REPORT: Millsap offer official now. Sent to Utah.

[Minstrel]

And don't forget to take into account Millsap's [negative] impact on getting rid of Joel

That's not a negative cost, unless Portland plans on simply cutting Przybilla, which would be silly. Being able to trade Przybilla for a player of greater need is, at worst, independent and, at best, a positive development as it leaves Portland stronger at another position while replacing Przybilla with a younger and very good player.

 

[BrianFromWA]

If healthy, I don't doubt how special Blair could become. If Millsap was just entering the league, there would little reason to discuss this. They're both very comparable. The value of Millsap is that he has the experience and closer to his prime than Blair. Adding Millsap in place of Blair makes us a better team.

Don't disagree at all. I like the Millsap signing. My contention was (to what PapaG was saying) that so far Blair hasn't shown much to get me off of the opinion that he will probably be a Millsap-like player in the league until his knees fall off. Maybe that's next week. Maybe that's when he's 45. He's right about the same size, same skillset in rebounding/taking up space in paint/getting garbage points. Millsap's better today (and probably for the next few years), but instead of having Dante Cunningham and Paul Millsap for 7M or so, we could've had Blair for 450k and had not much dropoff in the backup PF position, with 8M or so of cap space to go after another need.

To reiterate though, I like the Millsap signing.

 

[BrianFromWA]

]Millsap is a much better and more varied offensive player than Blair is[/B]. To say they are similar players right now is a disservice to Millsap and an overreach on Blair IMO. Perhaps Blair will become a Millsap-like player in the NBA. As it is, for now, he's accomplished nothing in the league.

He wasn't coming out of college, though.

I agree that Millsap's better, and has done a great job in getting better. Maybe Blair doesn't have that work ethic. Maybe his injury risk is too great. But Blair's game coming out of college blows away Millsap's in rebounding numbers, in FG%, as a bigger part of the offense, and against better competition. I'll grant that Millsap's teammates were worse, and he may have been keyed on more (my Steph Curry defense), but I don't think there's an argument to say that Blair, being better than Millsap was (in Millsap's strengths!) coming out of college, couldn't progress at around the same rate and be around as good and similar as Millsap in a couple years.

I can't say that I feel that about Pendergraph or Cunningham.

 

[Minstrel]

He wasn't coming out of college, though.

That's a fallacy, though. It doesn't matter what Millsap was like as a prospect, because he exceeded expectations. It's like saying "Batum is better as a 20 year old than Pippen was, so I don't see why he can't be as good or better than Pippen in his prime." Blair may be a similar or better prospect to Millsap, but Millsap exceeded expectations. Unless Blair also exceeds expectations, he won't end up as good an NBA player as Millsap.

 

[Crimson the Cat]

I know. I'm asking you: if you have no doubt he'll be an impact player, how long will he be one?

I don't know. What I do know is, if healthy, he'll be beast. I'm assuming Portland realizes this as well. Which is why passing on him, IMO, is very telling that either his long term prognosis isn't good or there was something else that we're unaware (i.e. attitude, work ethic, etc..).

He was second team Big East. Not an average player, but average for a best player on a team... mediocre in my book, especially for a fourth year senior.

Don't you believe that second-team Big East is nearly, if not completely, equal to first-team any-other conference?

I see what you're saying about his age and how that doesn't bode well for his upside. And, this could very well have more to do with Portland's lack of interest in Blair than interest in Cunningham.

There are those players that are late bloomers though. Cunningham, I feel, is one of those. He really impressed me in the tournament this year. I think his work ethic will take him farther than most as well. I realize this is subjective, but sometimes, you get a feeling about a player. I felt the same way about Roy. I also feel the same way about Frye (we won't go there, ok?).

Yes, he is an exception. There are a couple exceptions, for sure. I think I'd rather avoid trying for exceptions and go for better bets.

Maybe Cunningham is a bad bet for you, but not others? Maybe there's info that we're not privy to that could add more weight to the selection of Cunningham or the non-selection of Blair.

"Spotless track record in the draft"? Are you serious? You know that we just gave away Sergio, right?

Do you have to retain a player for him to turn out to be a good draft pick? Not all players fit all systems. Sergio didn't fit ours. I believe Sergio will turn out to be reserve point guard in the league for a long while. Just not with us.

Other than with Koponen and Freeland, the Blazers NEVER reached for players (and with those guys it makes sense to lock them in and wait and see)... until this year.

Portland's consistently passed on seemingly surer players and drafted players that left most scratching their heads. They reach for players with manageable risk. This is reaching to me. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[BlazersBlood]

So when is the deadline day where Utah has to sign or lose him?

 

[Mediocre Man]

So when is the deadline day where Utah has to sign or lose him?

Friday. I would assume Midnight EST on Friday

 

[handiman]

That's not a negative cost, unless Portland plans on simply cutting Przybilla, which would be silly. Being able to trade Przybilla for a player of greater need is, at worst, independent and, at best, a positive development as it leaves Portland stronger at another position while replacing Przybilla with a younger and very good player.

Pritchard has yet to demonstrate an ability or willingness to pull off such a move.

 

[Minstrel]

Pritchard has yet to demonstrate an ability or willingness to pull off such a move.

Pritchard has yet to have to make such a move.

 

[handiman]

Thank you for rephrasing...

 

[andalusian]

Possibly getting Millsap takes away the sting of not drafting Blair? They are very similar though Millsap has ligaments.

The only thing they are similar at is a nose for the ball, Millsap is a much better mid-range shooter and overall offensive player.

 

[andalusian]

In the second round, Blair went at #37... which means that only five teams passed on him (since Portland passed twice).

Well, after the 36th pick - no team passed him. What kind of counting is this?

 

[Ed O]

Well, after the 36th pick - no team passed him. What kind of counting is this?

First round picks have guaranteed contracts. Second round picks do not.

Therefore, saying that every team passed on him since they COULD have had him in the second round isn't something that I consider to be relevant.

Do you understand now, or should I repeat it again?

Ed O.

 

[andalusian]

First round picks have guaranteed contracts. Second round picks do not.

Therefore, saying that every team passed on him since they COULD have had him in the second round isn't something that I consider to be relevant.

Do you understand now, or should I repeat it again?

Well, I guess so - but I suspect that people were afraid of picking him not for the duration of summer league/training camp - so the fact that it is not guaranteed does not matter that much - the idea when picking players, even in the 2nd round - is to have ones that might succeed in the league and contribute, hopefully for the long term.

So - overall - the fact that only 6 picks were done before him in the 2nd round does not matter - a lot of teams passed on him, at least that's the way I look at it.

Good luck to him anyway - I do not wish anything bad on the guy. So far, however, Cunningham seems pretty effective in summer league as well.

Do not let my take on it stop you from repeating it again, anyway

 

[Crimson the Cat]

Cunningham didn't look mediocre tonight. And, this wasn't a fluke. This is what he did in the tournament as well. 'Nova was a well balanced team and each player shared a fairly equal role, but when they needed him to step up, Cunningham did.