* Our favorite Blazer was not traded. (Sorry, there is NOBODY whose favorite Blazer was Ike.) * It's disappointing that RLEC couldn't net us Chris Paul. (Okay, MIXUM thinks it could have but KP turned it down, but everybody else can agree on this.) * Nobody made a killing, including Cleveland with their WSEC. * The only player actually mentioned as coming to Portland who was traded was John Salmons. (Feel free to be disappointed that we didn't jump on that one.) * Teams apparently DESPERATE to dump salary (the Suns, The Bucks, The Nets) in fact, didn't. * The Hornets look pretty stupid now - they're cheap and they dissed a player, but failed to dump salary. * Tracy McGrady was pretty clever in ensuring he didn't get traded. * We don't know what deals KP was offered. Anyone disagree? Can we all get along now?
I guess the part that "disappointed" me the most was that we had a great trading chip, and an almost perfect environment to use it. The "safe" play; the "conventional wisdom" play was just to not risk it, take your cash savings and try harder this summer to improve the team. If Kerr or Paxson or Dunleavy would've done it, no big deal. But KP's been on fire as a GM because he's bucked CW. He buys up late firsts when other GMs think they're useless. He stockpiles 2nd rounders like he's building a draft bunker and spends on numerical and psychological analysis. He's a stat geek who knows the game really well. He's like Daniel Negraneu at a poker table full of Jesus Fergusens. Except today. It seems (based on our limited info) that he played like Fergusen today, which is fine. But it seemed to not be who he was. And if we still win, that's ok. But here's my complicated poker analogy. It's like when you have a full table of callers and have 5-6 suited diamonds on the button. Some call with that, some raise that, tight players might just fold it. Negraneu plays it, and probably raises with it. But for some reason, this time he doesn't. He plays tight, and tosses his cards in the muck, because that's the CW for a table of tight players against a table of tight players. Flop comes up 2-3-4 of diamonds. Big time opportunity lost.
here's the thing though, the opportunity wasn't LOST. it was delayed to the summer where we can then either sign a FA, trade for a guy or S/T.
Good point that nobody really made a big splash. Amare or Vince didn't move anywhere. The Bulls made a bunch of moves, but didn't turn themselves into a contender by any stretch. No one in the west did anything drastic.
Well we did get Ruffin............but what the hell is he? Is he injured? Has no stats? Can he play for us and could he actually get a rebound once in a while sorta like Maglorie did? Can he actually run a pick and roll and score again sorta like Maglorie? Anyone?
I don't like almost any FA out there. Ariza will likely stay with the Lakers. I noticed Sessions in college but didn't think he'd be this good. The guy is averaging 17.7/7.4/4.3 as a starter this season...he's coming on like Deron Williams. He also averages 1.7 steals. But he doesn't shoot the rock from outside very well. I wouldn't be surprised if we decline the Blake option to sign Sessions. The guy is only 22 but putting up good numbers (and I thought was why they allowed Mo Williams to leave). So yeah, looking at the realistic options, I forsee us going at it with trying to get Sessions as a PG, and SF by committee with Webster, Batum and Outlaw. That along with Rudy, Bayless, Pryz...oh yeah and Roy, LMA and Oden, make a pretty solid core. Make it happen KP. I mean, what other team is going to offer Sessions money. Since Milwaukee can't offer a ton, who would try to sign him other than us that could throw some decent money...and do they need a PG?.
Why do we need to decline Blake to sign Sessions? He is a FA with early-bird rights - so the Bucks would not be able to offer him more than what we can offer him via the MLE - we might actually have more cap-space to offer him just by renouncing Frye.
