I'm not critical of the move, just pointing out that Sergio is the first draft pick under KP that is a definite bust-like pick. I'm not ready to give up on Freeland or Koponen just yet, but it's hard to argue that the Sergio pick was a success. Ed O.
I think that this assumption is pretty wrong - and shows that some of you over-value our past players... Sergio is a border-line backup PG in the league. These guys are not worth much. It's as simple as that. For all intents and purposes - Sergio was a long-shot to make it in the NBA - as his low pick (for a player ready to come into the league and play, unlike Rudy and hopefully Claver) showed. These guys are more likely to fail than succeed in the NBA - and that's about what we can expect from these low picks. The hit rate there is not high. KP hit the jackpot with Rudy and his Nicolas pick also seems pretty astute. That's 2 out of 3 for the low first round picks that actually played in the NBA - which is a lot higher than most...
KP has spent 6 first round picks on European players. 2 have been successful. It might be time for him to try a different approach.
Sergio wasn't even a back-up PG in the playoffs. He didn't even get off of the bench in the second half after Game 1 and didn't even play in Game 3. I'm actually surprised that the Blazers received anything for him, although being traded for 7 second-round slots in the draft while your team gives money to your new team has to be a bit of an ego-crusher.
And 2 more wins in the West is HUGE! Addition by subtraction. I agree with you though. It is not a bad thing and we could have done better. But we didn't do terrible.
I agree. Portland traded a back up PG, a pick slightly below where they were picking already and cash for a second round pick. I am not saying we should have demanded a 1st rounder, but we basically paid Sacramento to take him.
What, this list? Sergio Kaponen Freeland Rudy Batum Claver Is that your list of 6? How can you say only 2 have been successful? 3 of them have never even spent a day in the NBA lol. 1 was not terrible, just didn't work out. I say he is doing fine. Your a grouch!!!!!!!!1 lol
Not only is it too early to determine success on a few of the players, you failed to mention that all of these players were taken in the mid to late 20's. I seriously doubt that 1/3 of picks in the late 20's result in starting quality players, yet Batum and Rudy have proven to be just that, in their first year. If you expect more than half of late first round picks to be major successes, your expectations are way too high.
Sergio was a low risk pick. The Blazers gave up no players and no picks, just some cash. Same as with Rudy. If they work out, it's great, if not, there is really no loss (except to Paul Allen's bank balance). One of two definitely has worked out, so I'd say the batting average is pretty decent. I don't think it's so much Sergio was a bust as that there is no place for him. He's a back up guard and the decision was made that Bayless will apprentice as back up for a year or two and then be the starter. That leaves an odd man out.
in essence they gave away Zach as well, but they also opened up minutes for LA, which IMO turned out to be the right decision. Dealing Sergio opens up room for Bayless, which could benefit POR now and down the road. I understand wanting to get max value for a player, but sometimes the wait for that right deal becomes an even bigger negative.
your timeline says you joined our site last month... yet you know how most of us are??? And whats with attributing a view to another poster they never came close to expressing and then throwing out the crazy smiley? it's like you're channeling your inner Skip Bayless... STOMP
I can say only 2 have been successful, because it is true. Sergio flopped. Kopponen isn't even good enough to hold Sergio's old job as a back-up. Freeland is supposedly good enough, and we need a 4th big man....and where is he? Staying in Europe like Rubio, Vazquez, and Splitter. (In fairness, all of those guys are making a much better living in Spain) That leaves Claver. Since his injury, he has not worked out or had a physical by a single NBA team. He skipped both the NBA Combine and the Reebock Eurocamp. I may be a grouch, but I am also a cynic! What is Claver hiding???
No one is infallible, but I think Rodriguez was a pretty good selection and decision at the time. Without the benefit of hindsight, he took a late first round gamble on a high-upside, exciting point guard and it only cost the team $3 million. Sergio didn't work out and Pritchard cut bait on him relatively quickly (three seasons is enough to evaluate that he was making no progress but not so long that valuable time was wasted). My point, I guess, is that Sergio, to me, is an example of good process even if it was a bad result. That's really what I look for, good process. If you have a good process, the results will tend to be good/great over time even if any specific decision may go poorly. I think Claver was, similarly, an example of good process. The team is young and deep and picking late in the first round...instead of selecting another young player who likely won't be talented enough to even crack the rotation, select a guy who has high upside down the line. So, I wouldn't use Sergio as an example of Pritchard being "fallible," because it's a bit trivial to say that no one has 100% hit rate on selections. Sergio was an example of Pritchard doing things the right way, IMO.
+1 Was about to say the same thing. That late in the draft the odds of finding a strong rotational player is pretty slim. Getting a Euro with upside while letting them develop overseas is a great way to draft in the late 1st and 2nd round. The risk vs. reward is much better than trying to gamble on a guy like Steve Novak, Maurice Ager, or Aaron Afflalo. Sure you could end up with a guy like Milsap or Sessions, but why not gamble on a Euro that was projected to be a lotto pick in a later draft like Rudy?
I though both Sergio and Rudy were drafted by Phoenix, then sold their rights to Portland. I agree in principle, though. The draft is a real crap shoot and the time for those types of gambles is over for the near term in Portland.
That's true, but it's true only because the trades were not officially approved at the time of the draft. To be technical, LMA and Roy were not officially drafted by Portland either, but only because trades had to be approved. Those players were drafted FOR Portland, however, as deals were agreed to prior to the picks.
the thing you are both not considering, is that these GMs are aggressive people. when they get beat, they don't avoid confrontation the next time. they want to get revenge! so they are going to go trade again and think "HA i'll get that KP this time for SURE!"
Hmm, is it that we're not considering it or that you're simply assuming it to be true with no supporting evidence?
I disagree. For one thing, Sergio had a lot of value after his rookie year. We could have cashed him in then, probably for a higher first round pick in ensuing years. For another, what player picked after Sergio was obviously better? Code: 27. Phoenix Sergio Rodriguez 28. Dallas Maurice Ager 29. New York Mardy Collins 30. Portland Joel Freeland 31. Portland James White 32. Houston Steve Novak 33. Atlanta Solomon Jones 34. LA Clippers Paul Davis 35. Toronto P.J. Tucker 36. Minnesota Craig Smith 37. Minnesota Bobby Jones 38. Golden State Kosta Perovic 39. Milwaukee David Noel 40. Seattle Denham Brown 41. Orlando James Augustine 42. Cleveland Daniel GIbson 43. New Orleans Marcus Vinicius 44. Orlando Lior Elyahu 45. Indiana Alexander Johnson 46. Utah Dee Brown 47. Utah Paul Milsap 48. Washington Valdimir Veremeenko 49. Denver Leon Powe 50. CHarlotte Ryan Hollins 51. LA Lakers Cheick Samb 52. LA Clippers Guillermo Diaz 53. Seattle Yotam Halperin 54. New Jersey Hassan Adams 55. Cleveland Ejke Ugbosja 56. Toronto Edin Bavcic 57. Minnesota Loukas Mavrokefaldis 58. Dallas J.R. Pinnock 59. San Antonio Damir Markota 60. Detroit Wil Blalock Okay, obviously Millsap, and possibly Smith and Powe. But 1. We had Zach and had just drafted LaMarcus, whereas we'd just traded our starting PG for the #7 pick. 2. NOBODY thought those guys would be any more than journeymen, and you don't use first rounders on journeymen. In fact low first rounders SHOULD be used on Euros, because Americans you're stuck with for 3 years minimum, but Euros you might NEVER have to bring over.
