This is how I rank them, based on the roles I see them playing and how they'll be used when Batum is back: 1. Roy 2. Aldridge 3. Oden 4. Miller 5. Przybilla 6. Blake 7. Rudy 8. Batum Webster, Outlaw and Bayless are behind those guys in the rotation when Nic is healthy. That makes them our ninth, tenth and eleventh guys. I know. I don't know why you would point that out when you're arguing we do NOT have insane depth. Ed O.
Vince is listed as a 2/3 and takes Turkoglu's place in the lineup. He has been a 2/3 his whole career. I don't know where you are getting your information, but you are wrong. He is a 2/3. You try to downplay how good the magic forwards are, and play up the Blazers. The only problem is, all of the Magic forwards besides Anderson, have actually accomplished something in their careers, and been successful in the playoffs. The Blazer forwards haven't really accomplished anything. Every single guy on the Magic has been part of and contributed to playoff teams every year. Some of them, including the guy you deride, Pietres, have made huge contributions to those playoff runs, including Pietrust making some very huge plays against Lebron last year in the Eastern Conference Finals. Does your PERS or age forumulas explain that? Nope it doesnt. Matt Barnes is not a poor Mans Travis Outlaw. Travis Outlaw is a one dimensional scorer, and you only get the scoring out of him on some nights. Matt Barnes is a blue collar player who defends hard, brings toughness and gets his buckets mostly by being scrappy. By the way Poor Mans Travis Outlaw = Out of the league. If you actually have watched Anderson, you would realize the dude is shooting the lights out. Yes this is the first year he has played major minutes. But he is flat out burying anything ANY of the Blazer SF outside of Roy are doing out there. Sure it is early. But there is something to be said for a guy who comes in in his 2nd year and plays better than Martell, Outlaw or Batum ever had in their whole careers, and does it on a consistent basis. I have seen this guy play 5 times this season. He is good. This guy is on their bench and averaging 15 and 5. That will drop some when Rashard comes back, but I don't expect by much. Brandon Bass is easily a better backup PF than any of our current options. That isn't even close. By the way, some players not in their primes, out produce some players in their primes.
Fine, have it your way. Vince = 2/3 and Roy = 2/3 (he's currently our starting 3). So, among the starters, right now, today: Roy > Vince - and 8 years younger Aldridge > Shard - and 6 years younger Among the back-ups: Batum (when healthy) => Pietrus (when healthy) - and 8 years younger. Batum had a higher PER, as a rookie than Pietrus did in his 7th season. And Batum is just as good defensively as Pietrus. And Batum totally outplayed his teammate Pietrus during this past summer's Eurobasket tournament. Outlaw => Barnes - and 3 years younger. I call total bullshit on your Barnes is a scappy guy who does the little things. His basketball IQ may be higher than Outlaws, but he's not a good defender, and is less productive than Outlaw. Barnes is a better passer and a slightly better rebounder. However, he is a very inefficent scorer. For a guy who shoots a very low percentage, he takes WAY to many 3-pointers (currently shooting more than four 3FGA/G on less than 25% 3FG%). Travis is a much better offensive player who shoots better from down town and can create his own shot (basically by shooting over anyone who is guarding him). Barnes only had a 12.7 PER while playing with Steve Nash. Most guys who play with Nash have career years statistically. And, unlike Travis who is univerally well liked by his teammates, Barnes has quickly worn out his welcome everywhere he has played (7 teams in 7 years). I'm not a huge Outlaw fan, but he's a more productive player overall than Matt Barnes - and a better teammate. Ok, that's the top 4 forwards on both teams. Everyone of the Blazer forwards are better (or at least as good) as their Magic counterparts - and over 6 years younger on average - remember this article was about FUTURE talent. All four of the Magic fowards discussed so far are already past their primes and will continue to decline over the period discussed in this article. If you want to ge deeper, I'll give you that Brandon Bass is a better back-up power forward than anyone currently on the Blazers roster. How many minutes a game will he get once Shard comes back? Will he ever be a starter for the Magic? I doubt it. He's undersized for a starting power forward and too slow and lacks the handle to be a starting small forward. Still a decent bench player. Score one for the Magic. Their 5th best forward is better than our 5th best forward. Now you're just plain exaggerating. "Every single guy on the Magic has been part of and contributed to playoff teams every year." Yeah right. Matt Barnes has played seven seasons in the NBA and made the play-offs once. Michael Pietrus has also been in the league 7 seasons and made the play-offs twice. So, much for EVERY single guy on the Magic making significant post season contributions EVERY year. Heck even guys like Rashard Lewis have missed the play-offs (6 times) more than they made it (5 times). Same for Vince - in the league 11 years, only made the play-offs 5 times. Even their younger guys like Dwight and Jameer Nelson have missed the post season multiple times (5 years in the league for both, 3 years in the post season). Please stop making up stuff and check your facts. None of these guys, let alone EVERY one of them have made the play-offs every year. Yes, the Magic have more play-off experience than the Blazers, basically by virtue of being older and in the league longer. 2 - 3 years down the road, the period covered by the article, the younger Blazers will also have significant play-off experience. Yes, I have watched Anderson play multiple times this year and he is doing a good job filling in for Rashard Lewis, but 6 games does not a career make. In those six games, he is shooting 0.464 FG% and 0.436 3FG% and averaging 15.0 PPG as a starter. Let's see him maintain that for 82 games before crowning him the next big thing. I suspect his scoring average will go down considerably when Shard comes back and he moves to the bench. I also think his shooting percentages will suffer as he will be playing fewer of his minutes with Dwight Howard who draws double teams which create wide open looks for spot up shooters like Anderson. He's pretty much the definition of a one-dimensional player (5 RPG is actually pretty weak considering he's been their starting PF over those 6 games). He can't create his own shot, isn't a good passer and is a very weak defender - but he can shoot a wide open jumper, I'll give him that. Yep, but how long can that continue? And some guys flat out suck as they get older. And several of their fowards were never that good to begin with. They are what they are and they certainly won't suddenly get better as they enter their 30s and beyond. BNM
I don't see Nic reclaiming his starting spot. Eventually Webster or Rudy will be a starter this year.
I think it really depends on how quick Nic recovers. If he recovers quick - he will reclaim his starting spot - he is still our best perimeter defender. If not - I can see Webster starting, especially against teams with larger wings. I can't see Rudy starting for this team anytime soon. He is a defensive liability, so far, at least.
Damn, you're right. I thought both Pietrus brothers played for France this summer. Was Mickael injured? In any case Batum was the second best player in that team behind Tony Parker. He outplayed the elder Pietrus, Boris Diaw and Rony Turiaf, among others. Still, Nic was every bit as productive his rookie year, and just as good defensively as the seven year vet Mickael Pietrus. I would take a healthy Nic over a healthy Mickael Pietrus today. 2 - 3 years from now, it won't even be close. BNM
Chad Ford / John Hollinger Like Us http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2009/11/week_2_nba_power_rankings_port.html
Re: Chad Ford / John Hollinger Like Us That he thinks every GM would have made the same decision, but many of his readers wouldn't have. barfo
