People need to get off the sour grapes. Everytime an NBA player gets traded or signed as a FA, some people here rant about how "we didn't want him anyway." I'm sorry, but that's a silly defense mechanism, and makes Blazer fans look childish.
It does strike me as odd that some teams that are at least as good as the Blazers could somehow make use of some of the guys that so many Blazers fans on this board don't think good enough to make the Blazers roster. Ed O.
I believed KP would get "it" done when we had the greatest trading chip in the history of the league too.
I hear ya. But, in the end, didn't that saga truly boil down to potentially losing Batum, which KP was adamantly unwilling to do?
Except it was for Gerald Wallace ... look I'm a huge Nic fan, but I think if you are laying odds on which player has the more productive career when it's all said and done, my money would be on Wallace.
I heard Ric Bucher say yesterday that Wallace's body has been terribly beat up over the years. Something like a 30-year-old with a 33-year-old body. Wallace may end up with a better career, but most of that could very well be already be past.
We are not waiting until they are signed by another team. We have been debating these same players for the last year or two. And like most players in the NBA, many fans like a palyers and the same amount don't. I for one did not want Jefferson or Carter or their contracts. Butler and Wallace yes. But neither of those two have been moved yet.
Let me ask you a serious question Pinwheel. Why didn't you want their contracts? I hear this a lot, but I've never asked anyone why. It's not like adding one of those salaries would have any impact on what we could or could not do.
Frankly, if KP can't trade Blake for CP, Outlaw for LaBron, Joel for Howard, and Bayless for D-Wade, then he's worthless to us. There, now I feel I'm in the swing of things around here.
those are tier 1 players??? I'd have reservations about Portland adding every one of the guys you listed as they are either redundant to talent already in place or declining and too expensive for what they bring. I want the club to make smart moves that improve the championship chances.... to hold on to their assets until the right opportunity comes along. I'll save my complaining for when an attainable guy who would fit this team's needs is allowed to go elsewhere. STOMP
You may not think being under the salary cap is an advantage, but i think it is beneficial for the next year or until we use it. Raef for Carter (and his prima donna attitude ) would have wasted it. (Plus NJ wanted more from us) I would rather use it on Lee or Millsap than Carter or Jefferson. Even if they are back ups.
KP was directed by his boss to improve the roster this offseason. He hasn't done so http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/06/allen_tells_his_gm_go_for_it.html Upgrade the roster does not mean let the cake bake.
Sometimes improving the roster means doing nothing right now. What would you do to "improve" the roster. Which FA's would you sign? Which trades do you think are realistic?
Is this the argument KP used on Paul Allen? Hey, boss, Sometimes improving the roster means doing nothing right now. Paul, What would you do to "improve" the roster. Which FA's would you sign? Which trades do you think are realistic? He was directly by Paul Allen was his point. Your arguments may apply to us, but not to him. In fact, they would get KP fired! (which I really don't want).
Obviously Pritchard had a target in Turkoglu. Now, I didn't like that target, but to say he didn't have a target that he felt would improve the team is totally false. After Hedo spurned Portland, isn't it at least possible that the organization feels that the only FA the would have actually improved the roster was no longer an option, and that any other FA wasn't a good use of the cap space? If that's the case, may as well keep the cap space in hopes of a lopsided trade with a bad team over the cap (like Washington, for example).
For all of you saying "they're not Tier One guys---they're old---we didn't want them anyway".... who the heck was KP targeting with his "Cap Space '09" Plan, then? It's not like the FA class has been a secret for the last two years. They had targets, didn't get them for one reason or another. Fine. Hedo leaving wasn't KP's fault. Putting all of your eggs in the "It's Free Agency '09 or Cake Baking" basket is a very questionable move, imo. It's ok to be giving KP the benefit of the doubt. But if you don't think they're room for doubt, I just don't know what to say.
