SB Nation User Blog: BlazerFanSince1970

The Acquire Lamar Odom Discussion

BlazerFanSince1970 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:17:34 -0000

This post is to hopefully consolidate discussion (pro or con) about making a play for unrestricted free agent Lamar Odom. I've made several comments the last few days in favor of going after Odom so I'll summarize those comments here.

We can't waste this opportunity to improve

This is our last chance for probably a decade to make a substantial move to upgrade the team without giving up a key player in return. After the Feb trading deadline we won’t have cap space again for many, many years. If it should ultimately turn out that we only acquired a good future tradable asset, at least we will have that option in the bank to use down the road somewhere. This is truly a case of use it, or lose it.

I believe we should go for a free agent right now. If KP knew there was a great lopsided trade available using our cap space this summer he wouldn’t have pursued Turk, so I doubt there’s much opportunity for that to happen. The chance of finding a great lopsided trade during the season before the Feb trading deadline (if we do nothing this summer) is even less likely. After that the cap space is gone.

Why we need a Small Forward

It seems odd to some people that KP wanted Turk, a small forward (who importantly could also play backup PF). I suspect KP already has a deal for Travis Outlaw lined up (or at the very least has finally given up on him) but needs to use the cap space first. If we had acquired Turk, Outlaw obviously had to go, so KP has already moved past that decision. After 6 years we have seen everything that Travis has and it obviously isn’t enough to be a starter. I also don’t like Travis as a backup for a championship contender (poor defense, poor rebounding for his size, poor passer that often ignores an open 3-pt shooter, better as an undersized, non-banging PF than as SF – which is not what we need).

Batum will hopefully be very good in a couple of years, but he needs to be a backup now as he develops. We must also discount Martell entirely until it is proven that he can come back sometime next year (he still hasn’t been cleared to run and jump on his foot – which is a very bad sign).

So we need a starting SF that can score, pass, play defense, rebound, and provide a bit of toughness.

Lamar Odom can do all of that if Nate can keep him motivated, and like Turk he can fill the backup PF spot behind LMA (probably even better than Turk).

Lamar Odom

It would be difficult to pry him away from LA, but we might be able to offer more money than LA is willing to offer. Odom made $14.1M last year according to StoryTeller's website. About $2.5M was from bonuses and a trade kicker, so his actual yearly salary was about $11.6M. LA has Bird Rights, so even though they are over the cap they can still offer more than the $10M per year we can offer. But apparently they have only offered about $8M over 3-years. So if we offer $10M over 5-years and LA chooses not to match Odom would be looking at a reduction from $14.1M to either $8M (Lakers) or $10M (Portland). Plus he gets 5-years guaranteed with us instead of only 3 years. In that case Odom might take our offer. LA would probably match but it’s worth a try.

We don't have to be used or tied up for a week trying to make this deal. I’d give him a 24 hour take it or leave it offer and see what happens. Who knows, maybe he doesn’t like the idea of Artest coming to town or he’s tired of coming off the bench.

Odom would be a big upgrade over Outlaw, and fill the backup PF spot we also need. He would also give us some toughness that Turk wouldn't have. This would be a substantial upgrade for the Blazers and significantly hurt LA.

Make the 24-hour offer KP.

Tonight's Dallas Game in HD on Comcast

BlazerFanSince1970 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:52:14 -0000

Tonight's Dallas Game in HD on Comcast

Tonight’s Game (vs Dallas) is now going to be broadcast in HD by Comcast on Channel 737 (the new HD sports channel for Comcast – no longer Channel 788).

It was not scheduled to be in HD at the beginning of the year so this is a last minute addition by Comcast. Apparently the LA Clipper road game HD broadcast went well so they added HD for this road game. All HOME games are broadcast in HD by Comcast and KGW, but the Clipper game was the first (and only scheduled this year) road game ever broadcast in HD by Comcast (KGW has yet to broadcast a road game in HD). This is great news because it should mean more HD road games next year on Comcast, and hopefully on KGW as well.

Rudy's Blog?

BlazerFanSince1970 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:47:58 -0000

Rudy's Blog?

Anyone know what has happened to Rudy's blogging? He posted each Sunday for weeks (like he was under contract), but there has been nothing new since Jan 11.

Clippers Game in HD - Comcast Ch 788

BlazerFanSince1970 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:05:19 -0000

Clippers Game in HD - Comcast Ch 788

Tonight is the first road game that Comcast (or KGW) is broadcasting in HD, so don't forget to look for it on channel 788. (All home games are broadcast in HD by Comcast or KGW - there was an exception on KGW due to technical difficulties.) I suspect this is an experiment for CSN-NW to try getting HD feeds from other cities. Hopefully more road games will be broadcast in HD by Comcast next year.

Latest Rudy Blog (Google Translation)

BlazerFanSince1970 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:16:29 -0000

Latest Rudy Blog (Google Translation)

Rudy moved into a new house to escape the noise from fixes or remodeling being done to his previous house. He got a bigger house. That is funny because I recall in the video that his mother wanted him to have a smaller house and he referred to larger houses as "Dangerous Housewives" mansions - so I guess he is now getting Americanized.

Funniest line in the translation -

"The new house I will be very useful when family come over the next few days, goats without any problems and can spend a quiet Christmas in the (surprisingly) nevada Portland".

What's the "goats without any problems" really mean ????

Rudy's Latest Blog

BlazerFanSince1970 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:02:47 -0000

Rudy's Latest Blog

No surprise, Rudy likes Paul's plane! [Google Translation]

These blogs are always posted on Sunday, but they must be written earlier because they have never mentioned the results of Saturday games.

Rudy's Latest Blog

BlazerFanSince1970 — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:16:18 -0000

Rudy's Latest Blog

Google translation of Rudy's latest blog. Apparently written before the Phoenix game. Not too much here, but Halloween is mentioned. I didn't realize that Halloween was celebrated in Spain, but a look on the Internet confirms that it is.

One quote [translated]:

"In the second, against the San Antonio Spurs, another great team, I was not as good offensively, but I tried to help the team in other areas such as rebounds,..."

That's the right attitude!

Sergio Already Upset About Playing Time

BlazerFanSince1970 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:29:40 -0000

Here is a Google translation of a Spanish article that quotes Sergio and Rudy after the opening game. The translation is unclear to me in several places, especially the quotes from Rudy (amlmart1 can you help? Here is the original Spanish page).

Sergio is apparently angry that despite his contract renewal, his playing time in the first game was similar to last year.

"The Spanish base of the Portland Trail Blazers, Sergio Rodriguez, days after it formalized its renewal for the whole of Oregon, has disputed five minutes in the first clash of the season, so he has shown his anger: "We remain in the same, "he said.

Rudy appears to be trying to pump up Sergio's spirits. I hope he isn't complaining about Sergio's playing time. It's not clear to me what else Rudy is saying other than he prefers playing with Sergio, who he thinks has played better than Bayless, and Sergio shouldn't get discouraged (I think) about his playing time. Can you help amlmart1?

"Sergio has been the best in the preseason, but I was surprised by the decision of the coach. "If I'm honest I feel more comfortable playing with him," admitted the newcomer in the NBA today.
"But it is an issue on which not enter or exit, Sergio has to be strong, brave and go forward, has enough quality to do so, it has proven and will not have to come down," he said.

Unfortunately for Sergio, Nate may already be re-thinking using Bayless vs Sergio. From Kerry Eggers article today:

It also became clear that McMillan has more confidence in rookie Jerryd Bayless at the point than Sergio Rodriguez, whom the coach said won the backup position with his performance during the preseason.
“We’re probably going to need him,” McMillan said of Bayless. “What I saw in the first half, defensively we needed to get pressure in the game, and we needed some offense. I thought, ‘Let’s try him and see what he can do.’ We were just searching.”

This comes after only one game. It would be reminiscent of Nate changing the starting PG from Jack to Blake after just a couple of games last year.

I'm not really concerned about Sergio's playing time because I've always believed Bayless would get an opportunity (or two) to earn that spot this year. But I hope Rudy doesn't get bent out of shape by Sergio's situation. If Bayless earns the spot, we should probably try to trade Sergio somewhere he can get playing time to keep Rudy happy.

Related note: Bayless has a lot to learn. There was a moment in the LA game when Rudy freed himself for an open 3-point shot and Bayless saw him but didn't make the easy pass. Rudy shook his head in disgust and stared up into the stands.

New Rudy Blog

BlazerFanSince1970 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:19:41 -0000

New Rudy Blog

I think Rudy's catching Blazer fever! "The match in Los Angeles is a good opportunity to begin to demonstrate that we want to make war." [Google translation]

Blazers Vs Clippers Minutes By Position/Player

BlazerFanSince1970 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:51:47 -0000

This was a lop-sided Blazer win with garbage time in the 4th quarter, so the minute distribution is a little less meaningful as a template for close games than it was against the Kings on Monday night, but I think we can see the distribution Nate is leaning toward for the early season. Bayless got a chance to show what he can do tonight and he played well. The backup point guard position is still being contested.

Once again either Rudy or Roy or both were always on the floor except for 31 seconds during garbage time, but they each played only 30 minutes. The 2nd unit played "intact" for only 11 minutes (this time with Bayless on the floor - Sergio did not play in this game) vs about 12 minutes in the last game).

C - Oden 29, Pryz 17, Diogu 2

PF - LMA 25, Frye 21, Outlaw 2

Nate used a 3-guard offense for 11 minutes (vs 14 minutes in the last game):

3G - Roy 11, Rudy 11, Blake 11

and a conventional SF/SG/PG offense for 37 minutes (vs 34 minutes in the last game):

SF - Batum 17, Outlaw 20

SG - Roy 16, Rudy 19, Outlaw 2

PG - Blake 19, Bayless 15, Roy 3

Note: Roy and Rudy played only 3 minutes together at the 1/2 guards (vs 6 minutes in the last game).

Total Minutes/player tonight (previous game)

LMA 25 (36)

Roy 30 (35)

Rudy 30 (33)

Oden 29 (30)

Blake 30 (27)

Pryz 17 (18)

Batum 17 (17)

Outlaw 24 (17)

Sergio 0 (13)

Frye 21 (12)

Bayless 15 (2)

Diogu 2 (0)

Total 240 (240)