How long can this team hold up without a trade?

As much as it was a GUTSY win last night. We were sliced and diced by average guards and owned by dalmabert. Tonight should be interesting vs the Clippers. I guess if we can hang with them it might be a encouraging sign. However lets be real here, if the BLazers goal is to make the playoffs.... they will have to move one of those first rounders to get a forward/center. To make playoffs we will need 21 more wins out of 41 win games. A perfect 500 IMO. Suns, Grizz Rockets coming strong. Theres no way this roster as is can beat top teams. no way with that front line.

What is my plan?

Well assuming the bLazers want playoffs? The answer besides Anthony Randolph (who is suddenly scaring me that cant get playing time on knicks) is THE KINGS!
Watching that game last night, im sure half that team is tradable. Dalambert, Landry, Thompson. Alll bigs that could help us. Landry would be perfect behind LA for his scoring even though he blew last night. Any of those 3 would be good short term answers for us and im sure SAC would unload and not care since they want cousins more playing time. Sac could be a good trading partner. And Dalembert could play the camby role perfectly. DEFENSE, REBOUNDS, SHOT BLOCKING.

 

I think it depends on what you mean by hold up? I think it also really depends on other teams and what they do. My gut feeling is that the plan is to build on LA, Batum and Matthews with some youthful players that fit with them.

 

My bowels are telling me the same thing .... or it could just be gas.

 

I think that's pretty much it. They'll probably make Oden an offer and hope that he can be a piece of the future, but he's too tenuous to plan around. My bet is that they will go with the Aldridge as center model and look for a good PF to pair him with. Roy isn't going anywhere unless he retires, so he's a piece of the future, but most likely in a much diminished role. Other than that, everybody's available for deals.

I know that there's a sense around here that a deal has to be made right now because of the Blazers' injury situation and that it's not happening because Cho is frozen in indecision. I think the reality is that deals are difficult to make when so many of your assets are rehabbing injuries. I also think that there's an order to the timing of most NBA trades. You get in-season deals at three times: 1) right after the season begins, when teams dump pieces that just don't fit; 2) just after the Dec. 15th date when recently signed players become available to trade; and 3) just before the trade deadline. It takes at least two teams to make a trade and because of this trade order and because of the injury situation, I doubt anything of consequence happens until mid-February. One good thing in all of this is that Joel is getting more PT and looking better. His value as both an ending contract and a big who can contribute in the playoffs will rise...assuming he can avoid the injury plague.

 

With Camby out and Joel not moving well you can pretty much expect teams to attack the paint and rim a lot, and that is what we saw last night. That is what we are also going to see for the near future. That being said, I don't see a trade happening because we can't afford to move any pieces of value they are the only one's we have left, and all the rest of the players are not desirable by other teams for the most part, which means that you are going to find out the answer to your question, directly.

 

nah we ca use that 1st rounder to upgrade. you cant leave that front court as is.

 

No to Dalembert he makes over 13m season, have to give up too much to make salaries match. That is also his first double double in a month.

 

According to John Cazano, the Portland Trail Blazers could send one of their draft picks to New York Knicks for Anthony Randolph. An NBA source also told him the Sacramento Kings would like to trade Carl Landry and would talk to Blazers about a first-round pick and $3 million in cash.

http://www.hoopsnotes.com/teams/portland/blazers-have-offers-for-randolph-landry/

 

Landry would make an excellent back up forward. That is most of the Kings problem. Both of their forwards would make an awesome backup. But not a starter. I guess the question is, is he worth a 1st? Really? That is questionable to me. Maybe. Maybe not.

Randolph I think is worth the chance because I think one way to pick up high level talent is to get guys that other teams have given up on who have a high level of talent. I see this kid as a guy who was drafted by a team who had no chance to develope his talents, and who was traded to another team who has chosen not to take the time to develope him. We have the time to develop him. We also have Bill Bayno who I consider one of the best offensive individual moves coaches in the league, right up there with Grgurich. So I would roll the bones.

 

Hold up? Is that remain same % or is that making playoffs??

IMO: Look to trade Przybilla (expiring and probably will leave), and if the right deal is there, Miller and Camby too, but these two can also wait until summer or next season as they are under contract.
We have a good core of Aldridge, Batum and Matthews. Add a recovered Oden to that and it becomes above .500 level. Look to use your draft picks to find more players and use your MLE to find another Matthews.

We aren't doing anything EVEN IF we make the postseason. I think it more important to be building up a team for 2-3 years from now. Yeah, I don't care what our record ends up being this year. For every additional loss, we may get a better pick in the draft.

 

landry is exactly what we need at backup pf!

and he could start at pf and move la to center

 

Do we still have a trade exception available to use?? We have 15 guys under contract - so we would have to waive or trade someone to create a roster spot for Landry or anyone else.
I agree Landry is probably a better F than Marks is, but at what cost? Really not sure he's worth a first rounder!!

 

I don't know - I would take a flyer on Landry. I do not think that SAC knows how to use him properly. He did much better with the Rockets - where a proper coach understood how to put him in position to succeed. I suspect you will see a rebound in his effectiveness under Nate.

 

That is a good idea. But I do not know how teams are taking to clearing cap space now with some of them having free agency failures the last few years, and the free agent crop really isn't that great.

We can't depend on Oden coming back IMO, so if we got rid of Joel, and knowing Camby only has another year or so, we would either have to move Aldridge to Center or find one. I am done depending on Oden to come back. If he does he does, if he doesn't, I don't want the team depending on him.

 

Landry has bad knees according to the Mikes, so I really don't think Portland should bring him in.

 

Interesting I had not heard that. The question is though is it somthing a little maintence could clear up, or is it career limiting? We are talking backup here, not playing 40 a game.

 

I hadn't either, but I trust the Mike's. Only they know the real story

 

we're not scared of players with bad knees, bring it on.

 

Looking at the rest of the schedule, we have a lot of tough games left, especially if Denver holds on to Carmello for the rest of the season. We still have 3 games left against San Antonio and 3 games left against the Lakers. There are some very winnable games left too, but I don't think we make the playoffs without a move to either acquire a player who can be a short term closer for the season (our 4th quarters have been abysmal) and another front court player. Maybe Batum can be the closer, but I don't think he is ready for that role yet. Realistically we will be fortunate if we can get 43 wins for the season without a trade. I don't know if that is enough to get into the playoffs, but probably not. Without Camby, it will be even more difficult.

I hate to say it, but I think MIXUM's right. To make the playoffs, this team needs a trade to shore up the front line . Otherwhise it is probably lotto time. I thought we would make the playoffs without Roy, but without Roy and Camby (for an extended stretch) I think we might end up at #9 or #10.

 

I don't think that this season is like past seasons where you need 50 to get into the playoffs. The West is vastly depleted in talent from what it was 2 years ago. Look at the record of all the teams competing for the 7 and 8 spot. Out of all the teams competing for that 8 spot currently, only one has a record over .500. Portland. So that being said, I think that a .500 record will be close to getting you in. A couple games over gives you a real good shot.