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The Blazers should have drafted Dejuan Blair?
Outlaw isn’t the answer?
CRAZY!
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 14, 2009 7:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
yes we should have drafted Blair, the Spurs getting him at #37 was highway robbery!
by rip_city_swagger on Sep 15, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Point to consider
We don’t (at least I don’t) how Blair would fit into our team culture. He could be a knuckle head, who knows. That may be why KP went with Cunningham and Pendegraph. Coulda woulda shoulda, the point is KP didn’t so lets move on.
by NWfan on Sep 15, 2009 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah.
"Even in this last draft, there was a player that was available, still on the board when we were there, and — talented player — we just didn’t think he was a fit with the culture we’re looking to develop here. So we passed on him. And it might look like, ‘Well, wow, why would you pass on a guy on a guy like that?’ But the reality is, the culture that we are creating here and that we’re looking to maintain here is important. And that’s what it really comes down to."-Larry Miller
No one is sure of course, but I would be amazed if he wasn’t talking about Blair. He has notoriously poor work ethic, which doesn’t bode well for a fatty who lacks ACL’s. I like him and I hope he does well, but let’s be a little patient before we declare him a steal.
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 15, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
DeJuan Blair
is a young Paul Millsap, who we tried to throw 10 million a year at. Travis Outlaw is NOT a PF and certainly is not the ‘grittier’ player that Brandon Roy pined for.
Have you seen DeJuan Blair play?
Crazy.
http://basketballiluuminati.blogspot.com/
by blazersunited on Sep 14, 2009 8:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
LOL.
"If the Lakers are Hollywood, then we are South Central." - Clipper fan.
by Cablinasian on Sep 14, 2009 8:20 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
go go gadget sarcasm!
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on Sep 15, 2009 7:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have seen him play.
I like him a lot. His knees not so much. Plus, losing 40 pounds the month before the draft is a pretty big red flag. Teams tend to be wary of short, fat guy with bad knees.
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 15, 2009 7:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
dejuan blair is addicted to minithins
he will fail a drug test this year and be out of the league in three.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
by mittsabishy on Sep 14, 2009 8:22 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
While I agree with some of the positives...
I have a problem with referring to Cunningham as an Outlaw clone. I’m not sure where cloning technology is at present, but if taking a young Outlaw and adding some significant BBIQ were possible, the draft of 2028 will be solid test tube babies. I think taking him in the second round will look like a steal in 3 or 4 years. Not one of the greatest steals ever, but the kid has significant potential.
Whether we should have taken the Graph or Blair, I don’t know. I’m not sold on our choice, but I think I understand it. The Blazers preferred a graduating senior to a sophomore in their attempt to transition out of youth, and Graph isn’t exactly a terrible alternative regardless.
by Decaf on Sep 14, 2009 9:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah, I think the new blogger is a few days behind the times
First, he left Melvin Ely off the list of PFs working out, and he might be the best of the lot
And tonight we learned that Cunningham has added significant upper-body strength since July. He’s quickly going to become what Outlaw can’t be, a legitimate backup 4 who can rebound and play team defense
In retrospect, I’d have drafted Blair and Dante, but at least KP got one of them
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Sep 14, 2009 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Eh, I'd've still gone with DeJuan Blair and Nick Calathes.
I’ll nevertheless stop hating on Dante Cunningham, though.
Stupid people have stupid ideas.
by AK1984 on Sep 15, 2009 2:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
and that's very stand-up of you
I always respect a person who is willing to change their mind even when they hold positions strongly.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
by HurraKane212 on Sep 15, 2009 7:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Flip-flopping is a noble trait
especially when one fips after reviewing more complete information. Whereas being a stubborn bum in spite of evidence is silly, (ex. the world is still flat).
by NWfan on Sep 15, 2009 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its a fine line
because if you open your mind too much, your brain will fall out.
Still, I agree that in and of itself it is a meaningless accusation.
by Decaf on Sep 16, 2009 12:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
MMMMMM outlaw and BBQ sounds good
by tevisthe4th on Sep 15, 2009 12:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like the idea of a lawbreaking barbecue
The risk adds flavor!
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
by austinpwnz on Sep 16, 2009 2:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
There was something more to DJB's draft day fall than injury concerns.
Blair established his reputation by playing against a soft, rail thin, inexperienced center from U Con who was taken way too high in the draft, and who proved to be an embarrassment in summer league. DJB was a good, not great, college player who does not jump, move, or shoot very well. The results from this dreaded trifecta of the basketball gods have yet to be seen, but, above and beyond having injury issues, he may also be seriously overrated by fans who have not yet seen him play at the NBA level.
With a dose of this reality in mind, I would say that it is severly premature to compare DJB to Paul Millsap, let alone making the suggestion, with any seriousness, that he would be the answer to our backup power forward position this year. Even the Spurs signed Antonio McDice to play ahead of their, "draft day steal." The truth is he may not have been such a steal for us, as this article suggests.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 14, 2009 10:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
DJB made his reputation
by being the best rebounder in the NCAA over the last 20 years, and he did it in the Big East
I think the Spurs will be glad to have him, for however long his knees hold up
And I would’ve loved to have McDyess, as well. But I doubt Antonio was that interested in coming to Portland. So Iinstead, KP is currently auditioning “McDyess wannabes” at the PF
RC Buford knows a few things about roster construction that KP still needs to learn
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Sep 14, 2009 10:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We still don't know, though
how Blair’s game will transition to the NBA, where players are bigger, quicker, and stronger.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
by jscot on Sep 15, 2009 2:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
KP had done his homework! As always, his final grade is still pending.
I think what KP saw was that rebounding is already a strength of the Blazers. He also sees that there are only so many rebounds to go around. So, from that perspective, DJB’s best attribute only helps Portland in marginal fashion.
Taking that factor into consideration, along with the potential weaknesses that have already been brought up about his game, it may be easier to see why Blair was not, "even on the Trail Blazers draft board."
I am not guaranteeing that KP (along with all the other GMs)was correct, what I am saying is that he certainly was not crazy, and had good reasons for passing on a player now being questionably compared to Paul Millsap!??? (before he has played in an NBA game)
I can assure you that if KP, or ANY of
the other GM’s, had thought he was comparable, he would have been off the board a lot sooner.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 15, 2009 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
well, a lot of those same GMs passed on Millsap, too
Someone brought up this point following the draft, and I thought it was great
How could KP draft a guy with knee issues right after what the franchise went through with Darius and Memphis? (It would’ve been bad PR, A-Woj might’ve written another column, etc)
I suspect this arrow landed very close to the mark
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Sep 15, 2009 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It shows how tough it is to be a GM and get a passing grade!
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 16, 2009 6:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
dude was good against other teams, not just UCONN
the lasting image from last season was him dumping Hasheem Thabeet over his shoulde,r but the guy was a 1st Team All American, you don’t do that with 1 or 2 good games….
And speaking of him not being a scorer or superb athlete….SO WHAT? What do we need to fill, a backup 4 spot, which means all the guy has to do is play some gritty defense and rebound the ball, and I think Blair could have done that stupendously
by rip_city_swagger on Sep 15, 2009 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't see that at all.
You want a slow, gritty rebounded playing next to Joel in the second unit? That sounds like a terrible idea. Zero spacing, zero running, stagnant offense, awful fit.
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 15, 2009 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
two bigs can set staggered picks
Rudy/Martell and curl off those screens and shoot jumpers
and Blake can deliver the ball
for 10-12 minutes a game, I don’t see a stagnant offense. I see Jack Ramsay and Jim Paxson
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Sep 15, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This has been bothering me for awhile.
From the Columbian.com Aug 28
Larry Miller:
“Even in this last draft, there was a player that was available, still on the board when we were there, and — talented player — we just didn’t think he was a fit with the culture we’re looking to develop here. So we passed on him. And it might look like, ‘Well, wow, why would you pass on a guy on a guy like that?’ But the reality is, the culture that we are creating here and that we’re looking to maintain here is important. And that’s what it really comes down to.”
Who was this talented guy that we passed on because of culture? I didn’t think Blair had a “culture” problem. But I don’t remember any “why would you pass on a guy on a guy like that?” reaction to anyone else.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 12:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
remember that nate told me on draft night that blair “wasn’t on their board.”
by Ben. on Sep 15, 2009 12:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, but I think we all figured it was because of his knees.
I kept forgetting to bring up the Larry Miller quote. I haven’t seen anyone else bring it up either.
Nor I have I seen anyone suggest a “culture” issue with Blair. Have I missed some other mention of this?
If he wasn’t talking about Blair, who was he talking about? If it was Blair, why did the Blazers think there was a culture issue but no other source seems to have mentioned it?
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 1:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
there were rumblings around draft time that he wasn’t famous for an incredible work ethic. Miller’s quote makes some sense.
"If the Lakers are Hollywood, then we are South Central." - Clipper fan.
by Cablinasian on Sep 15, 2009 1:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Neither was Clyde, but I'd bet we would still draft him again.
Seems like there would have to be a more substantial reason than that to not draft someone with a good reputation for his playing ability.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Excellent point
If Blair’s talent level (for a PF) was anywhere close to Clyde’s SOMEONE would have drafted him before San Antonio finally pulled the trigger. Making things even worse for Blair is that his BBIQ may be higher than Clyde’s, so no excuses for him there.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 15, 2009 5:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
At least his hip is straight
There's Gotta Be More To Life
by Norsktroll on Sep 15, 2009 1:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
even with perfect knees blair was not on their board.
by Ben. on Sep 15, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
this is what I suspected and why I dropped the “draft dejuan blair” campaign without much of a fight… DeJuan Blair is a Transformer… there is more than meets the eye.
"If the Lakers are Hollywood, then we are South Central." - Clipper fan.
by Cablinasian on Sep 15, 2009 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow!
Not on their board with perfect knees. I’m thinking you waited for someone to tie Miller’s comment to Blair before you felt you could say that so I’ll let it rest.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
my information is independent of miller’s comment but as rock solid as it gets.
by Ben. on Sep 15, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That was clear.
I just figured you were asked not to reveal why we passed on Blair, otherwise you would have set everyone straight on draft night when it was almost exclusively blamed on his knees.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
didn’t find out the full story until later.
by Ben. on Sep 15, 2009 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't know why I care at this point,
but I hope we didn’t pass on him just because his “work ethic” was questionable. That alone wouldn’t seem to make him “culturally unfit”.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
KP apparently had a number of good reasons for not drafting Blair.
San Antonio was rolling the dice with a late second round pick. Sort of like a Steven Jackson when they had him for a year or two. Portland made a statement that they are not at that stage right now.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 15, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was taken 4 picks after our second 2nd-round pick (#33).
He was early (#7), top 25% of second round. We had two pairs of 2nd round dice and decided not to roll them on him both times.
I don’t know what you mean by “not at that stage” unless you mean we are still recovering from the Jailblazer era?
Miller’s statement, and Ben’s revelation that the Blazers wouldn’t have even considered him (he wasn’t on our board) with perfect knees, clearly indicate we didn’t pass on him for performance or health related reasons. We passed on him because he didn’t fit our culture. We are probably now more sensitive to culture issues than most teams in the NBA, but if the Blazers had some “problematical” information about Blair then other teams would as well. It looks like San Antonio was just willing to take a chance where other teams weren’t.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 15, 2009 7:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Jailblazer era may be a factor also, but there is more to it than that.
You asked what I meant by "not at that stage right now."
I do not know if you are familiar with the concept of a product life cycle? But along those lines, teams are on life cycles as well, youth (OKC) to mature (Boston, San Antonio).
Portland is a team on the rise that has not won a title recently—still in the building stages. San Antonio is an older team with mature veteran leadership that has won several titles with the current core group. This has a direct effect on personnel decisions.
In short, teams like San Antonio and Boston have their windows of opportunity closing anyway and can take more risks, personnel wise, because of where they are in their life cycles. Thus they are able to add players like Stephan Marberry, Rasheed Wallace, and DeJuan Blair without excessive risk to their chemistry. Their well respected veteran leadership will help take care of any problems that may arise.
Portland’s core group simply is not that stable yet, and lacks the individual credibility that winning championships brings. The issue becomes even clearer when the player in question’s game may not translate well to the NBA level. In the end, DJB was not seen as a good "fit" and that is why he was not even on their board.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 15, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think your product life cycle analogy applies
at all. I’m willing to take the greatest risks when developing new products, because that is where the potential for the greatest future return resides. I’ve been doing that for about 35 years. (BTW, analogies are a very weak form of proof, and they sidetrack discussions because they create arguments over their applicability to the original issue, rather than focusing discussion on the validity of the original issue.)
Your point that a San Antonio or Boston may be willing to take more risks adding potentially disruptive pieces is likely true, but a lot depends on the strength and character of the core leadership, and not just their years of longevity or previous success. For instance, Roy stood up to Zach when Roy was a rookie, and Andre Miller has already said he will defer to Brandon’s leadership. Hopefully Andre will augment the already good character leadership provided by Roy, LMA, and the veterans (Joel and Steve).
I agree that having won several recent championships gives San Antonio a lot of proven credibility with their fans. They could certainly absorb a few PR hits from a disruptive player. Conversely, Portland is still operating on a short rope from its fans, not with respect to wins and loses, but with respect to player behavior. That was my reference to still recovering from the Jailblazer era. I’m certain that still plays a major role in KP’s and Larry Miller’s thinking, and perhaps applied to this situation (we don’t know what the specific cultural issues were with respect to Blair) .
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 16, 2009 12:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Go ahead and "make my day!"
As the GM of a young team you can draft media darlings and knuckleheads who may be talented, but in all likelihood will end up underperforming. You can sign players like AI and trade for the Z’er and see what happens. Yes, take the UNECESSARY risks in the early stages and see how it turns out.
There is a huge difference between accepting the high risks that are involved in the early stages of any endeavor, and going out of your way to look for trouble.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 16, 2009 5:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank you. I would never have guessed that.
I was so hoping we could get J.R. Rider back.
Good luck in business school!
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 16, 2009 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blair got on San Antonio's board
that’s good enough for me. In the 2nd round DeJuan was worth the risk. If KP still didn’t like him after a few years, it wouldn’t be that hard to flip DB
and now we get the Howard/Ostertag/Collins cattle call
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Sep 15, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
How would it be easy to flip him?
That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. How many teams already passed on him?
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 15, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The craziest?
I’ve heard lots of things crazier than that. :)
I agree, I don’t think it would have necessarily been easy to flip him.
And I don’t care that he got on San Antonio’s board. They are strongly in “roll the dice” mode when it comes to their draft picks. And if there are character issues, their veterans can crack the whip — the dude isn’t going to be saying, “Oh, I’m a better player than Duncan, so I don’t need to listen to what he says.” The fact that the Spurs were prepared to take the risk doesn’t mean we should have.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
by jscot on Sep 16, 2009 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've got faith that KP and Larry Miller
correctly assessed the risks as they applied to us. I think we are still in a slightly fragile state from the Jailblazer era. We could take a couple of minor hits, but not another JR Rider for instance. Players such as Rider could care less if there is a Roy, or Duncan, or David Robinson on the team with them.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 16, 2009 12:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leave my hyperbole alone.
You are the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 16, 2009 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am the utmost at everything
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
by jscot on Sep 16, 2009 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it just hurts a bit to see hom go to San Antonio and help them
by rip_city_swagger on Sep 15, 2009 10:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Meh
He won’t matter that much this year, and by two years from now we’re going to be so far ahead of them that they’ll need all the help they can get.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
by jscot on Sep 16, 2009 12:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
crazy
you seem to think alot of things are crazy. and the craziest thing you’ve ever heard, you haven’t heard that much have you? continuing to tell people they are crazy without any real explanation or insight just confirms that you can’t articulate your limited imagination.
judging others’ comments with an inane attack on their sanity is firstly boring as hell and secondly not what readers of this website deserve.
do us a favor…
http://basketballiluuminati.blogspot.com/
by blazersunited on Sep 15, 2009 9:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Tongue-in-cheek.
I’ve never thought of Outlaw as a long term solution. It’s obviously not a crazy opinion to have.
I literally yelled out loud when we passed on Blair the first time. I almost threw something at the TV the second time. Later when I found out he doesn’t actually have ACL’s I calmed down and realized there’s a reason I’m not a general manager. His lack of work ethic also seems pretty scary especially someone of with his weight and health problems. I don’t have all the answers. Thinking the Blazer should have drafted Blair is not an outlandish opinion by any means. I don’t agree with it (anymore) but it’s certainly not crazy.
Take a chill pill, you are acting crazy. :)
by Nick Van Excellent on Sep 15, 2009 11:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
sorry
that was meant for mr. van excellent..
http://basketballiluuminati.blogspot.com/
by blazersunited on Sep 15, 2009 9:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The whole league passed on him
several times, it seems. There must have been a good reason for it.
by goblazer1 on Sep 16, 2009 12:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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