Great, they fired Byron Scott

[Deebag]

Roy does enough whining already about having to share the ball. CP3 is going to require the ball in his hand the entire game.

 

[Minstrel]

I have done it. Dec 15 it works. IMAGINARY TRADES!!!

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ylc28og (Don't mind Oden, Batum and Dante--their salaries combine to form Miller's)

NY out: Curry, cash to NOH
NY in: Hilton Armstrong, Blakey, Bayless (or Outlaw, either way works)

NOH Out: Paul, Peja, Okafor
NOH In: LMA, Curry, Rudy, Outlaw (or Bayless), Miller, Przy

POR out: LMA, Przy, Outlaw, Blake, Bayless, Rudy
POR In: CP3, Okafor, Peja, 2.1M exception, 1.2M exception

Our lineup: (BTW, I'm planning on us turning one of those exceptions into Wilson chandler, too)
CP3/Mills
Roy/Webster
Batum/Peja
Okafor/Howard/DC
Oden/JP

Time to call up Kopo and Freeland and Claver (oh My!)

NOH lineup: (after waiving Diogu and Marks and D. Brown)
Miller, Collison, Brown
Rudy, MoPete, Thornton
Posey/Outlaw/Wright
LMA/West/Songaila
Przy/Curry

That's an ok looking team. And the fact that they save 7M this year, get 3M in cash, trade Peja's contract for Curry's (and save another 16M right there), get LMA, Rudy and Bayless or Outlaw, to go with Przy and Miller. That's an entire starting lineup for CP3 and dumping contracts.

That's actually not bad. As a New Orleans fan I would hate it, because I hate the idea of melting one transcendent star down into a group of good players...but it does give them a plausible amount of talent if they really want to dump salary/get some cash.

As a Portland fan, I love it. Obviously. Okafor is a downgrade from Aldridge, but still a very legitimate power forward. The upgrade at point guard, for many years, is insane. At the expense of dumping lots of talented but ultimately reserve (for Portland) players. And you retained Batum...!

 

[Minstrel]

Roy does enough whining already about having to share the ball. CP3 is going to require the ball in his hand the entire game.

The difference is, now Roy would be giving up some ball-handling duties to a superior player. Paul would instantly be Portland's best player. If Roy isn't happy with giving up some of how much he runs things to a better player, he'll just have to console himself with the max contract. And championships, something he said he wanted badly.

 

[Deebag]

Brandon Roy wants to be THE guy. He wants to be the quarterback. He wants that Finals MVP. He won't be happy seeing CP3 here even if it means more championships. In the same way LeBron, Kobe, Wade, CP3, etc., dominate the ball, he wants to do the same. And I don't blame him. He won't like playing second or third fiddle. If all a player cared about is championships, he'd sign the minimum for the best team in the league. But that's not what it's all about. You also want your name affiliated with that trophy.

 

[ABM]

Brandon Roy wants to be THE guy. He wants to be the quarterback. He wants that Finals MVP. He won't be happy seeing CP3 here even if it means more championships. In the same way LeBron, Kobe, Wade, CP3, etc., dominate the ball, he wants to do the same. And I don't blame him. He won't like playing second or third fiddle. If all a player cared about is championships, he'd sign the minimum for the best team in the league. But that's not what it's all about. You also want your name affiliated with that trophy.

Would you be happy with that trade if Roy were traded as opposed to LMA?

 

[Minstrel]

Brandon Roy wants to be THE guy. He wants to be the quarterback. He wants that Finals MVP. He won't be happy seeing CP3 here even if it means more championships. In the same way LeBron, Kobe, Wade, CP3, etc., dominate the ball, he wants to do the same. And I don't blame him. He won't like playing second or third fiddle. If all a player cared about is championships, he'd sign the minimum for the best team in the league. But that's not what it's all about. You also want your name affiliated with that trophy.

I wasn't saying he won't be unhappy. I am less certain that he'll be unhappy than you are, but even if he is...tough. That was the point of my post. He's got a max contract and he'll be winning a lot. You don't always get everything you want. I don't think he'd become a cancer.

 

[ABM]

I wasn't saying he won't be unhappy. I am less certain that he'll be unhappy than you are, but even if he is...tough. That was the point of my post. He's got a max contract and he'll be winning a lot. You don't always get everything you want. I don't think he'd become a cancer.

I think he'd be underutilized, though.

 

[Deebag]

Would you be happy with that trade if Roy were traded as opposed to LMA?

Yes, I would. And I love Roy. He's a local talent that we drafted. Family guy. Teammates love him. Could potentially go down as the greatest Blazer of all time, and probably won't ditch us like Clyde or Walton. We can still win championships with him. But...Paul is a top 3 player, if not 2nd or even 1st. Roy is a top 5-7. Paul can make Aldridge a lot more effective than Paul can make Roy effective. His PER numbers are out of this world. He steals like crazy. He's a good perimeter defender, one of our biggest flaws. He won't allow PG's to fly by and get Oden in trouble. Speaking of Oden, many people have seem Roy reluctant to pass to Oden (though he has done it a couple times during this win streak). Paul will probably make it his first priority.

Minstrel, he might not become a cancer but he might not be the player he's capable of being if he's not happy and if he's not able to dominate that ball.

And what the heck are they gonna do with both David West and Aldridge who play similar styles?

 

[Minstrel]

I think he'd be underutilized, though.

I don't know about that. Jordan and Pippen managed to play together brilliantly despite both being "primary ball-handler" types.

I think Roy would be pretty deadly playing off-the-ball some of the time and I think he'd get to make plays for Paul, too. It would definitely take some adjusting, but I can envision Paul and Roy being one of the great perimeter duos of all-time.

 

[magnifier661]

Roy does enough whining already about having to share the ball. CP3 is going to require the ball in his hand the entire game.

Trust me. If CP3 comes to Portland, Roy will see him as an equal or a better of the two. I don't think his problem had anything to do with a true point guard. It's more like Miller isn't a star like him, so why would he have to change for him. Yeah I know, sounds lame, but CP3 is a better player than him "Arguably" so I see Roy being able to co-exist. Also, keep in mind that Roy played very well with CP3 in the allstar game. I know it was more of an exhibition game, but it still worked.

 

[ABM]

I don't know about that. Jordan and Pippen managed to play together brilliantly despite both being "primary ball-handler" types.

I think Roy would be pretty deadly playing off-the-ball some of the time and I think he'd get to make plays for Paul, too. It would definitely take some adjusting, but I can envision Paul and Roy being one of the great perimeter duos of all-time.

Perhaps.

I do know that until Jordan learned to be more unselfish, the Bulls didn't become ultra-successful. Plus, they ran that triangle thing. Not sure if that contributed to the Jordan-Pip duo's success, or not.

Nonetheless, I'd almost rather see Rudy and LMA here with CP3, as opposed to Roy.

 

[Minstrel]

Minstrel, he might not become a cancer but he might not be the player he's capable of being if he's not happy and if he's not able to dominate that ball.

I think Roy's plethora of skills would allow him to mold his game. He played the ball-dominating focal point because that's what the team needed badly. I don't think very many people saw him in that role coming out of college, let alone only capable of that role. Granted, he's surpassed pretty much all pre-draft expectations, but that well-rounded offensive game is still intact, even if he's turned out to be a superior scorer than many of us thought. He might not be happy at first, since he's used to this, but I think he'd figure out how to optimize his talents in a new role.

And what the heck are they gonna do with both David West and Aldridge he play similar styles?

That's a good question. Aldridge could be a center, IMO, but they do have similar high post games on offense. New Orleans might need to make a further trade after, or figure out how to incorporate two similar types of players on offense.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

I know I am being repetitive, but I don't think New Orleans would be interested in any kind of lateral trade involving Roy or Aldridge. That would not help them on the court or financially. They would only be interested in trading Paul if they reached a point where they felt they needed to blow up the team and start over. So, their main interest would be saving money and getting young prospects and draft picks.

They might consider expiring contracts (Outlaw, Blake), young guys (Batum, Rudy and Bayless) and our 2010 and 2012 draft picks plus Pryzbilla for Paul and some bad contracts. They could then trade Pryzbilla for possibly an expiring contract plus a draft pick. I had originally thought that they might be interested in Okafor being the bad contract since over 4 years his is the most expensive. However if they blow up the team they would be wise to trade him separately for younger assets, so I guess we would take back either Peja or Posey.

I think they would definitely do the trade if we included Oden instead of Blake; then we would not take back bad contracts and would not include Pryzbilla, I don't think I would do the trade then, unless we could keep Batum, and maybe not even then

 

[KingSpeed]

the firing definitely hurts us; teams always play great after a firing; almost always

 

[PtldPlatypus]

the firing definitely hurts us; teams always play great after a firing; almost always

Last year, Reggie Theus was fired 2 days before we destroyed them by 42 points (hence the "almost" in your statement).

 

[THE HCP]

This replacement is a suit from the front office, I don't think his players are gonna be fired up to play for him. Usually an assistant that all the players respect takes over.

 

[magnifier661]

Last year, Reggie Theus was fired 2 days before we destroyed them by 42 points (hence the "almost" in your statement).

Yes, but that team just plain sucked either way. Even inspired basketball wouldn't be able to save them.

 

[magnifier661]

Perhaps.

I do know that until Jordan learned to be more unselfish, the Bulls didn't become ultra-successful. Plus, they ran that triangle thing. Not sure if that contributed to the Jordan-Pip duo's success, or not.

Nonetheless, I'd almost rather see Rudy and LMA here with CP3, as opposed to Roy.

I am a HUGE Aldridge homer, but I wouldn't like CP3, Aldridge and Oden as opposed to CP3, Roy and Oden. All three of them can and will punish you. They all are in different positions in the court, all demanding doubles. Also, Roy is way more clutch than Aldridge. As much as I would hate to see him go, if we were to give up any of our big three, it would be aldridge to get a player of CP3's caliber.

 

[andalusian]

The plot thickens, just a tiny little bit.

Paul also expressed disappointment over how little he knew about the change before it was announced.

"I've been with this team for five years now and have been nothing but humble and all about the team," Paul said. "I wish I would have known, you know, before everyone else knew because it was a shock to me.

"You don't have to have my approval. I'm just a player. ... Just let me know."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4652125

 

[magnifier661]

The plot thickens, just a tiny little bit.



http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4652125

Don't you think CP3 would look really nice in a Blazer uniform?

 

[hasoos]

Don't you think CP3 would look really nice in a Blazer uniform?

Yea I promise if he comes here they will ask him before firing Nate!

 

[magnifier661]

Yea I promise if he comes here they will ask him before firing Nate!

Interesting idea regarding a hypothetical deal. I keep forgetting about Fernandez. If, hypothetically we had to trade Roy for CP3 (main pieces), Rudy could actually start and possibly be so much better with a facilitator like CP3. If we dealt Aldridge as one of the pieces, it's harder to find a "big man" to replace him with.

I know it's crazy, but realistically we would be better off dealing Roy, than Aldridge as the main piece of the puzzle, especially if we can keep Rudy on the team.

 

[Ed O]

Interesting idea regarding a hypothetical deal. I keep forgetting about Fernandez. If, hypothetically we had to trade Roy for CP3 (main pieces), Rudy could actually start and possibly be so much better with a facilitator like CP3. If we dealt Aldridge as one of the pieces, it's harder to find a "big man" to replace him with.

I know it's crazy, but realistically we would be better off dealing Roy, than Aldridge as the main piece of the puzzle, especially if we can keep Rudy on the team.

I disagree.

I'd rather have Roy than Rudy + Aldridge.

Aldridge is good, but power forwards at his level are easier to get than top-10 or -15 players.

Ed O.

 

[RR7]

I disagree.

I'd rather have Roy than Rudy + Aldridge.

Aldridge is good, but power forwards at his level are easier to get than top-10 or -15 players.

Ed O.

+1.

Roy is a lot tougher to replace in this league in my opinion. I like Aldridge a lot. I want him to stick around on our team. I think he will, as well. But an 18 and 8, roughly, PF, is going to be easier to replace than Roy. Not just Roy's #s, but his overall impact on the team. I understand Paul could have a big impact on guys. I still don't see him as the clsoer, go-to guy at the end of an NBA Finals series like I do Roy. Others do, that's fine. I think it would be easier to find a replacement for Aldridge and get 80 cents on the dollar, and still succeeed than taking 80 cents on the dollar with Roy and all he brings.

 

[andalusian]

I disagree.

I'd rather have Roy than Rudy + Aldridge.

Aldridge is good, but power forwards at his level are easier to get than top-10 or -15 players.

My opinion as well. You do not trade Roy to keep Rudy and LMA.

 

[magnifier661]

I disagree.

I'd rather have Roy than Rudy + Aldridge.

Aldridge is good, but power forwards at his level are easier to get than top-10 or -15 players.

Ed O.

I stand corrected.

 

[STOMP]

Disagree. We have who, Bayless and Rudy as cheap young talent?

and Batum & Freeland who I'm pretty sure is a valued prospect. Outlaw and Webster are both young and relatively cheap too.

For NO, do you take Green, Westbrook, Harden, maybe Mullens or Ibaka possibly, as well as a lottery pick, and dumping Peja? Or Bayless, Rudy and Outlaw?

+ Batum, Freeland, Webster, Blake(expiring), Joel, and $PA$

STOMP

 

[magnifier661]

Hey I actually made a deal work, with all the crappy Trade exemptions, PPP and cap issues. Okay so here it is.

Portland deals: T Outlaw, Aldridge, R. Fernandez, J. Bayless
They receive: Chris Paul

Chicago deals: Kirk Hinrich, Johnson and Brad Miller
They receive: R. Fernandez, Emeka Okafor, Peja and Travis Outlaw

NO trades: Chris Paul, Peja and Okafor
They Receive: LMA, J. Bayless, Brad Miller, Hinrich and Johnson (cap filler)

Portland's new line-up: CP3, Roy, Webster, Howard, Oden
Bench: Miller, Blake, Pryzbilla

Looks like we are a little thin, but couldn't we bring a couple Euros like Freeland to fill up our roster?

<edited> Oh btw... Hollinger's analysis Blazers: +12 wins, NO: -29 wins, Chicago: +12 wins. Only thing that helps NO is salary and rebuilding I guess.

 

[andalusian]

Portland's new line-up: CP3, Roy, Webster, Howard, Oden
Bench: Miller, Blake, Pryzbilla

Looks like we are a little thin, but couldn't we bring a couple Euros like Freeland to fill up our roster?

Don't know about Freeland and others (We do however still have the amazingly recovered Batum, Dante, Piechart and Krabby Patty) - but there is no way we do not see Miller and Blake in the starting unit.

It will be the all-amazing 4 guard unit with CP3, Blake, Miller, Roy and Oden.

Just an FYI.

 

[magnifier661]

Don't know about Freeland and others (We do however still have the amazingly recovered Batum, Dante, Piechart and Krabby Patty) - but there is no way we do not see Miller and Blake in the starting unit.

It will be the all-amazing 4 guard unit with CP3, Blake, Miller, Roy and Oden.

Just an FYI.

I don't know if you caught the post before I edited it, but Hollinger says +12 wins for Portland, +12 wins for Chicago and -29 wins for NO. Do you think NO would even consider it? They maybe able to shoot for a top 5 pick with the amount of losses they get.