KP with his back against the wall... What will he do?

[Minstrel]

I guess, I don't think NOH, if the situations were reversed, would have a problem "headlining" a package to get Roy with West. It seems as if people in here wouldn't add LMA and Batum to get CP3.

I haven't actually seen anyone say they'd rather not deal LMA/Batum for Paul. Oden and Roy are the only two I've seen people balk at. I think most people just don't view LMA as a headliner that would get New Orleans' attention.

 

[andalusian]

I haven't actually seen anyone say they'd rather not deal LMA/Batum for Paul. Oden and Roy are the only two I've seen people balk at. I think most people just don't view LMA as a headliner that would get New Orleans' attention.

I think that one of LMA/Oden needs to stay to have some kind of interior presence/scoring with a Roy/CP3 back-court. I would roll the dice on Greg before LMA, honestly.

 

[Minstrel]

I think that one of LMA/Oden needs to stay to have some kind of interior presence/scoring with a Roy/CP3 back-court. I would roll the dice on Greg before LMA, honestly.

I don't view Aldridge as an inside presence. He's a reasonably solid scorer, but he scores via jumpers and fade-aways. In addition, while he's a solid defender, he's not a game-changing defender. Nor is he a terribly good rebounder. Oden is a game-changing defender, fabulous rebounder and has the potential to be a major inside presence. The risk is his health, not his talent. Aldridge is safer, being healthier, but I'd roll the dice on the player with the talent to elevate the team to title contention and that's Oden. Aldridge may give the team a higher floor, but a more limited ceiling.

 

[andalusian]

I don't view Aldridge as an inside presence. He's a reasonably solid scorer, but he scores via jumpers and fade-aways. In addition, while he's a solid defender, he's not a game-changing defender. Nor is he a terribly good rebounder. Oden is a game-changing defender, fabulous rebounder and has the potential to be a major inside presence. The risk is his health, not his talent. Aldridge is safer, being healthier, but I'd roll the dice on the player with the talent to elevate the team to title contention and that's Oden. Aldridge may give the team a higher floor, but a more limited ceiling.

Aldridge is some kind of an interior presence, even if he is not a real back to the basket guy. Could he do more? Sure - but he can operate on the low-block, and I suspect that with a guard like CP3 feeding him there - you will actually see it happen more as Paul did wonders to Tyson Chandler's ability to finish near the basket - Chandler's 2 best years offensively, were without a doubt - the 2 healthy ones he had next to Paul.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Hypothetically if we put together a big package that included Batum for Paul I think priority #1 should be to bring over Victor Claver.

 

[EGame]

I figure out what KP is going to deal. Draft a player at 22 and 34 and then get fired the day after the draft. Yup, no big deals, the dude is done.

 

[julius]

I'm starting to think that KP's back against the wall leads to KP doing nothing.

 

[BrianFromWA]

so, is it me, or have we seen two of the Blazers biggest targets of the last 3 years traded on the same day for not-horrible-expensive deals?

Oh yeah, and not to us.

 

[illmatic99]

Some of you Chicken Littles are ridiculous, and it seems like you want KP to make a trade just to make one.

 

[EGame]

Some of you Chicken Littles are ridiculous, and it seems like you want KP to make a trade just to make one.

No, it is called trading to elevate our team and help us get out of the first round. Perhaps a healthy Oden can help do that with no additions, but we cannot keep hoping and relying on Oden at this point. You don't make a trade just to make one. But when you have valuable pieces such as Raef LaFrentz or Rudy when he had some value, you make a deal to upgrade. Now Raef is off the books and Rudy has zero value, meanwhile, we are hoping Batum and Oden become all-stars. If he is going to make a trade that guts our team for someone like Harris, then don't do it. But KP has not been a very willing trader and the rumor of how he always overvalues his players only hurts us.

 

[Minstrel]

I'm starting to think that KP's back against the wall leads to KP doing nothing.

I know, wtf. MAKE A DEAL EVEN IF ITS HORRIBLE (but it shouldn't be horrible because there's tons of awesome deals out there that KP is too stupid/afraid to do).

Today is just baffling. Doesn't Pritchard realize that he needs to make a huge deal that's obviously a win for Portland (obvious even to his trading partner), in order to save his job? So...why doesn't he just do it?

 

[illmatic99]

No, it is called trading to elevate our team and help us get out of the first round. Perhaps a healthy Oden can help do that with no additions, but we cannot keep hoping and relying on Oden at this point. You don't make a trade just to make one. But when you have valuable pieces such as Raef LaFrentz or Rudy when he had some value, you make a deal to upgrade. Now Raef is off the books and Rudy has zero value, meanwhile, we are hoping Batum and Oden become all-stars. If he is going to make a trade that guts our team for someone like Harris, then don't do it. But KP has not been a very willing trader and the rumor of how he always overvalues his players only hurts us.

Please tell me, HOW THE FUCK do you know it's KP who is not very willing to trade his players???

IT WAS NOT KP that rejected the CP3 trade.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Uh, I want to see KP make a trade. Partially because I don't believe that these 15 guys win a championship together. Does it matter if it's of the Roy-for-Paul variety, or the Rudy-for-13 variety, or the EC's-for-Dampier-to-get-cap-space variety. Team getting changed (potentially for better)>Letting the present cake bake.

 

[EGame]

Please tell me, HOW THE FUCK do you know it's KP who is not very willing to trade his players???

IT WAS NOT KP that rejected the CP3 trade.

No, but I still would like a report on what he was willing to offer, Last I heard it was Batum, Miller, Pryzbilla, and Rudy as well as draft picks for Paul. That is lolhorrible.

 

[Minstrel]

Uh, I want to see KP make a trade.

Any trade. Totally on board, also. I just want to see it, see that it is possible. Even if its Roy for Troy Murphy (dunno if salaries work, that's KP's job)...it'll reassure me that he's not too in love with his guys to make a deal.

 

[illmatic99]

Uh, I want to see KP make a trade. Partially because I don't believe that these 15 guys win a championship together. Does it matter if it's of the Roy-for-Paul variety, or the Rudy-for-13 variety, or the EC's-for-Dampier-to-get-cap-space variety. Team getting changed (potentially for better)>Letting the present cake bake.

I agree with this. I want a trade to improve our team also. But, every trade offer by KP needs to be reciprocated by the other team. After hearing the pathetic offers that he's getting for even Rudy, I'm getting the feeling that our players aren't very highly thought of, so this might not be the time to make the move (especially in Rudy's case whose value can't get any lower).

 

[oldmangrouch]

I know, wtf. MAKE A DEAL EVEN IF ITS HORRIBLE (but it shouldn't be horrible because there's tons of awesome deals out there that KP is too stupid/afraid to do).

Today is just baffling. Doesn't Pritchard realize that he needs to make a huge deal that's obviously a win for Portland (obvious even to his trading partner), in order to save his job? So...why doesn't he just do it?

So....you're happy KP didn't pull off a blockbuster and save his job? Otherwise, the sarcasm is uncalled for. I never expected a deal to get done - but I am not going to flame people for holding out hope. Yeesh!

 

[EGame]

Any trade. Totally on board, also. I just want to see it, see that it is possible. Even if its Roy for Troy Murphy (dunno if salaries work, that's KP's job)...it'll reassure me that he's not too in love with his guys to make a deal.

Hopefully we can trade Batum for a bag of chips. That would be sweet.

 

[Minstrel]

So....you're happy KP didn't pull off a blockbuster and save his job? Otherwise, the sarcasm is uncalled for. I never expected a deal to get done - but I am not going to flame people for holding out hope. Yeesh!

Why is the sarcasm uncalled for? Of course I'd love a superstar addition without giving up too much. Those types of trades are incredibly rare. One bitter post after another implying that Pritchard is a fool who did nothing because he didn't pull off one of those incredibly rare trades is tremendously silly (in my opinion). Silliness can call for sarcasm. It wasn't a mean "I hate you" sarcasm, if that makes anyone feel better. It was a "Now, now, you silly-billy!" type of light-hearted sarcasm. We cool?

 

[illmatic99]

So....you're happy KP didn't pull off a blockbuster and save his job? Otherwise, the sarcasm is uncalled for. I never expected a deal to get done - but I am not going to flame people for holding out hope. Yeesh!

This isn't exactly "holding out hope."

I figure out what KP is going to deal. Draft a player at 22 and 34 and then get fired the day after the draft. Yup, no big deals, the dude is done.

I'm starting to think that KP's back against the wall leads to KP doing nothing.

After seeing all of the wheeling and dealing going on around the league in the past couple of days, I get the feeling that KP is a bit like a horse in the Derby that races out ahead of the pack by the first turn, and down the stretch comes up lame and everybody but a broken down nag passes him in the home stretch.

KP's like a window shopper. He makes calls but fails to get the big deals done.

That is what happens when you love all of your young guys. His relationship with his players really hurt trade talk, I imagine.

 

[andalusian]

Hopefully we can trade Batum for a bag of chips. That would be sweet.

Only if we throw Roy in the deal as well. That way KP will be a part of a deal that involves a star!

 

[EGame]

Only if we throw Roy in the deal as well. That way KP will be a part of a deal that involves a star!

That is cool with me. We should make the bag of chips super sized though, it would only be fair.

 

[Minstrel]

Only if we throw Roy in the deal as well. That way KP will be a part of a deal that involves a star!

If only Pritchard had the balls to close a deal. We'll just have to look on longingly while bolder GMs get the bag of chips. Mmm....chips...

 

[oldmangrouch]

We cool?

Always.

I feel bad for some of the folks here - "hope" = "disappointment." I also kind of envy them. My capacity for optimism is pretty much gone.

 

[Minstrel]

Always.

I feel bad for some of the folks here - "hope" = "disappointment." I also kind of envy them. My capacity for optimism is pretty much gone.

I knew it. You're an oldmangrouch as a defense mechanism. To avoid being hurt.

 

[e_blazer]

So....you're happy KP didn't pull off a blockbuster and save his job? Otherwise, the sarcasm is uncalled for. I never expected a deal to get done - but I am not going to flame people for holding out hope. Yeesh!

KP didn't pull off a blockbuster? Given that the draft hasn't even started yet, aren't you a bit premature in your conclusion here? Given Quick's track record, I'd say the prospects are greater now that he says nothing's happening.

 

[oldmangrouch]

I knew it. You're an oldmangrouch as a defense mechanism. To avoid being hurt.

I've been following this team since the day it was born. Without a defense mechanism, I would have bailed long ago.

OTOH, we found out last night my father-in-law has 3-6 weeks to live, so I am not exactly "up" today.

 

[Minstrel]

OTOH, we found out last night my father-in-law has 3-6 weeks to live, so I am not exactly "up" today.

Very sorry to hear it. I remember when I found out that my father didn't have long to live...very hard to deal with. I hope you come to terms with it and regain your spirit as soon as possible.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Very sorry to hear it. I remember when I found out that my father didn't have long to live...very hard to deal with. I hope you come to terms with it and regain your spirit as soon as possible.

Thanks. We knew it was bad...but the prognosis went from "6 months" to "6 weeks or less" overnight. It'll just take a little time for the shock to wear off.

 

[e_blazer]

Sorry to hear this, OMG. It may not be much, but doctors have been known to blow these calls fairly frequently. In any event, my best wishes for your father-in-law and your family.