http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=mc-spears_nba_draft_winners_losers_062411

          Although I do agree the draft this year is questionable, I do not see Rudy as an insurance policy. Marc Spears wrote, “While Fernandez wanted out, the Blazers helped the NBA champion Mavericks and lost an insurance policy for injury-prone guard. Doesn’t this guy realize Brandon Roy isn’t starting? Or…. I might be mistaken but the last I heard Rudy Fernandez has been happy of late with his situation in Portland. We also have a player named Wesley Mathews?  The proven starter? It seems to be people think Roy is still capable of making a comeback. I do think Rudy will flourish in Dallas, Rudy and JJ Barea will complement each other really well. Anyways…. Just thought I would share the link. What do you people think?

Blazers succeded an upgrade to G positions, but they are really need something like that, to their front line also...

And i was wondering, what if Blazers offered Camby-Babbitt-E.Williams to Jazz for echange for Al Jefferson?

Camby has one more year left in his contract, he's experianced and could played a main part as a bench player and mentor to Favors and Kanter, Babbitt could find a role and minitues behind Hayword and Williams could get a back up PG role behind Harris...

At the other hand, Blazers could get a real low post presence, a good rebounder and actually, a much younger of Camby...

The salaries almost matched...

This way, Blazers could create a 2011-12 roster as a following:

PG: Felton-Smith-A.Johnson-Mills

SG: Roy-Matthews-Diebler

SF: Wallace-Batum

PF: L.A.-2011 Free Agent(why not,Dante's return)

F-C: C.Johnson-Pendergraph's return

C: Jefferson-Oden

First Unit:

-Felton

-Matthews

-Wallace

-L.A.

-Jefferson

Second Unit:

-Smith

-Roy

-Batum

-Dante

-Oden

What's your opinion?

Has anyone noticed that we need a quality shooting coach?  If Jason Kidd learned how to shoot better, how come Andre didn't get better? Why can't Nicolas Batum shoot better in the clutch?  What happened to Rudy? It seems other higher profile teams has shooting coaches that get results.  Do we get trainers that just know how to be nice to Paul Allen?  Can it be that when good shooters come to Portland they actually get worse? Comments please!

Okay, so I know this is not set in stone, and there's some work to do, but in all the crowing about the Felton trade, I don't know if people are stepping back and really looking at the Blazers' new line-up.

Check out our starters:

PG - Felton

SG - Matthews

SF - Wallace

PF - Aldridge

C - Oden

Yes, yes, yes, Oden's a big question mark, but step back and look at that.  That is a pretty kick-ass starting five!  One former All-Star with at least a few productive years left in Wallace, Aldridge is Aldridge and will be an All-Star next year, Matthews has proven his effectiveness, and Felton may be a lateral move, but we just got younger.  Oden may or may not come around, and that's the big question, but come on, I think we've got a lot of reasons to be excited.

Now check out the bench:

G - Roy, Mills, Williams, Diebler, Smith, A. Johnson

OK, we've got a glut here for sure.  Two or three guys will have to be cut or traded, most likely Mills and Johnson.  But Diebler could be the sharpshooter we haven't had since Rudy's rookie year, Roy has shown he still has magic left, Smith looks potentially great, and Williams...well, we'll see.  There's a lot of potential here, and, in Roy, some top-flight talent.

F/C - Batum, Babbitt, C. Johnson, Camby, Barron

Obviously a weak spot.  But check it out - Nic Batum off the bench!  Not bad at all.  Clearly, the team could use one or two solid contributors here, but as I said above maybe the guard glut can help with that.  Taking Faried seemed like a no-brainer, and maybe a missed opportunity, but maybe the team can put together a trade or two to help out, and who knows, maybe Babbitt will start to come around- the darkest hour comes right before the dawn.  Johnson showed he has potential to be a solid back-up, though, and I look forward to him being a Blazer for a while.  Marcus Camby is still Marcus Camby, no slouch even though his career's winding down.  I doubt Barron will be around next season, and he was barely here last season.  

What I'm trying to say: I really don't think Blazers fans have reason to be down on this move.  Last season, the team seemed one or two players short of legit.  Now, with Roy and Batum as bench players and solid starters replacing them, they may be those two players.  All they need is some front line help.  Luckily, they have the extra players to deal; if the team can turn a few of those guards into one or two solid reserve big men, and--the big one--if Oden does indeed manage to play, we have got a team on our hands!

What do you think?

Lot's of dudes didn't get draft that hoped they would - seniors and early entrants. Which of those guys would you like to see competing for a spot at [theoretical] camp this fall?

Here's my short list:

Scotty Hopson (TENN): Mostly because I think his retro high-top fade brings along certain intangibles. His offensive game is mostly at the rim and has a serviceable outside game; defensively he has the right size/speed/length combination to guard the mega-tweeners of the Shawn Marion variety. Basically I think of him as Dante Cunningham, but substitute rebounding and some defense for some ballhandling and offensive game.

Justin Holiday (UW): Lot's of leadership, good perimeter defense and versatile offensive player. Can shoot decently from 3pt and very solid from midrange, can run the break and defend bigger players. Nic Batum-lite, except he's less likely to fade in-and-out on the offensive side of thins.

Greedy Peterson: A better name than Bismack Bayombo by far.

This thread is all about the greatness that is Andre Miller.

Continue reading this post »

Everyone and their brother thinks the Blazers had a horrible draft night. I am not everyone and am certainly not his brother.

Continue reading this post »

Some people have expressed dissatisfaction with the Blazers not having a direction or plan with this years draft. Here's what I think the plan is, how tonight fit in and why I think it was a success. 

Continue reading this post »

I don't understand the hate for Felton. I mean we were close to harris (don't you say he's better!) and Jameer Nelson for christ! I was a huge miller fan and watched him 10 or more times in the RG kill it with dishes and shots but he is getting old and not our future.

I've also been a secret knicks fan and loved feltons game in NY. He can run and hit the 3. He can dish with the best. I've watched him for a few years, and Blazers fans will get behind him when they see him. He can spread the floor now with LA. Even if Dave is Debbie Downer about the trade, I say it was good for us. We got younger and more athletic. Felton, mathews, wallace, LA, camby (oden eventually). Roy and batum off the bench. Good team. I like it. Well see.

Preamble: I'm writing this without reading any other analysis, and only researching things like any dates or stats I might throw out.  These thoughts are all mine - they're Kraigeriginals.

First of all, let's set the record straight.

I loved Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez and they will always have a place in Blazers lore.  Dre brought some of the best veteran leadership we've seen in my lifetime, at least.  Rudy brought some Euro flair and a sexy grin that couldn't keep most women OR MEN at bay.

But, more importantly, tonight's draft was aaaaaaaaaaaall about basketball.  A) the NBA is a business.  B) the point of an NBA franchise is to win games in both the short and long runs. C) the Trail Blazers had a couple needs going into the draft, and they started the process of addressing them with tonight's moves and draft picks.

Most trades are "basketball moves," with some exceptions being when a player is disgruntled specifically with a team's situation (see: Deron Williams in Utah) or when a player's off-court activity or attitude constitutes the team looking to move the player to improve the locker room atmosphere and/or pressure on the coaching staff (see: Zach Randolph leaving Portland).   Others can be salary dumps or deadline deals for various reasons.  Most draft day trades are basketball moves.

Continue reading this post »