http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/05/pritchard_the_puzzle_master.html#more Brandon Roy also alluded to the fact that this was Outlaws first playoff experience. Outlaw is a VERY valuable member of this team and he will actually play more minutes next season. People have to remember he is actually still very young and came straight out of high school. If we trade Outlaw, it can come back to bite us.
KP is dead on that you shouldn't judge a guy on one series. Obviously some people don't like what he does throughout the year, but if you want to trade him for playing poorly in one series, that's not too bright.
KP would be a pretty stupid GM if he said anything different. He has to defend Outlaw for two main reasons. 1, keep his value as high as possible and not let other GM's think there is a fire sale so KP can get as much as possible in a trade if Outlaw is traded. 2, If Outlaw ends up not being traded, KP is keeping him happy and feeling like a valued member of the team. Saying anything else would set Outlaw back, or set trades back. This is just GM talk.
Why would he speak bad about his players? Not only is it bad PR, but it also shows the GMs of the league that "this guy can be had for cheap".
I don't want to ship him because of his performance in the playoffs. I want him shipped because of his performance throughout the year.
whatever... this isn't an "experience" thing. This is a basketball IQ thing. That isn't going to change.
If Pritchard does trade Outlaw, I hope he gets more in return than what he got for Randolph. We got Frye but he's useless and will be released this off-season.
We got Rudy for Zach. That's quite a catch. If he can get more than Rudy for Outlaw - it sounds like a really sweet deal.
So anyone want to take bets on who next year's Jerret Jack/Travis Outlaw is going to be? My vote is for Bayless if he struggles or maybe LaMarcus if he doesn't become an all-star. I'm not a huge Travis supporter, but I do find it kind of amusing how it seems like the end of each season needs a whipping boy -- tons of guys played inconsistently in the regular season and/or like shit in the playoffs, but we seem to home in on one guy. Is this because he's used up all of his ceiling and now what you see is what you get?
I just can't stand players who consistently make bad decisions. Blake made some bad decisions in the playoffs, but overall he's usually a very steady guy. Travis is not. Jack was not. Sergio is not.
I concur, but I expect this will be remedied one way or another. either A) Travis is going to be traded or waived or B) better third options will be added to the roster (or emerge organically), in either case I won't hold it against Travis that he's done remarkably well for a 27th overall pick that gets by on his athleticism and shooting. If he ends up being an 8th man vs. a 6th man on this team it's hard to complain about what he gives you at such a low price. I can think of lot worse players making double and even triple what he does.
Yeah, I don't get the Outlaw/Anti-Outlaw obsession. The only reason to hate him is if your expectations are out of whack. I can see why he is (at times) a fan favorite, with his laid back attitude and lack of fear taking big shots... but to expect a super high level of play on a regular basis from Trav seems foolish.
Exactly. Outlaw is a reserve who makes around $4 million. Is he really the linchpin, for good or ill? The obsession with him is very odd. He plays because, right now, there's no one who's consistently better than him beyond Roy and Aldridge. That's the entirety of it, really. You could blame Pritchard for that "lack of talent," except most of the non-Roy/Aldridge talent is still developing. If none of Oden/Bayless/Rudy/Batum surpass Outlaw as reliable players, that's Pritchard's fault, not Outlaw's. He's just a bench player. There's no reason at all to get rid of him unless it's in a deal to get back a better player.
Yes... this is my main beef with him. Even when he has good results, he doesn't have good process. He takes many many bad shots: fading away, or long two pointers. He helps the team when he's hitting the shots that he forces up, but he doesn't do anything else that helps if they're not. I'd prefer to get a guy who can contribute more consistently with solid defense, rebounding, getting to the free throw line, etc., than go with Outlaw--whether it's in the starting lineup or off the bench. With all of that said, I agree with KP's position that moving any player based on a single playoff series would be silly. Ed O.
I would like Outlaw a lot better if he would actually attack the rim more often. We almost never see him elevate and try to throw it down. The guy has insane hops to go along with that 6'9 frame, yet he never really tries to slash.
