Ric Bucher on Courtside

Yes, they want to win a championship, and it's obvious this group isn't going to get it done.

No one is going to take Redd. How do you expect him to pass a physical? They have no choice but to move Jefferson is money is what they want.

 

Wait until the offseason like most teams do.

 

Well then they wouldn't get Raef's benefits.

Plus, Redd is a better player. Since they're so concerned about contending, like you say, they should keep him instead of Jefferson, no?

Plus, Jefferson plays the positions of SF, which Milwaukee could replace easily with Mbah a Moute and Alexander who they would like to develop. Whereas if they lose Redd, uh, who plays shooting guard again?

 

I'd agree with that. Jefferson makes $29 mil the next two seasons. That's a lot of money for owners not named Paul Allen.
To get that off their cap for a crappy team in the East would be big for them, plus they'd pay peanuts of Raef's contract.

 

Completely agree. Childress holds all of the leverage with Atlanta, anything they do to try and block a deal with another team and all he has to do is go back to Greece and tell the Hawks to kiss his booty. This doesn't even consider the fact that Atlanta probably has zero interest in offering him the full MLE (which is probably close to what he's worth) since they currently have Marvin Williams who is playing pretty well.

As for Sessions, he's probably closer to an 8 or 9 million dollar man ... perhaps 10 if the there were a number of teams trying to bid for him. If the Bucks don't get a deal done with Jefferson before the trading deadline or on draft day, they are going to have to make a hard choice between Charlie V., and Sessions. In this case I think the Blazers could possibly try to swing another sign and trade and I would seriously consider dangling Bayless or Rudy as trade bait (assuming they wouldn't bite on Sergio and/or picks and cash considerations) ... of course if Bayless "blows up" between now and the end of the season, and shows that he's ready to run the point as a full time starter, then going after Ramon becomes something less of a priority.

 

I don't think Milwaukee can go as high $8-10 million. As a second-round pick, he hits the free agent market before his Bird rights vested with Milwaukee. I'm not certain how high Milwaukee can go on Sessions (being over the cap), but I think it's something around the MLE.

Therefore, I think Portland can try to just sign him directly, rather than trade anything to Milwaukee.

 

seriously? you think sessions is an 8-10 million dollar a year player?

 

You've got to be kidding me. I love the guy, and have been following him since his 22pts/24ast game last year, but no way has he done enough to warrant 8-10 million a year. He's got a wacky shot and his defense is very subpar. Unless he explodes for 20/10 for the rest of the season, he's worth 6-7 million a year MAX.

 

I do. He's young and an above average point guard already. He just doesn't get the minutes. If I had to pick one under-the-radar guy who could be the next Devin Harris (except, perhaps, the defense) I'd pick Sessions.

 

Right now, he's a less explosive Bayless + Passing Skills - Defense.

Is that worth 10 million a year?

 

Less explosive, more efficient, better passing, less defense. Overall, I'd put him on the same level of talent, except further along in his development.

Sure. The difference in their salaries comes from the fact that Sessions is further along in development and will be paid fair market value, while Bayless is on a rookie contract. Sessions is a significantly better player now, and his age suggests more upside remaining. I'd be happy to spend $8-10 million to get a good, young and improving point guard. He can start, Bayless can back him up. If either Sessions or Bayless breaks out to stardom, the other can always be used in trade.

 

He's not significantly better....I can tell you that from watching a lot of his games.

One good thing about him is that he doesn't rely too much on his athleticism (he's decently athletic). That usually means faster development, lower upside, which is what I see in him. I think he can become a real good player, but not the type you lock into a 10+ million dollar contract. (Especially not in times like this)

We're all entitled to our opinions, but 8-10 million is pushing it, and I can guarantee you he won't be paid so handsomely unless he absolutely explodes for the rest of the season....

 

Well they just reported on KTAR a Suns local radio show that a deal with the Blazers won't be happening.

So if anyone was thinking we might deal with the Suns it's pretty unlikely.

 

bayless is a better player than sessions.

and he isn't an above average starting pg in the league(though obviously you didn't say starting). he'd be a below average starting pg or a solid bench guy. not the kind of guy i think it would be smart to throw 8+ mil a year at.

 

I've seen him plenty, too. The stats also say he's significantly better. Bayless looks great at times, ineffective at other times. Sessions may not significantly better than Bayless when Bayless is playing well, but he's significantly better than Bayless' average level of play.

Unless Allen is hurting financially, "times like this" should be irrelevant, IMO. If other teams are paying less due to the current economic downturn, that's a great opportunity for the Blazers to take advantage of.

It'll be interesting to see. I would just like Portland to outbid the other teams for him. If they can do that for only around $6 million, great. But I think he'll command more than the MLE. He's a good young point guard, and those aren't very common.

 

I don't agree with either assertion, that Bayless is better or that Sessions would be a below average starter. I base that both on watching him and on PER.

Sessions PER was 16.3 last year and 17.8. Combining all his games into one sample, he has a 17.4 PER. League average starter is normalized to 15.0.

 

i thought it was a league average player is normalized to 15.

for him to be an above average starting pg, that would make him at worst the 15th best pg in the league. that is not the case.

edit - and his per for this season has him as the 12th best pg(when sorted on espn), however i doubt you would go strictly by per and say that sessions is better than steve nash, jason kidd, tj ford, mo williams, derrick rose, rodney stuckey, etc.

 

League-average starter, according to Hollinger.

I don't know exactly where I'd rank him. I think the PER is useful, though, in showing that he's at least around an average starter. Whether he's truly above average or not, whether he's above all those players or not...that's harder to say.

Watching him play, I don't have much trouble believing his PER.

 

but i do have trouble believing he's a top 20 pg in the league, which makes the idea of paying him 8-10 mil a year absolutely ridiculous in my mind.