Something I approve of: Comparing 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' to the Trailblazers

I'm late getting to this, but Hardwood Paroxysm has a nice bit of weekend reading for you:

Remember when the Portland Trailblazers tried to pass off Darius Miles as a broken down, must retire piece of cap relief? They tried to get his incomprehensible contract off of their books by saying he needed to retire due to injury and it nearly worked. In fact, had it worked the Blazers would have been about $16 million under the cap figure this off-season and in position to add one more major piece to their young core before the extensions of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge start being discussed.

[Cut]

Instead of being able to offer Hedo Turkoglu money he couldn’t refuse, they were only able to offer him something Toronto could easily match and they ended up losing him to Canada. It was all because Michael Heisley finally decided to try to be a competent NBA owner by screwing over the Blazers.

So what does this have to do with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Well, there’s an episode in the second season of Sunny PA (just an easy way to shorten the title in conversation) in which Mac ends up having sexual relations with Dennis’ mom. In fact, the episode is titled, “Mac Bangs Dennis’ Mom.” In the episode, Mac has foreword advances from Dennis’ mom while visiting to pick up some things. He decides to not “bang” her because she’s the mom of his friend even though he really wants to. Their other friend Charlie (the one that thought “Private” read “Pirate”) is in a feud with Dennis because Dennis is blackmailing him by threatening to sleep with a girl Charlie is obsessed with (but who wants nothing to do with him). So in retaliation, Charlie convinces Mac to sleep with Dennis’ mom so he can set up a chain reaction of backlash and chaos.

Charlie shows Mac leaving the mom’s house to Dennis one morning and Dennis’ reaction is to kill Mac. But Charlie convinces him that it wouldn’t “un-bang his mom.” He convinces Dennis to attempt to sleep with Mac’s mom, despite that being arguably the most disgusting thing anyone could ever do. And that’s what brings us to the latest in salary cap banging.

The Blazers were furious after the Grizzlies intentionally signed Darius Miles and played him to hurt their future cap space. They wanted to sue and get thousands of other team’s dollars tied up in litigation. But none of that ever happened because they knew their own threats were baseless. So instead, they waited for their opportunity this summer to try and hurt another team’s salary cap and that’s exactly what they attempted with the Paul Millsap offer sheet.

Now put it all together...

And you can’t really blame them. Their mom/salary cap situation was completely banged/ruined because of petty and shrewd business moves. They weren’t wronged in any way. Every team in the NBA should have been prepared to do what Memphis did just like every team with cap space should have tried to drive up the asking price for Paul Millsap, knowing that Utah was almost certain to match. That’s just a good business practice and a way to keep the competition down. Portland tried to retaliate by banging/ruining someone else’s mom/salary cap situation.
Unfortunately, that didn’t un-bang Portland’s salary cap and they still haven’t been able to add a big piece to their roster.

I think this means other NBA GMs should keep their respective mothers locked in the house when Kevin Pritchard comes to town. Or did I misunderstand something?

Blazers 2009 Draft Trade #1 of 99873423421

First off, check out our interview with Yamhill HighFlyers GM Eric Bailey. It was supposed to be published earlier, but I guess the scheduler feature on blogger took the day off.

As you have heard by now, Pritchard couldn't even wait until draft day to start his deal-making. Portland traded their 24th, 56th, and next year's second round pick to leap frog Sacramento and nab the 22nd pick.

Why? BlazersEdge has thoughts, all of which are reasonable. The fan in me can't help but hope this is but a small step towards a massive brilliant move that will result in basketball perfection in Rip City. Everyone buckled in? Draft day baby!

Tom Penn is staying

It looks like KP's succession planning skills will not be put to the test today- Tom Penn is staying with Portland. Was he ever really considering leaving? Were the T'Wolves simply used to help Penn get a promotion in Portland? None of us outsiders can be certain. But we can be happy that Penn will remain in the Blazers' fold for at least a little while longer.

Pritchard's new challenge: succession planning

Kevin Pritchard can assemble one hell of a basketball team. He can roll in D.Miles' car. He can hang out with Obama. But can he hold on to his talented front office subordinates? As the Blazers achieve more success it will probably be an impossible task. The challenge then becomes finding the qualified talent to fill these roles and keep the good times rolling.

The first significant example of this is in the continuing rumor that Blazers Assistant GM Tom Penn will be hired as the general manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Don't think for a second that this is some inconsequential development. Every Pritch-slap has required excellent Pennmanship. (Sorry.) Penn is known as the salary-cap/CBA guru that can take a trade exception and turn it into a rocket ship carrying your franchise's biggest problem to the Moon. (Or to New York for that matter.) Nobody is irreplaceable, but some people are much harder to replace than others. Tom Penn is one of those people.

People talk about the mark of a good GM being a franchise that is competitive year after year. I agree, but its a tad more complicated. A good GM takes the franchise in a positive direction. Sometimes this means winnning in the present, sometimes it means taking losses with an eye towards the future.

A General Manager steers the franchise, and a major part of that is hiring decisions. RC Buford of the Spurs could be the highest esteemed GM in the League. The basis of his respect will always rightly be focused on the sustained excellence of his team on the court. But don't overlook his ability to reload his front office personnel. Danny Ferry worked for the Spurs before he put the right pieces around LeBron. Kevin Pritchard was a scout for Buford before becoming the mayor of Rip City.

Tom Penn getting his own team to run lifts Pritchard into another category of success. He will be a GM that produces not only wins but other general managers as well. We know Pritchard can do a great many things at an exceptional level. Now we will see if he has a knack for succession planning as well.

KP & Big Pun

As you can see from the new logo up top, I am easily entertained. That picture of Kevin Pritchard is still funny to me, so I figured I needed to repurpose it. Naturally, I had to involve the infamous Darius Miles' car photo. Man I wish this really happened (click to enlarge):

Think about it Mr. Pritchard, think about it.

More draft-related fun activities to waste time with

If the 2008 NBA Draft confirmed anything to me, it would be that the whole thing would be a lot more boring for everybody if Kevin Pritchard wasn't involved. Here is my 3rd grade reading level obligatory recap:

Players the Blazers ended up with: Jarryd Bayless, Ike Diogu, and Nicolas Batum.

I have been in like with all these players. Don't sleep on Diogu, he is a good banger style scorer in the post. The fact that he's undersized won't be that big of a deal considering Portland has enough trees to protect the rim. Batum will be stashed in Europe for a while.

There is a lot to love about Bayless at the point. Local media seem to be knocking him a little, but I haven't heard or read any legitimate claims to back up the criticisms. Basically, the argument seems to be that he is not a sure thing star that we know will definitely fit in. Duh. Being contrarian is fine, do what you gotta do to pay the bills, but I would appreciate it if you were not so lazy about it. Please, come with a more solid case. Need I remind you there are, conservatively some would say, three legitimate stars already on this roster? Bayless need not be Derrick Rose my friends.

Blazers sent off: Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts were sent off to Indiana. Both can be good NBA Players, I would hardly be surprised to see them both have reasonably long careers. Both could also probably use the fresh start. Best of luck.

I would give a rundown of all Blazers transactions and who they actually you know, drafted, but there is no point. KP traded every player the team drafted, so I'll save us both a few seconds and skip all that.

Also, I know everyone is linking to this, but I could get my sports bloggers license revoked if I didn't post this years' entry from the Stephen A. Smith Heckling Society of Gentlemen. It did make me like Kevin Love a little more. Sort of somber this year, but still well worth watching:

I Get Money: Blazers buy pick 27

Next year KP might just skip all the drama and have Paul Allen buy every pick in the draft. So far this time around, the Blazers have bought pick #27 from the Hornets. Last year Portland bought Rudy Fernandez from comparatively broke Phoenix, the year before it was Sergio Rodriguez.

Hide the money y'all, there's poor people 'round!

Paul Allen was not quoted as saying.

I never have felt at ease with the fact that teams can literally buy draft spots. Then again, Paul Allen has all the money. This means the Blazers will benefit from this more than other teams, so maybe I should shut up. It is all your teams' fault for not having a super rich owner. Maybe your owner/s should work a little harder so your team doesn't fall in love with selling draft spots for cash. Yes, this thinking is working for me. Now I feel better.

At first glance it seems like KP is amassing even more resources to pull off a trade or seven. Seems likely, but don't be so sure. KP is water like Bruce Lee and I imagine there are some players at 27 the Blazers are interested in. There are still a lot of possibilities in the air. Go get a Big Gulp and some Doritos and chain yourself to ESPNews/Blogfrica, it is time to enjoy another KP draft.

Mike Barrett's Finnish Crush: Petteri Koponen

We know Petteri Koponen has been in Tualatin working out with Blazers staff in preparation for summer league. Mike Barrett has been watching salivating. From his blog:

The first thing I noticed is that he has grown, or at least I thought so. Koponen wasn't sure, but it appeared to most of us watching, that he's at least 6-5 now, and has put on some muscle.
Koponen worked out Tuesday with Steve Blake, who wanted to get in a workout. Both players looked very sharp, and Koponen was impressive. He's very quick, is a great ball handler, and was sticking his outside shot from just about everywhere. This is just my opinion, but as the Blazers search for help at the point-guard spot continues, this guy could be the answer.

And from another entry of Finnagler love:

There has been talk that, depending on what happens in the next few weeks, he could be signed and claim a roster spot.

Remember Mike Barrett works for the Blazers. The organization would not let him put crazy talk up on his blog. That gives the possible roster spot speculation even more gravity. It is the first such bold endorsement of The Finnagler that I've heard from a Blazers employee.

Still, all of this is contingent on the spot actually existing. I will go out on a limb and say Pritchard is likely trying to work Jarrett Jack into some deals. It could also mean the Blazers failing to acquire any number of targeted pointguards in the league. In any case, Koponen seems to be increasing his chances of wearing a Blazers uniform next season.

(Thanks to H.T. for the heads up)

On this Barbosa business

Here is the article that has local sports radio and Blazer blogs across Blogfrica sizzling at the moment. The meat of the trade has Portland landing Barbosa for Martell Webster and the thirteenth pick of the draft.

It seems Steve Kerr, in his quest to further demoralize an elite franchise, wants to trade the Brasilian Blur. Barbosa was a great fit on the pre-Kerr Suns teams that were always a little short of breaking through to the finals. He is a horrible fit for the train wreck that looms on the horizon of the new Kerr era. He should be happy about that.

The rumor has sparked a lot of debate, and most arguments can be categorized as falling into two categories: Does Barbosa fit with the Blazers? Do we want to part with Martell?

At this point my feelings are "no" and "no." Would Barbosa fit with this team? It is possible, but doesn't seem like it would be the most natural fit. Barbosa is not known for facilitating or running an offense, or his jumper. He is known for speed, pesky defense, and an ability to get to the rim. The man is in his element in the open court with the ball in his hands. I know the Blazers enjoy talking about being a running team, but we can all admit to seeing little evidence of this idea moving beyond the concept phase. Yes, they have long athletic finishers. Yes, it sounds like an awesome idea. Ultimately though, Roy appears more comfortable and effective with a slower style. I think this should always be considered in the "running team" discussion.

Do we want to part with Martell? If it really will improve the team, of course we are all for it. Maybe you are one of the folks that think we have given Martell enough opportunities to develop and he just isn't giving what we need. For all the knocks he takes about his consistency, I would like to remind you all that Martell is 21 years old. Understand the power of that number, please. There will be many players drafted this year who are Martell's age, there will be a handful that are older. We saw with Outlaw that patience is a virtue. I'm not sure if this trade is worth giving up on Martell so early.

We know Kevin Pritchard and his staff are good at making trades. I assume they like making trades. With all the young talent and draft picks, there is certainly ample resources to make moves. The more interesting challenge might end up being one of patience.

2007-08 Regular season officially dunzo

Now that regular things are all finished, its time for the playoffs. It is gonna be crazy. It will also be crazy if I somehow manage to not ignore everything else in my life and avoid having my world crumble around me.

Outside of the playoffs, we can start cranking up the meaningless speculation on one Portland Trailblazers organization. Yahtzee.

On the draft front, Portland has one lottery spot and three (or more?) second round picks.

As far as player development, don't forget the team has The Finnagler and Joel Freeland still developing in Europe. Both are reportedly progressing well, we'll get a chance to see for ourselves during summer league. Odds are we won't see either one in the upcoming regular season, but the much drooled over Rudy Fernandez will probably be here.

Which leads into another interesting topic, roster spots. The NBA maximum is 15. The Blazers were full this season. Add Fernandez on for next season (I think they cleared his spot by waiving Big Pun). After that things get messy and speculative. According to HoopsHype, Blake, Wafer, and McRoberts are not under contract after this season. I'm not sure that Steve Blake contract is correct, as it was reported as a three year deal when he signed. Plan on him being here next season.

All of these factors are being juggled and you can bet KP and crew are discussing a whole mess of possibilities. Trades? Who stays? Who goes? Who arrives? Interesting times ahead.

Enjoying the doldrums

As of right now, the Blazers have just twelve games left in the season. The playoffs are out, but it has been an overachieving year that somehow managed to turn a potentially bright future into something approaching supernova.

The race in the Western Conference is more compelling than ever. March Madness is in full-swing. It would be understandable if we all took a little break from our Blazer obsession for a minute or two. Of course, that isn't happening.

Media and fans seem to have made the natural move to talking about the future as if the season were complete. Oden will be here! Rudy Fernandez! What will KP pull in the draft? What other personnel moves will be made?

With an exciting future and so much else going on, is there reason to watch Portland's regular season play out? Watching these last few games, it feels like the doldrums. LaMarcus has been great to watch, although dominating an Clippers frontline that is closer to NBDL than NBA shouldn't be too surprising. The Blazers still look like they've given up on Sergio, who hasn't played double digit minutes since February 13th. Roy is still Everything, which is always good to watch. Outlaw hasn't maintained his awkwardly effective tornado of length and athleticism approach consistently.

I don't have an answer. The future of this team is far more compelling to think about than the remainder of the season, and there are definitely more exciting things going on elsewhere in the world of basketball. Are you still into the day to day happenings? Have you too shifted to the future? Have you skipped out entirely? I'd like to know, give it up in the comments or drop me a line.

Toronto: Please Make Calderon Unhappy

We all heard KP unsuccessfully pursued Jose Calderon at the deadline. With Calderon's stock at an all-time high, the Raptors were understandably less than interested. While the pointguard is entering restricted free agency this summer, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo has said he'll match any offer from other teams.

Message: "Don't waste your time."

Message 2: "If you want him in a sign and trade, I'm being very picky."

As a Calderon fan, I'm biased here, but I can see him fitting in great with this team and filling a huge need. What would the Blazers have to give up to get him? Draft pick(s)/expiring contract(s)/young player(s)? Bring in more teams to make it work? KP and his crew can figure that out.

Beside the fact that Calderon is very good, the Raptors are hesitant because of formerly-starting pointguard TJ Ford's issues. When Ford went out with another scary injury in December, Calderon shined especially bright, and has thus far held on to the starting spot upon Ford's return. To the casual observer, all seemed fine. Damn.

Today, some hope. TJ Ford might not be that cool with coming off the bench after all. Yes TJ, please please please force management to make a decision. Your health issues and comparatively large contract make you much less tradeable than Calderon, you're more likely to be the one who stays. Portland could send you some real backup pointguards that won't steal your light. Excellent.

In the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Portland Trailblazers...

Unrestricted speculation is fun. ESPN knows this, and their NBA Lottery thingie is back. It is pretty pointless, but I recommend it, especially if you should be working. I keep running it over and over and the Blazers keep ending up with UCLA super soph-point Russell Westbrook. The system seems to be designed for Portland to take the best PG available at their awarded spot, and so far he's the guy. Interesting that DraftExpress has him as the 15th pick in the 2009 draft, the ESPN must love the guy a lot more. I have heard KP himself checked out a UCLA game when Portland was in LA.

Whatever the Blazers pick ends up being, I wouldn't be surprised to see some vintage KP trades (he has all those second round picks, expiring contracts, and some young talent-mostly available for the right price!) to move up and take the a player he really likes, assuming he's found one he'd want to move up for. Or he could even end up moving down, or using the pick to get someone already in the league (Hi Jose!). Being made of magic is fun like that.

Speaking of a lack of Blazers talk...

Considering this is a blog about the Blazers, I'm noticing there has been a startling lack of Blazer related stuff getting thrown around here recently. My bad. I'm not certain why this happened, but I'm sure it has something to do with the Blazers being hard to watch when missing both their MVP and their NMVP.

I suppose I could've written about how bad thing will suck under these conditions. Or I could've rehashed the optimism of "playing without Roy and James gives the other guys a great opportunity" thing. Eh. Maybe I've hit a blogger-rookie wall of sorts.

As I'm refocusing, I'll just go ahead and spew up some random things circling my mind at the moment. Maybe some will grow into full individual posts at some point:

• Have the Blazers given up on Sergio? Hear me out on this. The guy has been getting inconsistent play all season, and averaging just 9.3 minutes per game. But over the last 5 games, he's averaged just 6 minutes per. Factor in the strong perimeter need the Blazers have had recently with injuries to James Jones and Brandon Roy, and it seems even more strange. Its only 5 games, and Sergio never has gotten many minutes, but its something to keep an eye on. After a disappointing summer league/training camp, has Nate finally convinced KP this guy won't work?
• I like Von Wafer. Yes, I was sad to see Taurean Green go. But Wafer has some things going for him. Before the Clippers game I heard Jason Quick say he was brought in as a practice player. Because, you see, Roy previously had to spend scrimmages being guarded by Sergio or Green and this just wasn't very representative of actual games. My take is that it seemed to be working just fine. But thats me. Then Wafer came out and impressed in that ugly win against the Clippers after only one practice with the team (while Sergio collected another DNP). I hope we get to see more Wafer down the stretch.
• The Draft. Knowing KP is KP it is extremely hard not to be excited for the draft and beyond. What will they do with those picks, anyways? I'll be trying to keep tabs on things.
• LaMarcus. Remember this? Aldridge's first real full-season has had some expected ups and downs. Lately though, he's seemed a little different. I'm not sure if he's trying to step up in Roy's absence, or if things clicked for him, but the man has shown a new kind of consistent aggressiveness. It would be a great sign to see him keep this up when Roy comes back, and for the rest of his career.

About This Business of Sending Jack Off (HaHa!)

There has been a little stir lately since Mr. Windhorst wrote that "different league sources" have indicated Cleveland might be interested in Jarrett Jack. Not too long ago Henry Abbott listed teams that, according to his different league sources, were most likely to make a deal before the deadline. Portland was included. Kevin Pritchard keeps giving us the "we like our guys, we're still evaluating our guys, did I mention we like our guys?" line. Meanwhile, mathematics say that Portland will simply have to free up some roster spots either before the deadline or come summer time.

Mr. Abbott (aka H.Abb the AbBot, HoodyHoo!) makes the point that the trade value of many Blazers could be peaking with all this winning going on. Sounds reasonable. If Pritchard and his crafty crew can get a deal they're convinced is better than anything that will come along this summer, they'll surely take it.

It is no secret that a lot of Blazer fans are frustrated with Jack. Not only is he inconsistent and not a pointguard, he takes minutes from fan uber-favorite Sergio Rodriguez. People don't like that. I'll concede that Jack is not a crucial piece for the future of this franchise, but he is still valuable. First of all, his teammates love him. Secondly, he is the only player not named RoyBot that consistently takes the ball to the hoop. These are two very important things.

Those turnovers and bad decisions we see are strong evidence that this guy is no pointguard. Let's call him a "pure combo guard," his incompetence in this role remains exaggerated. A team like Cleveland is hurting for a good pointguard, and I would think they would know that Jack isn't going to help that.

True, he's sorta young and inexpensive. That said, KP might only want to do midseason meddling if it presents an opportunity to offload a burden. Think LaFrentz or even Miles (come on Isiah!). Remember, the organization loves all the guys who get minutes. They don't want to trade any of them, but at some point will probably have to. LaMiles is the only overpaid entity they really want to get rid of. Finding a boat big enough to ship them and their contracts out of town is probably high on the list.

Also consider that Portland is doing very well with a group of young players that are still developing, so why not see how the rest of the season develops before making any deals. Eh?

We all know its hard to be a content fan, but why not take this opportunity to attempt it?









Just kidding! That would be lame! Go Crazy!

Goonerluke Gives Thanks

In an ongoing indulgence of my laziness, another fine member of the DeceptivelyQuick extended family has stepped up with an entry. He is the infamous Goonerluke, who you likely know if you frequent our manifest-destiny friends over at BlazersEdge. Now he's giving thanks those who have played an underrated role in the resurgence of the young Blazers:

Today we take a look at those often overlooked individuals who made our current Blazers team possible and to who we all owe a debt of gratitude.

Isaiah Thomas, New York Knicks, GM

Never shy of tying another huge anchor around the neck of his ever-sinking Knicks franchise, Isaiah made the move that he thought would put his ESPN fantasy team over the top, he acquired Zach Randolph from the Blazers. A move that, if not putting the Blazers “over the top,” at least got them over a hump. (I call the other hump “D Miles”) To my friends I often describe Zeke’s skills as a general manager as the double inverse of his skills as a player. (Exception: Unless Zeke’s skills as a general manager are considered in the context of ESPN fantasy league basketball, in which case he is a borderline genius) The Blazers have overachieved this year, while the Knickerbockers are hopelessly bad, with or without Zach. How some Knicks fan hasn’t lit himself on fire in the middle of Times Square, I’ll never know. But it looks like that is what it’s going to take. Brutal, brutal legacy to leave, Zeke. Big ups for helping us with Z-Bo though, I promise I’ll never boo you. (Except for when ESPN classic shows the ’90 Finals, then I have to boo.)

Microsoft Corp.

While not really an individual, Microsoft is a corporation, which is a business that gets the same rights as an individual, or something like that. Regardless, the success of this Washington company has been very good to us Oregonians as well, as Paul Allen’s $18 billion (thank you MSFT!) makes the NBA salary cap and over the cap penalty more of an annoyance than anything else for Portland GMs.

Phoenix Suns ownership

Is majority owner Robert Sarver eating Shrimp Flavor Cup o’ Noodles for lunch? I hope so. I think the Suns post Nash/Hill era would look a lot brighter with Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, and the new Jim Jones. Sarver’s personal fortune is only 2.22% of Paul Allen’s, which means that his GM has to worry about the salary cap. Lucky for us, Phoenix’s strategy for fiscal responsibility involves jettisoning young talent to the Rose City. I toast my Sangria to you, Mr. Sarver. Ole!

Jim Paxson, Chicago Bulls, GM

In the 2006 NBA Draft, aka “The Kevin Pritchard coming out Party,” Jimmy P. gambled on upside and completely ignored fundamentals and polish when he traded LMA for TT and The Wolverine (Viktor Khryapa). I knew there had to be a good reason why we retired Paxson’s number – so that one day we could use it as a psychological edge and make him bend to our will.

Danny Ainge/Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics/Minnesota Timberwolves, GM/GM

Grouped together because they both passed on BR7 and I’m lazy. In reality, Danny Ainge deserves a way bigger shellacking on this because he basically traded the #7 pick for Telfair and a bit of cap relief = Theo’s contract

Jack scheduled to start?

Found in Cleveland’s News-Herald today by Hoopshype:

“Jarrett Jack is scheduled to be the Trail Blazer’s starter”

Coupled with earlier reports of KP saying the roster is set, this is good news. That crazy insecure part of me that has been terrified of losing Jack for almost 5 months has been calmed a bit. I can see Jack starting, with Blake getting as many/more minutes as Jack while coming off the bench. Jack proved he can be a competent two-guard for stretches last season (particularly late in close games). I imagine he’ll get a lot of burn in the same fashion this season. As a long-time supporter of playing multiple pointguards simultaneously, I’m happy.

Side thought: Would the Blazers have signed Blake if Sergio hadn’t had a crappy summer-league? Looks like they learned Sergio likely isn’t yet ready to handle the responsibility of being a primary back-up, and Portland needed someone who could.

Portland is bored already

Its not like any Blazer fan has good reason to be bored. The young players developing, the trades, The Draft, I mean wow. But I've been noticing something over the last few days that hasn't happened for a while: no Blazer chatter in Portland.

Again, NOTHING to complaing about, this is really a product of Kevin Pritchard and crew being made of magic. We got used to the constant wheeling and dealing, watching this organization make one bold stride after another. We know things are always in the works, but publicly, there is reluctant silence in Rip City. As a result, I'm probably a little too excited that Brandon Roy is going to scrimmage with Team USA.

Then tonight while watching the local news, I realized I wasn't the only one. There was another 45 minute lecture on why its a little humid in Portland right now (Whaddup Typhoon Man-Yi!), followed by some couple from Michigan stuck on a log tree ride (only in Portland, my friend), all leading up to four hours of live-on-location coverage at the IKEA Store opening. Seriously, there are far too many people in tents outside of that place right now. There's also traffic tips for navigating "IKEA Traffic Congestion."

Mr. Pritchard, I don' know how the city could be more clear. Please make a trade, have a press conference for Channing Frye, put on a puppet show, something, anything. This city needs to be saved from itself.

More on Steve Blake

It happened, and now the team with too many players added one more to the mix. Steve Blake is a Blazer after signing a 3 year deal worth $12 million with Portland. I think we all see the writing on the wall with this one, that Jarrett Jack is probably being shopped right now.

I guess at that price, Blake isn't a bad signing. There were rumors he was looking for the mid-level exception and up, which had me worried last night.

The Blazers know their personnel better than I, but I've never understood why they've seemed so eager to rid themselves of Jack. 12 points and 5 rebounds a night is very good for a second year pointguard new to the starting role. I know he was inconsistent, but I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt since he was going through some difficult times off-the court last season.

Blake by the way, is going into his 5th season, and his best stats were from the last half of the season with Denver after being traded, 8 and 6. My question is why give on Jack who is younger and, statistically at the least, better? Afraid you won't be able to re-sign?

They will tell you that Steve Blake gives the Blazers much needed 3-point shooting, but don't buy that. He shot .279 the first half of last year with Milwaukie, and .343 on a Denver team where he got a lot of open looks due to the attention commanded by Iverson and Carmelo. "Inconsistent" Jack shot .350 from 3.

Was it for defense? Jack hasn't yet shown to play the type of defense Portland has hoping for, and Steve Blake has a reputation for "working hard" on defense. Blake will work hard all night, but won't lock anyone down. Jack is still improving in all areas, and who knows?

After this we plunge into the ever sexy and mysterious "intangibles" argument, where Blake allegedly excels. I'm not sure losing Jack is worth gaining a player who's attributes make him sound like the Trent Dilfer of the NBA. I know, Trent won a ring, and Blake did in college. Still, I'm not sure you give up Jack for somebody who is basically good enough to "not mess it up."

There's the playing style argument, because Jack isn't the type of run-and-gun point that is flourishing in the league right now. Show me evidence that Blake is.

Its hard for me to buy that Blake is significantly better than Jack is right now, and Jack is still improving while Blake is the best player he ever will be. This doesn't sit well with me.

Of course, I don't know what Pritchard & Crew have in store. Maybe they can put together something tremendous with Jack. Maybe they'll blow us all away and trade Sergio instead, its not as crazy as it sounds. Especially after you watch him get outplayed by multiple players that haven't even played in the League yet (Portland notes from Summer League: game 1, Notes from game 2, Game 3). Seriously.

Pritchard has been on a wave of support and good fortune, and deservedly so. He is a smart guy who surrounds himself with other smart guys and they work together to make great decisions. This one I'm uneasy about. Whatever else is in the works has to be pretty exceptional for this deal to make sense.

Of course I could be getting irrational, and I'm aware that trading Sergio is steeply against the collective thinking right now. Looking back, I've been fearing losing Jack for a long time: here and way back in March here. Kevin Pritchard knows better than to tread softly and has the political support to be bold. I just hope he's still made of magic.

What a night, 2007 NBA Draft

Fun times. I was a little miffed since I could only follow the first few picks of the night online. I can only ninja out of my cubicle and appear at the nearest sportsbar so fast. Once I got situated, the good times rolled.

First of all, I ended up sitting next to the perfect kind of people at the sportsbar: the old hoopheads. This was not Rip City HQ, this was a corny sportsbar in a westside suburban business park. And still, there was a decent turnout of enthusiastic folks. The plummeting Josh McRoberts became a running joke, and I think I even impressed with my Tiago Splitter knowledge. Good people.

The reaction to the big Zach Randolph trade was priceless. When it flashed on the screen the roof came off the place. An old lady playing video poker went into convulsions. The old hoopheads were excited because Zach was gone and salary space was saved. They said Francis won't play a game for Portland, so no need to worry about him. Who needs ESPN analysis when you got these guys?

Then I noticed all the Knicks fans going crazy, and I couldn't stop the laughter. You guys have no idea what's in store for you. Your frontcourt now consists of Eddy Curry and Z-Bo, if you think thats something to give a standing ovation then you don't know Zach. Don't let the numbers fool you. PS, this is a guy that can't stay out of trouble in Portland.

The draft was awesome, I learned that Kevin Pritchard is still made of magic. McRoberts was a steal since he is a very good complimentary player and supposedly Greg Oden's semi-buddy. Taurean Green with the #52 pick? I'll take that all day. Koponen the workout wonder is worth the low risk, especially since he can develop over in Europe for a while. Rudy Fernandez? I don't know much, but I read good things. As for everyone else? Kevin Pritchard drafted them, so they must be awesome. Now its time to look forward to free agent season, summer league, more trades, and a dynasty. I love being a Blazer fan.