Official 2013 Draft thread

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in
Chad Ford's hypothetical "If team X lands the #1 pick" --

Portland Trail BlazersOdds of winning the lottery: 0.6 percent


Likely selection with No. 1 pick: Ben McLemore

Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and, to a lesser extent, Nicolas Batum are the long-term fixtures in Portland. I'd put Noel here, but after the Blazers' last experience with a young injured big man, I'm not sure they'd have the stomach for Noel right now.

While Wesley Matthews has been solid for Portland, McLemore offers more size and athleticism with a similar shooting touch.
Click to expand...
 
While Wesley Matthews has been solid for Portland, McLemore offers more size and athleticism with a similar shooting touch.
Click to expand...

Wesley Matthews
Height: 6'5.25"
Wingspan: 6'8.25"
Weight: 220

Ben McLemore
Height: 6'4.5"
Wingspan 6'7"
Weight: 181

. . . . .
 
I'm not a fan of that pick either.

That high in the draft I'm looking at Smart, Noel, Len.
 
DX's updated top-100:

1-Noel
2-McLemore
3-Muhamad
4-Zeller
5-Len
6-Smart
7-Bennett
8-Oladipo
9-Gobert
10-Austin
 
Fuck I was looking at the schedules, and I am not so sure we will get our draft pick. I thought Dallas would pass us, now I am not so sure. And if they don't.....who else will? Toronto maybe. I think we are stuck around 13-14th.

And that is the worst possible scenario that could happen. So basically this thread is dead to me.......
 
Finishing 13-14 is what the win at all cost fans will get. Can't wait til those same fans bitch about the slow turn around

Make the playoffs
Re-sign Hickson
Re-sign Maynor
Re-sign Williams
LET IT BAKE DAMNIT
 
Mediocre Man said:
Finishing 13-14 is what the win at all cost fans will get. Can't wait til those same fans bitch about the slow turn around

Make the playoffs
Re-sign Hickson
Re-sign Maynor
Re-sign Williams
LET IT BAKE DAMNIT
Click to expand...

how would any blame fall on fans again? wtf...
 
Pinwheel1 said:
Fuck I was looking at the schedules, and I am not so sure we will get our draft pick. I thought Dallas would pass us, now I am not so sure. And if they don't.....who else will? Toronto maybe. I think we are stuck around 13-14th.

And that is the worst possible scenario that could happen. So basically this thread is dead to me.......
Click to expand...

It maybe a good thing. We won't have the cap hold for the pick and we give Charlotte the pick in a weaker draft.
 
I would love for this team to be in a position to get any of the four guards in their projected top-10. McLemore, Muhammad, Smart, or Oladipo would be HUGE additions to our team, in my opinion. If any of those four are on the board if/when we pick, the decision should be a "no-brainer" for Olshey & Co.

Additionally, as I've mentioned before, I'd love to see us attain a late first rounder to grab Gorgui Dieng from Louisville, as he's pretty much exactly what this team needs from the center position, in my opinion. Dieng's a premier defender in pretty much all facets & excels in facilitating the pick-and-roll on offense--he's also shown some signs of developing a more well-rounded offensive game, too, though that's his biggest weakness right now.

Lillard
Oladipo / Matthews
Dieng / Leonard
Batum / Claver
Aldridge

If we could go into the Free Agency signing-period with that roster, I'd be a pretty happy camper.
 
GoBlazersGo said:
I would love for this team to be in a position to get any of the four guards in their projected top-10. McLemore, Muhammad, Smart, or Oladipo would be HUGE additions to our team, in my opinion. If any of those four are on the board if/when we pick, the decision should be a "no-brainer" for Olshey & Co.

Additionally, as I've mentioned before, I'd love to see us attain a late first rounder to grab Gorgui Dieng from Louisville, as he's pretty much exactly what this team needs from the center position, in my opinion. Dieng's a premier defender in pretty much all facets & excels in facilitating the pick-and-roll on offense--he's also shown some signs of developing a more well-rounded offensive game, too, though that's his biggest weakness right now.

Lillard
Oladipo / Matthews
Dieng / Leonard
Batum / Claver
Aldridge

If we could go into the Free Agency signing-period with that roster, I'd be a pretty happy camper.
Click to expand...

Certainly wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
 
Haven't seen Dieng, is he a starter? I wish we could have gotten Ezeli last year, is he the same type of player?
 
Mediocre Man said:
Finishing 13-14 is what the win at all cost fans will get. Can't wait til those same fans bitch about the slow turn around

Make the playoffs
Re-sign Hickson
Re-sign Maynor
Re-sign Williams
LET IT BAKE DAMNIT
Click to expand...

I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but that's exactly the scenario I'm hoping for.
 
Blazer4ever said:
Haven't seen Dieng, is he a starter? I wish we could have gotten Ezeli last year, is he the same type of player?
Click to expand...

Haven't seen Dieng play so I can't really comment but their college stats seem similar. Ezeli actually scored in the post a little later in his college career. Dieng appears to be the better rebounder. Both big, athletic guys who block shots.
 
Mediocre Man said:
I take it you are in middle management with no chance of getting better or worse? That scenario would be disastrous
Click to expand...

It is disastrous, likely draft pick going to Charlotte and no "needle mover" out there in free agency that I can see that POR could realistically get....A better bench is going to turn this team into an NBA title contender....just bump them up to a playoff fodder....
 
Mediocre Man said:
I take it you are in middle management with no chance of getting better or worse? That scenario would be disastrous
Click to expand...

making the playoffs would be disastrous?

you said make the playoffs, but also said finish 13th or 14th, so actually...what are you saying?
 
Ya, like most of my posts, I worded that pretty poorly. Let me try again

Fans saying make the playoffs, But I don't feel we will, so that would mean ending up with no pick.

Just meant those fans screaming about all those things, playoffs, Hickson, Maynor, Williams.

If we make the playoffs, great...I guess? I suppose it would be fun to see us get abused by the Thunder and the refs for 5 games or so?
 
Blazer4ever said:
I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but that's exactly the scenario I'm hoping for.
Click to expand...

Christ that would be horrible

Mediocre Man said:
I take it you are in middle management with no chance of getting better or worse? That scenario would be disastrous
Click to expand...

Some people it appears are perfectly happy to muddle along in "respectable but neither terrible nor good territory" for years. I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect that some people fear failure more than they desire greatness (and taking the risks that greatness demands). In this case there is some risk in tanking that you get into the lottery and whiff on your pick and alienate your fans and sink into lottery hell for years as your guys get used to losing and not having to give maximum effort.
 
Nikolokolus said:
Christ that would be horrible



Some people it appears are perfectly happy to muddle along in "respectable but neither terrible nor good territory" for years. I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect that some people fear failure more than they desire greatness (and taking the risks that greatness demands). In this case there is some risk in tanking that you get into the lottery and whiff on your pick and alienate your fans and sink into lottery hell for years as your guys get used to losing and not having to give maximum effort.
Click to expand...

Ya, I guess I just see it this way.

Most of the time, when talking about a small market team, they are bad before they get good. There are certainly examples of teams that never hit bottom before making a run (our own Blazers did it a little over a decade ago) But I think for the most part, small market teams need to "get lucky" to compete on the highest level. Those same teams can certainly be unlucky though, and make poor decisions in the draft and on spending their money, but that's not the fault of the plan. I feel if you look at teams in the same general market size and non desirable location that Portland are in they all made recent playoff runs because of the lottery.

Portland, I believe, is 21st in NBA market size, so using like cities in the same general area, I come up with (excluding Toronto)

Detroit 13
Phoenix 14
Minnesota 15
Denver 17
Cleveland 18
Sacramento 20
Charlotte 22
Indiana 23
Utah 24
Milwaukee 25
SA 25
OKC 26
Memphis 27

Of those teams in the last 15 years or so, Detroit, Phoenix , Minnesota, Denver, Cleveland, Indiana, Utah, SA, OKC have had decent playoff success. Some like Detroit did it primarily through FA and trades, while drafting great players down in the draft like Prince and Maxiel. Phoenix by trades and FA with guys like Johnson, Matrix and Nash, but that team goes no where without Amare, who was their lottery gem. Minnesota has been good when Garnett was there, a lottery pick. Denver went to the finals led by Melo, a lottery pick. Cleveland was great with Lebron, a lottery pick, and on the upswing again, with Irving. Indiana went to the EC finals led by Granger, Hibbert and George, all picks, 1 lottery pick. Utah with Williams leading the way. SA obviously with Duncan. OKC with both Durant and Westbrook. And our own TrailBlazers, who were considered the team of the future by EVERYONE, with Oden, Aldridge and Roy. All picks.

So IMO, for small market teams to do well, they need to get lucky in the lottery, (Aldridge and Lillard) Draft well in the lower round (Batum) and draft well for trading assets (no one) Most of the small market teams don't get FA's coming to them that will push them over the top. Portland needs to continue to build it's team through the draft in order to either A. Get another great player to move forward with, or B. Get some very good pieces you can deal for a player to put you over the hump.

Sorry, long winded, now attack
 
Not going to attack, but there's one thing you may be missing...

It seems as if the new CBA's lux tax rules has put a bit of a damper on the ability for just about every non-NY/non-LA team to sign multiple max or near-max players. It's getting to be where there are a finite number of "max slots" in the league. At some point, there will be a very real "James Harden" factor for teams---do you sign a guy to a max and go into lux tax hell, or try to get him to accept a hometown discount? If you're the player, do you stay in your market for 10-20M less than what another team will be able to pay you?

I think that this phenomenon will have the unintended effect of making places like POR, MIL, GSW, etc more likely than before to sign a bigger-tier FA if they have the ability to do so, just as the MLE has given teams a slightly better chance to sign mid-level talent since each team only gets one MLE slot each year. I'm not saying that the CP3s and LBJs and the superduperstars looking for media exposure and rings will come here with 10 other teams wanting to pay them, but Roy Hibbert and the like are not going to give up a max deal from POR to take 12M less from Indy. If we offer JJ Redick (for instance) a ridiculous 12M/yr, I doubt he's signing with MIA for the MLE.

Yeah, it'll be "overpaying" for 2nd-level stars, but it'll be 2nd-level stars we wouldn't have had a dream of getting 5 years ago.

Other than that, totally agree on small-market teams having to nail the draft, and to pick up as many assets as possible. Which is why I can't believe we sold the #41 pick last year. Not that I'm the biggest Tyshawn Taylor fan, but he might've beaten out Nolan for 3rd PG. Or maybe Kyle O'Quinn would've helped be a backup big to develop cheaply. Or Kim English or Doron Lamb as shooters. :dunno:

If you can pull a 2nd-rounder each year that can make late-rotation, then you're basically setting up a guy on a 4yr deal at a million per year or so that contributes. And maybe you get guys like Blair, or Sessions, or Marcus Thornton, or Millsap, or Gortat (forget the Scolas and Ginobilis) that you can develop cheaply or cut bait if needed.
 
Finally getting a chance to see Michigan, and against Michigan State no less. Burke and Hardaways Jr. already looking quite impressive.
 
Damn Burke is fugging good! Game was tied, Mich St. with the last possession and Burke picks the opposing PG's pocket as hes bringing it up and gets the dunk.

Looks like a lotto pick to me. Also Hardaway Jr. absolutely looks like a first round pick to me, seems too talented to go mid-late second.
 
If we don't get over this self defeating attitude quick I have a bad feeling about this years draft an FA. Sure the blazers have not had much success in FA in the past, but that's no excuse to let opportunity pass us by!

Portland needs to remember our great tradition of competing at high levels in sports, especially basketball. Oregon has been a great basketball state, producing NBA worthy talent (K. Love, T. Ross, to name a few), and having great fan attendance (we hold the world record for most consecutive sell outs in any professional sport, anywhere, period). Take pride in that heritage! The blazers have been a perennial powerhouse for the majority of their existence. I mean seriously, get over this self defeating attitude that we can't sign the big free agents and just go do it. It sure as hell won't happen if you don't try.

If we can get lucky and Paul Allen ponys up again:
D. Lillard
L. Aldridge
D. Howard
N. Batum
W. Matthews

Imagine that! Don't tell me that starting five wouldn't demand the attention of everyone in the league. And that is one big signing away from being a reality. Personally I think that would be a better front court than Oden, Roy, and Aldridge would have been. You rarely get a second chance in life, when you have a chance at redemption you have to go all in.

You don't tank the season, you don't rely on draft picks, you GO BIG OR GO HOME!
 
MickZagger said:
Trey Burke reminds me a lot of DJ Augustine.
Click to expand...

I loved DJ Augustin at Texas...also liked Johnny Flynn lol.

He does sort of remind me of both. He looks bigger than both of them to me, but its kind of hard to tell in college. Made some really impressive passes tonight and was just clearly on another level from the rest of the players mentally.
 
Mediocre Man said:
Of those teams in the last 15 years or so, Detroit, Phoenix , Minnesota, Denver, Cleveland, Indiana, Utah, SA, OKC have had decent playoff success.
Click to expand...

Portland has had decent playoff success over the last 15 years, too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top