You know while I think it is great that KP has picked up draft picks over the years, the Blazers don't need any more young guys to develope. First of all, I don't see any draft picks this year that are worth obtaining. I would trade completely out of this draft. Secondly, the teams needs more guys to develope like they need a hole in the head.
People have been saying that Milwaukee could be in the market to selling their pick or severely trading down to save room to sign Sessions and Charlie V..24 and 3 mill for 10?
Yes, I've also heard that teams in financial trouble may sell picks. KP was able to buy Sergio & Rudy for (relatively) minor amounts of money; not even a draft pick was lost, let alone a player. If the Blazers can offer cash AND a retiring contract, they could buy a higher pick. I am absolutely certain KP will work his magic again.
Not true. The Blazers have cap space, which they can use similarly to the RLEC...to match salary on a bad contract. They also have expiring contracts in Blake and Outlaw, who also happen to be useful players. A team trading with the Blazers could trade for Blake and Outlaw, get two useful role-players for one season, and trim $16 million from their cap by next off-season...$8 million of it instantly. That's a major trading chip, IMO.
I agree, but what's the point of the magic any more? Suppose we get a, say, #10 pick. Are we going to draft a center? Are we going to draft a PF? There may be some marginal minutes. (Which is why someone, MAS?, has Blair in their sig) Are we going to draft another freaking SF? Are we going to draft a third string 2G? Are we going to draft PG #4? There are no really good options. We've needed a consolidation trade for 2 years - we still need one. It is very unlikely we can get Rubio, so again, what's the point? With Raef gone and another draft pick in the fold, we'll likely again be the youngest team in the league - not a goal for a team that wants to compete for a championship immediately.
I agree that Blazers don't really need young talent. However, I also believe that teams (outside of Memphis) don't give up quality player without baggage. You don't get the Chris Pauls, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondos through trades after they are established. The only way to get that level of talent is to bring it in through the draft. I don't want to see another college Freshman on the roster, but a very experienced Junior or Senior (like Brandon was) could make an impact even next year. I'm thinking Lawson or Maynor (or Curry?). Some guys with real game and NCAA playoff experience. Nobody has played on as big a stage as Lawson over the last couple years. I think he could step in and run a team better than Bayless now (I do like Bayless though) because of his PG experience. Bayless may come on this next year. But if he doesn't, I would rather have someone other than Sergio or PK in the fold.
Yes. Although it is really PG #3. Sergio is done. PK is not ready (or talented enough?). You have Blake and Bayless (who also is not ready). If Sergio goes this summer, you have to bring someone in. Assuming you can't get the PG of your dreams through a trade, why not take choose between Flynn, Curry, Maynor and Lawson?
To keep a constant infusion of young talent coming into the organization. You don't just build one team, shut off the talent pipeline and wait for that team to reach their mid-30s before you start looking for more players. If Pritchard is successful at finding good young talent every year, it allows the team to have replacements as players depart due to trades, free agent defections, injuries or age. In addition, the young talent can either be used in trade or can replace established players that you can trade for an upgrade elsewhere. Every addition doesn't have to be aimed at being a crucial part of the next championship team. Draftees can add to depth and be the next wave. Or be trade bait. More talent is always good.
I trust KP to draft well. I don't trust him to make any other kind of deal, mostly because he hasn't done any other kind of deal. I believe Portland will stand pat. I haven't seen any quotes from the guys in charge that would lead me to believe otherwise. That being the case, we better hope that Bayless, and Batum come into camp WAY better then they were this year. The sad fact is that those guys can't just be better then the players we would like them to supplant. They have to be way better. Otherwise Nate will go with guys (Blake and Outlaw) he trusts and doom Portland to a first round exit in the playoffs for yet another year. KP made a lot of noise about waiting to see how guys responded in the playoffs. Now that the playoffs are over, he says that it is unfair to judge a player based on a few games. WTF? Sounds like a cop out to me. Even if Portland goes to the finals every year for 5 years they won't play even one regular season's worth of games. How many games are you going to allow a player to lose for you before you decide they aren't the answer?
I agree with you on the having somebody besides Sergio and PK in the fold. The thing about the baggage though, is there is talk that their is a player available if you will take the financial baggage. That guy is Chris Paul, but you would have to take a bad contract or two along with it. There have been several rumors, and the whole fact they tried to trade Tyson Chandler, tends to speak to this. New Orleans has 70 million dollars on the books for a team that got whiped out in the first round and underachieved. I think there is an opportunity there, but the question is, how much would it cost.
I'm not almost leaning toward GOD's Bake It approach. It's just damn hard to make changes with a current team that's also still changing. I just don't know what we have yet. The improvements of Oden, Aldridge, Batum, Webster, Fernandez, and Bayless are likely to be significant. These players will be able to consistently sustain the flashes of goodness we saw throughout the year more next year. It's not a stretch to picture this team as second-seed material that should be able to get into the first round. I completely agree about our starting point guard position, but also would like to entertain the thought of an internal change instead of external. Playing more Rudy and Brandon together with Blake backing them up might just be the ticket. I see small moves, but nothing jaw dropping.
At some point, it's time to actually make said upgrade - still waiting. Yes, more talent is good (not always good), but at some point you need to trade for players that are very good instead of players that may become very good. If it's use our resource for draft or trade, we should trade. I agree that we can do both - but again, I'm still waiting.
Look, no one knows what KP has up his sleeve. But to take a hypothetical, since it's been raised. The Blazers deal for a #10 pick, say. Then package the pick and a player to get the guy they want. I mean, there are all kinds of ways to deal if you have the savvy and the bucks. Also, please remember, Portland is one of the few teams that would be able to take on a bad contract if another team insists (for example, unlikely, but if the Hornets would only trade Chris Paul if the Blazers took Stojakovic's big contract off their hands). I agree that the core of this team is very sound. There is not a lot they need and many of them (back up power forward, for example) are role players who do not take a lot to land. Also they will have Webster back next year and reportedly raring to go. The one big weakness is starting point guard; I agree that (so far) all 3 of the pg's have been backup types. Blake is decent but the team could improve there. So a team with a lot of assets and one big weakness is hardly in a bad position. Look at the bright side. The front page of the SF Chronicle sports section had a banner headline that the Warriors admit they don't even know who's in charge, with the lottery May 14.
I suppose my approach would be this. We don't HAVE to do anything. We listen and something knocks our socks off, we pounce. Otherwise, we take the approach to build from within. This puts the negotiating power strongly on our side.
Sure, if you can get CP3 then you have to. I just don't buy it. Chandler is an overpaid walking injury--of course they want to unload him. CP3 is the heart of the franchise and a top five NBA player. If you trade him, then you might as well sell the team. I can't see any way in the world NO trades CP3.
So is the goal to make it to the 2nd round THIS season or win as many championships as possible? If we're going after the latter, which we are, you don't make those moves if you feel the players you're sending out give you a better chance at that goal then the player/s you're getting back.
There are a number of options this off-season. Here is how I would rate them in order of preference. 1) Use trades/cap space to bring in a vet or 2 and make the team a serious contender. 2) Have KP work his draft-day magic and at least add a valuable asset. 3) Blow the team up and start over. 4) Load the entire team, coaching staff, and front office onto Blazerone and fly it into the RG. 5) Worldwide pandemic. Civilization collapses. Packs of Zombies roam the street, battling flocks of mutant vultures for the chance to devour the dead. . . . . . . . 427) Let it bake!
I just don't want another prospect that we have to develop, unless it's someone like Rubio who even I'm not as sold on as some. KP said in his Courtside interview that he knows we need some experience on the team, so hopefully he's able to work his magic and take advantage of this summer. I'd be disappointed if we didn't do anything to bring in a top rotation player with the cap space we have, and the terrible teams willing to cut salary.
Even with just organic growth and improvement from the guys currently on this team I don't see it as a legitimate championship contender: Way too perimeter oriented, not enough veteran leadership (which you need in the playoffs), not enough post scoring (LMA was adequate, but Greg might never be a consistent 18 ppg, back to the basket scorer) and not enough toughness (way too many nice guys, not balanced with the 2 or 3 hard-asses every team needs -- and Bayless doesn't count).
