Can we please get something straight with this "contender" stuff...

That's probably OK. I'm not anti-trade (especially if it's just a matter of shedding an injured or dead-wood player) but this team probably needs more roster stability than it does more moves. I think they're going to give Miller and Roy a legitimate run in the backcourt before they decide on any trades and that will probably extend closer to the deadline.

 

oh good mike... that means when we lose 7 in a row... you can praise how well the blazers are dribbling the ball. its anbsolute disgrace how big of a pussy kp is. wonder where mb gets it from?

 

The Blazers are always contenders. Not that what they are contending for is always an NBA championship, but they are contending for something!

 

maybe barrett could just be honest (instead of being a kiss ass) and say KP isnt the type of gM who makes in season deals unless its lotto related."

I mean its become a joke with pritchard how bad he is when it comes to taking the big step. i mean if your the twolves or nets... hes your guy.... if you have a great core in place.... your fucked.

 

How well do you think bad mouthing your boss goes over? It might appease you, but it wouldn't do much for his career.

 

unless he plans on getting a job in the front office... hes peaked with the blazers anyway.

Maybe its time for someone to tell it how it is?

 

I agree he could be less homer. Like a lot of announcers elsewhere. But I don't think it is ever smart to cross the line with the person who is your boss, unless you plan on having a resume generating event as we call it in the IT industry.

 

Maybe you should see who signs his checks?

 

I actually get a kick out of MB's homerism. At least once a game he makes a call before the official does "And they dump it into Shaq, who travels with the ball, score it and they are going to call a foul. on. Joel. oh my." Or "Mayo out of control drive to the basket . . . Offensive Foul! No, they are going to call a blocking. foul. on. Blake." I love it. Between him, Rice, & Wheels I think they want to win as bad as we do.

As for the contenders theme . . . before the preseason the Blazers were the darlings of the Western Conference. How many times did we hear "If anyone can unseat the Lakers, it's the Portland Trailblazers". Were we contenders then? Even those who doubted thought the team was a year or two away, but had the right pieces in place. So much has changed since then. Pretty much everything that had to go right for us has gone wrong. It very well could be a lost season. But that's better than a lost decade! I hope they at least try and see what the young guys can do, so next year we know better what we DO need to be contenders.

 

For sake of argument, let's assume that's correct. Batum's injury is also something that players often fully recover from. Of course, this will set their careers back because of lost development time. At the begining of next season, they may well be back to where they were at the begining of the 08 season. (and that's the optimistic view)

Outlaw's broken foot? Maybe. Foot injuries are hard to predict.

Rudy's back? That is bad news. Players with back injuries generally have problems the rest of their career.

Bottom line: it seems suicidal to just stand pat and hope all 4 players are healthy and productive next season. The team needs to trade - not to salvage this season, but to reload for the future.

 

Um, yes we were contenders. We tied for 2nd place in the West last year. We blew the Lakers out twice. Coming off a 54 win season, we added a veteran borderline all-star PG and Oden improved leaps and bounds. We're a young team with a high ceiling, every player has gotten better from another year of experience. The only reason why we're not contenders is because of injuries. But erase them and we are. Maybe not favorites, but contenders definitely. Do you know the definition of a contender? To say the Blazers had zero chance of winning it all is ridiculous. Of course the chances aren't as high as we want, but it's still a pretty decent chance, especially given our margin of victory stats from last season and at the beginning of this year.