This team needs a lot of things. I really don't know why we waived Gomes. I thought he was a nice pickup.
I would be too if I saw what happened to my team. They don't have much of a shot at moving past the first round, so why blow a bunch of money?
Starting when? Word around the league was that the Blazers were overpaying for Matthews to the point Utah didn't match. He wasn't penny pinching with Matthews which was just this summer.
It really comes down to Matthews or Webster, because when the Webster trade was made, Matthews was going to be the back-up SF. When Roy went down, Matthews' versatility has been a bigger plus than anything Webster would have given the team, IMO. No Webster trade, and I doubt that Wesley Matthews is a Blazer right now.
When the Blazers traded Webster they got Ryan Gomes and his nice contract in return. They were able to terminate it and save $4-5M. That extra money off the books went towards signing Matthews. It's also not overpaying if you believe a player is worth it. I think Matthews has proven by now he's more than worth his contract. In the end they didn't overpay for him at all. Even if you want to say they originally did they still had that extra $4-5M they got for not retaining Gomes. It was a smart move that you can argue was KP's.
OK on all that, but you are saying PA is becoming cost effcient. So even by trading away Webster and saving money with Gomes doesn't mean he has to now go out and spend money. Being cost effcient doesn't mean when you save money you go out and spend the saved money. And whatever matthews has done, you would be hard pressed to find someone characterize PA as cost effcient with the deal offered to Matthews. Point is I don't think PA has become "cost effcient." Did you read an article taht makes you think this? Edit: Just read you said a couple of guys said this . . . not disbelieving, but who?
This was a very active topic a few years ago. Paul Allen had instructed the Vulcans to cut costs and to break even. That said, perhaps his subsequent cancer problems have changed that stance, since Leiweke is no longer with Vulcan? http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2009/07/canzano_roy_should_get_anythin.html .
Well I think whoever was saying that was flat out wrong. PA has opened his pocketbook many times since then including a large offer to Hedo, Milsap, Miller, Camby, Matthew, Roy and Aldrdige. Blazers transactions in the past couple years show that PA isn't being cheap right?
Only 4 rookies have averaged more then 20m since McMillian has taken over the blazers. Jack in 2005 20.2MPG, the other point guards at that time were Telfair and Blake. Roy 35.4/ LMA 22.1 LMA would have averaged less minutes if Randolph hadn't gone down with that injury in March. Rudy 25.4 2008 Rudy was the only person who could backup Roy. Besides Rudy/Roy who both most defiantly earned there playing time, most rookies don't get big minutes from McMillian. Besides the fact Babbit is a 3 who definatly won't see playing time, even though it sounds like he is tearing it up in practice and if you see him shoot in the shoot around before games the guy is deadly, unless there is an injury McMillian wont let this guy see any time.
I guess that depends on your definition of cheap. I used cheap instead of cost efficient (someone said PA is now cost efficient). . . but whatever, history shows PA has not been cost efficient in recent years . . . if ever.
Oden averaged 21.5 mpg as a rookie. That's 5. Plus, Martell Webster averaged 17.5 mpg fresh out of HS. The other first-round picks are Freeland (overseas), Koponen (overseas), Claver (overseas), Williams (injured), and Babbit. So, 5/6 of the first-round picks under Nate that are available have seen significant minutes, and this is from inheriting a 21-win team.
He wasn't in terms of the CBA. That the NBA wanted to call him as a rookie only mattered in terms of calling him a rookie. If he really was considered a rookie in legal terms, then the Blazers should petition the NBA to get another year before having to offer G.O. a Q.O. I'm all for that!
Zach missed four games in March. he did miss all of April. Then again, so did Aldridge so....no. Most rookies in general don't get big minutes in the NBA. Especially when there are better options ahead of them. Jack got minutes, when he had Blake and Telfair. He could have very easily given those minutes forced to Telfair, since he was just a lottery pick the season before.
I realize I'm coming in late and after the Babbitt talk, but for what it's worth, I have consistently posted my doubts about him. Not that he can't be a decent NBA player, per se, but that it will take time. He should be down in the D-League getting playing time and developing his fundamentals more.
