Signings and Free Agency Buzz
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:08 PM PDT
in News
276 comments
- Shawn Marion is going to the Mavericks.
- Birdman is staying with the Nuggets.
- Artest is officially a Laker.
- Trevor Ariza is a Rocket.
- Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are Pistons.
- Rasheed is now a Celtic.
- Antonio McDyess is now a Spur.
- Toronto wrapped up Bargnani.
- Chicago signed Jannero Pargo.
- Jason Kidd is a Maverick again.
- Mike Bibby is staying with the Hawks.
- And, of course, Hedo will be a Raptor.
- Big Baby is likely a Piston.
- Marcin Gortat has signed an offer sheet with the Mavericks.
- Anthony Parker is headed to Cleveland.
- Dahntay Jones to the Pacers.
- Anderson Varejao back with the Cavs.
Executives around the league believe Miller will get a three-year, midlevel deal from some team, but that club remains a mystery right now. If Miller wants to play for a one-year, midlevel deal, a return to Philly is possible, but it's doubtful he'll settle for that and doubtful they'll offer more.
Before free agency began, a prevailing thought was Portland wanted Miller. But the Blazers, citing his terrible 3-point shooting, poor defense and age, have almost no interest in him.
"We've narrowed it down to about two or three teams," said Bass's agent Tony Dutt. "Orlando has shown a lot of interest, Detroit is another option, and Portland is up there as well. We're expecting something to get done in the next couple days."
- First, it showed that the Blazers were willing (eager?) to spend their cap room on an impact player, one that would potentially transform the look of the team over the next year or two and make them a serious championship contender.
- Second, it was consistent with Pritchard's repeated statements that he likes his players and is looking to tweak the roster rather than effecting an overhaul.
- Third, it showed that the Blazers prioritized a transformative, experienced player over either a new starting point guard or a banger frontcourt player in their list of team upgrade needs.
0 recs |
276 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Its hard not to get caught up in the hype of other teams retooling / reloading.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see us stand pat. But I also wouldn’t mind seeing some reasonable moves as well. After Hedogate, its easy to not watch this pot start boiling. It’ll happen when it happens. KP will move when its in the team’s best interest, current and future.
Thanks for the post, Ben.
by Dr. Horrible on Jul 8, 2009 4:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
unless we don't
I’m ready to go into battle with the same guys as we had last year (plus Martell).
Remember all the hollering at the trade deadline last season? Won’t it be the same this season? Won’t it be great to have some assets and some cap space at the trade deadline? – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
by 22baylor on Jul 9, 2009 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not going to fabricate free agent signing rumors or trade scenarios simply for the purpose of discussion.
You’re no fun.
The cowards never started
The weak died along the way
Only the strong survived
They were the Trailblazers
by lukeyhere on Jul 8, 2009 4:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
plenty of other people out there doing that ;)
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I consider that a sign of good journalism.
Not fabricating stuff, that is.
That is the sort of performance that will keep Ben’s stock ratching up.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"that will keep Ben’s stock ratching up"
that sounds dirty….you should be banned.
I have my P.h.D in unreliable hyperbole.
by Eat Politicians on Jul 8, 2009 8:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
KP will wait to use the (diminished) cap space for a deal on draft night 2010. You heard it here first.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 4:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
on draft night, it won't be diminished (yet)
draft night deals will still be operating under the 09-10 cap parameters, so we’ll have the same money then we have now (other than minor adjustments for cap holds, 2nd rounders, vet minimums, etc)
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We will have to add players to get to 13 though. But yeah, theoretically it’s the last point in time he could wait for without renouncing men and mice.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually I mentioned this as a likelihood in Dave's post this morning
if nothing is done by the trade deadline.
Patty Mills - PG of the future. Book it.
by Blazerholic on Jul 8, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That sounds great to me.
Is that the year john wall is going to be in the draft, or is that too soon? Any Ideas if there are any great players projected for 2010?
by twggyy on Jul 8, 2009 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hinrich Available now????
Looks like it
"Grayg"
-Nate
by OSUBlazerfan on Jul 8, 2009 4:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
hinrich has been available. question is is blazers interest sincere and is chicago’s asking price too high?
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well they just added another guard
so i would think the price has been lowered
"Grayg"
-Nate
by OSUBlazerfan on Jul 8, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
do they need/want either blake or travis?
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
dunno
do they need/want to clear space for next summer?
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
they have a pretty solid roster i’m not sure why they would straight dump hinrich. if you’re them do you want until the deadline?
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is that "wait, I'm hearing something"
or “shut up and wait cause nothing’s happening and I’m getting sick of this conversation?”
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it was supposed to be a typo correction of “want”… but the board software screwed up
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
probably
but I’ve never been in the beating the drum for Hinrich crowd, so I really don’t care much either way. Sure, I’ll take Kirk over Blake, but I view that as a pretty minor move when I was hoping for something much more. I’d probably rather keep my 2010 expirings and roll into the season.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The real question for the Chicago Bulls is if it wants a shot at Dwyane Wade in 2010.
by AK1984 on Jul 8, 2009 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Wade's comments yesterday have raised eyebrows.
A Wade-Rose backcourt would be formidable.
by MiledAnimal on Jul 8, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Only if they want to ditch Hinrich's salary.
The longer a deal for Hinrich takes to consummate, the more I think KP does not consider him worth twice the price of Steve Blake’s contract. It could well be that Chicago’s asking price is too high. Maybe each team sees no reason to rush into a deal and is waiting for some concession from the other.
Whatever the scenario, we do need a backup PG at least, so I don’t think KP is done.
by MiledAnimal on Jul 8, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
at this point you only need a 3rd stringer. that could turn out to be patty mills or a vet minimum guy.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, this team needs a legitimate backup point guard.
The scary thought of a gunner (i.e., Jerryd Bayless) and a waterbug (i.e., Patty Mills) as the two backups to a mediocre Steve Blake sounds like a catastrophe in the making.
Even if it’s just an average, yet grizzled veteran like Anthony Carter, I’d feel more secure than if Bayless and Mills were given extended playing time at the point.
by AK1984 on Jul 8, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
sorry i should have written…. at this point kevin pritchard believes he only needs a 3rd stringer……
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
or better…
at this point kevin pritchard’s actions and statements indicate he believes he only needs a 3rd stringer
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
steve blake is a legitimate NBA PG, perhaps around the 20th best
The Blazers need to make their team better, though, and starting PG is the most logical spot to plug in an improvement.
If KP isn’t pulling out all the stops trying to get a better starting PG, then he’s not the GM I hoped he was.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
At the cost of what though?
I think the Blazers are better off by waiting a year and seeing what they have in Jerryd Bayless. If he can’t prove he is worth it, then you go out and try get another pg.
by lrh86 on Jul 8, 2009 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
time is of the essence
We have capsapce— and thus the chance to make a lopsided trade— now. Now’s the time to make something happen.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only point guards out there that I would trade for are
Devin Harris and Chris Paul. We all know we ain’t getting CP3 but if KP can swing a deal for Harris I am all for it. I just don’t think Hinrich is enough of an upgrade over Blake to give up too many peices. If he can be had for cheap, I probably wouldn’t complain but the front office had better be sure he would fit in because we already know Blake does.
by lrh86 on Jul 8, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
its been discussed ad nauseum, but Hinrich is a huge upgrade from Blake on D
He’d fit great here. I’d also look into Rajon Rondo if the rumors of discontent in Boston are at all true.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The defense is a slight upgrade but I’d also argue that the PGs that gave Blake nightmares burn Hinrich just as badly.
Also, I sincerely hope the Blazers never sign Rondo. That would mean I would have to root for him and I would hate myself for doing so. The kid is an absolute punk.
by lrh86 on Jul 8, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ask Miami fans how they feel about Kirk
He seemed to do well enough against Wade. While he’s no PG, he’s quicker than nearly all of them
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hinrich is a borderline all defense player
Blake is a below average defender.
Ok that’s enough Hinrich talk from me for now.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rondo, CP, Harris, Williams. Anyone else?
ok, those guys aren’t coming obviously.
I’d take Hinrich for Blake and Outlaw. I wouldn’t throw in one of the young trio.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just because it has been dicussed repeated here ...
… doesn’t make it so.
Everyone who keeps clamoring for a deal of big move, or who keeps harping on how we need a new PG needs to re-read Ben’s third bullet point.
Even if every single fan here at BE decided that upgrading at PG was critical and that at a minimum, Hinrich was the answer, it would all mean squat. There is not a single person here that is better qualified to evaluate both the team’s needs and who out there is a good fit and at the right cost.
NO.
ONE.
Take Brandon Bass. I would include myself in the group that a) thought a backup PF whose game differed from LaMarcus’ was an off season objective and b) that Bass looked like a decent target. I also thought the same of McDyess, possible more so. Well guess what? All of us who believed a) are probably correct, but those who believed b) are – so far – not. It looks as if Portland decided to address the PF need through the draft, taking 2 PF’s (neither, I might ad, were the guy everyone here was clamoring for.)
It is my opinion that when you call for something to happen and the team goes a different way, the odds are you were probably wrong in the first place. However that apparently doesn’t hold with a lot of people here. When Portland passes on Blair, or drafts a Euro rather than some guy you wanted or doesn’t target a PG in FA or thru trade, or decides to hold tight after the deal they really wanted falls through, people here cry and moan and claim that management is screwing up.
To use the words that irritate my wife to no end – What ever.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Argument from authority
“Even if every single fan here at BE decided that upgrading at PG was critical and that at a minimum, Hinrich was the answer, it would all mean squat. There is not a single person here that is better qualified to evaluate both the team’s needs and who out there is a good fit and at the right cost.
NO.
ONE.”
It’s kind’ve sad to see so many posters who resort to saying “They know best” on a fan board, almost as a way of shutting down conversation.
It isn’t some sort of ego trip to second guess the Blazers’ moves. It’s fun. That’s why we’re here. You know?
I agree, that third bullet point you mention is where it’s all at. They valued certain qualities above positional need. And we get to wonder aloud whether that’s right. Again: that would be the fun of fan boards. Yes?
by feral on Jul 9, 2009 5:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Where would the fun be?
How about in dicussing your enjoyment of the team with other fans?
Or being exposed to thoughtful analysis and information from informed fellow fans?
Or as a one stop spot for news relating to your team and the league?
When we had a suck ass team that was built around guys like Randolph, Miles and Telfair. A team run by people who were apparently secretive and vindictive. A team with a previous reputation for poor behavior that had alienated large segments of its fan base. Then I can understand fans wanting to discuss all the ways to improve it. To share fantasies (which is exactly what they are) on what they would like to see they team become. Afterall, it isn’t too hard to think that you could do a better job at putting together a team than the previous management did.
But none of that applies now. We have a wonderful team. In many ways we have perhaps the most exciting team in the NBA. Talent laden, young, hard working and dedicated players who like playing with one another and who have embraced the city and fans of Portland. Sure, that doesn’t mean that fans can no longer talk about trades or discuss areas they would like to see improvements. But should that extend to constant expressions of doubt that the GM, the coach and the players lack the talent to win a championship?
And at what point does an interest in seeing a trade for one’s favorite player to seeing multiple and repeated proposals for various players transition from a fan’s interest in his (or her) team to someone who just likes to broadcast their favorite fantasty world to the rest of us?
The second guessing is fine. But to see it often followed by comments that rip the team, the GM and the coach if they don’t do exactly what particular fans think they should is where I think it goes too far.
We all can second guess Pritchard’s desire to sign Turkgolu and offer our opinion on why we would not have done that. But at the end of the day, fans come together and say “Ok, lets see how this works out.” They don’t call out the GM and say he’s screwed the pooch and doomed the team. It is the latter sort of comment that does cross the line into ego tripping, know better fans, who think they are capable of doing a better job than guys like KP and the rest of the Blazer organization.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 10, 2009 6:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You can't understand fans "discussing ways to improve"?
Well, let’s agree about the RealGM type fans with six-way trades involving trade exceptions…. At some point that’s not particularly negative, but it’s tedious to wade through long discussions of the merits of nonexistent deals that would never, ever occur.
I don’t really see the wave of fans dissing KP or the front office, though. Believe me — I started out as a T’Wolves fan, and negativity is nothing new to me. It ain’t happening here. This board is busy as heck, and the sheer number of posts shows that there’s tons of interest. All the speculation’s aimed at that championship goal.
The thing I seriously cannot relate to is this:
“….when you call for something to happen and the team goes a different way, the odds are you were probably wrong in the first place.”
That’s nothing more than “shut up” rephrased. It’s incurious and essentially authoritarian.
by feral on Jul 10, 2009 7:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The phrase was not meant that way.
Although I can see where there is a bit of an implied statement.
Still, I think it is a very accurate point. If we as fans are calling for A and the people whose job it is to manage the team do B instead, don’t you think the odds are pretty good that we the fans were probably wrong in our assessment of what needed to be done?
It’s one thing if your team is managed by people who have a record of ineptitude. Under those circumstances it is possible for the fans to have a better understanding than the people running the team. (But not assured, as we fans never know all of the factors involved.)
However Portland’s current management does not have a track record of ineptitude. Just the opposite. Therefore they get the benefit of doubt from me. If they don’t go after Andre Miller as a FA, then I will assume it is because they don’t think he’s worth what it would take. If they don’t trade for Hinrich, then I will figure that it is likely due to Chicago either being unwilling to trade him or asking too much for him. What I am not going to do is say Pritchard screwed up and therefore sucks as a GM. That would be more than implying that I think I know more than him.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 10, 2009 7:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That space sticks around in some form until after draft night 2010
Believing you have to make a decision right now and that this is the last opportunity is the surest way to make a bad decision.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
then it's a definition of "all stops"
Believe me, I’ve always been of the opinion that starting PG should be our A-1 priority. I’m beginning to resign myself to the fact that getting that big ticket PG upgrade is either gunning for guys who aren’t available at any price, or who are only available at an exhorbitant price that we are unwilling to pay.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
More hyperbole.
We had no catastrophe this past season, with basically the same situation.
I liked Sergio, but I have a hard time believing his absence is the difference between 50+ wins and your catastrophe.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blake's in the last year of his deal
which will be way more important to other teams than to the Blazers who will be waaay into the luxury tax once Brandon and LaMarcus are extended; I still think an uneven trade for Hinrich is what will happen eventually
PWN3D
by NoRespert on Jul 8, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the Portland Trail Blazers interest in Kirk Hinrich isn't "sincere," then Kevin Pritchard should ...
find a new line of work. Hyperbole aside, The basketball operations department as a whole — from the front office to the coaching staff — going hard after a guy who’d’ve been a poor fit in the declining Hedo Turkoglu has shaken my confidence in this organization.
Anyway, let’s hope everyone starting from Vulcan Inc. Chairman Paul Allen to Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan can get things moving on the right track rather than derail the figurative train.
by AK1984 on Jul 8, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think people know i prefer hinrich to blake … the question is his name has been floated for 18 months now. it hasn’t happened. there are two explanations: blazers don’t really want him (probably because of salary) or chicago is asking too much.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, it's an either/or situation.
Let’s hope it’s not the former and the latter is subject to change.
by AK1984 on Jul 8, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually I agree with you. this has been very telling - let's see, however, how KP recovers from being shutout
by Sonic Boom on Jul 8, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only things this off season has been telling about so far are:
a) the team’s view of what is needed differs from fans here
b) they couldn’t quite get the player they wanted
and
c) a lot of fans here seem to think they would be a better GM than Pritchard.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe...
Just maybe, KP knows this team better than you and he actually knows who is the best fit. Maybe there is something else with Hinrich that makes them leary… Who knows?
by lrh86 on Jul 8, 2009 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh I see. haha. That went right over my head
by lrh86 on Jul 8, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Went over mine as well.
I thought at first Miled was referring to me, as I’ve been preaching the same line. But I kept wondering who the hell Dennis was.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You beat me by 2 seconds
But I doubt they’re confident enough in Pargo at the backup PG to let Hinrich go for cheap.
Although, their big fish is swimming in the 2010 FA market, so maybe losing that 8-9 million could get them over the top.
by Twith on Jul 8, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
With Gordon gone
…I would imagine Chicago would be more inclined to start the season playing Rose and Hinrich together in the backcourt in an attempt to stay competitive (and keep selling tickets); once they realize they aren’t competitive at all, Hinrich will be put on the auction block and my guess is they’ll slash the price if you’ll take Tyrus Thomas with him.
PWN3D
by NoRespert on Jul 8, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tyrus expires this year
Why would they trade him for space? That’s the reason we’re hoping for Hinrich. If it’s talent, we’re not likely the best trading partner.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmmm, Pargo to the Bulls
He played the 1 behind Chris Paul, but he’s not the kind of insurance policy behind Rose that would let them deal Hinrich free of guilt.
I’d imagine he’s just cheap depth, but I liked him a lot when CP3 would go to the bench.
by Twith on Jul 8, 2009 4:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Great points regarding what the Hedo pursuit means
Also, I think that they see other ways to strengthen the PF and PG positions.
All that glitters isn't chrome
by hoopla-pdx on Jul 8, 2009 4:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Be honest ... KP has been undone
Hard to argue up to last February’s trade deadline what KP has done, but his good decision-making streak is clearly in jeopardy. Partly is his doing, partly is no one wants to dance with him after his lopsided trades in the past.
It’s no knock. No one is perfect. The reality is, though, other than banking on player development (no small thing), the front office didn’t upgrade the team.
KP is down from the stratosphere, back with the mortal GMs.
"You know when to say 'Yes', you know when to say 'No', everyone goes home in a limousine." - 'Fast' Eddie Felson
by TP for 3 on Jul 8, 2009 4:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The Big 'O' said ...
“Front offices win championships, not players”
"You know when to say 'Yes', you know when to say 'No', everyone goes home in a limousine." - 'Fast' Eddie Felson
by TP for 3 on Jul 8, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's not that he's "bad" now, and was "good" before
It’s just an open question whether Pritchard can take the Blazers to the next, contending, level. That’s okay, too. Organizations have life cycles, and people have to adjust.
That next step would seem to involve a willingess to consolidate some of the young talent, giving up some nice up-and-coming players to acquire a missing piece. Thus far — as at the trading deadline last year when he decided not to send Raef’s contract anywhere — KP has demurred from commiting himself to that course. Sergio Rodriguez was openly upset with his playing time, so even he prompted his trade; it wasn’t like Pritchard actively sought out that move, and when he made it he got, ta da, more flexibility.
Maybe he’s biding his time, or maybe he’s gotten a little too enamored of the players he’s brought in and is suffering a certain amount of inaction as a result. We’ll see. Proof’s in the pudding. And like that.
by feral on Jul 8, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The smart play right now is to sit and watch
get more talent than you give if you make a trade. Not having a winning hand cannot affect your intelligence. If the cards aren’t there, fold. Not folding is the foolish thing. There’s absolutely no reason to suspect KPs DM abilities are diminished. It’s just that you’re seeing a new side of KP, the one that can resist making a stupid move.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
Bob, that's too obvious for some folks here.
They just won’t get it.
Rec, btw
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 5:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL, I've been going through reccing all your posts too.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 6:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually
GM’s trying to “get more talent than you give if you make a trade” is the reason so many trades don’t go through. A smart GM should make a trade that improves both teams.
by tominhawaii on Jul 9, 2009 7:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
resisting the 'stupid move'?
does gushing over an overpriced Hedo count? That’s called showing your hand early and getting out-trumped when everybody’s shows their cards. You make a big play, you have to know you can win with the hand you’ve got.
"You know when to say 'Yes', you know when to say 'No', everyone goes home in a limousine." - 'Fast' Eddie Felson
by TP for 3 on Jul 8, 2009 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, they knew they could be outbid, right? The answer is yes
So, what card could they play that Toronto might not. That’s being really nice and acting like you want them. I can’t say whether Turk would have been a bad move. Not sure, but I do know that if you want that guy, that route is your only chance. I saw Jaynes say it was dumb, but it wasn’t. It was your only shot.
And if that doesn’t work, well, consider it ok because the guy you were after was only after money. The process weeds them out.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You have to know you're opponent's hand
Dwight Jaynes had called it weeks prior. Hedo was all about the payday. Why else leave the Eastern Conference Champs? He wanted money – and money alone (unlike an Odom or Artest seeking rings too). You go after him, you better have more money than everyone else.
"You know when to say 'Yes', you know when to say 'No', everyone goes home in a limousine." - 'Fast' Eddie Felson
by TP for 3 on Jul 8, 2009 6:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
for the love of goodness get something done KP
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 4:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Is a bad move better than no move?
Are you familiar with game theory?
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know next to nothing about game theory
and a bad move is not better than no move. I am just getting really tired of seeing everyone around the Blazers making good moves.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
But moves and their value relate to the team
many of the moves made this year would be terrible for the Blazers. Should we get Shaq, RJ, Sheed? Were those guys available to us?
I’m with you on hoping the Hinrich thing happens as the minimum wish, but nothing substantial really happened so far this year that changes our situation. The Spurs, Lakers, Cavs (maybe), and Celtics got better. The moves they made this offseason don’t extend their contending windows.
If there’s something out there that can move us up, then it’s smart. If not, our best bet is growth (refer to KP2 posts a while ago and linked somewhere around this post). Going after the wrong players is much riskier than playing out our maturing roster.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
You are right, of course
The tricky part about this offseason is that the Blazers need to set themselves up for the best shot to win in 2 years, and the best time to improve the team (which I think is absolutely necessary— I don’t think the current roster is good enough) might be this season.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 5:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This season technically extends until the next starts, right?
So kick back and enjoy the summer, man. We have time. We can judge KP in five years. Doing it now in any sort of concrete way is going to make us look like Dave did after the LMA Roy draft. Yikes, we don’t want that.
I completely understand the fan instinct though. I’d love to see something done right now. But, what I want is sooooooo much less realistic than what you’re looking for that it forces me to come to terms faster.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 6:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not seeing anything out there that is better than 2nd year improvement
At one point or other during the season the Blazers started 4 rookies:
> Batum for most of the season
> Oden for some games
> Rudy when Roy was hurt
> Bayless when Blake was hurt
All of these guys should have much better 2nd years. I’m not seeing a difference maker that is in the right age and talent level that would be better than what these guys will bring AT A PRICE that is both reasonable and within the team salary framework.
by ralphzillo on Jul 8, 2009 4:25 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
You forgot to mention:
We will hopefully also get our starting SF back for what could hopefully be his best year yet. And also, our starting center last year suffered through injuries and a loss of confidence; his play should be much improved this season.
by kacee on Jul 8, 2009 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, everyone will be better and no one will decline!
I could also guess the lottery numbers tomorrow. Can we stop with the “if so and so develops perfectly, and Troutlaw can all the sudden get a 1600 on the SATs, we might win a playoff series! Homegrown is the only way to go! Yay us!”
The team as assembled isn’t good enough to make a champoinship run; the cumulative talent level and basketball IQ won’t get it done. Improve or be satisfied with chasing a playoff berth, not a championship.
by Free Bayless on Jul 8, 2009 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So saith our resident NBA guru.
Exactly how is it you are able to definitively determine that Portland lacks the talent to win a title?
To qoute Bob Duval, “Them’s might bold words for a one-eyed fat man.”
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 10, 2009 6:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, Bayless never started… but he was finishing some games in there.
by danielfarrell on Jul 8, 2009 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not a problem!!
Hold onto that cap space for a great player; we have until the trade deadline, and the European players cap holds go away once they commit to Europe for another year. That will balance out the rookie signings.
Go K.P.: Please wait until a really talented and effective player becomes available.
by kacee on Jul 8, 2009 4:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
we can actually trade up until next years FA market opens
I think that’s the date. In any case, it’ll include the draft. The deadline for trades is not our deadline.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree that Pritch's Divinity has been unraveled, but not because...
He didn’t do anything on draft day. Everyone’s always all “we gotta change, we gotta trade!” but in reality, we have a very solid team right now. He’s lost his legend because he tried to go after Turkoglu, which in hindsight, was unacceptable.
by thetsaiguy on Jul 8, 2009 4:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Plus it's impossible to accurately evaluate any GM's drafts and trades
until enough time has passed to see the full unfolding of his plan and the development of the players he has acquired.
by MiledAnimal on Jul 8, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's just ridiculous
Turkoglu could have been a fabulous addition – at $8m per over four years. Obviously you’re not castigating him for refusing to chase as hard as Toronto, so I can only assume you think Hedo Turkoglu is a relatively poor player and barely better than the incumbents at SF?
That’s unacceptable.
by TheMadKiwi on Jul 8, 2009 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hedo's a very decent player
But he’s not worth that money, and he’s not a great fit in Portland. Next to the obvious need for a point guard who really rates starter status, Hedo Turkoglu should have been a distant second priority at best.
by feral on Jul 8, 2009 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you and a lot of others here say.
A group that included me and even Dave to some degree.
But just how true is it. Just because conventional wisdom at BE says signing Turkgolu is a poor move doesn’t make it so. If the Portland braintrust thought it was worth pursuing, maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t as bad a decision as we thought.
It will be interesting to see if people here ever lose the idea that they are genius GM’s just waiting to be discovered.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's specific to the (mis)assessment of past choices
Given that your typical fan isn’t in a position to make any real decisions, accusing me or anyone else of not being competent to recognize the disastrous consequences of past poor actions is a little strange. In terms of the consequences possible within the narrow confines of a Web board, I don’t think I have a particularly tin ear on balance.
I feel tempted to reply that, as you’re probably not a professional psychologist, you probably don’t recognize how inappropriate your use of this rhetorical method was in this case…. ;-)
by feral on Jul 9, 2009 5:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's an argument from authority
Essentially you ask us to accept that ‘they must’ve had a good reason’ based on their being the Portland braintrust — a group with an established record.
It’s debatable, though, whether the current front office has an established or relevant record, here, in terms of taking the next step for the franchise. There are stages in an organization’s life, and people — coaches, certain types of veteran players, front office personnel — can be great for one stage and maybe not so great during others. Some coaches are great for developing players, and some are probably better at making playoff runs. Flip Saunders is good at righting a ship and getting regular season results, but as a championship coach he’s decidedly unproven. Nellie is good at certain things, and terrible at others.
I think that’s where we are with Kevin Pritchard. And Penn, for that matter. We don’t know if they can translate a) “piling up young talent” into b) “making a deep playoff run.” I’m not so clear that they don’t assume a) eventually gels, of its own accord, into b). When presented with the choice, a handful of times now, between keeping young talent and consolidating it somehow into larger assets, they’ve always demurred from trading away their young projects. The only youngster of any note they’ve traded away was Sergio Rodriguez — and he conspicuously complained that he wasn’t getting playing time given the pile of young talent.
(Personally I don’t think I’m a genius GM waiting to be discovered — but I do think it’s fun as a fan to debate what the team should do, duh, or none of us would be here. Saying nobody should second-guess KP because he knows best and we’re just fans, well…. How close to ’I’m taking my ball and going home!’ is that, in the context of this board?)
by feral on Jul 9, 2009 5:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
unacceptable?
Are you going to ground feral now?
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great post, Ben
As usual.
I believe you are 110% right about Bass and his agent. No way we are spending our cherished cap space, which is becoming more scarce and valuable by the minute, on a backup PF that we either a)have already in Pendergraph/Cunningham, or b) could obtain using an exception next year or by signing a veteran to the vet minimum.
Also, I agree with the front office that Blake/Bayless and an unnamed veteran third-stringer are adequate for our needs. They need another playmaker, however, and right now no one besides Lamar is available.
Why not Lamar, Ben? I trust your judgment so I’d like to hear more. There may be better options down the road, or one could develop organically, so I’m not on the edge of my seat any more.
KP has the leverage now and is going to sit on it until the perfect deal comes along and all you critics will have to eat crow, just as you always have when you have questioned KP’s judgment.
"Life is a meaningless sequence of events in between Blazer championships"
by broggerboy19 on Jul 8, 2009 4:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
lamar has a big city personality. born to be a laker. he got a ring and he is going to want another. la gives him best opportunity for that. also not sure his personality fits kp culture.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Been down there for 5 years too.
B.S. Liberal Studies OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jul 8, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Only played by the beach!
Clips, Heat and L@ke Show.
by The Natural ala Mode on Jul 8, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We should still make an offer for Lamar
Provided we actually want him that is. We can’t lose by making an offer to Lamar. In the worst-case, we simply saddle L.A. with another couple of million in salary.
by DC Blazer on Jul 8, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is fine, It seem so easy to do
a deal in free agency that teams end up regretting. I like using it for the draft next year as Norsktroll said above. That is John wall year.
by twggyy on Jul 8, 2009 4:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm torn.
Part of me is disappointed that Portland didn’t make a move yet part is glad that Portland didn’t make a move just for the sake of making one.
SA has done a great job of retooling itself with Jefferson and McDyess.
Of the second tier leftovers maybe Gooden is worth signing to a small contract. I’m not sure if there is much PT available in SA with McDyess and Blair now on the team.
Odom is a pretty good player, but I’m not sure he’s disciplined enough to play for Nate.
by torsoheap on Jul 8, 2009 4:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
COMMON!!! our cap space now allows us to make a lopsided trade....
there is still a LOT of the offseason left to go, and with the projected lower cap next year and the big free agent class that we won’t be after (after extending Roy and Aldridge), it gives us a chance to swing a trade this offseason with another team that is trying to dump a big-name/fairly big salary player…
who exactly we could get I have no idea, but we have the POTENTIAL to make a splash like that…remember KP has got us this far, don’t start hating because this offseason has not had the fireworks that many expected
by rip_city_swagger on Jul 8, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
probably more and better lopsided trades available at the deadline than during this summer as teams see dwindling playoff chances or are hurting financially. one possible temptation for kp to wait. also blazers needs could crystallize over the course of the first half of season. if bayless or pendergraph exceeds expectations there would be a huge benefit to waiting.
we’ll see though.
by far the most likely scenario is travis getting traded.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
sign and trade Marvin Williams for Travis.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
tell the Hawks that you will make it hurt by offering more money than they can afford.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i love marvin williams but i don’t see this happening. his game and martell’s are too similar. with travis you have another look there to play 3/4.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Marvin Williams played PF about as much as Travis did this year, and posted his best PER differential there.
I view him as more like Travis than Martell.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
disagree…
he’s all face the basket. taller than martell but would trust him to guard 3s instead of 4s.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
marvin is a much smoother, more natural player than travis. marvin was born to play basketball as was martell. travis was a born athlete not a born baller.
neither one is a great comp but i think you get the most mileage out of marvin at the 3 whereas you get the most mileage out of travis at the 4. better mileage out of martell at the 3 than the 2. obviously can’t play 4.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am not a fan of using wings at the 4 for matchup problems, and I don’t claim to be a Marvin Williams expert.
However, his stats are overwhelmingly better at the 4, where he played a third of his minutes. His defense was marginally better, while his offense was far superior.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
he’s playing 4 against backup 4s and 3 against starting 3s, yes?
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
as is Travis most of the time, though. My point is that he could fill Travis’ role.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
travis never plays 3 against starting 3s.
marvin williams is a shooter not a shot-creater. so if you start nic you have martell/marvin both shooters with rudy a shooter. that doesn’t work.
pelton says m williams is a 3 more than 4 but could become a 4. i just don’t think portland is where he’s going to do that.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
not to mention marvin played starter minutes on a playoff team. you want him to bury him on the bench? or do you want to start him at 3? those are the two options. neither one particularly good.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think we are assuming that no other drastic roster moves would be made in this scenario, which, in theory, is not necessarily true. E.g. if they picked up Sessions and ran him int eh second unit with those shooters, it would be deadly.
They could conceivably do Sessions and Williams, by signing and trading Travis for Marvin and giving Blake away.
Would KP do it? No, too risky. Would I do it? Probably, I love Sessions and Marvin.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah i am taking kp at his word that he likes: oden, roy, lma, bayless, batum, przybilla, blake, rudy
don’t see why atlanta would make that trade unfortunately
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
they have over 50 million in committed salary with Zaza, and the luxury tax could be at 60 next year. We could push them into the danger zone, financially.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah it would seem something has to give. their management is hard to get a read on. they have a lot of players earning big money on that roster. i think there’s pressure not to outright dump a #2 overall pick though.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
they drafted Shelden Williams at 5 because they liked the lunch they had with him… and then subsequently dumped him. I ain’t sayin’ it will happen, just thinking that they’ve done dumb things before.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
marvin is a player though shelden is a baby daddy
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
who do they dump to stay under the salary cap? Bibby, Zaza, Horford (who will sign a huge extension judging from Bargnani), Smith, Crawford, etc.
Sure seems like they eiher need to tget creative with trading players or they’ll have to dump Marvin.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it’s a good question. if i was a hawks fans i would hope they would just roll with it.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
wait…. there are Hawks fans?
…
Something has got to give. Maybe it’s Smith? I dunno. They don’t have enough money to pay for the roster they are accumulating.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
lang whitaker had a long piece about how smith’s pretty much untradeable. you’re right that it will probably be marvin. they should give their roster half a season though that is a nice bunch.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
To me
It always seems like fans of other teams enjoy the Hawks more than Hawks fans do.
M—
by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2009 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think most hawks fans are really just falcons fans.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 6:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, I like a lot of those pieces. Crawford was a mistake, though… they don’t give the ball to Horford enough as it is.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 6:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Horford is my favorite piece
I think he’ll be a beast, though he had an up n’ down sophomore campaign.
M—
by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2009 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed.
If we didn’t have Greg, I’d be hoping like crazy that we could somehow get Horford (not that I think Atlanta’s going to give him up).
by MDBlazerfan on Jul 8, 2009 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I would expect Nate to start following the Spurs model of substitution (as he often did in the playoffs), never having both LMA and Brandon on the bench… my personal taste is for LMA to then have the offense run through him posting up, where’s he much more efficient.
You have good points about him not fitting. I just love his game and would freak out if I could watch him 82 times a year.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
he started doing this some last year
LMA generally played the first 15 minutes of the game, staying on in the late 1st/early 2nd with the bench unit. He usually left a bit before Roy came back though.
But he needs to tweak it a bit more to get true overlap like you suggest.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i said this spring he was one of my top five favorite non-blazers. love his game just don’t see how it fits.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Williams is significantly smaller than Travis, about 6' 8" in shoes with 9'0" standing reach
So it makes sense to play him at SF. Also in Atlanta, where Josh Smith is the better PF of the two. Like Travis he has trouble defending either position. But he is younger, and while less athletic appears to be quicker developing his skills, so he could be considered an upgrade.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ben - about Martell though...
I’m surprised to hear you considering Martell as a potential contributor, given his injury status at this point. What “buzz” do you hear about Martell – do you think the team is expecting anything out of him this season? Would you guess that they are just being overly cautious with him in the offseason or are there real concerns that the foot is still really not that stable/healed?
by redblazer on Jul 8, 2009 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
everything i know i have written. progress is slow going. the thing is you can’t trade him and you don’t want to trade for someone that is too similar to him because that makes the logjam even worse. if you go 3 you want a tweener 3/4 and jettison travis.
he is very likely to play this year, in a backup role to begin with.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's encouraging, actually.
“Very likely to play this year” is better than I’ve been expecting, honestly. I’ve never quite seen an injury situation that unfolded as his has (or been handled by the team as his has) so it is very hard to know whether to even consider him as part of the contributing team moving forward…
by redblazer on Jul 8, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, the Blazer's big time interest in small forwards
while similarly seeming to have no interest in point guards, has led me to believe the Martell prognosis is worse than they’ve been letting on. I hope I’m wrong.
This puts me even more into the “roll with what we’ve got camp”. Martell doesn’t have to rush back, we play pretty much the exact same 9 man rotation as last year, only with Bayless instead of Sergio, and the 4 rookies are now sophomores. Evaluate, ease Martell in, then jettison Travis+ for whoever we are going after.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
we play pretty much the exact same 9 man rotation as last year, only with Bayless instead of Sergio, and the 4 rookies are now sophomores. Evaluate, ease Martell in, then jettison Travis+ for whoever we are going after.
i think you’ve just described the fallback plan perfectly
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's one possible explaination.
Another is that in Turgolu they felt they had the following combination:
- a third scorer who can get his shot under duress and in cruunch time
- a decent to good ball handler and passer who can initiate the offense from time to time and facilitate this teammates to score
- a player with good size, in fact excellent for his primary position, one that is capable of playing several positions
- a veteran player with playoff experience and a good reputation for fitting in and being liked by his teammates.
In other words, Hedo fit several needs. He would have allowed Nate greater flexibility in lineups, being able to use Hedo at point forward, SG, SF and PF. The sort of flexibility that would allow him to still utilize the rest of the talent on the team.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Problem with lopsided
Assuming Portland signs their second-rounders, their cap space will go down. Essentially, they will less lop to trade with…
by da34shadow on Jul 8, 2009 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
with travis and blake you could get up to like 13 million for a point guard. just travis you can get to 9 for a small forward or banger
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
But they will have $1 mill less to work with on a trade. I guess it does not made a big difference…
by da34shadow on Jul 8, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah i was accounting for that roughly in those estimates…
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
7.6 + 7.7 + renouncing Petteri would get to over sixteen milloin.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
But the important question is...
Who is worth that money?
by da34shadow on Jul 8, 2009 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
he’s saying if you sign the second rounders you don’t have 7.7 though.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
but if they are signed for the minimum, they just replace our roster charges, correct?
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i thought 7.7 was the result when not taking into account any of the non-guaranteed 2nd rounders
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
in this post by douglast, he shows us at just under 50 million in payroll with two roster charges applied. I am assuming that we’re signing the second-round picks to minimum deals, so they would then replace them. If Mills signs, we’ll lose that amount in cap space.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
the 49,782,xxx figure
was assuming we kept the rights to all 3 Euros. NO roster charges are included in that number (since they put us at 13 players). Signing any of our rookies will not replace any number included in this figure — it will add to it.
That said, the cap holds “go away” once the season starts (so I hear, haven’t confirmed myself), so lets say we sign Pend and Cunn for 500k each. Our 7.7 is now 6.7. But once November 1 rolls around, we now no longer have the 2.6 million in cap holds for the 3 Euros counting against us, so our available space will actually go UP to about 9.3 million (assuming no other players are acquired).
If this is accurate, we could just sign the two rookies and roll into the season with our 12 man roster, then see our capspace increase by 1.6 million once those holds no longer apply. this gives us that much more room (and time) to make uneven trades
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
that is beautiful.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
just looked, appears accurate
The following are not included in team salaries:
The “scale” amount for the team’s unsigned first round draft pick(s) when the player signs with a non-NBA team. The scale amount is excluded from the team salary on the date he signs a non-NBA contract or the first day of the regular season, whichever is later. The scale amount goes back onto the team salary on the following July 1 or when his non-NBA contract ends, whichever is earlier. In other words, these cap holds are removed for players playing elsewhere during the regular season only.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
thanks again!
so revised version…
with travis and blake you could get up to like 16 million for a point guard.
just travis you can get to 12 for a small forward or banger
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
which means pretty much any PG in the league
and Caron is at 10.3
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
that was for the sake of those who've mentioned him.
i agree with you. they would look to move Jamison way before Butler
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The "Euro" cap holds go away as long as our unsigned draft picks have a pro contract outside of the NBA
And by the CBA we need to carry 12 players incl. unsigned first round picks and players offered contracts in the offseason, and at least 13 in the regular season (12 + 1 on the inactive reserve)
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i beat you this time. ;-)
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
this is exactly it
once the Hedo deal fell through, this has been my first choice of action: wait, see how Martell/Batum/Rudy/Bayless/Oden are developing, then try to make a trade in-season. The 10-11 cap projections add some validity to that approach.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I REALLY don;t understand why so many people
want to see KP make a move just to make a move. Does anyone really think he has no desire to make the team better? It appears to me that he has not been presented with an offer that would make the Blazers substantially better. So many of the moves advocated her at BEdge would either mess with chemistry, cost WAY too much for a minor improvement, or are just not feasible.
Many of the teams making moves are teams that are pretty old in roster age. That is the only way they can compete this year….make some immediate changes. The Blazers are not in that boat.
As Kevin Pelton has shown us (here and here ), age correlates to offensive and defensive performance. As the Blazers exit their toddler stage, they will see improvement simply from organic growth. Many teams are substantially older and cannot count on organic growth…in fact they are looking at declines. Hence all their moves.
I do expect KP to be active in looking at teams looking to dump salary. The unbalanced trade route certainly seems reasonable for Portland. But I still think he won’t pull the trigger just to do something….he needs to see a high likelihood of improvement first.
"I'm a man, but I can change.....if I have to......I guess." - Red Green
by antediluvian on Jul 8, 2009 5:00 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Here's a game...
What teams are trying to dump salary?
by da34shadow on Jul 8, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bass would be a nice get, Miller would be fine for a 2-3 year stopgap
Then again so is Blake.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Jul 8, 2009 5:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Ben-David Lee status?
If we sign/trade Blake+Outlaw+pick or cash and we get Lee, what then?
Sign Ramon Sessions?(what is his status anyway?)
Or do we have to really wait several more days and just grab him with cap space RFA?
Can’t really make a trade anymore if you do a S&T for Lee…so…no Gerald Wallace etc.
B.S. Liberal Studies OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jul 8, 2009 5:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
i think the knicks want something better for lee.
sessions is an interesting name, he has a little buzz. i could see them pursuing that, nothing concrete.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was actually testing out Sessions in NBA 2K9 and he is pretty solid.
As his real world attributes dictate, guy can handle, drive and dish like a CHAMP.
But he has a bit of an akward and slow jumper, and of course his outside game is like Miller’s.
Considering I keep hearing over and over that the BLazers DID NOT like Miller’s weak outside game, this may point to no for Sessions. That and hes also a RFA like Lee.
Speaking of Lee, I actually fed him the ball like a Hungry Hungry Hippo and he put up 59 and 20 rebounds in 44min lol. Though he put up like 30+ shots to get that. 2K9 had a decent appraisal of his outside game as well, lots of pick and pops that turned out pretty good, a la Larmacus but not as deadly.
His real success-like life-was in the MASSIVE throw down on pick and rolls. He probably had 10 dunks, half of flying to the hoop.
B.S. Liberal Studies OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jul 8, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Never use a video game as a talent evaluator
by GMan83201 on Jul 8, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Have you played NBA 2K9 for PS3/360?
It’s about as perfect a NBA simulator as you can get without paying millions for some fancy system some NBA teams use.
Still a videogame, but it helps visualize it nonetheless.
B.S. Liberal Studies OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jul 8, 2009 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've played it for the PS3
and as a game it’s fun, but it’s nowhere near the real thing.
by GMan83201 on Jul 8, 2009 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Were that true ...
,,, NBA teams would not be paying millions.
Seriously, there should be a rule that a poster is allowed to suggest a trade based on a video game once. After that, they get banned for doing it again.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'll see if I can find the article...
when NBA 2k9 came out they were talking about how NBA teams actually were getting the game as a talent evaluator to to get an estimate for what their team might look like if they traded for certain players…they were saying that it really was that good…
I know crazy, but you might want to back off the guy a little bit…
by mwalter on Jul 8, 2009 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The New York Knicks should want one thing in a sign-'n'-trade of David Lee, which is for a team ...
out there to absorb that ugly, gigantic contract of Eddy Curry in return for a bunch of expiring contracts.
by AK1984 on Jul 8, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Reasons we should wait
1. Remaining free agents don’t help.
2. Not getting great offers for our cap space.
3. Teams that might want the cost savings may be more willing to trade later once they’ve locked in all of their season ticket sales.
4. Still not seen as destination for free agents who want to compete for title. This prevents us from getting the cheap veteran.
5. Opportunity to see how our rookies develop.
6. Dave’s argument for why we need to improve now is based on history of teams that go to championships. However, NBA history has never had a team this young win 54 games. History may not tell us as much here.
7. Better offers likely to come as teams realize they can’t compete for a title, people (ahem, Agent Zero) gets injured and there is a sudden need to drop salaries (Caron?)
8. The best improvement that can be done is for Greg to show a sophomore level improvement. A monster Greg Oden is the #1 player that will help us.
9. Billups was traded in November. ’Nuff said.
10. Our window is just opening, not closing. No need to be desperate now.
I’d love for a trade to happen for entertainment value, but I’m now primarily in favor of standing pat until we find better offers before the trade deadline or even the draft next year.
Just because Paul Allen says “Go For It!” doesn’t mean we should force the action.
by grigs on Jul 8, 2009 5:23 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
rookies = sophomores
I meant an opportunity to see what we’ve got in Oden, Bayless, Batum, and Fernandez. For that matter, Webster as well given his return.
by grigs on Jul 8, 2009 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great reasons.
B.S. Liberal Studies OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jul 8, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think a lot of this is correct
I would also add that with the re-tooling that Boston, Cleveland, SA, ORL and LA have done this season, it is going to be 2-3 years before the Blazers have any sort of good shot at a championship. I think that is probably giving KP pause, too, at this point, and might point to being patient and adding another fairly young piece rather than a 30 year old vet.
But, no matter what, a lot of us were led by management to expect a lot more roster building out of the past six months that we’ve received. And it is legitimate to feel slighted by that.
by redblazer on Jul 8, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree about the retooling
This is sort of what I mean by #4 above, but I couldn’t figure out the way to convey my thoughts succinctly.
by grigs on Jul 8, 2009 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What led you to believe that?
He tried for Turk, and I think that’s the only thing he signaled. Who knows what he tried to do.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well...
Right after the draft (the night of the draft), KP said that they would be very active in FA, that they knew they “needed to get better” and that they had a list of players they were targeting and would work their way down the list. At the trade deadline last year, he also signaled that they would take advantage of the economy to bolster the roster through FA or a trade this summer. So far, it has appeared that the summer plan actually consisted of trying to get Hedo and that’s it. That is inconsistent with what he represented (“we have a list of players”) and is not a very thorough approach to the summer, if true. Maybe Ariza or someone else was also on the list and we missed out due to the Turk fiasco, but the timing of the drawn out Turk “courtship” was also KP’s doing and was a big mistake obviously.
by redblazer on Jul 8, 2009 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No one is justified in feeling slighted.
Most of the expectations here were generated by the fans, not the team. The only thing management ever said was that they had the ok from ownership to spend money, if the right guy was there. It was fans who made a big deal about cap room and making changes, not the Blazers.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 8, 2009 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Totally untrue.
On the night of the draft, KP said they would be “very active” in FA, that he know they “needed to get better” and that they had a list of target players and would work their way down the list. KP has consistently made a big deal about the cap room for more than one year and emphasized it repeatedly when he was grilled at the trade deadline when he didn’t move RLEC (remember him talking about adding the “icing to the cake” this summer?).
KP built this summer up and if he doesn’t substantially improve the roster, he has failed to live up to the expectations that HE set. Period.
by redblazer on Jul 8, 2009 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The cap room extends until the next draft
He has built up the cap space plan, and there is nearly a year to use it.
THAT’s what most of us are saying— they can pick their deal, not be forced into one right now.
Morty
by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2009 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
They were very active.
They were active in evaluating and targeting the guy they thought would help the most.
They actively courted him, to the point of reaching a verbal agreement.
The fact they lost out to a team willing to spend more money and offer a bigger role is not a mark against them. Nor does it require they now actively pursue someone else who may be a much poor fit. You don’t make a bad deal just to live up to the expectation of fans, whether you generated those expectations or not. Personally, I take what GM’s say much the same way as I do what politicians say – with a huge grain of salt.
The only expectations I had entering into the off season were – well, I didn’t have any really. I had a sense of interest and curiousity as to what KP might do, but not much more than that. I was curious of who he might target in the draft and whether or not he would trade up or out. I was curious which FA’s he might pursue – as I didn’t really see that many that I thought were sure fire fits. I’m still curious as to what trades he might pull off before the season starts. But for the most part, my excitement and expectations are with the players we already have.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 10, 2009 6:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If you're hoping for something special this point is particularly important
“6. Dave’s argument for why we need to improve now is based on history of teams that go to championships. However, NBA history has never had a team this young win 54 games. History may not tell us as much here”
Very well said. Red didn’t play by the norms. Maybe KP’s assembled something similar. Love to see it happen, and I’d be more than willing to risk it.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
he said as much in an interview at the Orlando summer league earlier.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I.e. the full MLE
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
what’s your take on Gortat as a Mav? His RB rates are astounding.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Helps a lot since Hollins is too thin to play center against some player. And next year Damp will be the best expiring contract in the league, so Cuban is sure to use that either at the deadline or rather in a sign and trade for a free agent (up to ca. $16 million coming off another team’s cap instantly).
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
To use some crazy examples: Alone or in a package with Howard ($11.8 million last year team option), they could target any top notch player incl. Wade and Rondo and Bosh and LMA.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Stupid Mark Cuban
Please don’t get Wade. I like the Mavs and all, but that team would be too darn good.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Jul 8, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It could be Joe Johnson
There are a lot of things you could do with that instant cash savings chip for a team that wants to save a lot of money, also in three-team deals.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Erick Dampier doesn't meet the performance clause this season in his contract, ...
then his salary for the 2010-2011 season will be non-guaranteed and, in turn, he’ll be one huge trading chip right around the 2010 NBA Draft and possibly heading into the 2010 free agency period.
“Last season is fully unguaranteed, which becomes full guaranteed if 1) Dampier is selected to play in any three NBA All-Star Games out of the 2004-2005 through the 2009-2010 seasons, or 2) Dampier plays at least 2,100 minutes in the 70 regular season games in the 2009-2010 season in which he plays the most minutes (and if he plays in less than 70 regular season games in the 2009-2010 season, then he must play at least 2,100 minutes for the entire regular season).”
http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/notes/mavericks.htm
by AK1984 on Jul 8, 2009 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Now that Shaq is traded
Damps is a LOCK for the allstar game.
WRITTEN IN A BOOK.
Morty
by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2009 8:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, the Book of Jokes
written by our very own Morty.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 10, 2009 6:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
so, do the Magic match?
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
why did we NOT go for Marion again??
wouldn’t he be a great fit? 3 pt & defensive specialist who was on the cheap and available? Not only that, but if we traded Outlaw he fits that position profile perfectly.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
do you think he's still a primedonna after how he's been practically journey-manned after phoenix?
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and is that a big issue? How impressionable do you think our team is?
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rodman was a prima donna in the minor basketball leagues. I don’t think some people understand humiliation.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yah but rodman also married himself. i don't think he should be compared to anybody but crazy pills.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah. read his twitter. he parties 5 nights a week.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i avoid twitter at all costs :)
but if he comes to play every night, so what? i guess i mean to say when do we take a flyer on a guy like that? I wouldn’t have minded a 3/21 contract for marion.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
hard to say. kp is the one obsessed with culture not me! :)
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, your only Obsession is Bayless
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
which appears to be shared by KP
or at least he wants us to REALLY to believe so
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I expect Ben’s output next week to surpass last July’s Bayless craze.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol in that case i guess i should take up opera watching so i can make that money
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think Marion is a three point specialist by any stretch of the imagination.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
sorry you're right, but he shoots at a passable percentage..
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
by nima on Jul 8, 2009 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have never been more confident in KP than I am right now.
I’m so glad to hear we are not interested in all these free agents. KP is working and he has a plan.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
by blzrfan on Jul 8, 2009 5:43 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I suppose. I find it intriguing that when the season starts we’ll actually have more cap space than we do now.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
bad move, ask Pelton about it. Badly declining.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Back up behind Delonte?
Got to be better than Pavlovic last year.
Ten players, two baskets, 13,000 people, one basketball. And we will decide what is done with that one basketball.
by The Pirate on Jul 8, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
How many players did the Raptors have to let go so they can pay Hedo and Bargnani and potentially Bosh?
That roster will look crazy in a year.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
4? i thought top to bottom they had one of the worst rosters last year.
by Ben. on Jul 8, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
has Colangelo ever built a deep team? His style in Phoenix was to get the best six guys he could and pay them big money. He’s doing the same thing in Toronto.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 6:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Anyone else feel like the Blazers have been black listed by the other NBA teams?
by RipCityRoyCity on Jul 8, 2009 6:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The thought has crossed my mind, too.
It can’t be true, though. It would be a gross overreaction, akin to signing a known cancer with blown knees onto your team just to spite a division rival.
by MiledAnimal on Jul 8, 2009 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
'black-listed' or are they snake bitten?
The whole Darius Miles thing, for sure. That was so deliberate.
The rest of the GMs I think fear being the next guy on the wrong end of a KP deal (ala McHale, Paxson, Kerr). That’s real.
"You know when to say 'Yes', you know when to say 'No', everyone goes home in a limousine." - 'Fast' Eddie Felson
by TP for 3 on Jul 8, 2009 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Alright, I guess I’m okay with no major moves.
I will have a HUGE issue if KP and Nate continue to give Travis and Steve big minutes in front of Bayless and Batum. We aren’t winning a title this year with this team, so the goal either has to be to improve ourselves to championship quality or play the young kids.
We absolutely have to see if Bayless and Roy are a good backcourt match. They were in limited minutes last year. Is Batum the answer at the 3? We won’t find out unless he getse more than 18 minutes per game.
To waste this year would be to stay somewhere in the nebulous middle, to neither improve nor test the young talent. If Bayless doesn’t work out, then you still have time to seek a point guard at the deadline.
Free Bayless.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 6:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Come on Cablinasian
Dont think like that!!!
"Grayg"
-Nate
by OSUBlazerfan on Jul 8, 2009 6:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
KP isn’t exactly burning with angst to do something right now, so we might as well come to terms and find the bright side. Bayless and Batum have to get heavy minutes (read: at least 24) to make this palatable.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Batum's 24 mpg is OK with me
if he is the best player available on the roster.
There are a few of us (very few admittedly) who think that Outlaw remains the best 3 on the roster. Batum will have to supplant him. Otherwise the minutes distribution between the two will remain like last year’s. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
by 22baylor on Jul 9, 2009 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Freaking Daryl Morey. He essentially gets another MLE by Disabled Player Exception.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 6:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That could be expected. Half of Yao's salary.
Although the NBA doesn’t always allow it when it’s not sure a player is out for the whole seasons (e.g. Orlando and Hill). I read that as a sign Yao really has a long-term problem.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
By the way KP could have applied for that with Oden (not so useful) or Raef but either didn't or it wasn't granted
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What about keeping miles
and trying that
"Grayg"
-Nate
by OSUBlazerfan on Jul 8, 2009 6:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
They could have tried that, now it's too late
Problems are (1) it doesn’t clear a roster spot, (2) it can only be applied towards acquiring 1 player who can earn up to half the salary of the to-be-replaced player, and (3) the league as said above is a bit unpredictable in granting the exception.
If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar
by Norsktroll on Jul 8, 2009 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So we've gone from Devin Harris to Richard Jefferson to Hedo to David Lee to Brandon Bass
in order of when we could have acquired them. Anyone else see a downward trend? The front office is painting itself into a corner while mumbling to themselves “wait unti x, y conditions will be better for us, and we’ll get z. Let the cake bake.”
I think the endgame will be Paul Allen doesn’t shell out luxury tax money anytime soon, and the team doesn’t ever really threaten winning it all.
I really, really hope I’m wrong.
by Free Bayless on Jul 8, 2009 7:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Why is everyone so convinced Harris would be so great?
Look at his percentages. He’s not a reliable three point shooter, not a good defender, and not the best distributor. He’d put up numbers like his Dallas days, not his New Jersey ones (in New Jersey his stats are padded because he is the main offensive focus). He’d be an upgrade, but I don’t think he would make us title contenders.
by GMan83201 on Jul 8, 2009 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Harris had the 3rd best PER among PGs in the league last year. That's a pretty major indicator.
by Free Bayless on Jul 8, 2009 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think we rely on PER too much
Again, his stats were inflated because of the system he was in. Were he to come here he would be the third weapon at best, as he was in Dallas. Again, he’d be an upgrade but he wouldn’t be the person that puts us over the top, especially considering what we’d have to give up to get him.
by GMan83201 on Jul 8, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Point guard envy. A condition that, sadly, there is no known cure for.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Jul 10, 2009 7:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
For Dallas
He was a very good defender (especially in the playoffs), a one man fast break, a terrific penetrater, and able to play off the ball with both Dirk and Jason Terry.
In New Jersey, he showed what he can do as The Man. His defense dipped, but that’s expected from The Man (our The Man, Roy, does the same thing). He also played well off of VC.
I think he’d be a great fit. He isn’t a great shooter, but he can definitely hit it, can shoot midrange, and is a decent playmaker. Underrated there, even.
A guy who can defend anyone, penetrate at will, and create for others while still being able to play off the ball would be awesome.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2009 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes.
He brings a ton of different skills to the table. Whether or not he does absolutely everything perfectly isn’t relevant…what player’s game can’t you shoot a few holes in? We just need to add a few more guys getting major minutes with fewer, less important holes.
by Free Bayless on Jul 8, 2009 7:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Portland's going after Millsap.
The words “Toxic offer” are included in that link.
by Timmay! on Jul 8, 2009 7:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Rebounding prowess
Seriously, could we have a better offensive rebounding team if this happens?
by grigs on Jul 8, 2009 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
YES!! Please let this happen!
I am a big Millsap fan and would prefer him over anyone else including David Lee. He even said he would be amicable to coming off the bench (what a team player!!!!!!!!!) Also “toxic”, I love it. Maybe it’s like a Steve Hutchinson contract where he’ll get 40 million upfront if he has to play in a state starting with the letter “U” for more than 10 games lol. I hope LaMarcus can be a man about this and understand its making the team stronger not about usurping his role as a franchise player. My worst nightmare is him pulling a Jay Cutler.
by neutroticblazerfan on Jul 8, 2009 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
very interesting
Millsap is a better player than Bass or Lee. He’s good enough to be a starting PF in this league. Do we have enough minutes available to make it worth it? I’ve said before that I would love to sign Millsap and then swap LMA for a Harris/Rondo type, but I don’t see that happening.
by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2009 8:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
woah, I’m ALL FOR this deal.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it will be great if the Blazers get him
I’m all for having Millsap on the roster, and signing him now would really put us in a good position at the trade deadline.
I think Utah re-signs him though, and I think the Blazers will go after Bass and get him instead. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
by 22baylor on Jul 9, 2009 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pritchard's List
“So far, it has appeared that the summer plan actually consisted of trying to get Hedo and that’s it. That is inconsistent with what he represented ("we have a list of players")”
He never said how many names were on the list though …
by lsjogren on Jul 8, 2009 7:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
point guards
One thing about point guards. There was a whole boatload of them drafted in the first round.
What if a lot of teams find their draft picks at the PG spot are good enough to make them starters?
It could be there will be a glut of starting point guards on the market by February.
by lsjogren on Jul 8, 2009 7:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow, that Millsap thing sounds pretty legit.
So many questions-
Where would he get minutes?
How much money are we willing to pay him to play backup PF?
Would Millsap be okay being a backup for another 3 years behind LA?
What sort of a minutes crunch would our other posts experience?
And on and on and on.
by GMan83201 on Jul 8, 2009 7:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
check out the article and
your questions will be answered!
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/blazers_preparing_offer_for_ut.html
by Shnarfcider on Jul 8, 2009 7:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Sessions.........
Can anyone tell me why we’re not looking at Ramon Sessions? Seems like he’d be an upgrade over blake, and could be had at a reasonable price. Also his youth seems to fit in with the rest of our squad.
by Jonny1time on Jul 8, 2009 7:51 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs
3 reasons
1) so he would tie up our money for a week.
2) he’s an “Arenas” free agent, meaning we can only offer him MLE type money
3) all indications are the Bucks will definately match any Sessions offer
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
by douglast on Jul 8, 2009 7:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If we were to land Millsap
What happens next summer when Utah loses Boozer? I imagine they will have a hard time filling that PF role further weakening a division foe.
by calebEOC on Jul 8, 2009 8:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
It might force Utah to match the deal
Forcing them to pay more than they can afford for a likely non-allstar level PF.
It’s a win-win for us! We get an awesome backup who is more than good enough to start (and, indeed, while a starter this year was better than LMA) for a very good price, or we make Utah pay more than they can afford for a backup and be forced to move Boozer on the cheap to get something for him (and put the pricey Millsap as the starter).
WIN-WIN.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2009 8:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and a win for Millsap.
As Michael Scott has taught us all, this is a win-win…win.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 8:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
thinking on this more…… is this KP preparing for a Przybilla-less future? He could then use Joel to acquire a 1 or 3.
draft the stache
by Cablinasian on Jul 8, 2009 8:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Signing Milsap adds Pryz to the list of chips for sure...
This team can and probably will challenge for a spot in the WCF even without a single move. I really think that Oden, Batum, and possibly Bayless will make big strides this year. If Martell gets healthy, and if McMillan can keep everyone happy, then they should contend. This is the progression that we all should realisticaly expect. That being said, I do think that the biggest issue is the fact that this team has too much talent, and not enough minutes. They need to consolidate talent eventually. They have plenty of time, but it will need to happen.
I think that there are four rotation players that most likely WON"T be in a Blazers uni in three years. (Five if you include Pryz after a Milsap signing.) Outlaw, Blake, Webster, and Fernandez are all pieces that will most likely be moved eventually. I include Fernandez because I think that sooner than later he is going to be unsatisfied with coming off the bench and will push to get moved to a team that can offer starters minutes. Each of these pieces are at peak value now and in the near future, and if you can get a guy that you really think can put you over the top and in the running for a championship, you pull the trigger. Chances are, with the shrinking cap, KP will be able to find that final “star” piece as we get closer to the trade deadline. Otherwise, bake the cake.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
by philly420pdxhilo on Jul 8, 2009 8:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
great reporting, ben
your writing is getting better and better. keep up the good work..
by blazersunited on Jul 8, 2009 9:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
As the Blazers Edge Smart Alec Laureate, I am conflicted
Reading how upset fans are getting because the Blazers haven’t made a move tickles me ever so much, and at the same time, the Blazer fan in me wants to see the team improved before training camp.
by tominhawaii on Jul 9, 2009 8:23 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
No love for Patty?
Im a blazers fan from Oz, and believe me when i tell you Patty Mills can play point. We dont have to worry about the Bayless experiment, in fact i hope he plays the 2 spot so you yanks can see patty hit the court. He torched everyone who guarded him in the olympics, and yup that includes Chris Paul. He had like 16 points off the bench against the US, and Coach K even made special mention of him after the game, saying he is glad duke dont have to play St Marys this season. He is quick as lighting, has good vision, finishes well around the rack and has NBA range. He would have lead his team to the big dance if he didnt break his hand. You might think im talking him up cos he’s an aussie, but im a true blazers fan and if he was a hack i wouldnt want him to suit up for us. I wouldnt want to see Andrew B in Blazers colours and he’s and aussie who went 1 in the draft. Trust me, this kid should have been picked higher, he was a steal, i just hope he gets his chance in the summer league to show what he’s got!
by azzballs on Jul 9, 2009 8:54 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm with you Mr. Balls
I think the young Mr. Mills has a lot to offer, and Bayless will have his hands full in the practice sessions this summer. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
by 22baylor on Jul 9, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, i forgot
that whole thing was in relation to everyone thinking we need a back up to steve blake. Patty can back up for a couple of seasons till he finds his feet in the league. What we need is a replacement for blake! He is not a starting PG. He’d be a great back up to someone somewhere else, but his time should be up in blazers colours.
by azzballs on Jul 9, 2009 9:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
