Blazers

[oregontrack]

it's sort of impossible to say how the middle teams in the west will finish. if healthy, there's really not much separating denver, dallas, utah, houston, and minnesota. if you consider okc, la x 2, san antonio, and memphis layoff locks (and i do), there's only room for three more teams in the playoffs. i think the t-wolves team we saw in the first half of the season + batum is more than capable of making it, but there's no way to know so it's really hard to rate those draft picks. even if they finish #9 or #10 and out of the postseason, those picks aren't really going to help us a whole lot. anything outside the top 10, and in some drafts that's being VERY generous, is a total crap shoot.

[RanDux]

Sounds as if JJ Hickson may have signed a 1-year deal to return.

Hickson signs 1 year deal for $4 million. Sounds like a bargain to me.

[Boom]

it's sort of impossible to say how the middle teams in the west will finish. if healthy, there's really not much separating denver, dallas, utah, houston, and minnesota. if you consider okc, la x 2, san antonio, and memphis layoff locks (and i do), there's only room for three more teams in the playoffs. i think the t-wolves team we saw in the first half of the season + batum is more than capable of making it, but there's no way to know so it's really hard to rate those draft picks. even if they finish #9 or #10 and out of the postseason, those picks aren't really going to help us a whole lot. anything outside the top 10, and in some drafts that's being VERY generous, is a total crap shoot.

I would add Utah as a near lock. I think they're the deepest out of 2nd rate teams and I think adding Mo Williams is a nice upgrade over Devin Harris.

I think the only way Dallas doesn't make it in is if Dirk loses significant time to injury. They're still making moves and I think adding Kaman and Collison could make them better than last years team.

I think minny has a shot at the 8th seed, but I don't think the 82 game schedule will be kind on Rubio coming of an ACL injury and Roy with no knee ligaments... Their two best bench players appear to be Derrick Williams and Luke Ridnour. I'm assuming they have to waive Martel Webster to sign Batum.

I would rather bet on the Warriors being healthy and making the playoffs... They will have Bogut - Lee - Barnes - Thompson - Curry. With Richard Jefferson, Jarret Jack, and maybe Brandon Rush coming off the bench.

[thomas time]

And Portland isn't in panic mode trying 2 trade picks 4 Roy Hibbert. When you go after RFA, you either hit or miss. That's from a Minnesotta writer, so I don't know if that means if they trade Nic and get the two picks if they will use those to try to get Hibbert. I'm guessing just means it's the blazers second option, still talk of trading Nic to the T-Wolves.

[oregontrack]

i think the warriors will look really good every fourth night, but bogut missing his mandatory 50 games will revert them back to the lovable 30-52 franchise we've come to appreciate.

And Portland isn't in panic mode trying 2 trade picks 4 Roy Hibbert. When you go after RFA, you either hit or miss. That's from a Minnesotta writer, so I don't know if that means if they trade Nic and get the two picks if they will use those to try to get Hibbert. I'm guessing just means it's the blazers second option, still talk of trading Nic to the T-Wolves.

the writer is inferring that the t-wolves are in panic mode, trying to work out a sign and trade with portland. he's saying that portland missed out on hibbert and moved on.

[bellsduck]

Sounds as if JJ Hickson may have signed a 1-year deal to return.

This is good.

[buckmarkduck]

Minny has also said they would do a sign and trade with Portland of DWill and Martell . Throw in Rid instead of Martell and we may have something. If Williams doesn't fit what we want we could always trade him again, he was just the 2 pick last year. He has to have some value.

[UOducksTK1]

Nice to get Hickson back, underrated player.

[Duck07]

Minny amnestied Darko and finally made the offer to Nic for 4/46. Blazers have 72 hours now.

[UOducksTK1]

Didn't even know Blazers were close for Kaman:
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/maverick ... -with-dirk

Too bad too, Kaman is an ideal center.

[Boom]

Didn't even know Blazers were close for Kaman:
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/maverick ... -with-dirk

Too bad too, Kaman is an ideal center.

Kinda makes me wonder if Portland places an amnesty bid on Elton Brand

[oregontrack]

i don't care how in the minority i am with this, but i'd love to bring in mike d'antoni. i don't blame him for anything that happened with that train wreck in new york, and his style of play would be fantastic with the lineup it looks like we'll be trotting out there (undersized but athletic with lillard, matthews, batum, hickson, and lma). lillard and lma could form a devastating pick 'n roll combo, and batum would be unleashed upon the world finally.

i'm usually against head coaching retreads, and i know there's plenty of fantastic young up and coming assistants, but i think this is a spot-on match. and hey, we may be bad this year, but we'd be entertaining.

[greenyellow]

i don't care how in the minority i am with this, but i'd love to bring in mike d'antoni. i don't blame him for anything that happened with that train wreck in new york, and his style of play would be fantastic with the lineup it looks like we'll be trotting out there (undersized but athletic with lillard, matthews, batum, hickson, and lma). lillard and lma could form a devastating pick 'n roll combo, and batum would be unleashed upon the world finally.

i'm usually against head coaching retreads, and i know there's plenty of fantastic young up and coming assistants, but i think this is a spot-on match. and hey, we may be bad this year, but we'd be entertaining.

D'Antoni just had too many egos to deal with in New York. In Portland, he could easily implement his system without his players basically mutinying. If anything, he'll need an assistant who has a specialty in defense since his teams haven't really been known for their defensive abilities.

[thomas time]

d'antoni is actually my top choice, then Mike Malone or Brian Shaw. http://www.csnnw.com/pages/landingdwigh ... eedID=8351

I heard yesterday was the last day for sign and trade talks, then today and now tommorrow so who knows.

[bellsduck]

d'antoni is actually my top choice, then Mike Malone or Brian Shaw.

Not interested in d'antoni at all. Malone, Sloan, Van Gundy for me.