Webster has improved defensively, but he's certainly still no stopper and as for the assertion that Rudy is the most "skilled" between he, Bayless and Nic, which skills are you referring to? Defense, ball-handling, ability to dribble drive, shooting? I think he makes some nice passes and when he's hot shooting the ball he's scorching, but defensively I don't think he fits all that well into the scheme at all. I guess I'd take Nic's D and "glue guy" game and Jerryd's ball handling and defensive potential (still needs work) if you made me pick between all three.
Two guys who aren't going anywhere are Bayless and Batum. Bank on that. Due to age, upside, strengths in their game, they won't be going nowhere. Especially not for a stop-gap center.
I don't agree. Rudy is the guy I would move. To me, he's the LEAST versatile of the 3. Bayless can get to the foul line and he's STARTING (not quite there) to make better decisions with the ball and find open guys. Batum has some nifty moves around the basket and he may end up being a reliable shooter - Rice said he watched Batum shoot before the game today and he didn't miss for 10 straight minutes, and we already know about his defense. Rudy makes some flashy passes, will catch/flush a few lobs, and fill the lanes pretty well when we blowing somebody out. How many times does Rudy creating something turn out well in close games? He just seems soft to me, and he's pretty close to a liability defensively. Plus he gets pissy about his role/playing time.
Batum isn't going anywhere, anybody who thinks that needs to put down the pipe. Give me a break, a 20 year old defensive specialist who is showing encouraging signs of becoming an offensive player. I think some of you who are talking about Batum in trades should youtube some clips of Batum last year.
I think, if we're trying to judge which of those three it would be, you'd have to look at subsitution patterns, IMO, and who could or might be on the floor with others at the same time. I can't honsetly see many situations where Martell and Nic would ever be on the floor at the same time, except for 1 possession type of situations, like a last second in bounds type of thing, or if there was a lot of foul trouble. But going into next season, obviously the big IF being full health, I can see Bayless on the floor with Roy, with Rudy, with Miller, with Blake, with Martell, with Batum. So he can fit at the 1 or 2. I can see Rudy on the floor alongside Brandon, alongside Bayless, Miller, Blake, Martell and Batum. Batum, I can see alongside all except for Martell. Sure, one of them COULD be at the 2. Maybe we'd see a really big lineup of Roy, Martell, Batum, but you just don't have the ball handling there you do with the other lineups. We absolutely NEED 2 people on the floor at all times who can create with the ball. At least, in my opinion. Miller, Bayless, Roy, and Rudy(to a lesser extent) all can. Martell is getting a tiny bit better, and will iprove there, IMO, but still shoudl be viewed as more of a shotoer, as well as Blake. And Batum. I absolutely do not want to get rid of Batum. I love him and his potential, and would be upset to see him go, so I hope that this doesn't come across that I want a short term fix trade getting rid of him. My thinking is just that, with improved play from Martell, he becomes a possibility. Everyone talks about Rudy backing up Roy, but so many teams go small for stretches that it's easy to find time on the floor for oth of them at the same time. I don't see it being the same with Batum and Martell. It seems like they would essentially have a 24 minute split with eachother each game, where you ride the hot hand. Not sure if that maximizes what we can get out of either of them, though. I dunno.
In order to get a quality center, we would have to give up either Roy, LaMarcus, or either Miller and 2 rotation players or Blake and 2 rotation players or Joel and 2 rotation players. And someone would have to be deep enough at center to want to do it. We will NOT get a quality center in a trade this year. Unless it's Camby.
I think I'd seriously consider offering the Wizards some of our stashed Euros like Petteri, Freeland, Claver, plus a couple of expiring contracts like Blake and Trav. That team needs to rebuild, and those rights are somewhat unlikely to ever be exercised in Portland given the stacked nature of our roster -- I'm not sure if that really enough, but I'd use it as a starting point in negotiations.
As far as long-term potential, Rudy doesn't seem like he'd resign here as a backup 2. But I don't like the idea of trading him for a stop gap PF or C. We need consolidation...I'm just not sure which way to go without getting the short end of a trade.
No kidding. Yeah, how many "quality" centers are there in the league? And how many teams are looking for one? And the biggest question, what GM would be dumb enough to trade the rarest commodity in the NBA? Thinking we could just package a few of our guys to get one in return is just plain retarded.
Not too much consensus around here. Sounds like there's going to be fans ticked off one way or another regardless of who is traded.
ding ding ding... eblazer just said it above thats the point jaynes is trying to make.... so many fans have different feelings torwards our young guys... that whoever is dealt... tears will be shed. and from a marketing stand point.... trading rudy would kill merchandise sales big time and dont think for a minute the blazers wont consider that. im saying batum is the odd man out. wish it was bayless but im betting hes our backup pg next year. also outlaw is also loved by many fans and broy so thats another guy who would be considered painful.
Batum isn't going anywhere. Not a chance in hell. This isn't just me having a man crush on Batum. I'm willing to bet that management values him as just behind Roy, Oden and he's probably about equal with Aldridge in his importance for this team to grow into title contender (which won't be this year). NO CHANCE IN HELL WE GIVE UP BATUM FOR A STOP GAP CENTER.
Well.. people thought there'd be tears shed when we would get rid of Sergio because he was so good with Rudy, as well as Channing because he was so Portland. People will move on. It's a business.
I think the idea is that the (possible) next trade is "painful" from a talent perspective. Trading away a good guy or a friend of a teammate doesn't keep many fans up at night. Trading away a guy who you can see becoming a really good player someday does.
True. I just feel if KP is going to decide to part with one of the young prospects, he's going to make sure we're getting a very good player in return. It's not going to be like a Haywood-for-Batum type swap. We'll get something good in return for a Bayless or Rudy or whatever, and we'll move on, and cheer him when he comes back with his different team. But we'll be a better team.
I think Bayless ability to get to the FT line is more important than anything Rudy can do, whoever is the better player. I would welcome trading Rudy before Bayless. I think Batums ability to play defense, coupled with his amazing potential (not saying Bayless lacks) is better than Bayless ability to get to the FT line. I would welcome trading Bayless before Batum. Batum > Bayless > Rudy [IMO] I would couple Bayless and Rudy for a great big, but not Nic with any other. We need to keep Nic. But I don't really think we need to trade anyone.
