Who would you let go first?

If some GM offered you a player that you truly coveted, and asked for either Oden or Aldridge, who would you give up first?  Let's say in this scenario the player we trade for is a guard.  Let's also say the rest of the roster stays as it currently is.   I'm just interested in who Blazer fans think is more valuable to our team at the moment.

If you haven't heard, Garnet is suspended for Game 2 for throwing an elbow and connecting with Richardson's FACE with less than a minute to go in Game 1 yesterday.  Paul Pierce was injured and writhing on the floor in pain, with KG standing over him asking if he was alright when Q-Rich walks over and says "Are you faking it, AGAIN?" (Pierce has a strong reputation of milking injuries) Quintin proceeded to antagonize Garnet until Garnet lost it and threw a viscous elbow that would have made local hero Randy Savage proud.  The league reviewed the play and now Garnet is suspended for Game 2 as punishment for the ten years of floor-slapping, lip-flapping, bow-throwing, straight up CRAP that the NBA has dealt with from cocky little kid who never grew up and still hides behind his intimidating stature.

I know you aren't supposed to take pleasure in others misery, but hey, this may be the only form of revenge we Garnet-haters may ever get!

THANK YOU Quintin Richardson!!!! 

After hours of dwelling on this, i want to say screw it and just watch the games. 

But I am posting this because I refuse to let yet another afternoon at work go to waste.   I hope all of this is right and I apologize if I confuse you, I tried hard not to.  

***I assume Utah will beat GS tonight  

***If Denver beats Phoenix tonight:   Denver is locked in the 3 seed, and Dallas is locked in the 2 seed. In this situation I believe San Antonio will beat Dallas Wednesday night because:   The Spurs-Mavs game happens before the Blazers Warriors game on Wednesday night.  Going in to that Dallas game, Dallas has two options:  Beat San Antonio to secure a 2-7 matchup with San Antonio in the first round.  OR, lose on purpose, and hope that the Blazers lose their game later Wednesday night.  In this scenario the Mavs get to play the Blazers in the 2-7.  

But does Dallas prefer to play the Blazers?  

Dallas has beat the Spurs 2 outta 3 times this year, including once in San Antonio, both before the big trade went down.  And the Mavs are 1-3 against the Blazers this year, although they won most recently.  So, yah the Spurs seem like a good matchup for the Mavs.  But Roy is injured, and even if he does come back for the playoffs, that injury will NOT allow him to play to his full potential.  And Dallas JUST beat the Blazers, WITH Roy.  So, you have to think Dallas would prefer the Blazers over the Spurs at this point.  

Now lets look at San Antonio. 

They have played Dallas decently this year and they aren't really scared of anyone at this point. They will be playing before the Blazers tipoff against Golden State and they will assume that the Blazers will beat Golden State, so the Mavs game becomes pointless to them (if it wasn't already pointless). This will incline Popovich to rest Duncan and Manu for sure, possibly Parker unless he thinks playing will help him, since he is coming back from an injury. Greg Popovich has been known to rest his stars as much as any coach in the league, so there is no reason to believe the Spurs will fight to win Wednesday's game against Dallas.  

Wednesday night could be a CRAZY night.  If Dallas prefers Portland, then both Dallas and San Antonio will not give a hoot about winning their game, which means either team could win, and also means it could either be one of the most entertaining games ever, or one of the saddest games. EVER.  But if Dallas is determined to lose that game, i believe the Spurs scrubs will pull out the victory.  

So if Denver beats Phoenix tonight, I believe Dallas will prefer to lose to the Spurs, which means going in to the game Wednesday, Portland would know that if we beat Golden State, we play Denver in the first round, and if we lose, we play Dallas in the first round.   

Now, Nate McMillan has let it be known that the Blazers will do everything possible to win their last game of the season, AND I BELIEVE HIM, but let's say it's the end of the third quarter, and the game has been back and forth with the Warriors.  Nate knows that if he plays guys like Aldridge, Miller, and Camby, they will likely play Denver, but if he "rests" his stars for the last quarter of the regular season, and plays guys like Mills, Cunningham, and Howard, we drop to 7th and play Dallas.  HMMMMMM...

***If Phoenix beats Denver tonight:   Utah would still be in play for the 2 seed, meaning Dallas will actually try to win the Spurs game.  Dallas should EASILY win, earning the 2 seed, and making the Blazers-Warriors game pointless.  But that turns the last game of the season, the Phoenix-Utah game, into a winner take 3rd game, and a first round matchup with the Blazers.  If Phoenix loses, they host Denver in the first round, If Utah loses, Denver hosts Utah in the first round. 

They are going to KILL eachother to play a potentially Roy-less Blazers and avoid Denver in the first round.  Utah has more incentive here with homecourt on the line, plus the game is in Utah, so I'm going with the Jazz here.  Which means in this scenario I believe the Blazers 1st round opponent will be the Jazz.   I think we can all agree that Utah and Denver would be the worst matchups out of these four that we could ask for.  So I thought of a different question for you homies:

Written by: Dustin B, 26

I was talking with a friend last night about Martell Webster and his role with our team.

Now, I don't consider the Blazers Management to be incompetent.  In fact, I believe the exact opposite in most cases.  So, it seems to me that they too realize how high-maintenance of a player Martell is.  So we came to the conclusion:

Going forward, it has been decided that Martell is simply the Blazers short-term insurance plan.

Roy goes out?  Martell gets more minutes

Batum? Martell gets more minutes

Rudy? Dre? Bayless? Dante?  Martell Martell Martell Martell

Martell will fill in somewhere in the middle of the lineup and the flexibility of our other players allows the minutes and roles to shift almost seamlessly. He could be the ultimate 6th man moving forward with this team. 

It is a great thought.

I play basketball and I know how the game is different depending on the player and his game.

Martell is a guy who needs to get in a rhythm in order to be efficient and have a significant impact on a game.

I relate so much with that.  When I play down at the Pearl 24, one game isn't long enough to get in a rhythm. When I get in a game and lose I don't play for 3 games and the next game I'm still trying to get comfortable.  I can also relate because I'm constantly playing with different players with whom I may develop a little chemistry with but unless we win 3, 4, 5 games it's hard to get comfortable, get your shot going, and get your natural basketball insticts to kick in.

Martell, I feel for ya.

I'm sure there are stats that can prove that the more he plays and the more he shoots, the better he shoots, the better his PER and the better his impact is on the game.  But that's not all this rant is about.

The question I ask is this: Is Martell OK with this role? And the follow up is: For how long?

Think about that.  I know he has.  This is his life, he has spent countless sleepless nights thinking about whether he can ever fully realize his potential on this team.

He has been my favorite Blazer for 3 years now, I have heard every interview, read every comment on his "mental state" and I feel that I have a good understanding of who he is as a person.

He's still young and still eager to please.  But there will come a time when he says "Enough is enough, time to fulfill Martell's destiny as a volume shooter" (yes, he talks in third person in my hypothetical syllogism)  He is just too much of a dreamer, an idealist if you will.

And I don't blame him.  Go spread your wings Martell.  As much as I would love to have you win the sixth man award 5 times as a Blazer I would much rather see you don an (Eastern) All-Star jersey 5 times before you hang it up for good.

()<Dustin B, 26

PS:  You could insert Rudy's name in here for Martell and not miss a beat, the differences being that (1) Rudy can get hot the second hit steps on the floor.  And (2) Rudy has a different personality and a different outlook on his NBA career.  The reason this rant was about Martell is because I love every aspect of the man's game, and I wish the best for him in his career, and his life.

I mean COME ON!

How good did our guys look last night in that fresh gear??

Last night was a test as to how the fans would react to new jerseys, and I say THEY WERE AWESOME!!! 

 Now I'm not saying those RIP CITY jerseys are the answer, I'm sure there are designs better than that, but the point is that THERE IS A BETTER DESIGN.  They should either go with a RETRO look or CUTTING EDGE/MODERN look!

Our current jerseys BELONG to the great teams from the late 80's and 90's.  Over the next ten years our new success should come with a new set of jerseys that this era's team can call its own!

With the new crop of guys, the change in culture, and the change in perception around the league, I can't under-state the awesomeness that would be if we got new jerseys THIS YEAR!!!  And after seeing them last night in those clean, white, fresh RIP CITY jerseys, LETS GET IT DONE!!!

It is a likely scenario that...

• Jazz will match

• Hinrich stays in Chi Town

• All other FA's decline our offers or use us as leverage

• No one trades with us this summer

Let's assume with our luck, those things do happen.

So what team can we take advantage of before the trade deadline?

This team should:

• Have a player that plays PG or SF that can come in and start for us

• Not be expected to make the playoffs

• Be over the Cap, the further the better

• Not be in our division, probably not even in the Western Conference


Try to follow these guidelines

Hopefully the included poll makes up for such a lame trade post.

As jscot cleverly pointed out in his highly rec'd post...WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE (OT question: Which fanpost holds the record for most recs on this site?).  All of KP's moves have come as a surprise.  I think this is great.  This eliminates most of the "I told you so" remarks from fans since more people tend to agree with a move after it is offical, compared to when it is being speulated upon. 

So how about we take another option off the table?  Let's discuss Jose Calderon.  I haven't heard much about him over the last couple weeks, so what do you got?

Some questions to ponder:

• Is he attainable?

• Does he fit on the team?

• What trade would make sense for both teams?

• Would the staff approve of him?

• Would the fans approve of him?

• Would the players (Roy) approve of him?

• How would Hedo impact Calderon's value to the Blazers?

Regarding his character, I found this little snippet on Wikipedia, take it for what it's worth...

" On 2 March 2007, the Raptors announced that Calderón was named as a Right To Play Athlete Ambassador.[28] Right To Play is an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.[28] As part of the program, Calderón pledged $1000 for every assist he recorded in a home game against the Chicago Bulls on 26 November 2007. He ended the game with 14 assists.[29] "

Not saying Calderon would be our first option, but if we get Hedo, here are my trade proposals...

1st offer: Blake, Webster, Outlaw & 2011 1st rounder for Calderon & Kris Humphries

2nd offer: Bayless, Webster, Outlaw for Calderon

1st unit: Calderon, Roy, Batum (minus crunch time), Aldridge, Oden

2nd unit: Bayless/Blake, Rudy, Hedo (plus crunch time), Mr. Whatever, Przybilla

Friday is here.

JD topic of the day...

What highschool did you go to and what year did you graduate?

I was an '02 graduate of Kelso High up in Washington.

Then it was UP for four years, back home for 3, and now I live in downtown Portland.

Also, my mind is finally made up....

My wishlist for the offseason:

1) Draft DeJuan Blair (Buy some picks and trade up, maybe trade sergio for a pick)

2) Trade Blake and Outlaw for Hinrich

3) Re-sign Nate

4) Draft a 3rd string PG and a few Euros

5) Do whatever else KP wants to do as long as we keep our other rotation players.

Lineup/expected minutes:

Looking at last year's roster, we missed a total of 1300 minutes to injuries (not including Martell, hopefully nobody is out this whole season) which is an extra 16 minutes per game combined for our other players.  Assuming we have a similar number of games missed this year due to injury, here's how I see the minute breakdown happening:

Hinrich (32)  Bayless (18)

Roy (36)  Rudy (26)

Batum (22) Webster (26)

Aldridge (38) Blair (12)

Oden (26) Przy (20)

NICE

I can't wait for the draft next Thursday, I took next Friday off about two months ago.

Have a good weekend

What would it take to get Nash?

Sorry if you don't like trade proposals from opposing teams' fans, but it's nice to get some fresh perspective.

Here's my trade proposal:

Nash   for   Blake + Outlaw + #24 + #32 + #55 + #56

Personally, I think Nash would fit great as starting PG on the Blazers for a couple years while mentoring Bayless.  Many Blazer fans think that Bayless would be need to be inserted for Blake in order for Phoenix to do a trade like this, but what do you think?  You have a lot of picks there that you could play with, and Blake and Outlaw have non-guaranteed 1 year deals at 4 Mil each, so they come at a good price.

From what I've read,, the Blazers would have to match $13.1Mil for this to work, and if I'm not mistaken we can overpay $3Mil in a trade?  So I think it'd look like this...

$4Mil + $4Mil + $1.1Mil + $7Mil (Cap Space) = $16.1Mil

So what do you think?

Just thought I'd see what the general consensus was around Blog a Bull about this trade proposal...

Kirk Hinrich and your #16 pick

for

Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and our #24 pick

I haven't double-checked the numbers, but if I'm right then it's something like:

(9.5) + (1.6) = 11.1 from Bulls

(4) + (4) + (1.1) = 9.1 from Blazers

125% of (9.1) = 11.4.......so it works

Hinrich over 3 years costs what, 26.5 Mil?  Blake and Outlaw have non-guaranteed 1 year 4 Mil contracts left I think.  That's saving quite a bit, but more importantly gives you flexibility.  But yes, we would get the better player out of the deal.

So do you like it?  Hate it?  If this was the best offer for Kirk you get would you do it?  Do you think you can get a better offer? 

Sorry if you don't like proposals from other teams' fans, just need some fresh perspective is all.

Good luck next year.

So many bloggers on here have opinions as to who we should draft, often with good analysis to back it up.  However, I was wondering, in the recent years, who here has correctly picked diamond's in the rough such as Batum, Rudy, Bayless, Roy and Aldridge?  Who is consistently getting it right come draft prediction time?  (Besides KP).   Not many people around here actually listen to (read) what others have to say for whatever reason, but who SHOULD we be listening to?  Who has a reputation for seeing talent?

No saying "I'm always right" or something to that effect, and be honest.   But if you do have a rep for getting it right, who do you like this year?

Have a great Tuesday and if you are downtown be sure to check out that condo cruise liner that's docked at the waterfront.  It's freaking huge.  It constantly travels the world.  I believe they are still selling condos on there also....

The attainable point guard list has been discussed enough to narrow it down to just a few players.  This is a good time to get an idea as to who out of these players Blazer Nation would prefer via poll.

It's hard to eliminate potential far fetched point guards since we have KP running the show, as he may have been working on a major deal for a couple years now... but there's no way to have a legitimate poll if we included those players, and those blockbuster trades are not likely to happen anyway.

So I narrowed it down to the most likely players that have been talked about to this point.

It's also hard to choose without knowing what we'd be giving up, but assume that the trade or signing is a fair deal for both teams involved and you'd at least be happy about it.

This isn't neccesarily a post for discussion, we have many of those around here, it is rather a post for a revealing poll, and I feel like I'm good at putting "smart" polls together.  But discuss if you wish.

With that said...

I won't go in depth about why I want these things to happen...

you guys are smart and can figure that out for yourself...

I just want to get my idea out there because I think it is awesome...

(Deep Breath...Clear your head)

Our 12 man roster last year:

Blake

Bayless

Sergio

Rudy

Roy

Batum

Outlaw

Frye

Aldridge

Randolph/Ruffin

Oden

Joel

Drop:

Outlaw

Sergio

Frye

Randolph/Ruffin

Add:

Hedo (explained below)

Hansborough (#24)

Webster

Koponen  Freeland

Most improved players this summer:

Bayless

Oden

Webster

New lineup:

PG: Bayless / Blake / Koponen

SG: Roy / Rudy

SF: Hedo / Webster / Batum

PF: Aldridge / Hansborough / Freeland

C:  Oden / Joel

About Hedo:

From Mike Barrett's Blog:

"Concerning Turkoglu, there are only thought to be about three or four teams will a realistic shot at landing him- Detroit (who's going to spend its money on Carlos Boozer most likely), Sacramento, Memphis, and Portland. And, it's thought that Turkoglu will likely be seeking a deal that will pay him a starting salary of about 10 million per season. Do some simple math there and you see that the Blazers are right on the edge of being in that battle.

In my opinion, the Blazers will likely be outbid in this sweepstakes, but that doesn't mean they couldn't still land him. Turkoglu will want to go to a contender, and of that short list, only Portland fits the bill. He'll want a clear-cut starting role, something he could have in Portland. And, like all players, he wants to part of a winning environment, play in a great atmosphere, and live in a great city."

All those points are GREAT to hear for people who like TurkeyGlue.  If he decides to come to Portland, AWESOME.  Let's trade or give away my "drop" players for future draft picks.

IF WE DO GET OUTBID that means money is the #1 factor for Hedo.  If that is the case, doesn't it seem like we could figure out a way to package my "drop" players and 2nd rounders in a multiple team trade that has Orlando signing TurkeyGlue for say $12-13 Mil?  A trade that has him end up in Portland?

Multiple team trade ideas for this scenario are wlecome...

Shout out to Sophia, Tyler, and Clark

.

.

.

 A S S U M P T I O N S

***************************************************************************************************************************

UPDATE: 1:30 PM 6/3

• I am assuming both Bayless and Blake improve this summer, and then Bayless takes the starting position from Blake at some point next season, not simply having it handed to him.  Which in a sense makes an improved Blake that backup veteran PG we all want.

• I'd switch Freeland for Kop, sure

• With Blake hard to move this summer (shoulder surgery) and KP high on Bayless, I don't think KP brings in a vet PG till next trade deadline/summer '10 (if ever)

• I am assuming that somehow Batum gets in the rotation a minimum 15 minutes per game.  But see him as more of a long term Blazer permanently replacing TurkeyGlue after a few seasons

• The development of Oden is important to the improvement of our PG's and how they are portrayed by us fans

And NO I didn't vote "10"

I'm sure you all know who Rebecca Haarlowe is.

Do you remember Lil' Penny?

If not, here's a refresher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK88MQWsYj8

I don't know how I didn't end up on the jumbotron but I got a hug from Rebecca.  And I got to meet and talk to Mike and Mike, and I high-fived a bunch of the Blazers.  :)

And yes I know I spelt her name wrong.  I was told several times last night at the game.

My question is: Should I keep bringin Lil' Harlow to the playoff games?  Or is one game enough? 

 (via i71.photobucket.com)

via i71.photobucket.com

From Abbott's Blog, I thought the following might make a good (try not to be biased) poll question for our opinionated readers here on BE.

Go Blazers  88-83 over the Rockets tonight

                                                     TRUEHOOP

Straight from BODOG.com

Portland Trail Blazers 2008 - 2009 Regular Season Props

Brandon Roy - Average Points – Max $50

Over 20½ (EVEN)

Under 20½ (-130)

• My bet: The MAX on the UNDER  

Portland Trail Blazers 2008 - 2009 Regular Season Props

Greg Oden - Average Points and Rebounds - Max $50

Over 26½ (+115)

Under 26½ (-145)

• My bet: $20 on the UNDER

Portland Trail Blazers 2008 - 2009 Regular Season Props

LaMarcus Aldridge - Average Points and Rebounds - Max $50

Over 25½ (-105)

Under 25½ (-125)

• My bet: The MAX on the OVER

2008 - 2009 Regular Season Wins - Portland Trailblazers - Max $600

Over 44½ (-145)

Under 44½ (+115)

• My bet: $50 on the OVER

Odds to win the Western Conference Northwest Division - Max $600.

Denver Nuggets  6/1 

Minnesota Timberwolves  35/1   

Oklahoma City Thunder 35/1 

Portland Trailblazers  5/2 

Utah Jazz  1/3 

• My bet: Didn't bet on this one

NOTES

• These bets will close at tipoff Tuesday night
• (-130) means if you must bet $130 you win $100, for $230 total
• (+115) means if you bet $100 you win $115, for $215 total
• 5/2 means bet $20 and you win $50, for $70 total
• Minimum deposit at Bodog is $20
• Bodog is Safe and Easy to use from my experience

If you found seats you really liked for a reasonable price on craigslist and the seller wanted to pay & send the tickets electronically for convienience would you go through with it?  What if you REALLY wanted those seats? Can we trust electronic tickets from randoms on craigslist?  Would you make them meet you in person with the hard tickets?  What if you lived out of town?  Oh well I'll probably just end up buyin from scalpers.     Again.

BTW, I'm moving to Portland from Longview in two months just to be closer to the Blazers

This is not a post that compares the possible small forward acquisitions, this is a post that asks whether or not you like one trade scenario involving Caron Butler.  Don't compare Butler to Prince or Battier and talk about who would be a better fit, but do keep in mind the trade value around the league for all players involved in this trade.

1 - Livingston / Bayless / Blake

2 - Roy

3 - Butler

4 - Aldridge

5 - Oden

Imagine that defense.

We would hold the Suns to negative ten points.

Caron Butler Trade Scenario

Webster + Outlaw + Pryzbilla      FOR       Butler + (Filler) + draft pick(s)

The reason for the trade is mainly CONSOLIDATION OF PLAYERS / TALENT.  In the NBA, everyone knows that talent is what wins games and consolidating talent to get the best five-man team on the floor is the name of the game.  Would this leave with no depth at the small forward? Possibly.   Rudy and Roy can both play the 3, Batum is still developing, and in a stretch Frye can be used as a three.  With Butler playing probably 40 minutes a game, and with the versitality we have I am not that worried about trading 2 good small forwards for one great small forward.  Butler would compete for the title of best defender on the team, and just add another name to the ever-increasing list of Blazer players that are potential All-Stars.  Also, playing time will be an issue with this team this year as we have already heard Outlaw make the first comment about how he wants to start and stay a starter in this league.  All playing time issues would be resolved with this trade and on top of that an extra roster spot would open up so we could pick up BOTH Livingston and Steven Hill.

YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING GOOD TO GET SOMETHING GOOD, and Caron Butler is better than good.  It's obvious he would make this team even more lethal, but what would Washington take back in return for a guy like Butler?  Obviously we have some untouchables on the team so ignoring those who else can we offer?  When you look at the players on our team, who would you rather send to get a small forward like Caron? Bayless? Rudy? No & No.   Rudy>Bayless>Webster>Trout>Przy (if Steven Hill pans out)  Of course I am hesitant about letting go of BOTH of our "sky is the limit" small forwards, but I hate to break it to you that Trout and/or Webster may never reach their potential or they might have already come close to it. 

Another factor working for this trade is that with Steven Hill emerging in practice as a legit defender against Oden- would the Blazers be losing much with him as backup center instead of Przybilla? That is something that KP needs to figure out because Joel's value around the league may currently be at the highest it will ever reach with this team, so it would be smart to use the value to our advantage while we can. 

I think this is a good deal for both teams, if you can figure out a way to not include Webster, Bayless, or Rudy (or our untouchables) and still get Butler please submit your idea, I find it hard to believe that Washington does NOT demand one of these guys for Butler, but I'd like to be convinced otherwise.

Now people, I know how hard it would be to say goodbye to these three kind-hearted athletes, but no matter how much you love them, you have to be reasonable and admit that Butler is and will continue to be better than both Webster and Trout combined.

The question to ask here is this:

Will Webster and Outlaw do a GOOD ENOUGH job at small forward for the years to come that the upgrade to Caron Butler wouldn't be a significant enough of a change to make this trade?

The answer:

Nobody knows.   Is it worth waiting to find out?  Not if Washington wants to trade Caron.

/////// Whatsup Gus and whatsup Max and hoorah for guys like me who finally pulled my head out and realized that Portland is the best City on the West Coast and I have now set in motion plans to be living there in two months

Would Spain have won the Gold if Rudy/Kobe foul wasn't called?

Rudy would have taken the big three with 1:30 left, not Jiminez.

Rudy was bringin it in the fourth....so... what do you think?

I'd like to say hi to all my friends in the 503 and the 541 and of course the 360.

I am lookin to move to P-Town here in the next month or so, but I will not be changing my name so don't worry.

-kelsoballa

Is it OK to create a junk drawer?  I didn't see one and I have something to say that belongs in it.    I'll put it in the comments when I'm finished saying 75 words. 

This isn't what I was gunna say but FYI, if you wanna watch the Summer games but you don't have comcast and you don't want to pay your sattelite network for nba TV you can call them up and ask them for a two week trial for free.  They gave it to me.

I guess this is a thread about who you think should be on Team USA if everyone was willing to play.  I haven't read much on this topic so everything you hear is straight off the top of my head.

The ideal player:

You need guys that will most importantly play defense, Team USA's of the past would lock other teams down with physical basketball and it wasn't a secret that everyone could play stellar defense.  Second most importantly play team ball- you need players that can pass the ball efficiently, without turning it over, and players that play well off the ball, who are "aware" players and are generally smart when playing the game of basketball.  Other things that come to my mind include experience, but you have to balance that experience with talent and the previously mentioned characteristics. 

Last of all, the thing that gets overlooked the most is that killer instinct, the desire to win and the attitude that Team USA can not and will not be denied- you must find players with great passion for the game and their country.  We have such good players in the NBA that if a player does not have these things, whatever else he brings to the table for the team can be replace by another player.

With all of this in mind I briefly assesed this summer's roster.  While I think this team is better than USA teams of the past few Olympics, I still do not think some of the players fit the characteristics of "The Ideal Player."   Here is the roster:

Howard (agree)

Bosh (soft, not as good as KG or Amare)

Prince (soft, not a good outside shooter)

Boozer (not as good as KG or Amare)

L. James (agree)

C. Anthony (definite defensive liability, also lacks passion)

K. Bryant (agree)

Redd (defensive liability?, other than that, he's a pretty good fit)

Kidd (losing his edge)

Wade (lacks defense, better 1-on-1(or 2 or 3) player than team player)

D. Williams (agree)

C. Paul (agree)

Two notes: I think we need to go bigger.  Our USA teams used to be huge and we won every game.  We've gone away from using our size and strength as an advantage.  Also, I think many of these guys are soft (Prince, Redd, Bosh) which is just playing to the advantage of foreign teams because that is what they are used to.

After thinking about my ideal roster for this summer I came up with the following list.  I have no idea if these people were invited and declined but out of all American players in the NBA, I think this would be our best team:

Paul (agree)

D. Will (agree)

Iverson (mostly for his fire and competitive nature, smart, also for intimidation factor)

R. Allen (outside shooting, experience, very smart player)

Kobe (agree)

LeBron (agree)

Marion (defense, team needs a glue guy, defense, and defense)

Duncan (obviously, but he probably declined, anybody know?)

Garnett (obvious choice, probably declined)

Amare (another obvious choice, probably declined, good outside shooter for big)

Camby (defense, rebounding, size)

Howard (agree)

So basically, I'm replacing Bosh with Duncan, Boozer with Camby, Prince with Garnett, Anthony with Amare, Redd with Ray-Ray, Kidd with Iverson, and Wade with Marion.  I think this adds a ton of defense and a TON of size, along with all the other things I mentioned in that first paragraph. 

Who would match up with Paul, LeBron, Amare, Garnett, and Howard? Or how about D. Will, Kobe, Marion, Duncan and Camby?

Like I said before, I guess this is a thread about who you think should be on the team if everyone was willing to play.

TWO THINGS:

In a recent post by blazerholic5 he/she mentioned that he was 13, so that got me to thinking: What is the age demographic of the bloggers here at BE?  I'm 24, and I'm guessing that most people will be between 26-30, but who knows.

Also, with my busy job (electrical engineer)  I don't have the time to read every comment in every post so I have been skimming through and reading comments only from bloggers who have a good reputation here.  I haven't been on the site for more than 6 months, so I don't really know who has the good reps besides mortimer, prez, tominhawaii, and I also like hobobob's and ratbastird's comments.  So my other question is:  WHO HAS A REP FOR BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE AROUND HERE?  IN OTHER WORDS, WHOSE COMMENTS ARE USUALLY A MUST READ?

My friends and I came up with a brilliant idea last night while getting excited for the draft:

There are approximately 4 months to go until the start of next season right?  That's around 120 days or so.  Why doesn't Comcast Sports Net (channel 37 on Comcast) show every Blazer game that was televised last year thorughout the course of the summer?  They could start at the beginning of the season and show 4 or 5 games per week, maybe every weeknight at 8 or something.  Not only would it be great for Blazer fans to see our team during the offseason and get even more pumped for next season, but it would be great for CSN, as I am sure many more people would tune in to watch last year's Blazer games than whatever they are showing now.

Or if they didn't want to show ALL 80 or so games that were televised, they could show just the 41 wins, 1 every weekday for the next 8 weeks, or whatever schedule they decide would be fine, as long as it's somewhat consistent.

This feels like something that HAS to be done if it is possible from a legal standpoint (rights to the video)

HERE IS THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO CSN, PLEASE EMAIL THEM ASKING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, AND MAYBE LINK THIS POST SO THEY CAN SEE ALL THE GOOD REACTION IT WOULD BRING.

contactus@comcastsportsnet.com

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T HAVE OR CAN'T GET COMCAST, PLEASE DON'T LITTER THIS POST WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE COMCAST DEAL, I'D LIKE THIS POST TO JUST BE ABOUT HOW THE IDEA OF PUTTING THE GAMES ON THIS SUMMER.  Thank you.

Did you watch the Blazer games against New York last year?  How about Houston?  Who is the one guy from each of those teams that you said "Dang, I wish he was on our team, he is a beast."?  Well, for me it was David Lee and Louis Scola. Those guys flat out hustle, rebound, defend, and rebound some more.

Well, I get the feeling that Dorsey is the David Lee and Louis Scola of this draft.  If you don't know that much about him, here is a very in depth look at him from Draft Express:

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Joey-Dorsey-456/

You may say that Oden will fill that void and not to worry about it.  To that I say 'phhhhtt'.  What team would NOT be better with a Scola or a Lee? He probably wouldn't get any run next year, but not many players drafted in the second round ever do.  But even if it is practice, I think he would add a certain toughness, agressiveness, and hustle that would benefit our team.  All of our PF's are kinda lanky and versatile.  I think he brings a different look and a different skill set that we currently do not have on the team.

Who knows what KP will do with three second-round picks.  Dorsey is projected to go early in the second round and I, for one, would be happy to see him on our roster next year.  It is not a good sign that he's not on our workout list, but that could always change.

Do you agree with me? What do you think of Dorsey? Would you applaud using our #33 or #36 on him?

I realize we are all bred to be L*ker haters, but in ALL honesty, who are you rooting for in this series?  Don't be afraid to vote for the L*kers, no one will know except you.  Just be honest. 

I realize we are all bred to be L*ker haters, but in ALL honesty, who are you rooting for in this series?  Don't be afraid to vote for the L*kers, no one will know except you.  Just be honest. 

 When contemplating a trade there are two questions needed to be asked:

    1.  Will it work mathematically?

    2.  Will both teams be willing to do it?

I propose Portland trades Raef LaFrentz, Jarrett Jack, and the 1st round #13 pick to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich and Cedric Simmons.

To answer question #1,  I am assuming the following four statements are correct:

-Players traded in the off-season are traded based on their salary for the upcoming year (’08-’09).

-Teams that are over the salary cap must abide to the 125% + $100,000 rule in all trades.  Therefore, 125% of Team 1’s Salary (the lower salary of the two teams) + $100,000 must be greater than Team 2’s Salary

-Portland is/will be over the salary cap.

-A team can trade a 1st round draft pick without that associated rookie salary affecting the trade.  This is done by trading the rights to that pick and not signing the player before the trade.

Here are how the salaries work out:

-Hinrich’s Base Year Compensation is no longer affective after July 1st, which means he can be traded after July 1st with his ’08-‘09 salary of $10,000,000.

-Cedric Simmons’ salary next year is $1,742,760

-Raef LaFrentz’ salary next year is $12,722,500 (good agent Raef)

-Jack’s salary next year is $2,002,623.

Portland’s outgoing salary: $14,725,123

Chicago’s outgoing salary: $11,742,760

Does it meet the trade stipulations?  YES

$11,742,760 X 1.25 (125%) + $100,000 = $14,778,450, which is (barely) greater than Portland’s outgoing salary of $14,725,123.

_______________________

Question #2 is a lot more complicated and is up for discussion.

On the Bulls side, only their management knows what they are being offered for Hinrich, and if they even want to trade him.  But an expiring contract like LaFrentz’, an attacker like Jack (who clinched the TNT game at Chicago last year), and a lottery pick looks like a pretty good deal if you ask me.

However, I can comment about the Blazers’ side of the deal.

The Cons:

-Portland loses Raef’s expiring contract

-Portland loses an attacker in Jack

-Hinrich is owed ten million dollars next year

-Hinrich is locked in for four more years

My thoughts on the Cons:

-I’m not sure we get something better than Hinrich for Raef’s expiring contract next year, and you can’t base your future on “what if’s”. 

-Jack’s playing time is likely to decrease next year with the addition of Rudy.  I don’t think Jack’s trade value will get any higher than it is right now and he isn’t good enough keep over Hinrich.    

-Hinrich may be the highest-paid player next season, but after Roy’s and Aldridge’s extensions, he will not be, eliminating any possible jealousy or ego issues within the team

-Hinrich is locked in for four more years with Blake likely being his backup that whole time.  After four years Sergio or Koponen may be more than ready to take the starting spot.

The Pros:

-Pedigree: Hinrich went to Kansas (KP brownie points) where he won several All-Conference and All-American awards

-Experience: He was on the Olympic team that took third in the 2004 games

-Defense: He was on the Second Team All-NBA Defense the year before last

-Shooting: He is an above-average shooter (for players who have taken over 1,000 three-pointers in the HISTORY of the NBA, Hinrich is in the Top 30% based on percentage made)

-Character: He would fit in to KP’s “culture”

-His contract goes down every year, $10 (Million), $9.5, $9, $8

Obviously I am in favor of getting Hinrich.  He is only 27, and the prime of his career will happen during the next four years.  While he had a rough year last year, I'm convinced it was a fluke- a combination of several things that went wrong for him and the team.  Drafting another young point guard would limit what this team can do over the next two years.  I know people say that we are not going for the championship next year, but we should try to get as far as we can in the playoffs since any playoff experience will just make this team better faster.  I also think that bringing in another young point guard would crush the psyche of Sergio who needs to get more confident, not feel more challenged.  I also don’t like the idea of waiting around till next year to see if there is a better player out there because we don’t know if a better player than Hinrich will be available, and we don’t need a all-star at point guard when we have Roy, Aldrdge, and Oden on the team already.  All we need is a point guard who plays defense, plays smart, and hits his shots including free throws.  Hinrich is that man.

Please answer the following poll.  If you answer 'No', please explain.