Ball Don't Lie - NBA

Ball Don't Lie

Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:45 pm EDT

NBA Draft Attack: No. 13 Portland Trail Blazers

By J.E. Skeets

Starting today and continuing next week, Ball Don't Lie will be counting down the NBA Draft lottery teams potential picks. Because I'm far from a college ball expert, I called in the big guns — The Dagger's MJD and Eamonn Brennan, and guitar hero KD — to help break it down. Up first, er, 13th, Portland:

KD's offseason outlook: The team wouldn’t turn down a deal for a boffo point guard, or jump to do something with Raef LaFrentz’s expiring contract if prodded, but the Portland Trail Blazers will be standing pat this offseason. Rotation parts like Channing Frye and Jarrett Jack are eligible for extensions, but they won’t even be restricted free agents until 2009, and we’re guessing that no team is going to have the cap space to offer those two the sort of money that Portland wouldn’t match. Flush with youth and talent and time on their side, the Trail Blazers will likely be content to wait for the 2009 cap space they’ll enjoy once LaFrentz disappears, and not muck it up with a pointless signing this summer. 

Needs: Point guard, point guard, point guard. Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake, and Sergio Rodriguez are all serviceable, but they are easily the weakest link in what will become the NBA’s youngest and most talented roster once LaFrentz rocks off next summer. Otherwise, the team is stocked, talented, and under 28 at center, both forward spots, and shooting guard. 

So, with the 13th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers, represented by Eamonn Brennan from The Dagger and We Are The Postmen, should select ...

D.J. Augustin, PG, University of Texas

Fortunately for the Blazers, there are a lot of attractive point guards in this draft. Unfortunately, none of them are going to fall to the 13th spot. D.J. Augustin has the closest chance — as a nifty pass-first guy with an outside jumper, would be perfect for Portland — but he’ll likely be swarmed by the Pacers two picks earlier. Jerryd Bayless is, um, not going to happen. Either the Blazers trade up to get a guard ... or wait four years for slow-developing Nevada center JaVale McGee to come along. (Chant it with me: trade ... trade ... trade ... trade ...)

Related: 2008 NBA Draft

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103 Comments

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  1. Eric L
    1. Posted by Eric L Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    trade! trade! trade! does anyone have a guess as to what the trade might look like? Some of the pieces?
  2. dillonindenver
    2. Posted by dillonindenver Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:40 pm EDT

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    No no no...he wants to play for the "nuggets" or better yet, he would rather be in the crowd for the Nuggets-Blazers game, what I tradionally call "The puff down classic"
  3. Drew R
    3. Posted by Drew R Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    Folks!
  4. GHABB,Y
    4. Posted by GHABB,Y Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

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    No mention of Rudy Fernandez coming over next year? Isn't he supposed to be an elite-level PG?
  5. TT
    5. Posted by TT Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:27 pm EDT

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    Wasn't Steve Francis bought out last year?? Or does the contract keeps existing?? Something new I learned then...thank you BDL
  6. Stanley
    6. Posted by Stanley Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:31 pm EDT

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    How about trading a bunch of 2008 pick(s) with another team's future pick(s). You can stand pat and not waste the pick.
  7. mcwelk
    7. Posted by mcwelk Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:14 pm EDT

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    That's great, but the Warriors are first up in the lottery.
  8. Smokethenuggets
    8. Posted by Smokethenuggets Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:43 pm EDT

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    Okay. here are some peices...Jack, Outlaw and the number 13 pick to Miami for Marion. Roy, Blake & Rodriguez can hold down the point. I mean, did the Lakers or Celtics really have a quality point guard?
  9. Jon L
    9. Posted by Jon L Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:40 pm EDT

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    What about a trade with Memphis? They need to start collecting young talent and have a plethora of points.
  10. OregonDucksBringinIt
    10. Posted by OregonDucksBringinIt Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    #9 I would certainly consider Derek Fisher a quality point guard, especially when compared to Blake, Jack and Rodriguez.
  11. J.E. Skeets
    11. Posted by J.E. Skeets Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:33 pm EDT

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    MCWelk: The lottery will always be 13 picks to BDL.
  12. Smokethenuggets
    12. Posted by Smokethenuggets Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:43 pm EDT

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    I guess my point was, neither of the teams that made it to the NBA finals relied heavily on thier point guard. The Blazers may not need to either with their big 3.
  13. SJ
    13. Posted by SJ Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:22 pm EDT

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    Where's Mark Jackson to say 'You're better than that!' You can't suggest we should pick someone who isn't gonna be on the board! Roy's the primary playmaker and ballhandler for the most part anyways and with Oden and LaMarcus down low....the PG isn't going to have to do too much except not turn the ball over and hit the occasional open shot.
    Brandon Rush.
  14. RICOCHET
    14. Posted by RICOCHET Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:42 pm EDT

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    any boy from kansas will do good
  15. Michael k
    15. Posted by Michael k Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:24 pm EDT

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    Rudy is coming over, but he is not a PG he is more SG. Roys ball handling skills are good enough for us to run Roy pg, Rudy SG, Martell/outlaw SF, Aldridge PF, Oden C. We would be fast considering that oden can run the floor, providing that knee holds up.
  16. Brian S
    16. Posted by Brian S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    As much as we all wanna see something big, I think the Blazers won't do anything too dramatic this year... they might trade Jack, Outlaw, Webster or Frye plus the 1st or a couple 2nds to move up but for the most part I think the wanna see how Roy can manage the point with Rudy playing a lot of SG. If that experiment works out we're gonna be a deadly team! and be able to go after a veteran SF next year... at that time I think there's gonna be a Grant Hill type player who's willing to come to Portland for the vet minimum just to get a ring...
  17. Brian S
    17. Posted by Brian S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    A few thoughts at SF in 2-3 years, can you say Tracy McGrady for $5M/yr... or more likely maybe a Stojakovic or Turkoglu or Jefferson or Mike Miller... McGrady might be too much of a premadona to come to a team lead by Roy and Oden but the guys mentioned would all be great matchups for Portland and more then likely 2-3 of them will be available in the next 3 years.
  18. cory c
    18. Posted by cory c Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:29 pm EDT

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    Roy can run the point if they want him to, but he won't be able to defend against other PG's....nor will Rudy. They need someone who can "d"-up the other PG and defer to Roy in crunch time. This is why I think Westbrook makes the most sense, but I am not sure they are willing to trade up that high to get him.
  19. RoAldriOden
    19. Posted by RoAldriOden Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:57 pm EDT

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    Starting lineup -- Barbosa, Roy, Outlaw, Aldridge, Oden
    Backups: Blake, Rudy, Jones, Frye, Pryzbilla
    Scrubs: Sergio, LaFrentz, McRoberts
  20. RIP CITY
    20. Posted by RIP CITY Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    The Blazers really don't need a great PG, but they need one who can hit an occasional trey and is a solid defender. Anything else is really an added bonus. Out of this year's draft, I think the right fit for them is Russell Westbrook. His size and length make him a good defender. He's also a decent shooter and can penetrate well.
  21. Death Squad
    21. Posted by Death Squad Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    Trade all the second round draft picks to detroit for Billups and pick up backup C for the 13th pick.
  22. A Yahoo! User
    22. Posted by A Yahoo! User Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    Blazers lineup of oden, aldrige, roy will be nba "big 3" of the future
    blazers need some veterans like posey in their bench
    or
    make blockbuster trade for a superstar like celtics did with wolves for kg since they have plethora of young talent
  23. Ryan H
    23. Posted by Ryan H Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:57 pm EDT

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    Da Bulls!
  24. lancearmstrong1313
    24. Posted by lancearmstrong1313 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    PG Rodriguez
    SG Roy
    SF Outlaw
    PF Aldridge
    C Oden.
    wow...playoff contender!
    www.mockdraftcentral.com
  25. Joe or Big Joe or Joezilla
    25. Posted by Joe or Big Joe or Joezilla Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    I'm pretty sure that Rondo is a quality point guard. By the way, reports coming out of Portland seem to indicate Petteri Koponen may be ready to come over this year. He may very well be our quality PG of the future

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Ball Don't Lie is an NBA blog edited by J.E. Skeets. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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