On the bright side, LMA now has an all-time high PER of 24.05 - 9th in the league and equal to Roy's best for a season.
There's no doubt that LMA is an All-Star. I still think we need a guard like Deron Williams or Chris Paul to take things to the next level.
God damn. You put some shooters and more intelligent players next to this guy and that number will only get higher. He's making some awesome reads out of double teams, but his teammates are just screwing up basic plays.
I think that LMA has got to start putting in some serious recruiting work at all-star weekend. I am to the point that I am willing to do just about whatever it takes to get Deron. I almost willing to "rent" him with the hopes that the team and city and can sell him on resigning. And if we could somehow get Williams then it might be a heck of a lot easier to get a third star player to want to play with those two. The better that LMA gets the more I feel like we are wasting him and wasting time.
if deron is available even to rent it will be tough for the blazers to make an offer competetive with what other teams will offer. maybe batum + ewill + a future #1 would do it, but blazer brass would never take a gamble that large.
Who will be LA's teammates at all star break that he can get close with? If Deron were his teammate, then I could see him trying to recruit, but being in different locker rooms/practices/etc, I don't see it happening. Maybe he can try to influence Nash if he makes the team. But I see LA bonding with other first time guys, and there really aren't any other ones outside of Bynum this year. And I don't think LA likes Bynum.
I would think that they would run in enough of the same circles to at least try but its all wishful thinking.
Deron Williams should have been a Blazer in the first damn place. Getting him here will serve to realign the stars in their proper order in the universe. And it will be good.
I hate to break it to people, but Deron coming here is very, very unlikely. Teams are going to have more capspace than the Blazers this summer and historically this is not exactly a destination city. Love it or hate it, Portland is an NBA backwater that plays most of their games when 70% of the nation has gone to bed. That's a tough sell. This summer our best bet is trading players into our cap-space and hoping to hit in the draft and then using the secondary and tertiary free agent market for role-players.
If we can do it without giving up Batum I am just about frustrated enough to do it for no other reason that to enjoy half a season of run and fun and deal with the consequences later.
I think we could by offering Matthews, Felton and armon Johnson. We could have Nolan smith back up point, Crawford back up 2 an Batum start at sg; while playing reserve minutes at 3 as well. Also Nash would make everyone better. You think teams will leave Nash wide open to double Aldridge? I don't think so
I totally agree. Lately every time I see Felton chuck up a three I think how lovely that would be if it were Nash. That one thing alone would make this team sooooo much better. Nevermind the lobs to LMA and how much more and better we could run.
Yeah and his leadership. The dude was two time MVP for a reason. The guy gets it and his bbiq is off the charts. Age isn't an issue when you have so much up top. We've learned that with miller. Sometimes I think about how much different this team would be with miller running point instead of Felton.
Age also isn't an issue because we'll be blowing out teams by halftime and Nash can get all the rest he wants. PHX just needs to cooperate and let him go.
