I should be grateful, because I did ask for it, but Roy isn't going to be happy, our backcourt defense just got even worse, and I'm going to miss Travis the person, even if Travis the player occasionally drove me spare.
I'm guardedly optimistic. Camby is great at what he does--blocking shots and rebounding--but doesn't always play within the team concept. He's also nice on the pick and pop, but that's what LMA does. IIRC, he and Miller weren't exactly friendly here in the Mile High, but I could be wrong. If he buys into Nate's defensive concepts, it could be a very good move for us. Besides, it's just a rental.
Mixed. Positives: Camby is good defensively and a true chairman of the boards. We obviously need a big man. I'd be happy to see Blake go - for all his heart, his skills are so limited. It's time to get more minutes for J-Bay. He needs time out there to get better. It also helps the logjam at the 3/4 spots with Outlaw coming back soon. Dante's last two games have been his best to date. It would be nice to see more from him, and it's probably not a reach to say Dante is at least as good a defender as Travis is already. Negatives: Not gonna lie - I would miss "Big Shot Trav". His ability to get his own shot late in games took a lot of pressure of Roy. He never complained about anything either - just a good, good kid. And a rare breed. Actually, him and Blake are both extremely professional and likable. From a sentimental standpoint, it's hard to say goodbye. There have been so many times I cursed these two, but I can't say anything bad about the way either of those guys approach the game. Totally unselfish team players who never complained about their role or PT, and always gave effort. I'm also a little nervous about Camby. His health is always a factor. It sounds like he might not want to be here either, which is sort of baffling. We're talking LA to Portland, not LA to Philly or New York. It's not that far to travel, and he's going to a team in the playoff picture. Sort of strange. He's in a contract year, so he should come here and play hard but you just don't know. All in all, I like the trade. I'm not very confident we'll be able to sign Camby after the season, and we may not need to (assuming GO & Joel come back next season 100%) But we weren't going to sign Blake and probably not Outlaw either. I don't know, maybe you could sign and trade Camby this summer?
Solid move by KP. Gives the Blazers a good defender to shore up the center position and clears out the logjam at the guard and SF spots. If Greg and Joel are healthy, the Blazers probably don't resign him, but one thing that may be being overlooked is that this move could well give the Blazers an improved trading asset this summer. While Camby is getting up there, a team in need of a big man may be willing to give him a Miller-like deal for more than the MLE. That could translate to a sign and trade with the Blazers. Throw in one of our young guys if necessary and KP could be able to bring back an impact player. Blake and Outlaw are MLE players at best, so that option wouldn't be available with them.
If I thought the Clips would just release Outlaw, I'd be very happy. I guess I'm also happy that Blake is gone to clear up space for KOPONEN! If only the Clippers would take Webster instead...
Great deal - More time for Andre as the primary PG - Allows us to move Juwan to the bench to rest him a bit more - Relieves some of the minutes issue - Creates a free roster spot - A Marcus-LaMarcus frontline sounds good to me
Your concern is touching. You are aware that Hedo was a free agent who had a choice about where he signed, while this is a straight trade. Not saying it couldn't fall apart at the last minute, but the Turkoglu deal and this are apples and oranges.
I am starting to like this deal more and more. Blake and Outlaw probably resign elsewhere after this season, so at least we get a guy this season who will really help us (much more than Blake/Outlaw) and we get to evaluate him and see if he would be a good fit for next season. This deal also helps define the roles of guys like Rudy and Bayless.
