Zach Edey poll

[andalusian]

I find it bizarre that a team that has Ayton, Williams III, and Reath under contract is looking at drafting center prospects who will likely be far worse than the guys we already have. Can we not turn over a rock somewhere in the draft or trade market and find a power forward prospect?

I have no effin' clue how good Edey will or will not be in the NBA, but you guys really seem to believe in an end of the bench undersized guy (Reath) and the best player in the orthopedic ward...

 

[Ed O]

He doesn't excite me but I would be willing to give him a chance at 14. If we take him at 7 I'll be fucking livid.

Yup, this is me. I'd prefer him to, say, da Silva at 14... but taking him at #7 is inconceivable to me.

 

[e_blazer]

I have no effin' clue how good Edey will or will not be in the NBA, but you guys really seem to believe in an end of the bench undersized guy (Reath) and the best player in the orthopedic ward...

I don't find Reath's size to be a major factor as a backup center. There are tons of similar guys around the league who are smaller, but fit today's game. Reath has consistently shown the ability to rebound and score from the 5 spot. I don't know what Williams future looks like relative to injuries, and I don't really have a problem with moving him if a suitable trade shows up. I'm just saying that if Grant is going to get traded, as seems highly likely, the Blazers have far greater need at the 4 spot than the 5.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I find it bizarre that a team that has Ayton, Williams III, and Reath under contract is looking at drafting center prospects who will likely be far worse than the guys we already have. Can we not turn over a rock somewhere in the draft or trade market and find a power forward prospect?

This is a draft that is wildly overstocked in point guards and bizarrely understocked in power forwards. Unless you count Sarr, the only PF projected in the lottery is probably Salaun.

I would be well on board with taking Enrique Freeman in the second round - he was in the top 10 in the nation in rebounding and he's definitely not a center.

 

[Ed O]

I have no effin' clue how good Edey will or will not be in the NBA, but you guys really seem to believe in an end of the bench undersized guy (Reath) and the best player in the orthopedic ward...

Agreed. Reath should not be a factor in future decisions of the Blazers at all. He's pushing 30 (he turned 28 today! Happy birthday to you if you're reading this!) and lucky to have an NBA roster spot.

Williams is always hurt.

This doesn't mean that we should take Edey (or Clingan, or Missi, or any other big guy) but it's not like the team is deep enough there (or anywhere*) to avoid taking the best prospect because of who's on our team.

* Small guard might be an exception just because Scoot is young and we have to move Brogdon and/or Ant to get any minutes for a fourth guard, so a small guard needs to be MUCH better than the alternative to be selected IMO.

 

[blazerkor]

I just think that all of these people that are all hyped up about Zach Edey aren't trying to reinvent the wheel but more so it's like trying to reinvent the floppy disk. The wheel is still relevant but these Edey worshipers are trying to Make Basketball Great Again... or some shit like that.

 

[Glazeduck2]

You're right. There should definitely be an "I wouldn't use a lottery pick on him, but I wouldn't mind if the Blazers traded for a 3rd pick to get him" option.

All I'm saying is that I could just as easily vote item 2 or 3 and both would be accurate.

This, or "fuck no" are the 2 more reasonable answers to this idea...

 

[Glazeduck2]

Were you guys excited about Kris Murray? Because Dalton Knecht and Zach Edey are the SG and C versions of Kris Murray.

 

[Ed O]

Give me Willaims and Salaun in that scenario all day. If we passed on either of them if they were available at 14 for Edey, I'd be pissed.

I would be less upset than you, maybe, but taking both would be fantastic in my mind and there'd be no need to take Edey just because we took a forward at #7.

 

[B-Roy]

Were you guys excited about Kris Murray? Because Dalton Knecht and Zach Edey are the SG and C versions of Kris Murray.

What an ill informed take

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Were you guys excited about Kris Murray? Because Dalton Knecht and Zach Edey are the SG and C versions of Kris Murray.

Kris Murray is 5" taller than the average player at his position? I never realized...

 

[Ed O]

Were you guys excited about Kris Murray? Because Dalton Knecht and Zach Edey are the SG and C versions of Kris Murray.

No, I was not, but Edey won The Sporting News, the Associated Press, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award honors in consecutive seasons, becoming the sixth two-time National Player of the Year, joining Ralph Sampson (1981, 1982, 1983), Bill Walton (1971, 1972, 1973), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1967, 1969), Jerry Lucas (1961, 1962) and Oscar Robertson (1958, 1959, 1960) as multiple NPOY recipients..

He might not translate to NBA play, but he was on a whole other level from Kris Murray in college.

 

[Glazeduck2]

What an ill informed take

Really? Older backups with nearly no upside, limited functionality who can, in the right situations contribute for ~10ish mins a night? Sounds about right to me...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I would take Yves Missi over Zach Edey every time. I would take Oso Ighodaro over Edey, too.

 

[andalusian]

I don't find Reath's size to be a major factor as a backup center. There are tons of similar guys around the league who are smaller, but fit today's game. Reath has consistently shown the ability to rebound and score from the 5 spot. I don't know what Williams future looks like relative to injuries, and I don't really have a problem with moving him if a suitable trade shows up. I'm just saying that if Grant is going to get traded, as seems highly likely, the Blazers have far greater need at the 4 spot than the 5.

Reath rebounds at a rate of 7.4 / 36, that is close to what Camara does and well below what Walker does. Deni Avdija playing Small Forward for the mighty Washington Wizards rebounds at a much higher rate than Reath. Josh Giddy, playing SG for OKC rebounds at a much higher rate than Reath. Not sure where you come with consistently shows the ability to rebound... He is fine, as a 3rd center on the roster of one of the worst teams in the league should be, but that's not something you should be happy about as your center. Reath does scored at a reasonable rate per 36, I would agree to that, but if you look at his shooting distribution, he really scores like a stretch PF really. He also provides no rim protection, and if you look at his DBPM, it is pretty bad for a center, the only center on the roster worse than him was Moses Brown.

The Blazers have one competent, available center (DA). One. He is paid a ton, has 2 years on his contract and has been un-consistent his entire career. If he flames out or leaves (hard to trade with his giant salary) - this team is left with no Center worth talking about. Taking a flyer on one of the top options in this draft makes all the sense in the world.

 

[illmatic99]

Were you guys excited about Kris Murray? Because Dalton Knecht and Zach Edey are the SG and C versions of Kris Murray.

No. Knecht can shoot. And handle. And get to his spots in college. Murray could not.

They are older prospects. That's the only similarity. Games are not alike whatsoever.

 

[Glazeduck2]

No. Knecht can shoot. And handle. And get to his spots in college. Murray could not.

They are older prospects. That's the only similarity. Games are not alike whatsoever.

I'm not comparing games, I'm comparing contributions and role. Knecht would be, at best, our 4th guard. How much time is he getting? 10-15m a night?

My point was you're using a lottery pick on career backups. Even in a bad draft that seems like a bad business decision.

 

[illmatic99]

I'm not comparing games, I'm comparing contributions and role. Knecht would be, at best, our 4th guard. How much time is he getting? 10-15m a night?

My point was you're using a lottery pick on career backups. Even in a bad draft that seems like a bad business decision.

I project Knecht as a SF. And backup SG.

 

[B-Roy]

Really? Older backups with nearly no upside, limited functionality who can, in the right situations contribute for ~10ish mins a night? Sounds about right to me...

I mean sure, no one who ever entered the league at 22 became good.

Forget Lillard, Roy, Duncan, Robinson etc

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I mean sure, no one who ever entered the league at 22 became good.

Forget Lillard, Roy, Duncan, Robinson etc

But Knecht is 23. That's a world of difference...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Where's the expansion team that can take Edey to be their Big Country?

 

[Glazeduck2]

I mean sure, no one who ever entered the league at 22 became good.

Forget Lillard, Roy, Duncan, Robinson etc

We're comparing Zach Edey to hall-of-famers now? Come on man, the league has evolved and he's a dinosaur. You have to take the totality of the prospect and the context in which they're being drafted into account, their advanced age is simply one strike against him.

I'm all for the Blazers trying to be on the front edge of the next trend, but Zach Edey ain't it... Fine if we want to package 34 and 40 to get him later in the first, but he'd be a colossal mistake at 7 or 14.

 

[oldfisherman]

First, I have low expectations for this entire draft class. Every player is a gamble.

However, the game has changed. If the Blazers want to get past Jokic, Embid, & Wembanyama in the playoffs. Then we need more size in the paint.

Taking Edey @14 has reasonable odds of working out.

We can not fix every weakness the Blazers have in this draft.

 

[blazerkor]

I mean sure, no one who ever entered the league at 22 became good.

Forget Lillard, Roy, Duncan, Robinson etc

I think it might just be a disagreement about ceilings. I don't see Knecht having close to as many ways to impact the game as the four guys you just named and I don't see any of the guys you named having the same liabilities that Edey projects to have. So I think that Edey and Knecht specifically have low ceilings and would only ever start on a playoff team like the Heatles. A team with so much star power around them that they just needed to do the few things really well that they can. Otherwise I see these guys as bench specialists.

I was super excited about Dame, super excited about BRoy, it's a bit preposterous to go back as far as Duncan and Robinson given how different things are now but they were consensus HOF level prospects. Tim Duncan and David Robinson were can't miss prospects just as much as LeBron or Shaq. That is not the case with the guys we're discussing.

If we do draft either guy or both I hope you're right and I'm wrong. Hell, just for their sake because they both seem like alright people, I hope I'm wrong and you're right.

 

[blazerkor]

First, I have low expectations for this entire draft class. Every player is a gamble.

However, the game has changed. If the Blazers want to get past Jokic, Embid, & Wembanyama in the playoffs. Then we need more size in the paint.

Taking Edey @14 has reasonable odds of working out.

We can not fix every weakness the Blazers have in this draft.

Wait? How come Deandre isn't enough "size in the paint"??? That's just a weird thing to say that we need another really big traditional center when all of the teams with the guys you just listed don't have more than one and none of them are traditional centers. All three of those guys can shoot the ball and that's where we're all worried Edey is going to get eaten up in the NBA.

 

[Glazeduck2]

First, I have low expectations for this entire draft class. Every player is a gamble.

However, the game has changed. If the Blazers want to get past Jokic, Embid, & Wembanyama in the playoffs. Then we need more size in the paint.

Taking Edey @14 has reasonable odds of working out.

We can not fix every weakness the Blazers have in this draft.

Wemby, Embiid and Jokic are difference makers because they can succeed on the outside as well as they can inside (or better). Edey guarding any of those guys on the perimeter would be a nightmare.

 

[andalusian]

Wait? How come Deandre isn't enough "size in the paint"??? That's just a weird thing to say that we need another really big traditional center when all of the teams with the guys you just listed don't have more than one and none of them are traditional centers. All three of those guys can shoot the ball and that's where we're all worried Edey is going to get eaten up in the NBA.

The Blazers were #22 in the entire league in rebounding last year, that's bad. DA has 2 years on his contract, he is going to be hard to trade because of his big contract and if he flames out (continues to be inconsistent as he has been most of his career) or leaves in FA, this team is left without any reliable, competent NBA level center. Getting a big body that at worst can be better than the current backup centers the Blazers have, and could potentially be a starter - is something a team in a rebuild mode should do.

 

[andalusian]

Wemby, Embiid and Jokic are difference makers because they can succeed on the outside as well as they can inside (or better). Edey guarding any of those guys on the perimeter would be a nightmare.

Nobody is drafting this dude to be a switching center like Bam. He is clearly going to be played in the drop like the Blazers used Nurkic for years.

 

[Glazeduck2]

Nobody is drafting this dude to be a switching center like Bam. He is clearly going to be played in the drop like the Blazers used Nurkic for years.

Agreed. My point was the difference-makers at center that he brought up are difference makers BECAUSE they impact the game from the perimeter. That's why they're difference makers. Drafting Edey doesn't solve for any of that.

 

[andalusian]

Agreed. My point was the difference-makers at center that he brought up are difference makers BECAUSE they impact the game from the perimeter. That's why they're difference makers. Drafting Edey doesn't solve for any of that.

The Blazers have multiple picks in this draft. They need to use them to both look for high ceiling undervalued difference makers and to handle obvious issues this team has. If it was me, I would use one of the picks (probably the #7) to look for one of these high-ceiling difference makers and the #14 for something that solves an issue the team obviously has.

If the Blazers take Clingan at #7 - they might get both, but if not, I imagine they will take a big wing / forward there and use the #14 trying to plug the obvious rebounding / center issue the roster has. At this point, if ZE is still available, he seems like something that might work to solve that issue.