Yeah...as much as I like Bayless' talent, I'd give him up to secure Rubio's rights. My perfect off-season would be signing Andre Miller for the next couple of seasons and trading Bayless+ for Rubio, for the future.
Too bad we didn't trade to get DeAndre Jordan last year. I know you were high on him and for a second-round pick he could turn out real well.
Yup, at the very least he's a good big body and already has a knack for rebounding. He is a Clipper, so we'll get him soon enough Wait, if he was a 2nd rounder, can't we sign him this offseason?
If Rubio cannot be had for a reasonable price (in terms of portland's demands) then Eric Maynor would be a solid player to go after. Especially if it means getting rid of Sergio. If there is one guy on our team that isn't named channing who is not built to play NBA playoff basketball, it's Sergio.
I like Maynor as well... I think the need for a bruising\tough b\u PF s needed....Dejuan Blair certainly fits that mold, but IMO a FA acquisition or a veteran player through trade may be the better route to go... Austin Daye, Sam Young & Patrick Pattersen are a few other players I find interesting for POR....
Its interesting the Eric Maynor talk....if you go to his player profle on NBADraft.net , quess who is compared to...thats right the guy who isnt made for playoff basketball. Sergio Rodriquez! I will stay with the orginal. The blazers will bring over Freeland ...and look to trade the first pick for a backup power forward. Draft a euro to stash, and swap a couple of second rounders for future pics.
I don't understand comparing Maynor to Sergio. Sergio passes the ball more, and Maynor is more of a scoring guard. The first game I watched Maynor he actually reminded me a bit of Chris Paul, although maybe that was due to the height and mannerisms. Regardless, I don't think that's a good comparison.
Wow, that's quite possibly the dumbest comparison I've ever heard (outside of DeShawn Stevenson being compared to Michael Jordan, of course)--nice work, nbadraft.net! Eric Maynor is nothing like Sergio. Whoever wrote that was clearly smokin' some pretty serious shit. He's much more similar to a Chauncey Billups or Sam Cassell type of point guard, in my opinion.
+1. More of a scoring PG. He can distribute okay, but isn't a "PURE" PG. He won't be averaging 8+ assists a game. He's more in that Billups, Cassell...even non-crazy Marbury mold. Not sure if he's that great of an outside shooter though.
How does Joel Freeland rank against the bigs in this years draft? He's playing surprisingly well. #1 - Per (29.6) #2 - EFF/40 (33.1) #2 - WS/40 (16.8) The player I really like for Portland is Dejuan Blair. I've been on his bandwagon all year. He's undersized but he's an elite rebounder. #1 - per (38.9) #1 - offensive rebounder per 40 (8.1) #2 - total rebounders per 40 (18)
Blair reminds of a less skilled Brandon Bass for some reason, he might end up being a solid hustle guy off the bench, but for my money I'd be more inclined to bring Freeland over who measures out at 6'11" and can play forward or center in a pinch. I recently heard KP say in an interview that he's headed over to Europe to watch him play with the British National team this summer and will probably make a decision on him after that.
Blair's worst case is Bass, IMO. Bass and Blair were similar, besides rebounding, as soph's: Bass: 15.1 ppg and 8.3 rpg Blair: 15.7 ppg and 12.3 rpg Neither are back-to-the-basket players you can run plays for but they are both energy/role players that provide toughness. Bass is explosive but Blair's rebounding is on another level.
By less skilled I meant not as polished offensively; Bass has a pretty decent touch out to fifteen feet (or maybe he just seems to kill the Blazers?). I agree Blair is an incredible rebounder, and I wouldn't cry if we drafted him considering we're at 24.