Blazers in the Olympics

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UKRAINEFAN

UKRAINEFAN

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I thought it might be easier to have this all in one thread rather than one for each game.
Here is Ben Golliver's take on Batum, Freeland and Claver: http://www.blazersedge.com/

He didn't get that excited about Batum's latest play as it was against inferior competition and Batum still having defensive lapses. He really liked Freeland's game and motor against Spain. From just that one game it seems Freeland may just not have the height or reach to play any time at center and it seems he should stick to putbacks and jumpshots. Claver has just been blah throughout the entire tournament.
 
Spain vs. Russia; Claver did not play in a close game.
 
It's interesting how close some of these forgien teams can play team USA. It makes me wonder how an international team like Lithuania would fare if they were transplanted into the NBA. They don't even have any NBA players.

It would be like if the Blazers bench played an NBA all-star team and only lost by 6 points.

On Batum, I always thought the Blazers were massively over-paying him. I believe the Blazers will regret not letting him go.
 
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Remember this? Team USA getting it's ass kicked by Greece in 2006. I remember there was one year where team USA didn' even get a bronze.

 
Freeland looked good against Australia until Deng and Pops decided to play one on one.

Patty Mills destroyed the GB guards, though.
 
KingSpeed said:
Yea, I didn't think we medaled in 06
Click to expand...

The USA was 3rd at the World Championships in '06. The US has never failed to get a medal in the Olympics. They came in 6th at the World Championships in 2002.
 
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Sinobas said:
On Batum, I always thought the Blazers were massively over-paying him. I believe the Blazers will regret not letting him go.
Click to expand...

How would the Blazers benefit from letting their second best player who is still developing and only 23 years old, walk without compensation?
 
HCP said:
How would the Blazers benefit from letting their second best player who is still developing and only 23 years old, walk without compensation?
Click to expand...

Depends if they could do something better with the money. Our acquisition cost for Batum was very little, but the cost to keep him is much higher than his current worth. That strikes me as a flawed formula. We're not invested in him as many people seem to feel. Letting him walk without compensation isn't really that big of a loss, with how replaceable his production is likely to be.
 
Who on the free agent market would we have replaced him with?
 
AK would not have come here. And imagine these nerds freaking out on here if we paid him $10M a year!
 
HCP said:
AK would not have come here. And imagine these nerds freaking out on here if we paid him $10M a year!
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Portland actually has a fairly big Russian community so he'd come here.
 
Who on here would rather have a 31 year old Andre Kiralenko at $10M a year over 23 year old Nic at $11M?
 
HCP said:
Who on here would rather have a 31 year old Andre Kiralenko at $10M a year over 23 year old Nic at $11M?
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Don't go injecting logic into this thread! That's just rude.
 
HCP said:
Who on here would rather have a 31 year old Andre Kiralenko at $10M a year over 23 year old Nic at $11M?
Click to expand...
I'm with you man. Solidaridad, Dad!
 
BBert said:
Who on the free agent market would we have replaced him with?
Click to expand...

That way of looking at things is why we [IMO] overspent to keep Batum. Just because there's no one currently available that's as good or better, doesn't mean it's wise to overspend to keep someone that makes an uncompetitive team marginally better. Save the money and improve the team elsewhere. The team is too young to think in terms of immediate replacements.
 
BBert said:
Who on the free agent market would we have replaced him with?
Click to expand...

That way of looking at things is why we [IMO] overspent to keep Batum. Just because there's no one currently available that's as good or better, doesn't mean it's wise to overspend to keep someone that makes an uncompetitive team marginally better. Save the money and improve the team elsewhere. The team is too young to think in terms of immediate replacements.
 
handiman said:
That way of looking at things is why we [IMO] overspent to keep Batum. Just because there's no one currently available that's as good or better, doesn't mean it's wise to overspend to keep someone that makes an uncompetitive team marginally better. Save the money and improve the team elsewhere. The team is too young to think in terms of immediate replacements.
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Where?

With who?

I have to bring up El Prez's old "Imaginary Cap Space" rants, because I'd actually agree with it now if the Blazers had let Batum walk and done nothing with that money. Batum, based on the market, isn't drastically being overpaid, which is a subjective value anyhow. It's not a "fact" that Batum is being overpaid. His value is based on the eye of the observer, and not some set value. Luckily, even with Batum's contract, the Blazers should have decent cap space next summer as well, and don't have any significant RFAs to protect or to sign.
 
handiman said:
That way of looking at things is why we [IMO] overspent to keep Batum. Just because there's no one currently available that's as good or better, doesn't mean it's wise to overspend to keep someone that makes an uncompetitive team marginally better. Save the money and improve the team elsewhere. The team is too young to think in terms of immediate replacements.
Click to expand...

Nic is the furthest thing from an "immediate replacement"! The guy will not be in his prime for another 6 years!
 
HCP said:
Who on here would rather have a 31 year old Andre Kiralenko at $10M a year over 23 year old Nic at $11M?
Click to expand...

Not to mention a 31 year old who started playing internationally at a young age and who has a shown signs of breaking down over the long grueling NBA season. I would love to have him coming off the bench for 5 million, but hoping his injuries problems are behind him is a long shot.

I don't fault the TWolves for signing him, (Only a 2 year deal) but why would we when we can have Batum?
 
HCP said:
Nic is the furthest thing from an "immediate replacement"! The guy will not be in his prime for another 6 years!
Click to expand...

Reading comprehension is a lost art... I was replying to, "Who on the free agent market would we have replaced him with?" It should have been clear that Batum wasn't the immediate replacement being referred to.

Next year is the off-season to be looking at free agency. Dallas has it right, with short-term filler contracts to take another run when most teams are reeling from having overspent the past two years in a tightened CBA.
 
Patty's having a fun Olympics - first he sets an Olympic scoring record with 39 points (for a huge comeback win over Freeland and hapless GB) then this:

[video=youtube;rEZr74pQqiY]

(To be fair: Russia weren't trying very hard, as they'd already qualified. But still.)

Ex-Blazers in the Olympics:
Patty
Ike Diogu
Viktor Khryapa and Sergei Monya
Rudy and Sergio

Player Blazers still holds the rights to:
Federico Kammerichs (STILL on the Argentine national team)

Legendary Ex-Blazer to be seen watching games:
SABAS!
 
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Is Nic hurt or something? I'm just following the box, and he's only played 8mins?
 
Nic finished as leading scorer of France. 23pts, 6rebs, 2stls, 1blk, 8/13 FG, 4/9 from 3 in 25mins. FRA wins.

From UO G, Oguchi went off for Nigeria
 
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