According to Storyteller's page, the Blazers have about $49 million in salary committed for the summer of 2012. With Roy taking retirement, his $16.5 million comes off the books at the end of the season. Gerald Wallace has a player option for $9.5 million. If he decides to use it, the Blazers could amnesty him to wipe that salary off as well. This means the Blazers could have as little as $23 million (plus about 6 million for Batum's qualifying offer, Elliot Williams, Babbitt, and Nolan Smith, and our overseas player cap holds). Of course to have this much money you'd have to decline to make Oden a qualifying offer, and trade a few of the younger players away.

They'd have a lot of money to throw at free agents. With Aldridge, Matthews, and Batum, the Blazers still have a good young core. Unfortunately Chris Paul and Dwight Howard would be off the market, Chicago's extending Rose, and the free agent class of 2012 isn't that great (except for RFAs), so the Blazers would have to make a run at Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, JaVale McGee, Jason Thompson, or Andrew Bynum. If we felt Oden would give us anything at all, then we only need to land one of the point guards, or re-sign Felton.

If we went over the cap to sign a couple of free agents, we could fill out the roster with the mid-level exception, veteran's minimum, and bring over Freeland or Claver on a rookie scale contract.

If we resign Felton, and Wallace leaves on his player option, you could still use the amnesty on Felton if it turns out to be a mistake. Or use it on Oden if he gets hurt again.

The Blazers have lots more options by saving the amnesty instead of using it on Roy, especially since his salary will come off the books anyway.

***EDIT***

The amnesty would not be available for use on new contracts (thanks to with_a_z and Sir.Ludo for pointing this out). The best use therefore remains killing Wallace's contract if he opts in. The second best option would be to wipe out the remaining $5 million on Babbitt's contract.

One other thing I forgot to mention: by being under the cap next season, the Blazers can also bid on anyone released through amnesty.

Story Here.

Are the cracks appearing in KP's armor? or is this just a hatchet job, someone feeding Wojo quotes so they can go for the job?

 

The wildcard in all of this is the Vulcans. Who knows how they think and what they are capable of.

 

It would be sad to see KP go after the way the franchise was turned around. I will always remember that 2006 draft and the flurry of deals that gave me hope for the future.

The Unbalanced Trade - Gerald Wallace thread got me thinking about some things if we want to make a move now. It seemed we had to give up our young talent to make the numbers work. But what if we didn't? How could it be done?

This is an exercise in how the Blazers could use their cap space now instead of waiting for the trade deadline. Some numbers are so tight that a change in the salary cap figure even by .5 million could sink it.

I went for players that this board (for the most part) agrees might be available (hence no Chris Paul or LeBron). I also excluded Battier from Houston (except for McGrady, they have pretty reasonable contracts), and Harris from NJ (they are already well under the cap for 2010, why would they move a top-flight PG?)  I'm not advocating either of the scenarios below, this is just an exercise. However, this is also realistic way of how to manipulate the cap (and its rules) to our benefit.

A tip of the cap to Storyteller's excellent site for the numbers!

Here we go...

 

Scenario One (Portland – Charlotte, Portland – Chicago)

 

Step 1:

The cap is set at 57 million.

The Blazers renounce the Euros.

This puts them 8.7 million under the cap.

 

Step 2:

 

Travis Outlaw ($3.6 million)

Steve Blake ($4 million)

$3 million in cash

Unprotected 1st round pick 2010 + 2nd round pick 2010

 

for

 

Gerald Wallace ($9.5 million)

DeSagana Diop ($6 million)

Dontell Jefferson ($.735 miilion)

Sean Singletary (.166 million)

 

Analysis: Charlotte gets a ton of cap relief, cash, picks, and two cheap vets with expiring contracts. This leaves the Blazers 100,000 over the cap, which is the maximum allowable for a team under the cap making a trade.

 

Step 3:

 

Wait 2 months.

 

Step 4:

 

Joel Pryzbilla ($6.85 million)

Dontell Jefferson ($.735 million)

Sean Singletary ($.166 million)

The rights to Victor Claver

 

for

 

Kirk Hinrich (9.5 million)

 

Because both teams are over the cap, the salaries must be within 125% (they are). Analysis: Chicago gets a great center to backup and mentor Noah plus the rights to a top Euro prospect (I believe we were drafting for Chicago all along). Portland can now sign Roy and LMA to extensions as well as its 2nd round picks.

 

Out: Blake, Outlaw, Pryz

In: Hinrich, Wallace, Diop

 

 

Scenario Two: (Portland – Charlotte)

 

Step 1:

 

The cap is set at 57 million.

The Blazers do not renounce the Euros.

This puts them 7 million under the cap.

 

Step 2:

 

Sign Ramone Sessions as an RFA for $6/$6.5/$8 million over 3 years. This is probably the best offer he’ll get that’s higher than mid-level, and high enough that Milwaukee won’t match it. Portland is $1 million under the cap.

 

Step 3:

 

Sign Pendergraph for $1.5 million. Portland goes over the cap.

 

Step 4:

 

Travis Outlaw ($3.6 million)

Steve Blake ($4 million)

Joel Pryzbilla ($6.85 million)

$3 million in cash

Unprotected 1st round pick 2010 + 2nd round pick 2010

 

For

 

Gerald Wallace ($9.5 million)

DeSagana Diop ($6 million)

 

Because both teams are over the cap, the salaries must be within 125% (they are). Analysis: Charlotte gets a ton of cap relief, cash, picks, and two cheap vets with expiring contracts. Joel has a player option for next year but his salary isn’t much more than Diop’s and is much shorter in length. Portland can now sign Roy and LMA to extensions as well as its 2nd round picks.

 

Out: Blake, Outlaw, Pryz

In: Sessions, Wallace, Diop

 

I'm afraid it's either the young ones (Batum, Bayless, Rudy) or Pryz (as the biggest salary) that are the key to making things work. Choose your poison. These are just a couple of ways we can use our cap space. Again, I'm not advocating these; however, waiting until the trade deadline, when teams know KP is desperate to "use it or lose it" might not be the best option. On the other hand, bad financials (and a team in the tank) 6 months from now may force a move and with open cap space Portland would be the best partner.

Poll

Are these realistic options?

21%

I like Scenario 1

12 votes

25%

I like Scenario 2

14 votes

25%

On the right track, but different players

14 votes

16%

Wait for the trade deadline

9 votes

10%

No moves, lose the cap space

6 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed

We've talked about how it's not likely NO would take LMA for Paul, but what about Oden? The actual deal would be Chandler and Paul for Oden, Outlaw, Blake, and Bayless. Despite Paul's poison pill contract, the salaries match up pretty well and would have little impact on this year's cap space. They might want Rudy or Batum instead of Bayless though. NO could save money by cutting Blake and Outlaw, or could keep them. All the players going to them are young (except Blake) with cheap contracts.

 

You'd have to make the following assumptions:

1. NO is in cost-cutting mode.

2. Greg Oden is still a highly sought-after commodity.

3. Pryz and Chandler could co-exist without fist fights.

4. You still have cap space to sign 1 backup PG & Patty Mills.

5. NO would still be able to draw fans using Oden's name instead of Paul's.

 

That's a lot of assumptions, and it likely has no chance. But would you do it if NO was willing?

What if instead you send Chandler to Minnesota, Rubio-Blake-Outlaw-Rudy to NO, and Paul and bad Minnesota contract & future first rounder to us? We keep Oden, & NO gets Rubio & Rudy as their marketing stars. Minnesota gets a true center & gets a bad contract off the books for a redundant PG (Flynn is their guy) & a future pick. If you could get the numbers to work, would you do that?

Poll

Would you trade Oden, Blake, Outlaw, & Bayless or Rudy for Paul and Chandler?

55%

In a heartbeat!

122 votes

28%

No way! Are you off your meds again?

62 votes

9%

Meh, not sure or don't care...

21 votes

6%

I'd do the Minny / PDX / NO deal...

15 votes

220 votes | Poll has closed

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/57216/20090213/kerr_to_replace_porter_as_head_coach/#

"Meanwhile, according to a Phoenix source, Porter will be replaced by Kerr, who recently completed a crash correspondence coaching course taught by McHale and Tony DiLeo."

It's Vescey, so take it with a grain of salt.

Still, if it's true, how sad for TP. Just one bad situation after another.

Maybe they aren't trading Amar'e after all. Reports were that he was not a fan of Porter's system. Instead of having a fire sale, they might have decided to keep him around...

The Kings have been playing so-so lately, losing to Memphis but coming up with a victory at New Orleans (we know how that turned out for us). Spenser Hawes has been getting some run and Quincy Douby has not, while John Salmons is playing out of his mind. Theus and the Maloofs have traded barbs in public...

Here some articles you may want to check out to educate yourself on what's going on with the Kings...

What has made the Kings successful so far

Maloofs Rip Theus

Theus responds

Quincy Douby: no Brandon Roy-like Heroics

Hollinger: Hawes higher than Rudy as early season surprise

Kevin Martin's agent now King's Assistant GM

Sac Bee: Kings are hurting, Blazers are good

RealGM Kings vs Blazers thread (Kings PoV)

I'll post more updates as the day progresses.

Tom Ziller is one the top bloggers in the Milky Way. Enjoy!

Welcome to the first Sacramento Kings Ambassador Report, just in time for tonight's pre-season throwdown. Dave's previews haven't hit the Western Conference yet, so I'll steal a little bit of his thunder and bottle some of his lightning to give you a peek at the Kings.

First let's start with some background. The Kings recorded their second straight losing season after making the playoffs back in 2005-06. They charged hard at the end of last season and finished 1 spot behind the Blazers at 38-44. The Kings were lead by rising star Kevin Martin, who averaged team highs of 23.7 point/game (on 45.6% shooting) and 36.3 minutes/game, and the workhorse Brad Miller, who averaged 9.5 rebounds and 1.03 blocks/game. The Kings made a big mid-season trade, sending Mike Bibby to Atlanta for Sheldon Williams, Anthony Johnson, and Lorenzon Wright.

It was a busy off-season for the Kings. Ron Artest flirted with opting out, then chose to stay, then immediately regretted it, while letting the whole world know as the drama unfolded. Artest was finally dealt to the Rockets for youth and expiring contracts. Beno Udrih was courted by Golden State, but ended up staying with the Kings. SAR retired, and Francisco Gargia was given a contract extension. Fan favorite Bobby Jackson returned to the team. During the draft, the Sactown Royalty site imploded when the Kings, instead of making a move for a young PG, seemingly reached by drafting Jason Thompson, although some experts were ok with the pick. Lately the attention has been on the Spencer Hawes show.

Despite the off-season turmoil, the mindset at Sactown Royalty is now cautiously optomistic, flying in the face of most expert predictions that they will be, well, not very good. Considering they finished last season with 38 wins, without Bibby and Artest (for most of the season), you can see why they might be optimistic. They have talented guards, Miller at center, and a serviceable SF in John Salmons. However, their PF and bench are big question marks, and they are one Kevin Martin injury away from serious trouble.

According to Sactown Royalty, Martin and Miller will not play tonight (and possibly Quincy Douby as well), so don't read too much into a win if it happens. So far, no gameday preview or open game thread yet (I'll update if they post something), and their fanposts have been pretty quiet for the last month, compared to the explosion we've had here at Blazers Edge.

Thanks for reading my first ambassador post!

Update:  Ziller's take on tonight's game...

2nd Update:  Sacramento Bee on Portland and Sacramento rebuilding efforts...

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/121574310374440.xml&coll=7

"There was style, substance and intrigue during the opening practices of the Trail Blazers' summer league team on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Style was provided by lottery pick Jerryd Bayless who had Blazers veteran Travis Outlaw and the rest of the gym buzzing after he drove through traffic and dunked high and hard, then followed it up with a delicate teardrop shot in the lane.

"Dang! Did you see how high he got?" Outlaw squealed from the sideline after Bayless dunked. Moments later, after the high-arcing shot in the lane, Outlaw remained impressed. "And he's got the touch, too."

The substance was provided by first-round pick Nicolas Batum, the 19-year-old small forward from France. A noted defender, Batum raised the eyebrows of Blazers coaches and management with his offensive game during the first two practices.

"If I was going to say there was a guy who kind of opened our eyes the first two days, it's Batum," general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "He's making shots and making plays for other people. We know what he can do defensively -- he's going to be a good defender. But he looks comfortable out there already."

Good Stuff!

So it's draft day and the Blazers are drafting #13, right about the middle of the pack (let's ignore the #27 for the moment). We really should have just a few things to talk about - I mean we're not in the top 5 or even top 10. But look at the buzz on BE!

I was looking around SB Nation for other team's info and noticed a trend. Let's look at the 25 latest fan posts on other SB Nation blogs:

Green Bandwagon: 24/25 fanposts 6+ days old, most # of comments=7

Blog-a-bull (#1 pick!): 16/25 fanposts 2+ days old, most # of comments=229

Mavs Moneyball: 23/25 fanposts 6+ days old, most # of comments=32

Golden State of Mind: 12/25 fanposts 2+ days old, most # of comments=44

Indy Cornrows: 18/25 fanposts 3+ days old, most # of comments=22

Clips Nation: 23/25 fanposts 3+ days old, most # of comments=33

Brew Hoop: 25/25 fanposts 8+ days old, most # of comments=19

Canis Hoopus: 24/25 fanposts 2+ days old, most # of comments=12

At the Hive: 1 fanpost

Posting and Toasting: 24/25 fanposts 5+ days old, most # of comments=13

Third Quarter Collapse: 24/25 fanposts 7+ days old, most # of comments=22

Bright Side of the Sun: 22/25 fanposts 2+ days old, most # of comments=31

Sactown Royalty: 18/25 fanposts 2+ days old, most # of comments=33

Pounding the Rock: 24?25 fanposts 6+ days old, most # of comments=36

SLC Dunk: 11/12 fanposts 6+ days old, most # of comments=21

Bullets Forever: 21/25 fanposts 6+ days old, most # of comments=77

 

And now Blazer's Edge: 39 posts within the last 2 days, most # of comments=117

 

No other site is talking about the draft like we are, although Chicago comes close. While Dave might argue that it is better to be talking about playoffs instead of drafts (and I agree), you still have to realize that we are picking 13. It's not like the Blazers have an early lottery pick...

We'd probably have more comments on posts if they stayed longer on the front page and there wern't so many rumours floating around.

For a team drafting in the middle of the pack, once again KP has this place buzzing. It's very likely that we are also the best fans in the NBA...

KP has hinted that he would keep the pick if he could pick up the "Brandon Roy" of this year's draft. Remember that KP targets players, not picks. So let's say such a person exists. Who would it be?

This is a tongue-in-cheek look back at what the Blazers have done in the draft, where Brandon Roy was projected to go, and other silly factors that KP will probably blow out of the water this year.

First, let's start with the esteemed Mr. Chad Ford of ESPN. This guy gets paid big bucks to prognosticate, so he has incentive to get it right, unlike most other hacks. So what did Mr. Ford have to say about the Blazers before the 2006 draft?

" Portland: LaMarcus Aldridge. The skinny: Andrea Bargnani is near the top of their list and may be the pick if Toronto doesn't take him. Nate McMillan likes Brandon Roy and he might get him.

But Aldridge fits a need in the frontcourt, is one of the top three prospects in the draft, and is the type of kid off the court that the Blazers are trying to attract. Don't be surprised if the Blazers try to acquire another pick to get both Aldridge and Roy."

Wow, he nailed it! Now, applying Chad Ford-like wisdom to this year, what does he say about Portland:

"Portland: Joe Alexander. The skinny: Right now it seems unlikely that the Blazers actually keep this pick. They are loaded with young players and have a history of being very active on the trade market. GM Kevin Pritchard is already burning up the phone lines. I think he either packages some of his young players with this pick and moves up, or he trades for a veteran.

If the Blazers keep the pick, it might be Alexander, who could be the sleeper of the draft. His combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability has GMs drooling right now. His basketball IQ is still questionable, but on a team like the Blazers, his versatility could become an immediate asset.

Donte Greene is also a possibility here."

When Mr. Ford went with his gut, he called Aldridge + Roy. His gut this year tells him the Blazers don't keep the pick. Trading for a veteran would blow up this whole post, so for now let's say he trades up. We still don't know for who, though.

Next, let's look at projected draft position. The consensus pick for NBA.com had Roy at 6th in 2006. But since Roy was taken 6th by Minnesota and traded to Portland for Foye, for all intents and purposes he was 7th. Who was the only one to have Roy 7th? Chad Ford! Senor Ford est en fuego! This guy is earning his meal ticket!

So by extrapolation, if the 6th pick in this year's draft is Brandon Roy, by NBA.com consensus, that would be Eric Gordon. And who does Mr. Ford  have at 7th? That's right, Eric Gordon! You see the parallels here? The planets have aligned!

So the Brandon Roy in this year's draft, draft-position-wise, is Eric Gordon. The Blazers need to at least get to 7th. How will they get him? Here are the most likely trades:

1. Portland buys Phoenix's pick at #15 for $3 million dollars.

2. Portland-Milwaukee. Portland gets Milwaukee's 8th pick. Milwaukee gets the 13th and 15th picks, plus $1 million dollars.

3. Portland-Clippers. Portland gets the 7th pick. The Clips get the 8th pick and Jarett Jack.

In the 2008 NBA Draft, the Portland Trailblazers select...Eric Gordon!

Steven A. Smith goes berserk and foams at the mouth. The national pundits declare Portland gave up too much. But we all know someone just got Pritch-slapped.

I hope you enjoyed this look at Getting Our Roy Draft ON (GORDON)...or is it Eerily Right Insider Chad (ERIC)? I forget. How I long for the excitement of the last 2 drafts!

We've seen lots of posts lately about whether or not the Blazers will make the playoffs. I contend that they've already started, in a manner of speaking.

What makes the playoffs different than the regular season? It's the threat of elimination. The stakes are higher, there is an increased pressure to succeed, and the intensity creates a highly-charged atmosphere. You control your own destiny by winning.

I think these conditions already exist in the Western Conference. There are 10 teams fighting for 8 spots - sounds like elimination to me. Players know where they (and other teams) are in the standings, and each game impacts whether they will be one of the 8 or the 2 left out.

Only 2.5 games separate the top 6 records (New Orleans to L*kers). Likewise, 2.5 games seperate the next 4 records (Denver to Houston). Look at the head-to head matchups of the games remaining on the schedule:

New Orleans: Dallas x2, Denver, Golden State x2,  Houston x3, L*kers x2, Phoenix x2, San Antonio x3, Utah x3.

Dallas: Denver x2, Golden State x2, Houston, L*kers x3, New Orleans x2, Phoenix x2, Portland x2, San Antonio x2, Utah x2.

Houston: Dallas, Denver x2, Golden State x2, L*kers, New Orleans x3, Phoenix x2, Portland x2, San Antonio, Utah x2.

San Antonio: Dallas x2, Denver x2, Golden State, Houston, L*kers, New Orleans x3, Phoenix x3, Portland, Utah x3.

Denver: Dallas x2, Golden State x2, Houston x2, New Orleans, Phoenix x3, Portland, San Antonio x2, Utah x3.

Golden State: Dallas x2, Denver x2, Houston x2, L*kers x2, New Orleans x2, Phoenix x3, Portland x2, San Antonio, Utah.

L*kers: Dallas x3, Golden State x2, Houston, New Orleans x2, Phoenix, Portland x4, San Antonio, Utah.

Phoenix: Dallas x2, Denver x3, Golden State x3, Houston x2, L*kers, New Orleans x2, Portland x3, San Antonio x3, Utah

Utah: Dallas x2, Denver x3, Golden State, Houston x2, L*kers, New Orleans x3, Phoenix, San Antonio x3.

Portland: Dallas x2, Denver, Golden State x2, L*kers x4, Phoenix x3, San Antonio.

Folks, the playoffs are already here, and Portland has already made it...

This article is an incredible read. Go check it out!

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/

I wish I could hang out with these guys. It's going to be rough for the others if any of them get traded.

Stories like these remind me why I suffered through the Jailblazer years.

Thank you Jason!

Here's some links to how others saw the game, that I enjoyed over breakfast:

Mike Barrett:
http://mikebarrettsblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/looking-for-florida-sweep.html

Miami Herald:
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/385689.html

Palm Beach Post:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/shared-gen/content/shared-gen/ap/Basketball_Game_Stories/BKN_Trail_Blaz ers_Heat.html?cxntlid=inform

Miami Sun-Sentinel:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-flspheatlede19sbjan19,0,5874521.story

Ira Winderman's Blog (Sun-Sentinel):
http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_basketball_heat/

Enjoy!

It used to be fun proposing Blazer trades, but the team is doing so well, it's kind of dried up. So I thought about trades other teams could make.

I was reading diaries here and newswire reports and something just kind of clicked...Canzano mentioned trading Zach, there are rumors that Zeke still loves Damon, and that Miami needs some help. Chicago wants a low post scorer and to try to get back to the playoffs.

So I put together some trades that involve several former Blazers.

Trade #1: (PG shuffle)

Memphis incoming: Zo Morning, Jason Williams, Alexander Johnson
Memphis outgoing: Damon, Stromile Swift, Casey Jacobson

Miami incoming: Quentin Richardson, Fred Jones, Nate Robinson
Miami outgoing: Zo Morning, Jason Williams, Alexander Johnson

New York incoming: Damon, Stromile Swift, Casey Jacobson
New York outgoing: Fred Jones, Quentin Richardson, Nate Robinson

Why the trade makes sense:

Memphis gets rid of a discontented Damon (who is not in their long term plans) and scores a couple of expiring contracts.

Miami will still be over the cap if even if they let Zo and JW expire. Instead, they get some vet wings who can put the ball in the hole and an energetic fan fave in Robinson. They can let still let Freddie's deal expire if they want the savings.

New York: Zeke gets Damon and gives up guys who don't play defense. Not much room for Nate Robinson with Damon on board.

The other guys are scrubs to make the deal work.

http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=4402276

Trade #2: (Ben Wallace for Zbo straight up..almost)

Chicago incoming: Zach Randolph, Randolph Morris
Chicago outgoing: Ben Wallace, Viktor Kryapa

New York incoming: Ben Wallace, Viktor Kryapa
New York outgoing: Zach Randolph, Randolph Morris

Why the trade makes sense:

Chicago gets a low post scorer and rebounder in Zach, for only 1 year longer than Ben. Joe Smith can slide to center or they can trade for someone else. Kryapa hasn't seen the floor since the lightbulb was invented, so no loss there.

New York gets the anti-Zach: a defense-playing rebounder who doesn't need alot of offensive touches, that would complement Curry far better than Zach, for 1 year less money (start him at PF). When Curry is out Big Ben can slide to center and play next to David Lee. They get a nice energy guy in Kryapa who is also an expiring contract.

http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=4402292

New York's roster now looks like:

C: Curry/Jerome James
C/PF: Big Ben/Stromile Swift
PF: David Lee/Jared Jeffries/Malik Rose
SF: Renaldo Balkman/Wilson Chandler/Viktor Kryapa
SF/SG: Casey Jacobson
SG: Mardy Collins
SG/PG: Jamal Crawford
PG: Starbury, Damon

I think that could be a pretty good defensive team.

Quick says James Jones = Nostradamus. Check out the old article in October that Quick links to. Jones, among his other talents, has incredible foresight.

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/119371473096740.xml&coll=7

I wonder if he'll pick some lottery numbers for me?

To Paul Allen, Kevin Pritchard, and Nate McMillan:

I just wanted to say thank you for what you've given this city and the fans this year. Even if the team struggles the rest of the year, the list of accomplishments has provided us with something that has been as memorable as the championship season, the 2 Finals appearances in the 90s and the 2000 oh-so-close Western Conference Finals.

To the players:

It has been a magical run. Maybe that ends in Utah tonight, maybe it doesn't. No matter. Your place is set in Blazer lore forever. No matter what happens, look back on this moment with pride and remember this feeling for what it truly is - the first step towards a championship.

Warmest regards,

A Blazer fanatic

Carmelo Anthony wins WC player of the week on games of 37 points and 16 rebounds (2OT), 34 points and 12 rebounds, and 30 points 12 rebounds.

The big Blazer win in Denver last week happened the day before the Player of the Week stats are compiled, otherwise Anthony would not have won with a 19 point performance on 6 of 17 shooting.

Too bad the new player of the week had his shot blocked by the former Player of the Week to help give us the "W", that's what's really important.

Only link I could find so far is on Seattle PI's site:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/nbanews.asp?articleID=220793

Here is the link:

http://www.oregonlive.com/sportsflash/blazers/index.ssf?/base/sports-10/1198519442127070.xml&sto rylist=ornba

Merry Christmas Scott.

The Bulls were once a really young team with tons of talent and promise (like we are now). Here's to hoping we don't go down their road and make those same mistakes...

It's the top blog entry on Blog a Bull...check out the comments...

Poll

Do you think Skiles deserved to be fired?

40%

Yes

34 votes

36%

No

30 votes

22%

I DOn't Know

19 votes

83 votes | Poll has closed

We all heard at the beginning of the year how the Blazers were going to be worse this year after trading our leading scorer and rebounder to NY for almost nothing (the critics words, not mine). Let's look at how the numbers have played out so far:

Blazers today
2pt% 48.3
3pt% 38.2
94.4 pts/game on 21 assists/game
38.8 rebounds/game

Blazers last year
2pt% 47.4
3pt% 34.6
94.1 pts/game on 18.5 assists/game
39.3 rebounds/game

Knicks today
2pt% 45.9%
3pt% 32.2%
93.6 pts/game on 17.1 assists/game
41.5 rebounds/game

Knicks last year
2pt% 48.7%
3pt% 34.6%
97.5 pts/game on 18.7 assists/game
43.3 rebounds/game

The Blazers are up in all the categories listed except rebounding. You would have to admit that is impressive when losing their top scorer and rebounder.

The Knicks are down in every category listed.

Who is it that was hurt the most? Probably David Lee, who went from 10.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 30 minutes/game last year to 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 25.7 minutes/game this year. Had we held on to Zach, Aldridge's numbers and development would have probably been down like Lee's.

Can you blame everything on Zach? Not personally...it's more as a function of how the offense and defense flows without him.

Are things really that bad in PDX right now? Are we in need of perspective? Out of curiousity I started following some links. You should see these quotes from the main pages of  blogs and newspapers of other teams, teams that were expected to do much better than us...

From Golden State of Mind:
"The first week of the season is (finally!) over for the Warriors and I can't remember a time in the entire decade plus that I've been a Warriors junkie where I've seen them play such pitiful defense for three consecutive games (although I'm sure if I think hard enough I can remember, haha). Tonight the Warriors let the Jazz shoot 63% from the field and 75% from the field. It's like the Jazz were on fire in NBA Jam for 48 minutes. That's not supposed to happen in the NBA... ever. After 3 games the Warriors are surrendering a whopping 118.5 points per game- 118.5! Mike Fratello must be sitting back in the TNT offices just wishing he could coach against this Warriors D. Even his "offenses" could hit triple digits...Even when Stephen Jackson walks through that door this roster is still deeply flawed."

From the Miami Sun-Sentinel:
"An 0-5 start certainly is possible, with the Spurs and Suns up next. And one certainly couldn't dismiss 1-9, considering four of five are on the road after the first five...counting the final two games last season, the 0-4 playoff sweep at the hands of the Bulls, the 0-7 preseason, and now this 0-2 start, that's 15 consecutive losses for the Heat."

From Blog a Bull:
"What is there to say? They're playing bad...Three games is a poor indicator of anything, except knowing they won't be getting off to a fast start, which was a worthy goal for this season. Seeding is key, so losing games to bad teams will come back to hurt them. I'm not worried that this team has gotten worse than last year, I'm just disappointed that they haven't shown to be better. I was quite hopeful that'd be the case."

From Sactown Royalty:
"A Strong Cuppa Rat Poison...Like others have already said, no one expected to wake up to victory... and few expected any wins among the first three. But no one could've guessed it'd be this bad.

    * Average margin of loss: 17 points

    * Offensive rating: 98.2

    * Defensive rating: 116.6

This is epic in its terribleness. 0-3 -- whatever. Down 51 points after three games, with a horrid offense in total and a disastrous defense in total? Okay, one more slash with the sword:

    * Pythagorean expected record: 7-75

(Yes, I know this is overly dramatic -- the Kings have faced two elite teams and one good team. But this franchise has never been in such a dire basketball predicament. It's worth recording the futility in semi-permanent media.)"

From Bullets Forever:
" I'm changing the name of this blog to Fourth Quarter Collapse...I like the whole "air out your sky is falling comments" thing that we did yesterday.  Here's the place to do it again....For the first time since 1992, the Wizards have started off the season 0-3....Do you realize the Wizards had a stretch where they missed 22 three pointers?  The last two against Indiana, all sixteen against Boston, and the first four against Orlando.  Once Roger Mason finally broke the streak near the end of the first quarter, the Wizards got hot for a moment as they hit their next 3 from beyond the arc.  After that, more of the same as the Wizards only hit 2 of their final 15 shots from beyond the arc...In a very Joe Gibbs-like move, Eddie Jordan is reaching for the reset button.  According to ESPN.com Jordan is using the time between now and Thursday night's game as a "mini camp" to fix what's broken with the Wiz."

Wow. I think we're going to be okay.

You gotta read this to believe it...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-marbury-vick&prov=ap&type=lgns

It might just be me, but I think Marbury opening his mouth this time is going to seriously damage his reputation. He's allowed his freedom of speech, sure. But you better be prepared to deal with the fact that people might not like it...

If I was Danny Ainge, my free agent offers just got more attractive and I'd try to add some depth. I've got the full mid-level exception and the veteran's exception. There aren't alot of decent centers out there and they command some good money. I've got to try to get at least 3 players. Here's what I'd do:

1. Slide Garnett to C and pick up a PF on the veteran's exception, a role player with some decent rebounding skills. PJ Brown, Alan Henderson, Danny Fortson, and Brian Skinner are all good options.
2. Try to talk Brevin Knight into 3-3.5 million of the mid-level.
3. Spend the rest of the mid-level (1.5-2 million) on a role player like Ruben Patterson, Udoka, Kelvin Cato, Jarvis Hayes, Dee Brown, or Corliss Williamson. Maybe get 2 guys at a million apiece.
4. Sign picks Big Baby and Gabe Pruitt.

Good luck Danny!

Here is the link:

http://www.hoopsvibe.com/nba/nba-draft/nba-draft-news/grading-the-gms-draft-selections-ar44957.html

A Grades:
Joe Dumars
Isiah Thomas!
Kevin Pritchard (of course!)
Sam Presti
Bryan Colangelo

No one gets a F, though there are a few Ds:
Larry Bird
Larry Miller
Jeff Bower
Otis Smith

There's been a lot of talk lately about Darius taking a medical retirement and the team saving money off the cap because of it. So I did a little research and this is what I found.

1. There is a one year waiting period before anything can be applied for. Though Darius suffered a knee injury in December 2005, the latest knee injury and resulting microfracture surgery were not related to the 2005 injury. The surgery was performed on November 14 2006. It is not clear when the injury was suffered, although the Blazers stated he had not played that season because of it. So it could be as late as the end of October before the waiting period clears.
2. Both the team and the player must submit paperwork to the league that he is retiring. The league reviews the paperwork and then approves it.
3. Miles is waived, he comes off the roster, and a roster spot is gained. At this moment the Blazers would still be responsible for paying his whole salary and it would still count against the cap and the luxury tax. They can petition the league for both a permenant medical disability (which removes Darius's salary from the cap), and an injury exception (which would allow them to sign or trade for another player within 30 days for up to half of Darius's salary if they desire).
4. Since Miles is one of the Blazer's six highest-paid players, his contract is part of a NBA group insurance policy. If the insurance company agrees the retirement is medical, they will pay 60% of the remainder of his salary. The Blazers would pay the rest but it wouldn't count against the cap if the disability status is approved by the league.

I think the biggest stumbling blocks to this whole thing are #2 and #3. Barrett reported before the draft that Darius was working out hard to come back. That doesn't sound like a guy that wants to retire. Or, if Darius wants to retire and the league feels he did not try hard enough to come back, they can deny the disability status. At one time retirement would have been a no-brainer, but Zach and Amare are the latest to have microfracture surgery, and both have come back.

A buyout is problematic. The Francis deal provided future cap relief because we dumped Zach's bigger contract. Buying Darius out gives you no cap relief, it just removes him from the roster.

So either Darius will play for us again, or he will be traded. Take that for what it's worth...

We are well into the free agent negotiation period. It's only been 3 days but most teams get out there early to make sure they get their guy. Lewis has signed with Orlando, Kapono with Toronto, and Billips is in talks with Detroit.

News of who's talking to who can be found all over. Player agents will often leak this to help drive up interest (and hopefully bidding wars) in their guy. The absence of info can also be telling. And if it can be predictive in any way, one thing has stood out to me so far:

Steve Blake will not be replacing Jack at PG.

On July 1st, Denver talked to Blake. For the last couple of days, Miami is said to be talking with him also.

If Portland was interested, we would have heard that they had contacted him by now. You can't wait on these things, because if an FA can't make up his mind, teams will pursue other FAs. If you're a GM, waiting too long results in another team jumping in to sign the guy that you were thinking about.

In fact, I haven't heard a single instance of Portland being interested in any FAs on the market. There are no reports that they have talked to anyone.

They could be waiting to see if any offers are  coming to Travis. And we're still waiting for that "acclaimed player" trade announcement. But more likely is that they are simply sticking to the plan to clear cap room for 2009.

Originally I had thought that the 2008 class of FAs were better. But many of those guys have team options, and if the team exercises the option (most do), they will actually be FAs in 2009.

As a result, things will be shaping up nicely in 2009. Here's a list of the top 50 FAs coming out in 2009, including FAs that would be in 2009 with team options exercised in 2008:

Al Jefferson  
Allen Iverson
Andre Iguodala  
Andre Miller
Andrew Bogut
Andrew Bynum
Andris Biedrins  
Anthony Parker
Ben Gordon  
Bobby Jackson
Carlos Boozer
Channing Frye
Charlie Villanueva
Chris Paul
Chris Wilcox
Damon Jones
Danny Granger
David Lee
Deron Williams
Devin Harris  
Drew Gooden
Dwight Howard  
Eddy Curry
Emeka Okafor  
Gerald Green
Ike Diogu
Jamal Crawford
Jameer Nelson  
Jarrett Jack
Jason Collins
Jason Maxiell
Jorge Garbajosa
Josh Childress  
Josh Smith  
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Martin  
Kirk Snyder  
Kobe Bryant
Lamar Odom
Luol Deng  
Martell Webster
Marvin Williams
Mehmet Okur
Mike James
Nate Robinson
Quentin Richardson
Stephon Marbury
Trenton Hassell
Trevor Ariza
Zaza Pachulia

I think it would be fantastic if the Blazers were far enough under the cap to sign 2-3 of these guys.

First, let me say I'm absolutely shocked by the hostile reactions of the Zach trade. Despite all the good things that he's done for the franchise so far, it's clear people have little faith in Pritchard's abilities, judging by the knee-jerk reactions. Today I can honestly say I was embarrassed to be a Blazer fan.

Coming down off my soapbox, it is clear that Pritchard was determined to trade Randolph this summer for 1) a small forward and 2) payroll reduction. Tom Penn's abilities as a cap lawyer not only got him the assistant GM job, but he was tasked with figuring out the payroll reduction aspect of Zach's trade. Years from now this may be known as the "Tom Penn Draft".

When a team over the cap performs a trade, they must use an exception, even if they reduce payroll. To have the salaries match, Portland receives an exception equal to the difference in salaries. This becomes important later. Why did the deal have to be done draft day? It's because of the moratorium between July 1 - 11. Since July 1 is Sunday, it was imperative the deal be done to facilitate other trades, as you will see below.

New York had agreed to a buyout with Francis. The buyout has Francis giving up his player option and taking about 10-15 million. Francis keeps the money, becomes a free agent, and may sign with another team. The buyout is transferable to Portland, meaning that if Francis signs with another team for the mid-level exception (5 million), the Blazers would only have 7.5 - 12.5 million count against the cap for this year, and nothing for next year. Letting Freddie and Dan expire this year would only have saved us 6.1 million. This way we eat the buyout and dump Zach's ridiculous contract. Francis will never wear a Blazer uni.

There are two schools of thought as to why we must wait until the New York trade is finalized, and both involve Phoenix. The first option concerns the reports that the Blazers are getting James Jones. In this case, the trade exception from the New York deal is used, along with the 3 million in cash, to get Jones and Fernandez. Phoenix gains some small cap relief (Jones), the trade exception (they can use later), and frees a roster spot and a guarenteed contract (the 24th pick).

The second is that the Blazers are targeting Shawn Marion. In this case, Francis is traded, with the exception, cash, and probably another cheap piece such as Webster or Jack, for Marion. By gaining the Francis buyout and dumping Marion, the Suns gain a ton of cap space, and Francis is a Blazer for about 10 days.

Even after the New York trade is approved, nothing further can happen until after the moratorium, which corresponds to Pritchard's and Penn's comments in the news conference.

This is all speculation on my part, but it seems to make sense. Would Francis give up that much money? I think he would to get out of New York and STILL would get to collect 2 paychecks. Maybe the buyout figure is a little higher, like his full 20 million this year...we'll know more later.

And if I'm wrong and Francis is wearing a Blazer uni next year?

Just shoot me.