I wanted Faried too but it's hard to watch this video and not become a Nolan Smith fan. Welcome to Portland!
11 months ago
chrischa
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Already throwing up the 3 Monacle
I’ve heard good things, but what about Williams, mills, and Johnson?
I thought Rudy would be the perfect 6th man. Come back Ruuudy!
by llamaiguana on Jun 23, 2011 8:06 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Nolan may already be more polished and well rounded than Mills and Johnson
Elliot Williams is the great unknown, we haven’t even seen him play in summer league. I would think we drafted Nolan to play the 1 even though he is considered a combo guard. Elliot more of a 2.
The Blazers as a whole are far more like my wife than like me in the sense of their physicality on defense.
-Dave
Not for Portland he didn't.
He played in the Fan Fest scrimmage last year. That the only burn he got.
by Rip City Reign on Jun 24, 2011 9:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Not true
Elliot has played 47 minutes of preseason ball
| 23.1 | .647 | .605 | 15.6 | 28.3 | 21.9 | 6.7 | 0.9 | 7.7 | 17.8 | 20.7 | 118 | 100 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 2.2 | .214 |
good catch! Awesome.
Destiny, for sure.
\\oo///
<
\__/
Both Elliot and Blazers logo.
Must have been the 2010 NCAA Tourney. Good catch!
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
DraftExpress Profile says: Big Shoes!
Height w/o shoes: 6’ 1.5"
Height w/ shoes: 6’ 3.5"
Perhaps he should play in stilletto heels?
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
Hope he works out.
It would be nice if he could defensive rebound.
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
I wanted Faried too
Well one thing about Smith is he is perfect for Nate’s offense. If he can make it on any team its the Trail Blazers. Boring pick though. Why trade for Felton?
because Felton is in his prime
we can’t put the team on Smith’s back
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
That true if they had to deal Dre
Why pass on glass eater in Faried for another PGotF candidate when you are trading for a prime PG?
Now we have no worries at PG
Nolan is an upgrade over Patty and Armon and is read to play 10-13 mpg behind Felton,
by Rip City Reign on Jun 23, 2011 10:49 PM PDT up reply actions
the really efficient one
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
by sammymohawk on Jun 23, 2011 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I watched every Duke game
last year and this year. Nolan Smith is the backup point guard we all hoped Jerryd Bayless could develop into. Has good athleticism, can play inside and outside, smart (knows when to go to the rim vs when to take the outside shot) and makes his team better. He also has that killer instinct and is willing to put the team on his back and take over a game at crunch time. Faired would have been a nice pick, but I don’t think Smith will dissapoint.
by BornWinner on Jun 23, 2011 9:17 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Not saying Nolan won't be good, however Faried seemed to make more sense...
we’ll see how things turn out down the road – maybe they can go out and try to sign Carl Landry in FA.
I'd rather have Chuck Hayes than CL
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Faried could work out to be as effective
as Hayes is now.
Hayes is a better fit next to Aldridge while Landry would fit better with Oden/Camby.
by Rip City Reign on Jun 23, 2011 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Chuck Hayes would be a good fit next to LaMarcus Aldridge, yeah.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
Does Hayes play effective C?
I don’t want any long term strategy geared around moving Aldridge to the pivot. I’ve heard Hayes plays huge but haven’t seen him play more than a handful of games.
Yes he actually does which is why the Rockets will likely resign him
by Kaanyr Vhok on Jun 26, 2011 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Hayes is a UFA
And the Rockets are on full-blown rebuilding at this point. That means they would love to keep Chuck but only if he loves Houston so much that he’s willing to take the lower end of what he’s worth for the pleasure of playing on a lottery team.
Which is not to say he’s ours for the having. I just expect the opportunity to be there.
"You can pretty much flip a coin to see which Portland team will show up: the dark-horse world-beaters or the mixed-up eggbeaters" - Dave
by conspirator5 on Jun 26, 2011 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not sure, Wallace is probably just as good rebounder
and much better on offense, can play more positions and just better overall.
Joel Freeland=Stud
I hope he keeps that swagger,
Swagger is something I feel like this team is lacking, a winners swagger.
Mike Rice: "Camby nearly rejected that with his Armpit!"
Mike Barrett: "Now that would be a fragrant foul."
This vid is the perfect antidote
That long, dreary thread of gloom and doom was depressing. Now we’ve got a Patty Mills life of the party, sparkplug off the bench who can actually ball. I just hope he can keep that swagger when he’s riding the bench and his team isn’t winning everything in sight. I have a feeling he’ll be fine.
Yeah, I'm shaking my head about
not getting a big named Faried. Just trying to make lemonade I guess.
The backup 4 can be had in FA
Chuck Hayes
Carl Landry
Ronny Turiaf
The backup PG free agents were much worse, Earl Watson, TJ Ford etc.
by Rip City Reign on Jun 23, 2011 10:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Nolan's got a little Travis and Marty in him
personality-wise
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Wow--I was thinking the same thing.
I’m still all about Armon though.
Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers
by Adam Randall on Jun 23, 2011 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions
good camp competition
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
by sammymohawk on Jun 24, 2011 12:18 AM PDT up reply actions
For sure.
Armon v. Nolan v. Williams v. Patty for backup PG.
Batum v. Matthews for starting SG.
LMA v. LMA for ASG.
Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers
by Adam Randall on Jun 24, 2011 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Batum doesn't have the handles to play SG and I want video from those saying he does so efffectively for Les Bleus
Patty is not in the equation for anything.
Not to sound cranky, but that’s just not realistic.
Armon vs. Nolan does have my interest piqued, though.
Let me just dig into my box of FIBA tapes...
It’s not enough that he’s played the guard position for the last two seasons? Maybe you don’t think much of Euro ball, but Vincent Collet would have to be a moron to play him at that position two seasons in a row if he didn’t have the skills.
Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers
by Adam Randall on Jun 25, 2011 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Just checked out Les Bleus' depth chart...
This year, it looks like Mickael Pietrus will be starting at SG, with Batum at SF, but I bet they’ll bounce back and forth.
Our disagreement aside, Les Bleus is looking like a solid squad this summer. Parker, Turiaf, Noah, and Batum are going to put the hurt on the other Euros. Their reserves (De Colo, Gelabale, F. Pietrus) got some good seasoning last year, as well as taste for winning (whuddup, Spain?).
I wonder how the CBA negotiations will affect Team USA? If there isn’t a solid American squad, I pick France to take it all.
Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers
by Adam Randall on Jun 26, 2011 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't think the US competes in the Eurobasket.
And I’m not putting too much stock in the current depth chart, especially if Noah’s listed. He’s stated in the past that he only wants to play for the US, and he would have to give up his eligibility for the US team in order to join Les Bleus.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
LMA v. LMA for ASG
Isn’t that the truth.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jun 27, 2011 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
The video proves they didn't draft an accountant or office dweeb
Names can be so misleading. Looking forward to the bonus of some acting skills too.
“Nolan, honey, it’s time to work on your crossover and left hand. Put the camcorder
up on the shelf, now.
“Yes, Mom”
Is he playing against high schoolers?
This tape makes him look like Blake Griffen. LOL
It appears
my belief that a point guard should be able to pass was misinformed.
Taxes don't kill jobs.
We could have had Faried AND Nolan Smith if we had wanted.
I’m pretty sure that if we had a read GM running the show on draft day instead of Paul Allen, they would have realized that Nolan Smith would have still been available around the 30th pick, and taken Faried, and then dumped our second round pick and Rudy or Armon or Babbitt for the #30/31 pick and taken Smith then. I have nothing against Smith as a player or a person, I think that he is a great kid, and will be a better NBA player than people give him credit for, but there is no way, no way whatsoever that we should have passed on Faried at 21. The Nuggets were probably dancing in the war room when the Blazers passed on Faried and let him fall to them.
by rhaegar on Jun 24, 2011 7:06 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I heard the Nuggets actually made us passing on Faried a condition of the Felton/Miller trade
Which is why there was so much confusion regarding the picks being swapped.
If that is the case, then the Blazer brass is really clueless.
Felton is hardly a huge upgrade on Andre, he is only younger, yet he only has one year left on his contract, and if he doesn’t sign a long term deal with the Blazers, what use was it to bring in a younger guy? My gut feeling is that this draft was a lot of Paul Allen. It seems like some of the moves were made out of some kind of vindictive revenge motivation rather than a true attempt to improve the team. “Get rid of the guys that dissed on the Blazers!” Petteri, Rudy, Andre. I just felt like the Blazers were going to move Andre no matter what the cost or what kind of crap they got in return. Pathetic.
I stated this earlier but will state it here as well...
The early reports, of Portland and Denver flipping picks, only makes sense to me if Denver knew the Blazers liked Faried and they too wanted him and made him part of the condition of the trade – when the Blazers agreed to not take Faried, then Denver and Portland no longer needed to flip picks.
I think this is what likely occurred, which if true, is a shame – Faried met a bigger need and the team allowed Denver to push and attain as much as they wanted – I’m just glad for Chad and his wife that Denver didn’t ask for his new born child because the Blazers seemed to be willing to give Denver whatever they were asking for.
This whole line of speculation is crazy talk. It's not rational.
Buchanan said quite clearly in the press conference that they wanted Nolan Smith just a little bit more than Kenneth Faried, pure and simple. So argue with the merits of that choice, not whether or not we got snookered in the draft.
I think if there was any missed opportunity, it would have been the opportunity to draft Faried at 21 and then extort the Nuggets to get a slightly better price for Felton… like for example not including the 26th pick. That would have been dependent upon knowing that the Nugs wanted Faried and being willing to take the chance on not getting Nolan Smith. Which would have gone against the other thing Buchanan said in the conference, which was to the effect of, “after the 20th pick, we don’t worry about draft position. We just go get the players we want.”
To me that makes sense. The chance of anybody after 20 blowing up and being a major player is pretty low. So why take a chance you don’t end up with the carefully scouted, hand-picked “diamond in the rough” you prefer and end up with your 7th or 8th option on your draft board? How much salary does the team save between picks 22 ans 29, anyway? Probably not a whole lot.
As much as we all wanted Faried, and as much as the FO admitted they liked Faried, we clearly got EXACTLY what the FO wanted out of this draft. Nothing more, nothing less.
"You can pretty much flip a coin to see which Portland team will show up: the dark-horse world-beaters or the mixed-up eggbeaters" - Dave
by conspirator5 on Jun 26, 2011 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm sorry, I have to agree with KevNW and rhaegar
The pick swapping (in Denver’s favor) makes no sense unless both teams wanted the same player. We gave up Faried, Miller, and Rudy for Felton and Smith, when we could have just done the Rudy trade, taken both Smith and Faried, and kept Dre until a better deal was available.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
The only reason people thought there was a condition to swap picks
was because there was so much confusion regarding the trade in general. People thought there had to be something else to it, and the fact that it was 21 and 22 seemed to show more to the deal. But if they were going to do that, then why not just swap picks?
And why is it so hard to believe that the media was wrong about us wanting Faried so badly? When has the media ever been right about what we were actually going for? Generally if you wanted a trade to happen, you pray that you hear absolutely nothing about it. Sure Faried filled a need, but a rookie is a rookie regardless of college stats. Maybe the Blazers wanted a sure thing from the FA.
And if there actually was a condition on the picks, then likely it was a “Well if it gets the trade done, then I guess we could pick someone else… wink wink”. That’s just using the media to your advantage.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jun 27, 2011 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Did he make a single pas in this video?
This is Bayless 2.0, perhaps. Is that a good thing? I didn’t like Bayless 2.0. Can he work within our offense? Will he try to drive to the hoop time and time again when his moves don’t work as well in the NBA?
Score first point gaurds do not work out well as the third scoring option. Can he learn to be a passing guard that can also defend?
I am not convinced, but willing to keep an open mind.
that's why scouts don't use youtube as their source
he was 2nd in the ACC in assists while leading it in scoring. he is much less athletic than bayless and much more composed. duke had little in the way of big men who could score, and singler’s weak season and irving’s injury meant duke needed all the points smith could give them. in year’s past, he was much less of a scorer. plus he doesn’t have tiny arms like bayless, and cares a lot more about defense. this feels like a mcmillan pick to me.
by bluthbanana on Jun 24, 2011 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
We could have used Bayless this year if he could defend, shoot, handle the ball, and create his own shot as well as Smith
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
I don't have a very fast internet connection...
so I’m still stuck with Andre Miller highlights.
The cowards never started
The weak died along the way
Only the strong survived
They were the Trailblazers
Here's his combine interview...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiAOlIeBX80&feature=player_embedded
Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers
we're just trying to make a trifecta of point guards from NC school
we have
Nate McMillan out of NC state
Raymond Felton from UNC
Nolan Smith from Duke
now all we need is…
Wake Forest
does not look like anything special
although he does seem to fit the goofy good guy persona that fans seem to like.
by hollywood robinson on Jun 24, 2011 3:37 PM PDT reply actions
would you rather have an ineffectual sour puss like Bayless?
I think chemistry is vastly underrated by us armchair GMs.
Seems like an excellent college player.
But the moves that are getting him to the basket in this video are a cut below what it takes to do the same in the NBA. He is a pretty well developed player, but that is why he did not draft higher, in spite of the college honors; Skills can be acquired, Athleticism and talent cannot.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
Damn!
Kind of forgot about Faried there for a little bit. I think i might be a little excited now!
RCTID!!!
At worst he'll be a fun guy to have around in the locker room
Patty, you got competition now and can’t coast on being likable alone ;)
In My Opinion?
Neither Nolan Smith nor Kenneth Faried have played a single second in the N.B.A.. Faried got a lot of buzz, as a big fish in a small pond. Don’t mean to trash Faried, just saying neither prospect has played a second for an N.B.A. team. You can speculate all you want about whether The Blazers could of obtained Smith later…or whether they should of drafted Faried and all it is, is speculation.
I’ve followed the N.B.A. for decades and along with it drafts. You just have to see. I’ve seen favorites with all the draft day buzz in the world, fade and never have an N.B.A. career, and I’ve seen guys nobody expected emerge and have wonderful careers.
It’s not about Faried vs. Smith…from a Blazer perspective? Smith has won…he’s The Blazer. Now you welcome him to The Blazers and watch him play…
One thing…he seems to appreciate fans and fan support. He’ll fit right in with the atmosphere in the Rose Garden.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Jun 25, 2011 8:42 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Michael Beasley
Is a very good recent example of the guy that is supposed to be the next big thing….getting given away to the worst franchise in the NBA. There is also Rajon Rondo on the other side.
Every year there is going to be a point guard like Nolan Smith
nothing special here but not everyone gets compared to Dennis Rodman.
Not true at all...
I guarantee you, next years draft? There will be some young prospect that somebody or everybody calls “Dennis Rodman” like…..
You rebound…almost exclusively? And some genius is going to compare you to Rodman.
The trick isn’t to draft the guy that is getting compared to the past…the trick is drafting the guy, who is used as comparison in the future…
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Jun 26, 2011 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Actually
I heard Tristan Thompson get compared to a Dennis Rodman with less issues. Didn’t make too much sense to me since he averaged only 8 rpg in college, but there ya go.
Rec for used as comparison in the future btw.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jun 27, 2011 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions
I liked that, makes missing Faried an easier pill to swallow.
With the revolving door of PGs we’ve had for the past . . . 10ish years? . . . . I think it would be AWESOME if Felton and Smith combined to be a steady pair of PGs for the future. I’d love to look back in 7 or 8 years when Felton is retiring and remember 2011 as the year we solved our PG issues.
Some how I find it hard not to imagine going through this all over again in 2 or 3 seasons when Smith hasn’t done anything productive and Felton just isn’t a good fit anymore. I hope I’m wrong.
The biggest factor in Nolan Smith's contribution is confidence
If that is confidence that his team mates give him, or confidence in himself to help his team mates, that is a very important part of his game.
Maryland his Soph. year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqP6ovxngjA
This was Gerald Henderson’s response, finding out his friend got knocked out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckLHEUkNOgE
This was a pretty big turning point in Smith’s career at Duke, he felt like he let everyone down because he couldn’t play point guard (and at the time he couldn’t), but he was lifted by the support Henderson (and the coaching staff) gave him. After Henderson left, there was a void in leadership because nobody was buying what Greg Paulus was selling, Scheyer didn’t want that role, Lance Thomas was well, Lance Thomas, and Krzyzewski tried recruiting John Wall, unsuccessfully. Smith stepped into that role and, in a way seized it from anybody else. How does this translate to the Portland Trailblazers, I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out.
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