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Trailblazed&Confused · 09-25-2006, 08:06 AM

It is waaay too early to come to any conclusions on any draft picks, Blazer or otherwise. There is a long list of players that have looked great in workouts, on paper, and at the college level, and they did not work out in the NBA. Nobody can make an educated grade on the draft for at least a year, probably more.

As stated above, any comparisons between Adam Morrison and MJ are insaine. Adam has proven nothing, outside of being able to score at the college level. He does play hard, but any other comparisons are insaine. We haven't even determined that Adam can continue being the scoring machine in the NBA. We know nothing but Hype.

**Talkhard** · 09-25-2006, 08:16 AM

Good points, Trailblazed&Confused. I just gave you your first rep points. Welcome to the board!

Utherhimo · 09-25-2006, 10:08 AM

yeah i agree we are just rehashing what was said before and after the draft training camp is coming soon and that will give us new material to chat about!

Blazer Maven · 09-25-2006, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deanwoof

it's the jordan draft all over again:

# 1 pick is a 7 footer, who happens to be born internationally
# 2 pick is another 7 footer who is hurt
# 3 pick is the most marketable player who can score score score

we shall see. and as far as redick over brewer goes, redick is a better fit for orlando.

Coincidence or Karma?

Could it be that this year's #1 and #3 picks turn out to be average, journeyman players and the Blazers get the Hall of Famer this time?

BlazerFan22 · 09-25-2006, 10:39 AM

I have got to agree with you. I really like LeMarcus and all and I welcome him in. But how do you pass on a box-office guy like Adam Morrison. You know I hate to think it but if Aldridge turns out to be injury prone. Man thats really going to suck.

Boob-No-More · 09-25-2006, 10:58 AM

Before the draft, Morrison was being touted as the next Larry Bird (after all, he's a white guy who can score). Now, based on a handful of meaningless summer league games, he's suddenly the next Michael Jordan? Please people, I know a lot of you (OK, at least three of you) are/were disappointed that the Blazers didn't draft the 'Stache, but come on, let's get a grip on reality here. Forget the Jordan comparisons (you might as well call Morrsion the next Wilt if you're going to be that stupid), he's not even close (and never will be) to the all-around player Larry Bird was coming out of college.

I have no doubt Morrison will score, score, score. He better, as that's all he can do. Not only did Bird score more in college than Morrison (in three years, Bird scored 2850 pts. vs. 1858 for Morrison), in every other way, Bird was a far, far more complete player coming out of college.

Rebounds:
Bird = 1247
Morrison = 482
(Bird had more rebounds in his final college season - 505, than Morrison did in his entire college career)

Assists:
Bird = 434
Morrison = 189
(Again, Bird had almost as many assists his final year - 187, as Morrison did in his entire college career)

Concerning their college careers, Bird had three great seasons as an all-around player. Morrison had one great season as a scorer (and Bird still scored more in all three of his college seasons - without the benefit of the three point field goal). Just comparing their final college seasons:

Bird: 28.6 ppg, 14.9 rpg, 5.5 apg (Bird's lowest scoring college season, BTW)
Morrison: 28.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.8 apg (Morrison's highest scoring college season, by far)

Bird was not only a great scorer, he was a great passer (30th on the NBA career assist list) and rebounder (42nd all-time total rebounds, 17th all-time career defensive rebounds). And while Bird wasn't a great 1:1 defender, he played excellent team defense. In addition to his great defensive rebounding (top 6 in defensive rebounds for nine seasons), Bird was also great at playing the passing lanes (top ten in steals three times). This lead to Bird being named second team all-defense three times in his NBA career. Does even the most devout Adam Morrison fan think he will ever get within sniffing distance of 2nd team NBA all-defense at any point in his career?

Best case, Morrison scores as much as Bird, and does so at a similar shooting percentage, but he won't even be in the same ballpark in terms of rebounding, passing or defense. Again, forget the Michael Jordan comparisons, the kid can't even carry Larry Bird's jock.

BNM

P.S. I like Morrison's fire and scoring and expect he'll win Rookie of the Year, but comparing him to Bird and Jordan is beyond ridiculous.

**Talkhard** · 09-25-2006, 11:22 AM

Nicely done, Boob-No-More. You've made a convincing argument for why Morrison won't be a Bird-type player in the NBA. I do think that Morrison has a good chance to be a Pete Maravich kind of player who scores in big numbers, hits big shots in crunch time, and gets the fans excited. If you can surround him with good defensive players, he could help you win a title.

Blazer Maven · 09-25-2006, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talkhard

I do think that Morrison has a good chance to be a Pete Maravich kind of player who scores in big numbers, hits big shots in crunch time, and gets the fans excited. If you can surround him with good defensive players, he could help you win a title.

Which is why he fits better in Charlotte with G. Wallace and Okafor, rather than the Blazers.

mook · 09-25-2006, 11:47 AM

seems to me a more accurate white SF comparison of Morrison is Peja Stojakovic with more fight and (much) less height. a guy who can score from anywhere on the court, but not much else.

now Peja was a key piece on a contending Kings squad, but in kind of a Rip Hamilton kind of way. not a superstar, but just the perfect fit for the guys around him.

I think Morrison will probably end up being something similar. given the weakness of this draft, picking a Peja-type so early is a pretty good bet.

but Aldridge's high school coach, who also coached Bosh, said he expects Aldridge to be better than Bosh. I'd rather hitch my wagon to a Bosh-type 20/10 power forward than a Peja-type scoring small forward. you factor in that we have another project scoring SF in Webster, and Morrison gets even less appealing.

**SheedSoNasty** · 09-25-2006, 12:00 PM

Nicely done, mook!

Oil Can · 09-25-2006, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlazerFan22

But how do you pass on a box-office guy like Adam Morrison.

Bingo

Quote:

You know I hate to think it but if Aldridge turns out to be injury prone. Man thats really going to suck.

Six Foot Eleven, bench presses 185 like, 7 times? Already hurt, and was hurt in college too? That isn't a good start. I like the kid, wish for success, but doubt it will come quickly. Maybe in 3 years we will be saying wow.

Oil Can · 09-25-2006, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boob-No-More

P.S. I like Morrison's fire and scoring and expect he'll win Rookie of the Year, but comparing him to Bird and Jordan is beyond ridiculous.

I couldn't agree more. The Peja, or Rip Hamilton comparisons are probably closer.

Boob-No-More · 09-25-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talkhard

Nicely done, Boob-No-More. You've made a convincing argument for why Morrison won't be a Bird-type player in the NBA. I do think that Morrison has a good chance to be a Pete Maravich kind of player who scores in big numbers, hits big shots in crunch time, and gets the fans excited. If you can surround him with good defensive players, he could help you win a title.

Interesting comparison. Like Maravich, Morrison's primary role will be to score the ball from anywhere on the court. Unfortunately, I see Morrison being even more one dimensional than Maravich. While he wasn't an efficient passer, Maravich was a flashy passer (another way he brought the crowd to their feet). I can see Morrison, with his combination of scoring, fire and passion igniting the crowd. Problem is, even though he had a Hall of Fame career, Maravich never lead his teams anywhere. You could argue he was surrounded by inferior talent (altough with Lou Hudson and Walt Bellamy, those early Atlanta treams did have a fair bit of talent - on paper anyway), but other than a quick cup of coffee he had with the Celtics (26 games) at the tail end of his career, Maravich only played on one winning team during his NBA career and never went anywhere in the play-offs. That's one of the drawbacks of your "best" player being a one dimensional scorer (but, I still loved watching him play).

Now, I agree that if he's surrounded by the right pieces, Morrison could help his team win a championship. Problem is, you can say that about a lot of guys. He's not going to lead them to a championship by himself. It's not really fair to compare him to Bird or Jordan, guys who made their teammates so much better, but that's exactly the type of comparisons I keep reading - and not just by posters on internet discussion boards. Even with the addition of Morrison, the Charlotte Bobcats are a LONG way from competing for a championship. It all depends on how their other young players develop and what additional pieces they can add over the next few years.

Again, I think Morrison will score a lot, excite the fans in Charlotte and win ROY, but in the long run, I'm not convinced he will prove to be the best player in this draft. I am convinced, however, that anyone who thinks he's the next Larry Bird or the next Michael Jordan (seriously????) is setting themselves up for a major disappointment. Appreciate Morrison for what he is and you'll be happy. Expect him to be something he's not, and you'll be bitterly disappointed.

BNM

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