Having 2nd Thoughts About The SF Position

At first, I really thought we needed a guy like Hedo or Ron Ron to bring in via free agency, AND obtain a point guard all while still trying to keep everyone happy. Well, it ain't going to happen.

Batum is just scratching the surface and I really want him to continue to play as many minutes as possible; the only way he will be able to take the next step. He shot the 3 nearly as good as Webster, maybe better percentage wise, his pull-up J started to flow a few times down the stretch run of the season, his ability to go hard to the basket is there, and his defense is top-notch.

He really does have Tayshaun/Scottie potential, and I don't want to hinder it. He needs to play a little bit more this season, prolly half the game at least and I know Artest or Hedo won't sign here to play only 24 mins a night.

Yes, we do need a banger to help out on the glass (which I think should be addressed via the draft in DeJaun Blair) and a legit 3rd scorer. I would rather make those 2 things happen than waste an asset (cap space) on a SF when I am completely sold on a Batum/Outlaw rotation.

I think Point guard is our biggest need so I would use our cap space and other assets like Blake, Sergio, picks, or Webster to get it done whether it be Nate Robinson, Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, or Mike Conley. The one thing we have to put into consideration when obtaining a point guard is, "will they be comfortable and willing to take the ball out of their hands and let Roy run the show in the crunch?"

 

Yeah, basically if you sign a big name like that, you're making sure Batum won't get many more minutes for a while, Webster is out of the equation entirely, and Roy/Rudy have a more difficult time finding chances to play together. Unfortunately the same can be said with a PG, just replace "Batum" with "Bayless" and "Webster" with "Sergio", although I don't think as many people have an issue with that. It'll be interesting to see how the minutes work out next year.

 

I tend to agree (and I was also somewhat in the same camp of getting a vet this off-season).

I know it's foolish to expect Martel to suddenly morph into a super productive high efficiency player, but I do think he will come back to the team able to contribute at least 20 meaningful minutes per game and if you can split the time between the two without hurting the team (getting decent offensive output from both and good defense from Martel and great defense from Nic) then I think it's worth the effort to let Nic mature into the role that seems ripe for him to sieze.

Get this team a solid upgrade at the point guard spot (non rookie), get a veteran power forward with some scoring chops and some real toughness and maybe this team starts to play with a little more grit and doesn't rely so much on emotion to win games -- all of which you hope gets them from the "Good team with promise" to the "Great team with championship aspirations" stage.

 

At this point, I would say our priorities need to be an upgrade at PG, and finding someone to spell LMA that isn't afraid to get in there and slam-dance with the more physical teams. Unless we can find someone really good at SF, not just decent (eg Childress), we can live with the Batum/Outlaw combo.

 

The difference is that Bayless is farther from having proven himself competent. I think some of that is opportunity...I think given significant and consistent burn, Bayless would have developed into a more consistent and successful player this season. But regardless of the reason, Batum has already proven that he can man the position at a near-average level while Bayless hasn't. So it's much easier to entrust a starting or major backup role to him than to Bayless.

That said, if the team acquired a really good starter, like Andre Miller, I wouldn't mind clearing the deck of Blake and Sergio and letting Bayless be the primary backup to Miller.

 

I think it's a lot more likely to be Webster than Outlaw teaming up with Batum to man the 3.

EDIT: In response to Minstrel's post, I definitely agree. I have less of an issue with having reigns on Bayless than Batum. My point in relating the too (which I didn't convey very well), was the fact that one of our two SGs will have to play out of position for 10-15 mpg if Roy is going to get about 36mpg and Rudy is to get over 20.

 

I really hope you are wrong about that. If it happens, it will be because Outlaw has much more trade value.

 

I think he does have more value, but I also think both Sergio and Outlaw would be better off elsewhere, hopefully in a way that upgrades our PG spot.

 

Batum is only a consistent jumpshot away from being a great third wheel in the starting unit.

 

I will get attacked by saying this, but that almost, almost describes Bayless.

 

I think you're right. The problem is that Batum shot 36% from three-point range this season, while Bayless was horrible. So Batum is much closer to it. Of course, Bayless was a very good shooter in college, so I suspect with more consistent minutes, the shot will return. At which point, a lot of things will change for him.

 

I just like what I see in Bayless. He made a lot of rookie mistakes, but his work ethic and I think his attitude is undeniable. He will be a player in this leagueand I think it wil be here. the only way I want to see him traded is for a huge upgrade at the PG position where we know there won't be any minutes for him for many years. I think that list is CP3, Deron and maybe Devin Harris, and I don't think we can land any of those.

 

I think if Nate would have been smart and let Jerryd play backup minutes last year and didn't put a leash on him, he would have got more comfortable and his jumper would have shown up more consistent.

 

It doesn't work like that in the NBA.

Show you can do something with a little and you're likely to be given more responsibility. Believe me, I was hoping earnestly that Bayless would take a choke hold on the backup position and press Blake for minutes, but he just wasn't ready. Hopefully he will be this year.

 

When he got significant PT (see NJ) he produced, what else does he need to prove? When Blake went out, the team didn't miss a beat and that was mainly due to Bayless' play, b/c he knew he was going to get pt.

 

Im not sold on any of our SF's. Webster is a big question mark. He was an average player before the injury. I hate to judge Travis on 6 playoff games but I doubt he's going to be the third scorer we need in the playoffs. Batum has a lot of potential but he's only 19 or (maybe 20 by now). He could stand to play a few years as backup to a good SF...

Which brings me to Ron Artest.

Free agent, has said good things about Roy, would bring some toughnes, veteran and experienced, take some defensive pressure off Roy, and he has third option written all over him. If the Blazers are targeting free agents this year I hope they go hard after Artest.

 

I think you're underselling Batum. I agree he has a lot of potential but, when you factor in defense, Batum was pretty close to an average starter as a rookie. While he can certainly be upgraded on in the near term, I think he's good enough that small forward shouldn't be considered a hole for next season. I expect him to at least be an average small forward next season, if not better. He's not really merely backup quality.

 

ditto. We need perimeter defense more than anything else- Artest instantly becomes our best defender and we can easily get him- though I would make an offer to Sessions first.

 

I like Batum and like what he does in many ways, but I want to put out a disclaimer here about what you guys have said above.

1. We cannot do again with Batum like we did with Outlaw. We can't wait 5 years for a guy to become an average player. Not again, and not with this team having a window coming up. If he isn't ready by about the season after this one to be a member of a championship level team, you make a move. In fact, I would go so far as to say, you better see progression out of him by midway through next season or you start thinking about pulling the trigger. What do I mean by progression?

Consistency
Being a contributor on the offensive end
Raising the level of physicality

Not 10 points one night, 0 the next 3.


2. Outlaw is not a SF. I know he plays it from time to time, but that being said, the only time he is successful on the floor is when he is matched up with a slow PF type who doesn't want to chase him to the perimeter, or when they do, he can get by them. This is why he is inconsistent. He only can score in bundles when the matchup is perfect for him. He is also the only guy I have seen in the league who has been in for 6 years and who gets yelled at by a rookie on the team for missing his defensive assignment. Maybe if he did something besides bass fishing in the summer, it would have worked out better.

 

The difference is....Batum got a job in the starting lineup, Bayless was relegated to the bench. It's not like Batum was "on" every night. He's hit or miss on his jumpshot. One night he might go 4/5, and the next night he'll go 0/5. Maybe after Bayless has been given a fair chance, we'll be able to see his jumper.