beav

Quote: Quote: #11 for Sergio? I'd rather have Critt / Law / Stuckey / Jack. All have shown the ability to play better perimeter Defense than Sergio I'm sure. Perimeter defense is as big a problem for us than any of the other obvious weaknesses. Not Jack. Word in Portland is that he's about to lose his starting job to Sergio. I wouldn't mind Sergio, and Critt/Law/Stuckey all have that unknown quality - could turnout to be great, or could bust. With Jack we know he's something in between. Only reason to trade for him is the homer support for a GT player. My favorite Jarrett Jack game last year... and as much as I like him what Sergio will never bring. Quick: Blazers Beat Wiz, Surpass '05-'06 Win Total Posted by The Oregonian Sports Desk February 11, 2007 20:55 By JASON QUICK THE OREGONIAN WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For two weeks, Jarrett Jack downplayed Sunday's game against the Washington Wizards, and the outlandish prediction by All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas that he would score 50 points against the Trail Blazers. Jack and the Blazers said they paid no attention to Arenas' vow to score 100 points in two games this season against Portland as a way of geting back at coach Nate McMillan for playing a part in his being cut from the U.S. National team this summer, of which McMillan served as an assistant. But certainly they heard Arenas on national television, saying "I'm coming for you Portland", and they read his blog that predicted his next 50 point game would come Sunday against the Blazers. And it was in their head enough that on Friday, after a win against Charlotte, the Blazers locker room was buzzing about "Agent 0" (one of Arenas' nicknames) coming after them. So there was more than a measure of validation for Jack and his teammates Sunday when the Blazers routed the Wizards 94-73 in their own building while holding Arenas to 9 points on 3-of-15 shooting. "Of course it motivated me," said Jack, who was the primary defender against Arenas. "That's like a dude saying he was going to punch you in your face. I mean, are you going to let him do that? But you know, I'm not into talk and all that, I just go out and play." While Jack was talking, teammate Zach Randolph couldn't help himself. "Yeah, Jack, you tell them! You locked him up! You put the cuffs on that boy," Randolph said practically dancing in delight. And what's more is that Jack did a little damage himself on the offensive end, breezing by Arenas and the soft Wizards defense for 18 points and five assists. "Jarrett did a nice job, a real nice game," McMillan said. "Tonight, I didn't have a good game, and B-Roy didn't play that well, but other guys stepped it up," Randolph said. "That just shows you how much better we are than last year. We are a team, not just one or two guys. We are together." Because of that, the Blazers have been more successful this season, perhaps more so than they ever imagined. And with win 22 coming Sunday, with 30 more games remaining, Jack said it released a burden off the player's minds. "We can finally put last year in the past," Jack said. Right alongside that place in the past, the Blazers can put Arenas' vow to score 50. "I told (Arenas) before the game, 'Man, you ain't going to get no 50 on us," Randolph said. "I don't know what he was doing. He can get 50, but not on us."

NBA draft pool set The NBA has released the (final) list of underclassmen who have declared the June 28 draft. The deadline to withdraw was Monday, and 46 college and international prospects removed themselves from the draft pool. Below is a complete list. The list of college players who have withdrawn: Player School Height Status Roy Bright Delaware State 6-6 Junior Aaron Bruce Baylor 6-3 Junior Jaycee Carroll Utah State 6-2 Junior Dan Coleman Minnesota 6-9 Junior P.J. Couisnard Wichita State 6-4 Junior Sasa Cuic Oregon State 6-10 Junior Chris Daniels Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7-0 Junior Drew Gibson Wofford 6-2 Junior DeVon Hardin California 6-11 Junior Roy Hibbert Georgetown 7-2 Junior Leon Jacob Texas A&M International 6-1 Junior Dominic James Marquette 5-11 Sophomore Joseph Jones Texas A&M 6-9 Junior Marcel Jones Oregon State 6-8 Junior Marcelus Kemp Nevada 6-5 Junior James Mays Clemson 6-9 Junior Bo McCalebb New Orleans 6-0 Junior Tack Minor LSU 6-0 Junior Bruce Price Tennessee State 6-3 Junior Shaun Pruitt Illinois 6-10 Junior Charles Rhodes Mississippi State 6-8 Junior Maureece Rice George Washington 6-1 Junior Brandon Rush Kansas 6-6 Sophomore Sean Singletary Virginia 6-0 Junior Spencer Tollackson Minnesota 6-9 Junior Isaac Wells Arkansas State 6-8 Junior Terrance Whiters Arkansas Tech 5-11 Junior The list of international players who have withdrawn: Player Team/Country* Height Status Rodrigue Beaubois Cholet (France) 6-0 1988 DOB Hakan Demirel Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey) 6-4 1986 DOB Romain Duport Le Havre (France) 7-0 1986 DOB Vladimir Golubovic Vojvodina (Serbia) 7-0 1986 DOB Rafael Hettsheimeier Akasvayu Vic (Spain) 6-10 1986 DOB Deyan Ivanov Drac Inca (Spain) 6-9 1986 DOB Kaloyan Ivanov Vive Menorca (Spain) 6-9 1986 DOB Maxym Ivshyn Azovmash (Ukraine) 6-10 1986 DOB Ivan Maras Buducnost (Montenegro) 6-9 1986 DOB Manuchar Markoishvili Olimpija (Slovenia) 6-5 1986 DOB Douglas Angelo Nunes Uberlandia (Brazil) 6-7 1987 DOB Caner Oner Alpella (Turkey) 6-7 1987 DOB Miroslav Raduljica FMP (Serbia) 7-0 1988 DOB Nikita Shabalkin Samara (Russia) 6-9 1986 DOB Vladimir Stimac Valmiera (Latvia) 6-9 1987 DOB Gabriel Szalay Norrkoping (Sweden) 7-1 1986 DOB Ante Tomic KK Zagreb (Croatia) 7-2 1987 DOB Caio Torres Estudiantes (Spain) 6-11 1987 DOB Artem Zabelin Avtodor (Russia) 7-0 1988 DOB *Country indicates where team plays, not country of nationality. The list of college players who remain candidates: Player School Height Status Arron Afflalo UCLA 6-5 Junior Shagari Alleyne Manhattan 7-3 Junior Corey Brewer Florida 6-9 Junior Dwight Brewington Liberty 6-5 Junior Wilson Chandler DePaul 6-8 Sophomore Michael Conley Jr. Ohio State 6-1 Freshman Daequan Cook Ohio State 6-5 Freshman Javaris Crittenton Georgia Tech 6-5 Freshman JamesOn Curry Oklahoma State 6-3 Junior Glen Davis LSU 6-9 Junior Kevin Durant Texas 6-9 Freshman Jeff Green Georgetown 6-9 Junior Taurean Green Florida 6-0 Junior Spencer Hawes Washington 7-0 Freshman Al Horford Florida 6-10 Junior Robert Earl Johnson Clinton JC (SC) 6-7 Freshman Kellen Lee Los Angeles City College 6-11 Sophomore Dominic McGuire Fresno State 6-8 Junior Josh McRoberts Duke 6-10 Sophomore Joakim Noah Florida 6-11 Junior Greg Oden Ohio State 7-0 Freshman Kendaris Pelton Southern Mississippi 6-6 Junior Gabe Pruitt Southern California 6-4 Junior Ramon Sessions Nevada 6-3 Junior Jason Smith Colorado State 7-0 Junior Rodney Stuckey Eastern Washington 6-5 Sophomore Marcus Williams Arizona 6-7 Sophomore Sean Williams Boston College 6-10 Junior Brandan Wright North Carolina 6-9 Freshman Julian Wright Kansas 6-8 Sophomore Nick Young Southern California 6-6 Junior Thaddeus Young Georgia Tech 6-8 Freshman The list of international players who remain candidates: Player Team/Country* Height Status Ralfi Silva Ansaloni Praia Club (Brazil) 7-0 1987 DOB Stanko Barac Siroki (Bosnia) 7-2 1986 DOB Marco Belinelli Climamio Bologna (Italy) 6-5 1986 DOB Kyrylo Fesenko Cherkasy (Ukraine) 7-0 1986 DOB Petteri Koponen Honka (Finland) 6-4 1988 DOB Yi Jianlian Guandong Southern Tigers (China) 6-11 1987 DOB

Injury concerns about Oden Likely No. 1 pick's medical reports being scrutinized Posted: Monday June 18, 2007 2:37PM; Updated: Monday June 18, 2007 3:35PM Greg Oden's agent, Billy Duffy, downplayed concerns about the 7-footer's wrist injury, characterizing it as typical predraft scrutiny. Teams will be taking a close look at the medical evaluations of the top picks leading up to the June 28 draft. They'll especially focus on likely No. 1 choice Greg Oden, Joakim Noah and Al Thornton, who have been flagged with preexisting injuries by NBA doctors. According to a team executive who has seen medical evaluations of a physical undergone by Oden three weeks ago at the NBA predraft camp in Orlando, the 7-foot center has a couple of worrisome issues. His right wrist has not regained full flexion after being broken last year, and he has a bulging disk in his back. The team executive noted that "big guys always seem to have bad backs.'' But he did express concern about Oden's wrist. "The people I talked to said it was pretty serious,'' the executive said. "Sometimes the wrist never comes back.'' I've also heard an unrelated rumor -- which did not show up in the Orlando physical -- that another team is expressing concern about the long-term health of Oden's knees. "We haven't heard anything about his knee,'' said agent Bill Duffy, who represents Oden in association with Mike Conley Sr. "One thing we are aware of is that his hip alignment is off. One of his legs is longer than the other, but he's obviously had that for a long time.'' Oden's wrist is continuing to improve, said Duffy, who writes off the medical concerns as typical predraft scrutiny. "Every player in the league has something,'' Duffy said. "It's just the nature of our business that nobody is ever 100 percent. A doctor told me that you could scope every NBA player's knees and they'd all be in much worse shape than the knees of regular people who aren't in the league. "If people are that concerned [about Oden's health] that they don't want to draft him,'' Duffy warned with a laugh, "they'd better have a long-term contract.'' In other words, he doesn't expect these issues to sway Portland GM Kevin Pritchard from picking Oden No. 1. Two other lottery picks are entering the draft with preexisting conditions. Florida State's Thornton, who may be chosen in the top 10, has a wrist injury that may require surgery this summer, according to the team executive. But Duffy, who also represents Thornton, denies that the injury will require an operation. "That hasn't been determined,'' Duffy said. "I'm not convinced he's going to need surgery.'' The other injury involves Florida's Noah, who may go as high as No. 3 to Atlanta. Noah enters the draft with a "very slight tear'' of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, according to his agent, Donald Dell. "This is not a torn rotator cuff,'' Dell emphasized. "If it was torn, he would have undergone surgery.'' Dell said NBA people have called coach Billy Donovan to ask about Noah's injury. "Here's the story,'' Dell said. "Noah's shoulder hurt him a couple of times in the NCAA tournament, but he played in the last three games with it. They did an MRI two or three days after the season, which showed a very slight tear. The issue then was, Do we do anything about it? Both of his doctors in Florida and New York said the tear is so small that he should rehab it.'' Noah performed 12 repetitions of a 185-pound bench press at the predraft camp last month, according to Dell. "Then he stopped,'' Dell said, "because he didn't want to hurt his shoulder.'' (By comparison, Kevin Durant was unable to complete one such rep.) Extensive rehab has improved Noah's shoulder up to 85-90 percent, said Dell, who predicts that Noah will be back to normal by the end of the month. Noah has worked out for five teams, with Sacramento -- which holds the No. 10 pick -- hoping to see him a second time. "If it was torn, I wouldn't be sending him all over the place to work out,'' Dell said. "When he's shooting and rebounding, he's fine. The only time it bothers him is when he goes straight up for a high rebound. In that case he can only extend 90 percent. But we think in two weeks he'll be 100 percent.''

Quote: I realize this post was all in good fun, but I feel the need to stand up for Martell Webster. I compared his first two years to Kobe and McGrady and the first year, they were all around 7 ppg. The second year, Kobe jumped to 15, McGrady to only 9, and Webster stayed at 7. So not quite as good, but comparable. Year 3 should be a big jump if he is going to prove his worth. One other comparison would be Shelden, who averaged 1.5 ppg less than Webster. Granted he was a rookie, but he spent 4 years at Duke, whereas Webster would have only been a Sophmore this past year. Interesting that he would not be considered a bust, but Webster would be. I hope that you're right!!!!

It's a numbers game Sunday, June 17, 2007 BY BRIAN HENDRICKSON The billboard stares at drivers headed west into Portland on I-84. "Oden, honk once," half the sign says. "Durant, honk twice," urges the other. The Portland Trail Blazers' marketing campaign fuels the debate over who the team should select with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on June 28, but it also illustrates the division on the issue. A month of arguing has only produced an unending wail of honks for each side on radio shows and in the media, with no consensus near. On one end is Ohio State's powerful center Greg Oden, who at age 19 is already worshiped as a legend on the hallowed courts in his home state of Indiana. At the other is Texas' Kevin Durant, a superstar-in-waiting whom some believe will revolutionize the game. Each camp will argue passionately for their favorite. And each will say the Blazers would be foolish to pass on either. Honk once for Oden - if only the decision could be that simple. But Kevin Pritchard believes he has the formula that will produce a straightforward solution. And it won't rely on emotional opinions, debates or honking horns to uncover the answer. No, the Blazers general manager's approach will delve deeper, breaking the issue down into its unbiased components. The numbers. Pritchard's formula, which he guards with a thick veil of secrecy, is an algorithm designed by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-educated whiz. And he believes so highly in its application - and is so concerned about other teams getting it - that Pritchard will only discuss the method and its results in generic terms. But the potential of the technique Pritchard terms "quantitative analysis" excites him as he prepares to use the formula in a draft for the third consecutive year. "It's been right on with some guys that we wouldn't normally have picked," said Pritchard, who offered no details. "I feel comfortable with it, and it's going to become a bigger part of our evaluation process." Beating bias To understand why quantitative analysis gets Pritchard so excited, first understand the unavoidable limitations of traditional methods. For nearly as long as there has been professional basketball, teams have relied on swarms of scouts to research prospects and offer opinions on which players a team should draft. Those scouts fly to all areas of the country and watch dozens of games in person in addition to hundreds on film, during which they sort out what they feel are the strengths and weaknesses of players the team has targeted. But Pritchard feels human nature limits the success rate of traditional scouting methods because the data is contaminated with individual opinions and proclivities. The scout's preferred style of play could factor into their evaluation, or perhaps they'll watch a prospect on an off night and have their perceptions tainted. For instance, if a scout who prefers a system that runs through a strong post presence were to watch Oden and Durant, they may see greater benefits to taking Oden, with his powerful 7-foot frame, and limitations with Durant, a wiry wing player. Those biases make traditional methods a subjective analysis, and sports history is littered with examples of talent miscalculations (Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown) and overlooked warning signs (Sam Bowie's injuries). That's what Pritchard sought to eradicate through the use of mathematics: A bias-free analysis that the team could use to counterbalance its live scouting. A new approach Pritchard first learned of the concept after reading a pair of books. The first, "Moneyball," chronicled Oakland Athletics vice president and general manager Billy Beane's use of mathematical analysis to identify the best talents available at the salaries the small-market team could afford. Anchored around Beane's revolutionary approach, the A's have advanced to the postseason four times since 1998 and have had players win the AL MVP award (twice), AL Rookie of the Year (twice) and a Cy Young Award. The other book, "Bringing Down the House," told the story of a group of six MIT students who used mathematics to develop a system that would allow them to efficiently - and very successfully - count cards at a blackjack table to maximize their bets. The group earned millions of dollars in winnings from that strategy and caused casinos across the country to develop extreme tactics to guard against card counting. Pritchard turned to a member of that MIT group, Jeff Ma, after deciding to further pursue a mathematical approach to scouting. Ma had recently co-founded a new fantasy sports company, Protrade, whose foundation was based on mathematical principles similar to those chronicled in "Moneyball." With Protrade consulting with the Blazers, algorithms were developed which could predict a prospect's likelihood of success. The process gathered readily available statistics - such as a player's age, height, weight, scoring and rebounding averages, and other numbers applicable to their position - crunched them through the algorithm to measure their perceived chance of success by their third season and ranked the results. Those figures would then be used to complement reports from the Blazers' scouts to form the complete analysis. Pritchard and Ma are quick to point out that the system is not foolproof, though, and its findings will raise some eyebrows amongst casual fans. For instance, Memphis point guard Kyle Lowry, selected with the 24th pick, was Protrade's top-ranked player in last year's draft, while Portland's all-rookie forward LaMarcus Aldridge - taken with the second pick - ranked 22nd. But the algorithm successfully identified Utah's all-rookie forward Paul Millsap - drafted 47th, but ranked sixth by Protrade - as an undervalued prospect. So while the system isn't an end-all solution, it gives the Blazers added information that can improve their decision making. It can lead them to reevaluate a well-regarded player whom Protrade ranked low, or look deeper into an overlooked prospect who rated favorably. "I think that there's points and places where the numbers are going to lie, and there are places where your eyes are going to lie," Ma said. "So the beauty of using both of these is you get into a situation where you have all your bases covered. Essentially what we've tried to do is provide a situation where they get a lot of opportunity to sort of see, to get as much information as you can." Putting it in play The first draft was considered a test: Only 1 percent of decisions were based on Protrade's analysis, Pritchard said. But that 2005 draft produced Jarrett Jack, who became the Blazers' starting point guard last season. Pritchard won't reveal how much the system has affected their decisions since, but last year's draft - with Protrade's algorithm playing a larger role - has been widely hailed as the most successful in franchise history. Brandon Roy and Aldridge were named to the All-Rookie First Team after being selected among the top six picks, while point guard Sergio Rodriguez - acquired late in the first round - quickly gained notoriety as a rising talent. But there was another key decision in that draft: The Blazers elected not to select Adam Morrison, a regional favorite from Gonzaga, after acquiring the No. 2 pick in a trade with Chicago. Fans had rallied outside the Blazers' practice facility to express support for drafting Morrison, while analysts compared his game to that of Hall of Famer Larry Bird. The hype put the Blazers under pressure to take him. But Protrade's algorithm? Ma said it projected Morrison as a late first-round selection at best. "We didn't really like Morrison," Ma said. Perhaps the Blazers still would have passed on Morrison without the algorithm's input - though he went on to an all-rookie season in Charlotte and justified his lottery selection. But the contrasting viewpoints illustrate what Pritchard believes is the system's greatest benefit: It can raise a warning flag about a potentially poor decision, or identify a player they may have otherwise overlooked. "It always makes me reevaluate where we are," Pritchard said. "There are certain things that can't be measured. You can't figure out determination without looking in someone's eyes. I'm not saying this is foolproof. It's just about helping us steer away or towards someone to look at a deeper level." A growing trend Other NBA teams are now recognizing the benefits as well. New Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has initiated similar work with quantitative analysis. San Antonio was beginning development of its own system when Pritchard left the Spurs in 2004 to join the Blazers as director of player personnel. And Ma said he has heard of several other teams experimenting with the concept. But Tom Penn, who started last month as the Blazers' assistant general manager and was recently introduced to Portland's system, said the Blazers' approach is groundbreaking. "The group here is definitely pushing the envelope," said Penn, Memphis' assistant general manager for the last seven years. "What I've seen is raw data, if filtered properly, doesn't lie." But the true test has yet to be performed. The last two drafts may have produced encouraging talents, but they're hardly comparable to the expectations being placed on this year's decision. Some believe the choice is a toss-up. Oden's size, athleticism and strength inside appear to hold the ingredients of a champion. But Durant's passion, athleticism and offensive skills are unique, electrifying and impossible to dismiss. The debate over who Portland should pick has raged for nearly a month among fans and in the media. The sides are starkly divided. So there's the test: Can math answer a question that emotions, opinions and honking horns struggle to solve? "Sure," Pritchard deadpans, revealing no cards. "Why not?" And there Pritchard lets the question hang, preferring to let this numbers game play out in secret. Protrade's Top 10 The players in the 2006 NBA Draft that the Trail Blazers' draft consultant mathematically concluded had the greatest perceived chance of success by their third season. Rank, Player Draft Position Drafted by Notable 1. Kyle Lowry 24 Memphis Played in only 10 games after breaking wrist in November. 2. Tyrus Thomas 4 Portland* Averaged 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 72 games. 3. Rajon Rondo 21 Boston Second among rookies with average of 3.8 assists. 4. Mardy Collins 29 New York Averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 52 games. 5. Brandon Roy 6 Minnesota** Named Rookie of the Year; started 55 of 57 games played. 6. Paul Millsap 47 Utah Voted to NBA's All-Rookie Second Team. 7. Shelden Williams 5 Atlanta Led all rookies in rebounding with 5.4 per game. 8. Cedric Simmons 15 New Orleans Averaged 2.9 points in 43 games. 9. Daniel Gibson 42 Cleveland Averaged 13.5 points in Eastern Conference Finals. 10. Shawne Williams 17 Indiana Averaged 3.9 points and shot 47 percent from the field in 46 games. * Traded to Chicago for No. 2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge (ranked 22nd by Protrade) ** Traded to Portland for No. 7 pick Randy Foye."

beav, I don't live there, so forgive the presumption about the locals... but at a national level, I recall no one really knowing what to make of O'Neal... he hadn't ascended to the heights that had been projected/expected... that's self-evident, in view of the trade. But, taking your assertion for granted, those Blazer fans who felt that way deserve/deserved some applause... and their attitude should say something to Bynum's critics here. Jermaine put on about 15-20 lbs of muscle that first year after the trade and finally had a team/coach believe in him and give him playing time. It pisses me off to this day that dunleavy did that. He set the portland franchise back 5 years by not playing Oneal and keeping him happy. Dunleavy is a good coach for the most part but a stubborn a$$hole.

"Reminds me of what Blazer fans felt about JO, just before Donnie Walsh stole him for two spare parts. " You must have been speaking to a whole different sub-set of portland fans than I know in this city. I do not know one single person that was not disappointed with that trade. The most optimistic fans were saying that maybe Dale Davis would be the player to put us over the top(and BTW I would have hardly called him a spare part as he made the all start team a year or so before), but hated losing jermaine. It was not uncommon knowledge that Jermaine was in dunleavy's doghouse (and also happened to play pf behind rasheed wallace and brian grant), and everybody wanted to see more of him.

I do know for a fact that prior to the lottery drawing, pritchard was rumored to be exploring everything that he could to trade up for Durant. Now I do expect them to draft Oden, but instead of being 99% sure before, I'm more like 97.5%. Cool move; hot topic Posted by Jason Quick June 16, 2007 00:02AM Pretty cool idea being executed by the Trail Blazers next week when Greg Oden and Kevin Durant come to Portland for interviews and workouts. When Oden gets off the plane on Tuesday night, the first Blazers representatives to meet him will be none other than Blazers rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Same thing on Thursday night, when Durant arrives. "I think it's cool, too,'' Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "It's the right thing to do. I think it's going to help, because they can identify with them and they can kind of break the ice about who we (McMillan and Pritchard) are.'' McMillan said he was prepared to present the idea, but came to the Blazers practice facility and realized that general manager Kevin Pritchard had already taken action, writing Roy and Aldridge's airport meeting in on the itinerary. In Sunday's editions of The Oregonian, I get deeper into the debate that is rustling behind closed doors of the Blazers between Oden and Durant. You might be surprised to find that Oden doesn't appear to be the clear-cut choice among the Blazers evaluators. Even though many have conceded the Blazers drafting Oden with the No. 1 pick, Pritchard shot down the notion on Friday. He was adamant that anybody who feels Oden is the sure-fire pick should watch Durant's March 3 game during which he scored 25 first-half points against Kansas. One week later, in the Big 12 championship game, Durant had 37 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks against Kansas. In the article, Pritchard labels himself as "a risk taker" who is "not afraid to go against the current.'' My sense is that Pritchard is sending smoke screens. But I have always said this: during the winter, when Pritchard and I would talk in passing before Blazers games, he would always rave about Durant. And shortly after the Blazers won the draft lottery, Pritchard admitted that his scouting staff would probably concur that he was leaning toward Durant. This much is known: McMillan likes both players, but is clearly leaning toward Oden. Also, Pritchard loves Durant, but is also enamored with the potential of an Aldridge-Oden frontline that would evoke memories of the Spurs title tandem of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Another nugget: Pritchard says that Roy and Aldridge are leaning toward favoring different players. Which ones? Who knows. "So, the debate starts all over again,'' Pritchard said. If you don't already sense it, the next week is a huge event in Blazers history. It is, if you believe Pritchard, the week when the Blazers make one of the biggest decisions in franchise history as these two franchise-changing players audition for the No. 1 pick. Oden. Durant. What is Pritchard thinking? Read Sunday for a snapshot into his mindset. --Quick

Quote: Quote: some of you guys eat this schtick up like you haven't heard it before and like the speck of a kernal or possible truth in each half-ass CYA attempt isn't for your sorry consumption to be spread like an STD across cyberspace. W [/indent] Very....ummm... descriptive! LOL!

Probably won't shake the eastern conference to it's foundations though! Pistons send Delfino to Raptors for a couple of out-year 2nd round picks… “..The Detroit Pistons traded guard Carlos Delfino to the Toronto Raptors Friday for second-round picks in both the 2009 and 2010 NBA draft. “We appreciate everything Carlos did for us while he was here and we wish him all the best with Toronto,” said Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars. Delfino, an Argentina native who was drafted 25th overall by Detroit in 2003, averaged 4.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 180 games with the Pistons. During the 2006-07 regular season, the 6-foot-6-inch guard averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 16.8 minutes while appearing in all 82 regular-season games. He played in all 16 of Detroit’s playoff games, averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.4 minutes….”

Quote: Or they talked to us, think BK was being unreasonable with his trade offers, and now are looking for possible draft night trades if we pass on Yi? Yeah and it may have happened before with BK's demands! Rumor has it that Qwest Communications received the fastest hung up phone call in their history when pritchard asked him about the number 3 pick. LOL!

Quote: If L.A. offered Kobe for the pick they would have had to take back some pretty big contracts like Zack Randolph and someone else like Darius Miles. I don't know, having Kobe over Randolph/Oden? Yes kobe's contract would have definitely forced something along those lines...I think that randolph and miles salary would just about cover it (plus some filler from lakers)... No two ways about it Kobe is one of the top 3 players in the game, and I think that most teams with the number one pick would have to strongly consider it. However Portland is one of the exceptions given Kobe's past stayovers in Colorado. The blazers are not going to take a chance on anyone with any sort of past negative baggage(whether someone was convicted or otherwise). That and the fact that there is only one franchise that portlanders truly hate (lakers...we merely dislike the jazz). They're one jailblazer away from having a clean start from the whitsitt era(I think that it is quite likely that miles will retire...blazers mgt is trying hard to talk him into it)

Quote: Quote: After the sam bowie debacle no way does portland trade the number one pick. There is confirmation that they have already been offered two western conference perennial all stars for the pick and immediately said no and that the pick is off the table. Like I said, I know it's ridiculous to even suggest it, but I thought it would be fun banter for us to talk about. Just to clarify, you're not saying a team offered 2 All-Stars for the pick are you? I'm guessing you're saying 2 teams each offered an All-Star for the pick, right? Yeah two different teams offered a perennial all star each for the pick. I'm guessing one may have been Kobe.

After the sam bowie debacle no way does portland trade the number one pick. There is confirmation that they have already been offered two western conference perennial all stars for the pick and immediately said no and that the pick is off the table.

Quote: If we trade Shelden for Haywood I will walk to Atlanta from Houston just so I am extra pissed off from the walk to kick BKs ass. There is absolutely no way we are seriously considering this, are we? What has Haywood ever done other than be 7' tall? He's not afraid to mix it up with other centers....unfortunately the other center is Etan Thomas...

Quote: I wouldn't touch MCJ for 3 reasons. I haven't seen him enough without top guys around him. 2. He's small. 3. He can't shoot. But other than that he's pretty solid right? LOL!

Hell no and no freaking way to 1 and 2 respectively.

Quote: Those "chronic injuries" haven't kept him from playing either 82 or 79 games a season for 4 out of his last 6 seasons. He had one broken foot, a freak injury, and one season where he had a nagging foot injury. In between that was a healthy season, just like last year would have been healthy if he had not broken his foot. Nothing in your post pointed to a degenerative condition in his left foot. Hey you say tomato I say tomato, some people look at the last 3 years some look at 4 out of 6. Some people see chronic foot problems some don't. My point is I would look at trading for the the guy still (without giving up the farm) but foot problems and back give me worry particularly when they've flared up 2 out of the last 3 years. The point is I am not a doctor (and I think may only one or two people here are) and these are boiling down to opinions. My purpose is not to say that you are wrong, but a reaction to your headline of debunking a myth. They are two differing opinions.

Quote: A broken foot is a freak injury. There is nothing degenerative about his foot. And exodus you can't realistically hold him accountable for his defense on a team that was flat out tanking the entire season once they fired Fratello. While Memphis has less talent than it did last season, it might actually have a better team. Instead of dividing minutes and touches among ten guys, the Grizz figure to revolve around their star, Pau Gasol. The long rotation employed by Hubie Brown, and then Mike Fratello, has hampered the 25 year-old's development and helped create the misperception that he's soft and passive. Contrary to the stereotype of seven-foot Europeans, Gasol invites contact in the post. And it's not that he's proven an unable go-to guy; rather, he hasn't been asked to be one. Last year, he played only 32 minutes and took 12.4 shots a game. Expect both those numbers to rise this season. Will Gasol excel in his new role? I'm not sure, but even if he doesn't, look for his statistical production to increase. Gasol has always been an efficient scorer. Last season, he scored 1.44 points per field goal attempt--besting franchise forwards like Tim Duncan (1.28), Kevin Garnett (1.33), and Dirk Nowitzki (1.41). Given 18 shots a game--a distinct possibility considering how many attempts Wells, Swift, and Williams have left on the table--Gasol could become a 25-point scorer and eclipse a 1.000 KF Average* for the first time in his career. *****The biggest concern surrounding Gasol is the plantar fascitis that limited him to 56 games last season. Foot problems, like back problems, tend to linger. Still, Gasol is a late first-round pick with the potential to out-perform a number of players who will be drafted before him.***** -Doug 9/4/2005 Grizzlies Preview, Kentucky Fried Thanks to chronic foot problems, Gasol spent extended time on the injured list and saw his KFAvg decline from the previous season for the first time in his career. Despite being the Grizzlies primary offensive option and making 51% of his shots (not to mention 77% of his free throws), Gasol only had 12.4 field goal attempts a game. This led to a mediocre 17.8 points. Defensively, Gasol uses his long arms to his advantage; his 1.7 blocks per game were in line with his career average. Most NBA Rookie of the Year award winners don't see their minutes decline in each of the next three seasons, but so the story goes for the Gasol. During his third year, then-coach Hubie Brown implemented a ten-man rotation, which new head coach Mike Fratello has kept in place so far. Gasol does not suffer from chronic foul trouble or fatigue; however, his limited minutes have likely helped boost his averages over the last couple of seasons. If Fratello starts leaving Gasol on the floor for more extended minutes he could post something closer to a .900 than a .950. Gasol is still an injury risk for next season and will likely slip into the second round of the Kentucky Fried draft. 2006 Best Case: 82 Games, 32.0 Minutes, .960 KFAvg Worst Case: 39 Games, 27.3 Minutes, .890 KFAvg Projected: 75 Games, 34.6 Minutes, .924 KFAvg -Broham 7/04/2005 The Disasterous Draft Class of 2001

Quote: In six years Gasol has played every game of the season or virtually every game of the year except for two seasons. He had a broken foot last year from playing in the world championships for his national team that cost him about thirty games or so this past season. I do not know how it got started on here but people are incorrectly tabbing Gasol as some kind of injury prone big man. This is simply not true. He had one freak injury, a clean break, that was healed and he came back last year and played at his normal high level. Look at the following link to verify: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/pau_gasol/career_stats.html I made a post a few days ago to the effect that Gasol has averaged 65 games a year for the last 3 seasons. I didn't imply that was a reason to not trade for him, just that was my primary area of concern. I personally am considerably more concerned with an athlete's recent injury history as opposed to where they were say 6 years ago. For the number 3 pick and childress I'd trade for him in a minute...however I would not give up more than that. Jan 27, 2007: Missed 1 game (hamstring). Jan 26, 2007: Hamstring, day-to-day. Dec 15, 2006: Missed 22 games (left foot injury). Oct 30, 2006: Left foot injury, inactive list. Apr 23, 2006: Missed the last 2 games of the regular season (sore left foot). Apr 18, 2006: Sore left foot, day-to-day. Mar 20, 2005: Missed 23 games (left foot injury). Jan 25, 2005: Left foot injury, injured list. Nov 26, 2004: Missed 3 games (sprained right ankle). Nov 20, 2004: Sprained right ankle, day-to-day. Oct 1, 2004: Re-signed by the Memphis Grizzlies to a multi-year contract extension.

The biggest question I would have about Gasol is injury history. He has averaged 65 games played the last 3 years. I think that it is a very good trade for the Hawks for the number 3 Childress and filler. However throwing in the number 11 pick I would not do it...

Quote: BTW, with so few teams below the cap who is going to throw big bucks at Noc? The Bulls are in the catbird seat...unless the Bobcats REALLY want him. I doubt Noc leaves unless its a sign and trade. Given the frequency I've heard it mentioned, I do think it's likely that if randolph is not traded before July 1st he will go to CHI for a resigned Nocioni and filler....

Quote: Portland comes out of this with Odom and the 3rd pick? Great deal for them. Yeah PTL would make out pretty damn well with that. However my guess is that Randolph most likely ends up in (in order) 1. DET 2. CHI 3. NJ

Quote: let's be careful on just HOW light blue we go. I do not by any means want to look like the Denver Nuggets and their IT'S A BOY! colored uniform. Nice one!

Quote: Are you the real Theodore Cleaver? Good to have you on the other side of the country giving us the scoop. LOL! Naah just a wanna-be Theodore Cleaver. The really ironic thing is that I'm more of a Ducks fan than a Beavers fan. I actually grew up a hawks fan and used to live in ATL, have been out here about 10 years though and learned to love the Blazers too.