Do we need to trade for another big?

correct

 

Have Bynum, Pau and Odom ever played against Mbenga in practice or scrimmages?

 

I bet this guy's still available:

 

We don't need no OKC rejects.

Oh, wait...

 

We would have to decimate our quality smalls to get a decent big in a trade.

 

Blast from the past. I was just now thinking of Jumal Howard, who started at Center for most of our 50 wins last season. Remember the articles about how happy he was to be here? Remember when he kept saying he hoped he would be allowed to stay with the Blazers the next season? Remember when Camby arrived and Howard kept telling him how great this place is, so Camby surprisingly signed with us, and ignored all the teams who were putting out word that they would make him offers a month later, when the season ended? Pritchard got credit for the signing, but it was Juwan.

With so many injuries, the old guys carried us in the late season--Howard, Andre Miller, and Camby. We finally had some experience on the team to teach the young guys.

We must maintain our reputation as a young team, because we don't like experienced players. Now our big guys are down to one center with a long injury history (Camby) and 2 PFs (Aldridge and Pendergraph). We have in total 5 forwards and 8 guards. We must have made out like a bandit for Juwan, but I missed it. What did we get for him again? Did Miami give him a raise from the minimum that we broke the bank to pay him?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/roster?team=mia&sort=null

 

Here's another suggestion, at least to invite to the rest of camp (and if he's one of the last three cuts, we get to assign him to our D-League team): Greg Stiemsma:

[video=youtube;NzCzZZFYqM8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzCzZZFYqM8&feature=player_embedded[/video]

He was just released by the Cavs.

 

I've been saying that I think this team needs to find a guy who can play both forward and center effectively. We need a banger. Someone who can mix it up in the paint, score, and rebound.

 

actually I don't. JH started 27 games last year. Without wasting my time looking things up, I'm guessing the team didn't go 26-1 with him starting

STOMP

 

He's talking about "Jumal" Howard. Don't diminish the contributions of Jumal Howard. He was the centerpiece that kept our heads above water and propelled us to the playoffs.

 

You got me on saying Jumal 1 out of 3 times in my post, but you're totally wrong on your minimization of Juwan's contribution.

Aldridge's scoring often carried us in the 1st quarter, but usually he disappeared long before the 4th quarter. Juwan Howard was the centerpiece of the big men when the game counted.

After Oden and Przybilla went out for the season, I guess you thought a 50-win season was assured. The rest of us were panicking, until we saw that Howard was holding up the fort. Aldridge did not improve in the absence of the centers, or the absence of Roy. Juwan did.

When Camby arrived and took his minutes late in the season, Juwan's per-minute stats decreased, because he began playing mainly forward. But he's a lifesaver when our centers are out (like right now, and probably many more games this season), and an adequate forward (our 3rd best after Aldridge and Batum, and Batum doesn't know half his tricks) when one of our centers can play.

Since Whitsitt left, Blazer fans have lived on potential. Many bask in talk of a golden future, instead of getting experienced players and making something happen right now. We got one, cheap, and let him go.

 

I'm glad Howard played hard for us last year, and I like the guy...

But he posted a PER of 10 for the season... well, well, well below average in the league. Clearly you have no idea what you are talking about.

It would not be difficult to find a player to give us a PER of 10 in 22 MPG.

But by all means, keep using your kneepads in front of Whitsitt.

 

not as totally wrong as you've been exaggerating his contributions. You claimed he started at center for most of the club's 50 wins last season... I just looked it up and they went 14-13 with him starting and 36-19 when he came off the bench. Dude's PER was 10.0 last year and at 37 he is trending down... do you really need to be told that sucks? About the only good thing about his D was that he knew how/when to deliver a hard foul and could work the refs a little. Father time had some moments and certainly he knew every vet trick in the book, but that wasn't enough to make up for his lack of physical ability. They won despite Jumal not because of him

STOMP

 

The thread title isn't "Do we need to trade for a superstar big with a PER of 20?"

It's about whether we need to give up assets for 1) a substitute PF who 2) is good at filling in at Center who 3) is cheap and 4) experienced and 5) an excellent leader and good guy.

I know!!! Let's check the want ads!!! Yeah, a national search. Let's look at yesterday's Washington Post!!!!!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/04/AR2010100406464.html

 

Which "big" are you going to move a guard for at this point? Varejao makes almost $7 million/per. Huh?

 

I would have liked having Juwan around for another season, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was a bit leery of possibly being behind three centers on the depth chart. Three centers in questionable condition, true, but still -- significant potential downside if he's hoping to get some time on the court. Plus, didn't he hold that press conference to announce that he was taking his talents to Miami, or something like that? Must have been really important to him.

 

I think we'll get Howard back this next offseason, but it will be as a coach.

 

He wanted to stay here, but now the media says he dumped us. Actually, we dumped him. He was perfectly happy playing behind others (including 3 centers) after he had thought his career was over. He was grateful to the Blazers for bringing back his career. There were posts months ago saying we should make him an Asst. Coach this year, but I knew it wouldn't happen, because he could make more as a player.

We would have had a MUCH crappier season without him and missed the playoffs by a long ways...Another thing he did for us was to give Camby a lot of happy talk about this team, followed by Camby's surprise decision to ignore the Knicks and other teams which had planned to make him an offer. Juwan got us Camby.

 

I think this is totally plausible, but I don't remember seeing anything like that in an interview with him. Got a source?

Anyway, if it's true that we dropped him like that, it would be the very first poor decision this organization has ever made.

 

Thabeet, anyone?