From Hank at Olive, interesting trade rumor and I like it. As always this is just a very unsubstantiated rumor! I do like Diaw as as good low post contrast to LMA, Barbosa having an off season - good contract and maybe could be had cheap. Both guys "vets" but still young.Thoughts guys? "a guy I know who has ties with the Blazers said that we have been in talks with Phoenix and things may be heating up... key players in the deal are Barbosa and Diaw from Pho, and Webs, Blake, Frye and Diogu from Portland."
I can't see us ship Blake out without getting a proper PG back - and as much as I like Barbosa - he is not.
That is what I was thinking . . . unless they are ready to hand Sergio the starting position . . . ouch
Any rumor that begins with "A guy I know ..." should be printed out and used to wipe your ass with. -Pop
I'm calling BS here. We don't need Barbosa with Rudy here. Diaw is overpaid and overrated. Barbosa is a SG through and through. He has possibly the worst handle I've seen from a 6'3" guard.
I've only seen 4 or 5 Blazer games this year but it seems to me like a starting backcourt of Roy and Rudy might be able to work well with them sharing the PG duties. The Blazers play a slow enough pace that I'm not sure they need a true PG and either of them seems to be "good enough" distributors. Roy also seems to be quick enough to guard most PGs in the league (with the obvious exceptions of guys like Paul that no one can guard). I really like Blake and would love to see the Warriors trade for him but I just don't see how he really benefits your team. Am I way off in thinking Roy and Rudy could handle it?
I do not think Roy/Rudy can really do it for extended minutes. A little bit of time as the 2nd ball-handler for bringing the ball up-court, sure. All the game? Not sure. Maybe in a little time when we know a bit more about Bayless I could see it happen - but I do not think they are ready for this yet.
Very odd. The Barbosa rumor first surfaced *before* we signed Rudy/drafted Bayless. Back then, it made a certain amount of sense as the idea was basically to upgrade from Jack to Barbosa. Now? I just don't see it. Besides, why would we give up the cap flexibility represented by Frye and Diogu for a 2nd rate, overpaid guy like Diaw?
I am hoping to see a lineup of Blake-Rudy-Roy-LMA-Oden more this season. I like that lineup a lot, especially if Oden starts playing better. I wouldn't be in favor of this trade.
To go on what Soda said, any rumor that starts it's life in Olive, should only be printed on paper used to wipe your tuchas. Webster, Blake, Frye AND Diogu for Barbosa and Diaw? No thanks.
sounds like some suns fan's wet dream to dump underperforming players with bad long term contracts on us.
Eh, if Blake is used in our offense primarily off the ball with Roy, then I would take Barbosa over him in a second. Is Barbosa a true PG? No. But we don't utilize our PG in the "true" sense anyways. When our offense breaks down in the half court, we generally have one guy who can get to the rim to get his own shot, and that's Roy. Blake can usually make it to the FT line for a jumper, maybe, but Barbosa would be another guard on the floor who can get to the rim with some success. His 3 point shot has struggled some this year, but he is a career 40% 3 point shooter. He is a one man fast break in much the way Tony Parker is, which might result in a turnover a game, but will likely generate an easy bucket or two per game as well. Diaw is overpaid, but is a better backup at PF than Frye is. The one thing I like about a possible move like this is that it still leaves us with Raef's big expiring contract to make a follow up move if necessary. Barbosa/Sergio/Bayless Roy/Rudy Batum/Outlaw Aldridge/Diaw Oden/Przybilla
Blake is not a proper PG either. He is a good shooter and that's it. He doesn't penetrate perticularly well, nor does he create a lot of shots for people. He is also a poor defensive playing this season
I like it. I would do it. But wait... how long is Diaw contract? If it is not too long, I would take it.
I live in Arizona so I get my fill of the sports talk guys here. Yesterday the guys from 620 AM, KTAR kept talking about how loaded Portland was, and of course they wanted everyone on our team. They did acknowledge that the big three were untouchable, but they were angling to send Nash our way. I didn't think anything of it as it was pure fantasy on their parts. They do not really grasp the value that many of our players hold despite being on the bench. Anyways, no to Diaw. The joke around these parts is how soft he is. He always misses easy lay ins when the whole valley is trying to get him to dunk. Barbosa ia not a PG, know that now. He is 6'5-6'6 and quick. Very streaky shooter but he can get to the rim at will. I would not touch any of those guys unless they were being flipped to NY to run for Mike D. Since NY is not taking any salary on, run, run fast and far from those two players. They are fools gold.
The Phoenix trade makes me sick to look at. I'll admit I'm probably irrational on this, but I don't like a single thing about Beep Beep's game. I'd rather have K*be take my wife out to dinner than have Barbosa play PG for my team. And I have to give up Webster for him? Blech. I keep saying I'd pay more in players to get Nash, but that's probably not going to happen...though it seems as if it's gone from a 1-in-a-million to a 1-in-a-thousand shot.
I am just going off of what they were saying here on the radio. They were talking about how he dribbles upright, which makes it easier to steal the ball from him since he is so much taller than Nash. I hate getting into height discussions since there is the whole with or with out shoes, yada yada bs.
