I think that all of our energy should be focused on acquiring D-will

by skott75 on Feb 2, 2012 2:37 PM PST

We have a good team here and there are only a handful of players that could take us to the next level. Among those players, D-will is the only one that is available to the best bidder. I know Portand might not be on his radar, but i think we might have one of the most enticing teams to lure him to. This is a make or break point in this incarnation of the blazers. We are either going to make a push and solidify this team or, likely, slide into a lengthy rebuilding process. Right now we have a young talented core and i would think that , if the right promises were made to D-will about the direction going forward, we would have a chance at getting him. Here's to hoping!

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I like your optimism, but he wouldn't come here

he’s one of the top 5 PGs in the league. I disagree we have one of the most enticing teams for him. We would have no chance in FA, and even if we got him via trade, he likely wouldn’t stay.

I like him as a player, but we need to set our sights on someone else

by rip_city_swagger on Feb 2, 2012 2:41 PM PST reply actions

its clearly a reach

but i don’t see any other top 10 players available to move. these guys don’t grow on trees and if we don’t get one its going to be a rebuild.

by skott75 on Feb 2, 2012 2:50 PM PST up reply actions

i agree with your thinking.

maybe its far fetched, but D. Will really looks like the guy who is more about creating a great team than living in a big city (between himself and Howard).
A chance to get a top 5 PG/top 20 player, you go for it.

I’m sure we’ll be bidding high for the Deron. Maybe we sit him down and say that he and LA could be quite a pair.

"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."

by thankyouforblaze on Feb 2, 2012 11:16 PM PST up reply actions

The reason it is a reach is because we would have to make a ton of sacrifices just to make the offer

We would have to give up Felton, Camby, one of Batum/Wallace, likely Crawford just to make a decent offer to D.Will. And even if we gave up all that, I’m not even sure we could make a max offer.

Basically, unless we are really sure D.Will will sign with us, it isn’t worth the sacrifice needed to make an offer. If we got spurned, Portland would go into the season without a quality starting PG or starting C – that is the risk you run trying to entice Williams.

by Sir.Ludo on Feb 3, 2012 12:09 PM PST up reply actions

Love his game but there are others I would go after first

I am intrigued by the alleged break up of the Big 3 in Boston. I would offer Wallace and Matthews (maybe throw in a pick or cash) for Pierce. Pierce and LMA would be a very formidible 1-2 scoring punch and a front line of those two w/ Canby is a defensive jugernaut! No Matthews means Nic is the starting 2, again adding to the length and defense. Pierce is the great second ball-handler we have needed and he is a good clutch scorer.

If we couldnt get Pierce, than maybe we trade Matthews @ Nolan Smith for Ray Allen. Allen would definitely provide the shooting we need and he could teach Nic how to come off screens. Defense would suffer a little, but I think it would be worth it.

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate."

by with_a_z on Feb 2, 2012 2:51 PM PST reply actions

i thought about pierce or allen

but that leaves us with an awfully small window for success.

by skott75 on Feb 2, 2012 3:10 PM PST up reply actions

with allen yes

but i think pierce is 34, not too old for his style of play.

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate."

by with_a_z on Feb 2, 2012 3:11 PM PST up reply actions

pierce would definitly

be an upgrade, just not for long. 2 yrs? i guess i would take that shot.

by skott75 on Feb 2, 2012 3:14 PM PST up reply actions

Our window for success is only as big as Camby's desire to play in Portland

Once Camby leaves we have zero interior defense and zero defensive rebounding.

by Oden Mad, Oden Smash! on Feb 2, 2012 7:10 PM PST up reply actions

exactly.

If we brought in vets like Steve Nash & Samuel Dalembert or even Chuck Hayes(proving Paul Allen is still intending on winning now), he might resign for a Kurt Thomas like deal.

"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil

by 420Phenom on Feb 2, 2012 8:31 PM PST up reply actions

a knockdown shooter like Allen would do wonders

but we still need a guy who is a real threat off the dribble (more than Jamal and Ray)

"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 Feb 3, 2012 10:38 AM PST up reply actions

I'd like a year of Ray Allen and his sharpshooting

"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."

by thankyouforblaze on Feb 2, 2012 11:19 PM PST up reply actions

But

for Ray to be successful at his age he needs a point guard to deliver him the ball and another shooter, ala Pierce to take some pressure off him. We have none, we sure dont have a Rondo in Felton. Could Crawford be the other threat? He doesn’t seem to create opportunities for anyone but himself.

by lethaldose on Feb 3, 2012 10:50 AM PST up reply actions

Aldridge is the threat that collapses the D and kicks it out to Allen

if anything Ray would be keeping the defense honest so Lamarcus wouldn’t get doubled and tripled so much, and if he did then the D would pay the price…which they currently are not as evidenced by our horrendous shooting

"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 Feb 3, 2012 11:43 AM PST up reply actions

Agree but how many minutes can Ray play at his age and isnt his defense suspect?

by lethaldose on Feb 3, 2012 1:31 PM PST up reply actions

NJ doesn't appear to be doing much, nor does Utah seem to have taken a dive

Wondering if NJ is regretting their investment; wouldn’t want us to be regretful as well

by kacee on Feb 2, 2012 3:05 PM PST reply actions

nj may be better

with a starting center

by skott75 on Feb 2, 2012 3:11 PM PST up reply actions

Won't NJ be hurting when DWill leaves . . .

traded away a bunch of assets, and now he leaves too since no other FA wants to play for the Russians in Brooklyn. Big dreams turn into delusions. We’re not 1 player away from championship status, maybe 2-4 instead.

by kacee on Feb 2, 2012 4:10 PM PST up reply actions

so would we...

"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil

by 420Phenom on Feb 2, 2012 8:21 PM PST up reply actions

Deron Williams won't come to Portland.

The end.

"I Am Mine"

by AK1984 on Feb 2, 2012 7:48 PM PST reply actions

Yep

Yep!

by guysmiley101 on Feb 3, 2012 2:37 AM PST up reply actions

the best hope is for NJ to strike out with Dwight

and decide to blow it up, and attempt to get as much as possible in return for Deron. Maybe then, we can rent him for a few months and LA can convince him to stay in PDX.

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Feb 3, 2012 7:44 AM PST reply actions

Why wouldn't D-Will come to Portland?

If the Nets can’t swing a trade for Howard then Deron has said that he will leave in the summer. Then there can’t be many big teams in big cities that have the money to lure him and then it’ll be just us against other smaller market teams that will have the money for him. If Gerald Wallace opts out of his contract then we should have enough of a financial lure to get him interested at least. We’d also be able to offer him the best chance of winning which has to be the 2nd most important thing for him after the money. We do have to prove ourselves that we have a good team and to do that we have to get past the 1st round of the Playoffs. There is not many teams if any out there that can offer him chance to play for a good team and get paid.

PG: Deron WILLAMS
SG: Wes MATTHEWS
SF: Nic BATUM
PF: LaMarcus ALDRIDGE/Freeland
C : Marcus CAMBY/Thomas

As long as we can convince Camby to take the Vet’s minimum, bring Freeland over and sign a shooter at SG/SF like Carlos Delfino or even get Nate to convince Ray Allen to sign for the minimum as well. That could be a great team and I still think its possible so don’t spoil my dreams by saying it won’t happen. The alternative is going to another rebuilding situation and I am not down for that.

by VinnyB on Feb 4, 2012 4:49 AM PST reply actions