I love the Blazers' draft
by thomasikehara on Jun 24, 2011 4:22 AM PDT
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PrintEveryone and their brother thinks the Blazers had a horrible draft night. I am not everyone and am certainly not his brother.
The Blazers had 4 major problems, the order is debatable, but I feel these are agreed upon:
lack of frontcourt depth
lack of pg depth
lack of shooting
lack of a point guard of the future
The Blazers had three ways to deal with these problems: the draft, trades and free agency.
The draft is over, and I feel the Blazers have solved 2, improved in another and solved the smaller problem of a log jam at the 2.
Raymond Felton is only 26 years old, so he is eliglble to be a PGOTF--a PGOTF that was able to be pickup without giving up Batum, our most valuable asset (I still am holding hope for a Batum and contract stuff for Iggy).
In New York, he averaged 17 points and 9 assists a game, and was great with Amara' in the pick and roll.
In Denver off the bench, he scored 11 points, dished 6 assists a game, and shot and amazing 46% from downtown. While one cannot expect that shooting clip to continue, 35% is reasonable to expect
Defensivly, he is better than Andre. Andre was a smart, underrated defender--but I feel Felton has the quickness and size to matchup defensily against other point guards in this league. I know people will say Andre won the head to head matchups with Felton this season--well, Andre won it against Rose in the Rose Garden, and I doubt many would take Miller over Rose, despite Miller being underrated and Rose being overrated.
Plus, Felton was a teamate of Gerald for a number of years.
I believe this solves the PGOTF problem as well as improving our three point shooting.
Drafting the Ohio State guy also helps the shooting, but as he probably won't be a rotation guy, I only put that problem as "getting better."
Drafting Nolan Smith improves our back up poing guard position. Defensively he is better than Patty, and while his turnovers are a problem, his off ball catch and shoot skill would work well with Roy in the second unit.
I know many people will say that the front court depth issue is still unresolved--I say trades can still be made and these is free agency. Drafting Faried would have been nice, but maybe drafting Nolan instead is our front office saying that they believe front court depth is easier to acquire in free agency and trades than a backup poing guard.
I am not denying the Blazers need help in the front cout, but the offseason is far from over. Here is list of bigs avaliabe in free agency:
Unrestricted:
Josh Powel
Nenad Kristic
Carl Laundry
D.J. Mbenga
Jarred Jeffries
Yi Jainlain
Player Options:
Ronnie Turiaf
Team Option:
(none)
Early Termination Clause (not sure how this is diferent than a player option):
Nene
Tim Duncan (can you even imagine)
Restricted:
Brandon Wright
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
Obviously, many of these players won't opt out of their contracts (ahem, Tim Duncan) nor will be avaliable for the MLE (Marc Gasol, others), assuming there still is a MLE.
I really like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, but I know the Bucks really value him, and would most likely match any off we could afford to make.
How about a guy like Jeff Foster, cheap, but serviceable.
Other guys I like on that list: Carl Laundry, Chuck Hayes, Jason Smith, Jarred Jeffries.
In the comment section, say who you like as a potential free agent target, as well as possible bigs on the trade market.
Also, I already miss Andre, hope it is not the last time we see him in a Blazer uniform.
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A few names to delete
Turiaf picked up his option and krstic already signed a 2 years contract with CSKA moscow.
Duncan would certainly not play for another franchise. Either he picks up his option, either he retires (my personal guess).
You forgot fesenko (among other names maybe).
Personnally, i would try to get both fesenko & glenn davis. Or i would try to trade for seraphin (washington). Landry is another option.
I dont think other names are realistic. Either the player is too limited, either he would get better offer and play time.
i realize most of the names are unrealistic (duncan, nene, gasol)
but I just trying to put and huge list together of many many free agents
FIRE BUCHANAN!!
by thomasikehara on Jun 24, 2011 5:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Turiaf signed?
Goodbye sweet dreams.
Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers
by Adam Randall on Jun 24, 2011 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions
nice post.
that’s a huge list of available bigs – sort of puts faried into perspective.
with the mle to spend, the blazers should be able to add a quality big to the rotation.
i actually think that they should pick up two bigs:
one quality guy for the mle who can play 30mpg and/or start in the event of injuries
one grizzly vet for the lower exception who can play spot minutes
the idea is to not count on the health of oden and camby or the prowess of cj johnson.
if everyone is healthy, you have an incredibly deep frontline, which is great:
aldridge / camby / johnson
oden / mle guy / grizzly vet
in that case grizzly vet and cj just don’t play (normal for end of the bench big men!) and camby and the mle guy duke it out for backup minutes (plenty should be available as oden racks up the fouls!)
worst case scenario is that oden and camby are BOTH out for stretches, then you can still stay afloat:
aldridge / johnson
mle guy / grizzly vet
agreed.
By hook or crook we need the following depth and health considerations.
Felton Smith Johnson (no fourth PG needed)
Matthews Williams Diebler (Matthews is a healthy dude)
Wallace Batum (Babbitt needs to go)
Aldridge Landry (most of the below Cs can play PF)
Camby Hayes Johnson Pryzbilla
take a flyer on a promising SF (probably not Claver) to fill out 15 man roster. That’s a healthier group (if Pryz can still play) than if we pin our hopes and dollars on Roy and Oden. It’s a bitter pill but Oden is a distraction, his contract would be a detraction, and his being on the bench would be a continued reminder of a dissappointing choice. I don’t think either party owes each other anything in this case. Oden hans’t been dedicated.
I hope being called Laundry
won’t hamper Carl’s chances.
by meru on Jun 24, 2011 7:27 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
It will take Bold steps to change All this.
In order to turn the Tide and have us Cheer him, we might have to send Armon Hammer Johnson to befriend him.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
by mittsabishy on Jun 24, 2011 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions
as long as he doesn't get Downy on himself
"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 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
your list is full of incredibly sucktastic players.
The ones that aren’t sucktastic are mostly out of our price range. There are very few decent players that are available for MLE (assuming that still even exists post-lockout), and since so many teams only have MLE money available to them, and they’re competing for so few quality players at that range, that teams inevitably offer MLE money to guys who don’t justify that money. Which is why MLE contract players are collectively the worst cost/benefit values on NBA rosters.
So no, I don’t think solving the frontcourt depth problem by picking up Erick Dampier or Troy Murphy fills me with joy about our crap frontcourt moves last night.
Grade: F
For not waiting until next year to make a run at Felton in Free Agency if we wanted him. Felton will be no better than Miller this upcoming season, and we could have had Faried and Hamilton which are 2 need positions. If we wanted Felton so much, we do this trade now? Felton had a 14.7 PER after he left D’Antoni’s system (reverted to the mean), and had a horrible playoffs, shooting 36% and 25% from 3 with 4.2 AST game and under 2 REB.
Henne is the greatest and the Dolphins will go 14-2 this year and win the SB
If Felton was signed for another 3 or 4 years
At reasonable money, it makes more sense. But Felton is a Unrestricted FA next season, so there was absolutely no need to make the move now. We’re not making any noise in the playoffs with felton this season.
Henne is the greatest and the Dolphins will go 14-2 this year and win the SB
I understand where you are coming from but...
even if we are not going anywhere in the playoffs this coming season (which some might hotly contest), having Felton for an extra season (if we were able to sign him as a FA) is a huge bonus if our window is the next couple of years because it gives him time to become familiar with the system and players.
I was initially skeptical of the trade but this post has swayed me somewhat, and even though I don’t know if Felton really is the PGOTF, he has the potential to be, which is something unfortunately Miller did not (as much as I loved his game). As they say a PG in the hand is worth two in the bush (or open market).
by simoninaustralia on Jun 24, 2011 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions
Of that list
Im definitely going with Joey Dorsey since he will be NBA minimum money and can added the desperately needed toughness and rebounding we require in reserve minutes. He can also play 4 and 5, which is a huge bonus.
Henne is the greatest and the Dolphins will go 14-2 this year and win the SB
If we grab a rebounding big man
That can actually play center and leave LA at his natural position (which Faried could not have done) then I’ll be happy. Maybe like Dalembert, come in and grab boards and block more shots than Faried would have, and probably play better D than Faried too – he locked down LaMarcus the end of last year. I’d be very happy grabbing Kris Humphries too, who will do everything Faried would have done, and actually proved he could in the NBA last year.
if dalembert could be picked up for the mle, he would be huge.
he’s not an all-star center, but he’s a nice defensive presence and can rebound. he could easily fill in as a starter for an entire season if needed.
YES!!!
haha
"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 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
What people seem to forget is we have Chris Johnson and until December Earl Barrons
Both CJ and Babbit have been working very hard in the Gym and are hoping to play. I CJ alot like a young Camby Oden should be getting to the court in Jan. 2012 which if the world doesn’t end should put him in shape for the playoffs.
We don’t have Barron, his contract ran out when the season ended. The same is true with Patty Mills. They are both on restricted free agents who are free to sign with any team and it’s unlikely Portland offers them contracts.
that's great, and i hope cj really improves.
but i hope the team makes moves that make cj a 12th man or lower when everyone is healthy.
as it stands now, the blazers just need more quality bigs they can count on. if cj works hard, he can crack the rotation.
blarg!
we could have solved our front court and PG depth in the draft. signing a PF/C in free agency is not going to be easy.
by DefenderOfPants on Jun 24, 2011 10:33 AM PDT reply actions
The missing likely PF to be added
is Jeff Pendergraph. He is also a free agent and has been rehabbing with the team facilities. Fully healed, he is highly athletic and has had two years to view the NBA and learn some of its tricks. He is also a born leader and energizer bunny. With Jeff and Greg added and even possibly Joel we would have a deep enough front court to succeed.
by lee3022 on Jun 24, 2011 12:23 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Pendy said on "Talking ball" a couple of months ago..
that all things being equal, he’s gonna sign with Phoenix.
makes sense for an ASU guy
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Chandler would be my #1 but he aint leaving now....so....
I would like to take a run at Dalembert. That would be some nice C insurance. Everyone seems to like dalembert, the knock was his crappy contract. now that its over.. lets go for it.
Also wouldnt mind a Kurt Thomas for leadership (since we lost dre) or Troy Murphy who suffers from the same disease as Dalembert did.
48 Wins would be just fine
by GreatOden'sRaven on Jun 24, 2011 9:10 PM PDT reply actions
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