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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Reputation:91
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 5, 2008
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Picks 13, 27, 33, 36, 55
Blazers get Jerryd Bayless and Nicolas Batum (+Ike Diagu)
Blazers lose Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts
Analysis:
With a lot of young players at every position, the Blazers didn't have many needs going into the draft with the exception of PG. The only problem is that there were 4 top PG prospects (Derrick Rose, Jerryd Bayless, Russell Westbrook, and D.J. Augustin) but at pick 13, it was doubtful that any would be left. So, if the Blazers wanted to fill a need at PG, they would have to trade for it.
Since the Blazers have a lot of scorers in the starting lineup (Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, and LaMarcus Aldridge), it was my assumption that they were looking for true PG who could distribute and play D against Chris Paul, Deron Williams, etc. This meant only Rose and Westbrook but they were both gone by pick 4. So the Blazers sat at 13 with only two PGs left: Bayless, more of a PG/SG tweener, a scorer, and an average defender, and Augustin, a true PG but on the small side, perhaps too small to be an elite PG.
So, after Charlotte took Augustin at #9, that only left Bayless (who some were predicting to go in the top 4) with Sacramento picking ahead of the Blazers and in need of a PG. So the Blazers had a choice: trade up and get a PG (albeit not a true PG), use the pick on a backup for another position, or trade down.
Using the pick on a backup for another position seems like a waste as I don't think there were any potential starters at that spot in the draft. That being said, I don't think we would be able to find anyone willing to trade up as there wasn't any highly coveted pick after 12. So that only leaves trading up 2 spots to take Bayless. We give up Jarrett Jack who we were looking to move anyway and last year's second round pick Josh McRoberts who was stuck behind youngsters LaMarcus Aldridge and Channing Frye and therefore would have never seen any playing time.
So the Blazers do the best thing they could have done and moved up to get Bayless. Despite whatever perceived deficiencies he may have as a PG, remember that he is only one year removed from high school and is going to an organization with excellent coaches who will be able to groom and mold him to fit the team concept, provided he is willing to learn and sacrifice. So another great job by Pritchard (although this was a bit of a no-brainer and quite a lucky turn of events).
As for the other pick, I'm ok with trading for another foreigner and stashing him in Europe until the time comes. We don't need any more young players battling for roster spots now, so low first round and second round draft picks are useless to us regardless of their "upside" (see Josh McRoberts).
I give Pritchard an 'A' and feel lucky that he is the GM of my favorite team, especially after the jokers before him. As someone asked in another thread, has this guy made a bad (or even questionable) move? I can't think of one. Well, maybe not taking Durant as that guy is a flat-out stud, but hopefully Oden will be even better.
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Reputation:91
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 5, 2008
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Well, maybe we weren't as "lucky" as I thought - here is an interesting story from Mike Barrett's (Blazer announcer) blog:
"After the NBA Draft concluded, Kevin Pritchard told the media the Blazers got the guy they had, on their draft list, as the fourth-best prospect in the draft. Forget everything else. KP and company played another game of poker, and walked away with a stack of chips. And, make no mistake, it was played beautifully.
So, how do you land the 4th-best player on the board when you're holding just the 13th pick in the draft? Smoke and mirrors. Pritchard said this draft will be remembered as the "smoke screen draft." In other words, it was no mistake that you never heard the Trail Blazers and Jerryd Bayless in the same sentence in the weeks leading up to the draft. He never worked out for the Blazers, was never discussed.
In our draft-day meeting with Pritchard, he told us one thing several times, and we didn't really catch on. He said simply that "Indiana will select a point guard." I replied, "why would they do that when they just traded for T.J. Ford?" He repeated, "Indiana will select a point guard." I should have gotten the hint, but didn't.
After that exchange, Pritchard asked us who we'd pick if we were in charge, Westbrook or Augustin? After we'd all given our answers, he said, "what about Jerryd Bayless?" Looking back, as the draft was unfolding, it all began to make perfect sense. KP also said if he would have been asked for his mock draft, Thursday morning, it would have been spot on- at least through the first 15 picks. It would have had to have been, for him to pull off what all indications say he did.
While everyone was hearing the Trail Blazers were going after Augustin, or Westbrook, Pritchard and owner Paul Allen, were quietly positioning themselves to grab Bayless. The one x-factor was Charlotte, picking in the 9th spot. We were disappointed when they selected Augustin. Inside the Blazer war room, everything was unfolding exactly as expected.
After the Blazers picked Brandon Rush at 13, ESPN reported that Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts had been traded to Indiana, for the rights to Bayless and former ASU star Ike Diogu. Though we still await official word of the proposed deal, it looks like KP got his man, and didn't even need to use the 27th pick he had purchased from New Orleans.
Instead, Portland used the 27th pick to select Kansas' Darrell Arthur, who slid way down the list. The Blazers then selected Memphis power-forward Joey Dorsey with the 33rd, but were actually drafting for Houston in that spot. The Blazers then packaged Arthur and Dorsey, and traded them to the Rockets for Nicolas Batum, who was taken 25th. Again, they got exactly the guy they had in mind when they bought the pick from the Hornets. He had a great pre-draft workout in Portland, but was feared lost when Houston snagged him at 25.
The draft started out quietly, and even though everyone was assuming it would be a calm day for the Trail Blazers, things were going on behind the scenes. And, nothing surprised the war room in Tualatin. Outwit, outplay, outlast. Isn't that what they say on Survivor?"
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 15, 2006
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A + if you ask me. I am dumbfounded that we were able to land one of the best players in the draft at a need position while only giving up a point guard who is probably best suited to be a career backup. That alone makes this draft a huge success. Not to mention we bought a young supposedly very talented Euro small forward to add to our growing list of European projects that we have no pressure to bring over anytime soon. He is great insurance as a player who should be ready in two or three years when the Blazers should be contenders in case Outlaw and Webster don't pan out.
I have been very high on Outlaw and Webster for a few years now as project guys that needed seasoning and I am stoked to see the Blazers were able to fill needs without giving up these two future stars. They are starting to come into their own and it would have been so disappointing to watch them torch the Blazers (ala Jermaine O'Neal) for years to come because we were not patient. You don't draft projects only to develop them for three or four seasons, watch them mature and improve and them trade them right before they explode.
Coming into this draft we had three positions (C, PF, and SG) that are obviously set with players who will be stars in this league for years to come We just added depth and talent to the two questionable positions and gave up spare parts. If Pritchard can add a good (doesn't even need to be great) veteran point guard maybe half way through the season for LaFrentz, Blake and a conditional first round pick (no lottery picks) to provide defense, clutch shooting and leadership, oooooh boy watch out.
And with Miles, LaFrentz, and Francis all going off the books in no more than two years we will have the cap space to keep all our young stars. I just don't see how the Blazers don't become a dynasty for years to come with their current talent, matched with the amazing administration (its almost as much fun to watch Pritchard's genius and Allen's money team up to make the entire league look like they learned how to make trades from the computer on a video game, as the actual basketball product they produce on the floor).
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Blazer Draft Recap & Analysis - Whats Your Grade?
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 15, 2006
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