Millsap Signs Offer Sheet
posted: 7/10/2009 at 10:20 PM
It should be an interesting seven days. That's how long the Utah Jazz have to make some tough decisions.
After vowing to match any offer placed before restricted-free agent Paul Millsap, most likely in an attempt to discourage any offers, the Jazz now have to decide a lot about their future direction in just a week's time.
Friday night, exactly one week after learning Hedo Turkoglu had changed his mind and decided to go to Toronto, the Trail Blazers announced they have signed Millsap to an offer sheet. Per team policy, they didn't disclose the terms of the offer. And, in this case, more important than the total offer, whatever that is, is likely the structure of the offer that could cause the Jazz headaches as they decide what to do.
ESPN says the deal likely includes a "hefty" signing bonus, which means the contract is front-loaded, making Utah's tax burden much more significant in the near future, if they match.
What put this all in motion, besides Turkoglu's change of heart, was Carlos Boozer's decision not to opt out of his current deal. Utah was hoping he would. It would have saved them all of this trouble.
With Boozer electing to stay in Utah, the Jazz were very much hoping teams would stay away from putting them in this position to have to decide whether or not to match an offer to Millsap, the man they reportedly want to anchor their front line into the future. Reports out of Salt Lake City have been claiming the Jazz have already told Boozer he's not part of their future. Now, they're in a very tough spot. Be true to their vow and match Portland's offer, and get deep into the dreaded luxury-tax territory, or cut bait, save a ton of money, and allow Millsap to move to a division rival.
Reportedly, the Jazz have been searching for willing trade partners to help rid themselves of Boozer's big contract. ESPN, The Oregonian, and others, have reported for days that only a couple of teams could possibly work for them to successfully do this. Portland is one of the teams reported to be on their list of would-be partners. Of course, we've heard nothing from the Blazers executive team to indicate whether or not this is truly the case.
The report from ESPN says this: "The Blazers, meanwhile, are still hoping to land a top-quality player this summer without surrendering any coveted assets, as evidenced by their unwillingness to part with Bayless in trade talks with the Bulls and Jazz. So they've elected to use their salary-cap space on Millsap knowing they'll be right back where they were in the event Utah matches -- trying to land Hinrich or a player of similar stature in a trade featuring three teams or more."
So, in short, the report is suggesting that the Blazers really didn't have anything to lose, and had a lot to gain by doing this. Best case, they land one of the premier, young big men in the Western Conference, and fill a need for a physical, rebounding power forward they've desired. Worst case, Utah matches, but still needs a willing trade partner to help them move Boozer, who many in Utah say, has played his last game in a Jazz uniform.
Again, the only two teams with the cap space to absorb a lopsided deal, possibly involving Boozer, are Oklahoma City, thought to be finished adding parts for now, and Portland. However, this doesn't mean that Utah couldn't make a deal that didn't involve one of those teams. If they choose to match, and work a trade with someone else for Boozer, they'd only slightly reduce the amount of tax owed, as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.
One other interesting scenario was mentioned by that paper late Friday night. It implies that while being very interested in Millsap, the offer sheet could also be used to simply force the hand of the Jazz to make a different trade that favors Portland.
The report says, "The offer sheet to Millsap could be rescinded by agreement of the teams and player, raising the possibility that the Jazz could trade Boozer in a deal that delivers Portland a player of interest, then allowing the Jazz to re-sign Millsap for similar terms."
So, in other words, Portland appears to be in a very good position of strength, no matter if this is simply to sign Millsap, or possibly to force Utah's hand in helping it land another player it has its eye on.
Millsap is a great story. He led the NCAA in rebounding three consecutive years while at Louisiana Tech, but fell into the second round of the draft. He's coming off a season where he started 38 games for the Jazz, and in those contests averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds, including a streak of 19-straight double-doubles after Boozer was lost to a knee injury.
This is a situation Utah likely feared, but knew was possible, after Boozer decided not to opt out. Now, the ball is totally in their court, and the future of both team's front lines hangs in the balance.
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I don't really understand this in the event Utah doesn't match and we end up with Millsap. While I think he's a great young player, 8 million for a backup is a lot isn't it? And where are the minutes gonna come from. And didn't we pass on a guy like that in this draft, I think his name was Dejuan Blair?
I do like the thought they did this to force the Jazz's hand. Let's just hope it forces their hand into handing us a player on a platter.
This would be really good for the blazers if they are able to sign him. A great number two for the power forward position which is something that we need. I hope Utah isn't able to sign him, but if they do it should put the blazers in a position to acquire a different quality player. Glad the turk deal didn't go through, this seems like a better opportunity for the blazers.
Who the hell cares about Milsap! KP is flushing all his good will right down the toilet bye messing with ROY! You think the cavs would hesitate to throw the max at lebron or the heat would hesitate to throw the max at wade? What the hell is KP doing? There is nothing to negotiate here. Give him his 5 years and get out of your own way. This is a complete joke and the blazers should be ashamed of themselves. Funny how you don't mention any of this in your blog, company man.
I think the Blazers are using this offer sheet to land another player they covet. Although Millsap would be a nice addition, a banger the Blazers need, I don't see him as a back up PF, which is what he would be in Portland for the next four years. Unlike Sheed backing up Garnett, Millsap is young and still getting better, where is Nate gonna find enough minutes for both LA and Millsap.
Oden needs to become that tough interior presence that Millsap is known for.
After it's all said and done I think that Hinrich will be wearing a Blazer uniform. If this turns out to be the case, I think this offseason will have been a success. The young nucleus stayed in tact and we got much stronger at the PG position. (Hinrich for Rodriguez, it's not even close!)
hey mike its kind of hard for me to get exited about the millsap offer sheet with the things ive been reading and hearing about the contract negotiations with brandon it doesnt sound like it is going as smoothly as it should out of all our players his extension should be a no brainer. i know your probly on a short leash on such topics but any light you could shed on the matter would be nice.
I say do what you can to get Millsap here, but first lets get Roy and LA signed. Sign them both in the next six days.
I'm feeling a little excited on the one hand, and on the other equally sad. Sign Roy and LA to their contracts and don't upset the balance of this team.
I'm having a hard time with this one. Whom ever is responsible for the stalling of this needs to be let go.
The Fans are finally back at a place where they are trusting management to make the right decisions.
What we see now is the ugly head of VOLCAN rising from the ashes of their disfunction.
If things go wrong on this one and for some reason Roy or LA decide they are just going to play this contract out and move on, VOLCAN will have once again SET THE TEAM BACK.
If we are trying to make it through the time window lets rise to it.
As a Treker and in the language of my creed! VOGH'NISHCA
Translated: GET IT DONE!!!!
P.S. KP we all know this is not your doing!
I'd be perfectly fine and happy with signing Millsap. I think he's a great rebounder and could be what this team needs strength wise and could really help with the PF spot. Looks like the Blazers are making a great move regardless.
Mike:
Thank you for the a good blog and good speculation.
The ball being in Utah's hands is mostly true, but the team we have is good enough, so we don't need to do anymore.
If Utah matches our offer sheet, than we have lost nothing but hope. There are lots of back-up pf that we can draft.
We will know soon how good Pendergraph or Cunningham is. There may not be any reason to find another.
It is a possibility that Mills breaking his foot that we may need another third string pg.
Of course many would like to get Hinrich; I am just not one of them. So here is hoping that Utah doesn't match, because Millsap willingness to back LMA is a terrific replacement for Frye.
Frye may have come out smelling like a rose with going back to the land of the sun and re-establishing his roots.
hg
I think that this will be a good pick-up for the Blazers. He is a huge inside presence, powerful and dominant at the 4 spot. Although small in size he is big in strength and athleticism department. Even if we don't get him, we'll have a lot of lopsided options in our favor, such as Kirk Hinrich and Carlos Boozer. I think MB put it right on the spot.
GO BLAZERS!!!
-Ethan Z.
Cali Blazer:
In order for us to get Hinrich, we would have to give up Bayless. KP said "It ain't going to happen" that was in the rumor of the three way trade.
Millsap said he would be fine backing up LMA. In two or three years if he develops and changes his mind, he becomes an asset and good trading value.
hg
to Allen and all other doubters. this is a chess match, and KP and crew, has put utah in Check. Utah has stated they want Millsap for the future, this may force an unbalanced trade, that will prove even a better move. or even if we do get millsap, that will be a great move and for those who thinks we are giving to much think of this. Utah has the right to match the offer or go higher, KP and crew do not want that to happen, ergo the hight contract.
as for signing Broy and LMA, it will happen, NBA is a business, and as so often happens, talks stall.
everyone knows that BRoy is the Blazersso have faith.
it just irritates me that so many people are SOOOOO short sighted, and it does not even take a chess master to understand these things, all you have to do is look over the WHOLE board, that way you will see some things you would not have seen without looking at the whole board.
meaning of that, look at the big picture. (i feel i had to explain that hehehehe)
First of all, everyone needs to step away from the shower rod, put down the rope, and take a deep breath. There is no way that the Blazers will ever let Brandon, or for that matter, LaMarcus, get away from them. This is all just the business end of professional sports that tends to leave a bad taste in the mouths of us rabid fans. It will be O.K., though, trust me. The organization is well aware of where this team was five years ago and how disenchanted we all were. They won't let it happen again anytime soon.
As for the Millsap offer, I love it. KP is back on his game. If it goes through we get exactly what we need, a tough, reliable defender and rebounder who can also score. If it doesn't we've effectively put the screws to a division rival, forcing them into a precarious position of necessity. It's in times of desperation that we tend to act hastily and I believe Utah will be forced to help strengthen our roster in an attempt to save their own. Nice work, KP.
RIPCITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hg:
Portland is not going to have to give up Bayless in order to get Hinrich. Once Utah matches Portland's offer sheet for Millsap, they will have to trade Boozer. And if Chicago and Utah really want to make a trade, they will have to either get OKC or Portland involved. That gives the Blazers the upper hand in trading negotiations, which means we get Hinrich probably for Outlaw.
And what don't you like about Hinrich? He's a team player, he's tough,he can shoot, he would fit right in with this team. He's a better version of Blake.
First of all,everybody calm down.There is no way KP is going to let his franchise player be disrespected .No way. Secondly,this signing is very interesting to me. Think about it.KP is pushing Utahs hand in th e three way deal with the Bulls,Portland and Utah.They want us to throw in Bayless. KP says no way will he trade Bayless.So this way we could give up Outlaw or Blakeor who knows.But it puts Utah over a barrel.Ilove it .It's a win/win.We either get Hinrich for not much or we sign a great backup in Milsap.KP never ceases to amaze me
While thats all fine and good.....Millsap would be a very nice addition.......ITS ALL BEING OVERSHADOWED BY THE ROY DEBACLE .......NOW ESPN IS REPORTING THIS STORY ITS ALL OVER THE WIRE.......BRANDON HAS BEEN ON SEATTLE RADIO TALKING ABOUT IT..... Im sure blazers have some reason behind their stance financial, flexibility whatever the hell, it DOESN"T MATTER..............YOU GIVE ROY WHAT HE WANTS AND DESERVES........END OF STORY.....I don't care if he wants 15-years @ 250 mill....YOU SIGN HIM FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.......MR. ALLEN should even throw in one of his luxury yachts complete with submarines, and toss in one of his civilian space ships as well.......GET THE FLIPPIN PICTURE?
I think its evident that high profile free agents don't have and will never have Portland as one of their top choices..........SO when we have the chance to keep an all-star, all-NBA, MVP type player YOU MAKE DAMN SURE THAT YOU SIGN HIM FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE...........and while he's here you treat him with R-E-S-P-E-C-T.......
LOSING BRANDON IN ONE YEAR OR FOUR WOULD BE THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK....
I REALLY CANT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ENAN AN ISSUE......................................
Cali Blazer:
Report: Kirk Hinrich deal appears to be dead
Posted by OregonLive.com July 10, 2009 14:20PM
Categories: Trade rumors
The previously reported three-way deal involving the Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls is now dead, at least according to ESPN's Chris Broussard (Insider).
ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard updated the NBA's story of the day on the noon edition of Sportscenter by stating the proposed three-way trade between the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls centered around Carlos Boozer is dead. At least in its current incarnation.
Broussard quoted Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard as saying bluntly that it's "not going to happen," despite his team's strong desire to bring in G Kirk Hinrich from Chicago.
This was on the report that Chicago wanted Bayless or no deal. The Blazers are not going to trade Bayless so for now it is closed. And Chicago doesn't want the Boozer because of luxury tax.
hg
On the Roy and LMA contracts. Is it not possible that the Genius wants to get his acquisitions first before he signs those two just so he knows the best way to structure the deal for future cap reasons? Brandon will get max but until we get all our ducks in a row KP is not going to know whether to front load or back load. As far as ESPN reporting the story, big deal, just another example of media sh!t stirrers.
I read the transcript of the Roy interview, there is no danger of alienation here nor is there any disrespect towards Roy.
Again I am suggesting that before anyone tells the Genius he ought to be ashamed let things finish and then judge. Besides is there anything in the Genius' past that would lead you to believe that he is going to donkey it this time?
Does anyone here really want a different owner or GM?
ali Blazer:
It is not that I don't want Hinrich. I just like it like it is.
From all I have read there are pros and cons both ways, but the big thing everybody says even if Hinrich is little bit better it is not worth it for the extra cost. Besides Steve plays like the Blazers want him to play.
If we had Steve and Hinrich Bayless would not get much playing time. You apparently have little value for Travis Outlaw, but the Brass has lots of value, So they may not want to lose Outlaw either. I would lots rather go for a PF to replace Frye than change our rotation players for Hinrich. Besides that, it has been said if Mills can stay healthy he is more than able to replace Sergio.
I just don’t see the point. The grass will always look greener on the other side of the fence. To me it’s like trading Pawns. Of course this is all just IMO.
hg
Baddawg:
I agree with you on all accounts.
Maybe, no one listened or read KP statement. He said that LMA and BRoy were going to be Blazers for a long, long time. He was GM and the part of the team that got them and wasn't about to let them go. I don't know what is holding negotiations up.
KP said they had the same agent that Martell had so they were not strangers and the negotiations were amiable.
Why do people just hang on to one side of the story instead of reading it all, I have no idea. Well, I think Quick and Ganzano from Oregon-live may have something to do with it
hg
First of all everyone,calm down.B Roy will get paid .No way KP would ever let his francise player not get taken care of.Secondly.this offer sheet to Milsap is really smart.It forces Utah's hand in this 3-way trade with Portland,Chicago ,and Utah.Chicago wants Bayless , but KP says no way .This might force Utah to take Tim Thomas instead of Tyrus Thomas from Chicago.Either way its a win/win for us.KP is a genius.
The interest in Hinrich doesn't make sense. He has the same statistics as Blake yet he is scheduled to make almost $6 million more this year. I don't see him being worth it.
If we do end up with Millsap, at $8 million per year, LA and Brandon will have even stronger arguments for MAX salaries.
If the Blazers are going to contend it is going to cost them. But isn't that why we buy tickets?
KP just got wayyy put down on yahoo.com!!! it says he is the biggest loser of the summer...
we better sign roy. just give our star player, who wants to be in portland, what he wants. dont drag it out. show him the respect he deserves, and give him the contract he wants. we did for miles, and randolph, so why not roy and lamarcus. makes no sense to me. bad move on managements part. bad move big time. lets get this figured out, it really shouldnt be this hard.
i dont want to see another fiasco, like when we had wallace, bonzi, pippen, and others.
we just spent money to get big name players, who couldnt work together and did nothing but cause problems, and gave us a bad rap around the league. we have awesome young players, who have great character, and are great players.
lets let them grow together, and become a well tuned, well meshed, young team. we will win, a lot. all we need is patience, just another year or 2. and the free agent market is huge next year. so why make these moves, when its not necessary, just to make moves. its a bad idea. a really bad idea. also why give millsap, all this respect and money, why dangling, roys future with our team, over an extra year and some cash? what the hell is going on at one center court. if we screw this up, im putting my season tickets up for sale, and leaving my team of 25 years, and rooting for some other team. i would hate to do this, but i cant go through another failure like the early 2000s, which led to telfair, and miles and randolph.
bad bad bad.
good job hg well thought out and you did your homework. I like that! what i don't like is the bla bla bla i like Hinrich or whoever with no real fact or a logical answer. you now what i mean, people sound like this i like him i now hes a perfect fit because i said it. we all have opionions where all ways going to disagree but when you act intellegent it is alot more fun to get on the blog and compare thought or bounce ideas off different fans from all over the world. gh does a good job of this and i usually i agree with him so i don't get to pick on him but i enjoy reading his comment along with some of the other bloggers even if their not my opionion. this im right cause im right stuff has to go though. IT's alway fun go blazers
I'm glad the Hedo deal fell through and I also think that Blake is almost as good as Hinrich so unless you can do a straight trade it doesn't help us.
I really like the Millsap deal. He's a tough player down low and can also score. He fits perfectly into our teams "youth with experience" characteristic and you won't find a better PF for 8 mil.
All it takes is for LA to go down with an injury and KP will look like a genius. Not sure what that does with Jeff P though?
I've also noticed that in two different interviews where KP was mentioning key players on the team, he never mentioned Travis. I hope he doesn't plan to trade him unless he can get an elite PG which probably won't happen.
I think everyone is panicking over the Brandon and LA signings. They'll get it done...don't worry.
Roy and Aldridge will get their money but I do believe once our roster is set, we can use money to go over the cap and just pay a luxury tax on players that we already have.
Millsap would be a great player that we don't right now have one like, a good addition
Millsap is really good, but really where is he going to get the minutes. He'd be playing 20 at the most. Maybe it's part of a trade thing. But I heard this weird trade rumor on insidehoops and realgm, just google it with blazers rockets suns mavericks trade. Somehow we get shane battier and jason terry for outlaw blake and rudy:(
I hope we do get Millsap, but I think the Jazz will match the offer. I won't be to disappointed, I think we'll improve this year even if we don't do anything different, but there will be a lot more negative press if we don't get Millsap saying it's another failure on KP's part. Which is total bs, but just watch.
I'm not one bit worried about Roy and LA being sign. It's just a matter of time. I'm surprised by the amount of chicken littles running around saying the sky is falling! :)
Here's a good article with a little insight into the Roy negotiations:
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/7/11/945656/an-analysis-of-todays-events-roy
ec⋅lec⋅tic, [i-klek-tik]
1. selecting or choosing from various sources.
2. made up of what is selected from different sources.
e⋅lec⋅tric, [i-lek-trik]
1. pertaining to, derived from, produced by, or involving electricity: an electric shock.
2. producing, transmitting, or operated by electric currents: an electric bell; electric cord.
signed
eclecticspider lol
I was looking at the Jazz website to see what the fans thought about Millsap leaving. The majority of them think it would be best for the team to get him back. I think that if we sign Millsap it will be part of a bigger plan. I think KP has his eyes on a player, and only he knows who. Kind of like getting Bayless last year. Nobody knew that was who he wanted. I think KP has had a plan figured out since the beginning. As fans, we just have to ride along. In Kevin Pritchard we trust.
wow blazers believe you sound like a believer.
Millertime:
I thank you for the complement, I think. You said you didn't like the blah, blah, blah. I am not really sure what you mean. I am not sure which blog you are referring to or if you are referring to all of them. I do get diarrhea of the mouth or key board LOL.
I do say many things without offering proof. I usually debate and answer other blogs. Many of my thoughts are just opinions because My BBIQ solely comes from other bloggers.
If I remember right you are from Redmond and don't get to watch many games on TV. I am from Prineville and have the same problem.
That being said I don't actually get to watch the games to analyze for myself and KRCO doesn't always put the game on or it has so much interference I can't hear it. That is why I blah, blah, blah. I get my opinions from others.
If I am wrong about you being from Redmond I am going to feel stupid.
hg
Fine. Now give Roy his money and Aldridge too for that matter. Come on!!!!!!!!
Millertime:
On Hinrich, I don't know that much about him. I just like Steve. That is my opinion. I don't chop Steve or Hinrich. But if KP decided to sign him up I would support him 100%. Because regardless of my opinion the bottom line is I am a Blazer fan. Heck I even defended JR Ryder until I found no more defenses for him.
I don't think we will win the championship next year with Hinrich or Steve because the rest of the team is still maturing. Again that is just my opinion and I have no fact to back it up LOL.
Here I go again, blah, blah, blah.
hg
millertime;
see you got my brain working and my blah, blah, blah.
Another reason I want to keep our roster like it is because IMO, Rudy could be a pg and play as good as Hinrich and he is already on the payroll, and is experienced. Just not in the NBA. I read an article from one of his coaches that if we give him a chance to play he could very well be the best player that ever came over from the Euro league.
hg
why would we not offer lamar odom a countract. the lakers are only offering to pay him 7 million why would we not pay him eight instead off millsap... prichard and allen to to rethink this and get roy and lamarcus sighned before looking forward.
I was talking about most of your blogs post and i realize that everybody has an opinion but yours is thought out i guess what im saying is i respect your thoughs.
I am from kfalls and i don't get the blazer games but i get the nba pass every year which is about 170$(thanks comcast). what i meant with the bla bla is that people say things but they really don't know what their talking about. yes it is their opinion but they are wrong. like if someone was saying we should pick up miles again cause he is the best fit.wrong! good chat go blazers
OK,I stand corrected about my theory on the three way with Bulls and Utah.But,I still think a lot could still play out.Idon't for one minute think that KP wouldn't take care of B Roy.I mean, PLEEEEAAAASE.This is also been atricky year in free agency.If we don't get a big name, it would be unfortunate. But,Iwould still take this team to war against anybody,INCLUDING the Lakers.There's nobody from our nucleus that I would want to trade. A lot of moves are related to $.All the people bad mouthing KP are just drinkin the Hateraide,too.See ya in the playoffs.
eclecticspider? Man, I've had it wrong this whole time? It's so funny how one's brain can play tricks. Sorry for the many, many mistakes.
Stephen, thanks for the reply on the last thread. I admit that I get carried away in the off season. It's just been so long since I've seen a lot of these guys play(especially Martell) that I forget what their individual contributions are, and get caught up with trying to find the dream team. I, and all my trade hungry brethren, are just mixed up, and for good reason.
First, we see KP make a move towards a starting SF in Hedo, so we think; oh, maybe we do need a tested vet at the 3. Then all that buzz about Heinrick got rolling and we all though; oh, maybe we do need an upgrade at point. Now it's all about Milsap and we think; oh, maybe we do need a backup 4/5.
From there, we get into all the potential moves and next thing you know, the only people left of this fantastic team that did so well are Roy, LMA, Oden, Rudy, Batum and Bayless. That's quite a drastic lineup change, and I understand why it might have smacked of ingratitude. After all, we did very well with the lineup we've got(-Sergio & Frye).
However, there are problems with this team that must be addressed. Despite my adoration of Nash and Battier, I would love to see us clean up our problems in-house, but the reality remains that they must be cleaned up.
1. We must have a defined starting SF.
2. We must have a PG that can defend and penetrate.
3. We must have solid a solid bench player giving LMA some rest.
Problem #1 is solved in-house by a healthy, up-to-expectations Martell Webster. Problem #2 is taken care of by an improved Blake, and an up-to-expectations Jerryd Bayless. Problem #3 dissolves if Jeff and Dante step up. Like I said, this is the outcome I would be happiest with, but that doesn't change the fact that I would crap my pants if either of the players I named earlier were wearing our red and blacks.
So in this downtime, when so many are loosing their cool(put the pitchforks away, folks; Brandon Roy will get his moolah), I play connect-the-dots with my dream team. It doesn't make me, or the other trade-talkers, any less of fans, it just means that we're indulging our imaginations(I also use it as an opportunity to learn more about trade rules). And yes, hg, the grass always does look greener, but the reality is, sometimes it is greener and there's nothing wrong with looking.
While I have been referencing the others that have been talking trades, in the end I can only speak for myself, and yes, there are some nuts out there that want to take even more drastic step than I do. Some folks want to give up more than half the team, the Rose Garden, and the family dog for a shot at King James!
Glad to have cleared that up. In PDX I trust. Go Blazers.
In other news, I just saw some pics of Dante Cunningham during the summer league practices, and this guy looks like a real professional: eyes half-lidded, no emotion, just in it for the kill. If coach gives him any minutes, watch out!
Nobody has really been talking about the guy, but he might be the Batum of this season.
Go Blazers.
Eclecticspider;
I usually copy and paste your name because I am too lazy to write it. I have always called you electricspider I just thought it was a kinky nickname and I wasn't going to ask. Now, fivehundreddogs is different.
hg
fivehundreddogs;
Do you think Rudy could also help the pg. he is fast enough to stay in front of his man. maybe not big enough, but he can steal balls like crazy. My problem of course you know is hoping Nate will start playing these kids to their talent. For instance, I think Batuum doesn't only have the potential, I think it is there waiting to open the can.
A great blog my man.
I asked my wife what her vision was of fivehundreddogs, she said that is one hell of a lot of dog food. and poop to scoop LOL. I guess I will never guess.
hg
Thanks again Canzano for feeding your nonsense to Adrian Wojnarowski, your good buddy at Yahoo - so he could slander KP & the Blazer organization on a national level. Hope his piece of ^%& article makes you proud.
Sorry that no one else in the local Blazer media wants to comment on this crap.
Here's the Bulls coach thoughts on Hinrich:
"''He made such a huge impact for us with his leadership on and off the court. He's our best perimeter defender for sure, best defender overall, which is a huge factor. He has the versatility to help a young point guard develop. He also plays the two. We had him play the three a little bit last season due to our injuries. He guarded a lot of guys. He's a big positive for us. I expect him to have a great year.''"
I would love to see a really good defending PG on our team like it sounds he is.
I agree with the comments about rudy. on Hinrich he is good player but he would be an over payed blake. keep blake let bayless develope pick up a tough guy to back up LA. If we did get kirk i would back kp's play.
I understand now. I thank you again for your support.
I agree with you a lot. Sometimes I disagree, and lots of the time I just don't know one way or another.
I love good debates, but I don't like the player slamming rather it's ours or theirs.
Main thing we are all Blazer fans.
hg
Come on guys -- there isn't any Roy debacle! You think KP has suddenly taken leave of his senses? I'm sure he's already talked with both Roy and LaMarcus and all is cool.
If indeed the Milsap affair proves too hard for Utah to handle, if they really don't want to pay a large luxury tax, maybe KP can force them to give us either Milsap or Deron Williams. That would take care of the point for the next several years.
I just wanna know what KP is thinking give Brandon Roy what he wants!!! Please I would be very disappointed if we lose him..
I think we should just wait it out a while and see how things go and how players put up numbers then think about who we should sign..
I just don't wanna lose Brandon man.
there's an interesting wrinkle to having milsap potentially being on the team. if the front line is greg, lamarcus, milsap in crunch time against the lakers, this requires artest to stay with milsap instead of switching to roy. kobe could not switch off of roy to defend milsap as he could against batum/martell/outlaw. this is a great option for us. we might not have the power advantage, but it is at least a toss-up. paul doesn't give away size to ron-ron.
By the offer sheet sign by millsap Utah jazz are upset at the portland trail blakers. They knew the cap problems the Jazz face. They knew the Jazz are trying to trade Carlos Brozzer in the trade that went dead. When Portland has the nerve to sign Millsap to offer sheet which the jazz will match. According to the derset news/ The jazz will be getting money from the nba for being under the salary cap last year. According to fans of the Utah jazz this what they are saying on blog in the saltlake trubue that it was dick move by portland. They have no need for Millsap. The Jazz want to start him in place of brozer when he gets traded. According to the salt lake tribune they jazz don't want him back. read this blog by utah jazz fans like myself had said It's a dick move by the Portland. this blog website is www.tribtalk.com/showtread.php?+=23254
sorry wrong website www.tribtalk.com/showthread.php?f=23254
I know I'll get scalded for this.But, What about Lamar Odom? He handles the ball well, shoots the three,plays multirle positions,and defends well. He was pretty instrumental in the Lakers championship run. I know, I know he's a ******* Laker.However he'd be a great addition,I think. The Lakers and Odom are still way far apart in their negotiations,too.
Travis,youve got an interesting scenario. I had wondered if he could play the sf or defend other sf's.Speaking of the Lakers,what about Lamar Odom?He handles the ball extremely well for a 6" 10' guy,shoots the3 well plays multiple positions, is a good defender, and Odom and the Lakers are far apart in their negotiations. He also was extremely instrumental in their championship run.I know,I know he's a ******* Laker. That being said, I think he would be a great addition. Also,Boo-yah for Nate gettin paid. He deserves it.
Travis, I like your idea. Iwascurious if he could play the SF, as well as defend other SF's.I know I will probablly catch a lot of flack for this next idea. But,here goes.What about Lamar Odom?I know ,I know he's a******* Laker.However,he can handle the rock exceptionally for a6" 10' guy,he can shoot the three,he plays and defends multiple positions. Not to mention he was very instrumental in their championship run.Oh,yeah , and the Lakers and Odom are very far from negotiations. There you have it. By the way,kudos to management for taking care of Nate.
tons of good comments. i just dont understand, why there is such an obsession with grabbing big name players. every one says, we need a big name player at point, or we need a big name at the 3.
its all a joke. we, as blazers fans, have a wonderful group of guys. and in a couple of years, they will all be big name players. ive read a lot of trade ideas from the fans, and also what the fans think of the current trade rumors that are out there, and it saddens me to see all this talk about trading our faithful, rotation players, the likes of outlaw, and martell, and blake. this team got us into the first round last year, and i am sure they can get us even farther this year.
yes, we need some one to back up lamarcus, no reason for him to play 35 minutes a game every night. but as far as the jettison of these other beloved blazers players its time to chill.
so blazers management, sign our boys lamarcus, and roy, then focus on what we have and what we have to do. the future is portland, it was said 2 years ago in the draft by the sport announcers covering the day, and it is no different now. let these up and coming superstars (battum, rudy, martell, bayless)flourish, and sign our proven super stars in roy and lamarcus. its your move blazers. dont screw it up like you always do. and ive seen it first hand, living in oregon my whole life, and watching this team since, wow like the 80s.
get it done management.
Blazer believer
I would have to agree with you. I found out very recently from fivehundreddogs and eclecticspider that it is just entertainment and dreaming. On the other hand if you go to other blog sights they also dream of having our big name players especially Rudy, Batuum, BRoy and LMA.
If we had 12 big names some fans would still not be happy because there is Kobe and King James that we should have.
My problem with many of their wanted players is there is not enough basketball's to go around. We are only able to play with one at a time.
hg
If we can somehow get Milsap... Then the salaries would match up to give Milsap, Travis and Bayless to Utah for Derron Williams.
I hate to lose Travis in particular but we have boat load of SFs right now and you have to give something to get something and D Williams is an elite PG that may just be worth the trade.
If Batum/Webster/Rudy don't work out at the SF then we can pick up someone next year in free agency to round out a complete championship caliber roster. D Williams, Roy, Oden and LaMarcus make an excellent starting line-up.
people want the big names because they have fantasy league syndrome.
Does anyone realize how great of a backup Millsap would be on this team?? He plays defense, he brings some offense, and he grabs rebounds...OFFENSIVE rebounds. He grabbed the 2nd most offensive boards last season in the NBA if I remember correctly. Whatever the case, we were the number one offensive rebounding team last season. With Millsap added it's like it's not even fair. The Blazers are going to be rebounding machines this season.
Look, last season we didn't have a quality backup behind Aldridge. Millsap is perfect. Believe!
Tinckerbelle, free agency is a bitch isn't it? I feel so bad for the Jazz not being able to force Millsap to take whatever they want for a contract. If they want him as their starter they should pay him as a starter and this wouldn't even be a issue.
We do have a big need for a backup PF. Millsap would be a perfect fit for us. I know most likely the Jazz will match, but I bet you that they will wait until the last min to leave Portland hanging in the wind. What dicks. You won't hear me whining about it though.
And you know if the Jazz were in the same position they would do the exact same thing so take your whining and go back to your Jazz board where you'll get some sympathy because you won't get any here!
GO BLAZERS!!
Jerry:
I don't believe you could get Daron Williams away from Utah with a stick of dynamite. It might work out on paper. IMO, it would be impossible in reality.
hg
I should add that KP knows not to make serious changes to this team. Add a guy here, lose a couple lesser guys there. That still leaves us with the foundation that got us 54 wins last season. And now we have added Milsap! This team is stacked. Batum and Bayless are going to be better. They are going to have legitimate roles on this team next season. We have seen flashes of brilliance with Bayless, as KP knows. Hinrich was never the answer. Milsap is. And what we have here is what we likely have for the rest of the summer. I can dig it.
HUGE Blazer fan here living in Utah- what a week this will be! I hope the Blazers land Millsap he is a GREAT player and would fit perfectly with the team we have built- I love the team we have now and adding Millsap would only strengthen it- I feel he could play some time at the 3 this year too! I think it's obvious we need to rid ourselves of 1 or 2 of our sf's (outlaw, webster, or least likely Batum) I'd like to see an upgrade at PG- Hinrich is fine but I also like the idea of Felton- nobody has even mentioned him? Charlotte might be willing to do a sign and trade with him & take Outlaw and Blake or whoever- we have a 3 mil trade exception too I believe- this is very exciting I can't wait to see was transpires this week- nice to have cap room and flexibility- the Jazz are in trouble right now! I can't imagine us not resigning Roy for the MAX he is worth it and the face of the franchise..... I think we're just trying to get the other pieces sewn together and then we'll get him and LA signed- GO BLAZERS!
The Trail Blazers four-year, $32 million offer to Utah power forward Paul Millsap is front-loaded with what is essentially a $10.3 million signing bonus that must be paid within the first seven days of the contract being approved, according to the player's agent.
Tim Buckley of the Deseret News was the first to report the specifics of the Trail Blazers offer, which sheds some light on why a Blazers source initially termed the offer as "toxic."
Utah has until Friday to match the offer.
If Utah doesn't match, the Blazers will pay Millsap $6.2 million the first year, $6.2 million the second year, $6.7 million the third year and $7.2 million the fourth year. The deal comes with an up-front payment of a $5.6 million signing bonus and $4.7 million of the contract's first year salary.
I see my post didn't go through. I didn't use any words that Tinkerbell didn't used in his. I was suprised you let his through, but since you did I don't see why my post wasn't approved.
What I can't figure out is, if we liked Milsap (and who wouldn't), why all the fuss over Turkoglu? Milsap fills a huge need for the Blazers and Turkoglu didn't.
Turkoglu would have been an added talent (a point forward) but not a crucial one like Milsap (a tough inside presence, great rebounder, with a nice shooting touch out to 15 feet).
NO,Folks,I'm not obsessive.It looks I wrote three of the same E-mail.Google said two were errors and didnt get published.ANYWAYS,I'm glad all the Kp haters have subsided.It's really hard when everyone is makin' moves in free agency and were like,hey we should get this guy or that guy.Its an exciting time for a great nucleus that will only get better.I'm as impatient as anybody.I can't stay off the rumor mill on the net.But even that is stagnant after awhile. I'd still take Hinrich,though. Ithink he'd fit great with B Roy.A guy that keeps poppin in my head is Tayshawn Prince.How about Blake and Outlaw for Prince.Could Mentor Batum.Prince is who Batum idolizes.Just a thought . No way Dumars would fall for that.Does anybody know what Martells progress is. Is his injury like Yaos? It just seems like we haven't heard much about him. Is he trade bait or Is he going to come back like the old Martell?
hg,
I agree, it's unlikely we get D Williams from Utah but if we did, then we'd know that KP was truly a wizard ;^)
I do think that Millsap is a great fit as a Blazer and that's at least a little more likely and my favorite of the possible deals so far (Nash, Marion, Odom...may be better players but they're much older and require a bigger pay check too ;^)
As for picking up Raymond Felton, I don't see that he gives us much more than we can expect from Bayless this year or next primarily because he can't shoot the 3 (shoots like 28%). Perhaps a slight upgrade but certainly not worth giving him the salary cap room that we're offering Millsap at least in my opinion.
chris: If you use someone else's work you should use quotation marks or at least acknowlede where you were copying from
hg
MGB: your post went through, I just read it. I wasn't sure tinkerbell wanted to use dick or sick. What ever it is still Utah's fault for leaving Millsap out to dry or daring anybody to bid for him.
hg
Don:
I feel the same way, do you suppose they were going after a big name and to get Turkey's fan base.
I can't think of any other reason and I also like Millsap much better. He won't mess up our rotation by demanding pt. I think he will get plenty anyway. Besides back up PF we can use him in special situations and since he is a much better rebounder than LMA he can back up the centers if one gets hurt or in early foul trouble.
hg
I don't know that much about Raymond Felton. So I will take your word for it
If you have ever read my blogs you'll know I want to keep everybody at least for one more year to see what we have and to reward them for the fantastic play they did last year.
I am not disagreeing with the players you mentioned. I just disagree with trading for them because of my reason and yours.
This is all my opinions and I love debates so keep the blogs coming. You make some good points.
hg
hg: I don't have a clue as to why they went so hard after Hedo. I guess coach wanted him badly but I'm not sure he would have been a good fit. Clearly, having him would have negatively impacted Batum's development, Martell's too.
Maybe it was a KP smokescreen? Who knows...
I've read the comments and I don't know why ya'll are so high on the cupcake, Lamarcus! Millsap's a better player in his sleep! If you get Millsap in a Blazer's jersey, he's your starter after a few weeks! Write it down!
I'm excited to hear that Portland is going after Milsap but I'm also a bit nervous. If you go out and get Milsap then that's great. You not only help your team, but you weaken a division rival. But on the other hand if you add Milsap and pay him all of that money to be a backup, well how long will he be content being a backup? Also you'd have to trade one or two players because you can't keep everybody and find all those guys minutes. I would just like to see the Blazers just stick with what they have and then see what they can do at the trade deadline. Though Milsap would be a good addition to the Blazers, I feel like they're making a move just for the sake of making a move, and that's not what they need to do.
Lets face facts - Utah will retain Millsap. Odom resigns with the Lakers, with Miller, Lee & Robinson hanging out there. Wonder if perhaps we should have held on to Sergio for uneven trade bait with the Knicks who might have seen some value in a poor man's Steve Nash that fits D'antoni's SSOL offense.
Who knows but it would not surprise me if somehow we end up with David Lee when it all shakes out. His options are now limited, and the Knicks are intent on saving their cap space for the summer of Lebron (and Dwayne?) For 6 or 7 mill I think that would be a fine ending to a gut wrenching off-season.
Aaron Sass:
First, he might get much better and want to move on. He is under a five year contract and from what I hear he will honor it. Plus the pay is excellent. When the time comes that he wants to be traded if he improved he will have excellent trade value.
Second, he will be used in place of Frye and no one will have to go. He already said he would play behind LMA. It is true that Travis may get less playing time and next year he might want to be traded, much like Frye this year. I think the Blazers will keep Travis this coming year because they still don't know how much Martell can produce and how many minutes.
Third: We said we needed a banger and rebounder added to our team, Therefore counting the draft we have 3 possibilities to do just that if we get Millsap.
I have been on the record for quite sometime saying to stick with what we have. But, Frye wanted to be traded and Sergio wanted out. Therefore there is no harm in filling there spots with the best they can get.
If Frye would have produced last year, Travis hours would have been limited anyway. But with Batuum coming on so strong that will definitely put pressure on Travis to produce.
This is just my two cents worth.
hg
why is everybody talking about trading bayless? i mean seriously he is a rookie who was mistakenly played at 2 in summer league... he hasnt gotten a chance to prove himself he is the future point guard and the sky is the limit for him..
cj
hg,
Ya, I seen it did make it through. I had posted it quite a bit before about four posts came through and when mine wasn't included I thought it must not have been approved. I guess I should have been a little more patient.
I don't think tinkerbell meant sick. I think he meant just what he said by the context of what he was saying. Of course I could be wrong, but that is what upset me about his post. I'm not into name calling or attacking another poster, even a fan of another team, when I see that I feel it just takes away from someone's argument, but I felt the need to defend the Blazers in this instance.
I was reading "Behind The Beat" at Oregonlive and read this:
"""McMillan said he envisions pairing Bayless and Rudy Fernandez together this season, which will include stretches of Fernandez playing point guard. In fact, a preseason priority for McMillan is to play Fernandez at point guard, which he feels will allow Bayless to use his strength as a scorer."""
I have to admit I didn't think Rudy would be playing guard much if at all, but it looks like I was wrong.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/rip_city_revival_jerry_bayless.html
MGB:
If you go back and read one of my million posts, I did the same thing. I more or less said you can't blame the Blazers. Utah could have made an offer instead of saying they would match anybodies offer hoping to scare off all the GM's. All Portland did was to try to get him because he is good and in return told Utah to put their money where their mouth is.
In short I agree with you entirely.
hg
MGB: hg again.
I read the article yesterday. I have been arguing all summer about not getting Hinrich because we have Rudy and we have not came close to tapping his potential. In fact I said in a blog right after I read it That he has great floor vision, a terrific between opponents legs passer LOL, He can create for himself and others, and he can shoot the 3 or go to the rim on an alley oop and he can hit BRoy or Greg for the alley oop. He can make Oden much better I seen that in the Olympics with Gasol. It tickled the heck out of me to see Nate seen the same thing I did.
hg
MGB: hg here again and again.
Here is the blog I wrote to Millertime yesterday.
Another reason I want to keep our roster like it is because IMO, Rudy could be a pg and play as good as Hinrich and he is already on the payroll, and is experienced. Just not in the NBA. I read an article from one of his coaches that if we give him a chance to play he could very well be the best player that ever came over from the Euro league.
hg
4:42 PM
I have read many of your articles and we think on the same line, but that might be because we have read the same articles LOL. I had just got though reading the article that you referred to on Blazers edge. And I had read the article in behind the beat. I just found out about behind the beat from courtside last week.
Sorry about talking your ear off, but I am excited about Rudy playing up to his potential now that he is not tied to the learning curve.
hg
hg,
Your description of Rudy is a lot like how Hedo was described, so no wonder Rudy wasn't thrill with us signing him when we already have Rudy!
Are you a local? I live in Gresham and am a season ticket holder, but because of chronic pain/health am not able to go to near as many games as I would like.
One source I use for Blazers news a lot is my google news page. Google allows you to configure the page with custom subjects so I have one for the Trail Blazers and one for the Dallas Cowboys. Any recent article about either team is usually right there on one page as soon as they are posted or not long after. This probably isn't news to you, but thought I'd mention it.
Also, do you post at Sports Two? If so what is your nick there? If not you may want to check it out. There are a lot of knowledge people there and while there may be a troll or two for the most part it's a pretty good site. It's moderated though it is more of a adult site word wise, but you can't attack other posters. One thing I like about the site a lot is they usually have breaking news there before most places so I check it quite often. If you are anyone else is interested here's the URL:
http://sportstwo.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=123
Hey Mike, have you heard anything from the players regarding the moves we're trying to make or being mentioned in trade discussions? I think for Travis this is the second year in a row he's been mentioned. It seems like his name is always out there. Thanks for the updates. By the way, I think Milsap is just the kind of guy who fits into the culture of this team. Hard worker, nice guy, team player.
MGB:
I live at Prineville. A town close to Bend. if you haven't heard of it. I live 10 miles out of town and I have to use Satellite to get any TV. Do I need to go any further? I used to get all the games on the NBA package. Sometimes I had to listen to opposing announcers but that wasn't too bad. Comcast has stopped that completely. I have had bloggers tell me they can get games on Direct TV so it might be just Dish that is backing down from Comcast.
I Blog on Oregon-live under bbmagnum66 and on Blazer edge as BBK. I haven't heard of Sports Two, but I put it in my favorites and will definitely investigate.
I need not worry about the adults part since I am almost 70. I am Living on a small pension and SS. I don't get to many games either.
MGB: I just registered on Sports two, my handle is magnumpi.
hg
Mike, talk about the Brandon Roy situation. Do you think the team is only offering four years and that Brandon is genuinely upset? After the last four years of growth are we going to see the dream go pffssst over this kind of garbage? Why wouldn't they assure BRoy and LA that after we know if we are signing a FA we will take VERY GOOD care of our guys. I mean we want these guys for the upcoming decade, along with Oden if he blossoms like we hope. Why start it off with this crap. I mean Brandon is the best player we have had since Clyde. Hands down, no doubt about it. Please don't let them mess it up Mike. Use force if necessary!!!
Look here blazer fans and staff, for the past five years we have been building a championship caliber team. Last season surpassed everyones expectations and here we sit and it seems like every body wants a trade for a big name. Why? I love this team, the way it is. Blake, Webster, and t-laws' names come up all the time in trade talks. So t-law could have played better during the play-offs, he killed it all season long, we have not even seen Webster for a year and without Blake our team is terrible. Let these guys stay together. This team the way it is will win a championship in tow years, maybe not next year, but to have five terrible years to build a team then break it up just as they are doing everything and beyond expected is just stupid. Sign Roy already and let's work on getting that ring out of L.A. I hate those bastards, hate! We have been killing them for three years now.
hg,
When I was younger I use to go to Prineville all the time for opening day of trout season. Would fish right below the reservoir. Great fishing!
I'll be looking for you on S2. I have the same nick as here, mgb.
sounds like utah's gonna sign millsap....what are we gonna do after that KP????
MGB:
I live about 3 miles from the Prineville Reservoir. Bass fishing is pretty good in the reservoir itself and of course you can always catch mud cats.
They have cooked River open year around below the dam and it is catch and release. I do most of my fishing up in the Ochoco's at Walton Lake.
I haven't learned to get around on S2 yet, but I will learn.
hg
Ha! I knew Cunningham had the Eye of the Tiger!
Go Blazers.
If Utah sign Milsap, we should give Pendergraph a shot. He looks good, it's just that Milsap is good without a doubt. We go for the sure thing first, and then fall back on potential if it doesn't pan out. Our team is loaded with potential, and was built mostly by drafting guys with it. If we can't get Milsap, who is a great fit, then we should go forward with who we have, and mid way through the season, if we see some a glaring need, or sustain a major injury, we can look to make a move before the trade dealine. I have a feeling, we won't need to make a move at all, but keeping that cap space for such a situation is as good an idea as blowing on a player we don't need just to make a move. I think we may still get Milsap, which would be awesome.
If the Blazers end up with Millsap they are flat out a better team than last year. The Blazers are still a couple of years away from being the best team in the West. Letting Sergio go was addition by subtraction. JB will have the opportunity this year to play 15-20 minutes a game at the point this year. Bayless has the athleticism, scoring, and ability to penetrate of an elite NBA player. He needs to work on his overall ball handling: dribbling(particularly his left hand), and passing. These skills should see dramatic improvement over the course of the year especially if he is getting minutes. The bigger concern with Bayless is does he have the intangibles play under control, dictate the pace of the game, pass first. The only way to find this out is to get him game time minutes. If the Blazers do not make a single move they will be a better team in 09 barring injuries. At Center Greg Oden should be a much better player and Pryzbilla is still in the prime of his career. At PF Lamarcus Aldridge has been improving every year and this year should not be an exception. If the Blazers add Millsap not only will there frontline be improved Lamarcus will really benefit from practicing against a quick physical PF. If Lamarcus can become a defensive presence and develop a low post offensive game he would become a top tier NBA player. At the SF Nicolas Batum proved to be a top level defender who seems to possess a cerebral understanding of the game. Batum will improve this year he has a high shooting percentage from the field as well as from beyond the arc and coaches will encourage Batum to shoot the ball more as his minutes increase. At this point it seems pretty clear that Travis Outlaw will never be able to grasp the game of basketball, this is truly unfortunate as Outlaw has more athleticism than anyone on the team. If Outlaw puts his mind to it he is a pesky defender and he has a shot that is very hard to defend. the problem is he is so frenetic that he throws off the pace of the Blazers offense and his mistakes often lead to fast break points for the other team. Outlaw would likely fit the Warriors offense a lot better he is fun to watch and could score in bunches in the Warriors fast pace offense but he is unlikely to be a piece of a championship puzzle. It is hard to predict what Webster can do, at the very least he should be a serviceable backup at SF. Rudy Fernandez is also an option at SF. Brandon Roy continues to do everything well and has the proven ability to come through when the game is on the line Rudy should also get some minutes backing Roy up as well. That leaves the only real question at point guard. The reality is Steve Blake can manage a game and is unselfish that being said I can't think of a worse starting PG on any NBA team and I can think of multiple back up PG's that would be an improvement. The problem is excerbated by the caliber of PGs on the playoff teams in the West. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker,Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, Aaron Brooks. More importantly if you look at the point guards on any team in the West they could all run circles around Blake. The only exception to this that I could think of is Derrick Fisher who is probably a better PG than Blake but not by a whole lot. Basically we need a point guard and we need to know if Bayless is that PG or if he is a reincarnation of Outlaw. Since the Lakers seem destined to win another championship, lets welcome Millsap to town and find out if Bayless can QB the Rose City to the promised land. If the Lakers look fallible during the season than lets make a move to get a veteran PG and see if we can take a shot now.
John:
Who won the championship this year with what you consider as a bad pg.
Don't you consider mills as fast? Do you think the quality of a pg is speed?
Blake in you opinion is the worst pg in the NBA, but to be a good pg on any team you need to be able to play the style of offense the team plays. Which in PDX case is more of a combo guard? Most of the pg that you mentioned uses the pg big man combination. We use the 2 guard and a big man combination. The best player usually has the ball in his hands to create. Do you think Kobe cares if the guard that gives him the ball is an elite guard or a flunky? He could care less, he just wants the ball. Same thing with King James and BRoy.Therefore Steve is used as a combo guard as is BRoy, Rudy, and Bayless.
Take a closer look at Rudy, he can create for himself and others, he is a terrific ball handler and can dribble with both hands and finish with both hands, He is an excellent passer, has great court vision, can hit the three and is a team player. What else do you want in a PG? Do you want just a bigger name with a bigger price tag? How would that help our team?
This is just my opinion, but I just don't feel we are that bad off at Pg position.
The four rookies were played last year as rookies. This year Nate can play them to their skills.
We probably won't get Millsap; he was just taking Frye's slot. Mills is taking Sergio's spot. The draftees and whoever we add in training camp will fill out the bottom of the roster.
After last night game, I think Cunningham can move up to be back-up PF and back-up center if needed.
I am not picking on you I I am just debating with you. It is all our opinions and we probably are both wrong. (:>)
hg
I have been debating all year about point guards and keeping the team as it is. I have said so many times about Rudy being an elite pg that most just skips by blog.
Over at Blazer Edge he has a comment section of who are keepers and who are not considering finance and talent. To cut expenses.
My opinion was to keep the players that can play both offense and defense and can play two or three positions. With our current roster who would you keep? And why would you keep them? Remember if you trade off Outlaw which most wants you will have to replace him with another player that could be more expensive and have more demands.
My mind gets too confused to think about it.
hg
Chemistry - Just heard Jim Rome discussing it - in regards to the Cowboys & why they got rid of TO. I think we all intuitively understand last year's Blazers had it in spades - which is why many of us who participate in these forums are leery of potential FA moves. We all want more
veteran leadership, improvement at certain positions - ie: PG, SF - BUT, at the same time we don't want to mess with the chemistry and cohesiveness by bringing in the wrong guy.
PG is a prime example - we all know there are better PG's out there than Steve Blake - but are they as compatible with Brandon Roy? Like a Kobe, Roy often runs the offense. Steve Blake, like a Derek Fischer is comfortable sharing the role with a more dominant backcourt mate, and can morph into a 3 point threat as an off guard. Not sure many of the 'better' PG's out there would be on this team.
I also think that is why KP chose (after losing Hedo) to go after Millsap before Odom or even Lee. In Millsap he sees a tough hard working guy who will blend well, fill a role, and compliment the existing hierarchy of the team - Roy, LA & hopefully GO - as the team leaders.
I find it amusing some NBA so called experts question the rationale of signing Millsap before Odom - as if KP were drafting a fantasy team - without any regard to character & chemistry, or which player better fits the need we are addressing.
hg,
i couldn't agree with you more about rudy. he and brandon have the potential to become one of the all time great backcourts, ever. if you add in steve and jarryd, the sky is the limit. its funny how when looking at the four of them, in my opinion, jarryd is the 4th best ball-handler and passer. that's not a knock on jarryd, but just to say that the other three are exceptional, even by nba standards. playing rudy with jb seems like a big winner, and every combination of those four (except blake and bayless at the same time for extended minutes) would give us a number of options, ways of creating mismatches & defending opposing backcourts.
some thoughts on brandon. i believe that his deal will get done very soon. maybe for his 25th birthday (on the 23rd), he'll get a new 5 year contract. if the worry is that he may be injury prone, i do believe that he is a safe bet until age 30. the thing that i would mention in brandon's favor, is that he has led the team over the last couple of seasons when the let-down from greg's micro-fracture surgery and recovery season could have been nearly traumatic for hardcore fans. there really is not any arguing his value, i just think that everyone needs to be patient and let things be worked out.
as for the millsap situation, if the jazz get their loan how do we continue the process? is glen davis the next restricted free agent that fits the back-up pf slot? my quick math puts the celtice at about $75mil in payroll for the '09-'10 season without big baby. my view is that david lee does not want to be a back-up, and that lamar odom would not fit in our back-up role either. do any of you folks see other options?
travis
Hey John: I agree with most of what you said until the irrational attack on Blake. Blake has better numbers than Fisher, and Fisher is the current NBA Champion PG. None of those other guys you mentioned made it that far, because it is a team game, and sometimes it's more important what a guy brings to the team, than what stats he racks up individually. Blake is a great fit, and a very good PG. He turns the ball over less than most of the guys you mentioned, and shoots a higher 3pt% than most of the NBA. Those are his strengths. They may not be the strengths you like in a PG, but they work for our team. Tony Parker is increadible, but there's not much chance of landing him, and his team needs a high scoring PG, because they don't have anyone like Roy or Kobe, so for them it's important to have a PG who scores 30pts. For us it is important to have a PG who takes care of the ball, and can hit threes, just like Fisher does for LA. Phil Jackson has the most championships of any coach in the last 20 years, and all his teams were built with an amazing SG, an great PF or Center, and a strong group of role players that included an unselfish PG who could shoot. I think that is the route we are taking, and it is a proven route. Actually I think we are combining that mold, with the Spurs "character" mold.
There are other ways to build a champion, but I'm pretty comfortable with taking the one that has racked up the most rings. Tony Parker and Billups are the only guys you mentioned that have won rings, and they did it, because they were "team guys". The rest are great individual players, but are unlikely to win it all ever. I will go on record as saying Blake is more likely to win a championship than CP3 over the next few years. Not because he is the better player, but because he is a complimentary piece, and you don't have to build the team around him. CP3 can only win if the right team is built around him, and that is much harder to do, than to build a team around a SG who can be off the ball. There just aren't enough Tim Duncans to go around for all these "elite" PGs. If Nash had Duncan instead of Shaq, he might have gone all the way, because an inside/outside threat big man, is a better compliment to a scoring PG, than a one dimensional post center, because the points of attack are too predictable. If the ball handler is the primary attacker as well, then the second scoring option can't be as static as Shaq, or Oden. Shaq has only won when combined with an elite SG. Hopefully hooking up with Labron will be too little too late as old as Shaq is, but I wouldn't count that combo out. If you also have Mo Williams ready to bury threes if you double either Labron or Shaq, then you can understand why on our team with Roy and Oden, plus LMA, Blake is a very nice fit, and a guard like Bayless with the first unit would just take shots away from Roy and LMA, and result in a more clogged defense in the paint, if he doesn't improve his shooting. Bayless will be great with Rudy though, as Rudy provides the kick out option, and Milsap if we get him will provide the dump off option. We are basically ending up with two different style units that could start, because each unit is very well balanced, but they can become unbalanced with the wrong player combinations. And winning is about having a couple stars like we do, one of which is a sure fire "closer", and then the right combination of guys around them. I'd say we have that too. The only missing ingredient is the one you wrote about: the natural improvement and experience of our young guys. That is coming soon.
Travis the blogger:
Good comments. I do think that JB and Steve could play lots of minutes together if needed. JB is lots like BRoy. They can both drive and create. Of course JB isn't as polished as BRoy, but Steve could hand off to JB just like he does BRoy, of course the scoring may go down.
IMO, I think we should run Rudy and BRoy on the starting team. Either way would work; BRoy at one and Rudy at 2 or visa versa. That might confuse the defense of our opponents. TEE HEE
I don't know who all is left, for back-up PF. Baby Davis is pretty damn good if he will play back-up and isn't to expensive. Even so if we get no one new, Cunningham and Pendergraph looked awfully good last night; either one can move up to be back up PF. and they are already ours.
Regardless of what everybody thinks, IMO we don't need to get anybody else. I think everybody on the team will improve immensely and the 4 rookies will probably triple their worth. It won’t be all scoring but just bigger factors all away around.
I have visions of Greg just being above standard center next year, which will knock many of teams socks off. The following year I vision ALL-STAR status.
Oh, back to your question I think Glen Davis would be fine.
hg
dbc:
There may be better guards out there better than Steve.
Take a closer look at Rudy, he can create for himself and others, he is a terrific ball handler and can dribble with both hands and finish with both hands, He is an excellent passer, has great court vision, can hit the three and is a team player. What else do you want in a PG?
We just forget he was just a rookie last year and was getting his feet wet.
IMO, we have 4 pg; Steve, Rudy, JB and BRoy. Or and Mills. The same 4 can play 2. plus Martell.
We have Martell, Batuum, Travis, and Cunningham playing 3 and maybe Pendergraph and LMA. We have LMA Pendergraph and Cunningham playing the 4, we have Oden, Joel, LMA and Pendergraph playing 5.
That is not a bad bunch to field for a team.
hg
Pendergraph, 26:13mins, 5-8fg, 2-2ft, 7d2o 9rebs, 1TO 12pts
D.Cunningham 31:02mins, 8-17fg, 5-6ft, 5d4o 9rebs, 1ast, 1stl, 0TOs 21 pts
Blair 22:09mins, 4-7fg, 5-6ft, 3o 7d 10rebs, 1stl, 2to 13pts
It seems as if KP got 2 guys who can produce every bit as good as Blair and neither one of them have knee issues or weight issues. Those of you who posted running the genius into the ground for not drafting Blair, don't be afraid to post again when you realize your mistake.
mgb. First off I'm a girl not a guy. I was just stating how jazz felt. It been the main topic on our sport talk radio. That and the broozer. Just a uproar. This not againist you or other portland trailblazers fans. It was mangement. I'm sorry. The Jazz are not a team that wants to get into a bid war. They are a small market team. I have feeling they will match the offer. because broozer wants out. Jazz don't want him. They were hoping he would opt out.
They offer upset Kevin Oconner and the miller family. Because the feel they are being bullied by the Portland Trailblazers. They don't like to be bullied. when reporter ask about being bullied. Ron Boone a jazz anconer wants to take them to court. Portland just mad a divsion rival mad. That's All I will say.
I hope Utah matches the offer. Sign Roy and Alldridge. Show them the money. Don't make a move to "save face". Save the money for next year if you have to. The fans love this team. And, you can always make a trade. Please Utah, sign Milsap to the offer..
eclecticspider,
Don't you think one summer game is a bit premature to judge players by? Don't get me wrong, I trust KP if he thought it was best to pass on Blair, but I think it's a little early to say if it was right or wrong to do so. Many players do well in summer league and don't do well in the NBA. I think I'd wait at least one season before any I told you so or what not.
blair is like diogu. great in college, never going to make an impact in the nba. not bad guys, just not difference makers.
the best thing that has happened all off-season, the lkrs pulling their offer from odom. w/o odom, bynum will get run off the court. they are thin up front w/o lamar, and artest won't be able to compensate. being just a fan of basketball for a moment, and not a blazers fan, i'd love to see lamar odom in a heat jersey again. his most inspired play came during his lone season alongside d-wade in miami. he could make a substantial difference in the east. as a blazers fan, i'd love to see him on the other coast weakening our main rival, and definitely staying out of a mavs uniform at the same time.
we may yet turn the corner this summer. the lakers are at the top, the rockets will have no chance at stopping us, the nuggs are a bunch of wankers (besides chauncey), the mavs may pose an interesting challenge & so will the spurs. our chances will be pretty darn good, even without a free agent or trade.
is it late october yet...
Tinckerbelle: I thought you were a girl.
We did not do anything wrong. Utah didn't try to retain Millsap, saying that they would match any offer. That was an attempt to scare all GM’s off.
If Utah wanted to retain Millsap, why didn’t they just make him an offer? It was because they wanted to get him cheap. Most GM's didn't want to wait 7 days so they wouldn't bid. Since Portland 1st option didn't pan out. They had nothing to lose in offering Millsap a contract.
Millsap is a darn good player, if Utah doesn't match the offer (I think they will). Portland had to offer him enough with the hopes of making Utah change their mind.
We are a small market town also. I think Utah and Portland has been mad at each other all the time anyway. Nevertheless, it is just business and Northwest rivalry is dirty war on both sides. Sorry you got your feathers ruffled, but us fans has no say so.
For the record, how grounds can Utah take Portland to court on.
Harold Mangum
Stephen:
I have to agree with you entirely. Isn't that a surprise?
I just wanted to add to your comment about CP3. It was said that the only reason we beat NOH at their house is because CP3 got hurt. When Blake got hurt we just keep on ticking. When BRoy got hurt we kept on ticking.
When LMA got hurt we struggled because we didn't have a good backup PF. Confirming what you have been saying all year. We don't rely on any one player, that is another reason we are so dangerous. That to me is why Millsap is important. All other positions if one gets hurt we have others that can step up.
On Rudy and JB playing together, I think we should put Rudy at point and JB at 2 because as of right now Rudy has better pt guard qualities.
hg
KP I believe! Also I think Millsap would give us some amazing backup time. I would like to see Nate be more flexible this year with matchups/combinations. We have so many flexible players we can do a lot better with a chess match than his schedule of subs by the timeclock. Throw some curveballs, don't let them plan their game plan against us months in advance. I might like to see Oden get some occasional minutes at PF just to get him in the scoring frame of mind.
I also think it is getting hard to wade through this load of crap. This is not your personal email. Read through the letters, if you have something new to say post it. If you are posting more than 3x a day then get a life. You don't need to respond to every comment.
I hope nothing too major goes down. We have most of the pieces and next year is the free agent promised land. Go Blazers!
Boozer is saying in public that he expects to be traded soon. If this happens, obviously Utah will match our offer to Milsap -- he's the PF they really want.
Three more days and we'll know for sure...
Hey A**whole It's called a blog, We're all blazers fans so dont come in here at hate!! I look forward to seeing what ppl have to say each day especially the regulars! No ones forcing you to read there post so quit b*tching just to b*tch!!!
Other than that i liked what you had to say in your first and last paragraph keep switching it up and stay unpredictable, but at the same time once you find something the works really good let em try and stop us! Blazers All The Way!!!!!
I have read that there are other GM's that perceive Portland as arrogant. They don't want to do business with us because we somehow feel we are smarter than the rest of the nba. If I were an outsider I certainly can understand the resentment. This cocky attitude we are portrayed as having does not come from Kevin Pritchard, but rather from the fans who thinks KP can walk on water. These are the same disillusioned fans that were crying, "Bring on the Lakers!", just before the blazers were handed their worst home playoff defeat in team history. The term, 'Pritchslapped' was coined by these same foaming fans that believe that our staff is light-years more knowledgable than every other nba staff. I know that once Utah matches the offer for Milsap that KP will be viewed by some as a failure. The only real failure in life are those who give up before they even try. I believe KP gives 100%, and that is all you can expect from your GM and your team, win or lose. I implore the city to grasp some humility. We are not world champions, and if and when we ever are, it does not mean that we can act as arrogant idiots (a.k.a. Cleveland Cavaliers).
Whoa, wait a minute...KP can't walk on water? Crap! What am I going to do with my lovely shrine?
I have been seeing an outpouring of humility on the comment threads and I don't like it one bit! Give me ravenous, temperamental, irrational zealotry! Give me gnashing teeth and pure, unbridled hatred for the enemy! Give me excessive faith, followed immediately by fevered betrayal when all the pieces don't fall easily into place!
Just kidding, sort of. While I agree that extremists are silly, I do believe that we have the best team and management in the NBA, and I'm proud of that. I don't blame other teams for being wary of trading with PDX, we do have a track record of recognizing talent and scooping it up. I see of no reason to be bitter about that, or seek to place blame; that's just the way things work. If you watch some kid on the playground making a mint off the trading cards he got from your friend, you wouldn't be too quick to take his offers, would ya? I do, however, hope that KP's reputation cools down a bit, because I'm sure it's much more difficult to make a deal when your trading partners flinch whenever a 503 area code appears on the caller ID.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, take the high road if it suits you, but my place is in the pits. I'll be in the nosebleeds, screaming my fool head off. Likewise, I'll blindly trust the front office until they do something to prove their fallibility. Thus far, I like every move they've made, so I have no reason to doubt them.
Go Blazers.
David Sykes:
I have a life; I am 70 years old and love blogging about the Blazers. That is my way of learning. Therefore, I refuse to take your order of getting a life and quit answering letters.
Furthermore, I disagree with your blog and your grouchy behavior.
hg
David Sykes,
You are out of line. Fact is one of the regular bloggers that you are telling to get a life is a 70 yr old man who has had health problems and this appears to be a big part of his life.He has never been anything but courteous to the other posters and I suggest you try and take a page from his book. You will find that most often the regular bloggers have a good grasp of the game. I personally have a cousin that was taken first overall in the draft and have been around the game for quite some time. That doesn't make me right all the time but I do feel like I am doing more than just spouting off and yelling Lakers Suck.
Lakers Suck! Just kidding.
Anyone see this Cunningham kid?! I posted before that KP goes after guys that can be all-stars rather than say a Brockman or a Blair. He might have one here in Cunningham. Looks like a muscular Catfish who actually likes to rebound. I will say that Pendergraph looks more like a brockman type of workman PF and I don't see all-star potential there but I could be wrong. Heck you can be Joe Dumars and think Darko is better than Wade or Anthony so we all can swing and miss but that is what I see.
We have to be prepared to go into this season as currently constructed.People should not start fingerpointing if we do not get the player we want. Heck everyone knows who I would've signed and he has already re-signed with his same team.
Honestly, how many people here were all about drafting the stache Adam Morrison? I know there were a bunch and I did not know of this site at the time but I will bet there were a few people very unhappy to end up with L-Train and the Sandman.
As far as arrogance out of KP, Penn, and the deep pocketed Paul Allen, yea maybe. I am sure they are feeling very good about the way they have steered the ship and have every reason to. I do know that it is probably becoming clear that if you deal with our team in a deal you will end up looking like you just got fleeced. So I think there is as much resentment out there as there is arrogance here.
MB,
Come on man you got to get your name on this site a little more often or we are going to Blazers.com to petition changing the name from Barretts blog to eclecticspider, fivehundreddoggs, HG, and Stephens blog. With Travis our outside corresponder. Or as Sykes says you must already have a life although it is hard for me to imagine anything more important than blogging on this site lol.
wow. we are one day away from getting millsap, and i havent heard a single thing anout what the jazz are definitely going to be able to do by tommorow!this would be great for everyone, if you think of the depth we will actuallt have
PG- Blake, Bayless,hopefully Patty Mills(really, i think that this group of PG's will attract the envy of teams everywhere in time)
SG-Roy, Fernandez (just great!)
SF- Webster, Batum, outlaw( not a definite starter but atill good players)
PF- Aldridge, Millsap (our weakness of depth last year, and noq it is our strength!)
C- Oden, Pryzbilla( the best center duo for all i know)
i would be very happy and enthusiastic for this line up to go in to the season. With rudy occasionally playing PG, Millsap maybe playing some SF and even Pryzbilla/Oden at PF you dont know what's going to happen!
guilty as charged, no life here. the truth of the matter is that i work too much a lot of the time. my outside correspondence comes when i have a day off, or haven't been at two jobs within 24hrs. lol! the passion of the other fans and getting fantastic perspective from mb will keep me blogging several times a day for decades to come if given my way. late fall, winter and early spring are all about the blazers. the rest of the year, the world is flat and i work, hike & read. you got me pegged sykes, no life to speak of. i am a devoted fan who follows the blazers intently. when the blazers do well, it means good things for portland. the honesty is appreciated, but don't underestimate what this means to some of us. it is not my personal email, but my personal link to the team and something bigger. our team inspires us everyday folks to get out in the world and do a little better. my identity as a blazer believer gives me a bit more cause to enjoy my daily life.
Cody,
Don't expect the Jazz to match until the last min to leave the Blazers hanging for the max amount of time and to get our hopes up and then destroy them! The Jazz will match have no doubt.
DS,
BS.
eclecticspider,
What, you don't include me in that blog?!? :(
And finally, I have no life, I'm a Trail Blazers fan!!
I am remiss of course your included MGB
MGB Boy I include you.
I can't seem to navigate sports 2 very well, I might need instructions.
I blogged on behind the beat this morning and that seems like a pretty good sight.
hg
cunningham looked like someone who has legit nba potential. no doubt about it. pendergraph was solid, especially in not being pushed around by the rockets' big guy (that guy was huge, no?)
bayless had me concerned though. the rotation really should primarily be rudy & blake at the 1 spot and roy and bayless at the 2. the combinations of who handles the ball when, and who guards the opposing point & sg would have to be sorted out, but it won't work any other way. just my opinion. a splash of jeter or mills as a 3rd pg should give coach nate all the options he needs.
my other note was that padgett will be the steven hill of this season. he may not make the end of our roster, but someone will sign him. the guy did some nice things & put the ball in the hoop from close range. i'd love to see the blazer lineup for at least one of these summer league games have padgett 5, pendergraph 4, cunningham 3, bayless 2, jeter 1. i know it is not all about winning these games, but that would be their best functioning line-up. too bad that mills couldn't take that 1 spot. jeter did very well however, and should not be looked past in this context. he also looks like someone who may make the end of someone's bench, especially in todays nba that gives more advantage to smaller quicker guards.
MGB,
I am kind of a newbie when it comes to this whole luxury tax/ cap space stuff. the reason they can't get millsap is pretty much cause of boozer right? so how can they sign him without trading boozer and being that small market team they are?
The Millsap deal is not going to happen. So how about an uneven trade Outlaw for Felton with the Bobcats.
Cody,
The thing is they can always trade Boozer later if they want which they do. They can match now and later trade Boozer. From what I've read they might have to get a loan to pay the initial $10M which is really the sticking point right now. The deal over all isn't that bad, between $32-36M over 4 years. That's $8-9M a year. They originally offered him I believe $7M or $8M so that's not to bad. What is hard for them, which is the part that some have describe as toxic is paying the bonus and first year up front seven days after matching our offer. But as I said they can just get a loan for that if need be.
hg,
First here's a simpler link to get to it:
ripcitytwo.com
In case your having problems getting to the main Blazers forum. I tried sending you a private msg to give you my email address so I can help you without having to go through this forum, but it said you don't have it setup to receive private msgs. At the top right corner is your private msgs. You can get into the area to send private msgs there. Once you are there scroll on the left to the link that says send private msg and put mgb as who you are sending it to.
It's pretty easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. Just click on a thread that interest you and then read the original post and the replies are right below on that page. If you want to reply to a specific post you click on the 'quote' button below that nicks posts, but if you want to make a general reply to the thread just go to the bottom of the page of that thread and there is a reply field.
If you want to make a intro post there is a button on the left before the threads that says 'new thread'. Just click on that and fill in the subject and put your intro or whatever you want to say in the body field.
Good Luck!
Cody: I read that Utah does want to trade Boozer, but they have until the trade dead-line. So it is almost certain that Utah will match our offer.
Eclecticspider:
Are you trying to give me the big head or trying to make me cry. I best not do the latter or some of the bloggers will say I have to man up LOL.
I thank you for your support. I learn from reading all the blogs from you, Steven's MGB, fivehundreddoggs (if he would tell me the origin of his handle, I'd learn more), Millertime, Travis and phi slamma even if he might be getting over weight going to get a sandwich when you, fivehundreddogs, or me gets in our inner self and blog our hearts out. Well I think it was Phi slamma.
Just think if it wasn't for you guy's I'd probably be speechless and Phi slamma would miss out on a sandwich.
You are right we can replace or loving MB with you getting us inside info.
hg
Travis, I didn't mean to forget you in my last blog of bloggers I learn from. I kept getting a fragment line and it took me all morning to rewrite it where it was not a frag.
You wrote a very good post in regards to David Sykes post.
Hey I am finally getting back to hiking. I just can't go as far. We like hiking to waterfalls so we just have to find the one's closer to the road.
Great blog
hg
Suck it blazers Jazz matched Millsap here's to your disaster of an offseason.
There are reports that the Jazz will match the offer. Whats the next move? If any? Get ROY and ALDRIDGE signed long term NOW!!!!!!! Worry about this other crap afterwards.
oh...that makes a lot more sense. thanks. anyways, does anyone know anyhing about sean may? i haven't heard anything about the guy, except he apparently worked out for the blazers recently.
Travis, I have to agree with you on Rudy and Jerryd trading places
I think your take on the line-up is pretty good also. That may also be a good line-up as a starting line-up on a NBA team after some time playing together.
hg
Just read an ESPN article questioning whether the Blazers really want Millsap. Then the article descends into 'the big bad Blazers' BS. How we are manhandling the poor defenseless Jazz, and how we aggressively obtained Roy in the 07 draft - as if we should have informed Minnesota that Roy was destined for superstardom. Or maybe in the interest of Minnesota fans resisted the urge to make an unfair deal. And of course the letter we sent the league regarding D Miles.
I am so sick of this garbage. If KP was in LA or NY no one would criticize KP's dealings - if he brought this team to the Knicks he'd be the most admired & loved GM in sports. If the Jazz think we offered too much for Millsap - then DONT MATCH!.
I find it amusing that the Jazz are suspicious of our motives in making a serious offer for a guy they apparently love.
Blazers should not do anything else, unless a sweet trade comes along for another PG... Dante and Jeff seem to fill our PF hole... SIGN ROY and L-TRAIN YESTERDAY!!!!!!
And if ethics are being questioned in these offseason maneuverings, where are the articles criticizing Hedo for reneging on a handshake - or the Raptors for letting the Blazers make a deal, set the price, and then add a few million to an agreed upon contract.
I haven't seen them - because nobody really cares - all is fair in love & war - unless its the Blazers whose success is pissing off every GM and big market sportswriter in the country.
Come on - if the Jazz feel victimized by the Blazers - maybe they should take a look in the mirror and question their own judgement in offering AK47 & Boozer the contracts that they are choking on.
They certainly didn't seem sensitive to the Cavs 'feelings' when they encouraged Boozer to reneg on a hanshake. Guess in Utah and Toronto a handshake doesn't mean much.
sean may looks like a roster filler/injured reserve type guy to me, but there could be something i don't know.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2776
we also may need a big body in practice?
hg,
thanks.
travis
sign odom & trade him to the heat. anything we can do to get him away from the lkrs. making the numbers work somehow may be beyond me, but the blazer execs should have someone give that a whack. could we take mark blount in return (an expiring contract) and work that to some advantage. Perhaps someone like the wizards would take blount, we get caron butler & the heat get odom? just taking a stab at this...
lkrs suck!
Travis,
wouldn't we have to give up more of our players to get Caron Butler? He would be a good trade.
hg
I too admit irritation when it comes to the attitude of some nba teams. If all you had to do was announce that you would match any offer to a restristed free agent, then free agency would be pointless. If the Jazz were so mortified by the thought of someone stealing one of their precious players then maybe they shouldn't have let him get to the point of free agency in the first place. As for dbc's assessment of Turgilou, I concur. Handshakes were originally intended for honest men and those who valued their word as their bond. This doesn't apply to Hedo. He pulled a maneuver right out of his native country's handbook. It's called 'The Turkey Sandwhich'. Where a player positions himself between two teams whom bids on his services. The one with the most bread wins.
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