Posted 06/25/2009 8:14 PM

We should have picked Marcus Thornton or a Nick Calathes kind of player because we need toughness and a new point guard

Posted 06/25/2009 8:14 PM

So now we picked up J pendergraph a back PF but apparently there were several better people available as far as PF goes. So hopefully KP nows this guys legit we will see.

Posted 06/25/2009 8:28 PM

The best move is no move at all i guess.....

Posted 06/25/2009 8:34 PM

The key to look at is the postitions that they picked and where they picked them. Our first rounder is a SF/PF that will play one more year in Spain so he doesn't count against our salary cap this year. He also is a very talented player that didn't work out much this year for teams because he worked out last year and then pulled himself from the draft. That is why he is an unknown. Look for him to play on the Spanish team in the World Tournament this summer and pull a Rudy Fernandez. As far as Pendergraph goes, he is a non-guaranteed contract. He will be a good constant to judge Freeland against in Summer League. If Freeland is better, he gets a roster spot. If not, it goes to Pendergraph and Freeland goes back to Europe. Either way only one has to go on Portland's salary. That means money for Free Agents and contracts for Roy, Aldrige, and Oden. I actually like what they did today. It was smart instead of sexy. Again, a solid B+.

Posted 06/25/2009 9:01 PM

It was what needed to be done exciting or not.  Moving Chacho, getting another back up pf, and stashing a player overseas.  On to free agency with cap space..... 

For everyone who remembers the draft discussions the last couple of years, the Twolves have  surpassed KP'master plan of a team of pgs.

Go Blazers !!!!

Posted 06/25/2009 9:25 PM

The draft was sh*tty. Patrick mills is a pretty legit last pick even though he will probably never play.

Im looking forward to the begining of free agency. Hopefully we will get a point guard that can play.

Posted 06/25/2009 9:32 PM

Yeah, the more I tear this thing apart, the more I like what happened. Like I said the other day, "I hope that KP doesn't forget about Koponen and Freeland in all the chaos." It appears he didn't. Which means this guy has a really good grasp on everything. I trust him now more than ever. In addition, Yahoo Sports reports that Jason Kidd is considering options with Portland, among other teams. The figures they talk about in keeping Kidd in Dallas are 8-9 million. How much was it that Rice said Portland would have by stashing Calver overseas? Oh yeah around 9 million! What is it that Nate McMillan wants on this team? Oh yeah, veteran leadership. One more question, who was the PG on the USA team that Nate coached over in China? Oh yeah, Jason Kidd. Is KP gearing up for a blockbuster signing? Only time will tell, but the numbers are definitely intriguing.

Posted 06/25/2009 10:24 PM

Kidd sounds beautiful to me, it'll be the player we need at the right time for both him and our team.......He can still play at a very high level and it would be beneficial for all the youth on our team to benefit from all that he can bring including our star players, so basically I hope RipCityRevival is right on KP's thinking on this one....

Posted 06/25/2009 10:50 PM

I just checked out the YouTube on Victor Claver. Wow! I'm excited. Not quite the reel Rudy put up, but still really freaking cool. The guy has mad skills and style to go with it. He will be a great atheletic PF/ large SF when he gets to the NBA in two seasons. Check them out if you get the chance.

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ictor+clav

Posted 06/26/2009 5:32 AM

Foreign players really know the game better so I like the thinking. They generally lack the size over there and Claver might end up being a SF over here but he will be able to do a better job at PF than Rashard Lewis does (of course defensively) if needed. He won't be counted towards our cap this year making it easier for us in the FA. Look for a couple names to come in (one being Kidd I hope). However I think we must find an experienced guy to play inside as the go-to player. Might be a little expensive but I think we can pick up someone's big salary for at least a year while Oden prepares himself

Posted 06/26/2009 8:28 AM

Dude, that there is Blasphemy in Blazer town. I was with you until the Bigs comment. Portland will keep Joel as the Center until Oden is ready which will be part way through this coming season. Believe it or not although he didn't have much of a resume before Portland, Joel now is a Center that would start on every NBA team except Orlando, Cleveland, LA, and Houston. He is a true Center and has gotten better every year. Not to mention he signed for LESS money to stay in Portland. Also, I am TIRED, and I know you didn't say this Sith, but I am TIRED of people saying we need a new SF. Really? Just because he was injured, don't throw Martel under the bus. The guy is HUNGRY! The guy has SKILL! He is THE GUY for Portland. If he isn't healthy and not looking like he will be anytime soon, by the beginning of the season, then you look for some trades, but the guy has everything that will take Portland a notch up. If he would have been in there, I honestly think he would have kept Portland in that Houston series. I'm not saying Portland would have won it because of him, but it would have atleast gone 7 and 7 would have been close. Give the guy a chance before you cut him loose. You all saw what I had to say about Kidd so keep an ear to 95.5 The Game and an eye on Blazers.com for KP's next move.

Posted 06/26/2009 9:46 AM

Joel is a very good player on the defensive side, not to mention the rebounds. But with LMA playing away from the basket we need someone who can become a dominant force that will attract some attention. We rely on the perimeter game a lot more than we should and if it doesn't work out as planned we get in trouble. Oden will be great if we can find a good coach to tutor him. But I doubt that he'll be ready as the everyday starter as soon as this season. He has a huge foul problem. If we can't find another guy (a top Center or a strong PF) I think we'll have a lot of problems in there.
In terms of the outside rotation we have Roy, Batum, Rudy, Martell, Outlaw. Only 5 guys and Travis isn't really a consistent help. If we can 'upgrade' him then I will be very happy. If not we have to bring in someone else at the similar level. Or may be a top defender to rotate with Batum.
We don't really have to address all the issues in the short term but to be realistic we have a shot at the conference finals with a couple solid additions. Of course our highest priority should be the PG position since Bayless isn't really the 2nd guy to lead us right now.
However none of these really reflect on our very productive draft. We could have already found our backup PF but that's up to Nate to decide. If not, we have to find someone for sure.

Posted 06/26/2009 6:16 PM

How many minutes do you think there are to split between players? On the perimeter you have to split time between Rudy, Roy, Batum, Webster, Blake, Bayless, probably a FA veteran PG, Outlaw (if he's still here). Most of these guys are interchangable so luckily you can play three at a time. There are TOO many people on the perimiter to even have time for. If anything Portland will probably condense it down to Rudy, Roy, Webster, Bayless, Blake, Batum, and a FA vet. PG. As far as the bigs go, Joel has gotten better (still not great, but better) on the offensive end AND Aldrige has been attacking the basket more. If they need the Center to score, they will put in Oden. The dude had weak legs last year so fouls were easy to come by. He started squatting again this year, his legs will be stronger, and his fouls should go down. He also will have lost his "rookie" status so the officials should give him a little more wiggle room.  If Martel is healthy, he too can attack the basket as well as spot up outside. On top of that you know Roy attacks the hoop and always will, Bayless attacks the hoop, Rudy and Batum attack the hoop. This is an incredibly versatile team all around and that is what makes them so difficult. They are versatile and unselfish. The biggest missing link is an agressive, rebounding, backup PF. Now, I am sure they have that in Freeland and/or one of their draft picks, so to go spend money on that would be silly. With them probably persuing a PG in Free Agency, I am not sure where Outlaw fits into the puzzle. I am not sure a trade would be beneficial (anymore). The bottom line is, even if they WANT to keep Travis, is it right for him to stay and get reduced PT? Or should Portland allow him to go elsewhere, not because they don't want him, but because he deserves to be productive in the NBA.

Posted 06/27/2009 12:39 AM

We currently have Roy as the man outside. But everyone else is just handling their assignments on either side of the ball. But looking at offense we have only a single player with consistent score contribution out of 3 positions. Some night Rudy adds a few and another night it's Outlaw. But when neither does we have almost no chance in the game. We need to find someone who'll aid Roy every single night. Also besides Roy we don't really have anyone who gets to the basket often. If we don't dribble or pass the ball around between solid shooters the defense will just hustle at a minimal level and keep up with us. That's why we can't finish off the opposition as early as we should or not at all. Can you name one person on the whole lineup that can score every game besides Roy and LMA? Right now we are similar to the Cavs of last season, we have a single player to lead us and the remaining names are just there to assist him. However the successful playoff teams have (and should have) multiple guys that can come in.

Posted 06/27/2009 4:09 PM

Look, I completely disagree with your entire assessment of this team. I think Rudy CAN score everynight, I think Martel can too. I think Batum AND Bayless will be better and Blake did pretty darn good last year I don't see him doing worse this year. Oden will be better and there will be a PF on the second unit instead of shifting around strange lineups. When it comes to Rudy, from what I hear he was playing through a LOT of pain all year long. He had foot injuries, hamstring injuries, calf injuries, that he continued to play through. He was also adjusting to the different sized courts and balls. As far as the Playoffs go, Portland lost because Brooks had 2 really good games and Scola killed us coming off the bench. It wasn't just Brooks, and for your information, Bayless didn't play in the Playoffs against Brooks so how can you judge how he will play against him in the regular season? One of the great things about this Portland team is that it has interchangable parts so Nate could put in different lineups to match up against the other team. He doesn't have an A team and a B team, he has Black and White. Neither is judged as better and both can be mixed with the other. I hope Rudy buys into that philosophy. You are entiled to your opinion, but I think you should not judge just yet. The team will have improved a lot come the beginning of the season, they will be hungrier having lost in the first round, and they will have some hungry players looking to prove a point (Bayless, Martel, Oden). Just curious, is your real name Bob Whitsett?