My boy hickson

[1honestfan]

Because they needed to clear space to offer Hibbert.

Which was never going to happen because Hibbert was a restricted free agent and Indiana was never going to let him walk; especially for nothing.

 

[1honestfan]

I have the feeling we will soon be having a similar discussion over Mo. Which is worse: lose him for nothing, or over-pay to keep him?

It would not surprise me one bit if they put Barton in his place and let him walk. I think that Allen wants to keep this team young and cheap and hope for the same outcome as the Seahawks. We will see though. It's a good point.

 

[1honestfan]

Annnnd thread. 1honestfan, any thoughts? Close it up guys, this one's done.

Again, he's playing the center position because McGee went down with a season ending injury and Faried isn't playing center.

 

[Strenuus]

It would not surprise me one bit if they put Barton in his place and let him walk. I think that Allen wants to keep this team young and cheap and hope for the same outcome as the Seahawks. We will see though. It's a good point.

Who was talking about Barton?

 

[Strenuus]

Again, he's playing the center position because McGee went down with a season ending injury and Faried isn't playing center.

So, he's pretty much doing what he did last year with us...

But, this year if he were with us, he wouldn't be getting in the minutes that he would be getting at Denver... lowered production, disgruntled (assumed).

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Mike and Mike sure go out of their way to bash/discredit/minimize him in a concerted way. Olshey really bashed him in a unprofessional way. Seems like Olshey has some hard feelings over something that happened behind closed doors?

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

 

[STOMP]

Wow. I am a little surprised.

JJ Hickson in fact has been playing the center position and it's completely and utterly out of position for him.

I'm surprised that you're surprised. Multiple defensive switches happen most every time down the court & PFs regularly find themselves guarding the opponent's 3-5. Not only does JJ struggle guarding any decent offensive player one on one, he's a worse team defender who struggles being at the right place in rotations. He's not a shotblocker either.

Making deep runs in the playoffs and winning championships in the NBA is about acquiring veterans and bringing them in off the bench.

the old adage is Defense wins championships not vets off the bench wins championships. Defense from the frontline is especially important IMO. JJ seems like a nice guy and I wish him well and all, but I wasn't sad to see him go as I want the Blazers to win.

STOMP

 

[The_Lillard_King]

So, he's pretty much doing what he did last year with us...

But, this year if he were with us, he wouldn't be getting in the minutes that he would be getting at Denver... lowered production, disgruntled (assumed).

That what I think. If he was here instead of Robinson, he would likely be disgruntled .

I was big on trying to figure a way to keep Hickson last summer, but after he sort of threw LA under the bus, I think that was very telling of his relationship with the Blazer organization. Hickson doesn't seem like he is a content player unless he is getting his, win or lose. I may be just riding T-Rob recent grab performance, but T-Rob seems like a better fit than JJ.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

Which was never going to happen because Hibbert was a restricted free agent and Indiana was never going to let him walk; especially for nothing.

Who knows how close the Pacers were to letting Hibbert walk. I am pleased NO tried for a real difference maker in Hibbert, instead of settling for a guy, and playing him completely and utterly out of position.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Back in 2012 Portland could have given Hickson a QO of 4.4 million and they choose not to. Had they done that, this whole issue would have been averted as he would have been under contract and no cap hold. At least that's how I understand it.

Not even sure how the 2012 QO situation is even relevant to the 2013 offseason. As a UFA in 2012, Hickson went with a one-year deal. If he and the Blazers had wanted a longer deal, they would have signed one. If they had signed the QO, Hickson still would have been a FA in 2013, he still would have had a cap hold this past summer.

 

[BBert]

Did Hickson even want to be in Portland, baking up LaMarcus? I doubt it.

 

[Natebishop3]

0 points, 0-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 3 personal fouls, 1 turnover in a game where Denver has 47 points with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

Get that money JJ!

 

[julius]

0 points, 0-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 3 personal fouls, 1 turnover in a game where Denver has 47 points with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

Get that money JJ!

It's hilarious how often stuff like this happens. Player that some wanted has decent to good game...poster comes in and brags about it...then said player lays a colossal egg the next game.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Did Hickson even want to be in Portland, baking up LaMarcus? I doubt it.

Sure didn't seem like it. He also wanted a BIG payday after the big, but hollow, stats he put up last year. That was never going to happen in Portland (or anywhere else it turns out). We NEEDED a real center playing next to Aldridge, and we got exactly that in Lopez. I really don't see any possible way we could have kept Hickson and gotten Lopez (mostly because of Hickson's unrealistic expectations in terms of both PT and $$). So, I'm much happier with Lopez as our starting center and TRob off the bench than I would have been with another year of Hickson starting at center. I'll take Lopez' "lesser" individual stats and a better won:loss record anytime over Hickson's 20 PER and double:double averages any day.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

It's hilarious how often stuff like this happens. Player that some wanted has decent to good game...poster comes in and brags about it...then said player lays a colossal egg the next game.

Just like that November 1st game in Denver when Hickson said he was going to make the Blazers regret letting him go, and then he totally stunk it up in a loss.

BNM

 

[STOMP]

I think that Allen wants to keep this team young and cheap and hope for the same outcome as the Seahawks.

You do know that they're over the cap right? PA's paying the luxury tax (again) while being called cheap by fans of the team

STOMP

 

[Boob-No-More]

You do know that they're over the cap right? PA's paying the luxury tax (again) while being called cheap by fans of the team

STOMP

Well, you're half right. We are over the cap by about $2.5 million, but nowhere near luxury tax range. The 2013-14 salary cap is $58.679 million and the luxury tax threshold is $71.748 million. The Blazers payroll is $61.260 million - 23rd highest in the league.

I don't think that makes Paul Allen cheap, and I haven't noticed the fans of the team calling him cheap. Olshey has made some great value pickups (Lopez at $5.1 million this year and a team option for $5.3 million next season is an absolute STEAL). I'm 100% confident that Paul will step up to pay Lillard, Aldridge and anyone else who deserves it. I find it ironic so many posters here say we overpaid Batum, yet you say the fans are calling Allen cheap. You can't have it both ways. Either Batum isn't overpaid, or Allen isn't cheap. I personally believe neither is true. I think Batum got fair market value and Paul Allen is making smarter financial decisions (which benefit the team), but will open his wallet when necessary to keep this team together, and add to it when possible. He got burned big time by Darius Miles and Brandon Roy. I'm glad to see he's learned from those mistakes.

BNM

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Well, you're half right. We are over the cap by about $2.5 million, but nowhere near luxury tax range. The 2013-14 salary cap is $58.679 million and the luxury tax threshold is $71.748 million. The Blazers payroll is $61.260 million - 23rd highest in the league.

I don't think that makes Paul Allen cheap, and I haven't noticed the fans of the team calling him cheap. Olshey has made some great value pickups (Lopez at $5.1 million this year and a team option for $5.3 million next season is an absolute STEAL). I'm 100% confident that Paul will step up to pay Lillard, Aldridge and anyone else who deserves it. I find it ironic so many posters here say we overpaid Batum, yet you say the fans are calling Allen cheap. You can't have it both ways. Either Batum isn't overpaid, or Allen isn't cheap. I personally believe neither is true. I think Batum got fair market value and Paul Allen is making smarter financial decisions (which benefit the team), but will open his wallet when necessary to keep this team together, and add to it when possible. He got burned big time by Darius Miles and Brandon Roy. I'm glad to see he's learned from those mistakes.

BNM

Nice post, rep'd!

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Hopefully nobody will call Allen cheap when it comes time to extend LMA and Lillard. But I fully expect Canzano to.

 

[jlprk]

We could fit in the salaries of Wright, Freeland, Claver, Crabbe, Sleepy, Dopey, Screwy, Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen...

But there was no room at the inn for this 25-year-old at $5 million...

http://bkref.com/tiny/4Iv6L

 

[Rhal]

Which was never going to happen because Hibbert was a restricted free agent and Indiana was never going to let him walk; especially for nothing.

We never knew how close Indiana was to letting HIbbert walk but his contract was considered "overpaid" when he got it and it sure seemed like Indaina wanted to force us into a S&T and when that didn't work they decided to make a great decision and keep him. Hickson also was out in FA for awhile and no other team really bit on wanting him and he came back to us on a 1 year deal because he seemed to want to start and a lot of money and no one was offering that to him. Going into last year we acquired Robinson and Lopez so quickly it left us with no caproom to sign Hickson with.

 

[julius]

Well, you're half right. We are over the cap by about $2.5 million, but nowhere near luxury tax range. The 2013-14 salary cap is $58.679 million and the luxury tax threshold is $71.748 million. The Blazers payroll is $61.260 million - 23rd highest in the league.

I don't think that makes Paul Allen cheap, and I haven't noticed the fans of the team calling him cheap. Olshey has made some great value pickups (Lopez at $5.1 million this year and a team option for $5.3 million next season is an absolute STEAL). I'm 100% confident that Paul will step up to pay Lillard, Aldridge and anyone else who deserves it. I find it ironic so many posters here say we overpaid Batum, yet you say the fans are calling Allen cheap. You can't have it both ways. Either Batum isn't overpaid, or Allen isn't cheap. I personally believe neither is true. I think Batum got fair market value and Paul Allen is making smarter financial decisions (which benefit the team), but will open his wallet when necessary to keep this team together, and add to it when possible. He got burned big time by Darius Miles and Brandon Roy. I'm glad to see he's learned from those mistakes.

BNM

BNM, STOMP was referring directly to something honestfan said.

 

[Pinwheel1]

We could fit in the salaries of Wright, Freeland, Claver, Crabbe, Sleepy, Dopey, Screwy, Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen...

But there was no room at the inn for this 25-year-old at $5 million...

http://bkref.com/tiny/4Iv6L

No there wasn't. Nor should they have. JJ and his agent did what they had to do for JJ. They tried to get as much money as possible. The Blazer's had bigger holes to fill than a back up PF and it would have been extremely ignorant to waste it on JJ.
They agreed to the Trob trade on June 30th and Lopez on July 4th. They did what they had to do as quickly as possible as they still had other needs to fill.

Back up PG was at the top of the list. Whether or not Mo was the right move is debatable.

Shooter off the bench was next. Wright has disappointed a little bit, but none-the-less the need was there

Next I would have gone for more size. At the time I wanted to go after Mozgov, but Denver would have matched. (7'1" 270 is still nice to have on your bench-)

But with Joel on the team I saw no reason for paying JJ money for a bench role. And at that time who would have traded cap space for our bench players in order for us to clear more space to sign him?

The priority for JJ just was not at the top of the list.

 

[maxiep]

This shouldn't turn into a "Hate Hickson" thread as a defense simply because there are posters that wanted to keep him. If we could have made the money work and he would have been happy in his role, I would have loved to have kept JJ. He's Z-Bo with no outside game. He rebounds like a mofo, is crafty around the basket and doesn't play a lick of defense. That is a valuable skill set in this league.

1hf was right when he said for $1.6MM more, Hickson is vastly outproducing Robinson. Others were right when they said this wasn't about Robinson, but rather about Lopez.

I don't think posters hate the guy, and I think it's bullshit when either side crows about a great game or a shit game. At this point in his career, he is what he is. Is it worth three years, $16MM? Probably not to us. I like JJ, I would have preferred to keep him, but I wasn't crestfallen when he left.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

It's not obvious Hickson won't get both the $ and PT he wants. Since the offseason multple sources have suggested that Faried wants huge $ and that Denver does not want to give it to him, letting him walk. If that's the case, then Hickson could easily become the permanent starter. If they also make the playoffs, Hickson will get paid. Unlikely? Maybe, maybe not, but I think that's what Hickson is going for and it's not out of the realm of possibility.

 

[maxiep]

It's not obvious Hickson won't get both the $ and PT he wants. Since the offseason multple sources have suggested that Faried wants huge $ and that Denver does not want to give it to him, letting him walk. If that's the case, then Hickson could easily become the permanent starter. If they also make the playoffs, Hickson will get paid. Unlikely? Maybe, maybe not, but I think that's what Hickson is going for and it's not out of the realm of possibility.

I think Denver is going into full tank mode. They have lots of depth and no stars. They need a true franchise player. To do so, they're going to have to clear some salary and build through the draft.

 

[1honestfan]

We never knew how close Indiana was to letting HIbbert walk but his contract was considered "overpaid" when he got it and it sure seemed like Indaina wanted to force us into a S&T and when that didn't work they decided to make a great decision and keep him. Hickson also was out in FA for awhile and no other team really bit on wanting him and he came back to us on a 1 year deal because he seemed to want to start and a lot of money and no one was offering that to him. Going into last year we acquired Robinson and Lopez so quickly it left us with no caproom to sign Hickson with.

Put yourself in Indiana's position. You have a 7'2 center who can play with his back to the basket in a traditional center role. He has made the all-star game and a guy who is better in the playoffs than in the regular season (IMO). He can stay relatively healthy and he anchors your defense. Oh, by the way he's also a restricted free agent so you (Indiana) can match any offer a team makes.

Considering that Hibbert was a restricted free agent, any reasonable person would expect for you (Indiana) to match that offer. He could have had offers from all the teams and Indiana would have still matched any offer. IMO-Portland had zero (0%) shot at acquiring him nor did anyone else in the league besides Indiana.

 

[1honestfan]

My intention of coming back to this thread was to give credit where credit is due. Mike and Mike were spewing some major hate on Hickson during games and finally they let up on it and gave Hickson some credit during last nights game.

 

[1honestfan]

BNM, STOMP was referring directly to something honestfan said.

I believe that Allen over paid for Batum just so he didn't lose Batum as an asset. You can't let a guy like that just walk and not get something in return for him. I am interested to see what the blazers are going to do with Batum in the future. Will he improve and be an 11 million dollar player? Is Allen just doing to sit on that contract? Is Batum going to be involved in a trade that will bring Portland back more assets? I am not knocking on Batum himself, just his contract.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I am not knocking on Batum himself, just his contract.

I think fans tend focus too much on contracts when evaluating their team's players. I get it if you sign a player for a lot of money and he hurts your team and your cap space. But players like Batum don't hurt your team. Sure it would be better if he made 8/yr instead of 11/yr, but he still makes the team better.

I am always in favor of trading a player if he brings back better players. And if trading Nic accomplishes that then great. But I certainly would not trade him just because he is over paid by a 2-3 million a year. Again getting more talent for a player is great, but getting equal talent just to save a little cap space is too risky IMO. (and of course getting less talent for him is out of the question)