Blazers Close to Screwing This Up
Greg doesn’t need to be treated like a babyAfter seeing THIS today, and THIS two weeks ago, I’m officially worried about the Portland Trail Blazers.
They have a very talented, very young team with a likable roster with international appeal. And they’re good (11-6 as of last night). So why do they so seem desperate to tinker with their roster? Why am I seeing that they’re thinking of making a deal for Mike Conley? Has he shown that he’s any better than Steve Blake? I don’t think so. Actually, I know so. If they make that trade, the entire world will think they’re babying Greg Oden by orchestrating a deal that doesn’t make them better just to bring in Greg’s best friend.
Why are there even rumors about Mike Bibby? Yes, to get to the next level, this team probably needs a top-flight point guard. But with all due respect to Mike, his best days are well behind him. Call me crazy, but if you subbed Bibby in place of Blake right now, I’m not entirely sure the Blazers would be noticeably better.
Portland has plenty of attractive trading chips – Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, Sergio Rodriguez (who wants out anyway), or even a guy like Nicolas Batum – they don’t need to settle. If the season is progressing and they’re still in the hunt and they think they’re one very good veteran PG away making a real run at the trade deadline, then go get that right guy.
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November 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
phil b says:
i don’t think this is happening. good thing too… conley is terrible right now.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
doc says:
I think u can tell the difference between bibby and blake. The hawks are better with bibby then what they would be with blake.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Dime Magazine says:
Maybe they’re better with Bibby, but it’s debatable. And he’s definitely not worth giving up one of the other trading chips.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
haslem says:
portland does have something special but it will only remain special why’ll there young and there players aren’t too expensive. They have essentially platued, to get to the next level they do need to make a move.
but yes they do not need Mike Bibby or Conely but acctually someone good, like Gerald Wallace, or hey what about Vince carter??
November 29th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
aaron says:
actually from what I read, and I went to ohio state, him and mike weren’t super great friends. not enemies by any means but not like steve francis and cuttino mobley style friends either.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
matthew says:
KP and ‘people near him’ have been pretty emphatic that this rumor is bull. He’s not a moron, and they’re not going to baby Oden; AND he doesn’t need.
That said, the current roster is not sustainable in the long term. It needs to be consolidated or there will be regression and/or rebellion from some guys. I think they have this full season, but by this summer it needs to be dealt with.
- Batum, Outlw, and Webster sharing SF (and Batum playing out of his mind and only like 19).
- Roy and Rudy at SG.
- Bayless, Sergio, Blake at PG
- LaMarcus, Frye, Diogu at PF (okay, this is less of a problem)
- Oden, Pryzbilla at Center.
PG and SF are an especially big problem. Too many young guys that need too many minutes.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Lady Luck says:
I think that Portland needs to hold tight. They are actually in a really nice position right now because they have some very appealling pieces, that will be worth even more closer to the trading deadline.
November 30th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Matt says:
Travis is going nowhere. Sergio will probably be traded. Kidd would be awesome.
November 30th, 2008 at 1:56 am
dagwaller says:
Completely agree on this article – nice write-up, Pat.
That having been said, I’m reminded of the Chicago Bulls from a few years ago. They year that they finally put things together and made a run to the playoffs (maybe the second round?), when they were jumpshooting, D playing machines. The knock on them was that they had too many “good to very good players”, and no STAR (most notably a post player). There are only 5 players on the court at the same time. I’d rather have a 7 and a 3 than a 6 and a 4, if you follow me.
Give this another year, and get a player or two via trade. Be wary of adding and subtracting to a “chemistry team”, though – ask the 76ers…
November 30th, 2008 at 3:53 am
mike says:
thank you, my thoughts exactly
one thing though, and i love hoophype, but when have they ever correctly predicted a trade? think about everything that went down last week, and they were only able to report those after the fact, hopefully it’ll be the same here
November 30th, 2008 at 11:36 am
JCARR says:
Blazers wont get too far this year…
Their roadblock is going to take maturation and some experience
November 30th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
j says:
GET A FUCKING BRAIN. have you not seen the past 2 years with pritchard. Name 1 deal that he has not flat out won on. Any come to mind? I am a die hard blazer fan, and i got maybe 1, trading ruben patterson ha seung jin and steve blake for jamaal magloire. It opened up some cap room and got rid of patterson who I loved but the blazers didnt really want. we then resigned steve blake. that is the only deal pritchard has made that he hasnt flat out won. do you think he is going to do something stupid? Pritchard has said that he is not doing this trade, its people like you why this rumor is floating around. YOU NEED TO BE PRITCHSLAPPED
November 30th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
j says:
I must throw this in too, Outlaw is the kind of payer where if you see him in stretches he can look good, but he is actualy pretty bad. He could be a superstar on a bad team but he is not a type of player you win chamionships with. Both batum and webster are younger and just about as good as him with much more potential and both play better defense. By the way they improve too it is noticable they work harder in the summer than outlaw. Eventualy outlaw will probably be traded for something to make the blazers better, and at that time pritchard will once again dominate some other gm in a trade as he has done with so many other teams.