Yep. I don't know why he fell, and while I'd love to hear the reasoning for every team who passed on him and why they did from each of those teams, I doubt that will ever happen. I'm just about a million times happier with Bayless than I would be with Jack and Rush. Ed O.
Had they not been guaranteed to get Rush and Jack for Bayless, they would have simply drafted the better player (Rush) and Bayless would have slid to us, or at least to 12. Indiana never wanted him at all, and KP had to find someone to take JJ off our hands anyway, so 11th pick comes with an asterisk (ironic I would use that word).
I don't see why it matters that Portland traded up. They were a better team because of the trade. If Indiana didn't want Bayless and Portland didn't make the trade they could have stood pat (an opinion you claim as factual), but they could have just as easily traded the pick to another team leaving Portland with nothing. Portland might have been able to get Bayless at 13, but you don't know that as your post claims.
Rush is the better player? Pull your head out of your ass, man. The guy is coming off of the bench for a really bad team. He's 23 (actually closer to his 24th birthday than his 23rd). His PER is horrific (7.3). The dude might turn it around, but he's not a better prospect than Bayless and he's CERTAINLY not a better player right now. Ed O.
