Because he's not a talking head that is a Blazer employee? Will actually be critical of an organization that deserves to be questioned on some things? I mean other than Nic, did he say anything that wasn't true?
That wasnt my point. He's just a fan with a website. I dont understand why he gets more attention then other hardcore fans. But props to him for making a living off of it.
I realize he is "just a fan", but fans can have just as much if not more insight to the game of basketball than beat writers, or even someone like Barrett or Wheels. What he said was almost spot on, so it's hard to discredit him, IMO
Was just a fan. He's a reporter for CBS Sports. Reading his tweets I think they have him covering the Miami/Boston series in person.
We need to KEEP our picks. We need talent and we need depth. We should be able to get some quality with both picks in the top 11 in this draft. Keep the picks, sign a good FA, and in a couple of years we should be in business.
I agree wholeheartedly, I just don't think it will happen unless the new GM is a believer in that strategy and has PA's ear
Kind of rooting for Neil Olshey to get the GM job...Seems to have a good eye for talent and I think would utilize both picks...
I know Ben personally, and he's much more then a blogger. He has press credentials and has A LOT of access and is always at Blazers practices and events. The guy knows his stuff. To cast him off because he writes for a sports blog is very short sighted.
Being at the practices and games is helpful, no doubt, but true insider info requires sources. Real sources, not those unnamed ones that Canzano has. Having credentials gives only access to the show, but doesn't guarantee information. I have no idea how connected Ben actually is though.
He's a Warren LaGarie client. If PA is still butthurt about LaGarie, then it doesn't really matter is Olshey is the best man for the job, does it?
Batum has an above average PER. HOWEVER: He has never averaged starters minutes. 30 minutes per game. When Nik has a full season under his belt averaging 35+ minutes per game AND his PER is still well north of 15, then we can confidently label him "Above Average". Right now I think he is about average. Compare Batum to a player often mentioned on this board who has a similar PER - Andre Iguodala. He has averaged 38 minutes per game for his freakin career. THAT is a starter. And that is a player you can cofidently say is "above average". Nik still has to grow as a player.
So, a starter has to be given starter's minutes before you can label him as a starter? Makes sense, I guess, but I'm not sure how much fault belongs to Nic for the Blazers having had Gerald Wallace on the roster taking up minutes at the SF spot.
A player needs to contribute at a certain level over a certain amount of time in order to have the level of production matter. If Batum started and played 13 minutes a game and had a 25 PER, would he be an MVP-level player? Almost certainly not. Batum (again, right now, not forever) doesn't play a lot of minutes, and while he produces at a pretty good level for those minutes, I agree with Masbee that he's average until he can put up better-than-average numbers for more minutes. Ed O.
