Veterans for all! Booooo! Veterans for none! Booooo! ...Veterans for some, miniature American flags for others! Yay! [/Simpsons] I don't think Portland needs anything in particular. There are always two contexts: building for the future and winning now. A lot of people fall into the trap of thinking a team is one or the other. The best GMs are working on both simultaneously, even if one is prioiritized over the other. A veteran could be a fine pickup...as could a young player. Rather than focusing on experience, I think Pritchard should be focused on two things: talent and positional need. However, the second is still in flux; Outlaw and Webster are still working on proving their value as starters, Batum is entirely unproven and Fernandez and Bayless have yet to show that either can function long-term in the backcourt alongside Roy. So, either small forward or point guard could emerge as a bigger need. Therefore, Pritchard should focus on talent. While the LaFrentz window is open, he should find the best player who's available and see what he can do to get him using the LaFrentz contract and sundry other trade chips. The LaFrentz money thus maximized, the team can sit back and wait to see how the guard and forward spots resolve themselves and then make subsquent deals to address what turns out to be the bigger need. So, I'd recommend not targeting a "veteran" or a "point guard," but rather targeting the best talent possible and then dealing from that store of talent as the future reveals what the team needs most.
