Joel Przybilla could be headed back to Portland

Kills me that Pryz was asking Quick's opinion on anything... especially the locker room, players, and chemistry.

 

The odds were 5.3% of us getting Oden. And even after we got him, it hasn't exactly worked out swimmingly, has it?

That was a 32 win team. (Historically you have to be in 20-29 win territory to even be in consideration for a top 5 pick.) How do we get to 32 wins (so we can get this 5.3% chance) without tanking?

Yeesh. This whole idea that we'd squander the best years of Aldridge's career to try grab more draft picks makes me nauseous.

 

he's around the team all the time, and would probably be able to give him an honest answer, at the least, of what he sees, versus asking a player who might make it sound better to him.

 

This is why I prefer to talk about "All Star-caliber" players rather than All-Star players. Outside of the niceness of recognition, it really doesn't matter whether a player is actually selected for the team. What matters (in terms of player and team quality) is whether the player is of that caliber. The way Batum has been playing as a starter, he easily meets the standard, in my opinion.

So if Batum can keep this up, the team will have two All Star-caliber players, which is a pretty strong foundation. More work will be needed to be done to put the right support players around Aldridge/Batum, but at least Portland will have the "hard part" done. That said, it remains to be seen if Batum can keep it up.

 

Great...... Joel is asking Quicks opinion on the locker room? Every player in that locker room hates Quick. Wonder what he said?

 

Nic is the BEERBOY of the NBA! He's starting to blossom with more minutes.... and is silky smooth and good with the ladies!

 

It definitely did happen that way. However, I'd hate to base my plans on a fluke injury like that. I suppose we could whisper to Aldridge, "Hey, too bad about that knee. *wink* wink*." But it's not exactly terribly sporting.

 

Just for that, I'm bringing back your lovely wife as my avatar!

 

I will never support a "losing mentality". Spurs got lucky. Some other teams did as well. I would never count on trying to tank for draft picks.

 

Gee I guess I missed that one.

 

WHAT!!?? You tanked and got a hot girlfriend!

 

Yep, noted.

But he's in the Eastern Conference and his adding him to the very small club of SGs averaging over 20 PPG only makes Batum look all the better.

BNM

 

Nerds...... I need a list of the top shooting guards stats compared to Nic's stats as a starter at the SG position ASAP!

 

And this is what's wrong with the forum. No one should seek people out to "kick" them.

 

Nobody should deliberately make others want to "kick" them.

Stop playing the victim card already. It's tedious. You reap what you sow.

BNM

 

Not playing the victim. I was having a conversation about why I think signing Joel is asinine and someone said basically not to agree with them because they liked kicking me. I think that's a problem the forum has. I just offered an opinion of the forum.

 

That doesn't have to be the case...

Aldridge is 26....
Batum is 23 and about to be paid about $10+ million a year? I would agree with you that he is capable of maintaining somewhere around the level of play he is now as a starter, probably not perennial All Star (although that would be a great added bonus) but certainly should be considered a member of the new "big 3" going forward...
I think you 2 young guys who you ned to find out if they are going to develop into core pieces: Elliot Williams, who has shown promise in grabage time\limited minutes and Joel Freeland, who has played very well in europe and will likely be here next year....

Then you have 2 young guys, who IMO appear to be marginal NBA players at best, but maybe you might hold onto them to see if they develop, that would be Nolan Smith and Victor Claver (likely will be here next year as well)....Personally I don't like either one of them

Then you have a 2012 NBA draft which is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent memory....

You will have cap space to get 1 major free agent, maybe 2....

You don't need Wallace AND Batum....and Wallace still has trade value....Matthews, give or take as a bench player, and he has some decent trade value...Crawford is gone after this season anyway (or do you want to pay him $7-8 million for multiple years? I sure as hell don't), and I would think would have value to a team looking to strengthen thier bench...Camby\Thomas are on thier last legs...and ugh....Felton, little trade value (now), certainly don't want to resign him, probably just let him walk....

and then 5!!! players with little value to POR or any other team: Both Johnson's, Oden, Babbitt, Craig Smith...I would add Nolan Smith to that mix, but hope springs eternal for some fans...I have seen enough...

Both MIN and LAC need a SG...The clips are a sure playoff team, MIN is on the cusp.....MIN likes Matthews, Couldn't the clips use a guy liek Crawfrod? I would think so....MIN has some draft picks, a glut of young players....

What about a Matthews for Wes Johnson, change (Tolliver) and UTA protected pick?

What about dealing Crawford down to the Clips for Eric Bledsoe (who POR should have drafted instead of Luke Babbitt in the 1st place!!!) & change

You don't have to trade EVERY ONE of Matthews, Wallace, Camby, Crawford or Felton...but certainly look to deal a few to put some younger core pieces around Aldridge NOW...rather than wait to do it in 2 years or so when this current failed experiment becomes to OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE...then, yeah it is too late to build around Aldridge at that age...then you are looking at a complete rebuild.....

 

I didn't seek you out. Your posts often contain just the right amount of negative cynicism to tick me off. This morning I just felt like expressing my displeasure.

 

Nobody is kicking nobody around here.