Ford Ranks Portland #18

[Shapecity]

18. Portland Trail Blazers
Key additions: None

Key subtractions: Sergio Rodriguez

In limbo: Channing Frye (U), Raef LaFrentz (U)

Kevin Pritchard is the most active GM in the league. That's why it's such a shock to be wondering what he's up to on July 8. The team made a huge pitch to Hedo Turkoglu but was left at the altar for the more cosmopolitan Raptors. The Blazers' draft was a disappointment, as well. Pritchard tried to move up high in the draft but couldn't. He ended up taking Spanish forward Victor Claver, who won't play in the league for at least the next two years.

The Blazers are saying they'll be patient. They have cap room and could make a run at David Lee. Or they could sit back and try to be a trade partner for a team trying to clear room. But for a team that came out of the gates saying it had the green light to "go for it" and make a major upgrade, the early results are disappointing.

Ranked 18 for offseason moves.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I am surprised we are that high?

 

[Ed O]

I am surprised we are that high?

Some teams got actively worse, I suppose. We (a) are merely doing nothing, and (b) given the youth on our team, doing nothing is less bad for the Blazers than for most other teams.

Ed O.

 

[LittleAlex]

I wouldn't read too much into that, since he rates Detroit's moves as the third best. Seems to me they blew all of their cap space on one redundant scorer and a powerless forward.

Take his rankings with a grain of salt.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Earlier this summer Paul Allen told Pritchard to "go for it" and improve this roster.

He has done neither.

He's just too close to his players.

 

[Run BJM]

Ridiculously stupid to rank offseasons just two weeks after the draft. Portland is surely going to add at least one key player in due time. Its a slow offsesaon but its just pointless to rank anything at this point. Only a hand full of free agents have signed and you still have guys like Odom, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, etc. floating around in free agency.

 

[alex42083]

The ol' addition by subtraction. Hopefully actual additions are coming soon.

 

[Minstrel]

If Detroit ranks #3, I'll bet he ranks by "number of moves bringing in well-known players." If I were a Pistons fan, I'd be somewhat underwhelmed by Detroit's off-season.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Ridiculously stupid to rank offseasons just two weeks after the draft. Portland is surely going to add at least one key player in due time. Its a slow offsesaon but its just pointless to rank anything at this point. Only a hand full of free agents have signed and you still have guys like Odom, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, etc. floating around in free agency.

Not really more stupid than handing out draft grades which ignore free agency and draft placement.

 

[hasoos]

In the scheme of things, there have only been a handful of teams that have done anything, and a bunch of teams that rode out the draft. So really, IMO, there are a few teams that deserve a good grade because they did something to make themselves better, and the rest, which pretty much did nothing but draft.

 

[Erroneous Subterfuge]

Earlier this summer Paul Allen told Pritchard to "go for it" and improve this roster.

He has done neither.

He's just too close to his players.

Good things come to those who wait. Deals are going to come up eventually as teams start to panic about next years luxury tax. It may even be after the season starts, maybe not, but I really don't see the need to hurry. We're young, we're good, and we can simply wait longer than these teams who are going to be hemorrhaging money. In fact, the longer these other teams wait, the better our position gets. So doing moves just for the sake of doing moves would be the worst thing we could do, and it wouldn't necessarily improve this roster.

Unlike you, he's capable of patience, and capable of realizing that sometimes the best moves are the ones that don't happen. That doesn't mean he's too close to his players.

 

[Webster's Dictionary]

KP has not gotten us a championship yet so what the fuck has he been doing?!!
KP = EPIC FAIL!!!!
Why did we even bring this guy in as our GM? No experience.
Bring in someone who doesn't just sit on their hands, do jack shit and watch as our team rots away.
Sure we've improved by 10+ wins each season, but why aren't we improving by 20+ each season?!?
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
A couple of simple moves like RLEC for Deron Williams would have vaulted us to a championship LAST YEAR!!
WTF are you doing KP? Get up off your lazy ass and do something!!!
I'm so sick and tired of watching this young team grow so slowly!!!
There are 10 obvious upgrades that could be made today, and yet we do none of them? Where is this magic touch I hear about?
Bring back trader Bob. He proved that short term upgrades are always >> letting team chemistry build and letting a team grow. We almost got to the finals twice before we colapsed into a steaming pile of shit, but we were close for two years!!!! That's more than KP has proved thus far. Fuck, he hasn't even gotten us out of the first round yet.

Fuck this, I'm joining the Lakers bandwagon...

 

[Minstrel]

Some on this forum are starting to make WFAN callers seem patient and calm.

 

[Pinwheel1]

He's just too close to his players.

Yeah just ask Sergio and C. Frye.

 

[e_blazer]

KP has not gotten us a championship yet so what the fuck has he been doing?!!
KP = EPIC FAIL!!!!
Why did we even bring this guy in as our GM? No experience.
Bring in someone who doesn't just sit on their hands, do jack shit and watch as our team rots away.
Sure we've improved by 10+ wins each season, but why aren't we improving by 20+ each season?!?
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
A couple of simple moves like RLEC for Deron Williams would have vaulted us to a championship LAST YEAR!!
WTF are you doing KP? Get up off your lazy ass and do something!!!
I'm so sick and tired of watching this young team grow so slowly!!!
There are 10 obvious upgrades that could be made today, and yet we do none of them? Where is this magic touch I hear about?
Bring back trader Bob. He proved that short term upgrades are always >> letting team chemistry build and letting a team grow. We almost got to the finals twice before we colapsed into a steaming pile of shit, but we were close for two years!!!! That's more than KP has proved thus far. Fuck, he hasn't even gotten us out of the first round yet.

Fuck this, I'm joining the Lakers bandwagon...

Wow. Unless this is intended to be sarcastic, is there any way to give a negative rep?

 

[Minstrel]

Unless this is intended to be sarcastic

"Are you kidding me? According to this sarcasm detector, that baby's off the charts!"

"Oh, a sarcasm detector. That's REALLY useful...!"

*detector blows up*

 

[Mediocre Man]

Wow. Unless this is intended to be sarcastic, is there any way to give a negative rep?

He is being sarcastic. He was typing with one hand on the key board and the other holding his koolaid glass.

 

[Erroneous Subterfuge]

"Are you kidding me? According to this sarcasm detector, that baby's off the charts!"

"Oh, a sarcasm detector. That's REALLY useful...!"

*detector blows up*

Are you being serious? Do you really have a sarcasm detector? Where did you get it?

 

[Minstrel]

Are you being serious? Do you really have a sarcasm detector? Where did you get it?

This guy can hook you up:

 

[tlongII]

I thought the offseason wasn't over?

 

[Webster's Dictionary]

Wow. Unless this is intended to be sarcastic, is there any way to give a negative rep?

The fact that there is any question as to whether or not I was being sarcastic speaks to the over sensationalism that runs rampant on this board.