Just think that anything that is said now is smoke. The team probably has guys in the lottery they like and don't want to tip their hand in any way. Everything you hear now up until the draft is done is gamesmanship. It happens every year.
Ben is right on that the Blazers management is delusional. But Ben is also highly skewed because he's always skeptical for the skeptic's sake (ex. I'm taking the opposite or creating an opposite just for the sake of being controversial) rather than taking a critical, open-minded approach. This isn't a bad thing, it just means his arguments are diluted from time to time. For one, Batum isn't an average SF. Scouts and GM's know this. That's why they're ready to offer him money this summer. Secondly, Mathews isn't below average. He's arguably a tad bit better than average. Why? He can shoot the three and play defense....certainly better than half the league's starting shooting guards. Portland definitely stole him from Utah. Other than that, he's just stating the obvious. Delusional staff/"Yes Men", no starting center, no starting point guard.
Delusional staff/"Yes Men" - This part is message board lemming BS. no starting center, no starting point guard. - This part is what the draft and summer trades/free agency are for.
No, it's not. Using both of out lottery picks is the best option. It raises the chances of us getting a major impact player. Outside of Davis, no one is guaranteed to make a major impact. I'd rather have two opportunities rather than completely wasting one of our picks to move up a couple spots. Two lottery picks is better than one, especially when we are rebuilding.
I agree mostly with his analysis of the team presently, although I think Wes is average. The only way to be sure to get an impact player in the draft is to trade up for #1 and that won't happen. I think it's possible with the cap space they have and the draft picks to obtain an above average center and PG and I think it might pan out better than trading LMA and starting over. OKC somehow ended up with three picks in the top five in a short time span; that's not easy to repeat. And then they had to be perfect in their drafting and lucky in having no injuries.
Speaking of Batum... I think S&T options could be intriguing. The Warriors have him high on their wish list FWIW. They have some interesting players I'd be interested in.
You don't base your rebuild strategy and sign Batum to a $10-11\year deal with the HOPE that he blossoms into a "core 3" guy....He has been in the league 5 years and he has pretty much the same inconsistent player for all 5...capable of great offensive output one night and practically invisible another....I would not base my rebuild strategy around a guy like that, I would be trying to acquire other core pieces, and yes resign Batum, maybe even over pay and then if he does improve into one of those type players the team is that much stronger.... This team needs top line talent...first and foremost...forget about positions...PG...C...who gives a crap, talent trumps all in the NBA....you can sign a mid tier PG and as long as you have 1-2 other core players to play alongside LA it doesn't really matter...POR needs players who when given the ball at the end of games can create for themselves and open up opportunities for others....right now LA is the ONLY player that can do that....they need consistent scoring and right now LA is the ONLY player that can do that... I am not opposed to overpaying for Batum, but only after you have swung for the fences in the draft on #6 & #11 and signed a mid tier player with a big chunk of that $12-13 million in cap space (and preferably signed another mid tier vet to a $4-5 year deal)...same goes for Hickson...stack talent...and right now this team has very little of it...
Batum can't be traded or even negotiated with until after the draft right? Anyway, say the Warriors drafted a guy the Blazers liked, and Batum wanted to go there could the recent draftee (7th pick) even be traded? There seem to be too many moving parts to this proposal is what I'm trying to say.
Yeah he can't be traded until after July 1st. It would have to be something that was agreed upon and then executed after the fact.
Agree with that. Like you said though, the salaries.... makes no sense to want to pay a comparable talent 3-4 times as much the next 3 years.
Not to mention that Batum would have to agree to a S&T, and that that would be contingent upon him not receiving and accepting a better offer from another team (since you can't S&T an RFA match).
Goliver is a blogger, a blazer fan with a website. He has no more credibility than most of us on this forum. I dont understand why the local sports stations give him so much love.
It didn't need fixing Wes Matthews PER was 14.12, which is below average for an NBA player, much less a starter Nic's was 17.32, which is above average, and what I said Our only center on the roster right this moment is Kurt Thomas Our only PG on the roster right now is Nolan Smith So again, what about what he said isn't true?
