Kenny Smith: Zach Randolph is the best post player in the league

Why did we trade him?

 

Greg Oden.

KP & Co. didn't want Z-Bo and the basketball fam around him.

Hindsight 20/20 is a motherfucker sometimes.

 

Imaginary Cap Space.

 

Because he was an immature douche bag who would be dead or have killed someone else by now if he stayed. Good for him for straightening up. Glad he isn't on our team.

 

The same reason the Knicks and Clippers traded him

 

Historically poorly run organizations?

 

I don't know why this is something new, to be honest.

As Blazer fans, we all should know what Z-Bo is capable of. Remember when he got snubbed for Okur in the All-Star game? We were just as pissed as when Aldridge got snubbed. He was an All-Star then and he is still now.

We also know how destructive he is in the post and with his rebounding skills. Since the 2003 Dallas series, he's always been one of few players left with a true post game.

I think Portland fans should still appreciate what he did for this organization and not boo him when he comes to town, even if he was a Hoopz Fam member and a Jailblazer before being a Trailblazer.

And we traded him because of Aldridge, the up and coming PF who could play better defense and who was more athletic.

 

Bad decision making?

 

Addition by subtraction

 

Clearly that's your opinion.

I like Zach's game, but his low basketball IQ might've cost them the game tonight. He jacked up a wild shot with 20 seconds left and no time on the shot-clock.

 

You've got to be kidding me. Zach has led Memphis to the playoffs and six victories and a tied series in the second round. Meanwhile, we struggle to win two playoff games a year.

Give Zach credit.

 

Because he was massively overpaid with a terrible contract. Knicks and Clippers soon found that out as well, and that's why they got rid of him.

Nice to see that Zach finally grew up in Memphis, though.

 

Nope. Historically poor organizations with bad GMs. That's the ticket.

 

Trading Zach got us Frye. This decimated the Knicks who then dumped Malik Rose and signed Wilson Chandler and Allen Houston and signed Donnie Walsh. This allowed them to hire D'Antoni and disappoint everyone. Then they signed Duhon, who was Sergio's equal, so they traded Patrick Ewing, Jr. to Houston, who then let Von Wafer go, making Pritchard's decision to let him go look good and extending Pritchard's life here. This enabled Pritchard to last long enough to get himself canned but not long enough to get McMillan canned, which brought us to our current quandary.

This plan all started with trading Zach, whom in a future post I will trace to his clone Moses.

 

Or maybe his improvement is best explained by the Escaped the Oregonian's Microscrutiny Theory.

 

I like Zach, just not as much as you. Your stat is interesting, you focus on what he's done this year vs what the Blazers have done in the past. How many playoff victories did he lead the Blazers to? He's been in the league 10 year and made it to the 2nd round once and missed the playoffs more times than not, so I certainly wouldn't label him a winner.

Zach is a good player with a unique skill set. He deserves credit for a great season THIS year. However, he hasn't always been the winner or great leader of playoff teams that you're making him out to be.

 

Yeah

They realized it was a poor decision to acquire a player with such a terrible contract they knew they just had to get rid of him.

Zach had one of the worst contracts in the NBA, and that's why only terrible teams/organizations traded for him. Pretty simple.

 

Contract wasn't terrible. Zach earns his keep.

All star.
20/10 guy
In the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Being called the best post player in the league.

In that "worst contract in the NBA" of his.

Poor decision or poor management? I'm guessing the latter.

 

Nah

He was massively overpaid, and his contract ran through the 2010 FA, and that's why no smart organization would touch him. He was an immature player that was massively overpaid. Terrible combination.

Like I said earlier, it's nice to see he finally grew up when he got to Memphis. I'm sure playing for another contract had something to do with it.