More Portland Trail Blazers Training Camp Invites
by Ben Golliver on Sep 22, 2010 10:39 AM PDT
in News
Email
PrintEarlier we noted a HoopsHype report that said guard Dwayne Mitchell will be attending training camp with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Our good friend Scott Schroeder of SB Nation's Ridiculous Upside is now reporting that forward Raymond Sykes and guard Dwight Lewis will also be attending camp with the Blazers.
Sykes is 6'9" and 220 and averaged 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League last season. He attended Clemson University.
Lewis is 6'5" and 215 and went undrafted after playing four years for the University of Southern California. Last season he averaged 13.8 points and 2.9 rebounds for the Trojans.
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports on Twitter that the Blazers will invite a total of four players to training camp and the final name is Seth Tarver.
One is Portland native and Oregon State graduate Seth Tarver, who was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Tarver is 6'5" and 220, a wing who went undrafted after playing four years at Oregon State.
With a roster that is literally overflowing (16 players for 15 spots: Miller, Bayless, Johnson, Mills, Roy, Matthews, Fernandez, Williams, Batum, Babbitt, Aldridge, Cunningham, Pendergraph, Camby, Oden, Przybilla) it goes without saying that these invitees are the longest of long shots to stick with the team.
However, roughly two weeks ago I wrote that I hoped Rich Cho's hire might mean that the Blazers would make better use of their D-League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede. These invites are potentially a first step in that direction.
The Development League's new allocation system allows for each D-League team to acquire the rights to 3 players cut from their affiliate's training camp. With the Blazers bringing these guys into camp, assuming that they are cut and interested in playing in the D-League, they will be automatically be assigned to the Idaho Stampede instead of going through the draft/waiver process and potentially ending up on another D-League team.
Inviting extra players is a no-lose proposition for the Blazers. The worst case scenario is that Portland becomes more familiar with guys who could stock their D-League affiliate while protecting, to a degree, players that their Idaho staff has targeted.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
27 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
sounds like a true minor league system might be emerging
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Patty Mills is not expected to be in camp according to Joe Freeman.
Freeman says that the blazers made him a qualifying offer but he hasn’t signed it.
Good to see Seth Tarver getting a chance. Not that I think he will make it but he is a solid player. I could definitely see him going the Ima Udoka route.
that is true...
he is going to have to learn to shoot to play in the NBA otherwise it will be 4 on 5.
after going to Oregon State from 04-08 and watching some of the worst basketball ever played in the history of the Pac-10
I would be shocked if Seth ever made the NBA. I like the guy, great athlete, potential to be a good defender…but I don’t think he’s got the ability to be the next Ime. We’re talking major major major offensive liability at either the 2 or the 3…at least Ime can knock down shots. Prove me wrong Seth, I’d love to see you make it somewhere.
by sammymohawk on Sep 22, 2010 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions
In his defense, all he really needs to be a solid NBA player is a good shot.
Throw him in the d-league and see what happens. He has all the other tools.
i think this comment is right. he’s like a really poor man’s thabo on offense. he’d be awesome on defense in time, though. dude always gives 100 percent effort
thats my game
Blazers basketball? Just basketball you say? More like a way of life
by dyshooter182 on Sep 23, 2010 7:46 AM PDT up reply actions
YE OF LITTLE FAITH.....
Keep your eyes open Buddy!!
by SEMPERFIDELIS on Sep 23, 2010 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions
I'd've rather seen the team bring a defensive-minded wing into training camp who's actually capable ...
of playing at the NBA level, such as WSU alum Kyle Weaver. Even if it’s for stocking up the Idaho Stampede roster by allocating players their way, Weaver would be a much better addition.
We could be 8-deep at SG! Roy would only have to take the last shot of the game
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
Clarification from Scott on the 3 players who could be assigned to the D-League
Is that 3 players from each affiliated team, or 3 in total?
by Norsktroll on Sep 22, 2010 10:50 AM PDT reply actions
Total.
But Sykes wouldn’t be included in this since he played in the D-League last season. So, the Stampede would probably have Mitchell, Lewis and a guy from Denver if all stays the same right now.
It’s replacing the old rule, which was based on location. So instead of Idaho having the rights to the best players from Boise State, they’ll have the best three players from their NBA affiliate teams who were released in training camp and signed with the D-League.
by Scott Schroeder on Sep 22, 2010 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
Just curious
Do these invitees get reimbursed for the training camp or is this considered a try out?
They typically do
And there’s a certain danger with unguaranteed contracts, in that they become guaranteed if the player injuries himself in training or on the court it becomes guaranteed. Happened to Miami and Orlando last year. You can still waive the player, but have to pay him.
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
question:
“With a roster that is literally overflowing (16 players for 15 spots: Miller, Bayless, Johnson, Mills, Roy, Matthews, Fernandez, Williams, Batum, Babbitt, Aldridge, Cunningham, Pendergraph, Camby, Oden, Przybilla)”
Does this mean we need to get rid of one of these players? Or can we send one of the rooks like Johnson to the D-League?
Look like we'll get rid of Mills. That would be 15 then.
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
The biggest guy is 6'9 220?
either Greg is going to be ready earlier than we thought, or
Jeff Pendergraph is going to be counted on for a lot of PT at the 4-5, or
there’s a impending trade or a FA signing for a big man, or
the Blazers are going to be awfully thin up front, during camp and preseason
watch where you step, Marcus Camby
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I surmise that a trade is lurking
We’re gonna pick up a reliable mediocre big for a handful of our surplus scrubs
Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.
- Charles Darwin
I'd've preferred a big body being invited to camp, too, even if it was a bust like Patrick O'Bryant, a stiff ...
like D.J. Mbenga, or even bringing back that has-been Jarron Collins to bang bodies for a few weeks. While none of them would’ve made the team come opening night, it’d’ve been more valuable to have one of those guys than Raymond Sykes in the meantime.
Tarver
Tarver’s a great guy, ran into him a bit around OSU and played some ball with him. He was well known as a defensive specialist around the Pac-10 and led the conference in steals last season. He can score and he’s a really good athlete, but I’m not sure his handles or his shot are good enough to even land him in the D-League, unless he’s improved a lot this summer. My bet is Europe. He’s the stereotypical “tweener” at 6-5. Glad he got an invite, though.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
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
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Behind the Box Score, where the Boston Celtics are moving on to the conference finals
- NBA Playoffs Fan Fiction: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- The Indiana Pacers? Gone till November
- Shaquille O’Neal is in a Chinese beer commercial, too (VIDEO)
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
