just a bad feeling the blazers might dead and gone soon
the worst that'll happen is he'll sell. The NBA can't afford to a team fold, especially when you have at least 2 of the teams on the west coast, threatening to move.
Maybe Paul should just build a new stadium, and eat it for a while.
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when will the loss of life end?
I don't know what they have to say, it makes no difference anyway, whatever it is, I'm against it!
No matter what it is or who commenced it, I'm against it!
Your proposition may be good, but let's have one thing understood, whatever it is, I'm against it! And even when you've changed it or condensed it, I'm against it!
hasoos - you make a strong case for drafting big, the only problem is that getting a talented big man ain't that easy. Why don't other teams have players who can compete with the Wallaces and O'Neals? Because there aren't that many. The "draft big" argument is why guys like Marcus Fizer get picked in the lottery, and Zach Randolph gets a contract worth $84 mil. You draft the big guys that are available.
But it's not as easy as SMiLE would have us believe, either. Of the players s/he listed as "top scorers" look at how many of them are guards for teams with mediocre records. Michael Redd, T-Mac, Larry Hughes...
I think the most effective way to victory at this point - now that the Blazers have a good coach - is to stockpile talent, similar to the way they did in the late '90s and early '00s, but do it with a better eye for how the players fit together (notice the way that the Mavericks re-tooled in the last two years to have a team that was solid at both ends?).
So what to do come draft night? Don't know. My message to John Nash is three words: "Don't Screw Up."
I agree with you there Public Defender. Talented big men are rare, but fortunately we might be in a position to at least attempt to make a run at one draft wise. It will all depend on where the ping pong balls fall, if any of the big guys in this draft are truly difference makers, and if so, are they still available when Portland picks. What Portland definitly needs to avoid: Projects. Also of note, we don't even know if any of the big men coveted actually will come out of the draft, most of them that are even any good are actually all under classmen, and Lemarcus Aldridge has ssaid that he does not know if he will come out or not. I have not heard anything from Thomas if he has made up his mind, and probably won't until the tourny ends.
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Now that being said, and with Zbo continuing his metamorphasis into Antoine Walker,
Antoine Walker is a good modern comparison. I was just old enough to watch the tail end of Bob McAdoo's career and Zach reminds me of him a lot. He became strictly a scorer off the bench. Very few rebounds, very little defense to speak of, able to put up 20 in a very short period. The kind of player that would be nice to have as a sixth man or as a supporting player on a championship team with more than one other star. If anyone was around to give a more detailed perspective of Bob earlier in his career I would be interested. Didn't he lead the league in scoring at one point?
Anyway, I would have to agree with you though. The team needs to draft size/interior toughness. I was actually contemplating life without Joel and possibly Theo next year. Can you imagine? This team might be worst next year not better. I think we're all waiting for the 2007-2008 season for any marked improvement. Hope I'm wrong.
we don't even know if any of the big men coveted actually will come out of the draft, most of them that are even any good are actually all under classmen, and Lemarcus Aldridge has ssaid that he does not know if he will come out or not. I have not heard anything from Thomas if he has made up his mind, and probably won't until the tourny ends.
I'm sure he's at LSU for the education
here's guessing he'll be coming out.
STOMP
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"Don't watch the Blazers and think about this season. Instead watch them and think 2 or 3 years down the road, because they are going to be insanely good. I can't remember a time when a single team owned the rights to this many quality players under the age of 25... if the Blazers aren't crushing people three years from now I'll be stunned. " -John Hollinger
More than anything I thonk the reason we have to draft big is simply this. Joel is a big if for next year, and Theo is always a big if.
I think Zach and Skinner are capable bigs, but how capable is Skinner? Is he our everyday starter? Ifs are a big factor, but this is the realistic If I see. We will have Zach and Skinner with Theo maybe half the time. Our next Big is Ha.
Te Beauty of Skinner is he can play the 4 or 5, so depending on what we end up with Skinner can swing the other position. WE get Aldridge and Skinner is primarily the backup 4. We get Thomas or Bargnani and Skinner is primarily the backup 5.
I agree. This draft is going to be loaded with very talented big men. Joakim Noah is my favorite, by far. His passion and hustle are comparable to Morrison, but he has the size, athlecism and skill set to be a amazing player on the pro level. After him, I would want Tyrus Thomas, Aldridge, Splitter, O'Bryant, Hortford. Their are simply a plethora of good big men with the potential to be great.
I want the blazers to draft Morrison, but I think we should do everything we can to secure another lotto pick and go big. The only pieces I would consiter off-limits would be our 07' pick, Webster and Telfair.
The blazers need size but more a scorer, big or small. Zach Randolph did have his best season playing with Rasheed, with someone to take the pressure off.
Why the Blazers should draft big
