Joel Przybilla could be headed back to Portland

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Back on topic...

Quick on the game now saying Przybilla's already made his decision but isn't announcing it until his agent tells him all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed. Quick also said JP asked him a lot of questions about the locker room, the players, and the chemistry, and said that Joel's agent sat courtside with Larry Miller last night.

He says it's down to us and Miami, but clearly he thinks Joel to Portland is a done deal.

Kills me that Pryz was asking Quick's opinion on anything... especially the locker room, players, and chemistry.

 

[mook]

The odds were 5.3% of us getting Oden. And even after we got him, it hasn't exactly worked out swimmingly, has it?

That was a 32 win team. (Historically you have to be in 20-29 win territory to even be in consideration for a top 5 pick.) How do we get to 32 wins (so we can get this 5.3% chance) without tanking?

Yeesh. This whole idea that we'd squander the best years of Aldridge's career to try grab more draft picks makes me nauseous.

 

[RR7]

he's around the team all the time, and would probably be able to give him an honest answer, at the least, of what he sees, versus asking a player who might make it sound better to him.

 

[Minstrel]

Unless Nic puts up monster scoring numbers, he will never really be an all star. Coaches oddly don't value efficiency as much as they should.

This is why I prefer to talk about "All Star-caliber" players rather than All-Star players. Outside of the niceness of recognition, it really doesn't matter whether a player is actually selected for the team. What matters (in terms of player and team quality) is whether the player is of that caliber. The way Batum has been playing as a starter, he easily meets the standard, in my opinion.

So if Batum can keep this up, the team will have two All Star-caliber players, which is a pretty strong foundation. More work will be needed to be done to put the right support players around Aldridge/Batum, but at least Portland will have the "hard part" done. That said, it remains to be seen if Batum can keep it up.

 

[THE HCP]

Great...... Joel is asking Quicks opinion on the locker room? Every player in that locker room hates Quick. Wonder what he said?

 

[THE HCP]

Nic is the BEERBOY of the NBA! He's starting to blossom with more minutes.... and is silky smooth and good with the ladies!

 

[mook]

Don't want to say your opinion is wrong, because I actually really agree with it. But.... Didn't the Spurs have a superstar "David Robinson" that was injured and they got Duncan? Doesn't that apply?

It definitely did happen that way. However, I'd hate to base my plans on a fluke injury like that. I suppose we could whisper to Aldridge, "Hey, too bad about that knee. *wink* wink*." But it's not exactly terribly sporting.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Nic is the BEERBOY of the NBA! He's starting to blossom with more minutes.... and is silky smooth and good with the ladies!

Just for that, I'm bringing back your lovely wife as my avatar!

 

[magnifier661]

It definitely did happen that way. However, I'd hate to base my plans on a fluke injury like that. I suppose we could whisper to Aldridge, "Hey, too bad about that knee. *wink* wink*." But it's not exactly terribly sporting.

I will never support a "losing mentality". Spurs got lucky. Some other teams did as well. I would never count on trying to tank for draft picks.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Didn't he just call you a whore? Or is that not what he meant by "fucking mercenary"?

Gee I guess I missed that one.

 

[THE HCP]

I will never support a "losing mentality". Spurs got lucky. Some other teams did as well. I would never count on trying to tank for draft picks.

WHAT!!?? You tanked and got a hot girlfriend!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Not to quibble, but Dwyane Wade is also averaging 22.4, he's just not "qualified". Still, your point stands.

Yep, noted.

But he's in the Eastern Conference and his adding him to the very small club of SGs averaging over 20 PPG only makes Batum look all the better.

BNM

 

[THE HCP]

Nerds...... I need a list of the top shooting guards stats compared to Nic's stats as a starter at the SG position ASAP!

 

[Mediocre Man]

Oh, now don't go all Kumbaya on me. I'm feeling pissy this morning and kicking you is better than kicking the cat.

And this is what's wrong with the forum. No one should seek people out to "kick" them.

 

[Boob-No-More]

And this is what's wrong with the forum. No one should seek people out to "kick" them.

Nobody should deliberately make others want to "kick" them.

Stop playing the victim card already. It's tedious. You reap what you sow.

BNM

 

[SlyPokerDog]

People can kick me all they want.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Nobody should deliberately make others want to "kick" them.

Stop playing the victim card already. It's tedious. You reap what you sow.

BNM

Not playing the victim. I was having a conversation about why I think signing Joel is asinine and someone said basically not to agree with them because they liked kicking me. I think that's a problem the forum has. I just offered an opinion of the forum.

 

[Blaze01]

The odds were 5.3% of us getting Oden. And even after we got him, it hasn't exactly worked out swimmingly, has it?

That was a 32 win team. (Historically you have to be in 20-29 win territory to even be in consideration for a top 5 pick.) How do we get to 32 wins (so we can get this 5.3% chance) without tanking?

Yeesh. This whole idea that we'd squander the best years of Aldridge's career to try grab more draft picks makes me nauseous.

That doesn't have to be the case...

Aldridge is 26....
Batum is 23 and about to be paid about $10+ million a year? I would agree with you that he is capable of maintaining somewhere around the level of play he is now as a starter, probably not perennial All Star (although that would be a great added bonus) but certainly should be considered a member of the new "big 3" going forward...
I think you 2 young guys who you ned to find out if they are going to develop into core pieces: Elliot Williams, who has shown promise in grabage time\limited minutes and Joel Freeland, who has played very well in europe and will likely be here next year....

Then you have 2 young guys, who IMO appear to be marginal NBA players at best, but maybe you might hold onto them to see if they develop, that would be Nolan Smith and Victor Claver (likely will be here next year as well)....Personally I don't like either one of them

Then you have a 2012 NBA draft which is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent memory....

You will have cap space to get 1 major free agent, maybe 2....

You don't need Wallace AND Batum....and Wallace still has trade value....Matthews, give or take as a bench player, and he has some decent trade value...Crawford is gone after this season anyway (or do you want to pay him $7-8 million for multiple years? I sure as hell don't), and I would think would have value to a team looking to strengthen thier bench...Camby\Thomas are on thier last legs...and ugh....Felton, little trade value (now), certainly don't want to resign him, probably just let him walk....

and then 5!!! players with little value to POR or any other team: Both Johnson's, Oden, Babbitt, Craig Smith...I would add Nolan Smith to that mix, but hope springs eternal for some fans...I have seen enough...

Both MIN and LAC need a SG...The clips are a sure playoff team, MIN is on the cusp.....MIN likes Matthews, Couldn't the clips use a guy liek Crawfrod? I would think so....MIN has some draft picks, a glut of young players....

What about a Matthews for Wes Johnson, change (Tolliver) and UTA protected pick?

What about dealing Crawford down to the Clips for Eric Bledsoe (who POR should have drafted instead of Luke Babbitt in the 1st place!!!) & change

You don't have to trade EVERY ONE of Matthews, Wallace, Camby, Crawford or Felton...but certainly look to deal a few to put some younger core pieces around Aldridge NOW...rather than wait to do it in 2 years or so when this current failed experiment becomes to OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE...then, yeah it is too late to build around Aldridge at that age...then you are looking at a complete rebuild.....

 

[e_blazer]

And this is what's wrong with the forum. No one should seek people out to "kick" them.

I didn't seek you out. Your posts often contain just the right amount of negative cynicism to tick me off. This morning I just felt like expressing my displeasure.

 

[THE HCP]

Nobody is kicking nobody around here.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

kicking the cat.

 

[mook]

What about a Matthews for Wes Johnson, change (Tolliver) and UTA protected pick?

What about dealing Crawford down to the Clips for Eric Bledsoe (who POR should have drafted instead of Luke Babbitt in the 1st place!!!) & change

You don't have to trade EVERY ONE of Matthews, Wallace, Camby, Crawford or Felton...but certainly look to deal a few to put some younger core pieces around Aldridge NOW...rather than wait to do it in 2 years or so when this current failed experiment becomes to OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE...then, yeah it is too late to build around Aldridge at that age...then you are looking at a complete rebuild.....

I'll be honest--I don't know anything about Wes Johnson or Eric Bledsoe other than the stats I just looked up on Basketball-Reference.com. But I look at their height, the college numbers and the NBA numbers, and I don't exactly soil myself in anticipation of their arrival.

But I guess if management saw something in those guys, I might get behind those deals. Maybe.

But what I don't get is why you think "this current failed experiment becomes to OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE." Batum is just now emerging as a possible star. In my book, the real experiment started the day Batum became a starting SG. Before then, I was pretty hopeless. This season was a complete disaster. Now I've got something to cling to. There's a path forward, and that path doesn't have to involve gambling on Clipper and Twolves castoffs.

 

[magnifier661]

People can kick me all they want.

 

[Blaze01]

I'll be honest--I don't know anything about Wes Johnson or Eric Bledsoe other than the stats I just looked up on Basketball-Reference.com. But I look at their height, the college numbers and the NBA numbers, and I don't exactly soil myself in anticipation of their arrival.

But I guess if management saw something in those guys, I might get behind those deals. Maybe.

But what I don't get is why you think "this current failed experiment becomes to OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE." Batum is just now emerging as a possible star. In my book, the real experiment started the day Batum became a starting SG. Before then, I was pretty hopeless. This season was a complete disaster. Now I've got something to cling to. There's a path forward, and that path doesn't have to involve gambling on Clipper and Twolves castoffs.

Don't get caught up in any particular trade ...I was just throwing out some ideas etc....

The problem is that Batum is emerging NOW, yes, but POR is still a .500 b-ball\1st round and out team at best...and on top of that you have NO PG, unless you see Felton as a long term answer and I cannot fathom why ANYONE would want to see POR resign him...

You have NO center, how long do you expect Camby to last? Przybilla (if they sign him?) Thomas? and you cannot even plan on adding (again if they resign him) Oden to that equation....

You have a 32yr old Crawford, an old 29yr old Wallace, an inconsistent at best Matthews...and a bench, that outside of Elliot Williams (and maybe Freeland next year) offers LITTLE help down the road....

Are you going to resign Crawford to a multi year deal at age 33? Pay him $7-9 million? I wouldn't....How about Wallace? $9 mil next year at age 30, are you going to resign him at $8-10 mil, right after you paid Batum $10+ mil? I'd rather use that money to find a GOOG shooting guard and place Batum back at the starting SF...

My point is, you could get the same inconsistency (and this would be worst case scenario) if you traded away ALL those players and brought in younger players...Batum and Aldridge are STILL going to be the bulk of the offense going forward...you will possibly have money to go after a FA (class is not that strong), and if I were POR I would overpay and go all out for Eric Gordon...maybe try and see if you can get an Aaron Brooks....

POR should have drafted a big in this last draft instead of wasting a pick on Nolan Smith, but what's done is done...the 2012 draft will provide a good opportunity to get a good quality big...and if POR traded away Wallace, Crawford, Matthews etc and missed the playoffs (and they could still get in even w\o those players), and took a 1yr dip into the lotto in a strong year? That would not be so bad....because chances are good that no matter WHO else they add to the team...with Aldridge and Batum (as long as he keeps emerging) this team would not be a perennial lotto team.

Your going to have to pay Batum big money ($10+ mil\year) and you have 1 shot to add 1 significant FA (be it Eric Gordon or whomever) and then basically around them you'll have a mix of young guys (Elliot Williams, Freeland, 2012 draft pick, Nolan Smith (I guess) & possibly Claver?) PLUS whatever young (preferably) players you got in deals for Wallace\Crawford\Matthews...maybe you keep Matthews...Maybe you try and resign Camby to another year or two....

The point is, this doesn't have to be a full rebuild....but you can't just add another player to this mess of a team and expect to suddenly be better, your going to have to tear down a little (you have a good\decent foundation w\ Aldridge\Batum) and put better COMPLIMENTARY pieces (a shooter, a PG, a center\banger?) around them....

Too may inconsitent players, no shooters, no PG...No real banger at PF (and Wallace is undersized there), and aging C (Camby is 39, Thomas is 40!! seriously how long do you think they can go?). This roster is a mess of mis-matched players, but that is what you get when an owner and his buddy play fantaasy basketball GM and anyone else in the orginization who dares to say something different (Let's reuild - Cho) gets fired.....err...weren't a good match....

Of course to realize any of this you would actually NEED a GM and for that GM to have a plan in place, starting now.....and this, this is a rudderless ship...pretty typical for an Allen run venture...

 

[magnifier661]

You have NO center, how long do you expect Camby to last? Przybilla (if they sign him?) Thomas? and you cannot even plan on adding (again if they resign him) Oden to that equation....

I'm really hoping management sees Aldridge more of a center than PF next season and grab a capable starting PF. I think it's much easier to find a capable starting PF than center these days. I have a feeling Aldridge will add a little more strength to his game this summer.

 

[Blaze01]

I'm really hoping management sees Aldridge more of a center than PF next season and grab a capable starting PF. I think it's much easier to find a capable starting PF than center these days. I have a feeling Aldridge will add a little more strength to his game this summer.

That is a possibility and looking at this current roster may become likely....Unless Freeeland comes over and shocks the shit out of everyone.....There are potentially some good bigs in the 2012 draft...getting up into the late lotto, POR could et a significant player if they don't let Chad Buchanan make the pick (hello....Babbitt...errr....Nolan Smith)

 

[magnifier661]

That is a possibility and looking at this current roster may become likely....Unless Freeeland comes over and shocks the shit out of everyone.....There are potentially some good bigs in the 2012 draft...getting up into the late lotto, POR could et a significant player if they don't let Chad Buchanan make the pick (hello....Babbitt...errr....Nolan Smith)

Yes we definitely need a fucking GM that can see talent. I 100% agree with that!

 

[Mediocre Man]

The only reason I'd want Joel back is so they could trade Camby before losing him for nothing

 

[magnifier661]

The only reason I'd want Joel back is so they could trade Camby before losing him for nothing

I have a feeling that Camby will retire a Blazer. He's publicly said he loves it in Portland. I hope that someday he actually comes on the coaching staff. I think he would really help this team with defense and rebounding.

 

[mook]

Don't get caught up in any particular trade ...I was just throwing out some ideas etc....

The problem is that Batum is emerging NOW, yes, but POR is still a .500 b-ball\1st round and out team at best...and on top of that you have NO PG, unless you see Fekton as a long term answer and I cannot fathom why ANYONE would want to see POR resign him...

You have NO center, how long do you expect Camby to last? Przybilla (if they sign him?) Thomas? and you cannot even plan on adding (again if they resign him) Oden to that equation....

You have a 32yr old Crawford, an old 29yr old Wallace, an inconsistent at best Matthews...and a becnh, that outside of Elliot Williams (and maybe Freeland next year) offers LITTLE help down the road....

My point is, you could get the same inconsistency (and this would be worst case scenario) if you traded away ALL those players and brought in younger players...Batum and Aldridge are STILL going to be the bulk of the offense going forward...you will possibly have money to go after a FA (class is not that strong), and if I were POR I would overpay and go all out for Eric Gordon...maybe try and see if you can get an Aaron Brooks....

POR should have drafted a big in this last draft instead of wasting a pick on Nolan Smith, but what's done is done...the 2012 draft will provide a good opportunity to get a good quality big...and if POR traded away Wallace, Crawford, Matthews ect and missed the playoffs, and too a 1yr dip into the lotto in a strong year? That would not be so bad....because chances are good that no matter WHO else they add to the team...with Aldridge and Batum (as long as he keeps emerging) this team would not e a perennial lotto team.

Your going to have to pay Batum big money ($10+ mil\year) and you have 1 shot to add 1 significant FA (be it Eric Gordon or whomever) and then basically around them you'll have a mix of young guys (Elliot Williams, Freeland, 2012 draft pick, Nolan Smith (i guess) & possibly Claver?) PLUS whatever young (preferably) players you got in deals for Wallace\Crawford\Matthews...maybe you keep Matthews...Maybe you try and resign Camby to another year or two....

The point is, this doesn't have to be a full rebuild....but you can't just add another player to ths mess of a team and expect to suddenly be better, your going to have to tear down a little (you have a good\decent foundation w\ Aldridge\Batum) and put better COMPLIMENTARY pieces (a shooter, a PG, a center\banger?) around them....

Solid post. I'd rep you but "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Blaze01 again."

I don't disagree a lot with your ideas. I'm just skeptical that after it's all said and done we'll have a lot of young, eventually mediocre players instead of veteran mediocre players.

My hope is that we make one big acquisition before the end of this summer that results in us having a legit "Big Three." Eric Gordon, Nash, Deron Williams....maybe somebody else. Barring that, maybe a guy like Calderon to at least give our team a fighting chance in the playoffs.

I disagree that "you can't just add another player to ths mess of a team and expect to suddenly be better." Portland looked really, really good early in the season, and a lot of the reason we fell apart is the disaster of Felton. We won 7 of our first 9 games. If we can swap him out for somebody competent, I think we can get back to that place.