Chad ford insider grades Blazer offseason an A

Really not getting the Lopez hate. No other center was realisticly in our grasp after we traded for Trob. I'd much rather have a young big man who is good on D and had a good year last year with a decent contract then overpaying for someone on the decline like zaza/dalembert. I'd have liked to sign a vet backup but doesn't look like that will happen.
Also no way in hell is whitey going to be a better NBA player then either Leonard or Lopez.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

Saying Withey would not be a good player is ignorant. I'm not saying the Withey for Lopez trade wasn't a good trade but Withey is a good prospect and will be a good player in the NBA.

 

I personally am not hating on Lopez but I'm not really understanding all the Lopez excitement.

I don't know know much about Lopez, but he is not someone who was creating a buzz around the NBA before the Blazers got him. Reading through the Pelican's fans comments hasn't swayed me about his potential (they see him as already reaching his potential and have more to say about missing his attitude more than his game). Yes he is cheap at 6 mil/yr for a center, but that does"t excite me like others.

Anyways, hope Ford and me are wrong.

Go Blazers!

(Sidenote: blew work off yesterday and went golfing then fishing . . . just what the doctor ordered. )

 

This.

Lopez is a perfectly servicable stop-gap at center. Simply having a real center (instead of a PF playing out of position) should make team defense more effective. You also can't argue with the price!

On the flip side - he isn't some kind of savior and he is pretty much a case of WYSIWYG.

 

Saying Withey will be a good player is just as ignorant as saying he will not be.

 

I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Personaly, I've seen Withey several times in college and wasn't even aware of his BPG numbers when I thought he's a very solid prospect at the center position. Very smart, plays good team defense, above average offensively, doesn't shy away from contact.
I think some here are trying to feel better about Lopez by downgrading Withey's abilities which is pointless in my opinion. Lopez is more proven and I was happy we traded for him but disappointed that it cost us Withey.

 

Exactly what I've been trying to say, nice post.

 

Lopez isn't a ground breaking center but he is a starting caliber center who isn't overpaid and for me Personally Im just excited to see a legit 7 footer who likes to play D at the center position instead of Hickson.
If I were to rank the Blazers from last year in order of how much they made me want to drink. Watching Hickson play D ranks is up there at the tip along with watching Freeland try and do anything and failing.

Also, can't think of a better way to relax in a day then fishing Sounds like you got some good R&R.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

I'd give them an A....if you're grading on the curve.

 

Withey was a great value pick in the middle of the second round, but there were reasons he wasn't taken in the first round. Most 7' centers with any potential at all are usually taken in the lottery. I think Withey will turn out to be a good bench player, but I don't see him ever being a regular starter in the NBA. He's solid, but doesn't have much upside. I think his best case scenario is a Nick Collison type career - a guy you like to have on your bench, but too limited to be an everyday starter.

BNM

 

Nick Collison is a legitimate NBA player who has a career PER of 13.7 on 13.7 USG. If Withey comes close to those numbers, I'll be shocked. Withey seems more like Chris Johnson than Nick Collison, IMO. Undersized, unskilled, and can block a shot against college players.

 

He's different than Collison, Collison is more energy type player, Withey I think is more stable. It's an interesting comparison, though, both are white big men coming to the league after 4 years in Kansas, wouldn't be shocked if they have similar type careers. I don't think it's a best case scenario, though. Withey has potential of being better than Collison, I think Collison's NBA career is more like mediocre case scenario for Withey, I think best case is someone like Omar Asik who was drafted in the 2nd round and became a solid starting Center.