Kenny Smith: Zach Randolph is the best post player in the league

[BlazersBlood]

And still, I am so glad we have Aldridge. It was a choice between the two, regardless of how many people think that wasn't the case. Also, you asked "Who wanted him gone?" My answer is most fans, media, management and the corporate sponsers.

Wouldn't this have been sweet:

C-Aldridge
PF-Zach
SF-Durant
SG-Roy
PG-Sergio

 

[anonymous gambler]

Wouldn't this have been sweet:

C-Aldridge
PF-Zach
SF-Durant
SG-Roy
PG-Sergio

One of the worst defense imaginable- though i'll concede that you are probably joking about sergio and roy. I wouldn't mind seeing Aldridge/Zach/Wallace/Wesley/Miller with Batum as 6th man.

 

[magnifier661]

And they were clearly all wrong.

Then you look back and most the time they are right. Character is a big thing in Portland. I was one that supported Damon, Bonzi, Sheed, Zach and the others that had off court issues. Later i realized why they were gone. This is still a business and it was aparent that the Blazers had a very tough time selling tickets and getting corporate sponsors. Also, it took another 4 years before he started becoming who he is today. I don't know if the fan base, Brass and corporate sponsors would be patient that long.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

The only people left is because they were losing. If they were the Jailblazers and winning, people wouldn't care. Guys like Ron Tonkin just wanted an excuse to get on their high horse and not shell out money for a losing team. Its easy to hate on ZBO when your team is losing and you get your kicks bagging on the blazers.

 

[magnifier661]

Wouldn't this have been sweet:

C-Aldridge
PF-Zach
SF-Durant
SG-Roy
PG-Sergio

It would have been really great. But I'm the fan that doesn't try and look back at previous bad decisions and mock management for making a mistake. We still have Oden, got Wallace, got Batum, got Wesley, got Miller. All of whom may not have been a Blazer if we didn't move Zach. Things happen for a reason. Memphis hasn't won a title and they may never win one. As a fan, I want rings, not going deep into playoffs. Division championships don't mean shit. Only championship banners!

 

[magnifier661]

The only people left is because they were losing. If they were the Jailblazers and winning, people wouldn't care. Guys like Ron Tonkin just wanted an excuse to get on their high horse and not shell out money for a losing team.

And the fans?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

And the fans?

What about them. They like winners. If the team loses, they'll start blaming anything they can latch onto. Its always been like that in Portland.

 

[magnifier661]

What about them. They like winners. If the team loses, they'll start blaming anything they can latch onto. Its always been like that in Portland.

But you see, there was a moment that we weren't winning, had bad characters and the corporate sponsors were bailing on the Blazers. What do you think they should have done? Moved to Seattle? Sell the team? Allen was almost at his last straw. How does the Oklahoma TrailBlazers sound to you?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

But you see, there was a moment that we weren't winning, had bad characters and the corporate sponsors were bailing on the Blazers. What do you think they should have done? Moved to Seattle? Sell the team? Allen was almost at his last straw. How does the Oklahoma TrailBlazers sound to you?

what does that have to do with ZBO? You make poor basketball decisions and don't win you're not going to get as much corporate support.

at the time the team had a good future. ZBO wouldn't have really affected it. Trading him for shit kind of did, which is why we are where we are.

 

[magnifier661]

what does that have to do with ZBO? You make poor basketball decisions and don't win you're not going to get as much corporate support.

at the time the team had a good future. ZBO wouldn't have really affected it. Trading him for shit kind of did, which is why we are where we are.

It has everything to do with Zbo. You make it sound like he was some angel that put his team first; falsely accused of smoking pot, being involved with shootings, going to juvie, and socking his team mate during practice, breaking his eye socket? Any way you look at it, he had some seriously immaturity problems in Portland. No one can deny that. NO ONE! He was a terrible team mate and role model. He's gone, and I'm glad he finally came to his senses and became responsible. Good for him. We still have Aldridge, whom I would pick 100 times over and over and over again instead of Zbo. Just my opinion.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

It has everything to do with Zbo. You make it sound like he was some angel that put his team first; falsely accused of smoking pot, being involved with shootings, going to juvie, and socking his team mate during practice, breaking his eye socket? Any way you look at it, he had some seriously immaturity problems in Portland. No one can deny that. NO ONE! He was a terrible team mate and role model. He's gone, and I'm glad he finally came to his senses and became responsible. Good for him. We still have Aldridge, whom I would pick 100 times over and over and over again instead of Zbo. Just my opinion.

Who wouldn't sock Ruben Patterson. It just shows some intensity. I smoke pop. I've shot people, I've been in Juvie (jk).

But I don't see it as a big deal. If he were to stay here, he would have contributed on the floor. Face it, we got Z-ERO for him back (har har). Bad basketball decision. Crippled our franchise, so to speak. KP valued this Cap Space so much that he was scared to make any moves that would "damage" his vision, which was nothing.

 

[Masbee]

Greg Oden.

KP & Co. didn't want Z-Bo and the basketball fam around him.

Hindsight 20/20 is a motherfucker sometimes.

What hindsight?

A sizable minority group of Blazers fans were opposed to the trade of Zach. Most of that group said the trade was bad value. No hindsight involved. Merely observation of the FACTS staring anybody in the face that bothered to look and see.

It was noted as a bad trade then, shortly thereafter, and still has the look of a bad trade. That's not hindsight.

 

[magnifier661]

[video=youtube;PGmKsWtCPsE]
Stay classy Zbo!

[video=youtube;REyrOBG55Qw]
Yeah New York had piss poor management! They should of gotten a rebounder for that air-ball.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

:MARIS61:

 

[magnifier661]

Who wouldn't sock Ruben Patterson. It just shows some intensity.

Really did you just say that's okay? So you think Bynum's intentional foul on JJ is okay too?

 

[magnifier661]

What hindsight?

A sizable minority group of Blazers fans were opposed to the trade of Zach. Most of that group said the trade was bad value. No hindsight involved. Merely observation of the FACTS staring anybody in the face that bothered to look and see.

It was noted as a bad trade then, shortly thereafter, and still has the look of a bad trade. That's not hindsight.

Absolutely right about the trade value. But Zach had to go unfortunately. I was one that was seriously against it, especially what we got in return. In hindsight, I now understand why he had to go; but still very bitter on who we got in return.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Really did you just say that's okay? So you think Bynum's intentional foul on JJ is okay too?

I was being sarcastic. I loved me the Kobe Stopper.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Absolutely right about the trade value. But Zach had to go unfortunately. I was one that was seriously against it, especially what we got in return. In hindsight, I now understand why he had to go; but still very bitter on who we got in return.

He really didn't though. Waiting 6 months wouldn't have mattered. We could have obviously traded him later, since he did get twice more.

 

[magnifier661]

He really didn't though. Waiting 6 months wouldn't have mattered. We could have obviously traded him later, since he did get twice more.

You are preaching to the choir. I remembered even saying... How about we wait until the deadline because it will take Oden a few months to get into the NBA groove. I think the trade to NY was one of the most terrible lopsided deals we could have possibly had.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

You are preaching to the choir. I remembered even saying... How about we wait until the deadline because it will take Oden a few months to get into the NBA groove. I think the trade to NY was one of the most terrible lopsided deals we could have possibly had.

Yes. I don't really mind he's gone. Its more what the trade was. At the time people were proclaiming KP as god and Penn as the CAP GENIUS. All that talk bugged me for such a shitty trade.

 

[magnifier661]

Yes. I don't really mind he's gone. Its more what the trade was. At the time people were proclaiming KP as god and Penn as the CAP GENIUS. All that talk bugged me for such a shitty trade.

Any way you look at that deal, it was a shitty trade. I don't care how much Zach was needed to go. What we got in return was terrible. In fact, if we would have just kept him until the trade deadline; I bet his value would have gone up significantly. With Oden going down; it would have made Zach become the #2 option and LMA would be playing center. Maybe, management would still keep Zach; until they finally got Oden back. And well with Oden playing only 80 games so far, that would probably mean we would have still have Zach. LOL

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Any way you look at that deal, it was a shitty trade. I don't care how much Zach was needed to go. What we got in return was terrible. In fact, if we would have just kept him until the trade deadline; I bet his value would have gone up significantly. With Oden going down; it would have made Zach become the #2 option and LMA would be playing center. Maybe, management would still keep Zach; until they finally got Oden back. And well with Oden playing only 80 games so far, that would probably mean we would have still have Zach. LOL

Yes. If it came down to it, I'd much rather have Aldridge than ZBO. But if it really came down to it, I'd rather have ZBO than Andre Miller.

 

[magnifier661]

Yes. If it came down to it, I'd much rather have Aldridge than ZBO. But if it really came down to it, I'd rather have ZBO than Andre Miller.

I don't think anyone in this forum would disagree with you; especially since Oden went down.

 

[STOMP]

Then you look back and most the time they are right. Character is a big thing in Portland. I was one that supported Damon, Bonzi, Sheed, Zach and the others that had off court issues. Later i realized why they were gone. This is still a business and it was aparent that the Blazers had a very tough time selling tickets

The Blazers pretty much had a full house of paying customers throughout most of that era. What was clearly correlated with PDX attendance is wins and loses. Once PIP Sabas and Bonzi fell apart physically, the team ceased to be elite and the numbers dipped to "just" 19,000 a night. After they dealt Sheed for crap and the team became average, it fell more. A couple years later they possessed the worst record and lowest attendance. It's built back up to a sellout as they've become better and started being relevant again.

the attendance numbers are readily available on line if you doubt me.

STOMP

 

[magnifier661]

The Blazers pretty much had a full house of paying customers throughout most of that era. What was clearly correlated with PDX attendance is wins and loses. Once PIP Sabas and Bonzi fell apart physically, the team ceased to be elite and the numbers dipped to "just" 19,000 a night. After they dealt Sheed for crap and the team became average, it fell more. A couple years later they possessed the worst record and lowest attendance. It's built back up to a sellout as they've become better and started being relevant again.

the attendance numbers are readily available on line if you doubt me.

STOMP

How about the Roy lead year of 07? We were still a lottery team and started selling out.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

How about the Roy lead year of 07? We were still a lottery team and started selling out.

On the trajectory up. When a team being blown up is starting to get young exciting players, people want to watch.

 

[STOMP]

How about the Roy lead year of 07? We were still a lottery team and started selling out.

google can be your friend too. It's not that hard to look things up

Portland had the worst record in the league in 2006 and was dead last in attendance. The next year bolstered by two high lotto picks they won 11 more games and improved from 30th to 22nd in the league in paying butts in seats but were still (on average) 4,000 butts short of selling out like our present level.

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2007

all the bitching about Portland fans demanding character rings pretty hollow to me... to me that was largely a myth created by Quick and Canzano who were mad that the Sheed era players wouldn't talk to them because of their lazy gossipy tendencies. Daily they fanned the flames of fan disappointment over their fading team, pointing to much more sinister reasons for fading attendance. But taking a step back and observing from a birdseye view, the attendance numbers show that Portland supports a winner, which makes them the same as most every other fanbase. Whats funny is that today's players still largely won't talk to the two local media jackasses for the same exact reasons as the late 90's club wouldn't

STOMP

 

[RoyToy]

It seems like such a long time ago that the RG was 50% full every game.

The franchise changed on June 28, 2006.... "A New Hope"

Ty KP.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Pritchard deserved to get fired for the ZBO trade and the Imaginary Cap Space fiasco. Nice guy. He made some good moves, but failing in his cap space endeavors is his lasting legacy.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Also, I'd rather have 50% full rose garden with playoff wins rather than 100% full rose garden with first round knockouts.