Did anybody else hear him basically laugh, and then express disbelief, that Portland has a shot at Deron Williams? He even circled back and asked again if Portland fans really thought they had a shot at Williams. Big Suk said that the Blazers have hopeful fans, and kind of laughed it off a few times. I was listening, and I have the same reaction when I see people on this board think it's actually an option for Williams.
Well...we can offer him the max. There are some rumors of him not being happy in NJ, but then again, he did demand a trade there didn't he? He'd be very expensive. I think Dragic would be a nice pickup, then we can use that extra money on someone else. It'll be interesting to see how good the Nets will be with Lopez and Williams. They never really got to play together much. Because Williams+Lopez would be as good as the Blazers would be with Williams/LA.
Ric Bucher Left Speechless By "Deron Williams To Blazers" Hopes Ric Bucher of ESPN.com was left speechless during an interview on 1080 AM The Fan with Isaac Ropp and Big Suke when told that some fans were hoping that New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams would sign with the Portland Trail Blazers during free agency. -------------------------------------- "Really? Wow. I didn't even know... wow. That's pie in the sky, my friends. Wow. OK. I didn't even know the imaginations ran that wild in Portland but God bless them. That's good. That's good. Quite honestly, have you ever turned a corner and accidentally bumped your head and you see stars for a second and your equilibrium is off? That's what I feel like... I'm sitting down. If I was standing up, I would be staggering a little bit." -------------------------------------- Bucher said he expects Williams to be the face of the Brooklyn Nets. He also said that Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert and Houston Rockets point guard Goran Dragic could be possibilities for the Blazers.
I really don't find anything wrong with his reaction. *No GM *No coach *Below average roster outside LMA/Hickson/Batum *Below average talent scouts *Horrific reputation by the medical staff *No real direction -- just empty words by Miller & Co.
All true. But was that the reason for his reaction (I didn't listen). I got the impression his reaction was based on the idea that no way in hell would D-Will leave the bright lights to play in bum-fuck Portland.
::Waits for MB's reaction:: You know, inside sources say Portland is DWill's #1 choice and we're all being cynical for thinking otherwise.
I'm curious as to where all these hordes of Blazers fans are who think that we have a strong chance of landing Deron Williams. Sure, I expect the Blazers to make contact with his agent, I mean they'd be stupid not to do that, but I'm certainly not expecting to see him in a Blazers uniform next season. I haven't really heard any serious fans expecting anything more than that, either. I guess it's just fun for these guys to take the pose of being sooo much smarter and more sophisticated than the rube Blazers fans out there.
It's easier, and more fun, to think that the 3 fans who think the Blazers have a chance at getting Williams, speak for and represent every Blazer fan. Cause you know, it reinforced the negative stereotype of Blazer fans, that they are the ONLY fanbase that over-values their players, thinks everyone will want to play in Portland, and we're the most awesomest coolest fans in the galaxy. And in doing so, it reinforced the belief in some that they are more knowledgeable about how things really are, and tell it like it is. You have to admit, they have a point. It's only Portland fans that over values their teams players. NO ONE ELSE in the history of the world does that, and Portland fans do it 10 fold! 10 FOLD I TELLS YEAH!
I said, chance. I don't know if it's a strong chance. I think the current dynamics make it more difficult for that to ever occur. I'm not one that thinks that we can land any and every player. But I do think Deron will take us seriously when it comes time if we A. Had a capable GM in place B. A respectable coach in place. The GM thing could have been handled long ago. It hasn't. It complicates things more. With that said, here are some and not all the reasons why I think Portland has a CHANCE, not a strong one to land Deron Williams. A. Blazers are one of only a few teams that can max him out B. He's played in a small market before and by all indications he was fine with it. C. Deron spent most of his career in the Northwest Division against the Blazers. With the many battles the two teams have had he has been impressioned by how passionate the Blazer fans are. They are not the 'Net' fans D. Blazers are in need of an elite starting point guard and obviously there would be no competition in place. These are a basic set of reasons why I think 'Deron' would consider Portland. Not that he WILL sign. But 'consider'. With that said. I don't see it happening. No GM, No Coach. A buffoon for an owner. The longer they go without a competent GM. That 'chance' get's smaller and smaller. I think for this off season to be a productive one. You need to have a closer. Someone that not only can sell the idea, but close the idea. That's why you have seen me throw my support around for Trader Bob. The dude was both. A salesman and closer. But I think it's going to take someone like him for this off season to be a great one. I don't know if this magic formula Bert and Larry are using to find the right candidate will bring that in as the next General Manger of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The best part was when he was asked about the GM position He said he is hearing that almost no one is interested and that like some of us assumed, guys are unsure of working for Allen. I will take his word over MB's 101 times out of 100
Bucher hates Portland, absolutely hates us. All his analysts for years have been negative about us, even when it looked like we had the 3 headed monster in Roy/Oden/LMA Bucher only wanted to talk about OKC and was convinced they would be the future (I guess he was correct on this one, but not for the reasons he gave) He is also constantly wrong on his basketball news. Anything that comes from him should be taken with a grain of salt, as if Skip Bayless had said it.
I do think Bucher has a point when it comes to the chances of Portland landing Deron as a free agent. While we can offer a max contract, other teams can do that as well and there just isn't a compelling reason for him to choose the Blazers. Why not pick a larger market, a team with an established coach/gm and more veteran players? The guy has just suffered through one of the worst losing seasons of his career and is going to be very hesitant to sign on with a club where he may have to be in a rebuild/reload situation for a few years. The more I think about this situation, the more I think we should just make our best offer to Dragic at 12:01am on the first day free agent signings can begin. We can assure him he was our target all along which should count for something as other clubs line up to offer max money to DWill. Dragic could come into a franchise in desperate need of a leader with a guaranteed starting spot. He can lock the position down for years and then we can grab a solid backup point guard in the draft (Marshall) or use one of our draft picks to trade for another PG to be our backup if the coaching staff isn't convinced that Smith is backup point guard material. In this situation it pays to be realistic and adjust our dreams accordingly. Dragic would be a nice addition to the team and still leave us some cash to explore other free agent signings.
