I'm going to be completely honest and candid in this post...

I hate Jerryd Bayless.

I love Jerryd Bayless. 

'What?'

Everything about him has two sides for me...let me explain.

When we drafted Bayless I bought into the 'OMFG WHAT A STEAL' stuff, especially after he torched all Kwame Brown's cousins in the Vegas League for MVP honors. But then, I watched him play in his rookie season and had a revelation, so to speak. 'Wait....he's a point guard?' Yes, folks, Bayless is/was/will be/won't be a point guard. I immediately transitioned from admiration to disgust as I realized he passed the ball about as well as Zach Randolph. Even Bayless' nonstop energy and hyper-competitiveness annoyed me (I mean, one can only handle so much chest pounding and arm pumping in four minutes of garbage time, right?). He had his games and his moments, like the jaw-dropping slam against the Brooklyn-ahh, New Jersey Nets, but I still wasn't convinced. Now? I'm more of a Bayless believer than ever. Yes, I still close my eyes and cross myself every time he shoots anything over fifteen feet. Yes, whenever he passes I stop breathing. But I finally am beginning to realize Bayless' potential, even though he's the world's smallest 2-guard. When I see him out there defending opposing point guards and shooting guards with severe intensity and goatee, and when I see him drive the lane and get hacked across the arm, punched in the eye, and pickpocketed all in the same play, all while making a layin and NOT GETTING A FOUL CALL, I feel the slightest bit proud. Now I know, if Bayless can become a genuine shooting threat as well as tighten up a little with the ball, he can be a great asset on this team for years to come.

PS. Dante Cunningham is amazing. All the way from the sweet goggles to the silky bank elbow jumper, I love his game, his athleticism and most of all, his intelligence. Please don't trade him, KP.

PPS. We drafted Martell Webster sixth.....sixth....sixth......in the first round......just sayin'.

Obviously this is overlooking some major issues that the Blazers need to work through and this is really a post that ignores the team as a whole. But one thing I've noticed recently is that Roy and Miller (as talented as they are at finishing with contact) seem to be initiating contact and throwing up wild shots to attemps to draw a foul rather than getting a high percentage shot and taking the contact that comes along with it. Obviously Roy's 'contact-high' is more glaringly obvious as he takes many more shots, but doesn't this seem kind of like shooting yourself in the foot? I respect Roy and he gets fouled a LOT, but he doesn't really get as many favorable calls as are necessary to employ the "getting fouled and sit on the floor (chastising the refs) rather than getting back on defense" method yet. 

Thoughts? Complaints? Call me an idiot?