Where KP's head is at: Today is not the day.

[MARIS61]

Re: Where KP's head is at: Today is not the day.PPY!

I think you misread the original quote. It is the *players* who are asking KP for the benefit of the doubt. Outside of Roy, which of them have actually earned it?

All of them.

BAKE IT AND BE SCRAPPY!

 

[MARIS61]

Fair question, actually.

No, I am not going to trade my dog. He is my companion, not a business asset. NBA players, OTOH, are business assets.

To put it another way - I am allowed to be attached to my dog. An NBA GM isn't allowed to get emotionally attached to individual players.

But the owner certainly can.

 

[BGrantFan]

But the owner certainly can.

Great point!

 

[KingSpeed]

The short answer: no, you don't get the benefit of the doubt - this is a business. No, you don't know what the team would look like if everybody was healthy. I don't know how fast my one dog could run if he had 4 legs instead of 3. What's your point?

What's whose point?

 

[Ed O]

But the owner certainly can.

An owner can do whatever he wants to do. He can fall in love with his players, he can cut salary, he can sign players only shorter than 6'6".

The owner CAN do those things... but they aren't going to help his team win.

Ed O.

 

[e_blazer]

As far as I can recall, there was speculation that the inclusion of Patty Mills as the 15th man rather than Ime Udoka was a nod to Paul Allen's wishes. Other than that, everything that I've read says that the owner offers his opinion, but respects his management staff to make the decisions on roster moves.

 

[hasoos]

Who won the Nobel prize who we could've traded the RLEC for?

Who cares?

A player doesn't need to have a career year or to "turn a team around" to be worth acquiring.

In any case, that's not relevant to this thread, which involves KP seemingly not making deals he otherwise would based on the players' input.

Ed O.

Exactly. Too many folks on this board only want a player if they can run their whole career for some sort of majestic dynasty run. Where I would be happy to get a good player for a couple of years, and even make one run at a title.

 

[oldmangrouch]

What's whose point?

One of the "excuses" KP is putting forward for not making a trade, is that he hasn't had ample time to see the Blazer "core" players together and healthy. He might as well say he will not make a trade until he sees a unicorn. (or until my dog re-grows his leg)

 

[hasoos]

One of the "excuses" KP is putting forward for not making a trade, is that he hasn't had ample time to see the Blazer "core" players together and healthy. He might as well say he will not make a trade until he sees a unicorn. (or until my dog re-grows his leg)

Dude that wasn't a unicorn. That was Greg Oden taking a picture in the bathroom!

 

[oldmangrouch]

Dude that wasn't a unicorn. That was Greg Oden taking a picture in the bathroom!

Thanks dude, I needed a good chuckle this morning!

 

[Nikolokolus]

The only thing I don't like is that I keep hearing KP wants to wait and make a move "for that one final piece", well what happens if that moment comes and "that one final piece" isn't available? Secondly, "one final piece" assumes that the rest of the pieces are in order (something I don't necessarily agree with).

If anything with all of these bit players and reserves pressed into big minutes with so many guys down, you'd think KP would have a better idea than ever about the caliber of some of the players he's accumulated, not less of an idea.

 

[hasoos]

The only thing I don't like is that I keep hearing KP wants to wait and make a move "for that one final piece", well what happens if that moment comes and "that one final piece" isn't available? Secondly, "one final piece" assumes that the rest of the pieces are in order (something I don't necessarily agree with).

If anything with all of these bit players and reserves pressed into big minutes with so many guys down, you'd think KP would have a better idea than ever about the caliber of some of the players he's accumulated, not less of an idea.

I completely agree. I don't think we are looking for the final piece. I think we are looking for the second piece.

I would not have signed Miller. I would have taken the guards we already had and found out what they are made out of this season, so I could make an informed move later. Miller was a waste of salary space IMO.

 

[LittleAlex]

I completely agree. I don't think we are looking for the final piece. I think we are looking for the second piece.

I would not have signed Miller. I would have taken the guards we already had and found out what they are made out of this season, so I could make an informed move later. Miller was a waste of salary space IMO.

If Portland has learned anything during the time Roy has been out it is that they don't have the talent needed to put together a package for a second option.

No one is going to take any combination of Oden, Joel, Batum, LMA, Webster, Rudy, Bayless, Blake, Outlaw, DC, Pendergraph, Howard, or Mills in return for a player of that caliber. The reasons are not all the same but the end result is.

Portland isn't going to be able to make a deal. Not because they are unwilling to package these dudes but because no one wants any of the packages Portland could put together.

Further, all of Portland's talent, outside of LMA and Joel, is cheap which makes matching the salary of a quality player next to impossible. No team is going to do a 5 for 1 due to roster size limits.

The only asset Portland has that could return a player good enough to be a ligitimate second option would be Roy and trading him for another great player doesn't do the Blazers any good.

KP, Tom Penn, Nate and Paul Allen can put whatever face they want on the issue. "We like our guys", "We haven't seen the core players play together enough to know if we need a trade" or any other bs.

No one wants Portland's players bad enough to take on 3 or 4 of them for one star player.

 

[e_blazer]

If Portland has learned anything during the time Roy has been out it is that they don't have the talent needed to put together a package for a second option.

Further, all of Portland's talent, outside of LMA and Joel, is cheap which makes matching the salary of a quality player next to impossible. No team is going to do a 5 for 1 due to roster size limits.

The only asset Portland has that could return a player good enough to be a ligitimate second option would be Roy and trading him for another great player doesn't do the Blazers any good.

KP, Tom Penn, Nate and Paul Allen can put whatever face they want on the issue. "We like our guys", "We haven't seen the core players play together enough to know if we need a trade" or any other bs.

No one wants Portland's players bad enough to take on 3 or 4 of them for one star player.

Well, that's just a messed up analysis of the situation, IMO. The bolded part is certainly true; the Blazers don't have the high-dollar ending contracts that other teams trying to clear cap space for this summer are looking for. That says nothing about how other GMs view the Blazers' talent though. You honestly don't think that the Blazers young talent is viewed as being as good as J.J. Hickson, whom is said to be the carrot in the Cavs' offer for Stoudemire? Bunk. The problem, in terms of a trade, is that we'd have to give up so many players to make a deal for one of the established players around the league. The Blazers would also be put into a situation where they'd potentially have too many longterm high dollar contracts to make it possible to continue to avoid the luxury tax.

 

[LittleAlex]

Well, that's just a messed up analysis of the situation, IMO. The bolded part is certainly true; the Blazers don't have the high-dollar ending contracts that other teams trying to clear cap space for this summer are looking for. That says nothing about how other GMs view the Blazers' talent though. You honestly don't think that the Blazers young talent is viewed as being as good as J.J. Hickson, whom is said to be the carrot in the Cavs' offer for Stoudemire? Bunk. The problem, in terms of a trade, is that we'd have to give up so many players to make a deal for one of the established players around the league. The Blazers would also be put into a situation where they'd potentially have too many longterm high dollar contracts to make it possible to continue to avoid the luxury tax.

I honestly don't think most of the young players on the Blazers are viewed as being as valuable as JJ Hickson. Probably the only guys who would be are Oden, LMA and Batum. LMA can't be traded due to his contract. Oden's injury history makes it impossible. So Batum would be the only Blazer player a GM would potentially want over Hickson.

Are the young players on Portland more valuable then Hickson in reality? I doubt it. I would trade nearly anyone on this team for Hickson.

 

[BGrantFan]

I honestly don't think most of the young players on the Blazers are viewed as being as valuable as JJ Hickson. Probably the only guys who would be are Oden, LMA and Batum. LMA can't be traded due to his contract. Oden's injury history makes it impossible. So Batum would be the only Blazer player a GM would potentially want over Hickson.

Are the young players on Portland more valuable then Hickson in reality? I doubt it. I would trade nearly anyone on this team for Hickson.

Why would you trade nearly anyone on the team for Hickson? He's yet to reach an even average PER so far in his career. I'm not sure I'd even trade Dante Cunningham for him, at least in terms of how Cunningham gets his points and how well it fits into the offense.

 

[BlazerWookee]

He fucked up on the Zach Trade AND the fallacy of Imaginary Cap Space (tm). I stated it was a warning sign to his infallibility. But no one believed me.

How did he fuck up on the Zach trade?

 

[Nikolokolus]

How did he fuck up on the Zach trade?

He basically gave away Zach for Charmin Frye, and the privilege of waiving Steve Francis ... maybe a better question is, how did he win?

 

[Minstrel]

The only thing I don't like is that I keep hearing KP wants to wait and make a move "for that one final piece", well what happens if that moment comes and "that one final piece" isn't available? Secondly, "one final piece" assumes that the rest of the pieces are in order (something I don't necessarily agree with).

Final piece: The Machine.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Final piece: The Machine.

Gaaaaahhhh!!! My eyes. My brain ... my eyes and my brain!!!

 

[LittleAlex]

Why would you trade nearly anyone on the team for Hickson? He's yet to reach an even average PER so far in his career. I'm not sure I'd even trade Dante Cunningham for him, at least in terms of how Cunningham gets his points and how well it fits into the offense.

Because I don't think very much of the talent level of many guys on the team and Portland needs size.

I would rather have Hickson then Tyrus Thomas.

There are a ton of players I would rather they get then Hickson. I don't think Hickson is really anything all that special. But I do think he would be more valuable to the team right now then Rudy, Bayless or Blake.

If the players name isn't Roy, Batum, or Oden then I am not going to be too upset if they get traded. I just don't see any of them being special or all that valuable.

It sure seems like the rest of the league agrees.

 

[LittleAlex]

Final piece: The Machine.

If The Machine is the final piece of anything then that thing is made of fail.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Hickson is quickly becoming one of the most overrated young guys in the League.

His ceiling, IMO, is Chris Wilcox.

 

[jlprk]

Pritchard is delusional and Webster, Fernandez, and Bayless should be given away. We could replace them with old Juwan Howard bums we find on the street and we'd be a much improved team. This assumes we still have Blake and Outlaw.