NBA.com Calls Blazers Winners (1 Viewer)

[ABM]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/rob_peterson/02/19/trademill.deadlinewrap/

The Trademill: Winners, losers at trade deadline
By Rob Peterson, NBA.com
Posted Feb 19 2009 7:10PM

Winners

BLAZERS

The Blazers were the team most talked about, considering they had Raef LaFrentz's expiring contract that would have paid insurance money to any team that would have acquired him. Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard likes what he sees at the Rose Garden.

"I can't tell you how many scenarios we went through," Pritchard said. "But at the end of the day it came down to this: We believe in this team, and I don't want to give up or give away any of our young players."

Now, they get the LaFrentz money and he comes off the books this summer. That, and they're still a good team. Sometimes, not doing anything is doing something. At least that's the line I'm trying on my wife.

Plus, here's a blurb from SI.com

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/02/19/trade.deadline/?eref=sircrc

The Trail Blazers can afford to take the long-term view because they have a young team that is ahead of schedule. Why make a move now unless it's a no-brainer? No matter what kind of deal they might have consummated at the deadline, the Blazers still would have been a year or two away from a deep playoff run because Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden lack the necessary postseason experience.

 

[illmatic99]

He's on PA's payroll, right?

 

[B-Roy]

Read the whole article. The writer is clearly bsing.

 

[xflavioVC15x]

In this guys head every team that didn't make a trade is a winner.What a joke.

 

[Денг Гордон]

The Blazers are clearly a loser because they failed to leverage a very good asset.

The Bulls were a young team ahead of schedule too a few years ago. Look where that got them. Pritchard and company messed up. They should have sent Lafrentz and an assortment of young goodies for Carter or Jefferson, and they did not.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

He's on PA's payroll, right?

Not sure if you are joking, but the answer is no. PA owned The Sporting News for awhile, not SI. He sold The Sporting News a few years ago.

I agree with Rob Peterson. Good read.

 

[RoyToy]

The Blazers are clearly a loser because they failed to leverage a very good asset.

The Bulls were a young team ahead of schedule too a few years ago. Look where that got them. Pritchard and company messed up. They should have sent Lafrentz and an assortment of young goodies for Carter or Jefferson, and they did not.

The Blazers young players are better than the Bulls'.

 

[BlazerBeav]

The Blazers are clearly a loser because they failed to leverage a very good asset.

The Bulls were a young team ahead of schedule too a few years ago. Look where that got them. Pritchard and company messed up. They should have sent Lafrentz and an assortment of young goodies for Carter or Jefferson, and they did not.

The Bulls didn't have a good enough frontcourt at the time, whereas we have the frontcourt to win long term. We are already ahead of where that Chicago team was.

 

[illmatic99]

Not sure if you are joking, but the answer is no. PA owned The Sporting News for awhile, not SI. He sold The Sporting News a few years ago.

I agree with Rob Peterson. Good read.

yeah, I was joking.

 

[ABM]

The Blazers are clearly a loser because they failed to leverage a very good asset.

The Bulls were a young team ahead of schedule too a few years ago. Look where that got them. Pritchard and company messed up. They should have sent Lafrentz and an assortment of young goodies for Carter or Jefferson, and they did not.

a) KP has amassed better talent than the Bulls did

b) Who's to say Batum or Webster won't end up becoming better than Jefferson and/or VC?

c) I like what Thomsen said in that the Blazers wouldn't be ready-for-prime-time next season, anyway. So, why rush it?

Am I saying that I'm jumping up and down that KP didn't make a move? No. However, I "totally" believe, and am ultimately comfortable with, what was offered didn't size up to the risk KP was willing to take. All meaningful moves would have involved other players other than Raef.

 

[RoyToy]

I'm comfortable with the fact that the Blazers best years are still ahead of them.

Other people are not, however. They want it all now. VC is not a good option for the future.

 

[xflavioVC15x]

we have the frontcourt to win long term.

I don't agree with you on that one, Oden is injured half the time and he will continue to get injured more

 

[B-Roy]

I'm comfortable with the fact that the Blazers best years are still ahead of them.

Other people are not, however. They want it all now. VC is not a good option for the future.

1.) He plays well for 3 years, and then is gone right when we are making our championship push. Batum/Webster will be better by then and we'd go celebrate championships.

2.) Addition by subtraction: Losing Sergio.

 

[RoyToy]

1.) He plays well for 3 years, and then is gone right when we are making our championship push. Batum/Webster will be better by then and we'd go celebrate championships.

2.) Addition by subtraction: Losing Sergio.

But with VC you get stuck with paying him $16M a year when he'll probably start declining. Statistically he already is.

So you're paying a declining player $16M to play a position he doesn't usually play. Eh.

His contract could have also affected any deals the Blazers wanted to make in the future.

 

[Minstrel]

They should have sent Lafrentz and an assortment of young goodies for Carter or Jefferson, and they did not.

Absurd. They shouldn't have sent "an assortment of young goodies," by which I assume you mean Rudy, Batum or Bayless. I don't think Sergio has much value.

I was iffy on Jefferson for just RLEC, because I don't think he's a very good player anymore and I'm much more interested in Sessions or Childress in the off-season (assuming Childress' injury isn't limiting long-term). Adding in good, young players and the Blazers truly would have been a loser.

Carter is a good player and a big upgrade. If Portland could have acquired him for RLEC and Outlaw, great. My guess is that Thorn ultimately wanted more. And for a short-term gain, I wouldn't have wanted to deal a good young player like Rudy, Batum or Bayless.

 

[Денг Гордон]

The Blazers young players are better than the Bulls'.

If your talking about Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Fernandez...yes, in some ways. (Although Rose and Gordon stack up pretty favorably with that bunch, Roy being the best player out of all of them, with Rose having the most potential, and Gordon being second best behind Roy of that bunch).

But if you're talking about Batum, Rodriguez, Bayless, Freeland, and all that crap, then no. I'd take Thomas and Noah over all of them.

As for the old Bulls core, Brandon Roy is obviously a lot better than anyone from that, but Aldridge/Fernandez/Oden really haven't set themselves apart from what Hinrich/Gordon/Deng/Nocioni were doing then.

Pritchard f'd up. In the NBA, you have your core. That's most important. Then once that's in place, you put role players around them.

For example, if the Blazers did: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=d22o6t

Then you have

You'd have a starting lineup of Blake, Roy, Jefferson, Aldridge, and Oden, with Rodriguez, Fernandez, Webster/Outlaw, and Pryzbrilla available off the bench. What's not to like about that?

 

[Денг Гордон]

Absurd. They shouldn't have sent "an assortment of young goodies," by which I assume you mean Rudy, Batum or Bayless. I don't think Sergio has much value.

I was iffy on Jefferson for just RLEC, because I don't think he's a very good player anymore and I'm much more interested in Sessions or Childress in the off-season (assuming Childress' injury isn't limiting long-term). Adding in good, young players and the Blazers truly would have been a loser.

Carter is a good player and a big upgrade. If Portland could have acquired him for RLEC and Outlaw, great. My guess is that Thorn ultimately wanted more. And for a short-term gain, I wouldn't have wanted to deal a good young player like Rudy, Batum or Bayless.

I wouldn't trade Rudy Fernandez. He's a legit player. But Bayless and Batum should be completely expendable if it means getting a star level player back.

 

[xflavioVC15x]

Portland fans really overate Batum, Rodriguez, and Bayless.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Tyrus Thomas is hot garbage. He's a glorified Jerome JYD Williams. Put him on a good team and he's nothing more than a hustle player with spot minutes.

 

[craigehlo]

b) Who's to say Batum or Webster won't end up becoming better than Jefferson and/or VC?

I will say that.

Trail Blazers: Always leading the NBA in "upside" and not much else.

 

[Minstrel]

For example, if the Blazers did: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=d22o6t

Then you have

You'd have a starting lineup of Blake, Roy, Jefferson, Aldridge, and Oden, with Rodriguez, Fernandez, Webster/Outlaw, and Pryzbrilla available off the bench. What's not to like about that?

No offense, but your analysis skills aren't very good to start with. When you add in the fact that you have a weird competitive desire to run down the players of other teams, to indirectly make Bulls players and Gordon especially seem better, and your analysis becomes basically worthless.

Trading Bayless and Batum for the "privilege" of taking on a mediocre and hugely overpaid Jefferson is pretty clearly ridiculous.

 

[ABM]

I will say that.

Trail Blazers: Always leading the NBA in "upside" and not much else.

Gee, nice to see you have that crystal ball.

That said, how can you get past "upside" if you don't let them hang around awhile?

 

[craigehlo]

Portland fans really overate Batum, Rodriguez, and Bayless.

Sergio needed to go for almost anything offered in trade. While we dropped the ball on not leveraging Raef, having to see Sergio for another 30 games is the real depressing part of today.

 

[Minstrel]

I wouldn't trade Rudy Fernandez. He's a legit player. But Bayless and Batum should be completely expendable if it means getting a star level player back.

If it means getting a young star back. Jefferson is nothing close to a star. Carter isn't young.

Bayless and Batum are both excellent young prospects.

 

[craigehlo]

That said, how can you get past "upside" if you don't let them hang around awhile?

I swear if we drafted Gerald Green he would still be on this team and a fan favorite since we couldn't get over his "upside."

 

[RoyToy]

If your talking about Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Fernandez...yes, in some ways. (Although Rose and Gordon stack up pretty favorably with that bunch, Roy being the best player out of all of them, with Rose having the most potential, and Gordon being second best behind Roy of that bunch).

But if you're talking about Batum, Rodriguez, Bayless, Freeland, and all that crap, then no. I'd take Thomas and Noah over all of them.

As for the old Bulls core, Brandon Roy is obviously a lot better than anyone from that, but Aldridge/Fernandez/Oden really haven't set themselves apart from what Hinrich/Gordon/Deng/Nocioni were doing then.

Pritchard f'd up. In the NBA, you have your core. That's most important. Then once that's in place, you put role players around them.

For example, if the Blazers did: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=d22o6t

Then you have

You'd have a starting lineup of Blake, Roy, Jefferson, Aldridge, and Oden, with Rodriguez, Fernandez, Webster/Outlaw, and Pryzbrilla available off the bench. What's not to like about that?

Well of course I'm talking about Roy/Oden/Aldridge. And as far as I'm concerned, give me Batum over Rudy, especially for the future.

To keep it short and simple, I'll take Roy/Oden/Aldridge over Hinrich/Gordon/Deng every single time.

And that trade...no ty.

 

[andalusian]

If your talking about Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Fernandez...yes, in some ways. (Although Rose and Gordon stack up pretty favorably with that bunch, Roy being the best player out of all of them, with Rose having the most potential, and Gordon being second best behind Roy of that bunch).

I am sorry - you lost me with "Rose has the most potential" bit. Oden has the most potential of this lot and by quite a bit.

Personally - the players I would have liked were:

1. Butler.
2. Wallace.

Does not seem like Butler was really available - and what I heard about the asking price for Wallace made me uncomfortable.

Given this - I think the Blazers did very well.

 

[xflavioVC15x]

If it means getting a young star back. Jefferson is nothing close to a star. Carter isn't young.

Bayless and Batum are both excellent young prospects.

No GM in the world would trade a young superstar for Bayless and Batum, and how do you know Bayless is an excellent young prospect when he barely plays.

 

[ABM]

I swear if we drafted Gerald Green he would still be on this team and a fan favorite since we couldn't get over his "upside."

Fine, but Batum is a freakin' rookie and Martell was clearly making the turn before he unfortunately went down with injury. Gerald Green is no Martell Webster. I'll tell you that right now.

 

[xflavioVC15x]

keep hatin'

we'll see

Hatin How am i hating . I'm just telling the truth. Oden is injured half the time and unless a miracle happens he will continue to get injured over and over again