Roster spots and Pendergraph vs. Johnson

[The_Lillard_King]

As the Blazers fill up the roster spots, how many do they have open for next year.

I figure Mills, Johnson x2 are on the bubble. Anyone else? (I know the Blazers added Barron but Babbit did not dress for playoffs.)

I know Pendy said he wants to play for Ptd (what else would he say) and Chris Johnson showed a hint of promise (I think he was D-league's best big guy as he kept getting picked up by teams needing a temp big guy).

Blazers need some bigs at the 4 and 5 spot. Who is better, Johnson or Pendegraph?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Johnson is better. But a guy like Pendergraph is always good to have on your team. Real physical, intimidating and a hard worker.

 

[Blazinaway]

Johnson is better. But a guy like Pendergraph is always good to have on your team. Real physical, intimidating and a hard worker.

Love to see Johnson come in 15-20 lbs heavier

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

will never happen. He's already in his late 20s and has tried to gain weight. Just a natural stick.

 

[Draco]

Both guys shouldn't be guaranteed a spot until the final rounds of training camp if we can't get a better option through free agency, trade or the draft.

I thought Pendegraph was atrocious during his time here and have little interested in seeing him on the floor, so by default I'd rather see Chris Johnson.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

will never happen. He's already in his late 20s and has tried to gain weight. Just a natural stick.

Since when is 25 late 20s?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Well I think Chris Johnson has an identifiable NBA skill (shot-blocking) and I don't think I can say the sam about Jeff (hustles?) so the answer for me is relatively straight-forward.

 

[Wheels]

effing A 25 is late 20s?!?!? I'm drawing from my retirement then. F this full time crap!

 

[Natebishop3]

Well, if I had to choose I'd go with Johnson, but we really need to keep looking for viable young talent with an actual future (not Pendy).

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I'd go with Johnson too. He's just better than Pendergraph.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Pendergraph.

I like him off the bench in the 'goon' type of role.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Pendergraph.

I like him off the bench in the 'goon' type of role.

Unfortunately the goon is a nearly an extinct species in the modern NBA because of the rules.

 

[Ed O]

I think that Pendergraph just needs to dominate in summer league. Show what he can do by shooting three pointers. That sort of thing.

Ugh.

Let's go the other direction, OK? The roster spots that are definitely (or almost-definitely) taken up:

PG: Miller
SG: Roy, Matthews, Fernandez, EWilliams
SF: Batum, Wallace, Babbitt
PF: Aldridge
C: Oden, Camby

That's 11, which leaves us four more.

Armon Johnson
2011 First rounder
Patty Mills

So... yeah, that would leave one more spot for... someone.

I'd prefer to use the MLE (if it's around) to add a veteran big. Or bring over Freeland, although that sounds like it might be tough...

Ed O.

 

[maxiep]

Pendergraph.

I like him off the bench in the 'goon' type of role.

Don't discount CJ: http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/04/blazers_chris_johnson_adds_a_t.html

 

[3RA1N1AC]

I'd like to blow the MLE on someone, so that takes a spot tooooo...

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'd like to blow the MLE on someone, so that takes a spot tooooo...

I'm not so sure the MLE makes it into the next CBA ... especially if a hard-cap gets implemented.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I am of the opinion that if this is at all important, the Blazers are in big trouble. I think the 3rd guy is more important to focus on rather than the 15th

 

[MickZagger]

I like Johnson better than Pendo, as well.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

I'm not so sure the MLE makes it into the next CBA ... especially if a hard-cap gets implemented.

your right we might have something even better for us

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I think that Pendergraph just needs to dominate in summer league. Show what he can do by shooting three pointers. That sort of thing.

Ugh.

Let's go the other direction, OK? The roster spots that are definitely (or almost-definitely) taken up:

PG: Miller
SG: Roy, Matthews, Fernandez, EWilliams
SF: Batum, Wallace, Babbitt
PF: Aldridge
C: Oden, Camby

That's 11, which leaves us four more.

Armon Johnson
2011 First rounder
Patty Mills

So... yeah, that would leave one more spot for... someone.

I'd prefer to use the MLE (if it's around) to add a veteran big. Or bring over Freeland, although that sounds like it might be tough...

Ed O.

Didn't Chris Johnson get signed through next year?

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Pendergraph.

Chris Johnson had a few lucky moments against Dallas in Game 3. Throughout the season and the rest of the playoffs, he didn't do much else. I don't understand the fascination with him.

 

[LameR]

Pendergraph moved out of his house in Tualatin about a month ago. I don't know where he moved to, but one of my best friends lived two houses down from him and sent me a picture message of how his trailer(s) wrapped all the way around the street. Aside from always looking like he was flexing, which I found amusing, I loved his energy. He was also a cool guy. He came over and played COD with us for my birthday last September.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Pendergraph.

Chris Johnson had a few lucky moments against Dallas in Game 3. Throughout the season and the rest of the playoffs, he didn't do much else. I don't understand the fascination with him.

What did Pendergraph do?

 

[DeanMoriarty]

What did Pendergraph do?

He's got raw strength. I'm not saying he'll ever be Brian Grant but I'm one of those people who see a Brian Grant sort of role with his skillset. Of course, we have too small a sample size of CJ to determine his worth in comparison to Pendergraph, who played more games.

Maybe I'm biased though since I really thought Johnson messed the Blazers up in Game 6 with that dirty foul on Nowitzki.

 

[Nikolokolus]

your right we might have something even better for us

Like what? The "minimum salary, no exceptions" exception?

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think that Pendergraph just needs to dominate in summer league. Show what he can do by shooting three pointers. That sort of thing.

Ugh.

Let's go the other direction, OK? The roster spots that are definitely (or almost-definitely) taken up:

PG: Miller
SG: Roy, Matthews, Fernandez, EWilliams
SF: Batum, Wallace, Babbitt
PF: Aldridge
C: Oden, Camby

That's 11, which leaves us four more.

Armon Johnson
2011 First rounder
Patty Mills

So... yeah, that would leave one more spot for... someone.

I'd prefer to use the MLE (if it's around) to add a veteran big. Or bring over Freeland, although that sounds like it might be tough...

Ed O.

Much better way to look at this (count roster spots taken). Looking at that list of 11, Blazers need 2 big men. LA, Camby and Oden is about as thin as piss on a rock.

Is Rudy defintely back next year?

 

[maxiep]

It sure would be nice to have DeJuan Blair penciled into that lineup.

 

[Draco]

I am of the opinion that if this is at all important, the Blazers are in big trouble. I think the 3rd guy is more important to focus on rather than the 15th

Don't you think the Blazers are in trouble regardless? I mean Nate's a horrible coach locked up for 2 more years

Nobody is ignoring improvement at the top of the team's roster to look at the 15th man, we are a fanatic site with hundreds of topics discussed a week. Theres plenty of time to talk about the end of the roster even if it has virtually zero impact on the team's achievements next season.

 

[Draco]

Much better way to look at this (count roster spots taken). Looking at that list of 11, Blazers need 2 big men. LA, Camby and Oden is about as thin as piss on a rock.

Is Rudy defintely back next year?

You have to keep Rudy over scrubs like Pendegraph or Chris Johnson, but if we can add a free agent or a possibly talented rookie then we could consider cutting him. He definetely shouldn't be a lock to return to the team like Batum.

If we only have Camby/LA/Oden at the PF/C spots we likely will be a donut hole team again for large stretches. The problem is adding Chris Johnson or Pendy doesn't do much of anything to solve the problem, we need a rotational player on the floor, not a scrub on the end of the bench. We really need to subtract one or two of the guys Ed O listed at the SG/SF positions and replace them with a big man worthy of playing minutes.