With LaMarcus Aldridge we have a top 10 big in the NBA under contract and in his prime still improving. Looking to solve our Center problem we bring in Joel Freeland, a top 3 euro center hopefully that will translate into a top NBA center? Why Joel? Simple its time, we have a cap hold of almost a million dollars so when we signed Joel we save that much over say Spencer Hawes, and there is no chance to sign Hibbert (RFA). So with Freeland we get a player still unknown to most of us but should be of starting caliber. Versatility is the word in building a team, also still under contract is Kurt Thomas he is our teaching big his experence teaches our future players. We need 4 other bigs 1) A big banger Joel Prizbilla. 2) High Motor JJ Hickson. 3) Shooter Luke Babbit. 4) Draftee best available player. My rational for these names? Priz is a Trail Blazer is a big banger no back down guy who will translate into a teaching big when older and make Freeland better trying to be the starter. JJ worked well in the time we used him and is a very good fit backing up LMA or playing along side him. Luke is under contract and will drive other bigs nuts when they have to guard him deep. This leaves us signing the best available big to be for understudy. With Nico being RFA knowing we will match hopefully he is our last sign

As a Asian-American fan it'd mean so so so much to me if the Blazers signed Jeremy Lin.

Obviously he's a restricted FA so he couldn't sign here even if he wanted to without the Knicks consent. But who knows maybe if he made his preference clear then there could be a sign and trade worked out, or maybe the Knicks will be dumb enough to just let him go (they are the Knicks after all).

Now obviously there will be some doubts, maybe he's just a one season wonder or he's not a good fit or he's not worth the money. All legit worries. But I think considering the state this team is in, this dark cloud hanging over the franchise that signing Jeremy Lin would just be the kind of shot in the arm to get fans excited again.

I'd just like to see this team be in the news for something positive again.

Even at worst case scenario, that he becomes a total bust. I mean we've signed worst people to worst contracts, I doubt signing Lin for the full MLE is going to do permanent damage. And the rewards far outway the risks.

Again back to the race thing, it's never bothered me watching a game where every player was black and white and nobody who looked like me with the occassional exceptions (Ha Seung Jin!!!) but when I saw Jeremy Lin lighting it out there, hitting game winning 3's, dunking. It filled me with so much pride. And so much more special was the fact he wasn't from China, or whereever. He was born and raised in America he just happens to have Taiwanese heritage. The fact that he can speak perfect english when he's interviewed.... I guess you'd have to asian to truely understand why this is a big deal.

Anyway, yeah please Blazers pursue Jeremy Lin. Let me dare to dream.

PS: One thing I forgot to add. I'm Korean and the Blazers drafting Ha Seung Jin was such a big big moment for me. Unfortunatley he didn't work out but man that was incredible seeing my team the Blazers draft the first korean player ever.

So I started making this JD right before the lockout thwarted the start of the season. Then ATF wanted a new JD and who am I to refuse her?

YOUR FACE THAT'S WHO

Previously known as, Lock Away My Junk And Throw Away The Key

I could do something else but I don't really feel like it.

363556

In honor of the impending doom of missing the start of the season, lets get down and let it all show. It's time for everyone show us your junk!

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Would you pull the trigger on this trade if you were the GM?

Portland Trades: #6 pick, Nolan Smith

Houston Trades Kyle Lowry

As its been said Goran Dragic likely wont sign with a team unless he's guaranteed a starter. I think Houston likes him better than Lowry. I'd bet that in order to sign Dragic, Houston is willing to trade Lowry and get something back rather than lose Dragic for nothing on the free market. A #6 pick and a backup PG is a reasonable offer.

Portland Trades #11 pick, Shawne Williams, Kurt Thomas

New Orleans Trades #4 pick, Emeka Okafor

New Orleans is rebuilding and wants a star player that a #4 pick could get them. However, they own a 2nd lottery pick and Okafor's contract is a huge burden, 13.5 mil, that New Orleans wants out of even more. Portland would give up the vast majority of their cap space to get a solid, starting center with the rebounding and defense to compliment LMA's skillset. Kurt Thomas is serviceable and cheap for a veteran center to replace Okafor and Williams is a 3 mil thrown in to help lessen the blow of Okafor's contact. Most importantly, we move up to #4 where Beal or MKG are obtainable.

Assume that the moves eat up all of our cap space, only leaving room to resign Batum and Hickson. We would have to go over the cap to sign our 2nd round picks, Claver and Freeland to rookie scale contracts, and Joel Pryzbilla to a vet's minimum contract. We could also resign Flynn using his bird rights. After the trades and signings, our lineup looks like this:

PG: Lowry, Flynn, #40/41

SG: Matthews, #4, Williams

SF: Batum, Babbitt, Claver

PF: Aldridge, Hickson, #40/41

C: Okafor, Freeland, Pryzbilla

I realize there are a lot of ifs here but assume for arguments sake that all of these things were possible. Would you do the deal? Is this a team you could get excited for? Where would you project a roster like this to finish in 2012-13? What matchups in the west would we struggle with?

Poll

Would you pull the trigger on these trades?

• Yes to both. Get it done!
• Yes to Lowry, No to Okafor
• Yes to Okafor, No to Lowry
• Maybe with some slight changes to thrown in players
• No way to either trade

  252 votes | Results

I decided to look across the various mock drafts to see who the Blazers would reasonably have a chance at if they stay at their current positions. With nine mock drafts (including all of the ones referenced here, plus a few others). The end result? Don't count on getting Andre Drummond (or Kidd-Gilchrist, or Robinson); they, along with the obvious Anthony Davis, were gone before the six spot in every mock draft (the one who had us picking him has been updated).

More details and the full lottery chart below the jump.

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OK, I think it has beed talked to death that we need a center, a PG and some shooting. Further, it is obvious that in general, a quality center maybe the hardest thing to find. Assuming we dont win the lottery, there is nothing great in the draft (not sold on drummond) and I doubt that Indiana lets Hibbert go. So, the interesting thing is Joel Freeland. He is a legtimate 5 and more interestingly is GB plays its tests matches in Houston, beginning June 25th. His performance over those 2 weeks (I hate to say) maybe the linch pin for a lot of different moves the Blazers make. If they feel he can be a starter right away, then the draft picks go toward PG and wings (same with FA money). If he cant perform there, then you may see a move for Drummond or a run at Hibbert with our FA money

First I need to say i feel that we really need to trade Luke Babbitt while his stock is relatively high after his performance from deep this year, I dont think anyone wants a rehash of a Rudy Fernandez situation... Package him and swing big in the trade market

***Option 1:
-Part 1:tradeWes Matthews, Luke Babbit, #6 pick, and the worse of our two 2nd rounders (give or take assets, id throw in a future first if boston needed more) for Rajon Rondo (cap space around 17mil remaining)
-Part 2: draft Jeremy Lamb or Austin Rivers with the #11 (whoever the blazers think higher of)
-part 3: in 2nd round draft Jae Crowder SF out of marquette with remaining 2nd rounder
-part 4: go after a big like Omer Asik at between 3-5mill a year (cap space 12-15mill remaining)
-part 5: sign Hickson at 5mill (cap space 8-10 mill remaining)
-part 6: sign Pryzbilla at 1.5mill (cap space 6.5- 8.5mill remaining)
-part 7: sign Batum at 10mill (over the cap by between 2-4mill)

Lineup:1-rondo, smith
2-lamb or river compete with williams
3-batum, crowder
4-LMA, hickson
5-Asik, Pryz

***Option 2:
-part 1: trade our #11 pick, Luke Babbitt and Shawne Williams and a future pick if needed for Tyreke Evans
-part 2: draft drummond at #6
-part 3: draft Scott Machado out of Iona and Jae Crowder in the 2nd
-part 4: sign Goran Dragic at 8mill
-part 5: sign hickson at 4mill
-part 6: sign pryzbilla at 1.5mill
-part 7: sign batum at 10 mill (puts u around 3-5mill over cap)

lineup: 1 Dragic, machado and smith
2 evans, matthews, williams
3 batum, crowder
4 LMA, hickson
5 pryz, drummond

Which do you like best? What would you change? Do you think trading for rondo is possible without throwing the kitchen sink at Boston? Do you agree about needing to trade babbitt?

Someone recently floated the claim that the U.S. could create a second squad for the Olympics, not including the usual suspects from 2008, and still win gold. Let's assume the 2012 Olympics roster will look like this:

1: Paul, Westbrook, Williams
2: Bryant, Wade
3: James, Durant, Anthony
4: Griffin, Love
5: Chandler, Davis

If you had to build ANOTHER team capable of winning a gold medal but can't choose from any of the guys above, who ya got? Remember you can only choose 12 players.

Assume a player's refusal to play isn't an issue. But for the sake of reason, let's disclude anyone 34 years of age or older. Otherwise we'll be throwing guys like Tim Duncan & Ray Allen into the mix who probably wouldn't participate anyway. Disclude injured players who likely wouldn't be ready such as Aldridge as well. Remember that some American players have elected to play for another country such as Joakim Noah and the French national team.

My second team looks like this. What does yours look like?

1: Rondo, Irving, Wall
2: J. Johnson, Harden
3: Igoudala, Granger, Gay
4: J. Smith, Stoudemire
5: Bynum, Hibbert

Tough list to create. Tougher than I thought! I really wanted to inclue Jason Terry over John Wall but Terry is 34 and I'm sticking to my rules. Same with Kidd. I'd rather have him over Wall as well. I also had Bosh down initially but added Hibbert at the last moment. I've really enjoyed watching him blossom this postseason. Terrific defender.

I might be wrong but I thought it would be an interesting idea to do a collective mock draft for everyone here to vote on who they think will go where in the draft. If I get enough votes I will continue through the lottery part of the first round. After looking at about 37 mock drafts I was able to figure out who might go where and so I used that as well as the player's rankings to determine the options. We'll do 2 picks at a time. SInce we know Anthony Davis will go #1, this post will focus on the second and third pick. The options for the second and thirsd pick are THomas Robinson, Andre Drummond, Brad Beal, and Kidd-Gilchrist. Have at it.

Poll

WHo will go second and third in the draft

• 2) Kidd-Gilchrist; 3) Thomas Robinson
• 2) Kidd-Gilchrist; 3) Andre Drummond
• 2) Kidd-Gilchrist; 3) Brad Beal
• 2) Thomas Robinson; 3) Kidd-Gilchrist
• 2) Thomas Robinson; 3) Andre Drummond
• 2) Thomas Robinson; 3) Brad Beal
• 2) Andre Drummond; 3) Kidd-Gilchrist
• 2) Andre Drummond; 3) Thomas Robinson
• 2) Andre Drummond; 3) Brad Beal
• 2) Brad Beal; 3) Kidd-Gilchrist
• 2) Brad Beal; 3) Andre Drummond
• 2) Brad Beal; 3) Thomas Robinson

  208 votes | Results

The 2011-2012 All-NBA Team's brought this poll question to mind.

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/05/24/all-NBA-teams/

IMO: LMA's Inside Presence coupled with his Defensive ability makes me say a majority of GM's would choose him. Maybe it's my small town mentality, but I think LMA's qualities are more desirable than Love's obvious 3PT and Rebounding advantages.

It's clear the Media would choose Love, but who do you think the GM's would select to mold their teams around?

Poll

Hypothetical: If you were to Poll all current NBA GM's (guess the Blazers don't get a vote), contract details aside, which player would the majority of GM's choose if they could sign one?

• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Kevin Love

  358 votes | Results