My own personal "snap back to reality"
by blazerbeliever97504 on Aug 30, 2010 11:30 PM PDT
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I must admit i have induldged in nearly every thread posted on here, i love me some Bedge. IMO this THE best SBnation site i have visited. Ben and Dave......err should i say Dave and Ben.....not sure which is proper.....regardless you two are what makes the machine work. I am also an avid seahawks fan and fieldgulls.com is a good site and John Morgan is a good dude and crazy knowledgable regarding the NFL but the off season content at that site is nothing compared to what i have enjoyed over the last few years with this site.
I will admit that overall i have a tendency to get caught up in the current of the team's vibe year to year. I was near tears when we got G.O., I have a special admiration for B.Roy that only Clyde has ever held with me personally. As Wayne and Garth would say....B. Roy be thy name! I have great faith, i too agree with Dwight Jaynes opnion that G.O. will be elite. We Blazer fans are and have allways been measured by our spirit/moxy/drive,what ever. Same as our players we have allways rooted for(Drexler, Porter, Buck, Grant, Sabas, Pippen, etc), this year being a prime example of spirit/moxy/drive,what ever. So comes the point of the post.
I have commented on the "get this PG or that PG post." I have commented on the hypothetical "LMA trade post." I absolutely have my own personal opinion's on the issues facing the current roster. HOWEVER! I could not see the ocean from the beach, and i fear i am not the only one. Lets just imagine our roster goes forward for next year.
My analysis:
PG: 'Dre Miller, still a top ten PG in the league. We also have several backup's(Bayless being primary) now.
SG: B. Roy, the man, our Franchise. Wes Mathews, very good back up
SF: Nicky Batum, may have the highest upside of our non developed players. Wesley also could back this spot up.
PF: LMA, Nuff said. Camby can go either the 4 or 5 spot.
C: Oden, stud if healthy dud if not. Pryz....come back to help big guy! We're all behind ya man! Camby again if not.
Bench: Matthews, Bayless, Camby, Pryz. Formidable when healthy. Three of those four have been starters for other teams including a D-POY for Camby.
I had to stop and take stock of things because alot of posts have called for a major shake up, and i tend to get caught up in such things. I personally DO NOT think a major shake-up is what is needed but i also would not be adverse to a major trade for a top tier PG or a top tier PF. But our team is not broken why fix it? Why post "fire Nate" posts, why ask what it will take to take us to the finals, we are very close now, Why ask who will go first Nate or Roy?
I believe that the team as currently assembled wilI challenge for a title. I felt the need to express my feelings on the matter currently at hand, let me know your thoughts all.
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The title of the fanpost
made me think that this was gonna be something totally cynical and depressing, not something this optimistic.
Blazers basketball? Just basketball you say? More like a way of life
A player who refuses to play for his team
is not an asset, but a waste of salary. At this point, I’m just hoping Rudy sitting/pouting on the bench (until he decides he wants to play for us again) doesn’t mess up team chemistry, or Cho pulls the trigger on a decent trade, whatever that may consist of.
If you ain't first, you're last. - Ricky Bobby's Daddy
If he does what he has stated, he will not show for two years.
No sitting/pouting on the bench. No chemistry problem.
I agree that a trade is preferable but we need another team to agree to a reasonable trade.
I am no longer "young" enough to know everything!
Rudy
If in the right frame of mind adds some depth, but signing Matthews moved him to the third or fourth slot at the SG position given we drafted Williams, and there simply won’t be many minutes for him there unless Roy or Matthews miss numerous games because of injuries. Everyone likes depth – but Rudy has the ability to play more minutes and for much better money elsewhere – and is determined to go there. And you can’t really blame him. Cho isn’t likely to make it easy for him, but I can’t see the Blazers putting him on the travelling squad of 12 players, given Roy, LMA, Miller, Oden, Batum, Pryz, Camby, Matthews, Bayless, Cunningham, Williams, Pendergraph, Babbitt and Johnson – which is 14 players.
Disagree
Andre Miller is not a top 10 PG.
#52
by tominhawaii on Aug 31, 2010 5:22 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
yeah, he's probably not top 10, but likely top 15
anyway it’s arguable. He’s one of the better starting points in the league.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
I'm gonna say that Kelly Dwyer's rankings aren't the be-all end all
And #14 seems like the floor of Miller’s ranking compared to the rest of the NBA, especially once durability is considered
I never disagree with my opinions.
Well, almost never.
by BlazerNation on Sep 1, 2010 11:19 PM PDT up reply actions
The blockbuster trade / missing pieces chatter has died down
August is not the time for making deals in the NBA, most GMs are on vacation
Once training camps begin and teams see what they have on the floor, the trade discussions could heat up again. I certainly agree that evaulating the RAMBO lineup versus the bench rotation is a solid strategy for the first half of the season. OTOH, Cho should always be working the phones to “hear what’s out there” re: deals to improve the roster. Regardless, I don’t expect the trade proposal speculation here at BE to ever shut down, even of the team sweeps the playoffs and wins multiple titles!
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Just a thought
Sometimes I wonder if a better FA culture couldn’t be built for Portland by maintaining loyalty to players. I keep reading the “it’s a business” from both sides, though. I think Camby’s resigning will help.
Otherwise I agree with this post. Too many folks get too anxious based on media projections and player stats and forced quotes. The thing is we need to keep in mind that Nate got the team battling straight into the playoffs last year despite the relative youth of the team. Sure Camby’s influence can’t be ignored, and neither can Dre’s, but a lot of under 25 talent stepped up and bought into the system. With LMA redoubling his efforts and Batum’s confidence building role in the tourney we’ll be even stronger at the start of next season. There will be an “if healthy” tag on the team ‘til mid-season, but that should only help us. Rip City will be a fine place to be when we’re steamrolling the competition with hardwork and smarts.
Too many folks get too anxious based on media projections and player stats and forced quotes.
It certainly didn’t dampen the enthusiasm when one of these quotes was directly from the team’s owner, following the Cho hiring. Fortunately, Rich has demonstrated throughout his NBA career that he is no “yes” man. More due diligence and less knee-jerk appears to be his SOP
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
We still need a PGOTF.,,
I’m 100% behind seeing how Bayless will turn out, and if he can develop a better outside shot, and court vision, but I’m not sold on him being the one. We really could use somebody in the mold of Kirk Hinrich for our pg. This could also be negated by a combination of factors, like say if Bayless does develop a nice tre shot and Batum continues to develop as a point forward, then our issues our solved. We just need another creator on the floor to take some pressure off of BRoy. Dre is great for now, but we need a longer term solution. I really hope it’s Batum.
If Oden and Przy can't start the season, we will start off with a weaker team than we started with last year.
We started last year with:
C – Oden, Przy
PF – LMA, Outlaw, Howard, Cunningham, Pendergraph
SF – Webster, Outlaw, (Batum) [ shoulder injury]
SG – Roy, Rudy
PG – Milller, Blake, Bayless, Mills
We will start this year if Oden and Joel are injured:
C- Camby, LMA (Oden) [knee injury], (Przy) [knee injury]
PF – LMA, Cunningham, Pendergraph
SF – Batum, Matthews, Babbitt, (Rudy) [head injury]
SG – Roy, Matthews, Williams
PG – Miller, Bayless, Johnson
Losing Oden and Joel means we use a Camby, LMA, Cunningham, Pendergraph rotation at 4/5, which is much weaker than last year’s Oden, LMA, Outlaw, Joel 4/5 rotation. I don’t think Batum-Matthews in place of Webster-Outlaw-Rudy is enough to make up the difference. Batum-Matthews defense is better but that won’t be enough to make up the defense and rebounding of Oden and Joel in the paint.
But eventually we will be stronger defensively and offensively this year whenever we get Oden and Joel back. Hopefully Oden can still be ready to start the season, but I’m not betting on it any longer.
This year’s current roster
C- Oden, Camby, Przy
PF – LMA, Camby, Cunningham, Pendergraph
SF – Batum, Matthews, Cunningham, Babbitt
SG – Roy, Matthews, Williams, (Rudy) [head injury]
PG – Miller, Bayless, Johnson
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 31, 2010 5:47 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
rec for head injury
Both Greg and Joel should be back well before the start of 2011, and each of them hedges for the other. I wouldn’t worry about that too much anyway – there’s hardly any dropoff from them to Camby, so it’s really only the backup C minutes (12 behind Camby) and some more PF minutes (Cunningham, who can handle it fine imo) that suffer.
Also, I think you underestimate the difference between Miller+Roy+Nate of fall 2009 and Miller+Roy+Nate of fall 2010.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
I think you underestimate the difference between Miller+Roy+Nate of fall 2009 and Miller+Roy+Nate of fall 2010.
This^
Roy is on board with Dre as the starting PG. Hopefully the 2010 version of LMA is also an upgrade over 2009, and I’m not ready to concede on Aug 31 that Greg won’t be ready for some PT on opening night
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
You've been arguing LMA would be worse this year because of Oden, while I've been arguing LMA would be better this year.
Are you reversing your opinion?
I didn’t say Greg wouldn’t be ready, I said if he wasn’t. But I wouldn’t bet on him being ready now. At least not with my money.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 31, 2010 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions
My take is that LMA will have fewer touches once Oden is healthy and productive again
I was encouraged by Bayno’s report on LMA, though. If he can score more efficiently near the basket and pass out of doubleteams it will only help the Blazers
but it’s not difficult to predict a usage conflict between LMA and Oden once Greg is back up to speed. LMA potentially averaging 10 shots per game (mostly from the perimeter) is not the best use of a near-max contract at the starting 4, especially if he hasn’t improved in other areas of his floor game
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'm encouraged that you are encouraged about LMA. This is progress!
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 1, 2010 12:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Like I said a few weeks ago
Bayno has not been working with LMA on the areas where he needs the most improvement—that’s all the time he is on the floor and he doesn’t have the ball in his hands in a position to score
Buck Williams will have his hands full “reinventing” LMA. Portland’s championship aspirations could hinge on the results. A lower-usage PF (compared to LMA’s last 3 years = 15 shots/game) playing next to Oden for the next 5 years may be a better choice, will LMA agree to make that adjustment? We’ll all find out together
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Why does LMA has to lose the shots G
by Visionary2 on Sep 1, 2010 7:20 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Dang! that was a fast miskey into publication..
Anyway, as I was saying, Why does LMA has to lose the shots Greg gets?
1) More defense, more breaks, LMA can get his on breakaway dunks instead of fallaways
2) I’d like to see BRoy rest as much as possible for the playoffs, so let’s keep his shots and time down in the blowouts.
3) If he’s bulking up, he should get more O Rebs, and more (easy) shots.
From the start of last year, we have Trout’s, Blake’s, and potentially Rudy’s shots to divide amongst Camby (minimal), and Matthews (also minimal).
Bottom line: I think there are plenty of shots for Greg to up his, and LMA to still get his…
If LMA gets vastly better shots, then sure
But his TS% of .535 to .647 for Greg means that’s definitely the direction shots should be going. Hopefully he’ll improve, but he won’t improve to Oden-like efficiency.
LMA and Miller need to give up shots to Greg and Batum. That’s just how it is.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
Oh, I agree GO should be a focal point...
I’ve always been arguing that, after looking for a fast break opportunity, the play should always involve a GO pick and roll, and then if that was defended well, establish GO in the low post, and go through him… Absolutely!
And yes, Lao, with better defense, and solid defensive rebounding, the pace should increase. (If it doesn’t, Nate should be gone)…
Yes, I can see LMA not being our featured first quarter performer, as in years past, as we try to establish Greg instead. And I’m much enthused by that thought. But I still don’t think that necessarily means fewer shots for LMA, especially if his bulking up producs more O rebs…
From the start of last year, we have Trout’s, Blake’s, and potentially Rudy’s shots to divide amongst Camby (minimal), and Matthews (also minimal).
Outlaw = 9
Blake = 7
Rudy = 7
Camby = 6
Matthews = 7
So we’re talking about 10 shots to “replace” per game.
When he was in there, Greg averaged 7, but that should increase once he’s healthy and dominating. So let’s give him all 10
Now, let’s look at Bayless and Batum. Nic averaged 7 apg and Jerryd 6.5. Assuming they both have bigger roles this year they should expect a few more shots per game, and Greg may shoot more than 10 times on some nights. So, where are those “extra” shots going to come from? Increased pace? That would be great, but let’s say that instead of dumping the ball into LMA on the left block, the ball is going to increasingly be fed to the more efficient Oden down low, instead.
Bottom line: a healthy dominant Greg should reduce LMA’s 15 apg, just how much that will be is hard to guess, but my suggestion is that Aldridge should focus more on other areas of his game, because the team will need improved defense and rebounding from the starting PF position to become finals-caliber
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think we agree...
Absolutely, GO should be the primary low post focal point on O.
But IF LMA can improve his O Rebounding, and IF our better D leads to more breaks, then LMA’s attempts per game do not need to decrease. The types of shots will likely change, but he can still get his.
it's going to be tough for LMA to get 15 apg
if Greg starts shooting 10+ times and they’re in the game together for 25+ mpg
There are ways to stagger their court time (foul trouble will take care of some of that…) But I think we both can agree that we don’t want to watch LMA shooting ten to fifteen 15-20 foot jumpers per game and only making 40-45% of them. Better scoring opportunities than that should be available.
There’s bound to be an adjustment period once Greg is back to full health, and the last time this happened Brandon and LMA had a little chat with Nate about who is “option 1 and option 2”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Let's hope Nate handles that one better this year...
And tells LMA AND BRoy that “Option 1 and Option 2 are who I say they are, and right now, they are Oden and… Batum”.
I'd rather the correct "option"
is the guy who has the open shot right at the basket at the end of a well-executed play
but I realize that the NBA doesn’t always work that way
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
You don't think there's an offensive or defensive difference between Camby and Oden?
Camby blocks shots from off the ball. He doesn’t intimidate like Oden. Oden is responsible for many more missed shots, and shots simply not taken inside because of that intimidation. Offensively Oden is a low post scorer while Camby is high post scorer. Without Oden we have very little scoring from the low post. Big differences in my mind.
I’ll believe Miller+Roy+Nate 2010 is better when I see it.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 31, 2010 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions
And Oden+Joel >>>>>>>>>>>>> Cunningham+Pendergraph.
Our 4/5 rotation this year will eventually be Oden, LMA, Camby, Joel vs Camby,LMA, Cunningham, Pendergraph until Oden and Joel are ready. That’s an enormous difference.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Aug 31, 2010 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Miller will be starting from day 1, and Roy had his best stretch of last year playing w/ Miller in a traditional lineup
So I think you already seen it
by momomoses7 on Sep 1, 2010 2:20 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
sometimes, seeing isn't believing
and the CP3/Hinrich grass always appears greener, on the other side of the proverbial fence
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I’ll believe Miller+Roy+Nate 2010 is better when I see it.
better than what, the first half of last season or the second half?
I thougt the OP was comparing how the trio was dysfunctional at the beginning of last season, before they resolved their “differences” in January and made the necessary adjustments to play alongside each other. From that perspective, October 2010 >>> October 2009 re: this trio’s BB relationship.
I’m only reading concerns re: “stylistic fit” between Brandon and Andre here at BE, the players, coaching staff and front office seem to be perfectly content with the starting backcourt, heading into the season
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Sep 1, 2010 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
The whole Roy-Miller fit issue has been hashed out, and re-hashed out in detail in other threads,
(to the point of boredom) so I’ll just pass on doing it all over again and hope Nate can install some changes that make it work better this season. Of course, that’s assuming Miller is around all season.
front office seem to be perfectly content with the starting backcourt
The previous front office tried to trade Miller for CP3 (yeah who wouldn’t if he was available?), but also Parker and apparently Harris. So they weren’t “perfectly content”. Who knows what Cho is thinking, unless you assume no trades in his short time on the job means he is “perfectly content”? But if you falsely assume that, then you would have to falsely assume he is content about everyone on the roster. Which we know from his own words (“one or two pieces away”) isn’t true. So there is absolutely no way to know if Cho (and the front office) are “perfectly content” with Miller-Roy, or not.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 1, 2010 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions
they are, at the present time, perfectly content with the starting backcourt
or else a change would have already been made this offseason
until Dre is traded (if he ever is) I have to assume this is the team’s position. Anything beyond that is rumor and speculation, which is what BE serves up 24/7
I would seek to acquire Tony Parker, but not at the expense of Nic Batum. The opportunity to make this deall may come later, or not. Until it does, I’ll prepare myself to finally watch the RAMBO lineup in action, once Oden is cleared to play again
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Cho doesn't trade anyone in 6 weeks and you think that means he isn't trying to trade anyone?
OK, believe that if it makes you feel better.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 1, 2010 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Listening to offers and making deals are two different things, and you know it
Bill Branch said fans would be surprised about how many proposals are made, but he’s always surprised when a deal actually gets done because it’s so rare when everyone on both sides of the transactions agrees to pull the trigger
I know you were expecting a blockbuster after hearing Paul Allen’s comments to Barrett following the Cho hiring. There’s no way of knowing when (or if) it will come this season. I’m not going to say Rich is sitting on his hands, even though we know he’s already turned down offers for Rudy. What I will say is that there are no signs that the Blazers are unhappy with Miller. None. Bayno said that Andre was in good spirits last month, and Roy has gotten himself into great shape and said all the right things about “stars don’t always get their way” this summer.
So I really don’t get the “Brandon and Dre are the wrong fit” argument. It’s just a worn-out old take that was rehashed during the summer time to stir the pot but there’s no substance behind it, from the Blazer’s perspective
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Did the Blazers try to trade Miller this summer for CP3, Parker, and most likely Harris before the draft?
I’m pretty sure the answer to that is yes. If you don’t believe that now fine. But if you do believe that (which you said you did in other threads) then the organization was not “perfectly content” with Roy-Miller. Please address that point, instead of bringing up other issues. You just continue to ignore this point, which is the relevant point that goes to the issue of whether or not they are “perfectly content” with Roy-Miller.
Beyond that, I have no idea what Cho thinks about Miller-Roy and neither do you or anyone else here.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 1, 2010 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions
^^ whether or not they were "perfectly content"
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 1, 2010 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions
The Blazers are perfectly content heading into the season with the roster as it is
until an opportunity comes along to upgrade it
this applies to all the positions, including starting PG
with one obvious exception: Rudy
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
in other words, there's no sense of urgency
If I’ve read your past comments correctly, you feel that Miller doesn’t fit with Roy, so rather than continue with this combo the Blazers should make a deal this offseason and replace Andre with the PGotF asap, and you’ve used the CP3 rumors and Paul Allen’s comments as an indicator that the Blazers are of the same mindset
I disagree, I think Cho/Nate (etc) are fully prepared to begin the season with the RAMBO starting lineup, and see how productive it is before making a major deal. Which may or may not come during the season
You could be right, but we won’t know until there’s an announcement, which is a good thingbecause I’d rather see the current players not having to deal with trade rumors heading into the pre-season. Did the team pursue CP3 in June? Sure. But that trail went cold and the front office is back to their standard “we’re listening to offers” mode. Business as usual
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Remember when it was all about a multi-player trade for a great player?
Then the team lost the RLEC for nothing, traded Blake and Travis for Camby, lost Martell (and Howard). Now Rudy is kvetching, and it looks like we will lose Patty Mills, one of those many second-rounders we were supposed to have consolidated for, again, nothing — due to lack of roster spots.
A lot of our trade bait is gone. It is no longer so much about the BIG consolidation trade. I don’t know what it’s about, besides player development, to take this team to the next level.
Cho says we are a piece or two away. How do we get there now, with all we’ve lost?
In KP I trusted!
Win a playoff series, ot two
and suddenly your assets look shiny and nice
Everyone’s favorite answer (heading into this season) is trade Miller and Przybilla’s ECs, plus a talented youngster (Bayless is the usual suspect) and wa-la! the “missing piece” will come riding in on a white horse to help Brandon and Greg reach the promised land
I’m not saying that can’t or won’t happen, but until it does I’m hoping the team can reach the WCF with what they have, then…suddenly Cho’s assets look shiny and nice and veteran free agents will queue up to accept the MLE then hop aboard the gravy train
that’s how it usually works in the NBA, anyway
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I don't get your characterizations
The team did not lose RLEC for nothing. They didn’t like the offers they received (reportedly the two most significant offers included a demand for Batum). So then they turned the resulting Cap Space into Miller.
The team did not lose Martell. They traded him for the pick that became Babbitt.
Are you complaining about Blake and Trout for Camby? That was a perfect example of a consolidation trade. We turned two journeyman into a former DPOY.
They are trying to trade Rudy for a pick and that potentially opens a spot to keep Patty.
I do agree with you that much of logjam of talent from the beginning of last year is gone. I disagree about the team having “lost” anything, other than letting Channing go.
by upper left corner on Sep 4, 2010 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions
They didn’t like the offers they received (reportedly the two most significant offers included a demand for Batum)
After Andre was signed we learned that Portland was also interested in Miller at the trading deadline. (Wouldn’t you like to know the details of these proposals with Philly? Well, me too!) It’s hard to imagine the Blazers playing any better down the stretch in 2009 than they did, but I’ll always wonder if they could have beaten the Rockets if they had ’Dre and he had a couple of months to integrate himself with his new teammates, etc.
(Of course, there’s no guarantee that in this parallel universe that Houston would have been Portland’s first round opponent…)
The other fringe benefit would have been a better-defined role for Andre (starting PG?) heading into last fall, assuming he re-signed with Portland as a FA during the summer of 2009 (bird rights = of course)
Sure, that’s a lot of hypotheticals, but it would be nice to give KP some truth serum and ask him how close he came to acquiring Andre back in Feb 2009. If Portland had won that first round playoff series (against whoever) the whole course of Pritchard’s tenure as GM in the subsequent 12-15 months may have played out very differently
Ya snooze ya lose, sometimes. Paralysis by over-analysis. Perhaps the proverbial cake was ready to be removed from the oven, after all?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Although it's true that a playoff win might have bought KP some rope or goodwill...
I still think that his firing had much more to do with Warren LeGarie’s takeover ambitions than the team’s play.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
Agreed
BT Smith said that KP changed (for the worse) after Penn came on board. Kevin’s a good guy, but I think Pritchard was over his skies the more time he was removed from draft day, on the calendar
The Camby deal was too little, too late. It’s too bad he couldn’t have tossed Rudy into that deal, it might’ve seemed less sweet back then, but easier to swallow right about now
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Blake and Travis for Camby was a freaking steal
So much of an upgrade, and it was a consolidation because it cleared up our two most logjammed, healthiest positions.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
by austinpwnz on Sep 4, 2010 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I suspect Cho is open to talking about trading every player on the roster...
It is the Vulcan way. Logical. Unemotional. Fact based.
But it also implies nothing about their satisfaction with the play of the starting backcourt…
So, 2-4 has current facts on his side, while all you have is trade speculation…
You said:
it also implies nothing about their satisfaction with the play of the starting backcourt
That’s right it implies nothing. Which is exactly what I said:
So there is absolutely no way to know if Cho (and the front office) are "perfectly content" with Miller-Roy, or not.
It is two4larue that said:
they are, at the present time, perfectly content with the starting backcourt
or else a change would have already been made this offseason
He doesn’t know if they are “perfectly content”, no one here does. He is surmising that simply because Cho hasn’t make a move in 6 weeks, which is not valid to assume because 6 weeks may or may not be enough time to make a move he wanted to.
As you said, “it also implies nothing about their satisfaction with the play of the starting backcourt”.
Yes, you are agreeing with exactly what I am saying, not two4lurue.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 1, 2010 10:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I didn't pay him to say this^
Being wrong and right is so droll. We’re talking about opinion, not state secrets. Rich is trying to make deals, some of them may include changing the starting PG, but if that’s true he’s keeping quiet about it, which is a good thing because the last thing that Andre needs to hear on media day is
“So, how a-BOUT those trade rumors?”
RFS1970 is in a big hurry to win a championship, I can appreciate that strategy (cough, Tony Parker, cough) Flipping ’Dre could help speed things along, but not necessarily—depending on who the next starting PG is—the team (especially #52…) could easily digress rather than progress.
Change for change’s sake =/= progress. It just keeps the fans off the GM’s back, for a little while longer
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
12 Man Roster
I know some of the parts need to be interchangeable. Lets look at the players in their optimal positions.
C Oden Prz
PF LMA Camby
SF Batum Cunningham
SG Roy Mathews Rudy
Pg Miller Bayless Johnson
This seems like a pretty good team to start the season with. It maybe the best we have had. What are the questions with this team? The health of our centers, can Rudy get his head straight (probably), can Bayless be “the microwave”, can Johnson be ready to play during the playoffs? This could be a fun year, and probably won’t be a disaster. I expect LMA, Camby, Batum, Cunningham, Roy, Mathews and Miller to do what ever needs to be done to get the Blazers to the playoffs. If the Blazers are healthy in the spring they could challenge.
Not being able to handle a hangover will lead to a level of maturity.
Wheels to Jason Quick
by Kampeska on Sep 1, 2010 6:13 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Barring injuries
this does look like the best roster in recent years. And there is almost no way we’re going to see the injuries we had last year, even on a team that has a history of injuries. That’s pretty comforting.
Ding ding ding!
We have this year’s marketing slogan contest winner… ah, I can see it all over the RG now:
This could be a fun year, and probably won’t be a disaster
Far better than “Rise With Us”… (especially after Greg’s sexting…)
You speak the TRUTH... we're just behind the Lakers and Heat and closing fast
Remember a year ago when many were speculating that the Blazers might win 60+ games? That was before a year of some DEEP maturing—dealing with one calamity after another and rising above the excuses. Last year prepared this team mentally. Our young players got another year of NBA know-how under their belts. Now that talent is ready to BLOSSOM. We’re young but mature, athletic and deep. If we see the further development of Batum, Aldridge and Bayless and keep Greg and Brandon healthy, we can go all the way. Yes, the Lakers and Heat are still ahead of us in potential, but neither team could sustain an injury to a key player and win. The Blazers could (unless it’s BRoy). Don’t sell this team short, don’t ship out players prematurely— give this a chance to gel and watch the MAGIC happen! Championship in 2011 w/ just a little luck.
by KnightBlazer on Sep 1, 2010 5:57 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree with just about all of that...
Except the part about Bayless. I’m not sure I’m back on that bandwagon yet. I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t see it. Hopefully one of the new guys can step in and fill that role if he doesn’t.
by BlazerNation on Sep 1, 2010 11:25 PM PDT up reply actions
...oh, and one more...
I’m not sure I see a championship in 2011 unless Miami suffers something unfortunate or Oden really turns into something big time. But ahead of LA? Very possibly.
by BlazerNation on Sep 1, 2010 11:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I want to see Miami play first
that team could either be unstoppable or a time bomb.
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
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