Beating a dead horse.... BUT

[MIXUM]

as much as these wins are great.... soon our bench will be exposed and give us a losing streak. If the blazers plan on playoffs (and i have no idea if they do) they had better replace the backup pg spot and also replace cunningham at the backup pf spot. those 2 positions destroy any momentum the starters get. Thats the only way we are making playoffs... if those spots are upgraded.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Cunningham is a solid enough backup for playing maybe 10 minutes a game.

 

[Driew]

Our bench was already exposed during the 6 game losing streak....

 

[Rodolfo]

You can try to push him away, but in the end he'll always be pissing in our cheerios.

 

[Ed O]

If we had a great (or even good) bench, we might win 55 games (or 50). We might have to settle for 46 wins, and that would probably be enough for a low playoff seed.

Ed O.

 

[KingSpeed]

I agree, mixum. Rudy is awful. He needs to be a 12-15 pt scorer and if he can't be, can we get Brandon Rush for him? Also- Nic needs to step up every night. He's had good games lately so I know he has it in him.

 

[Nate Dogg]

I agree about Rudy. With 12-15 minutes of playing time he barely gets 10 points a game and he chalks up 3pointers a lot only making 1/3 of them.
12:56 min played: 12/10/10 0-4 for FG and all 4 missed 3point attempts vs Suns (road). Total points: 1
14:32 min played 12/09/10. 2 for 5 FG made, 2 for 3 made on 3 point attempts vs Magic. Total points: 6
22:30 min played 12/07/10 4 for 6 FG made, 2 for 3 made on 3 point attempts vs Suns. Total points: 11
12:47 min played 12/05/10 3 for 6 FG made, 2 for 4 made on 3 point attempts vs LAC. Total points: 9

 

[Natebishop3]

as much as these wins are great.... soon our bench will be exposed and give us a losing streak. If the blazers plan on playoffs (and i have no idea if they do) they had better replace the backup pg spot and also replace cunningham at the backup pf spot. those 2 positions destroy any momentum the starters get. Thats the only way we are making playoffs... if those spots are upgraded.

A losing streak? You mean like the six-game streak we just had? Nice try.

 

[Nate Dogg]

Good point Nate B. I doubt this team will have another 6 game loss in a row this season.
I have a feeling this team might have 2-3 losses in a row but nothing more than what we just went through.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

as much as these wins are great.... soon our bench will be exposed and give us a losing streak. If the blazers plan on playoffs (and i have no idea if they do) they had better replace the backup pg spot and also replace cunningham at the backup pf spot. those 2 positions destroy any momentum the starters get. Thats the only way we are making playoffs... if those spots are upgraded.

Maybe someone should beat you like a dead horse.

 

[BlazersBlood]

We're lucky to win at all. Just enjoy it when it happens.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

And the teams that we are battling for a playoff spot do not have holes as well?

 

[MIXUM]

they have holes... we have holes the size of the grand canyon

 

[Nate Dogg]

they have holes... we have holes the size of the grand canyon

At least we have trails to get out. Just give it time. We could be a lot worse and have a losing team every year like Sacramento.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Cunningham is a solid enough backup for playing maybe 10 minutes a game.

I also think Batum can give us a few minutes at the 4. The PF spot is evolving. Nic has the length to guard the new breed of PF's on the perimeter. If the other team counters with a POWER forward then I doubt that guy will be able to stay with Nic on the other end. It work boths ways. But I like a litte small ball for short stints.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

they have holes... we have holes the size of the grand canyon

Another overstatement with Joel healthy again, but here is something you may like.

Right now we could trade half our roster in Marks, Oden, Elliot, Patty, Armon, Luke, Dante, and Rudy and do very little damage to our playoff chances.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I also think Batum can give us a few minutes at the 4. The PF spot is evolving. Nic has the length to guard the new breed of PF's on the perimeter. If the other team counters with a POWER forward then I doubt that guy will be able to stay with Nic on the other end. It work boths ways. But I like a litte small ball for short stints.

I agree. So many power forwards these days don't really have the 'power' part. They are just forwards, and Nic is a forward.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Cunningham is a solid enough backup for playing maybe 10 minutes a game.

Yet, I'd replace him with a guy like Anthony Randolph in a heartbeat.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Yet, I'd replace him with a guy like Anthony Randolph in a heartbeat.

Oh, of course.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Another overstatement with Joel healthy again, but here is something you may like.

Right now we could trade half our roster in Marks, Oden, Elliot, Patty, Armon, Luke, Dante, and Rudy and do very little damage to our playoff chances.

Sad, but accurate. With that much dead weight on the roster, making the play-offs will be a huge struggle.

Defending KP's "legacy" is getting harder!

 

[MIXUM]

my god that is depressing....

how do you go from blake, webster, outlaw, bayless to that cluster fuck? people on here actually said we had a better bench then last year a month ago. wow just wow. half our roster wouldnt make most nba teams.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

my god that is depressing....

how do you go from blake, webster, outlaw, bayless to that cluster fuck? people on here actually said we had a better bench then last year a month ago. wow just wow. half our roster wouldnt make most nba teams.

Blake, Webster, Outlaw, and Bayless got replaced with Johnson/Mills, Batum, Joel, and more minutes from Wes. Not a bad trade and we still have the ability to upgrade. Besides, you are talking about a bench that still resulted in first round exits the past two years. It was not a dynasty that we were breaking up.

Individually:

Blake and Outlaw was the price for Camby. Without Camby, we do not make the playoffs last year. This year, we get a huge upgrade at C and allows Joel to provide a serious punch off the bench.

Webster was obsolete when Mathews became our target. He would not help our thin PF and PG spots.

No matter what numbers he puts up in Toronto, he was not a PG and we did not need another SG. He probably had higher value than Rudy, so we let him go.

And finally to your statement that I bolded. Yet another gross overstatement. Put Armon, Dante, Greg, Luke, Elliot, or Rudy on waivers and without a doubt they would get claimed. Marks is lucky to have a job. I would say Patty would have a better than 50% chance of getting picked up.

 

[oldguy]

I agree about Rudy. With 12-15 minutes of playing time he barely gets 10 points a game and he chalks up 3pointers a lot only making 1/3 of them.
12:56 min played: 12/10/10 0-4 for FG and all 4 missed 3point attempts vs Suns (road). Total points: 1
14:32 min played 12/09/10. 2 for 5 FG made, 2 for 3 made on 3 point attempts vs Magic. Total points: 6
22:30 min played 12/07/10 4 for 6 FG made, 2 for 3 made on 3 point attempts vs Suns. Total points: 11
12:47 min played 12/05/10 3 for 6 FG made, 2 for 4 made on 3 point attempts vs LAC. Total points: 9

You guys are pretty hard on Rudy. If you expect a consistant 10pts per 12 minutes, you'll be disappointed in most players.

The stats for the four games you show are 43% from the field, which isn't great for a guard, but isn't bad either. Do you really expect better than 43% from behind the arc? Tough room.

Go Blazers

 

[Natebishop3]

You guys are pretty hard on Rudy. If you except a consistant 10pts per 12 minutes, you'll be disappointed in most players.

The stats for the four games you show are 43% from the field, which isn't great for a guard, but isn't bad either. Do you really expect better than 43% from behind the arc? Tough room.

Go Blazers

Has he lived up to the expectations we had for him when he came here two years ago?

 

[MickZagger]

Has he lived up to the expectations we had for him when he came here two years ago?

Nope. I remember when I was emailing John Nash to draft him. I think back now, I was stupid for doing that.

I've been totally unimpressed with Rudy's time as a Blazer.

 

[KingSpeed]

You guys are pretty hard on Rudy. If you except a consistant 10pts per 12 minutes, you'll be disappointed in most players.

The stats for the four games you show are 43% from the field, which isn't great for a guard, but isn't bad either. Do you really expect better than 43% from behind the arc? Tough room.

Go Blazers

I'd be thrilled if Rudy was shooting 43% from behind the arc this year. But he's only shooting 35%. He has gotten worse each year after an impressive rookie season.

 

[KingSpeed]

Individually:

Blake and Outlaw was the price for Camby. Without Camby, we do not make the playoffs last year. This year, we get a huge upgrade at C and allows Joel to provide a serious punch off the bench.

Webster was obsolete when Mathews became our target. He would not help our thin PF and PG spots.

No matter what numbers he puts up in Toronto, he was not a PG and we did not need another SG. He probably had higher value than Rudy, so we let him go.

And finally to your statement that I bolded. Yet another gross overstatement. Put Armon, Dante, Greg, Luke, Elliot, or Rudy on waivers and without a doubt they would get claimed. Marks is lucky to have a job. I would say Patty would have a better than 50% chance of getting picked up.

You really think a team would jump at the chance to take Elliot Williams or Luke Babbitt? Which team would want dead weight and an average D-Leaguer? The others? Probably though Dante's no guarantee.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

You really think a team would jump at the chance to take Elliot Williams or Luke Babbitt? Which team would want dead weight and an average D-Leaguer? The others? Probably though Dante's no guarantee.

Dante's only problem is that we are asking him to play PF and he is better suited for the 3.

Luke is not going to provide much this year but next year I look for him to do something. Look for him to be the stud in Summer League and everyone to have crazy expectations from him.

There are teams with roster spots that are already out of the playoff race that would take a flyer on Elliot. Just look at us. We are in the playoff race yet our scouts still think enough of him to carry him.

 

[oldguy]

Has he lived up to the expectations we had for him when he came here two years ago?

No, he hasn't. I was responding to the set of games that were cited to show that Rudy sucked.

Go Blazers