# Holy Crap! Did we get the best player in this year's draft?



## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

I'm serious. Did we make off with the best player in this year's draft for only Jarrett Jack?

Amazing. Roy, Oden, and Bayless may each be the best player in each of the last three drafts.

Unbelievable.


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## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

Michael Beasley will always be there for me to say "No not really", in my opinion anyway.


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## meru (Jul 2, 2003)

Define "best". From what I saw, Kevin Love was better last night. Could it be that Kevin McHale is *not* the worst judge of talent among GMs? All he has to do is stick with getting players with his first name, and he's okay.

"Flashiest" - we certainly might have. "Most intense" is also very likely.


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## thaKEAF (Mar 8, 2004)

NewAgeBaller said:


> Michael Beasley will always be there for me to say "No not really", in my opinion anyway.


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

Bayless is certainly a top 5.

He might be better than Rose as of right now also. I'd stick Beasly ahead of him for sure. Him and Mayo are close, Bayless is the better scorer but Mayo is probably the better play maker.


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## Ukrainefan (Aug 1, 2003)

I think it's very early to make this evaluation.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

We are stacked, for sure. Some people still think Aldridge will end up being the best player drafted two years ago.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

Ukrainefan said:


> I think it's very early to make this evaluation.


It's never too early for hyperbole.


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## andalusian (Jun 29, 2006)

Dan said:


> It's never too early for hyperbole.


Checkmate.


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## blazermaniaisback (Jun 7, 2007)

Ukrainefan said:


> I think it's very early to make this evaluation.


I agree... lets let him play some real games and see what he can do. I think its hard to base the summer league games on anything. He is fun to watch though. I feel the same way about Love. He is pulling some nice numbers but will he be able to do the same against league vets? umm I'm going to go with no. Well not yet any ways.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

So far I'd say he's about the 13th best, which is where we got him.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

thaKEAF said:


> NewAgeBaller said:
> 
> 
> > Michael Beasley will always be there for me to say "No not really", in my opinion anyway.
> ...


Let me get in on this...:biggrin:

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## hasoos (Jan 3, 2003)

Possibly. I am more impressed with Bayless every game. I stayed up late last night and watched the Twolves game. Right now, the only reason I think Bayless wouldn't start is that sometimes Nate is weird with his rotations and wants more scoring off the bench. Besides that, when watching his game this is what I noticed:

1. He plays the game at his pace, much like Roy. 
2. He has that hurky-jerky change of pace movement that throws defenders off.
3. Draws contact, gets to the line, shoots a high percentage.
4. He had at least 4 assist dropped by poor front line players. 

Kevin Love is playing well, you can tell he is fighting inside, if you look at the dude now, he has bruises all over him from the inside play. I don't know how long he will be able to keep up taking that beating.


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## Foulzilla (Jan 11, 2005)

KingSpeed said:


> I'm serious. Did we make off with the best player in this year's draft for only Jarrett Jack?


A) It was Jarret Jack and Brandon Rush. Rush is considered a good prospect too, so definitely a significant part of the trade.

B) It's only summer league. Let's wait until the end of the season before saying something like this.


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

Yea, it is WAY too early to tell.

But if we are judging ONLY from summer league, then yes. If nobody saw these players before their 1st summer league game, i think that Mayo, Love, Bayless and Beasly would probably be the top 4.


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## andalusian (Jun 29, 2006)

It is way to early to declare JB the best player from that draft - but it is very very likely that he is better than his 11th draft position.

Should be fun to watch this team next year - pick your poison is the only way to prepare to play against them...


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## nikolokolus (Jan 29, 2008)

I love the enthusiasm Kingspeed, but I agree with Newageballer above; Michael Beasley impressed the hell out of me in Orlando *on sheer talent*. If you are measuring the the best player out of this draft being the most complete or polished basketball player Bayless is certainly not at the top of the list, I'd put Mayo slightly ahead of him, Beasley ahead of him, and Kevin Love well ahead of him, however Jerryd might be a top 5 so far.

Don't get me wrong, I love the killer instinct that Bayless has shown so far getting to the line at will, showing a very nice handle (and yes he can go left contrary to popular opinion), but until we see the release on his jumper speed up, and get a chance to see him setup his teammates a little better this topic is about a year or two premature.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

FWIW, Mayo, Beasley and Lopez have all looked good in their respective summer leagues also.


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## Hephaestus (Jun 16, 2007)

hasoos said:


> Possibly. I am more impressed with Bayless every game. I stayed up late last night and watched the Twolves game. Right now, the only reason I think Bayless wouldn't start is that sometimes Nate is weird with his rotations and wants more scoring off the bench. Besides that, when watching his game this is what I noticed:
> 
> 1. He plays the game at his pace, much like Roy.
> 2. He has that hurky-jerky change of pace movement that throws defenders off.
> ...


Actually the reason Bayless might not start at PG the first half of the season isn't anything to do with Bayless or Blake. It's Oden.

Oden needs to learn all the plays in the offense. He'll probably learn a couple new ones every game. Blake needs to be the guy running the offense early in the 1st quarter, because that's the point in the game Nate is most likely to pick to run the new set plays in game conditions in order for Oden to get comfortable with them.

So Bayless might not start, but Blake may be getting 20 mins while Bayless getting close to 30 mins a game.


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## someone (Jul 17, 2007)

Give it a few years and Derrick Rose will be the best player out of that draft.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Give it a few years and Derrick Rose will be the best player out of that draft.


Sure. Just like Tyrus Thomas will be the best player out of his draft. 

I think the Bulls will regret passing on Beasley.


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## Foulzilla (Jan 11, 2005)

craigehlo said:


> Sure. Just like Tyrus Thomas will be the best player out of his draft.
> 
> I think the Bulls will regret passing on Beasley.


While they may regret passing on Beasley, I don't think there's any comparison between Rose and Thomas. Thomas was viewed as a project with extraordinary athleticism (which pretty much by default is risk). Rose is already a better basketball player than Thomas, and I'd be very surprised if he didn't turn into a very good point in the league. I think the Bulls will most likely be fairly happy with Rose long term.


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## Boob-No-More (Apr 24, 2006)

MARIS61 said:


> So far I'd say he's about the 13th best, which is where we got him.


He was picked 11th. By your logic, Brandon Roy was the 7th best player in the 2006 draft - "which is where we got him".

BNM


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## alext42083 (Nov 7, 2003)

Boob-No-More said:


> He was picked 11th. By your logic, Brandon Roy was the 7th best player in the 2006 draft - "which is where we got him".
> 
> BNM


So does that mean Michael Jordan was the third best player in his draft, and Sam Bowie was better?


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## alext42083 (Nov 7, 2003)

KingSpeed said:


> I'm serious. Did we make off with the best player in this year's draft for only Jarrett Jack?
> 
> Amazing. Roy, Oden, and Bayless may each be the best player in each of the last three drafts.
> 
> Unbelievable.


So if Jerryd Bayless is better than Jarrett Jack, does that make Jerryd better than Devin Harris already?

Checkmate.


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## Ruff Draft (Nov 21, 2004)

It's the summer leagues. Just like Kevin Love, wait till Bayless is playing with the big boys.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Ruff Draft said:


> It's the summer leagues. Just like Kevin Love, wait till Bayless is playing with the big boys.




Why hold out for something logical?

In all seriousness, Bayless more than likely will not put up 1/2 the numbers he is in summer league. That being said, it's always better to do well in summer league than not to do well.


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## ThatBlazerGuy (May 1, 2003)

I think when all is said and done, OJ Mayo, Kevin Love and Jerryd Bayless will emerge as the 3 best players in the 2008 draft. I just dont see Rose ever living up to his potential and Beasley screams 'Melo and Randolph's love baby'.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

Marreese Spieghts has been impressive


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## ThatBlazerGuy (May 1, 2003)

Ya, I always liked Mareese. He reminds me of a rawer' Al Horford with a lot less fire in his belly.


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## Anonymous Gambler (May 29, 2006)

I think he definitely would not drop to 11 if the draft were redone today!

It's early, but what the heck, I think the only player better than Bayless from this draft will be Beasley and possibly Mayo, though he may not have a good enough first step to be an NBA star- we'll see.

Bayless so far projects as unstoppable on the drive and his jumper should revert to college form. His defense is good for a rookie. The only real question is passing ability...and personally as long as we have Roy, who cares??? It'll be a nice surprise if Bayless shows that he can run a team!


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Foulzilla said:


> A) It was Jarret Jack and Brandon Rush. Rush is considered a good prospect too, so definitely a significant part of the trade


As a member of the "Greater Diogu Awareness" club, I'd have to say that it was Bayless for only Rush. The Jack-Diogu swap was a push at worst, and I actually think we won that.

That said, it's unlikely Bayless is the best player out of the draft. I'd still rather have Beasely, Rose or Mayo. But Bayless is exciting.


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

I'm happy if Bayless winds up in the top 5 of picks from this draft. Even top 10. Seriously, we're talking about our fourth or fifth or even sixth scoring option here (depending on how your rank Fernandez and Outlaw). I'd love to find out we just drafted another Baron Davis or Chauncy Billups, but I'm happy if he's "just" a Jason Terry-level talent. 

We don't have to get the best guy (for arguably the third year in a row) for us to have a great draft.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

mook said:


> I'm happy if Bayless winds up in the top 5 of picks from this draft. Even top 10. Seriously, we're talking about our fourth or fifth or even sixth scoring option here (depending on how your rank Fernandez and Outlaw). I'd love to find out we just drafted another Baron Davis or Chauncy Billups, but I'm happy if he's "just" a Jason Terry-level talent.
> 
> We don't have to get the best guy (for arguably the third year in a row) for us to have a great draft.


Sorry man, this kid is way more talented than Jason Terry. Jason Terry is his floor.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

The player being left out of this discussion is Westbrook. How has he done in SL?

I thought his game would translate to the NBA better than Bayless. (After watching JB in SL, maybe not.)

But with the emergence of PGs like Paul and Williams having huge impacts on their teams, maybe it is Wetbrook who will rise to the top of this class.


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## crowTrobot (Jun 24, 2005)

It's_GO_Time said:


> The player being left out of this discussion is Westbrook. How has he done in SL?



he was the mvp of the orlando league as voted by coaches.


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## Blue (Jun 21, 2007)

It's_GO_Time said:


> The player being left out of this discussion is Westbrook. * How has he done in SL?*
> 
> I thought his game would translate to the NBA better than Bayless. (After watching JB in SL, maybe not.)
> 
> But with the emergence of PGs like Paul and Williams having huge impacts on their teams, maybe it is Wetbrook who will rise to the top of this class.


Westbrook did really well actually..... he made 1st team in the Orlando Summer League. I just remember him being real athletic and disruptive as hell. He is to defense what KD is to offense imo.....Steals and dunks Galore! I watched him and KD when they played Orlando and they compliment each other well...I think there are gonna be alot of talented players from this class when it's all said and done tho.

*2008 ORLANDO PRO ALL-SUMMER LEAGUE TEAMS*

FIRST TEAM
*G – Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City*
G – Courtney Lee, Orlando
F – Jeff Green, Oklahoma City
F – Michael Beasley, Miami
C – Brook Lopez, New Jersey

SECOND TEAM
G – Mario Chalmers, Miami
G – Earl Calloway, Indiana
F – Jaycee Carroll, New Jersey
F – Chris Douglas-Roberts, New Jersey
C – Marcin Gortat, Orlando

http://www.insidehoops.com/summer-league-orlando.shtml



> Kevin Durant performed brilliantly, hitting 7 of 10 shots from the floor and wasa leader on the court throughout. But the new Oklahoma City faithful should know that they have more than the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year on their team. *Their first round draft pick, Russell Westbrook, has played more consistent than anyone in the league thus far, showing uncanny quickness both on the offensive and defensive ends of the court.*


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

MARIS61 said:


> So far I'd say he's about the 13th best, which is where we got him.



Why do you bother making posts like this, Maris? Honestly I'm about ready to claim you're trolling. I could see arguing compared to guys like Rose, Beasley, Mayo and at this point even Love, but Bayless is currently getting talked about as the summer league MVP _and_, presuming the plan is to have Roy initiating the offense most of the time, Bayless is looking like a pretty perfect fit next to him -- someone to defend the opposing PGs, bring the ball up the court, and be another scoring option. His ability to draw contact and still get a decent shot off while also shooting a good percentage from the line is great.

I've found myself appreciating your posts a number of times recently but honestly.... :sigh:


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## Foulzilla (Jan 11, 2005)

Minstrel said:


> As a member of the "Greater Diogu Awareness" club, I'd have to say that it was Bayless for only Rush. The Jack-Diogu swap was a push at worst, and I actually think we won that.


I think Jack has more value around the league then Diogu. Perhaps significantly more. I too like Diogu and think he could be good, but he's not really shown enough to be highly valued. Therefore us trading Jack for Diogu is effectively the premium we paid for swapping the 13th and 11th picks. Very worth it in my opinion, since I think Diogu is better than he has shown. Only time will tell though.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

Boob-No-More said:


> He was picked 11th. By your logic, Brandon Roy was the 7th best player in the 2006 draft - "which is where we got him".
> 
> BNM


He was picked 11th *by a team that would have otherwise picked Brandon Rush at 11th* if we had not thrown in Jack, McBob and taken unwantred Diogu off their payroll.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Foulzilla said:


> I think Jack has more value around the league then Diogu. Perhaps significantly more. I too like Diogu and think he could be good, but he's not really shown enough to be highly valued.


Jack hasn't shown enough to be highly valued, either. His performance level hasn't been starter level. I'm not really arguing perceptions, though. I realize perceptions of Diogu aren't particularly high. I am just saying that in reality, in my opinion, Diogu at the very least gave Portland equal value for Jack, making Brandon Rush the effective cost for Bayless.

And, in my opinion (based on both watching him and his statistical profile), I think Diogu is better than Jack.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

PorterIn2004 said:


> Why do you bother making posts like this, Maris? Honestly I'm about ready to claim you're trolling. I could see arguing compared to guys like Rose, Beasley, Mayo and at this point even Love, but Bayless is currently getting talked about as the summer league MVP _and_, presuming the plan is to have Roy initiating the offense most of the time, Bayless is looking like a pretty perfect fit next to him -- someone to defend the opposing PGs, bring the ball up the court, and be another scoring option. His ability to draw contact and still get a decent shot off while also shooting a good percentage from the line is great.
> 
> I've found myself appreciating your posts a number of times recently but honestly.... :sigh:


Summer League is what it is. You'll find better competition on many playgrounds around Portland.

Even so, Bayless has struggled ala Jarrett Jack with decision-making and ball-handling with an A-TO ratio near 1-4. That's without anyone decent pressuring him.

_“We got to look at Jerryd at the point guard,” Williams said. “We want to see if he can run the team. A lot of times he gets the ball and he just kind of runs off on his own._ 

I don't believe Bayless or Roy are sensible options at the point. They are both true SG's and that's where they shine. I'd rather see a 3 guard rotation with a real PG running the show.


As much as I protested Jarrett being used there Bayless and Roy are even worse choices. I believe Sergio and Petteri, or even Blake, are much wiser choices to run the offense.

But then, I like high-flying, 94 foot pressure, balls-out attacking basketball.

Nate likes slow, lockdown defense, grind-it-out-in-the-halfcourt basketball. Bores me to tears.


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

Sorry, not that impressed with Kevin Love. I watched him against the Blazers, he's not going to get nearly the points or rebounds in the regular season. The guy barely gets off the ground, how is he going to rebound over guys like Oden or Dwight Howard? 

Working over a bunch of scrub big men in the summer league does not make you one of the 5 best players in the draft.


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## Boob-No-More (Apr 24, 2006)

MARIS61 said:


> He was picked 11th *by a team that would have otherwise picked Brandon Rush at 11th* if we had not thrown in Jack, McBob and taken unwantred Diogu off their payroll.


So? Brandon Roy was picked 6th by a team that would have otherwise taken Randy Foye at 6th *if we had not thrown in $3,000,000 of Paul Allen's money*. So, by your logic that makles Brandon Roy the 7th best player from the 2006 draft.

Where Bayless was picked is totally irrelevent to how good he will be compared to the other members of his draft class. What a player does on the court is the true measure of his value. Using draft position to determine a players value is nonsense. Otherwise, Adam Morrison would be considered a better player than Brandon Roy and the "unwantred" Ike Diogu (9th pick in 2005) is better than Jarrett Jack (22st pick in 2005).

If we look at it soley from the perspective of where the players were drafted, that trade looks even better for us.

We traded:

13th pick in 2008 + 22nd pick in 2005 + 37th pick in 2007

for:

11th pick in 2008 + 9th pick in 2005

But this is all rather silly. Right now Bayless looks like a steal, whether he was taken at 11th (actual) or 13th (in Maris' world). But, it's only summer league. Qyntel Woods looked like a future all-star in summer league. In the end, I suspect Bayless will prove better than most players picked after him and a few of those picked before him. If so, it's another good "value pick" by Pritchard.

BNM


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## Anonymous Gambler (May 29, 2006)

An interesting question is whether Roy and Aldridge were the two best of their year. I think it probably breaks down like this:

1)*Roy* 2)Gay 3) *Aldridge*
1)*Oden* 2)Durant 3)Horford
1)Beasley 2)Mayo 3)*Bayless*

The league has been Pritch-slapped!


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## BBert (Dec 30, 2004)

Foulzilla said:


> I think Jack has more value around the league then Diogu. Perhaps significantly more. I too like Diogu and think he could be good, but he's not really shown enough to be highly valued. Therefore us trading Jack for Diogu is effectively the premium we paid for swapping the 13th and 11th picks. Very worth it in my opinion, since I think Diogu is better than he has shown. Only time will tell though.


I agree. Jack may very well have more value, generally, around the league than Ike. Especially considering Ike has had a tough (and nearly invisible) couple of years. 

I will say that Ike has much more value to me than Jack. I couldn't be happier that Jack was traded, period. 

More importantly, I think Ike has more value to the Blazers than Jack. We've got guards and combo guards coming out our ears, and Jack was the bottom of the barrel, IMO. OTOH, even though he's behind Oden, Aldridge, Frye, Joel and maybe even Outlaw, Ike is that banger so many fans, and I think the Blazers, were looking for to backup the PF position.

Rush is a good guard; but he had no place on our team. The moment he was drafted I said: "Somebody is getting traded." Bayless is the guard we needed from that draft, and we got him.

Great trade for Portland!


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## Perfection (May 10, 2004)

As soon as Indiana drafted Bayless I assumed that we had traded for him. With them just getting TJ Ford, it made too much sense. And then it was the case.


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## Masbee (Dec 31, 2002)

Anonymous Gambler said:


> An interesting question is whether Roy and Aldridge were the two best of their year. I think it probably breaks down like this:
> 
> 1)*Roy* 2)Gay 3) *Aldridge*
> 1)*Oden* 2)Durant 3)Horford ?)*Rudy* ?)*Koponen*
> ...


It is early for exact orderings, outside of Roy none of these guys are accomplished and established, your thought is interesting.

I don't think Bayless will be the 3rd best player out of this draft, but why not expand the list a little and throw Rudy, Koponen and Batum into the mix. Any of them may turn out ot be a top ten player of their repspective drafts. I don't predict it, but I hope so.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Anonymous Gambler said:


> An interesting question is whether Roy and Aldridge were the two best of their year. I think it probably breaks down like this:
> 
> 1)*Roy* 2)Gay 3) *Aldridge*
> 1)*Oden* 2)Durant 3)Horford
> ...


How does Bayless "probably" rank ahead of Rose?


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## Anonymous Gambler (May 29, 2006)

Minstrel said:


> How does Bayless "probably" rank ahead of Rose?


Rose didn't look good in summer league, has tendinitis...

But, mostly I think Bayless looks very good.

So, part logic, part homerism.


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## B-Roy (Feb 12, 2008)

Anonymous Gambler said:


> Rose didn't look good in summer league, has tendinitis...
> 
> But, mostly I think Bayless looks very good.


That doesn't really make sense either. Bayless has played better than Mayo, so should Bayless be ahead of Mayo?


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Anonymous Gambler said:


> Rose didn't look good in summer league, has tendinitis...
> 
> But, mostly I think Bayless looks very good.
> 
> So, part logic, part homerism.


So your rankings were just summer league rankings?

Because as long-term prospects, I don't see how one can say that Bayless probably ranks ahead of Rose, considering Rose was much more highly regarded by consensus than Bayless at draft time and no NBA games have been played since.

I think Bayless looks great against crap competition (relative to the NBA). And Rose has been hampered by tendinitis. But a couple of summer league games don't mean much. They amount to extended workouts...a chance for the team to see the players in action a bit heading into training camp/exhibition season.


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## Anonymous Gambler (May 29, 2006)

B-Roy said:


> That doesn't really make sense either. Bayless has played better than Mayo, so should Bayless be ahead of Mayo?


Mayo hasn't looked bad in summer league and I generally thought he was the third best prospect going into the draft.

the summer league hasn't given me any reason to doubt Mayo's ability, so I still rank him better than Bayless.

The summer league has raised some slight doubts about Rose, who I always saw as kind of similar to Bayless- both are 2's in a 1's body- so that in my mind drops him behind Bayless.

Don't try to overanalyze it- this is mostly a gut feeling and is slightly influenced by homerism, as you may have read above.


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## deanwoof (Mar 10, 2003)

one year ago today everybody was sweating the rookie from golden state. look how he turned out.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

alext42083 said:


> So if Jerryd Bayless is better than Jarrett Jack, does that make Jerryd better than Devin Harris already?
> 
> Checkmate.


Umm.. YEAH. Bayless + Outlaw + Frye > Harris + 13th Pick


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

KingSpeed said:


> Umm.. YEAH. Bayless + Outlaw + Frye > Harris + 13th Pick


I'll tske Harris and the 13th pick.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

You underestimate Outlaw. Coach Demopoulos said that Outlaw was right up there with the Big 3. That it's really the Big 4. That Outlaw is one of the best clutch shooters in the league. Why would you give him up for Harris? Especially when you get Bayless to go with him??


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## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

ThatBlazerGuy said:


> I think when all is said and done, OJ Mayo, Kevin Love and Jerryd Bayless will emerge as the 3 best players in the 2008 draft. I just dont see Rose ever living up to his potential and Beasley screams 'Melo and Randolph's love baby'.


'Melo and Randolph's Love Baby' actually sounds like a pretty good player. It'd be hard to argue Mayo, Bayless and especially Kevin Love as a better player than Melo/Randolph's baby.


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## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

KingSpeed said:


> That Outlaw is one of the best clutch shooters in the league.


This really needs to stop.. :azdaja:


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## someone (Jul 17, 2007)

Outlaw a clutch shooter? All he's ever been known for is good defense.


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

Minstrel said:


> I'll tske Harris and the 13th pick.


Definitely. I'd take Harris alone over that package.

To answer the question from the title...No.


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## Jayps15 (Jul 21, 2007)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Outlaw a clutch shooter? All he's ever been known for is good defense.


I certainly wouldn't call him a good defender.


And Kingspeed, the quote was 'Outlaw is one of the great young clutch players', with an emphasis on the young part.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

KingSpeed said:


> You underestimate Outlaw. Coach Demopoulos said that Outlaw was right up there with the Big 3. That it's really the Big 4. That Outlaw is one of the best clutch shooters in the league. Why would you give him up for Harris? Especially when you get Bayless to go with him??


Outlaw is one dimensional and far from dominant in that one aspect. He scores, but not at particularly impressive efficiency. He's not a good passer or defender and only an average rebounder for his size. He gives you nothing much but points at so-so efficiency and average rebounding.

Devin Harris is a very good play-maker, very good defender and a better scorer. He's obviously not the rebounder Outlaw is, as he's about half the size, but he's a fine rebounder for his position.

Ages are almost a push.

The #13 pick was the main asset in getting Bayless. Give Pritchard back the 13th pick, but minus Jarret Jack and he could well turn it into Bayless again, using a different backup quality player. Regardless, Devin Harris is a young, extremely skilled point guard. A better player than Outlaw and likely better than Bayless will be (though I'd love for Bayless to end up better than Harris is and will be).


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

Minstrel said:


> I'll tske Harris and the 13th pick.


Enough with the Harris mancrush already! :azdaja:

Ironic, ain't I? :biggrin:


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## c_note (Jan 30, 2007)

At this point, it's pretty clear Bayless SHOULD have gone #4.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

MARIS61 said:


> Enough with the Harris mancrush already! :azdaja:
> 
> Ironic, ain't I? :biggrin:


I'll have a mancrush on whomever I wish. This is America. :usa:


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## someone (Jul 17, 2007)

Minstrel said:


> I'll have a mancrush on whomever I wish. This is America. :usa:


home of the free and ***** alright! 

My country tis of thee...


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

liekomgj4ck said:


> home of the free and ***** alright!


I don't know what inappropriate word got censored, but I'm sure I don't approve... :no:

:meditate:


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

Don't mind Kingspeed. You get used to his sensationalistic posts after a while. Give it time.


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## TLo (Dec 27, 2006)

IMHO, Kevin Love is the most ready for the NBA game. I think Bayless will be very good though.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Outlaw a clutch shooter? All he's ever been known for is good defense.


You haven't actually watched any Blazer games, have you? You do realize that he's talking about _Travis_ Outlaw, and not Bo, right?


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

TLo said:


> IMHO, Kevin Love is the most ready for the NBA game. I think Bayless will be very good though.


He's way too short for his position.:azdaja:


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

Minstrel said:


> Outlaw is one dimensional and far from dominant in that one aspect. He scores, but not at particularly impressive efficiency. He's not a good passer or defender and only an average rebounder for his size. He gives you nothing much but points at so-so efficiency and average rebounding...


...and well above average blocked shots and steals. And being a legit option to get his shot on most anyone as the clock winds down is an extremely valuable skill. Shooting 40% from 3's doesn't suck either.

STOMP


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## nikolokolus (Jan 29, 2008)

STOMP said:


> ...and well above average blocked shots and steals. And being a legit option to get his shot on most anyone as the clock winds down is an extremely valuable skill. Shooting 40% from 3's doesn't suck either.
> 
> STOMP


Amen.

I know Travis still has holes in his game, but I'm mildly hopeful he's going to continue to improve this coming year. Why? A) he got a huge shot of confidence in his game because of the way he played last year (at times) and B) he decided to skip Bass fishing all summer and instead work on his deficiencies like his left hand (and hopefully his rotations on defense).


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

c_note said:


> At this point, it's pretty clear Bayless SHOULD have gone #4.


Ummm no. Westbrook has been up and down but his good games have been spectacular and his defense is so much better than Bayless' as to be in a different league.


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm really interested to see how good Travis is next year. I was hoping he wouldn't take a step back, but after hearing all the work he has been doing, wow.. I can't wait!


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

After watching Travis play for the last two years. His stats are no indicator of his abilities. He puts up good numbers, but is absolutely garbage on the court, a true black hole when he gets the basketball.

The blazers were 4.1 points per game BETTER with him off the court than on the court (includes offense and defense).
With him on the court they were outscored by 110, with him off the court they outscored opponents by 30. He makes the team worse, not better. Please Please stop overrating him.


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

http://www.82games.com/0708/07POR9D.HTM


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

i think that is the main reason he will never start for us. HIs offensive game is best suited with a bunch of second unit guys.

He can still improve on it though, and learn to play more within the flow of the Offense.

edit - Hey STOMP! Whatup, man?!?!


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## Captain Chaos (Dec 1, 2004)

silverpaw1786 said:


> Ummm no. Westbrook has been up and down but his good games have been spectacular and his defense is so much better than Bayless' as to be in a different league.


Let's not get too much out of reality here. Westbrook's defense is not in a different league. Give me a break. He is better defensively without a doubt. Yet, Bayless is much better offensively. Both deserve a lot of praise so far. I just think Bayless has the higher ceiling. He has an NBA body right now as well.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

STOMP said:


> ...and well above average blocked shots and steals. And being a legit option to get his shot on most anyone as the clock winds down is an extremely valuable skill. Shooting 40% from 3's doesn't suck either


Hmm, I don't view blocks and steals as "value added" that is separate from defense. Even with his blocks and steals, Outlaw is not a good defender. That's clearly entirely subjective, but few people seem to disagree on Outlaw's defense.

And yes, being able to create his own shot is why I gave him "scoring" as the thing he's good at. If he couldn't create his own shot, he'd have almost nothing going for him. His efficiency isn't good.

The 40% shooting from three point range is already factored into his efficiency, which is mediocre. It gives him some niche value--he can play the outside threat to Oden's inside threat--but it doesn't upgrade him as an overall player, since how much you score and at what efficiency is what matters, not where on the court you get them.


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## crowTrobot (Jun 24, 2005)

silverpaw1786 said:


> Ummm no. Westbrook has been up and down but his good games have been spectacular and his defense is so much better than Bayless' as to be in a different league.




ummm no yourself. at least based on summer league they are in the same league defensively. westbrook might have looked a little smoother, but bayless has been better than expected and virtually as quick/effective as westbrook on his man 1/1 (so far).


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

Bayless has played better than my boy R-dub in SL but that doesn't mean Westbrook shouldn't have been picked at 4.

But Bayless definitely fell way lower than he should have, he is, imo, a top 5 player from the draft.

He actually might be having the best summer league out of any lottery pick.


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## LionOfJudah (May 27, 2003)

KingSpeed said:


> I'm serious. Did we make off with the best player in this year's draft for only Jarrett Jack?
> 
> Amazing. Roy, Oden, and Bayless may each be the best player in each of the last three drafts.
> 
> Unbelievable.





> An interesting question is whether Roy and Aldridge were the two best of their year. I think it probably breaks down like this:
> 
> 1)Roy 2)Gay 3) Aldridge
> 1)Oden 2)Durant 3)Horford
> ...


Oden hasn't played a minute of regular season NBA basketball while Kevin Durant put up a stellar stat line on a complete rebuilding team. There were other players who were named to the all rookie team and actually played regular season games last year who should still be considered better picks than Oden since we don't even know if he'll make in the league with is injury issues. It maybe the Blazers' board but you should really take off the homer blinders for two seconds before you make garbage statements like the one above. Oden shouldn't be in this conversation unless this is a thread based upon complete speculation and bs.

Oh and yes, Bayless looks good. Just like all the other star tweener guards do in summer league.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

MrJayremmie said:


> Bayless has played better than my boy R-dub in SL but that doesn't mean Westbrook shouldn't have been picked at 4.
> 
> But Bayless definitely fell way lower than he should have, he is, imo, a top 5 player from the draft.
> 
> He actually might be having the best summer league out of any lottery pick.


R-Dub at 4 was one of the worst picks of the draft


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

> Oden hasn't played a minute of regular season NBA basketball while Kevin Durant put up a stellar stat line on a complete rebuilding team. There were other players who were named to the all rookie team and actually played regular season games last year who should still be considered better picks than Oden since we don't even know if he'll make in the league with is injury issues. It maybe the Blazers' board but you should really take off the homer blinders for two seconds before you make garbage statements like the one above. Oden shouldn't be in this conversation unless this is a thread based upon complete speculation and bs.


lol, its not that out there of a prediction to assume Oden is going to be one of the best rookies of last years class.


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

crowTrobot said:


> ummm no yourself. at least based on summer league they are in the same league defensively. westbrook might have looked a little smoother, but bayless has been better than expected and virtually as quick/effective as westbrook on his man 1/1 (so far).


Ya let's consider summer league over a whole season of play and the opinions of experts. It's clear that Westbrook is a much better defender, he's longer, stronger, and more athletic. Combine that with more athletic skill....and you're wrong, you homer.


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## Kmurph (May 7, 2003)

> It's clear that Westbrook is a much better defender, he's longer, stronger, and more athletic. Combine that with more athletic skill....and you're wrong, you homer.


I thought Bayless didn't have any problems with Westbrook's "defense" during the year....


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## crowTrobot (Jun 24, 2005)

silverpaw1786 said:


> Ya let's consider summer league over a whole season of play and the opinions of experts. It's clear that Westbrook is a much better defender, he's longer, stronger, and more athletic. Combine that with more athletic skill....and you're wrong, you homer.



i don't recall reading any experts that said westbrook was in a "different league" than bayless defensively. all they've ever said is westbrook's longer wingspan gives him an advantage. as far as strength and athleticism if anything bayless received higher praise between the two.


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

nbadraft.net
Weaknesses: Although he has a great feel for the game, his playmaking skills will need to improve to handle the PG spot fulltime ... *His lack of a good wingspan neutralizes his great athleticism to a slight degree, and hinders his ability to defend* ... Although he improved as the season went along, he still settles for the contested jumpshot way too often, adding shot discipline is crucial ... His shooting motion is a little unorthodox as he sort of shot puts the ball. But it's nothing that needs tampering with as he shoots it the same way every time and very effectively ... At times forces the issue too much, getting out of control and finding himself in traffic with nobody to throw the ball to ... Will need to get stronger and better conditioned, he may have fallen victim to the physical grind, as fatigue settled in at the end of the season, his shot become more inconsistent, dropping his percentages substantially (he did not have a game where he made more than 2 threes in his last 10 outings)... His emotions can get the best of him, and at times his frustration renders him completely non-existent on the court ... He is somewhat turnover prone, but with more experience and maturity it should not be a concern ... Continues to be plagued by injuries, which raises questions about his durability ... Despite all of his talent, there are some concerns about his ability to make others better, he has been on underachieving teams in AAU as well as at Arizona, raising the issue of selfishness. Is he a teammate others want to play with? It depends who you ask ... Still has some maturing to do, but is seen as a guy who will ultimately succeed at the NBA level due to his tremendous desire and intelligence ...


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## someone (Jul 17, 2007)

Dan said:


> You haven't actually watched any Blazer games, have you? You do realize that he's talking about _Travis_ Outlaw, and not Bo, right?


O.k. my bad. 

That's pretty funny though, sorry about that.


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## silverpaw1786 (Mar 11, 2004)

Draft express:
Under weaknesses: • Ability to fight through screens
• Ability to defend SGs


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## crowTrobot (Jun 24, 2005)

silverpaw1786 said:


> nbadraft.net
> Weaknesses: Although he has a great feel for the game, his playmaking skills will need to improve to handle the PG spot fulltime ... *His lack of a good wingspan neutralizes his great athleticism to a slight degree, and hinders his ability to defend* ... Although he improved as the season went along, he still settles for the contested jumpshot way too often, adding shot discipline is crucial ... His shooting motion is a little unorthodox as he sort of shot puts the ball. But it's nothing that needs tampering with as he shoots it the same way every time and very effectively ... At times forces the issue too much, getting out of control and finding himself in traffic with nobody to throw the ball to ... Will need to get stronger and better conditioned, he may have fallen victim to the physical grind, as fatigue settled in at the end of the season, his shot become more inconsistent, dropping his percentages substantially (he did not have a game where he made more than 2 threes in his last 10 outings)... His emotions can get the best of him, and at times his frustration renders him completely non-existent on the court ... He is somewhat turnover prone, but with more experience and maturity it should not be a concern ... Continues to be plagued by injuries, which raises questions about his durability ... Despite all of his talent, there are some concerns about his ability to make others better, he has been on underachieving teams in AAU as well as at Arizona, raising the issue of selfishness. Is he a teammate others want to play with? It depends who you ask ... Still has some maturing to do, but is seen as a guy who will ultimately succeed at the NBA level due to his tremendous desire and intelligence ...




to a slight degree, yeah i've read that at least 10 times over the last month. so who is saying westbrook is in a different league defensively?


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

Minstrel said:


> Hmm, I don't view blocks and steals as "value added" that is separate from defense. Even with his blocks and steals, Outlaw is not a good defender. That's clearly entirely subjective, but few people seem to disagree on Outlaw's defense.


like most I don't think he's currently anything special at D... he's OK. I do disagree with your assessment that... _"He gives you nothing much but points at so-so efficiency and average rebounding"_... though. His ability to get/cause TO's is well above average and deserves more credit then your very limited quote gives him.


> And yes, being able to create his own shot is why I gave him "scoring" as the thing he's good at. *If he couldn't create his own shot, he'd have almost nothing going for him.* His efficiency isn't good.


but you didn't mention it. Being able to get a decent look as a end of the clock bail out option is not a skill many players possess and is a very valuable skill. Those are low % opportunities for any player and are bound to bring efficiency stats down. 


> The 40% shooting from three point range is already factored into his efficiency, which is mediocre. It gives him some niche value--he can play the outside threat to Oden's inside threat--but it doesn't upgrade him as an overall player,* since how much you score and at what efficiency is what matters*, not where on the court you get them.


Since he has proven he can make a 3 point shot at a high rate, why wouldn't he be able to do that with a low post threat like Greg? Hopefully the club having more offensive weapons throughout the lineup will give the players (including TO) better looks/scoring opportunities, and they won't depend on Travis and Roy having to create something from nothing under shot clock duress so much. 

STOMP


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

STOMP said:


> like most I don't think he's currently anything special at D... he's OK. I do disagree with your assessment that... _"He gives you nothing much but points at so-so efficiency and average rebounding"_... though. His ability to get/cause TO's is well above average and deserves more credit then your very limited quote gives him.


Again, I don't consider blocks and steals to be a separate category for evaluation. Blocks and steals are part of his defense and his defense, in total, is sub-par, in my opinion.

The point of defense is preventing your man and the other team from scoring. Doing it with a steal or blocked shot a few times a game is no more a measure of defense, or a completely different cateogry, than dunking a few times per game is the measure of good offense, or a completely different category. 



> but you didn't mention it. Being able to get a decent look as a end of the clock bail out option is not a skill many players possess and is a very valuable skill. Those are low % opportunities for any player and are bound to bring efficiency stats down.


I think you're overstating it. Getting a look at the end of the shot clock is something anyone who can create their own shot can do. Giving Outlaw credit as a good offensive player was, in my mind at least, stating that he can create his own shot. If you can't, you aren't a good offensive player. Outlaw can create his own shot, but he doesn't do it at high efficiency. I don't agree that the reason his efficiency is low is because he's the "bail out" option. All primary scorers are, and many / most of them have quite good scoring efficiencies. 

I would say Outlaw is a primary scorer type, but not an extremely good one. Which to me suggests that his value is a scoring threat off the bench for a good team, not a starter.



> Since he has proven he can make a 3 point shot at a high rate, why wouldn't he be able to do that with a low post threat like Greg?


I think you misread me. I'm not saying he won't be able to. I was saying that his three-point proficiency is useful in a niche sense (better suited to certain situations and personnel...and one of those *is* playing with Greg Oden) but doesn't upgrade him as a player since it is already factored into his scoring numbers and efficiency.


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## #10 (Jul 23, 2004)

silverpaw1786 said:


> nbadraft.net
> Weaknesses: Although he has a great feel for the game, his playmaking skills will need to improve to handle the PG spot fulltime ... *His lack of a good wingspan neutralizes his great athleticism to a slight degree, and hinders his ability to defend* ...


All of the draft sites recognize that while height-wise he's a 1, in terms of his skill set he's a 2. His short wingspan becomes more of a problem if he's defending 2s; fortunately for us, we have Roy/Rudy for that. I agree with you that Westbrook's wingspan probably makes him the better defender.


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## nikolokolus (Jan 29, 2008)

stevemc said:


> Oden hasn't played a minute of regular season NBA basketball while Kevin Durant put up a stellar stat line on a complete rebuilding team. There were other players who were named to the all rookie team and actually played regular season games last year who should still be considered better picks than Oden since we don't even know if he'll make in the league with is injury issues. It maybe the Blazers' board but you should really take off the homer blinders for two seconds before you make garbage statements like the one above. Oden shouldn't be in this conversation unless this is a thread based upon complete speculation and bs.
> 
> Oh and yes, Bayless looks good. Just like all the other star tweener guards do in summer league.


For crissakes, you're on a Blazer board reprimanding people for making homerish statements? I'll bet this is the only message board on the "internets" where that happens.

If you don't like it don't read messages on other fans' boards. If this was in the NBA general section you'd at least have a leg to stand on, instead your comments above just make you look like a tool, trying to bait people.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Outlaw a clutch shooter? All he's ever been known for is good defense.


Huh??? If you watched the Blazers play all 82 games last season, you know that he is one of the great clutch shooters in the league. It is amazing how many game tying, game winning, and game breaking shots he hit last season. Dean and I both watched all the games. If you didn't, then trust me. He is one of the greatest clutch shooters in the game. "Great clutch shooter" isn't an opinion. You either hit clutch shots or you don't. Outlaw did.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

Jayps15 said:


> I certainly wouldn't call him a good defender.
> 
> 
> And Kingspeed, the quote was 'Outlaw is one of the great young clutch players', with an emphasis on the young part.


No, it was "one of the great clutch shooters in the league."


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## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

KingSpeed said:


> He is one of the greatest clutch shooters in the game.


Really, can we stop calling Outlaw _"one of the greatest clutch shooters in the game"_?

I agree with whoever said _"one of the greatest young clutch shooters"_ would be far more accurate. Outlaw is not one of the greatest clutch shooters after a good half a season.. :azdaja:


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

He had a good FULL season. You didn't watch the games so you don't know. He hit one game tyer and two game winners. In the Memphis game, he hit two clutch shots leading into the game winner. But throughout the season, he hit huge shot after huge shot in the 4th quarter. Big three pointers down the stretch. Stretches where he couldn't be stopped in the 4th. People forget that, in that game vs Utah where Webster scored 24 in the third, Outlaw hit all the clutch shots to put that game away in the 4th. Outlaw was one of the great clutch shooters in the league last season. NewAgeBaller- you can't say otherwise because you didn't watch the games. You're just guessing that I'm wrong. But I saw the games. All 82.


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## LameR (Jan 4, 2004)

KingSpeed is right on this one. Outlaw could be absolutely horrible for 3 quarters, but for whatever reason, he would turn it on in the 4th consistently to the point where Webster hardly ever played in the 4th despite starting 75 games. Yeah, that's partially just a comparison between two players, but Outlaw really was impressive in the 4th quarter this past year. Trust me, I hated him at times throughout games, but he never failed to shut me up in the 4th.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

I forgot about the 4 point play at the buzzer to tie the game in Toronto. This dude was seriously clutch all year.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

NewAgeBaller and other doubters-- watch this======> http://youtube.com/watch?v=R2Z4nxdjpnE

There you will see his last two clutch shots vs Memphis, his 4 pt play to tie the game in Toronto, his clutch free throws and block vs Denver, his game tying shot vs New York, and his game winner in Atlanta. That is just a SAMPLE of what he did all last season.


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## MrJayremmie (Dec 29, 2007)

He was a good clutch shooter this past year, but i don't think he is one of the best in the league. You gotta do it for more than one year for that.

I agree that he is one of the best young clutch shooters in the nba, and one of the better clutch shooters in the NBA this last year though.


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## someone (Jul 17, 2007)

KingSpeed said:


> NewAgeBaller and other doubters-- watch this======> http://youtube.com/watch?v=R2Z4nxdjpnE
> 
> There you will see his last two clutch shots vs Memphis, his 4 pt play to tie the game in Toronto, his clutch free throws and block vs Denver, his game tying shot vs New York, and his game winner in Atlanta. That is just a SAMPLE of what he did all last season.


Wow one youtube highlight video and he isn't a bust anymore.

I guess these guys aren't bust's either.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-k98bRUOb4g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-k98bRUOb4g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


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## nikolokolus (Jan 29, 2008)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Wow one youtube highlight video and he isn't a bust anymore.
> 
> I guess these guys aren't bust's either.


Boy, you really proved the hell out of your point didn't you?


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## someone (Jul 17, 2007)

nikolokolus said:


> Boy, you really proved the hell out of your point didn't you?


Are you making fun of me? :laugh:


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## Hephaestus (Jun 16, 2007)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Are you making fun of me?


Hey Chicago. How's Ty Thomas? And Viktor Khryapa?

















:lol::lol::lol:


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

liekomgj4ck said:


> Wow one youtube highlight video and he isn't a bust anymore.
> 
> I guess these guys aren't bust's either.
> 
> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-k98bRUOb4g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-k98bRUOb4g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


You think he is/was a bust? Huh?


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

Back to the subject of this thread, I think we have the best player in this year's draft. Amazing. Not to say that there aren't other great prospects out there, but you have to consider Bayless at LEAST in the top 5.


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## Hephaestus (Jun 16, 2007)

KingSpeed said:


> Back to the subject of this thread, I think we have the best player in this year's draft. Amazing. Not to say that there aren't other great prospects out there, but you have to consider Bayless at LEAST in the top 5.


Well... Bayless was considered top 3-4 for almost a whole year all the way up until two weeks before the draft. It shouldn't be a shock.

Year after year, a whole year of scouting done on a full season of college basketball loses importance just before the draft, and the NCAA Tournament and the Orlando camp results get taken too seriously in NBA front offices. There's no reason in the world Seattle should have passed on Bayless. I don't care how good Westbrook looked in workouts. Westbrook might end up being a good PG, but he's not going to have the career Bayless is going to.

The really stupid thing is Sam Presti knows better. He learned from the same people in the Spurs organization Kevin Pritchard did.

Ignoring your end of the college season scouting reports and allowing March Madness or spring measurements to weight too heavily in your draft night decisions and it's your career in an NBA front office that's put in peril.


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## NewAgeBaller (Jan 8, 2007)

KingSpeed said:


> He had a good FULL season. You didn't watch the games so you don't know. He hit one game tyer and two game winners. In the Memphis game, he hit two clutch shots leading into the game winner. But throughout the season, he hit huge shot after huge shot in the 4th quarter. Big three pointers down the stretch. Stretches where he couldn't be stopped in the 4th. People forget that, in that game vs Utah where Webster scored 24 in the third, Outlaw hit all the clutch shots to put that game away in the 4th. Outlaw was one of the great clutch shooters in the league last season. NewAgeBaller- you can't say otherwise because you didn't watch the games. You're just guessing that I'm wrong. But I saw the games. All 82.


Just cause you're a Blazer fan, doesn't mean you're the only one that watches or follows the Blazers. I either saw or followed (through recaps, this forum, etc.) atleast 70% of the moments you're speaking of - I never said Outlaw wasn't clutch.

I had a reply typed up earlier but for whatever reason it didn't send, but basically this is what I'm saying:



MrJayremmie said:


> He was a good clutch shooter this past year, but i don't think he is one of the best in the league. You gotta do it for more than one year for that.


You don't become _"one of the greatest clutch shooters in the game"_ after a single season of clutch play.


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## LionOfJudah (May 27, 2003)

MrJayremmie said:


> lol, its not that out there of a prediction to assume Oden is going to be one of the best rookies of last years class.


True, as a prospect Blazer fans can get all wet over him, but to claim the guy as the best pick of last year is an insult to the players who managed to stay healthy and put up numbers only Oden can wish for at this point of his career since he's yet to play a real NBA game.


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