Leon Powe

by blayzees on Jul 5, 2009 6:15 PM PDT Comment 23 comments

Leon Powe is the answer at backup PF. Why?

1. He's not a Nate-approved vet, but he has grit and he has a ring with the Celts. And not just a Darko/Adam Morrison lucky-to-be-there ring. He went to war with that team and was a key role player. So he brings some experience and knowledge to the locker room.

2. At 25, he fits right in age-wise with the rest of the Blazers, and should be peaking when Brandon, LaMarcus et al are at their best.

3. He's a rugged rebounder, especially at the offensive end. Last season his offensive rebound rate was 3rd in the league behind Oden and Kevin Love.

4. He's efficient offensively, largely due to all those offensive put-backs but also because he's great at getting to the line. His true shooting percentage was 59.1%.

5. He's used to coming off the bench, which is what he'll do for the Blazers, so there will not be any drama, despite the fact that he's a 17 and 11 per 40 minutes guy.

6. He's a great guy, and will fit in with our culture. I've read much about him, but I also knew his high school counselor who raved about what a genuinely nice guy he was. (Classmate Marshawn Lynch, not so much.)

7. He's a bargain since the Celtics dropped him because he's injured. In other words, we'd be pulling an anti-Hedo and making a run for someone when his market value was at its lowest, not highest.

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He can't help us next season

but I wouldn’t mind if he was on the very cheap.

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

by HurraKane212 on Jul 5, 2009 6:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Why can't he help us next season"?

by dew0lfe on Jul 5, 2009 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

he blew out his knee during the playoffs

and had to have reconstructive surgery (if i’m remembering right)

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

by lefty6283 on Jul 5, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's a slight chance he might be able to come back at the tail end of the season

but we wouldn’t be able to count on him being ready at all.

by ninjasocks on Jul 5, 2009 8:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Powe underwent MICRO-FRACTURE surgery

by blazer23-83 on Jul 5, 2009 6:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

NBA.com

says he had ACL surgery and will be ready by the allstar break…..semi reliable source I believe

by runanjum on Jul 5, 2009 8:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's blown out his ACL in high school and college

Either way, his knees are in rough shape (but at least he still has his ACLs).

by ninjasocks on Jul 5, 2009 8:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

At the right price Leon Powe would be a great acquisition

… at the right price.

by as11osu on Jul 5, 2009 6:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

what would be the right price?

a two year deal for the league minimum perhaps? Would he take that?

by blazer23-83 on Jul 5, 2009 6:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

2-3 million per season

If we can find a player willing to take maybe a half million to a million above the MLE we’d have enough leftover for Powe IMO.

by as11osu on Jul 5, 2009 7:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It would have to be for multiple years to be worth it

Maybe a one year deal with a team option for a second. At best he comes back in the middle of next season. I do think Powe is a beast so I agree it would be worth it if the cost was low.

by blazer23-83 on Jul 5, 2009 8:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's not going to be able to play next season

by ninjasocks on Jul 5, 2009 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Boston Celtics should re-sign Leon Powe to a one-year, minimum level contract and let him rehab ...

at the team’s facilities on the organization’s dime. That’d essentially be what the Philadelphia 76ers did with Willie Green a few years ago.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 8:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Philly is a classy organization, Boston is not

I like Powe’s story and his work ethic. I liked him out of college, but there were injury questions about his knees.

I’d be happy to see him signed with the Blazers to a 3 year deal at the league minimum with the second and third years as team options. The Blazers pay him to rehab his ACL and knee this year, and if he makes his contract good after the All-Star break, we pick him up for next season. If he works out over the length of the contract, we have his bird rights when it expires at the end of three years.

No hurry on this though – if he can get a better deal somewhere else, he should take it.

by baduk on Jul 5, 2009 8:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

With the Boston Celtics winning the Rasheed Wallace sweepstakes, it looks like Leon Powe is ...

out of luck in Beantown. Once Glen Davis watches the free-agent market dry up on him, he’ll likely re-sign the one-year, $1,000,497 qualifying offer tendered by the Celtics. That’d leave the Celtics with a frontline featuring Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Wallace, Davis, Brian Scalabrine, and potentially Robert Swift — who Danny Ainge has had a hard-on for since “Big Red” was playing high school ball in California — which leaves no room for Powe.

Anyway, I’m interested in how the Celtics fill out its roster. With Mikki Moore and Stephon Marbury all but gone, that left two openings for role players and, well, Wallace just filled one of those spots.

C: Kendrick Perkins
PF: Kevin Garnett
SF: Paul Pierce
SG: Ray Allen
PG: Rajon Rondo
C: Rasheed Wallace
PF: Glen Davis (RFA)
SF:
SG: Tony Allen
PG: Eddie House
C:
PF: Brian Scalabrine
SF: Bill Walker
SG: J.R. Giddens
PG: Gabe Pruitt

To fill the backup small forward spot, the Celtics could use its bi-annual exception to sign somebody; additionally, Tony Allen is a defensive-minded player and Eddie House is an undersized gunner, so a 3 who’s effective at both handling and passing the rock would be an optimum fit. I, therefore, suggest that the Celtics go after Grant Hill.

Unless Hill likes it so much in Phoenix that he doesn’t mind winding his career in the nice weather in lieu of chasing that elusive championship ring, I can’t think of a better destination for him than Boston.

Finally, I expect Swift will get a shot at the third-string center spot — which’d be similar to what Danny Ainge offered Patrick O’Bryant last season — and combine with Scalabrine to form the ginger squad.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Celtics didn't offer him a QO (under $1M). He'll be with another team next year if someone signs him.

I agree with baduk’s take but think we may need to sweeten the offer a little to get him. Why would a guy agree to a 3 year deal with the 2nd 2 years being non-guaranteed? Maybe if there was a player option he’d agree to that deal. If he comes back and plays well after his injury rehab, the vet minimum will be “under-market” for his 2nd and 3rd yr. If he doesn’t come back and play well, he’ll be without a contract.

I think it would take a 3 year deal (to get the Bird rights), 1st year at the vet minimum, 2nd year guaranteed a little over the vet minimum, 3 year team option at $2-3M. I think it would be a great signing. Guys come back from ACL’s all the time. He’s had a few knee surgeries which is not great, but it’s a low risk-high reward option. His price would be much higher without the injury. He fits the backup need that we have perfectly. He should get enough time in the 2nd half of the season to be ready for the playoffs. Obviously, have the Docs evaluate the condition of the knee, but he’d be my 2nd choice at PF after McDyess (who I don’t think we’ll get).

Our targets:
PG – Harris, Hinrich, Sessions
PF – Bass, McDyess, Powe

by 52therim on Jul 5, 2009 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Okay, let's sort through your scenario.

The Portland Trail Blazers sign Leon Powe to a three-year, $2,798,465 contract.

Year #1: $855,189 (Fully Guaranteed)
Year #2: $915,852 (Fully Guaranteed)
Year #3: $1,027,424 (Team Option)

Despite the fact that the Trail Blazers just drafted a taller version of Powe in Jeff Pendergraph, I dislike this idea from both vantage points. For the Trail Blazers, Powe doesn’t fill an immediate need and is a poor fit offensively alongside Joel Przybilla due to his lack of a face-up game.

Regarding Powe, an ideal situation would be a two-year, minimum-level contract with the first season fully guaranteed and the second season non-guaranteed if he’s waived prior to some specific date in time (e.g., 7/1/2010).

Now, apropos of teams that’d be a good short-term fit for Powe, a fledgling franchise with an opening at the third-string power forward spot is the optimal situation. Because Brian Skinner just declined his player option with the Clippers at the end of June, Los Angeles appears to be a solid landing point for Powe. Plus, if Powe’s recovery occurs before the end of the 2009-2010 season, he could get in some playing time behind Blake Griffin at power forward. At worst, Powe could fill out the third-string frontline with project center DeAndre Jordan.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 10:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Leon Powe is a proven commodity

Jeff Pendergraph is a lottery ticket.

by ninjasocks on Jul 5, 2009 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What's your point?

Jeff Pendergraph is cheaper and healthy, so there.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is a player that's bad when healthy a better commodity than a

player that’s really good when healthy, but currently isn’t?

On a team as loaded as this one is, the answer to this question is obvious.

Powe is a better basketball player by a mile, and provide a stable offensive force in the paint when in games. Joel’s ability to rebound no the defensive end, and Powe’s elite offensive boarding abilities, would help our 3 point based offense on that second unit. While the lack of an offensive game isn’t perfect, for such a cheap investment, Powe is certainly worth the effort. If healthy, he’s a lot closer to a mid level exception type of contract, not one of pittance.

by as11osu on Jul 5, 2009 11:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah, this harkens back to our 2008 debates over Kirk Hinrich.

Anyway, I believe you’ll be pleasently surprised by Jeff Pendergraph next season. While passing over DeJuan Blair was a questionable move and drafting Dante Cunningham at #33 was pure lunacy, the Pendergraph selection was nevertheless a solid choice.

On offense, Pendergraph’s efficiency down on the low block is what makes him similar to Leon Powe. Like Powe, Pendergraph is also a good man-to-man interior defender against guys his size — so he’s like a smaller version of Erick Dampier in that regard — yet, his weakside help defense is mediocre, which is why I debated internally over who’s a better prospect between the ASU grad and fellow Pac-10 Conference standout Taj Gibson.

All in all, my advice to anybody and everybody out there is don’t sleep on Pendergraph.

by AK1984 on Jul 6, 2009 12:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs