then I’d offer sweeteners to go along with Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and Bayless — which’d include Victor Claver, Joel Freeland, Petteri Koponen, Patty Mills, a 2010 second-round draft pick, and even $3,000,000 in cash considerations — in lieu of the Spaniard.
My guess is the Bulls’ brass would bite on that bait—hook, line, and sinker.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
I think the main idea is they didn't want to trade him after Gordon waved to them...
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
That too, but I meant from Portland’s side. And yes, Reinsdorf gave a crazy interview that drove Your Friendly Bulls Blogger aka No 1 Gordon Fan up the wall where he basically stated they put up an offer for BG last year that was under what he gets now, and when Ben wanted to finally take it they said “sorry, off the table”. And after the trade deadline with the acquisition of Salmons he knew his rotation was supposed to be Rose, Hinrich, Salmons for the guard spots.
Your Chicago Bulls, losing their top scorer after 7 of the last 11 seasons.
kinda like philly hu?
ouch… was that below the belt…
now I feel bad. . I was being all nice on the philly site. one of em thinks that andre could be a better 3 pt shooter… he just shot too many 3’s at the end of the shot clock.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
In Ben’s “Miller, Blake and Bayless: How Will This Sort Out?” post I put his hotspots chart from last year. He was actually hot from the right edge of the key and the zone inside of it, at over 45%. It’s not hopeless, but clearly it’s not a strength.
any cool stat that keeps track of 3 pt shots and the times they were taken in the shot clock?
I mean …. forgive my ignorance or lazieness but … hasn’t most of his previous teams been… either getting better or just mediocore (east coast) …. has he been surrounded by this much selfless talent? ever?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
The Utes were pretty unselfish...that was 12 years ago
but of course when Rick Majeris is leading your team, your too scared out of your gourd that he might eat you to tempt fate and get out of line.
pretty sure he played with ... ai? no? or.. was traded for him? lol I suck ....
what I mean is…. ( aside from the request for the rediculous stat)
is that? his shots haven’t ever been that open? (I dunno)
I’m guessing that we get him open he’ll start draining 3’s at an unheard of rate…. unless he just really does suck at it.
right?
lol forgive my stupidity. if that comes off …. strange.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
so he's always been on teams that kinda were ok but still sucked.
right?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
Miller has always been a winner
and has always made every team that he was on better. As far as his outside shot goes, it is similar to Jason Kidd’s. He shoots it flat footed and kind of guides it towards the bucket almost as if 23 feet is just beyond his range. That being said, I have seen him get hot from deep, just like any other player.
Best thing about him is that he has an old-style game, just like Roy. He does most of his damage, be it floaters or lobs for dunks, from 14ft to 6ft from the basket. Because of this, he doesn’t have to rely on his jump shot to be a productive scorer. All he has to do is make enough of them to keep the defense honest.
giggle...
I hear ya.
I was just pointing out that his terrible 3pt shooting could be attributed to just being forced to take a bunch of shots that shouldn’t have been taken due to either never being open enough to shoot a three (andre style/ or kidd esque), and that his team hasn’t ever been really great enough (save iggy) to open up his shot…
but thats reachin for quite a bit of … make up … for his “terrible 3pt shot”
:) … just lookin for the bright spot. or an excuse….
k.. I’m out it’s late love ya
k.. I’m out it’s late love yaI’m stoked about this.
k.. I’m out it’s late love yaI’m stoked about this.can’t wait to see him on the floor with brandon..
k.. I’m out it’s late love yaI’m stoked about this.can’t wait to see him on the floor with brandon..it’s gonna be sick.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
oh wow....
that’s so weird. I only typed that once.
k.. I’m out it’s late love yaI’m stoked about this.can’t wait to see him on the floor with brandon..it’s gonna be sick.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
There's plenty of reason to still go after Kirk Hinrich via a trade, although I wonder if Kevin Pritchard ...
is sharp enough to realize it. Although Pritchard is an above average front office executive, I still wonder if he possess what it takes — whether that’s the intellect, the cojones, or perhaps both qualities — to lead the Portland Trail Blazers from good to great.
Although Pritchard doesn’t deserve any heat for the plodding contract extension negotations with Brandon Roy — as that’s likely the fault of Vulcan Inc. Chairman Paul Allen and Vulcan Sports and Entertainment CEO Tod Leiweke — or the likelihood that team doctors and general counsel squashed any plans to draft DeJuan Blair, the way he pushed hard for signing a terrible fit in the declining Hedo Turkoglu startled me.
I’ve never been too fond of Pritchard’s miserable comprehension of balanced roster construction, either, although I’m admittedly a traditionalist who believes that any well-rounded team has three true pivotmen on its roster due to the foul trouble and injury concerns that centers face in the NBA.
It’s one thing for Nate McMillan to push for Turkoglu — especially since I’m of the opinion that he’d be an epic failure as a front office executive if he’s ever given the chance — but I expected more from Pritchard. Alas, he’s not on the level of R.C. Buford, Mark Warkentien, and other top-notch GMs throughout the NBA.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
Warkentien
Isn’t he the GM who started the false 3-way trade rumor between Utah, Portland, and Chicago involving Boozer, Hinrich and a ghost player from the Blazers?
by Original Blazer Fan on Jul 24, 2009 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Please.
You’re really referencing Warkentien? He made one lucky move to get Billups with a team desperately looking to dump salary. To only further illustrate this was more about Detroit’s stupidity rather than Warkentien’s supposed greatness, the Pistons then used that cap room to give $90 Million to Charlie V and Ben Gordon.
On top of that, Warkentien was instrumental in developing the JailBlazer era.
"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."
No, Mark Warkentien was stuck behind Paul Allen, Steve Patterson, and John Nash during ...
the Seattle SuperSonics glory days during the mid-2000s — oh, wait, I mean during the JailBlazer era — so don’t blame him for that debacle by Vulcan Inc. and company.
Warkentien, however, did climb up the ranks in Portland behind the much-maligned Bob Whitsitt, although simple-minded Trail Blazer fans don’t quite grasp how wonderful the “Trader” was with the SuperSonics during his tenure in the Emerald City.
Also, you forget how I was one of the few smart, intelligent folks who complimented Warkentien for dumping Marcus Camby for cap relief.
Heck, here’s a comment I wrote back in 2008!
“Mark Warkentien has done an excellent job these past several months. With regards to the Marcus Camby trade, I’m shocked that people didn’t understand how amazing of a salary dump that was from the onset. Camby, who’s hugely overrated by unbalanced statistical metrics such as Wages of Wins, exemplifies how gobbling up numerous rebounds and tallying up eye-popping blocks via weakside help doesn’t make someone a great defender.
Warkentien, by the way, is currently on pace to win this season’s NBA Executive of the Year Award."
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/12/7/684119/postgame-geek-out-thread#10526801
As you can see, it was foresight rather than hindsight on my part. All in all, Warkentien is definitely a more successful front office executive thus far than Kevin Pritchard.
All things considered, Warkentien > Pritchard—and that’s that!
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
laying it on thick tonight my friend
if it were aftershave, it would be marinating a 58 y/o bachelor and smell of Hi Karate
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on Jul 25, 2009 12:25 AM PDT up reply actions
If I wanted to lay it on thick, I'd give my assessment as to why Bob Whitsitt was more ...
successful than Kevin Pritchard as a front office executive in the NBA. Yet, I won’t go there, because Whitsitt’s failures while running the Seattle Seahawks still bother me a bit.
That, however, is an altogether different sport, so I might just change my tune someday.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
So, he did a salary dump too?
How does that not make KP equally as excellent for getting rid of Z-Bo? You’re praising the same things about MW as you’re condemning KP for. He hasn’t been around long enough to demonstrate, via trades and free agency, that he has what it takes to put together a championship team. For all we know, Denver could just be waiting to self destruct.
"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."
I give Blake about a 20% chance of starting.
His three point shooting is nice, but that doesn’t mean he beats out Miler, just like he wouldn’t beat out Parker, Rondo, Harris, Kidd, etc.
Outlaw is a better shooter than Batum, but that doesn’t mean he automatically starts. Same thing goes for Blake… Duh.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions
How Jerryd is Affected
This addition is a great win for the Blazers. We will have a wonderful backup PG who plays about 20 mins a game for the first two years of his contract. As well as a strong leader on and off the court who will assist with the learning curve set by veterans in the NBA.
In addition to that, we will have a 2-3 yr mentor and (on the court) assistant coach to prepare Jerryd with the difficult transition of becoming a outstanding PG.
Plus – Nate has been begging KP to give him some veteran leadership, this will help push Nate to improve because this is what he has desired….
Really good news - the vet PG was the critial piece we needed,
and KP came through ! That this is a man Nate has embraced and can presumably trust on the floor could open up our game. Our current roster is really exciting. I am really liking Miller’s enthusiasm about joining the Blazers. I am feeling a lot of good potential here.
Add this to the encouraging updates on Oden lately…. very niiiiiiiice !
I totally agree with KP’s sentiment that we are good to go with our current roster. I am stoked to see what we can do with what we have in hand.
Bring on the new season.
I'll take Millers free throw & playoff stats over Blake
Miller went to the free throw line a TON more than Blake did last year and I’ll take those FT’s over 3’s any day. Also, Millers points per game went UP about 5 points per game in the 6 game series against Orlando. Those additional 5 points per game may have won us the Houston series this year.
ah...ft's vs. 3's
who knows, that may have merit. First thing that came to mind, however, were the dagger 3’s by Fish (even he sucked most of the season)
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 24, 2009 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions
TS% combines FG%, 3PT%, and FT%, so we can compare Andre Miller, Kirk Hinrich, and Steve Blake.
2008-2009 SEASON
Miller: 54.8% TS%
Hinrich: 55.1% TS%
Blake: 55.7% TS%
While Steve Blake wins this comparison, it’s really a remarkably small difference between the three guys.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
I think the thing is...
Blake’s attempts can dry up, especially in a long playoff series. Kirk and Miller are more dangerous because they can create there own shot. It’s harder to plan for and it leads to more opportunities for the other guys.
I would say that TS% doesn’t tell the whole story by a long shot.
by Nick Van Excellent on Jul 24, 2009 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree that Andre Miller and Kirk Hinrich's ability to create their own shot make them much ...
more dangerous than the offensively one-dimensional Steve Blake. Remember, I’m not a 100% stat guy in any way, shape, or form. In fact, there’s many things that factor in to my quirky analytical style.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
Someday we are going to win an NBA championship
and that night someone will post a trade proposal to acquire Kirk Hinrich from the Bulls.
I’ve never seen such an obsession for a player of his caliber.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Jul 24, 2009 11:39 PM PDT reply actions
How about Roy for Hinrich?
I think that works on the trade machine…
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
nope
Hinrich’s salary is more than twice what Roy makes, and we’re fresh out of cap-space
(whew! that’s a relief…just in time)
but now someone will suggest Roy + Oden for Cap’n Kirk
yeah, that might work…
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
no no no
roy oden and rudy for paul.
get your trades straight. /s
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I heard a rumor
that Hinrich can walk on water and once took down Chuck Norris in a cage match with one arm tied behind his back.
I really like this move! It complements the current roster.
Stat comparisons aside, the NBA is about matchups and Miller gives us a different look than Blake. One that Nate can exploit. It also gives us the mentor that we need at PG. We all know that Bayless is not a spot up outside shooter like Blake. However, he could learn some tricks from Miller, who is a bit closer to Bayless in physical gifts but way ahead in experience and skill.
I also don’t see how folks can compare Bayless at 2 years out of high school and 1 year in the NBA to Sergio, who has been playing professionally for 5 years with 3 in the NBA. Sergio is rapidly approaching his potential, physically and mentally. Bayless hasn’t even begun to find himself as a pro.
GOBayLessAZERS
The criticism I've heard is that Miller does his thing with a running offense and the Blazers are a bunch of plodders who think a fast break is what happens when Grandma buys a skateboard...
The Philly fans are PISSED that their management let Miller get away for nothing when they knew all along that they weren’t going to offer him more than a single year at about MLE.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
If I were a Philly fan, I too would be disappointed that they couldn’t swing some sort of a sign and trade. They talked about it but nothing happened. Not really their fault 100%, though, as few teams were in a position to vie for his services. Ironically two of the few teams that would be in a position to bring on someone like Miller also happened to have close connections to a couple of other veteran PGs, somebody Kidd and whatshiswhosis Nash, I dunno…Seriously, who besides dallas, Phoenix, NY, and Portland would have a demonstrable interest
Anyway, I think the Blazers had this move pegged all along (in fact, some of you probably heard me say so on 95.5 or on the Brick’s show tonight) They let Sergio go because they knew they could pay Miller more than anybody, and they knew he’d want to come here.
So they went for Turkoglu and failed, pulled the Millsap thing knowing it would wash out but hoping it would shake Hinrich loose through a Boozer transaction somehow…and then when the Knicks started sniffing around Duhon, they pulled the trigger on a Miller deal that was fair for both sides and probably dialed in already for weeks.Andy Miller (Andre’s agent) represents Rudy as well and likely communicated to Miller that he was a fallback plan for Portland and to sit tight.
"I take the little gummy bear Flintstones vitamins…I try not to eat the lady. I try not to eat the man. Just give me the car. I try to find the car. Yea, worst case scenario, I eat the lady." - Ron Artest, 2009
Argh, hit post by accident. That last sentence in paragraph 1: Seriously, who besides dallas, Phoenix, NY, and Portland would have a demonstrable interest in a 33-year-old PG as the 30-minutes-per-game mentor to a young roster?
"I take the little gummy bear Flintstones vitamins…I try not to eat the lady. I try not to eat the man. Just give me the car. I try to find the car. Yea, worst case scenario, I eat the lady." - Ron Artest, 2009
He's not quite old enough for Steve Kerr yet, but check back in 3 years...
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
It also hurts your options to do a S&T if you can’t credibly claim you want the player back and the player wants back, too. Neither seemed to really be the case for Miller and Philly. Turkoglu and Orlando would have managed to make it do with each other for another few years.
And btw
I would really like to see us make a move for Hakim Warrick as that backup PF. He’s cheap, he’s young, he’s still got upside, and he might ust some heads with his contributions to a team that’s winning games for a change. I know some people are expecting Pendergraph or Cunningham to slot right in and contribute meaningful minutes, but that’s asking a lot of a second-round pick. With Chris Wallace totally hamstrung by Michael Heisley’s whims, you might be able to get creative and snag Warrick on the cheap, especially with them suddenly scrambling (allegedly) to bring in Iverson.
"I take the little gummy bear Flintstones vitamins…I try not to eat the lady. I try not to eat the man. Just give me the car. I try to find the car. Yea, worst case scenario, I eat the lady." - Ron Artest, 2009
Hakim Warrick is all talent and no skill.
Sans being a decent weakside help defender on occasion, Warrick’s craptastic basketball IQ rivals that of Tyrus Thomas and Travis Outlaw. Seriously, I can’t fathom that people have advocated signing someone who wouldn’t fit in the high/low zone offense at either forward position.
Oh well, it’s not my problem whatsoever.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
Perhaps Tim Duncan is available, or perhaps Charles Oakley or the Worm
We’re not going to get a standout defender to be the backup PF for this team. I also question the ability to gauge Warrick’s effectiveness when he’s played on craptastic team after craptastic team for the whole of his lengthy four-year NBA career thus far. The team has never won more than 25 games any of the years he’s played any significant minutes, and I’m not going to lay that entirely on his shoulders. Anybody would look like a dunce on some of those squads they’ve fielded the last couple of seasons.
Note btw that I’m not making a case for him as DPOTY, I’m just observing that it’s hard for me personally to reach those conclusions about him as a player without seeing him with a better coach and surrounded by more talent.
"I take the little gummy bear Flintstones vitamins…I try not to eat the lady. I try not to eat the man. Just give me the car. I try to find the car. Yea, worst case scenario, I eat the lady." - Ron Artest, 2009
Andy Miller (Andre’s agent) represents Rudy as well
This makes me feel better, I was thinking that Rudy would get upset about his “experimental PG minutes” drying up and blowing away. Methinks we’ve heard the last of a potential “Rudy-Roy” backcourt, except for late game situations where a score is needed.
they pulled the trigger on a Miller deal that was fair for both sides and probably dialed in already for weeks
This makes me wonder how “far ahead” the Blazers have charted Rudy’s future in the NBA and it they already have an “exit strategy” in place for him
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
source!!! wheres the source!!!
link n no zelda links.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
scratch that....
I see it.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
"New Man Law: If you don't show up for the draft you don't get to come later if you're picked. If you believe in yourself, show up and sit there. If nobody else believes in you, take it and cry like a man...in front of the cameras."
-Dave
I’m a little tired of these constant pleas to get Chicago to pony up Hinrich for Blake, Outlaw, and Bayless. AK1984, you make it sound like that this magic solution that bumblin’ old dumbo KP is too busy nose-deep in his Blackberry to figure out on his own. News flash: even with the cash and picks, that’s not a move I would make if I were the Bulls’ GM. Outlaw would be buried behind Deng, Salmons, and Tyrus Thomas, all of whom deserve their minutes (perhaps Thomas least of all, but you’ll never get Paxson to admit it). And with a guy like Rose averaging 37 mpg a game as a rookie, it’s not like Blake offers any sort of upgrade over Hinrich for the Bulls. The only place that team really needs help is at SG, which is where you seem convinced that they would perceive Bayless as a potential saviour. I wouldn’t be surprise if they did hold out for Rudy and I furthermore wouldn’t be surprised if KP wisely refused that package or one very similar.
I imagine Bayless isn’t going anywhere this season for two reasons:
1) It’s still much too early to assess what kind of player he can be with consistent playing time, more experience, and clearer expectations of what his role on the team is going to be.
2) If Roy goes down, expect Bayless to back up Rudy and play significant (undersized) minutes at the 2. It’s his natural position and it’s where I think he can be effective, at least on offense.
I think that’s a pretty huge driver for the Miller acquisition; it allows Bayless to play while a) resting starters and b) without forcing him to assume the role of floor general. That’s also the reason they were gunning so hard for Turkoglu; they wanted one more guy who could really run the offense while Roy and Blake were on the bench (or unavailable due to injury). Having another competent floor general (sorry, Sergio) makes this team so much better if Roy is either on the bench or in the locker room. That’s one reason they were willing to fork over for Turkoglu, because when Blake sat, the offense suffered…unless Roy ran the show. Having one more guy who can direct the offense efficiently makes all the difference with this roster. It ain’t gonna be Rudy and I’m sorry but it ain’t gonna be Bayless. It’s going to be Blake, Roy, and Miller, which will free up both Rudy and Bayless to play off the ball and directly to their strengths on offense.
"I take the little gummy bear Flintstones vitamins…I try not to eat the lady. I try not to eat the man. Just give me the car. I try to find the car. Yea, worst case scenario, I eat the lady." - Ron Artest, 2009
by rivetz on Jul 25, 2009 12:22 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
btw, in that Bulls analysis, I forgot Noah, who logs plenty of minutes at the 4 when Miller is at center.
"I take the little gummy bear Flintstones vitamins…I try not to eat the lady. I try not to eat the man. Just give me the car. I try to find the car. Yea, worst case scenario, I eat the lady." - Ron Artest, 2009
Oden's 2-year hiatus makes Miller the perfect add today
The moment the ping pong ball gave us Oden, we all knew the Blazers needed a veteran point guard and a small forward to round out the team, and ideally we needed them right then and there. We missed completely on SF, letting Rashard Lewis, Gerald Wallace, and others go — but we really blew it at point guard. But now, two years later we are in precisely the same position. Oden is coming into his third season with expectations (and youth) that are nearly identical to that entering his rookie season. Miller will help make him the great center we all believe is possible.
And that is in addition to the scoring, assists, up-tempo, etc. advantages Miller brings to this team. Far outstripping Blake in virtually every category.
Yes, Blake can hit the three. But threes have become Blake’s specialty on this team, and threes should never be the top priority for your point guard. The reality is that beyond setting up the general offense (which Miller can do even better), Blake exerts his greatest value when he is getting open for, and hitting, shots … and that should never have been his number one job. Miller won’t hit threes, but others will. And Miller will make Oden and Aldridge better in ways only the supreme point guards in the history of the game would do. As for Brandon, he’s an All-Star and he will find ways to elevate his game with Miller alongside in ways he never imagined possible with Jarrett Jack and Steve Blake.
But most importantly, with Miller the biggest piece of the puzzle is now in place to enable Oden to rise quickly to become the center who will bring us the Championship.
I'm ok with the miller acquisition but...
in the end I see all these teams making lopsided trades that drastically improve their team. I feel that we had the pieces and a lot of decent factors here that we should have gotten in on some of that action as well. Miller will help us out a lot, but in the end I was hoping for a sexy impact player that was going to put us over the top.
Senior Asian ambassador of Blazers Edge
Problem is, the lopsided trades offered will be big name, big contract guys who are likely jaded mercenaries...
See: Boozer, Carlos.
The beauty of the Miller signing is this: HE FITS.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
your right but maybe we all just set our expectations too high
i dunno i still thought it was reasonable that we would land an impact player. with hedo turning us down, utah matching our offer for millsap, and no other player other than hinrich publically stating they wanted to play for us it was just a bit disappointing.
miller does fit in the end, but right now i feel our title hopes are contingent on LMA and Greg developing into top tier talent.
Senior Asian ambassador of Blazers Edge
by Philthyanimal on Jul 26, 2009 12:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Steve Blake: Deconstructing Ben's Deconstruction
Ben,
Regardless of what Andre does or doesn’t bring to the Blazers, your "Decontruction of the Blake Myth" a while back requires some deconstructing.
General: Your main premise was that the Blazers won 54 games and made it to the playoffs for the first time in years DESPITE Steve Blake. Oh, really? You stated that Blake supporters are telling an "outright lie" that he’s the perfect point guard for the Blazers. While I wouldn’t describe anyone or anything as "perfect", since when did stating an OPINION become a LIE?
"Speed Deficiency": You asserted that the Blazers coaching staff had to make adjustments for Blake’s "speed deficiency". So what? Every coach has to make adjustments to their players strengths and weaknesses. To support your argument, you defined "speed" in terms of speed off the dribble, but last time I checked the fastest way to get a basketball from Point A. to Point B is with a PASS. And how can a team have the 2d highest efficiency in the NBA last season as you stated (with Blake logging 31 minutes a game) if he’s the schmuck you want us to believe he is. And as far as offensive "speed", Steve is perfectly capable of cracking the whip on the break. He did it in college. He did it with the Nuggets. He’s done it with the Blazers WHEN ALLOWED. Let’s face it, Nate’s offensive mindset prefers half court sets, probably to minimize turnovers on a young squad. Defensively, how does Miller cure the "speed" problems that PGs like Aaron Brooks caused for Blake?
"Assist to Turnover Lie": I wish you’d get off that "lie" thing. You tell us not to believe the "assist to turnover lie", and explain why Steve’s ratio of 3.18 to 1 should be discounted. But if the ratio were 1.18 to 1, would you discount it THEN? Basketball is primarily about numbers and statistical facts. But the translation of your analysis is "don’t believe the statistics, believe what Ben Golliver SAYS about the statistics."
"Jacking 3’s Does a Disservice to the Young Bigs: Let me get this straight: A PG who can stretch the defense and open things up in the post is bad for the bigs? Don’t blame Steve Blake for Greg Oden’s problems last year. If anything, Blame it on the floor time Greg lost due injuries the last two years. With respect to Lamarcus, the guy doing great. At this point, his game is primarily mid-range to outside. But he’s developing his inside stuff, slowly but surely. So don’t bring Aldridge into your "deconstruction", just to make a case against Blake. Also, your portrayal of Blake as ONLY a three point bomber is counterfeit. Throughout his career, the guy has shown an ability to ADAPT. There have been times in his college and pro career that Steve didn’t shoot, because the circumstances didn’t call for it. At other times, he’s only taken shots at crucial times. And Steve has MADE more than his share of them. Right now, the Blazers system calls for him to take more threes. So he has. And you can bet that if Blake’s shots were outside of Nate’s offensive scheme, he’d be on the pine.
Ben, it’s obvious that you have a preference for the modern day, ball hogging, clock consuming, drive to the hole type PG. That’s fine. They have their pros AND cons. But you threw Blake under the bus unnecessarily. And you dissed his supporters in the process. Most of us who comment on these blogs want the Blazers to be successful. Oftentimes we’ll disagree on the best way to accomplish that. But YOU, sir don’t have a monopoly on the truth, so I hope that going forward, you’ll stop acting like you do.
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