04- Other options were Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Beno Udrih, Royal Ivey, or Chris Duhon. Sure all would have been better, but using your top 1/2 scale, I think only Nelson applies, and maybe JUST barely. 05- Hard to argue that the 22nd pick SHOULD be a success... Monta Ellis and Lou Williams were both taken after Jack. Both would have been better, but neither have ever been true PGs. 06- (You're complaining that the 27th pick in the draft didn't turn out to be a top-15 PG?) Daniel Gibson and Will Blalock are the only 2 pgs drafted after Serg that are even still in the league. 07- Again, really? 30 and 52??? Ramon Sessions is the ONLY PG taken after either (56) clearly nobody was too high on him... 08- No doubt Bayless didn't work out, but given that the next PGish player picked was 15 players later (George Hill), it's not like there were PGs aplenty to be had... Chalmers went in the 2nd round and that's it... (again, do either make your top-15 pgs criteria?) 09- Lester Hudson vs. Patty Mills: clearly a BIG miss on our part... 10- Was Armon Johnson good? No. Were any other PGs drafted below him? No. 11- Nolan was a flat out bad pick, but the jury is still out on Reggie Jackson, Norris Cole, Shevlin Mack, Darius Morris, etc. but again, none of those guys look like world beaters. Yes, we've had a decade of bad PGs, but that's not ALL our fault. Sometimes it's just shitty luck. Will Lillard change that? Who knows, but it would appear that the entire basketball world feels like he could. To me that's good enough.
I'll make sure to pick up some of the slack (since I've been slacking and following along). I just quit trying to post update because if I'm not watching the screen and hitting refresh constantly, you usually beat me.
First off I didn't post this, someone else did....2nd of all you are missing the point...POR has tried NINE TIMES to address the PG position and have failed MISERABLY each and every time....Maybe it is a scouting problem and not just...bad luck? and maybe instead of reaching for that PG in each of the last EIGHT YEARS, they should have instead tried to address other positions?? Oh, and the kicker, the same scouts (and owner) are responsible for most (if not all) of these picks...
Nothing too new. He said he thinks Olshey is doing a total rebuild from all he hears. Thinks the Blazers will go Lillard as Drummond is such a risk, but said they could gamble and take Drummond and hope Lillard slips. Things Lillard would be taken at 8 or 10 if Blazers don't at 6. So [my thoughts, not Ford's], if they think Lillard is great and Drummond is a question mark, then they either make a deal or take Lillard at 6. If they like both a lot, then probably take Drummond and see if they can get to Lillard later.
Or hope that another player drops to them at #6 (or if said player slides to #5, offer Sacto something to entice them to let that player go). Anyone know if Drummond worked out for anyone today? Maybe Portland worked him out again, given his potential, but their uncertainty about him.
Yeah, I would be happier if they turned #6 into Robinson, and then kept 11 for Waiters, Rivers, Henson, or whoever else fell there.
Olshey is a ballsy dude. I say let's get the #5 from Sacto (with or without giving up the #6 - but would probably have to give up the #6), and try to take a flyer on Tyreke Evans. I think some players may struggle in that system. Let's see if he could resurrect his career with the Blazers. You know, Crawful almost went to Sacto, maybe he could be enticed to exercise his option and go there. Mathews. We have picks to add. Freeland. E-Will. Smith. $3mil. Some sorta combo. And we would maybe have to take a bad deal back. Not realistic, but I'm sure some sort of happy medium could be made.
This is from Chad Ford's Insider article from today. 6. Andre Drummond Workouts: Kings (6/14), Blazers (6/16), Wizards (6/18), Cavs (6/20), Bobcats (6/22) Analysis: Drummond is the odd man out trying to work his way into the top five. I'm told that his upcoming workout in Charlotte will be his last, though he might have to revise that if he believes the Kings and Blazers might pass on him at No. 5 and No. 6. I've heard he had strong workouts in Sacramento and Portland, and I've also heard that the Wizards and Cavs workouts weren't as strong. Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick reported that Robinson destroyed Drummond in the Cavs workout. I haven't heard it described that strongly, but I do think Robinson was considerably more aggressive, and thus much better. Given the age difference, experience gap and different styles, you could expect that, however. They'll have a chance to go head-to-head again in Charlotte. I do think Drummond gets a long look at No. 6 if he falls to the Blazers. However, it's not a guarantee. The team is also high on Damian Lillard and Dion Waiters and could decide they need a scoring guard over a big man project. If he slides past there, the Warriors and Pistons are his next two places to fall. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog...883/2012-nba-draft-workout-buzz-top-prospects
Interesting...hope it's not true and it was Was that was trying to pry away from Portland. If they are going to trade up then I hope it's to get Robinson and I think they would need to go up to #2.
Sacto at 5? Or if someone we want slips to #5, we make a trade with Sacto, take that guy, and Sacto takes Lillard at #6?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPiGu8pWwLA If that is a strong workout, I'd hate to see what a good one is called. He looked like he was just going through the motions, made a few lay-ins and missed two blocked shots by coaches just tossing the ball right up in front of him. Not like this was anything to write home about.
Anybody actually listen to Chad Ford on 1080 this afternoon? Was hoping for an update (for those who can't stream audio at work).
If that was edited to make Drummond look good, then someone should be fired. That was the most uninterested workout and least amount of athleticism I've seen from a lottery pick in a pre-draft workout.
I don't think that Drummond workout looked too bad. He thinks he's a guard sometimes though. Needs to work on a hook shot.