It's just funny how much vitriol went to the writer who actually got it right. After Oden missed the entire first season, I never had any illusions about him becoming some permanent fixture. I took heat for it, and it's not something that I'm happy I was correct about, either.
After the first surgery I remember feeling pretty apprehensive about his future, but still hopeful. By the time he'd suffered the kneecap splitting for no good reason and then had to have microfracture on his other knee nine months after that I lost any hope that he'd ever amount to anything in a Blazers uniform ... Them's the breaks I guess.
I am less engaged with this season than I've been in... at least 13 years or so. I think that's got very little to do with the team's (lack of) success, though. Even when the team was winning, I didn't find the team very interesting to watch and I had the feeling (which only faded for about three days when I got my hopes up) it wasn't going to last. The Oden and Roy injuries really hurt, and I found the draft day moves to be pathetic. That combination of heartbreak and mediocrity in the front office (on the heels of getting rid of Pritchard and Cho) feeds into my apathy about the team. I need something to shake it up and I'm hoping that the team stops trying to build for the playoffs and, instead, tries to get players that might help us challenge for HCA and, ultimately, a championship. Ed O.
Even my homer self seemed very unmotivated to get back into the season for the most part. I started loving the team again when we fired Nate and traded Wallace and Camby. What we got back wasn't anything spectacular; but it got me excited because changes were being made. The most excitement I had so far was how we stole Hickson. He has become the one bright spot this season. I was hoping Flynn would have knocked it out of the park too, but he will only amount to a reserve for a team. Nothing too excited about if you ask me.
Two things: 1. Now I actually read through the thread instead of just linking to it, I see that a lot of people had the Blazers in the bottom half. And, of course, one negative nelly had them way lower than I did. 2. This doesn't mean that I was smart (and wasn't supposed to), just that the general mood was one of cautious optimism. (I actually thought I was being a bit negative at the time. Plus I thought that everyone else would be good.) Of course there were the cockeyed optimists and the relentless moaners who mark the true extremes, but we discount them.
Wow, Ed. Way to perfectly capture my experience. We're twins! I'd add that the massive Trading Deadline Massacre actually simultaneously made me feel more optimistic about next season, but to lose all interest in this season. Without it, I would be even MORE gloomy.
I canceled DirecTV this year, but went with League Pass Broadband. Kind of wish I hadn't bothered with LP at all. I haven't watched any NBA game in a few weeks. I'm much less interested in this team than I was with the 21 win team from 2005. To go from the promise of Oden/Roy/Aldridge/Batum to this.... Shit's just too depressing.
Hickson is nice, but I don't see him as a difference-maker worth a large contract. I was actually hoping that Thabeet would suddenly find his game and start dominating on defense and in rebounding, or at least give a glimpse of those skills. He was the one pick-up this season that could actually be a franchise-changer, given his size. I still hope he sticks around for another year or two, if the price is right. He just turned 25, and some big men take longer to develop their game. He did put up a 13 PER his rookie year on 10% Usage, so maybe there is something there that can be developed in the right situation?
To clarify my thoughts on Hickson, either he has just suddenly exploded into a 20 PER player and is goingto play at that level for years, or he's getting nice numbers on a team with little coaching that is losing games. Plus, he's in a contract push. I'd just be very leery of giving Hickson a lot of money. Nothing in his past says he's going to play at this level on a winning team.
Not to be a nit-picking asshole, but Rudy was actually dealt to the Mavs. I don't remember what they dealt him to the Nuggets for. I agree though, that trade and the firing of Cho cemented my opinion that the front office was/is completely clueless.
hindsight on the felton-Miller swap makes it look horrible. I've still seen nothing concrete to say we HAD to pass on Faried, so don't know why that should be included as part of the swap. Maybe I missed it, though. But using a late 1st(Rudy) to move from a 35 year old PG on the tail end of his career, when we were all able to admit we were not likely a title contender, to a 27 year old, just hitting his prime, and potentially able to join our core as it aged is a decent move. It failed because Felton was so out of shape. But the risk in the trade makes a ton of sense to me. I wasn't a huge fan of the deal, but wasn't super against it either. I just think it's a risk worth taking at the position we were at. Felton came in out of shape, and then clashed with Nate as well. And killed our season. Since the AS break, he has averaged 13 and 7 and has shot 38% from 3. Similar to what Miller did for us last year, plus 28% extra from 3. 8 years younger, and a chance to grow with our core. I don't want to defend Felton too much, he's gone, good riddance, etc. It's his fault for coming in so out of shape. But the deal as made, IMO, wasn't a terrible deal, it was made with the right intention. I can't think of a player similar to Felton at C, but if that same deal had been around for Camby, old C and Rudy(or other throw away) for C entering their prime, I'd do that one as well, and I can see why management did. And I know the complaint will be made about Felton, was looking at 82 games.com yesterday, found it interesting that Felton in clutch situations(5 point game, 5 minutes or less, 4th or OT) averages 3.3 TOs per 48 min. 9.2 assists. Nash is at 10.3/8.1 A/TO.
I'm not sure, considering all that has happened this season, that it was even a bad trade. Maybe the Blazers would have won a few more games with Miller, but still, the grind it out offense was boring, and at least Felton did bring some tempo to watch this year. Now, Nate's gone, which makes most people happy, and there are some draft picks and cap space to look forward to this summer. I'd just like to know who exactly is in charge of making the decisions on the draft and in FA more than anything else. Unless that is settled, it's tough to invest fully in this team, at least in terms of expectations.
The only entertaining thing about Blazer games anymore is watching Luke Babbit shoot those 30 foot 3 pointers. So I guess in a way, that means Luke Babbit is my favorite player. Oh how we've fallen.....
I've been a Blazer fan since I've known what a basketball was, and this has been the least interested I've ever been in the team.
I think we had the perfect storm this season. To start, the lockout took its toll. The owners were greedy to stuff 66 games in 80 days. Really hurt teams that were used to playing the regular schedule. Flat out killed most teams road record. Then we lost Roy, Oden was hurt again and the guys we picked up were not in shape. Started off as a run and gun team, but Nate just couldent let that go with all the turn overs. Nate pulls in the reins and the team rebels, he is out of favor and the team will not play for him. Nate gets fired. Had things been different, a regular schedule, training camp, roles defined before the season started, this would have been a much more enjoyable season. With all that stated, I for one was ready to pass on the whole season rather that watch the disaster that transpired.
I think in the long run this will be looked upon as one of the most valuable Blazers seasons ever: - Got the team past the Roy-Oden era. - Dumped a couple of aging players (Camby & Wallace [a lot of miles on him if not that old]) who didn't fit with a future of building to compete a few years down the road. - Turned the page on McMillan and, hopefully, his slow-paced game. - Got a pick from NJ that, again hopefully, will give the Blazers a lottery pick in a deep draft. - Suffered through a bunch of losses in close games that ended up pushing the Blazers out of the playoffs (and probably another first round exit) thereby earning another lottery pick. - Picked up Hickson for next to nothing and put him in a position to showcase what he can do for the team in the future. - Got some PT for bench guys to see who has a future with the team. - Put the team in a position to have plenty of cap space to use this summer. Now, get a good GM under contract to help make the necessary decisions and moves going forward and hire a good coach to make a new push and this team could get back into relevancy real quick. Not a bad return for one short, crappy season.
Usually I am optimistic about the Blazers and right there on most of your thoughts, but being bitter about the Blazers I'm going to disagree that this year was the most valuable year ever 1. getting past the Roy-Oden era is not good unless there is another era following. I think it is depressing and bad for the Blazers that this year we learned Roy had to retire. It's like when we traded Sheed or Drexler or whoever is deemed to be worthy of an era. Not good to stop an era as it may mean team sucks for a while. Don't think Roy retiring can be spun any other way but bad news for the Blazers. Don't even know where to begin with Oden, but again I think it is all bad 2. Camby could be dumped at end of season regardless of what happened this year. Wallace was traded for a draft pick which was bad for this year but could be good for future . . . but Blazers having a lottery pick or two is anything but a guarantee that good players will be acquired 3 This board wanted Nate gone so it is looked at as a good thing. We will see with the next coach and the Blazer record next year whether everyone was right about Nate. but the fact the players revolted and drove Nate out is not good in my mind. 4. Bunch of tough losses to get a lottery pick may pay off or may turn out to be a lot of losses for nothing in return. It also makes us a lottery team on the rebuild to any free agents. 5. Hickson was a good waiver wire pick up. Blazers can match, but Hickson is the one who benefited the most from the Blazers move. Let's see how much Hickson will cost this summer to decide if how good that waiver pick up was 6 Getting young players playing time showed what I expected. The players don't compare to proven players 7 Blazers had cap space this summer with or without the moves during the season Now on to the negatives of the season: playoff streak done; only potential young player who had promise gets injured again and is out for the season . . . again, one wonders now if you can count on him in the future; Blazers realized this season they have no PGs for next season; the face of the Blazers retires (no trade for draft picks, no resurgence, Blazer loss an all star with nothing in return); Blazers waive their #1 pick and supposed franchise player when drafted. Probably other things gone bad but I'm trying to block it out. Basically my pessimistic view is this was a disastrous season where everything went wrong and Blazers are now a solid lottery team looking to become a playoff team again. Most valuable season ever vs. worst season Blazers have had in a long time . . . I don't think we are seeing eye to eye when it comes to the Blazers
