The OFFICIAL 2013 NBA Playoffs Thread

[RoyToy]

Matthews was signed with the MLE, how is he relevant?

I meant Andre Miller.

The main point is the Blazers weren't going to pay Aldridge and Randolph big contracts. A choice was going to have to be made, and the Blazers made it.

For the people that cry about value for Randolph, get real. His game was criticized for being a black hole one offense. Add to that that he had who many viewed as the worst contract in the league (because of $ and it ran through the 2010 FA) and the Blazers were never going to get value for Randolph. This is pretty basic stuff to understand.

The Blazers traded Randolph and never looked back. They got immediately better without grossly overpaying him, and now they have a PF who is better than him.

 

[magnifier661]

We passed on Durant first and then traded Zach.





This. The Knicks and Clippers were horrible organizations then. They fucked up just as much as we did.

The trade came after we selected oden yes; but if we decided to keep Zach; we would have picked Durant and kept Zach. Get it?

 

[magnifier661]

The move worked. Blazers were a much better team after Randolph left and there's really no debating that. Not only that, but if Randolph was kept, a decision between him and Aldridge would have had to have been made at the 4. Trading the grossly overrated chucker to let the now arguably best PF in the game develop does seem to have been the right move.

I think if we decided to keep Zach; we would have moved Aldridge to center and he would arguably be the best center in the league. Having Durant would have made us into one of the best teams in the nba hands down.

Then you have two players Zach and Aldridge both able to post up and you have one of the scariest teams in the nba. Oh forgot to mention Roy too

 

[magnifier661]

I meant Andre Miller.

The main point is the Blazers weren't going to pay Aldridge and Randolph big contracts. A choice was going to have to be made, and the Blazers made it.

For the people that cry about value for Randolph, get real. His game was criticized for being a black hole one offense. Add to that that he had who many viewed as the worst contract in the league (because of $ and it ran through the 2010 FA) and the Blazers were never going to get value for Randolph. This is pretty basic stuff to understand.

The Blazers traded Randolph and never looked back. They got immediately better without grossly overpaying him, and now they have a PF who is better than him.

But would we have been better if we kept Zach and picked Durant?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I think if we decided to keep Zach; we would have moved Aldridge to center and he would arguably be the best center in the league. Having Durant would have made us into one of the best teams in the nba hands down.

Then you have two players Zach and Aldridge both able to post up and you have one of the scariest teams in the nba. Oh forgot to mention Roy too

Wow, that would have been amazing.

 

[Pinwheel1]

The trade came after we selected oden yes; but if we decided to keep Zach; we would have picked Durant and kept Zach. Get it?

Yes we should have, but I doubt we would have. At that time a Zach/ LMA front line would have looked to be a very poor defensive unit. We would have picked Oden regardless.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

The move worked. Blazers were a much better team after Randolph left and there's really no debating that. Not only that, but if Randolph was kept, a decision between him and Aldridge would have had to have been made at the 4. Trading the grossly overrated chucker to let the now arguably best PF in the game develop does seem to have been the right move.

The team with zbo was a blown up team, of course its going to get better when rookies get older and you add more pieces. trading zbo facilitated nothing of value.

as for LA vs ZBO....You then let whoever is better play more...simple as that. WE have desparately looking for low post scoring and rebounding since he left though.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I meant Andre Miller.

The main point is the Blazers weren't going to pay Aldridge and Randolph big contracts. A choice was going to have to be made, and the Blazers made it.

For the people that cry about value for Randolph, get real. His game was criticized for being a black hole one offense. Add to that that he had who many viewed as the worst contract in the league (because of $ and it ran through the 2010 FA) and the Blazers were never going to get value for Randolph. This is pretty basic stuff to understand.

The Blazers traded Randolph and never looked back. They got immediately better without grossly overpaying him, and now they have a PF who is better than him.

He was a black hole on offense because there was no one else who could score on the team. He has been an allstar AND has gotten out of the second round of the playoffs several times already. And yet the blazers have shown poorly and are a borderline lottery team still. So to say its "worked out".......

 

[Rhal]

I think if we decided to keep Zach; we would have moved Aldridge to center and he would arguably be the best center in the league. Having Durant would have made us into one of the best teams in the nba hands down.

Then you have two players Zach and Aldridge both able to post up and you have one of the scariest teams in the nba. Oh forgot to mention Roy too

Passing on Durant had a lot to do with Roy as well. We had our Franchise player/#1 option in Roy, as well as a recent very high lottery pick on the bench at the SF position in Webster.

People weren't this pissed about trading Zach but about the value we got for him when we traded him, yes there were a few that wanted him to stay but not many. NY and La couldn't turn him into anything but a blackhole/glorified chucker who played no D , If he wasn't on a winning team people wouldn't be bringing him up

 

[Rhal]

He was a black hole on offense because there was no one else who could score on the team.

That doesnt' explain why he was a blackhole on offense for both of NY/Clippers and his first year with Memphis.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

That doesnt' explain why he was a blackhole on offense for both of NY/Clippers and his first year with Memphis.

Who else was on those teams?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

If he wasn't the cornerstone on a winning team people wouldn't be bringing him up

Fixed that for you.

 

[RoyToy]

The team with zbo was a blown up team, of course its going to get better when rookies get older and you add more pieces. trading zbo facilitated nothing of value.

as for LA vs ZBO....You then let whoever is better play more...simple as that. WE have desparately looking for low post scoring and rebounding since he left though.

And again you leave out the fact that Randolph was grossly overpaid. Of course the Blazers are going to pick Aldridge over Randolph and his bloated contract.

 

[RoyToy]

He was a black hole on offense because there was no one else who could score on the team. He has been an allstar AND has gotten out of the second round of the playoffs several times already. And yet the blazers have shown poorly and are a borderline lottery team still. So to say its "worked out".......

Randolph didn't get out of the playoffs until he grew up and played team basketball. He wore out his welcome FAST in NY and LA.

To pretend he was the same player then as he is now is wrong.

Not as good + way overpaid. Yikes.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think you have to give credit to the Memphis coaching staff. True they did not know what they had in Gasol until they were forced to play him due to injuries. But Hollins deserves all the credit in the world for turning that franchise around. And for turning Zach around too. None of the other coaches got him to play such a complete game as he does now.

 

[Rhal]

Fixed that for you.

Cornerstone, how do you figure that one out? Does he initiate the offense, does protect the rim, does he stop penetration, is he there best defender- top 2 top 3 top 4.
ZBO is there best offense player and he does the job they give him very well but he isn't anymore important then Allen/Conley/Gasol. I wouldn't say he is less important then them because without him there scoring would go down but he isn't anymore important then those three either.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

And again you leave out the fact that Randolph was grossly overpaid. Of course the Blazers are going to pick Aldridge over Randolph and his bloated contract.

He was paid appropriate to his accomplishments. All star, 3rd team all nba and getting out of the first round of the playoffs

 

[Rhal]

I think you have to give credit to the Memphis coaching staff. True they did not know what they had in Gasol until they were forced to play him due to injuries. But Hollins deserves all the credit in the world for turning that franchise around. And for turning Zach around too. None of the other coaches got him to play such a complete game as he does now.

Agreed. He isn't the same player he was on his last three teams, he seems to care about winning instead of stats now.

 

[Rhal]

He was paid appropriate to his accomplishments. All star, 3rd team all nba and getting out of the first round of the playoffs

He was talking about with us, which he was none of those while on the Blazers.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Cornerstone, how do you figure that one out? Does he initiate the offense, does protect the rim, does he stop penetration, is he there best defender- top 2 top 3 top 4.
ZBO is there best offense player and he does the job they give him very well but he isn't anymore important then Allen/Conley/Gasol. I wouldn't say he is less important then them because without him there scoring would go down but he isn't anymore important then those three either.

He's the go to guy on the team. Two time allstar, third team all nba...to think he's not their cornerstone is pretty foolish

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

He was talking about with us, which he was none of those while on the Blazers.

Yeah, he only averaged 24 and 10

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Agreed. He isn't the same player he was on his last three teams, he seems to care about winning instead of stats now.

And people* said he'd never learn!


*ZBO haters from this board and the last one

 

[Rhal]

He's the go to guy on the team. Two time allstar, third team all nba...to think he's not their cornerstone is pretty foolish

To think he is there cornerstone is pretty foolish. That is a team that is great because of all there pieces not because of just one. But if your going to ask who is there "cornerstone aka best player" it would have to be Marc Gasol because he is the person their offense is run through.

 

[Rhal]

And people* said he'd never learn!


*ZBO haters from this board and the last one

It took him 4 years and 3 teams to Learn.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Randolph didn't get out of the playoffs until he grew up and played team basketball. He wore out his welcome FAST in NY and LA.

To pretend he was the same player then as he is now is wrong.

Not as good + way overpaid. Yikes.

So he's overpaid because he never developed the skills he has now...even though at the time he got his contract, much of it was due to his future potential....which he realized??

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

It took him 4 years and 3 teams to Learn.

He's always been the same player. Hard working, low post and rebound/hustle.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

To think he is there cornerstone is pretty foolish. That is a team that is great because of all there pieces not because of just one. But if your going to ask who is there "cornerstone aka best player" it would have to be Marc Gasol because he is the person their offense is run through.

Yeah, whatever. You just exposed your lack of authority on this matter here. It's not even worth continuing anymore.

 

[RoyToy]

So he's overpaid because he never developed the skills he has now...even though at the time he got his contract, much of it was due to his future potential....which he realized??

He got that contract because Steve Patterson and John Nash nearly ran this organization into the ground

Grossly overpaid, yes. $16M and $17M in the last 2 years of his contract? For a guy who ended up not being able to stay on one team?

LOL

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

He got that contract because Steve Patterson and John Nash nearly ran this organization into the ground

Grossly overpaid, yes. $16M and $17M in the last 2 years of his contract? For a guy who ended up not being able to stay on one team?

LOL

For a guy that made 3rd team all NBA, all star selections, playoff wins, and turned a perrenial loser of a franchise around? Yeah, totally not worth it.

He was paid for his potential...he was a young up and coming player and he realized it. I know many people wanted him to be arrested by the FEDs in some made up dog fighting ring or him to balloon into Oliver Miller. But he's one of the premier PFs in the league, he has been for several years and he has turned Memphis Basketball around.

He's a TOUGH and intimidating player in the Playoffs and creates nightmare matchups for any team he plays against.

The real guys who ran this franchise into the ground was KP and Cap Genius Tom Penn, who traded ZBO for crap then proceeded to cripple any moves for the next 2.5 seasons in order to preserve this useless cap space.


Blazers: Lottery team. Perennial first round playoff losers.

ZBO: Doin' work.

 

[RoyToy]

For a guy that made 3rd team all NBA, all star selections, playoff wins, and turned a perrenial loser of a franchise around? Yeah, totally not worth it.

Yeah, he grew up when he got to Memphis (3 years after the Blazers traded him). I don't think anyone has denied that.