Minnesota: full of shit (confirmed)

[PwnedbyKahn]

I guess it depends on if you think a 23 years old SF with the 7th best PER at his position at 11 million per is better than 2 picks around #20 in a fairly weak draft, plus Luke Ridnour?

Right, but again, you are missing my point. Hypothetically, lets say Minnesota makes an offer to Batum and Portland does not match and lets Batum go to Minnesota. If that happens, the Blazers get nothing, absolutely nothing.

Do you not think it would make them look a little dumb when they could have gotten some compensation had they instead agreed to a S&T?

This is why I believe Portland will match the offer, if they don't, it will have been a huge miscalculation that will leave them with egg on their face.

 

[PwnedbyKahn]

this had been discussed to death, we know your position and opinions and you know ours - so what's the point? Your inability not to let this go is the real "2 yr old" action, like I said, go home.

Oh, I am sorry, I must have missed that part in the terms of service where we are only allowed to post our opinion then we are not allowed to discuss it further. Darn, what a restrictive site. They should look into maybe changing that to promote activity on the site.

 

[oldguy]

2. 95% of Wolves fans actually are not really that concerned if Portland matches (which I think they will) we just want to get some closure so we can move on if need be.

So you must be the only nose picker from your pathetic little site that doesn't have his panties in a bunch over this?

Go Blazers

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Three observations based on a pretty long life:

Guys who say they never jerk off are lying.
Guys who talk about all the sex they get are lying.
Guys who call everyone else "gay" are really nervous about themselves.

Incidentally, no i in crandc and I'm not a dude.

Now ... when do the Blazers lock up Batum?

Agree with you on all three (based on probably an even longer life) and they will lock up Batum when Minnesota gets tired of playing around.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Right, but again, you are missing my point. Hypothetically, lets say Minnesota makes an offer to Batum and Portland does not match and lets Batum go to Minnesota. If that happens, the Blazers get nothing, absolutely nothing.

Do you not think it would make them look a little dumb when they could have gotten some compensation had they instead agreed to a S&T?

This is why I believe Portland will match the offer, if they don't, it will have been a huge miscalculation that will leave them with egg on their face.

Depends on what their master plan is? Losing Batum for nothing on the surface looks stupid, but it clears up a ton of cap space for next season, or for a lopsided trade for a guy like Iggy at the deadline

 

[PwnedbyKahn]

We are kind of in the same boat. We both have a young promising center and PG, and an all star for a PF. The SF position would be our biggest hole to fill. Bigger than what you have IMO. (You have more depth) So what you are saying about why you would over pay for Nic, holds true for us as well.

Not sure about our SG's or yours at this point. Maybe BROY will be healthy, but that is a big IF. I wish him well. But to me that should have been your focus, not SF.

As an unbiased observer, you still have a giant hole at center and your PG is still an unknown. There is no guarantee with PG's, even highly drafted PG's. You also have to remember that normally it takes 2 years for a PG to get up to speed in the NBA, they are like the QB position in football. Only in exceptional cases do PG's come right in and lead a team to the playoffs as a rookie.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Well Darko is out. Should see a Nic offer any second from Minny

 

[PwnedbyKahn]

So you must be the only nose picker from your pathetic little site that doesn't have his panties in a bunch over this?

Go Blazers

The overwhelming preference is that Batum ends up with the Wolves... yes, I will agree with that... however, the butthurtedness will be minimal if we do not get him.

 

[e_blazer]

Well Darko is out. Should see a Nic offer any second from Minny

At this point, it seems to me that this is just about Minny making sure that the Blazers overpay for Batum.

 

[Mediocre Man]

At this point, it seems to me that this is just about Minny making sure that the Blazers overpay for Batum.

Ya, which will be funny if we don't, then turn around and make a lopsided trade for a guy like Iguodala with our cap space

 

[The_Lillard_King]

The overwhelming preference is that Batum ends up with the Wolves... yes, I will agree with that... however, the butthurtedness will be minimal if we do not get him.

Will there be butthurtness if Minny cut a couple of assets to make room for Batum and then don't get him?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

The overwhelming preference is that Batum ends up with the Wolves... yes, I will agree with that... however, the butthurtedness will be minimal if we do not get him.

I don't think that is true. He may prefer Minny, but (in case you didn't know), he said at the end of last season that he would be back because he wanted to be back and that the blazers told him then that it was "99% likely" they would match any offer.

He has known his fate for a long time, and is resigned to it. But hey, it would be cool to play with Rubio, so he told his agent to give it a shot.

 

[Pinwheel1]

As an unbiased observer, you still have a giant hole at center and your PG is still an unknown. There is no guarantee with PG's, even highly drafted PG's. You also have to remember that normally it takes 2 years for a PG to get up to speed in the NBA, they are like the QB position in football. Only in exceptional cases do PG's come right in and lead a team to the playoffs as a rookie.

Like I said both teams are very similar. We both think we have a good young pG and a C.

Rubio has played a half a season and got hurt. I assume he will be good, but he does have some red flags.(i.e can he stop anyone from blowing by him, can he hit the outside shot consistently to make sure players who have seen him a few times don't all start playing off of him) Your center also looks promising, but certainly nothing to write home about.

I agree there are no guarantees.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Looking at the future cap situation for Portland, Signing Batum to 11.25 per for 4 years is not a big deal.

His contract expires when they really have to pay anyone. Plus the one year contracts of Hickson and such will fit in nicely

 

[Nikolokolus]

I guess it depends on if you think a 23 years old SF with the 7th best PER at his position at 11 million per is better than 2 picks around #20 in a fairly weak draft, plus Luke Ridnour?

Right. And I think the answer is probably leaning more toward keeping Nic when those are your options. Frankly I think cap room has more value than two picks in the twenties in a crappy draft. At least you can make lopsided trades with that room, two guys who can't really contribute just take up locker space and seats on the plane ... and you have to pay them apparently too.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Adding two picks is great, but in reality, those two picks could end up being guys like Trevor Booker and Dominique Jones, who were picked 23 and 25 in 2010 by the Timberwolves and Griz

 

[julius]

Three observations based on a pretty long life:

Guys who say they never jerk off are lying.
Guys who talk about all the sex they get are lying.
Guys who call everyone else "gay" are really nervous about themselves.

Incidentally, no i in crandc and I'm not a dude.

Now ... when do the Blazers lock up Batum?

On that note, I jerk off all the time, I never get sex and no one is gay.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Adding two picks is great, but in reality, those two picks could end up being guys like Trevor Booker and Dominique Jones, who were picked 23 and 25 in 2010 by the Timberwolves and Griz

Picks are fine ... and in most circumstances I would advocate flipping a player for picks in a rebuilding effort, but usually when that means sending a player out on the backside of his career; that isn't Nicolas. But as it is, the team is so overloaded with youth right now, frankly how are they going to integrate two more rookies in a year? (And yes I realize that they are liquid assets that can used to sweeten a trade down the line).

Nic still has a ways to go before he'll ever be worth 11 million per year (and he probably won't ever quite live up to that much money) but at 23 and with no Nate I think he still has some headroom to improve and won't be quite the albatross that some fear.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Three observations based on a pretty long life:

Guys who say they never jerk off are lying.
Guys who talk about all the sex they get are lying.
Guys who call everyone else "gay" are really nervous about themselves.

Incidentally, no i in crandc and I'm not a dude.

Now ... when do the Blazers lock up Batum?

Gals who say the never masturbate are lying
Gals who talk about all the sex they get are lying
Gals who call everyone else lesbians are really nervous about themselves

Blazers will wait for Batum to get an offer and match

 

[BrianFromWA]

a few things:

1) Even with the Darko amnesty, they can't offer Nic the deal they're talking about. They have to waive Webster and Miller, and wait for their salaries to clear waivers before they come off their books. So it's a week from the time they waive them that they can talk about giving Nic more than 7M a year.

2) I don't quite get how MIN's two picks have been ramped up to being in the "high 20's" now. It's MEM and MIN. MIN + Batum&Budinger - Webster, Darko, Miller isn't a Western Conference Finalist, which is what they'd need to be for the picks to be in the "high 20's". If they don't get by the first round of the playoffs, you're looking at high teens/early 20's. And that's IF you think MIN gets into the playoffs even with Batum, which I don't. I think there's a much better chance (even if small) that MIN gives us the #1 overall pick than giving us a pick worse than 22. And MEM's is top-14 protected.

 

[RR7]

a few things:

1) Even with the Darko amnesty, they can't offer Nic the deal they're talking about. They have to waive Webster and Miller, and wait for their salaries to clear waivers before they come off their books. So it's a week from the time they waive them that they can talk about giving Nic more than 7M a year.

2) I don't quite get how MIN's two picks have been ramped up to being in the "high 20's" now. It's MEM and MIN. MIN + Batum&Budinger - Webster, Darko, Miller isn't a Western Conference Finalist, which is what they'd need to be for the picks to be in the "high 20's". If they don't get by the first round of the playoffs, you're looking at high teens/early 20's. And that's IF you think MIN gets into the playoffs even with Batum, which I don't. I think there's a much better chance (even if small) that MIN gives us the #1 overall pick than giving us a pick worse than 22. And MEM's is top-14 protected.

the picks don't change based on how teams do in the playoffs, so they do not need to make the WCF.

 

[Sedatedfork]

a few things:

1) Even with the Darko amnesty, they can't offer Nic the deal they're talking about. They have to waive Webster and Miller, and wait for their salaries to clear waivers before they come off their books. So it's a week from the time they waive them that they can talk about giving Nic more than 7M a year.

2) I don't quite get how MIN's two picks have been ramped up to being in the "high 20's" now. It's MEM and MIN. MIN + Batum&Budinger - Webster, Darko, Miller isn't a Western Conference Finalist, which is what they'd need to be for the picks to be in the "high 20's". If they don't get by the first round of the playoffs, you're looking at high teens/early 20's. And that's IF you think MIN gets into the playoffs even with Batum, which I don't. I think there's a much better chance (even if small) that MIN gives us the #1 overall pick than giving us a pick worse than 22. And MEM's is top-14 protected.

One of these Minny posters says that Webster's is nonguaranteed and that Miller has retired. Do they still have to clear waivers?

 

[crandc]

Gals who say the never masturbate are lying
Gals who talk about all the sex they get are lying
Gals who call everyone else lesbians are really nervous about themselves

Blazers will wait for Batum to get an offer and match

1) probably true
2) women don't usually do so - you know, when someone sleeps around, he's a stud, she's a slut, for doing the same thing. But yes, generally, the more they talk the less they do
3) also probably true but happens a lot less with women. I really don't know of too many girls and women who always going around calling others "gay". There are a lot of homophobic women, no doubt, but when chips are down what scares men is a guy thinking/talking/acting in the way they think/talk/act about women, and even the most homophobic women know that the threat to their physical safety is generally not from lesbians.

4) Yep, just wish they'd get it done already as there are around 10 threads on the topic and the Minny trolls are boring me.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Of course you're right. I'll rephrase:

Tell me who you think they'll have a better record than. I'll start with my list (assuming they're completely healthy and have Batum with only giving up Darko, Webster, Miller and a 2nd for Korver):

OKC
MIA
LAL
BKN
CHI (At this point, we're at the #25 pick, so "late 20's" is off the table)
SAS
LAC
DEN
BOS
IND
MEM (so MEM would be the #20 pick, and MIN would be below that). In the wildest of high expectations it'd be about the 20th and 19th pick. But you can go lower:

Personally, I think UTH, NYK, PHI are better than MIN. DAL and HOU would be on par with MIN, plus or minus a couple games. So now we're looking at around 13-16--if everyone stays healthy and plays to their potential. If Love gets disgruntled...if Rubio doesn't come back from his ACL tear immediately...if Roy is a ball-stopper and Batum isn't running breaks all game long, then they might be lower than that.

But high 20's for both? I don't see it.

 

[noknobs]

I think there's a much better chance (even if small) that MIN gives us the #1 overall pick than giving us a pick worse than 22.

That's total bullshit.

 

[BrianFromWA]

One of these Minny posters says that Webster's is nonguaranteed and that Miller has retired. Do they still have to clear waivers?

I haven't seen retired, I have to look that up. The "nonguaranteed" part means "once he clears waivers, only the guaranteed portion is on the cap and must be paid". The italics are the key.

 

[BrianFromWA]

That's total bullshit.

Please refere to post 834 and tell me the 22 teams MIN is going to be better than. I'll wait. However, if Love and Rubio go down with injuries, they're a lotto team. Even a 0.8% chance of winning the lotto is better than the 0% chance that they beat out 22 other teams' records. It's not that tough, and it's not "total bullshit".

 

[RR7]

I think they're better than Den, and potentially SAS and LAC. Potentially Ind. You mention everything needing to go right for them, but that holds true for every team. Boston is still really old, and at any time, an injury to KG can kill them. I don't know if I have Chicago that high with Rose out for possibly half the season.
I don't necessarily think HIGH 20s, personally. I see 19-24, though. And it doesn't make me super interested, personally.

 

[RR7]

Please refere to post 834 and tell me the 22 teams MIN is going to be better than. I'll wait. However, if Love and Rubio go down with injuries, they're a lotto team. Even a 0.8% chance of winning the lotto is better than the 0% chance that they beat out 22 other teams' records. It's not that tough, and it's not "total bullshit".

0%? That is total bullshit.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Wow. I'm surprised at the MIN homers in here. Seriously...swapping Webster for Batum is what makes MIN improve 25 games? OK, we'll have to agree to disagree.

The 7th-best team (23rd pick) had a .621 Win% last year. .671 the year before than, and .646 the year before that. Split the diff and call it a .650 needed to get 23rd pick or worse. That means MIN needs to win 54 games. I say that there is a ZERO PERCENT CHANCE that Love, Rubio, Batum, Roy, Pekovic and no bench win 54 games. I say that it's more likely that they end up in the late lotto, where even a 0.8% chance of winning #1 is higher than 0%.