Originally Posted by Masbee

I don't agree that we need a "dominating" scorer. Though, if we can get one for free, great. Normally they don't give those guys away though, and it would cost one of our core to obtain. And since when did a chucker morph into "dominating"? Lots of guys could average what Melo does if they had a green light and played at that pace. That doesn't make you dominating.

With Oden and Rudy coming soon, and the potential for any of several other young players becoming solid scorers or the team trading multiple assets for a vet who can score, I think the Blazers are looking to build a team where there is plenty of BALANCED scoring.

More like the Pistons, where they WIN some games in the playoffs with not one guy scoring over 20. With a future Blazers roster looking like it will be stuffed with guys that can get you 20, I don't think the most pressing need for the Blazers is a "dominating" scorer - especially one that "dominates" by making sure they hoist up enough shots and drive into triple-teams often enough to make sure they get 25 or 30 every night.

The ideal Small Forward for the Blazers would be a feared 3pt shooter to spread the floor (not Melo), be a lockdown perimeter defender (not Melo), be able to handle the ball and pass like a point forward (not Melo), and be able to take his guy off the dribble (ok, Melo wins one). I think the first two are most important, and yet even limiting to two criteria makes it hard to find an ideal match. Usually you have to trade off defensive ability with ability to nail the long-ball.