Needless to say, I am very frustrated at how things have transpired in these playoffs so far for the Trailblazers. I can't help but be reminded of this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDAq5tyfk9E

There are lots of things we can point to that the Blazers need to improve to win this series. For this post, I want to comment mostly on defense.

The Blazers got a raw deal with the refs (and horrible substitution patterns) in game 1.  Both teams made some adjustments prior to game two, but comparing and contemplating each team's adjustments for game 2 is disheartening.  Rick Carlisle certainly did not have to do much. Of the adjustments Dallas made on defense, the most simple and effective change they made was how they positioned their bodies against players on the high-post and/or extended baseline. They essentially eliminated all of the cheap baskets Portland got in game 1 off of back-door oops for dunks. That simple adjustment, I estimate, eliminated about 8 points or so for Portland compared to game 1.

The Blazer's big adjustment was to have Wes Matthews guard Jason Kidd instead of Andre Miller. Of course hindsight is 20/20, but this is Exhibit 1A of why our coaching staff bungled their game 2 preparation.  The problem was not Andre Miller.  The problem was our scheme, against the two-man game between Dirk and a red-hot Jason Kidd. I recall a stretch in game 2 where Kidd brought the ball down about 3 times in a row, where Dirk would set a high screen, and Kidd made his way around for a relatively uncontested shot. In fact, he shot us right into a timeout. The Blazers are not hedging the screen (cut off Kidd as he goes around) and he just finds an open spot to shoot from. When they do hedge, Kidd is good enough to find an open Dirk who has popped out for his 15-18 ft shot.  It wouldn't matter so much if Kidd wasn't hot, but he has been so far in this series, and there is no reason to believe it won't continue.

I think if we would simply extend our defense to about 3/4 court and send a double-team towards Kidd,  we could force the ball out of his hands and make another Dallas player bring it up. We have the speed, athleticism, and length to recover on defense and get back. That right there will take them out of their bread and butter pick-n-pop play. Also, players like Kidd and Peja  are not a major threat to dribble and penetrate. The only thing they can really do is spot up and shoot. Like many professionals, they will hit more wide open shots than they will miss. Why we continue to gamble so much to shut Dirk down and leave them wide open is simply beyond comprehension. It makes the most sense to play Dirk straight up with Camby or Aldrige, and make it a goal to simply shut down the supporting players. The Atlanta Hawks did this with Dwight Howard the other night (43 pts) , and beat Orlando in Orlando.  

Poll

What do you think is the most pressing issue the Blazers had better hurry up and address if they hope to win this series?

21%

Up-tempo offense that pushes the ball

13 votes

11%

Nate improving his substitution patterns

7 votes

5%

Changing defensive assignments

3 votes

48%

Using a different defensive strategy altogether

29 votes

13%

No changes needed. The Rose Garden will be the difference.

8 votes

60 votes | Poll has closed

One of the very smart things KP did was make our roster flexible in talent, as well as in salaries.  He was able to sign players in such a way, that continue to give us financial flexibility in trades, which is hard to do in this day and age because of salary cap rules. This year, we have a fair amount of flexibility with Andre Miller and Joel Przybilla's expiring deals. That gives us $14-15 million dollars we can send out to bring in a player(s) that makes roughly the same. HOWEVER, this brings me to my point. Marcus Camby was signed to a two year extension last year. Also, Andre Miller has a team option to bring him back for the 2011-2012 season if Portland wanted to. That means, if we are simply willing to keep MIller this upcomming season (which isn't a bad thing at all in my opinion), we could pick up his one year team option and combine it with what will be the newly expiring contract of Marcus Camby for a total of almost $20 million dollars.  With this scenario, we would be one of the major, if not the major players in making a trade next season. The added bonus in this scenario, assuming Joel Przybilla heals and can come back healty, is that we could keep him this upcomming year and resign him for what I would assume be a reasonable amount. He is good enough to be a starter on many teams, and would continue to be an excellent back-up to Oden

Poll

Do we need to take advantage of Andre Miller's and Joel Pryzbilla's expiring contracts now, or would it be wiser to pick up the option on Miller and combine his deal with Camby's next year?

47%

Miller + Pryzbilla

76 votes

52%

Miller + Camby

85 votes

161 votes | Poll has closed

Is there any official news or knowledge concerning a Blazers draft party this year? I haven't heard much. I live over on the Oregon coast and plan on coming over to the Portland area on Thursday. There will be a few members of the group under 21 years old, so that needs to personally factor in. I know the Rose Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, Big Al's, and Grand Central have had things there before. I'd appreciate your help and suggestions Blazer fans.

After listening to the audio from the Blazer's press conference today, like many of my fellow Blazer fans, I have a pit in my stomach.  I feel like I have lost a brother today. It is hard to hold out hope that Kevin Pritchard will remain the GM of our team for much longer, when there seemingly is nobody in high places (Blazer Management) who is willing to stand  behind KP and endorse him.  The press conference should have taught us a few things, and should also cause us to keep our eyes out for a few things in the future.  Here are a few observations, and I'd appreciate any and all comments from the readers here in regards to them. More after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

 

I love the idea of getting Paul Millsap, but I just don't think it is going to happen.  I understand that Portland wanted to force Utah to make a move, but have we really accomplished that?  Boozer opting to stay in Utah was more poisonous than anything we have done. Utah doesn't want to lose Millsap,  but I see no reason why Utah and New York wouldn't do a David Lee sign n' trade for Boozer, since that would take care of Utah's PF issue, and give New York a one year Boozer rental that doubles as an expiring contract.  So Utah would basically be in the same spot, since they were going to just let Boozer walk anyway. The only differences in that scenario is that they'll end up with Lee instead of Millsap (two players in similar molds), and we would be deeper at the PF spot.  Was our offer sheet really "poisonous" enough? 

One thing I thought of tonight is just how much adding a player like Millsap to the team makes as much sense, if not more sense, than someone like Turkeyglue.  If we were to add a player of Millsap's stature, the Trailblazers would arguably have three of the best positional tandems in the entire NBA.  We would have what I believe is the best SG tandem in Roy & Rudy.  We'd have the best PF tandem in Aldridge and Millsap.  We would also have the best C tandem in Oden & Przybilla.  Not too shabby.  Feel free to argue if you can think of better positional tandems in the league.

I'm in favor of leaving the SF postion alone, assuming that Martell Webster comes back healthy, which is a huge question mark.  I think Batum and Webster are solid enough, are very athletic, and can shoot the ball well.  I think Nic will continue to improve. With a bit more bulk, I'd love to see him expand his game to where he could post-up some people using his long arms and jumping ability as an advantage.

I think the most realistic possibility to improve our PG spot with someone who would fit the bill would be to land Kirk Heinrich. If we land Millsap, we'd certainly have to trade Blake and Outlaw for salary matching purposes to get him.  If we don't land Millsap, I think we'd have to do Outlaw, Bayless, + Cap Space to get him.  At this point, I'd be fine with either scenario. I used to be big on Bayless, and I still very much like him, but at the same time, I am tired of banking on potential when it comes to players.  It seems like 2 out of 3 players that are highly touted because of potential end up as disappointments. I'd rather have a sure thing.  If our PG postion consisted of Heinrich as our starter, and Blake as our backup, I would be very content with that. Kirk is an above average PG, and Blake would be one of the best if not the best backup PG's in the league. So that would make another really solid tandem.

Depth Chart

SF  Batum, Webster, Cunningham

PF  Aldridge, Millsap (please God!), Pendergraph

C    Oden, Przybilla, (Bring Back Ha)

SG  Roy, Fernandez, ? ? ?

PG  Heinrich, Blake, Pooh?, Maybe a Brevin Knight?

 

Like many Blazer fans who began to speculate about who Kevin Pritchard was referring to in his conversation with Canzano at the Saturday Market, I've been trying to think of every imaginable scenario that would A) Put us in the conversation to be championship contenders, B) Fit the culture KP has managed to create here in Portland, C) Make sense to the other team, and D) Fall into the category of "Man, seriously, if you only knew who I was talking about."

I've seen many people throwing out names like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, K-be Bry-nt, and even Lebron James. I have a hard time imagining those players going anywhere in a trade...especially when you consider how much value their respective NBA franchises stand to lose if those players leave. 

I imagine that many of you who have clicked on this link have already formulated arguments as to why "Duncan doesn't fit our timeline," or "Lamarcus is young and is only tapping his potential".  Well I must say that I tend to agree with you.  And, that is where this all takes an interesting twist.  If in fact KP was referring to Duncan in his conversation with Canzano, and that is a HUGE if, it isn't because Duncan is his target...it's because KP's real target is Tony Parker.  The key to getting Tony Parker, I believe, is to take back Tim Duncan, and help restock San Antonio's roster with some young promising players, better contracts, and free agent opportunities.

Quite frankly, San Antonio is in a bad spot.  They are a team that was/is designed to win now with an abundance of aging players, and they faded towards the end of the season. Losing Ginobolli for the playoffs was obviously a big part of that, but I'm not convinced he puts them over the top anyway.  I also think San Antonio is losing the appeal of a place where veterans are willing to take a pay cut and try to win a title.  I may be wrong in this thought, but I don't think I am.  So why would San Antonio do a deal with us?

Duncan is scheduled to make around $20 Million over each of the next 3 seasons and Parker is scheduled to make around $13 Million over each of the next 2.  Since I don't see San Antonio getting any better (and only getting older), what is the point of keeping them around? That's what the Sonics/Thunder did with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.  Even though those guys have gone on to both reach the NBA finals, we've got to remember that they are both the 3rd option on their respective teams.  Suddenly, the Thunder are supposed to be a fun and exciting team that's up and coming.

Portland has some guys that San Antonio wants.  We know for sure that San Antonio recently wanted Przybilla as they tried to sign him. We know that they wanted Batum, but KP snatched him away.  I'm sure they would be more than happy to have Aldridge, who is due to be an all star for the better part of the next decade.  In fact, they probably like players like Rudy, Bayless, and Outlaw too. 

So why not make a deal if it makes sense for both teams?  Contrary to what some might say, The Blazers do have the ability to match salaries under the current CBA, as they can still use Raef LaFrentz in a sign and trade, and could probably somehow do an extension on Lamarcus' contract as well.  Raef would be making some darn sweet money for 1 year as a Keith Van Horn type of throw in, but I could see San Antonio paying the salary for a year, if in the end it removes the financial obligation of paying for Duncan and Parker's big contracts over the next 3 years. It would be like what we did with Steve Francis when we traded Zach Randolph away. Plus, when Duncan gets to be about 36-37, we could then slightly retool our roster with his $21 Million Dollar expiring contract, and THAT COULD EXTEND OUR CHAMPIONSHIP WINDOW TO AS LONG AS IT MIGHT BE IF WE JUST STAND PAT NOW. The deal would have to include Aldridge, Batum, one of (Blake or Bayless), one of (Przybilla or Rudy) and some draft picks.  We'd have to throw in what San Antonio wants, without completely gutting our bench.  There are different combinations you could do to make this trade.  This particular one would send Bayless, Rudy, Aldridge, Batum, #24 Pick, maybe some 2nd round picks, and LaFrentz's loop-hole contract. As much as I love Rudy, I just don't see him starting on the Blazers as long as we have Roy, unless we move Roy to the SF, which would be controversial to do.

Portland        

PG-Parker, Blake, (Kopenen ?)

SG-Roy, ? (resign Fred Jones...you owe him KP)

C-Oden, Pryzbilla

PF-Duncan, Outlaw (Freeland  ?)

SF-Webster, (Udoka in as part of the deal?)

San Antonio

PG-Hill or Bayless

SG-Ginibolli, Rudy, Mason

C-Thomas or Oberto

PF-Aldridge, Bonner

SF-Batum or Finley

 

 

 

Poll

Knowing we could retool with Duncan's eventual expiring contract, would you tamper with our roster to make a deal like this?

11%

Yes

41 votes

88%

No

329 votes

370 votes | Poll has closed

I was surprised that the Blazers did not move him when the trade deadline arrived, but I was not shocked either.  It was amusing how Raef LaFrentz had morphed from a Power Forward who was a solid body, can rebound, block some shots, and even have decent shooting range...it was interesting how he became an acronym (RLEC)

My thought I've had though, and I haven't heard or seen anyone discuss it, is the possibility of bringing him back.  Most people on this site have said we need to address our backup power forward position in the offseason.  I totally agree with that sentiment.  So my question is, why not make LaFrentz that guy?  He is only like 31 years old. I know that he is just a shadow of what he was when he signed that massive contract that just recently expired, but would he not do a sufficient job at a price that should be somewhat reasonable?  Is he not a veteran presence we supposedly could use? He is already familiar with our players, coaches, and system.  We'd only need 8-12 minutes a game out of him.  He could also be our #3 center, which people say we lack.

Unless we can get a player who can lock that job up in the draft, we'll probably have to overpay for a big man through free agency.  So, unless he is totally washed up, I don't think it is a half bad idea to bring him back. What are your thoughts?

Poll

Is Raef LaFrentz a player we could use next year?

7%

Yes, the talents he has match what we need in a backup power forward.

5 votes

55%

No, Raef is washed up.

39 votes

37%

No, Raef would be our 6th caucasion on the team along with Joel, Steve, Rudy, Sergio, and Shav...It probably violates Section 2 A of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

26 votes

70 votes | Poll has closed

There has been analysis after analysis after overanalysis after urinalysis on this site about who we should trade for, who we should sign, or if we should just stand pat with our roster.  Small forward and Point guard are the two positions brought up the most.  However, I'm not sure that is the best course of action.  A few thoughts....

Too many people seem to think that point guards who can drive past anyone at will, lock-down defend, nail three pointers, and average 10 assists a game, can be found at the nearest Walgreens.  For us to get one of those all-stars (because that's what I just described) would be no easy task.  I obviously wish we could have one of those types of players, but I can guarentee our roster would have to change more than just dumping Raef, Travis, and a 2nd rounder to get one.  Besides, what GM would want to give up that type of player, unless that player was a headcase like Marbury? Point guard is the hardest position to play.  Blake is ok, but I yearn for a more talented PG...one who can play better defense on the perimeter.

I think we are fine at small forward.  I really believe Martell is the man for the job, and Batum will be in a few years if Martell doesn't get it done. 

We're fine at center...nuff said.

We're fine at shooting guard. Again, nuff said.

The power forward position is what I'd like to address.  I'm very happy with LMA, with the exception of his tendency to float away from the basket and not get many rebounds.  He is young, is a major talent, and currently has a very nice salary considering what he's worth to our team.  I'm in no hurry to see him go at all.  Also of note, I'm disgusted with our backup power forwards. They are simply inadequate in my opinion.  God Bless Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, Ike Diogu, and RLEC, but they all have one major thing in common...They are consistantly inconsistant and can not be relied on.  Channing Frye had 6 good games last year, and if it weren't for the last week of the season, he would have only had about one or two real standout performances.  He has been less than impressive so far this season. Diogu simply isn't athletic enough.  Outlaw seems to take one step forward and one step back.  So what to do?

The question I have BEdgers, is whether or not you think it would be more beneficial to gain a star point guard at the expense of losing LMA in a trade to get one, or do you think it would be better to stick with LMA?  My thought is if we trade for a really good point guard like a Tony Parker, we could use some of the potential free agent money we are going to have to sign someone like Okur from Utah. This is just one example I suppose, but unless we are willing to make a trade that probably involves LMA, Outlaw, and RLEC, and maybe Sergio, we won't get the type of pg people are clamoring for; that is, unless you believe that person is Bayless, which only time will tell.

Could we realistically get a Tony Parker like player, and sign someone like Okur?  Heck, I'm tired of Okur always having the Blazer's number everytime we play the Jazz. The guy has great shooting range, and has been an all-star. None of our current power forwards can say they've ever been an NBA all-star.

1st Unit: PG-Parker, SG-Roy, C-Oden, PF-Okur, SF-Webster

2nd Unit: PG-Bayless, SG Rudy, C- Przybilla, PF-Freeland, SF Batum

We could eventually have 4 all-stars in our starting 5.

Poll

If it came down to this, what would you rather have

27%

An all-star caliber PG and a free agent PF

15 votes

72%

Lamarcus Aldridge + our current point guards.

40 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed

The latest game against the Utah Jazz, I believe, is a microcosm of the problems our team has had with being consistent, learning how to maintain a lead, and having the killer instinct needed to put teams away.  We had a chance to put Utah away when we went up by 11 points...but the Blazers bumbled and fumbled around, and let a team that had lost all momentum get right back in the game.  The Blazers never recovered after that, and it has made me consider a few things I'll share in a moment. 

For three quarters against the Jazz, the Blazers played a very acceptable and reasonable game considering the talent we have...it wasn't perfect but they outplayed the Jazz and played the way we know they are capable of playing (and have come to expect from them by this point in their progression)
Then they reverted to 2005 in the fourth quarter. I think most Blazer fans can relate to my frustration in this. 

Kevin Pritchard has done a fantastic job so far, and I simply want to say that I hope he is not done.  As frustrated as I can get at Nate for what I think are questionable lineups, a lack of flow in his offensive schemes, and some of his in-game decisions, he is not to blame for every little thing that goes wrong.  The thing I think is holding our team back from the success we hope to see, (and the point I want to make here), is that many of the players on our roster are really just one dimensional talents. Some would try to argue with me that they are "role players," but please hear me out.  We lack players with multi-dimensional talent and skill on this team, and it will continute to be our achillies heel. It will really continue to hurt us, as long as these one dimensional players continue to get big minutes. That is why we are sloppy on offense, and are allowing 50% shooting on defense.

We only have two players on this roster, in my opinion,  that are well-rounded and polished.  They are Brandon Roy  and Rudy Fernandez.  Roy can penetrate, create his own shot, take care of the ball, and play good defense.  Rudy can do all of that as well as shoot lights out from 3-pt range.  His D is weak, but he'll get you a steal or two a game.  Beyond that, we simply don't have multi-dimensional talent.

Oden, LMA, Webster, and Bayless,  have potential to be well rounded, but they definitely are far from polished right now.  Oden is raw offensively. LMA has lacked an interior presence on both sides of the ball, Webster is becoming more of an all around player, but needs to stay healthy and finally live up to the "potential," and Bayless is kind of like Travis Outlaw in a guard's body...that isn't meant to be a knock on him, but he needs to learn how to be a PG in the NBA, and his one year in college was more of a combo guard type of role. 

1) Steve Blake- sufficient shooter who can run an offense.  Can't drive past opposing guards, and often time is blown past by opposing guards.  He would be one of the best back up PG's in the league.

2) Joel Przybilla-Good defender...and that's about it. He would be one of the best backup centers in the league.

3) Sergio Rodriguez- Great court-vision for passing...and that's about it.

4) Travis Outlaw- Valuable when his jumper is falling...poor defender who also takes the offense out of its flow way too much.

5) Channing Frye-see Travis Outlaw minus the offensive flow part.

6) Ike Diogu-reputation for his low post game, but his athletic ability seems lower than Zach Randolph's

7) Nicholas Batum- Mostly defense, though he has potential to be multi-dimensional.

8)Shavlik Randolph- Who cares

9) RLEC- Only has cap relief value, or so I've been told.

So let's be honest.  Six of the 9 or 10 guys who are seeing major minutes on our team are very one dimensional talents who bring significant liabilities to our team. So it should be no big shock that the best we can do is just sort of hang with teams, rather than whoop up on them.  Having Martell Webster and Greg Oden back will be tremendous for this team. I think Martell has grown up and he's a big part of our team's future.   

I think Channing Frye, Ike Diogu, Sergio Rodriguez, and RLEC should be gone by this time next year at the latest.  You could even throw Outlaw into that group too, although I'd like to keep him as our backup 4.  I don't know how we are going to do it, but we need an upgrade at point guard.  We need to be able to put pressure on opposing defenses by driving to the hoop, and we need to take pressure off of our own defense by slowing opposing point guards down.

Our lineup should be

Starters                                   2nd Unit

Webster-SF                            Batum

Aldridge-PF                            Outlaw

Oden-C                                   Przybilla

Roy-SG                                   Fernandez

???-PG                                   Blake

Eventually Bayless will overtake Blake, and then maybe even the starting job at some point down the line. I wouldn't mind Kirk Heinrich, but it would be nice to have a point guard that can get to the hoop, draw fouls, and finish (What we all hope Bayless can be). I'm not sure if Kirk can do all of that.

What are your thoughts?

 

Sure would be nice to have him, especially now that Branch, Engram, and Burleson are all banged up.  With the exception of New England, (now that Brady is out for the year,) why the heck do we seem to be cursed with the injury bug so much? 

For the bright spots Ruskell seems to have, I'm sick of the arrogance...Arrogance to think not franchising Hutch was the right thing to do...arrogance to let every other area of the team be set, but then just flat out neglect our receiving core at the start of the year, thinking Courtney Taylor will lead us to the promise land. 

Wanna hear a good joke?

If Mo Morris' injury is serious, we should offer to resign Shaun Alexander back onto the roster. LOL 

Tweener recently posted about a friend of his who apparently is seeing the light (or hopping onto the Blazer Bandwagon) and suggested that we come up with something to make his friend say or do in order to affirm his new love for the Blazers.  Many suggested what could be done with the baby blue Kobaby Jersey, but not many mentioned anything about words, phrases or slogans.  I personally think that needs to be revisited, especially since "Junk Drawer" has pushed his post off the page.

I will start it off by this heartfelt rendering of "Blazer's Grace" which is really my cheap knock off of the hymn Amazing Grace.  Tweener, my friend, I think you should have this convert of yours sing "Blazer's Grace" to the tune of Amazing Grace, and you should record it so that we may see his face shine as he undergoes the miracle of being a "Born Again Blazer"  

Blazer's Grace

Oh what a waste the years have been

Rooting for Laker’s Gold.

What Oden Roy LaMarcus bring

Has changed my wretched soul.

...............................................

Pritchard taught all GM’s to fear

His drafts our fears relieved

How precious did his slap appear

The hour I first believed

..............................................

Through many trades, buy-outs, draft picks

Our roster’s looking fine.

To break the Lakers hearts and necks

It’s just about our time

...............................................

(KEY CHANGE UP)

When we’ve been champs, 10,000 years

With trophies we have won

I wish that I had been a fan

Cause Laker fans are dumb.

Listening to Blazer's Courtside tonight, Barrett and Rice mentioned what I thought would be a really beneficial trade for both of the teams involved to do.  I don't know if this was just an idea, a rumor, or what.  Here is what it was:

Blazers send New Jersey:

Jarrett Jack, Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, Raef Lafrentz, 13th Pick

New Jersey sends Portland:

Richard Jefferson, 10th Pick

The rationale here is that Jefferson would fill our needs at Small Forward, and then we could use the #10 pick to obtain D.J. Augustin, improving our Point Guard position..

Our starting lineup will then be Jefferson, Aldridge, Oden, Roy, & Augustin.  Our backups would be Webster, some PF (Maybe McBob will be much improved this year), Przybilla, Rudy, & Blake.

If Augustine isn't available at 10, perhaps we can get Alexander, keep Blake in the starting lineup, and sign Petteri Koppenen to fill Jarrett Jack's roster spot.

I personally would rather include Webster than Outlaw.  James Jones is an adequate reserve SF. Otherwise, we could draft someone who could be a back-up forward or guard with a second round pick, or package our second round picks for a late first round pick to get one.  I should mention that Jefferson does have 3 more years on his current deal, for quite a chunk of money.  However, LaFrentz's contract is a big help to us in this situation, and we have Paul Allen as an owner. 

What are your thoughts? I say, get it done KP.

Poll

If you were Kevin Pritchard and have the opportunity to do the above mentioned trade (with Webster and Outlaw being interchangeable), do you do it?

30%

Yes

54 votes

69%

No

125 votes

179 votes | Poll has closed

I absolutely love the term "Pritch-slapped"  It is a pure combination of finesse and power.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who shares this sentiment.  However, there is someone else who I think is getting the short end of the stick in all of this reverence.  He may not be of the Pritch-slap status, but has been known to cause some draft day havoc himself.  That man, my friends, is Assistant GM Tom Penn.  He was Robin to Kevin Pritchard's Batman when it came to dumping off players to New York, and receiving trade exceptions, players, and picks from Phoenix.  I'm sure he has even nastier tricks up his sleeve for this year's draft.  You see my fellow Blazer fans, some of you have been right in assessing that the GM's of other teams may hessitate to deal with us out of fear (and justifiably so) of being Pritch-slapped.  So we must unleash a new weapon...a weapon they will never see coming.  That's right people.  After the 2008 NBA draft, people won't just have the Pritch-slap to fear.  They will also be fearing the "Penn-stab"  Too risque for you?  I suppose we could morph it into being "Penn-poked" Could you imagine the embarassament of Jon Paxon if he were to be both Pritch-slapped and Penn-poked during his tenure with the Bulls?

Next on the agenda...Why in the heck does it seem like so many people are content with the idea of trading Travis Outlaw away? He is our best bench player.  He has improved every year.  He finally had a break-through year last season.  He is on pace to possibly crack our starting line-up at the Small Forward position.  He has verbally said he wants to be an all-star.  On his own, he has decided to take the initiative to work on his game over the summer and come into camp in tip-toe shape.  He is one of the best athletes in the league.  He has accomplished the success he has without any moves to the basket or ball-handling ability.  He can get his shot off against anyone in this league.  With practice, he still has a ton of upside to meet.  When he gets it all together (not if, but when) he will be a huge huge asset for our team.  So my question to the people who seem determined to out this guy is, "Who's your supplier?" I must join forces with Annthefan and #25 you to infinity.  25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...25...

Finally, in the spirit of the first paragraph, what would be some cool "methods" used by players on our roster or Blazer staff we could think up that would be used to describe the way they'd enforce their will on people?  We have Pritch-slapped and now we have Penn-poked, but what else can you think of?  Come on people, it's the summer and it's slow posting around here.  Let's have some fun.  For example, if Brian Wheeler were our GM, we could say that people got "Wheeled-over".  If Oden dunked on someone, we could say they've been "Odenized" If Von Wafer his way, I suppose you could say that they got Wafered, or perhaps "Crisped."  Come up with your best stuff.  We need to start some new trends.

It was interesting to see the Blazer's website today.  It had Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw, Greg Oden, Lamarcus Aldridge, and Brandon Roy on the front home page.  It is my hope to see all of those same faces on this team 8+ years from now.  They are all good young players that have shown glimpses of all-star potential, and I think it would be a big mistake to move any of them unless it significantly improves our team's chances to win a championship(s).  That is this man's opinion. 

Those 5 players are the exact starting lineup that I want to see for the Trailblazers.  A lot has been made about our point guard situation.  Nobody on planet Earth (or any other planet for that matter), can convince me that Brandon Roy would not be one of the top 10-12 point guards in this league if given the chance.  For fun, I'd encourage you to read prezofdeath's popular post on bright point guards in this league.  http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/5/21/523860/ranking-the-league-s-brigh 
Ask yourself where you think Brandon Roy would rank on that list.

I really doubt we will get the kind of point guard people are drooling over on this roster w/o giving up more than we honestly want to.  People have wanted Calderon from Toronto?  Why?  I really don't understand what Brandon fails to bring that Calderon, or some of the other players mentioned on this site as pg solutions supposedly can do better. 

I think this upcoming season should be used to officially try the Brandon Roy experiment.  If it doesn't look like it is going to work early on, we can go back to having Blake be the starter.  (Kind of like when the Jarrett Jack experiment failed.) I don't want to wait too long to get an improvement in there at our point guard position, but I think the biggest mistake we can make is just making a big roster move for the sake of making a big roster move.  If the Roy experiment fails, then it fails.  I do think it would be negligent to not try it though.  If it succeeds, we won't have to move our young and talented players prematurely and end up creating more Jermaine O'Neal scenarios.   If it fails, at least we've had the opportunity to see if Roy can be our 1, Webster can play the 2, and Outlaw can play the 3.  That alone will answer a lot of questions, and will help us sort out who will stay on our roster long term.  If Roy is not our point of the future, then someone between Frye, Outlaw, Webster, and James Jones is going to have to be moved to avoid playing time logjams at our forward positions, and eliminating the potential for discord on our team.  If Roy is our man at point, we can keep them all and not have log-jams at our Forward positions. 

If we are really bent on bringing a vetern point guard in, it doesn't have to be the day of the draft.  Quite frankly, it could be at any point of the season prior to the middle of February.  In fact,  Raef's contract will be a more valuable trade asset at that time, as we'll have a good idea of what teams are probably going to blow-up their roster to start over, and would like his expiring deal.

I tend to look at the whole point-guard debate like this:

Jose Calderon-vs-Roy                  Who would win that game?    Roy
Steve Blake-vs- Roy                       Who would win that game?    Roy
Devin Harris-vs-Roy                       That would be fun to watch....It might be a draw.
Kirk Heinrich+$12 Mil -vs-Roy      Who would win that game?    Roy
Russell Westbrook-vs-Roy          Two great athletes, but can Westbrook run a team?
D.J. Augustin-vs-Roy                     Roy would use him as a stool to hang pictures.

Many diaries on this site have said  we need a point guard who is a lock-down defender, who is quick, can penetrate, finish at the rim, can run the pick-n-roll, can knock down the open jump shot, etc...Good grief.....sorry I have to break the news to many of you, but those guys aren't exactly a dime a dozen.  It has been made to sound by several people on this site that you can find one of those guys at Walgreen's.  However, you are pretty much describing an all-star.  They aren't exactly easy to come by, and we'd have to give up some players on our roster to get one.  We aren't going to get one with our bench players and picks unless 1) They are a headcase, or 2) They have a horrible contract, or 3) They are a headcase with a horrible contract.  Even then, we could only pull it off salary-wise with Raef's contract.

If I were a 6'2" 190lb point guard in this league, I would not want to have to defend against a point guard who is 6'6" 229lbs with a 40" vertical leap and above average quickness.   I could name about 15 starting point guards in this league who Brandon Roy would turn into his next girlfriend if he really wanted to.  Of the remaining starting point guards, half of the remaining starting point guards could probably play ok against Roy, but he'd play ok against them too.  The rest of the starting point guards would probably have an advantage....Those would be players like Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash, THOSE PLAYERS HAVE THEIR WAY WITH EVERYONE ELSE ANYWAY! 

I think Roy is the way to go at the point.  6'6" Ron Harper did a pretty good job, and Roy is a superior athelete to what he ever was.  6'9" Magic Johnson wasn't getting torched on D every night, and he wasn't exactly the epitomy of blazing fast.  So we know it can be done.  Roy wouldn't be pushed around, and he could post many of those smaller point guards up and punish them.  Perhaps even getting them into foul trouble.   (Even though these guys were shooting guards, remember J.R. Rider abusing Jeff Hornacek in the playoffs?)  That's what I want to see!

I believe that Both Martell and Travis will be much improved for next season.  Martell and Travis have both said in the Media that they seriously want to be All-Stars in this league, and they are finally backing it up by both CURRENTLY being in Summer workout programs designed to improve the areas they are weak in.  They are doing this and the NBA season hasn't even ended yet.  Heck, summer is techinically a month away!  We could get rid of one of these guys, but I'd want nothing less than Danny Granger in return.

Here is what I want to see Mr. Kevin Pritchard

Starters
C- Oden
PF-Aldridge
SF-Outlaw     (I'm trusting he'll have more moves and will be in shape by fall camp)
SG-Webster  (I believe he will have an added dimension of driving to the basket)
PG-Roy          (I'm trusting he will continue to work on his game, and 3 pt. shot)

2nd String
C-Przybilla
PF-Frye
SF-Jones
SG-Fernandez
PG-Blake

Extras
C/PF Raef if he is still here
PF McRoberts if he is still here
PG Jack if he is still here
PG Rodriguez if he is still here
SG Wafer if he is still here
Perhaps a draft pick(s).

I would like to see Jarrett Jack and Raef LaFrentz gone.  I'd like to see Sergio stick around and improve his game, because he has better court vision and could POTENTIALLY run an offense as well (if not better) than anyone on our roster.  He definitely isn't there yet.  At this point, he isn't a good defender, and his shot competes with the old Clyde Drexler clothes hanger shot.  ( That would be a reference to flat) 

I'm impartial about what to do with our draft picks.  I'm not opposed to trading them for future considerations if we aren't able to draft a player that would at least project to break into our second unit.  

I am really excited about the upcoming season because I think baseball sucks and I don't really care who I offend when I say that.  (No offense)

I don't like the fact that we let DJ Hackett get away.  With Branch recovering from a major knee operation, I think we are too thin at wide receiver.  We are one more injured receiver away from a disaster that could derail our season.   But....who really knows if Hackett could "hack-it" and stay healthy for an entire season. 

Many were upset and frustrated when Ruskell traded D Jax to the San Francisco From Behinders, but now he looks pretty smart for doing so.  Hopefully he'll look smart again, though I wish D.J. the best.

On to my point.  I think this year has the potential to be the most exciting year on offensive that we will ever see during the Holmgren era in Seattle.  The reasons are simple.  We will see the most complete version of the West Coast Offense since Holmgren arrived here.

Reason #1.

Our offensive line has improved drastically in both guard positions by only adding 1 player in Mike Wahle.  He is a big upgrade at LG, while Simms replacing Gray is addition by subtraction.  I like Chris Gray and appreciate what he's done for this team, but he just isn't quick enough and doesn't have a good burst anymore. 

Reason #2.

We have a player at the running back position who is a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield.  This is why Julius Jones was really signed, in my opinion.  I don't think people realize how many more offensive plays and options we now have because we have a guy with reliable hands in the backfield.  Teams didn't have to scheme against that when Shaun Alexander was in the game, the way teams would have to if they were playing against someone like a Michael Westbrook of the Eagles.  Julius Jones probably won't run great between the tackles, but if we can throw the ball to him in the open field in a one-on-one situation, I like the odds of him making his defender miss and turning it into a big play.  I imagine he can probably block better than Shaun Alexander....shoot, I'm pretty sure he can block better than Shaun Alexander.  We will also be able to run more screen plays.  T.J. Duckett can run between the tackles when needed.

Reason #3.

Our tight-end position is hopefully taken care of for the next 10 years now.  I believe John Carlson will be the real deal.  I truly trust the coaching staff and the front office with this pick.  If he is as good as the coaches think he'll be, teams better look out.  Why? BECAUSE IF TEAMS ARE FORCED TO DEFEND THE FLAT AGAINST JULIUS JONES, WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD OPEN UP....completed passes to the tight-end for 18 yards.....I love the thought of that.

Reason #4

Though I have my doubts, I hope Holmgren will take more chances since this is his last hurrah.  He has nothing to lose.  I have to give Mike credit though, as he has gambled on a lot more 4th and short type plays than he used to....and I have to say I pretty much agree with almost every gamble he made.  It's just too bad our rushing attack for the last 3 years has been such a joke.  Our crappy line play and just as crappy rushing desire made Holmgren's decisions look bad.  (See playoff loss to the Bears because we can't convert 1 yard plays.)  My beef with Holmgren has always been that he can be too predictable and conservative with his play calling.  Now that he has some more viable options, perhaps that will change.

I would still feel better if the Seahawks could pick up a solid veteran Wide Receiver before the season starts.  That would remove practically any doubts I have about the success of our offense this year.    

The sky is the limit Seahawk fans.  What do you think?

One of the many things that stunk about Greg Oden being hurt is that we did not get a chance to see what both he and Lamarcus Aldridge could do together.  Would they be able to run high-low offensive sets?  Would they block shots like crazy?  Maybe grab every rebound?  Had we been able to see that, I think it might have drastically effected the kinds of topics and conversations we would be having about the Blazers and what pieces may or may not be missing from this team.  I love the idea of Oden and LMA on our starting front-line, but I have some other thoughts too that will hopefully stir up some conversation.

I believe several fans on this site would like to see improvement from our point guard position.  I know I would.  I also think it is pretty safe to say that most of us believe LMA has a bright future in this league.  Assuming he stays injury free.......he has all-star potential.

That being said, I want to present you with this question and scenario.  Salary cap issues aside, if you had had to choose between having an all-star power forward on the current Blazer roster, or an all-star point guard on the current  Blazer's roster, which one would you pick and why? 

Would you rather have Lamarcus Aldridge and an average point guard like a Steve Blake in your starting 5, or would you rather have a Derron Williams type with an average power forward like Channing Frye in the starting 5, (with Outlaw coming in off the bench) ?

Consider the 2 possibilities:

PG - Blake    SG - Roy    C -  Oden    PF - ALL-STAR   SF - Webster

Or..................

PG - ALL-STAR    SG - Roy    C -    Oden    PF -  Frye    SF -  Webster

With the first line-up, the potential is there to have the best front-line in the NBA

With the second line-up, the potential is there to have the best backcourt duo in the NBA.

The possibility exists that Brandon Roy may be our point guard of the future.  If that is the case, the whole point of this diary is worthless.  Because of the success and improvement of Lamarcus,  it's practically impossible right now for me to envision KP ever moving LMA.  I mean, the guy made everybody who was crying about losing Zach Randolph's 20pts & 10reb (4 of which were from his own misses) shut up. 

However,  if we aren't making the kind of progress we think we ought to be in 2-3 years with the Oden/Aldridge duo, I would not be surprised if KP were to move LMA and pursue a BIG-Time point guard.  Channing Frye is no LMA, but he is adequate enough.  He still has quite a bit of upside too.  Outlaw has shown he is in the league to stay too.

What are your thoughts?  WWKPD? (What Would Kevin Pritchard Do?)

After reading the You Be the GM article on Oregonlive concerning Travis Outlaw a little while ago, it got me thinking about what appears to be yet another roster logjam we will be faced with.  Bits and pieces of this discussion have been mentioned in previous diaries, but I want to consolidate that stuff into this entry, and get some of your opinions along the way.

It seems to me that someone on this current Blazer roster has got to be the odd man out.  Unless there is an odd man out, I forsee lots of debate and banter on Blazers Edge next season concerning this issue.  For the current discussion, I want to figure out who that person probably ought to be.

Greg Oden is returning (Yay!!!) and so we can probably assume that Channing Frye will no longer be the 2nd unit Center, as Joel Przybilla will move to that spot.  The only viable option left for Channing is to play Power Forward as a back up. 

The person who has been playing the backup Power Forward spot is Travis Outlaw.  If Channing Frye takes over the Power Forward duties, then Travis Outlaw's only viable option on this team is to play minutes at the Small Forward position, and maybe some Power Forward if the matchups are right (or if people get into foul trouble)

So if Travis gets bumped to the Small Forward spot, he now has to compete with incumbant starter Martell Webster, and veteran 3-point specialist James Jones. 

Another point, although not as valid, is the potential addition of Rudy Fernandez.  Most project him as a Shooting Guard, and he is probably way too undersized to play any Small Forward, unless we purposely went to a small lineup.  I mention this, because if he does come over, that probably eliminates any likelyhood that Martell Webster gets any minutes at Shooting Guard, which would free up some logjam at the Small Forward Spot.  (I AM WRITING THIS WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT JARRETT JACK ISN'T GOING TO BE BACK WITH THIS TEAM)

So let's talk some Trout shall we?  Some questions to ponder....

Is Channing Frye a better option at Power Forward than Travis Outlaw? What have you seen in Channing that should push Travis out of that spot, or what have you seen in Travis that should keep Channing out of it, thus making Channing expendable?

What is the best role for Martell Webster on this team?  Does he best suit this team as its starting Small Forward, backup Small Forward, or backup Shooting Guard?

What of James Jones? Can we justify him starting over Martell Webster at the 3? Should he be the back up at the 3 as he was this year? Is James Jones a better basketball player than Travis Outlaw?

I suppose another scenario we can debate is whether or not Joel Pryzbilla remains on this roster.  Two possible questions begin to arise.  They are, "Who would be a better backup Center: Joel Pryzbilla or Channing Frye"? If you chose Channing Frye, then you must ask "Is Joel Pryzbilla expendable?" 

I hate to break it too you fans, but if we want to bring in the type of Point Guard and/or Small Forward we want, it will take giving up some pieces of value, not our left-overs, 2nd round picks, and players stashed in Europe.  Joel has a salary that is more likely to be included in a trade, because many of the type of players we are aiming for are going to be making around 7-9 million a year.  Joel and his 6 Million + Jack and his 2 Million + 13th pick is a very likely scenario to get something we want.  The only other option is to work out some extensions with Martell, Channing, etc... to help their salaries match potential incoming players.  As it is, their salaries are comparitively small and combining them in a trade becomes logistically tougher (you'd have to work a trade with a team that has several open roster spots to take on 3 of our smaller salaried guys in return for just one higher salaried guy)  Then there becomes the issue of extending guys we don't intend to keep, and then other teams potentially backing out of deals.....would that hurt our cap space or do I not understand how this works?

If Joel goes, that will basically leave our forward situation alone, as Channing will be our back up Center, Outlaw backup PF, Webster starting SF, and Jones backing up Martell at SF. 

So NBA, watchya gonna do, when Pritchard and his Blazermaniacs run wild on you?

Give me your thoughts people.  First of all, discuss pros and cons of our forwards.  Compare them to each other.  Who is a keeper and who isn't?  Why or why not?

I personally think James Jones should be the odd man out.  I love having him on the team, I love his three point shooting, and I love advertisements where he points at me and says that I need to be entertained.  However, he really doesn't have any offensive game inside of 18 ft, and his foot speed isn't all that good. Combine that with my beliefs that either Travis or Martell can offer everything James Jones can and more, and I think he should be the one to go.  Travis shot 40% from 3-pt range this year, and Martell was starting to come into his own until his irregular heartbeat stuff started up.  Otherwise, if we keep James Jones, it should probably be as a situational player.  In my mind, I can't justify him taking major minutes away from Outlaw or Webster.

The poll question discusses which of our front line players you would personally move off of our roster to alleiviate the potential logjams that lay ahead in the future.

Poll

Which Blazer would you move off of the roster to clear up playing time congestion next season?

2%

Joel Pryzbilla

3 votes

7%

Channing Frye

8 votes

12%

Travis Outlaw

14 votes

13%

Martell Webster

15 votes

62%

James Jones

68 votes

108 votes | Poll has closed

Guarenteed Contracts in the NBA are a cancer in my opinion, and I would assume several would agree with me.  I would love to see the end of them.

The reality of significant change is a longshot, but that doesn't change my feelings about it.

It seems to me that the NBA would put out a better product if players were held accountable in the sense that they could lose their millions of potential salary if they didn't perform well, were constantly out of shape, etc.  I believe it would spur on better competition, it would create more trade scenarios, and in general would be better for the game. More people would watch.  

Owners were either short-sighted and greedy, or they were fleeced into allowing the provision for guarenteed contracts in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.  

A few final thoughts and then a poll question...

I've suggested some benefits to getting rid of or abolishing guarenteed contracts.  The other side of the coin is that it could turn into an abuse by the owners though as well.

A player theoretically could be lured and signed to a 5-year 50 Million dollar contract by a team that has no intention of keeping that player longer than a year.  So a player might play one season, make 10 Million, and then be cut.  That is kind of deceptive in the sense that the player may have turned down other deals that might have actually provided them with some security (like a 5-year 40 Million deal) where the other team intended to keep them around.

If it were up to me, I think the ideal system would be where teams could cut players at anytime, but players are guarenteed somewhere around 30-40% of the origninal contract, and that 30-40% would count against the salary cap like it does right now. (Example; Cut Darius Miles and his contract still counts against our cap.)  

The current system is unfair to the owners, and more importantly the fans.  Players like Shawn Kemp, Jerome James, Darius Miles, Derek Anderson, Raef LaFrentz, Steve Francis, and Theo Ratliff got paid/are getting paid way over their value and we shouldn't have to get punished because of it. (Notice how many of those names are connected with the Blazers)

The NFL has a decent model for contracts, although I think the signing bonuses and manuevering to spread those bonuses out through the length of the contract is silly.

On to the Poll

Poll

How should the NBA deal with contracts?

34%

Leave things alone. The system is flawed, but flawed for all.

14 votes

29%

Make a compromise similar to Silky's suggestion.

12 votes

26%

NFL-like. Cut contracts don't hit the cap, but bonus money does.

11 votes

9%

Power to the owners; players can be cut anytime, any reason, no penalty.

4 votes

41 votes | Poll has closed

Unfortunatly, I must go back to the ugly beginnings of Part I of my rant that I posted in an earlier diary and speak of combo guards and tweeners.  

The question(s) I offer to you is, "Who are the combo guards on this team, who are the tweeners on this team, what is their best position, and should they be kept on the team?

Brandon Roy is a TRUE combo guard in that he plays both guard positions adequately and practically interchangably. However, if you listened to Mike Barrett, Mike Rice, and even several prominant members on this site, the spoken words "combo guard" is usually a reference to none other than Jarrett "Combo" Jack.  

Jarrett Jack is not a true shooting guard.  The ONLY advantage we have on offense when Jack plays shooting guard, is that he is slightly quicker than some opposing 2-guards.  That is why he can penetrate on them.  Other than that, there is no advantage to Jarret playing the 2-guard, other than to say we might have another ball handler out there.  That raises a whole other discussion.  Do you really want Jarrett Jack handling the ball? :)

For being an NBA point guard in his 3rd professional year, Jarrett has horrible habits.  There is not a game I can remember recently where Jarret has not left his feet to make a pass and that is a big no no.  It is also very unnecessary.  I challenge you to watch him closely to see him do this.  If it isn't that, it is stepping on the baseline an ungodly amount of times this season. Isn't twice too many?  No doubt about it, Jarret has done that no less than 10-12 times this season.  His newest thing is to telegraph his entry pass lobs, and having that soft garbage poked away or stolen.  Don't even get me started on his fast break abilities.  

On defense, all I need to say is that when matched up with other point guards Jarrett doesn't have a speed advantage.  Quite frankly, all three of our point guards lack defensive speed, and get blown by often.  

In an attempt to paint a pretty picture, the major homers have given Jarrett the GLORIOUS title of combo guard.  I'm telling you, we've been taught to believe combo guard = Wonderful. I'm tired of the combo guard smoke blowing.  We've been tricked! Open your eyes people.  Jarrett Jack is not a combo guard.  SHOOT, HE CAN'T EVEN PLAY HIS NATURAL POSTION ALL THAT WELL, NOT ALONE ANOTHER ONE ALL TOGETHER.  Give me a break. How about if I put Travis Outlaw in at point guard and start calling him a Point Forward.  Scottie Pippen could pull that off.  We ain't talking about Potty Skippen though.

We have a guy who is capable of being a decent backup 2-guard this year in Martell Webster, but Nate has him stuck at the 3.  Von Wafer has shown himself as someone who can play the position just fine.  The guy can shoot and looks quicker than anyone else on our team.  Nate hasn't let him play meaningful minutes since he helped Portland beat the Clippers (in a game Jack did well in I might add). Why Von hasn't played more is beyond me.  I've heard people sugguest Nate has a man-crush on Jarrett.  You can come to your own conclusions based on the evidence of what you have seen this season.

Then we come to Channing "Tweener" Frye.  Channing has the size of a power forward.  Channing has a few post up moves.  Mostly though, he is a spot up shooter.  That is a good thing, but it is a live by the sword die by the sword quality.  It is good that he can shoot and draw defenders away from the hoop.  There is a flip side to that though.  Post player taking perimeter shot = less rebounders inside.  I don't know Frye's percentages, but I'd guess he is around 40-43%  So if you are only converting that percentage, and your rebounding players are away from the basket, that means the defense will have stopped you almost 60% of the time.  That is why I'm so glad that Aldridge is posting up more now.  His scoring is up and opposing defenders are picking up fouls.  We struggled when he fell in love with the perimeter and wasn't hitting his shots.  

Channing has a hard time defending physical players....and most players who are POWER forwards and Centers are physical players.  Channing is a true tweener through and through.  He is a small forward stuck in a power forward's body.  

Last point:

You wan't to know why we have struggled so much in the 2nd quarter the past several games?  It is a matter of personel and substitution patterns.  It is a bunch of combo guards and tweeners making up our 2nd unit.  

Hopefully my memory doesn't fail...
We were up by 7 in the second quarter of the Cav's game when Channing Frye entered the game.  I yelled "NOOOO!" when I saw this. My wife in the other room asked what was wrong.  I told her we dominated the first half, were up by 7, and that we were about to lose all of our momentum going into the half.  

Steve Blake immediately hit a 3 to put us up by 10.  Perhaps I rushed to judgement too quickly? Heck no.  

I think our lineup at this crucial juncture was Blake, Outlaw, Webster, Frye, and Aldridge.  It was a crucial time, because those three minutes could demoralize Cleveland, or give them hope.  If I am the Cleveland coach, I have one game plan at this point, and that is to double team LMA.  Blake has been ok but is a pass first guy.  Outlaw has been in a shooting slump.  Webster is like a box of chocolates. Frye is cold off of the bench.  Who in that line-up is going to punish the Cav's????????????????????????????

Frye immediately blew his assignment leading to a dunk.  He then misses a jump shot.  Then he fumbles a pass a substituted Roy gives him at point blank (that would have been a lay-up) out of bounds, ala Cliff Robinson in the Western Conference Finals against the L*kers.  Had Lebron made that 3 at the Buzzer, it would have been a 1 point game at half.  As it was, we had a  four point lead, but now Cleveland had life.  Our starters built the lead back up in the 3rd quarter, but then Nate made a magical substitution at about....you guessed it..the 3 minute mark of the 3rd quarter.  The lead that had been built back up evaporated, and then Cleveland moved ahead of us. I won't mention who it was that Nate put into the game.  

The fourth quarter was ugly, and for whatever reason, Steve Blake was once again no where to be found until it was too late.  Thanks Nate.  I trust you are doing well with that $4 Million you are making this season.  

In this man's opinion, we need to get rid of this combo/tweener non-sense on our team.  We need a true back-up 2, a true back-up 4, and we need to completely re-evaluate the point guard position.

Brandon can play either guard position and we lose nothing.  Martell can play the 3, but I think he is really a 2. Travis can play the 4, but I think he is really a 3.  

Adding Oden and Rudy will help things a lot.  As it is though, this combo guard, combo forward/guard, combo w/ cheese stuff is rediculous.  

Jack and Frye are nice individuals, but I think they need to go.  I hope our lineup for next year looks something like this.  

Starters are:
C  Oden
PF Aldridge
SF Jones
SG Webster
PG Roy

2nd Unit:
C  Przybilla
PF LaFrentz or Player we acquire
SF Outlaw
SG Fernandez
PG Blake

Leftovers:
Wafer (I think we should re-sign him)
Rodriguez
Miles
McRoberts (If he's cut, it will be for Freeland)
Draft Pick(s)

LaFrentz/McRoberts is the question mark.  LaFrentz and his contract could be traded away, but I'd just assume see his $$$ come off of the books.  Jack and Frye should be traded away.  They could be traded for draft picks, they could be in a "combo" trade for another player, or could somehow be packaged with our lottery pick so we can move up and get a difference maker in the draft.  Maybe we could trade them for a future first rounder?   I think there are lots of options, and I look EXTREMELY forward to seeing how this offseason unfolds.

Thank you Blazer nation.

Poll

What is the best nickname for Jarrett Jack

2%

Snoop Jacky Jack

1 votes

25%

Baseline

11 votes

30%

TO

13 votes

13%

JJ

6 votes

13%

Jumpin' Jack (In honor of the jump pass)

6 votes

9%

J-Dog

4 votes

4%

Captain Jack

2 votes

43 votes | Poll has closed

Though they had eyes, they could not see...
Though they had ears, they could not hear...
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free fellow Blazer fans...

I must address an issue that has plagued my Blazer loving soul for too long now.  There has been a lot of whitewashing (that is painting the outside of tombs to make them look nice) going on regarding the ideas of tweeners and combo players and I want to say a few things about that and its relevance to our team.

It comes down to the old issue of being a jack of all trades (Pun was only slightly intended) -vs- being really good at one thing. Being well rounded -vs- being very strong in one point and weaker in others.

I am all for improving every aspect of an individual's basketball game.  I am, however, against making a player something that he is not.  I am a big fan of roles being filled and teams working like a smooth-oiled machine.  That being said, let me make my points.

Exhibit A:

COMBO GUARD is a term we have come to glorify.  We have been taught that combo guards are an asset.  We've been told they offer an advantage over other teams.  My question is, do they really?
It seems to me that combo guard is really a code word for "This guy might be ok at one guard position, and average at best at the other."

So we have trained ourself to associate good feelings to the idea that combo guard = good.  The reality is, often times combo guard = mediocre and average.

TWEENER is not a term that we have glorified as much as combo guard.  It acutally has more of a negative connotation to it.  Usually we refer to tweeners as being "Not big enough or strong enough to be a good power forward, and not quick enough or good enough of a shooter to be a good small forward. A tweener is rarely a center, and they are never a guard.

That being said, there are few examples where a tweener or a combo guard is a good thing.  Charles Barkley breaks all of the above rules. A 6'5" power forward, and one of the best. Brandon Roy is intriging too.  He is a shooting guard, but is better with the ball in his hands than he is moving around without the ball. He makes his teammates better when the ball is in his hands. Roy is the opposite of a Reggie Miller, although they pretty much play(ed) the same position.

Roy is a better point guard than the three actual point guards on this roster. Ask yourselves Blazer fans if I have not indeed made a true statement.  If my statement is true, then why are we piddling around with these other three guys? Perhaps next year we will see some changes.  

In my opinion, it is easier to find a really good shooting guard in this league than to find a really good point guard.  We know what we have in Roy...a gold mine.  I wouldn't be surprised if KP doesn't actually target a shooting guard or small forward in 2009 instead of a point guard as so many think.  I could see Roy playing the point.  

If Roy plays the point, I would like to see Martell Webster get a shot at playing his real position, the 2 guard.  If Rudy lives up to the hype, then maybe he'd be our 2.  Then we could start James Jones at the 3. This makes more sense to me than any thing else.  Now you have a starting lineup of Roy, Webster, Jones, Aldridge, and Oden.  This lineup would DESTROY teams.  Offensively, the only weakness we have is that James Jones can't drive past anyone.  Other than that, Roy can do it all, Webster is getting better at trying to do it all, Aldridge has figured out you can score 20+ a game if you actually post up, and Greg Oden is supposed to be the Center of the Decade.  

Think of the penetrating and dish...4 guys not named Oden who can make the perimeter shot,the 3's out of double teams, the assists, the good rebounding.  That lineup suits Roy better anyway.  Roy has always been the type of player to take over a game when it is necessary, and so that plays into his being a point guard.  

I must say I really liked this guy playing and I really like the 30+ minutes he got.  Here are a few attributes I liked from watching him that I think are very noteworthy:

1. He shoots with little hesitation and lots of confidence.
2. He plays under control.
3. He regularly got past the Clipper perimeter defense off of the dribble, and looked good doing it.
4. Along the line of #3, he is quicker off the dribble than Blake & Jack. (Maybe Sergio too)
5. He was 2/5 from 3 point range. The misses he had from deep were rim outs.
6. He is a good athlete.

I'm encouraged.  It is one game.  However, I can already tell that he has some basketball smarts, some good skills, and some good athletic ability.  I will go on record as saying that Denver received a quasi Pritch-Slap.  The Diet Coke of Pritch-Slaps. :) We should extend this guy and could probably do it on the cheap.  He has the potential to be better than I think most would realize.  If only we could turn him into a point guard.

Take a look for yourself...Read'em and weep.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2754~2768~267~351&teams=6~6~22~22& te=&cash=

Somebody call K.P. and let him see this for some inspiration.  PLEASE?!

If D. George O.K.'s the trade (which is the sketchy part), would this not have great benefit for all involved?  We trade away what I consider to be two of our weaker links...We receive two veteren players who both have expiring contracts at the end of this year.  This would free up two roster spots for us for the upcomming season.  The players we receive would not take anything away from our team, or hurt us with their play.  They don't have character flaws to my knowledge.

Dallas takes one (if not both) of the players we send them and repackages them in the trade to New Jersey for Jason Kidd.

Everybody wins!

I want to say, "Good game champ."
This is what Blazer fans have been hoping to see on a consistant basis from you.  With this game, you have graduated to a new level.  You have shown that you can turn the ball over at the most crucial point in the ball game with your patented "jump pass" up-and-down travel to Travis Outlaw, have everybody see it, and the all powerful ever omnipresent Violet Palmer not call it.  That, my friends, is impressive.

OK, I'm done with the comdedy routine.  Jarrett had a nice game and I'm happy to see it for everyone's sake.  Let's see it every night JJ1.  10 more years like last night, and you'll have your number in the rafters.  

Love, Silky

Yes it's childish.  And yes, it's hillarious.  Watch Steve Lavin's face...You'll see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqJ_8lUsYs0

Why have 300 characters when you can have 3000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000?

Oden will probably average 10-14 rebounds a night.
Oden will probably block about 2 shots a night.
Oden will probably change 5-6 shots a night.
Oden will have more offensive potential than Joel.
Oden will cut down the offensive rebounds we give up in 1/2
I see him averaging about 10-12 ppg his rookie year. Inserting him into the starting lineup will move Joel to the second unit. Joel will then be the best back up center in the league. Heck, I'd love to occasionally have Greg, Joel, and Lamarcus in the game at the same time.

Oden will also help cover the defensive mistakes of our guards.
Oden is a good passer, and will make teams pay for double teaming him.
Oden will adopt Andrew Bynum as a son and then beat him hard and often.

Oh, it's great to be a Blazer fan.

http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.php?content=video&url=http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbac om/recaps/recap08_549_pornjn.asx

I thought this was hillarious.  Watching the highlights of the Blazers/Nets game on NBA.com, they showed 7 Blazer highlights compared to 0 Nets highlights. Talk about getting owned.  I remember fans complaining on this site about the Blazers getting the shaft in highlight distribution (and they were).  Funny how lopsided in the other direction it was this time around.

You must watch this clip of Channing Frye to truly appreciate the title of this diary entry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLd05sGwo8U&feature=related

On that note, I wanted to say that I am really impressed with the Channing Frye of today compared to the Channing Frye of November.  He has really improved.  Maybe he feels more comfortable, maybe he knows his role now, or maybe he is in better condition.  Perhaps some of each.  I'm glad to see him making a positive contribution on our team, and I take back most (not all) of the early season criticism I gave him.  Definitely a good player with tremendous character.  Go Blazers!

I hate to be the pessimist, but this playoff loss was the epitomy of every weakness we have seen this year from the Seahawks.  They ALL mangaged to rear their ugly heads in this game.

Mike McCarthy is a good coach and I'll be glad to tell you why.  He figured out everything Mike Holmgren already knew was wrong with the Seahawks and made it a point to show the rest of the nation on T.V.  

He knew that our defense gets the best pressure from the edges.  What did he do to counter that?  He ran plays right towards our overpursuing rushers.  He threw screen passes right to the areas our players vacated.  He spread the field with offensive formations that forced our linebackers to defend running backs and receivers in one on one coverage. Green Bay's play calling nullified our defensive line, and kept our linebackers out of their backfield.

All day long we got nickeled and dimed to death by 5-7 yard plays.  Green Bay completely dominated the time of possession, especially in the first half. As usual, we couldn't get off of the field on third down.  That's because we play this stupid soft-zone coverage, instead of utilizing our linebacking beasts to ever blitz on a 3rd down.  I find it so amazing that practically every other team in the league will blitz with a linebacker or two on 3rd and long, because they realize it gives the quarterback less time to throw, and he has to throw under duress. Teams do it to us all of the time.  Yet our coaches are too damn stubborn and/or stupid to do it ourselves.  We'll rush 4, drop 8 into a soft zone, and good quarterbacks with lots of time will find the open spots.  

Green Bay was smart to pick on our weakest links in the secondary.  Mainly "Big Play" Babs.  They also figured out that Kelly Jennings is undersized, and simply threw to a bigger receiver (ironically, his name is Jennings).

Simms, Gray, and Womack were horrible.  The sack on Hasslebeck was such a gross wiff on Womack's part.  Shaun Alexander's hits behind the line of scrimage....more credit should go to Gray and Simms, than the Packers.  

We have the worst rushing attack in the league, hands down.  Once the snow started falling, we were doomed.  Somehow, Green Bay was able to run in the snow though.  They were breaking playoff records in the snow.  Thanks goes to Defensive Coordinator John Marshall for that.  

I don't mind at all if Holmgren stays.  He is a coach that the players like and respect.  He is a good coach, with the occasional dumb conservative and predictable play call.  I don't blame him though.  He isn't the one who should be runblocking, protecting the quarterback, or playing the game.

I would like to see Running Backs coach Stump Mitchell fired.  He doesn't know how to use his personel correctly.  He is too in love with Shaun Alexander, who has already seen his best days.  

I would like to see John Marshall fired.  It is amazing how many sacks the Seahawks get considering that Marshall's schemes are not very aggressive.  Seattle could easily have had at least 15 more sacks this season, and that is no stretch.  He is too conservative, plays too much zone, and is just as responsible for Seattle not being able to get off of the field on 3rd downs, as the players are.  We have too many good defensive players to play so inconsistant all year long.  Don't believe me?  Every game we didn't get a sack on the quarterback this year, we lost.

I'd love to see Jim Mora Jr. be our new Defensive Coordinator.  If it looks like Mora might leave for another team, we need to consider letting Holmgren go and giving him the head job in order to keep him.  Mora is a talent.  I don't see his time in Atlanta as a failure.  He didn't have the players in Atlanta that we do here.

Shaun Alexander needs to go.  Chris Gray needs to go.  Babineaux needs a reduced role, i.e. special teams and emergency use only.  Brian Russell needs to go.  He's really not any better than Boulware was.  At least Boulware could stop the run. (usually anyway)

Tim Ruskell, I'm still mad at you for letting Hutchinson get away, and I'm mad at Hutchinson for knowingly participating in a poison pill contract. Serves you right that you are watching the playoffs from home.  I'll give you props Ruskell for trying to get Dielman this offseason.  Hopefully you can get Fancea or whatever his name is from the Steelers.  Plug him in at LG, move Simms over to RG.  That would be an improvement at 2 positions with the aquisition of one player.

I'd like to see Joe Newton improve and make his way into the TE rotation.  He has good talent for someone who went undrafted.  6'7" 260lbs.  

Hopefully we can draft well, make the right personel moves, etc.  The window of opportunity will only shut if the executives of this team fail to do their job.

Go Seahawks!

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=1710~518~510~1017~454~550&teams=18~21~ 22~15~21~18&te=&cash=

In lieu of Canzano's rumor, I saw this posted on the O-live Blazers forum the other day and had to admit I found it interesting. The biggest question mark regarding this deal is Phoenix.  They have been in cut salary mode for about two season now, and it seems unlikely they will re-sign Marion for what he wants.  The contracts the players going to Phoenix would get both expire when Marion's would, plus they could re-sign Desmond Mason quite a bit cheaper than Marion if they wanted to keep him.   The other aspects of this trade, though a bit of a stretch, doesn't seem outside of reality.  If we gained Marion in the trade, we'd have to figure out how to use the likes of Webster and Jones.  We could use Marion in a sign and trade at a later date, as his salary comes off the books the same time as Raef's would anyway.  We could let him walk.  We could move Martell to SG.  We'd also open up a roster spot by doing this trade. The other question mark would be whether or not NY has enough roster spots to take two players.

New Roster
C  Pryz,Frye,Oden
PF Aldridge, Outlaw, McRoberts
SF Marion, Jones
SG Roy, Webster, Jack
PG Blake, Rodriquez, Green

It would be confusing to see Marion and Roy on the floor at the same time. Especially from the 300 level. They look similar and have the same skin tone. What are your thoughts Blazer Nation?