I am watching the Blazers-Kings preseason game and Rudy Fernandez has simply been amazing. He looks like Jason Kidd or Steve Nash out there with his passing. Yes, his passing! The guy has dropped some really impressive assists. Try to catch the highlights of him from this game. He also had a nice alleyoop dunk and a really nice alleyoop layup. The crowd LOVES him. The Blazers team as a whole has a really nice crop of young players - Oden, Aldridge, Roy, Outlaw, Bayless, Fernandez, Webster, Batum, Frye, Diogu. They also have the expiring contracts of Blake and LaFrentz to try and get some established star possibly or sign a bigtime free agent next season or *gulp* 2010. They're looking really good now but imagine the flexibility they have to get better in a couple of years. Yikes. They're in position to dominate for a long, long time.
Yeh, the Blazers look like they have the potential to make a lot of damage in the coming years. However, after those couple of year, they might end up with not enough money to go around to sign all their young key players. It happened to the Clippers about 5 years ago when they couldn't hold on to Maggette, Odom, A. Miller, and Brand at the same time. I like our prospects a lot better because we didn't go "all out" with getting youth.
Everyone talks about who the most talented rookie is, but for some reason they always seem to forget Rudy...Anyone who saw him play in Europe knows his worth.
rudy got me out of my seat tonight. simply incredible. he totally stole the show from greg oden. but nobody talked about it on sportscenter. he was absolutely outstanding. my 2 teams I follow every game are the Nets and the Blazers. I really hope for good things from both of them
Watched every Olympics game of his and he is simply amazing, he can catch on fire too. All the Portland guards better watch out, he's a threat to their minutes
The Clippers are and were owned by Donald Sterling. The Blazers are owned by Paul Allen. If we want to keep all of our players, money won't be an issue.
wow, Blazers do in fact look sick. I'll be rooting for them to make some noise in the West, that's for sure: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pWqSjBYqZio&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pWqSjBYqZio&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
They'll win the Northwest division. Easily a top 3 or 4 team in the West. Amazing collection of talent, but Roy, Oden and Fernandez are the main core to it all.
Lets not discount Bayless or LaMarcus either. Solid 1-5. Solid bench... Outlaw, Jack, Joel. I can't beleive the Suns sold this guy. They won't had even had to pay him that season. -Petey
Not discounting them at all. Just saying if I had financial concerns and was at risk of losing some guys the 3 I would absolutely not lose are Roy, Oden and Fernandez. Not that Paul Allen has those concerns. Suns were idiots with that move. Even gave up James Jones who was a solid player they could have used last year. They went out and looked for a player like him when they signed Giriceck.
That is a good point. I'm kinda scared now...If they can keep their core together for 6-9 years, it could be a dynasty in the making.
they look great from the highlights........I hope they don't get too good too soon, because the Rockets have enough competition in the west.............
He's a great fit for their lineup. With having a scorer at the point in Bayless, having Roy and Fernandez as playmakers or finishers can give opponents fits. Blazers have come a long ways since the Jail Blazers days. Entire lineup is built through many draft day trades. To target Roy and Aldridge shows their scouting, then lucking into Oden. Buying Rudy and James Jones from Phoenix for cash.......Pritchard has done an amazing job in 3 short year.
....then it was their shrewd wheeling and dealing with the Bulls. Thomas, Khryapa and a 2nd rounder was all it took.
Two words: Paul. Allen. Quoting Kevin Pritchard in a fan meeting, "Mr. Allen has told me that if we want to retain a player, he will pay for it, regardless of cost."
