Please, leave Nate McMillan alone. If you didn’t see it at the end of Jason Quick’s story today over at OregonLive.com, Mac-10 astonishingly turned down a chance to talk about an extension of his contract today. Gavin Dawson was all over this on the radio. Dave at Blazer’s Edge nailed it, as usual, today.

Its easy to want to play amateur psychologist when news likes this comes out and we all have to worry that everything isn’t perfect at One Center Court, but we should all relax. There isn’t an agent in the land that would have allowed his client to sell low like Nate would have by signing an extension with two years left on his deal, and the team about to take a big step forward. If the next year goes like we all assume it will (Blazers make playoffs, become heralded AND successful young team, etc.), Nate will be in line for better extension than he would have gotten this summer. And if he waits until the following summer? Assuming again that the Blazers have seen two years of solid improvement (maybe a deep playoff run in the ‘09-’10 season), Nate would be able to command maybe the largest contract for any coach in the league.

And if Nate walks? Well, I’m pretty sure KP could find a coach who could make a winner out of this group. I like Nate. I think he’s a great fit for this city and for these players, but this next season is a big test for him too, just as it is for many players on the roster. If Nate wants to earn his big extension (yes, I think its a smoke-screen comment), then I’m happy to let him do so.

Good to hear Bayless, Diogu, and Batum are in the house. Not just those guys, but Webster and Frye were working out at the facility Monday as well. Read that OregonLive story, its music to my ears. I really think Bayless can be the point guard-like guard the Blazers need to fit next to Brandon Roy, and to read an article like this cools my nerves (Nate is thinking along these lines too). I’m looking forward to seeing Bayless and Petteri Koponen play in summer league too - Koponen was off the ball last summer next to Sergio Rodriguez, and hopefully this will be a good start for Bayless as he develops his PG ability.

Another quick note on Bayless - I went and saw the documentary “Gunnin for that #1 Spot” last week. If you have a chance to check it out, by all means do. Really interesting to get a look at the Oregon boys (Love and Singler), cool to learn more about Beasley, and a chance to meet our newest rookie Jerryd. I think this kid is going to fit in GREAT in Portland. Like so many of our other players, he’s a gym rat. His game looked a little robotic in the context of Rucker Park, but its clear his skills have been honed through hard work, repetition, and fundamentals.

I just hope he makes the most of his opportunity with the Blazers, develops his game, and accepts his role with the Blazers. This dude has been the best player on his teams for a long, long time. Its not going to be like that here, but he could become an integral piece of the puzzle.

Good luck getting another job Darius. Seriously, if you can stick it to the Blazers by signing with another team and playing 10 games, you’ll have earned that contract more than you ever earned a dime from the Blazers.

I tried never to blame Darius for how things turned out for him in Portland - I don’t think he loved basketball. I don’t think he cared about being a part of a winner in Portland, and I’m sure it was tough being the last hold-over from the teams where the inmates ran the asylum. But smoking pot during his recovery and failing enough tests to earn a 10 game suspension probably wasn’t the best statement to the other 29 GMs about his commitment to the game, so here’s hoping Darius took care of his money, finds something to do with himself, and doesn’t go on some smear campaign against the Blazers.

Non-Blazer alert - Brand going to Sixers? Whoa, this would be a serious stomach punch to the Clippers organization. If Brand leaves for the Sixers offer, does this make him a worse traitor than Carlos Boozer? The Clippers went and signed the very guy he asked them to get in Baron Davis, and then he stiffs them? On 2nd thought - forget about it, I’m glad Brand is leaving them at the alter and helping keep the Clippers down. Kaman can’t guard Oden and Aldridge by himself…

Sayonara, Sonics. I haven’t really talked about this much, but to put it bluntly, I have always hated the Seattle SuperSonics. With a passion. They’ve obviously been our #1 rivals since I was a kid. Aside from their cool old-school uniforms, they were the perfect villains for our Blazers and really easy to root against.

Then, I went to college. In Tacoma, WA. In the belly of the beast, I was surrounded by Sonics fans. Unsurprisingly, I found that they felt pretty much the same about the Blazers as I felt about the Sonics. I was in Tacoma from mid-’92 through mid-’96, a good run for the Sonics and an OK one for the Blazers. I was there for Kemp, Payton, Mac-10, Detlef, Sleepy (Stoned) Sam, the Hawk - and I disliked them all. I was in Seattle the day the Nuggets knocked off the #1 Sonics - and out of personal safety refrained from laughing in the faces of every depressed Soncis fan I saw that day (it was quite a day). But I always heard it from my buddies, and it was definitely an ear when the Sonics were better than the Blazers.

And now, 12 years after coming back home to Portland, I can say I’ll miss the Sonics now that they’re gone. Its not because I’ve come to like them - Nate McMillan as Blazer coach hasn’t turned that around.

I’ll miss the Sonics because, as I look ahead to the 10+ year run the Blazers are about to begin, they won’t be around to bear the brunt of our excellence. The Blazers are entering an era that will be judged by how many titles they are able to win. But for fans like me, part of the fun of this era was going to be sticking it to teams like the Sonics, Lakers, Suns, etc - old rivals who have given us our share of heartbreak.

Clay Bennett stole the Sonics from Seattle, but believe me - I feel robbed in all of this too. Whipping the OKC Whatevers just won’t provide the same thrill as killing the Sonics.

At 23 and with seven years of pro-league experience under his belt, I don’t expect Rudy to have quite the same learning curve as many rookies coming into the league. That said, 82 games will be more than double the league games Rudy played this year (30, so it will be interesting to see how his stamina holds up.

As we’ve heard before, KP considers the Spanish league to be the top level of competition outside the NBA. Again, it will be interesting to see how Rudy’s high-flying game translates to the NBA. He moves great without the ball, which should make him and immediate scoring threat off the bench (sounds like a certain guard we just drafted out of Arizona…). His defense has never been lauded, but hopefully that doesn’t earn him a spot in Nate’s dog-house…

I think we’re going to see good things out of Rudy this year, but he’s not going to be Ginobilli out of the gate. My hope is that Nate finds 18-20 minutes a night for him off the bench, backing up Roy and playing in a three-guard lineup, and that he gels well with Bayless such that they can provide the bench scoring punch we missed at times last year. You never sub all 5 bench players for all 5 starters, so I think the 2-man depth at each spot can be a bit overrated (inevitably, there are starters and benchers on the floor together), but if Rudy, Outlaw and Bayless can be the core of our 2nd unit and take some of the scoring pressure off Roy and Aldridge, then I’d call that big progress.

Its easy to be excited right now. I can’t wait for October to get here and to start getting a look at this team. If Oden is as healthy as the reports indicate, and Rudy and Bayless can contribute soon, this team will be greatly improved even with the loss of James Jones.

Speaking of Jones, I hadn’t mentioned this here yet but was asked about it in the comments to another post. Jones was a huge find last year, much like Ime Udoka was the year before. But the rumor is Jones has an offer of $25M for 5 years - if that’s true, then I’ll wish him good luck. And I’ll hope his agent isn’t bluffing like Udoka’s was. Both players were great to have around and a positive influence on our youngsters, but both limited the minutes we had for Webster and Outlaw, and at this point I think the Blazers need to learn more about these two players. Do we have our long term SF on the roster, or does the search need to continue there? Leaving that spot open for Webster (4th year) and Outlaw (6th) to sink or swim with will inform that decision, and its not going to cost the Blazers a title shot (the window isn’t open yet).

The roster for next year continues to come together. All we’re waiting on now is the official, official announcement of the Bayless deal, and a decision on whether Batum comes now or waits another year or two. C’mon October, hurry up!

Then, I read this. Its not particularly in-depth, and could have been book-long and I’ve have loved every page, but getting a glimpse into the machinations of the Blazers’ draft from Mike Barrett is recommended reading for any fan of the NBA - whether you’re a Blazer fan, or the fan of a rival team who’s sick of hearing about the exploits of our front office.

Quite possibly my favorite nugget of Barrett’s post is KP’s suggestion that this will be remembered as the “smoke screen draft.” That has got to be the sickest thing I’ve ever heard. Pritchard didn’t just have all of us fans leaning the direction he wanted, he had the whole league convinced that his desires lied elsewhere.

I’m not suggesting that I think other teams changed strategy simply because they thought the Blazers wanted certain players and not others… But, as KP has said many times, the draft is poker. And in this case, not only did he and his staff figure out what cards all the other teams were holding, but he had them all bluffed off his actual hand.

The result? The Blazers end up, starting with the 13th pick, getting the guy they had rated #4 overall on their board, giving up two players whose roles were quickly evaporating from the Blazers future. Then, he did it again, taking the 27th pick he bought from New Orleans for nothing ($3M is peanuts to Paul Allen, and represents no actual team asset and has no salary cap impacts - that pick was essentially free), packaging it with one of his 2nd rounders, and securing the other prospect they’d identified. Its become known that both the Kings at #12 and the Spurs at #26 were going to take the players KP wanted, and he outmaneuvered both of them.

And this is Jedi mind-trick - KP gives value for value. KP may prey on other teams’ faulty player evaluations (Telfair with Boston, Ty Thomas with Chicago, Foye with Minnesota), but he gives them value. Indiana got the player they wanted and would have taken at #11 (Rush), and gave them Jack (they needed guard help) and McRoberts (local legend) for their trouble. Houston’s dealing of Arthur was a little more curious, but at the end of the day KP was giving a top 10/15 talent in Arthur for his guy. I love this draft ethos - once you identify your targets, stop at nothing to get them.

Look again at the move for Aldridge in ‘06. Chicago was likely to take Thomas on their own at #2 anyway. KP knew he wanted Aldridge, and was sitting at #4. Most teams would have crossed their fingers and hoped Charlotte passed on Aldridge. KP wasn’t willing to take that chance, and while the Greg Anthony’s and Stephen A. Smith’s of the world cackled during the draft about these needless moves, KP was ensuring he got his guy at the simple expense of Viktor Khryapa. Sounds pretty worth it, no?

Most of us dream about working for our favorite team, or in some capacity within the industry of our favorite sports. In the case of KP, I cannot imagine working as part of a more dynamic and progressive organization, or for a more thoughtful and proactive leader than Kevin Pritchard. The collaborative effort that goes into these drafts by he and his staff gets a little underrated as fans throw around terms like “Pritch-slap” and so forth, but as KP has said repeatedly - after he and his staff have worked over the data and through the decision making process, its KP as the GM that has to stand up and make a decision. We’re watching a great organizational leader exploit the strengths of his team and out-perform all of the competition.

Prior to last season’s resurgence, Blazer fans hadn’t had a lot to be thankful for in a number of years. Even with Paul Allen writing the checks, somehow this team’s financial model was broken, the product was garbage, and this city’s relationship with the team had been damaged. But, to my fellow Blazer fans I say this - Camelot is back. Portland had one of the leagues model front offices in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. After the scourge of the Whitsitt and Patterson administrations, young Kevin Pritchard has this team on the fast track toward one of the most successful eras we’ve seen yet.

We started the week sitting on #13, with three 2nd round picks.  The ball got rolling early, when the Blazers added a second 1st round pick (thanks George Shinn - ask Sarver in Phoenix how selling picks to the Blazers has worked out for them).

Portland trades SG/SF Brandon Rush (#13), PG Jarrett Jack and F Josh McRoberts to Indiana for PG Jerryd Bayless (#11) and PF Ike Diogu
I love this for the Blazers.  I’m concerned that Bayless never worked out for the Blazers - KP is a guy who likes to evaluate players on his home turf before deciding if they’ll make good Blazers.  They didn’t get that chance with Bayless, but the guys they did workout (Westbrook, Augustin) saw their stock rise and were long gone by the time the Blazers and their lined-up trading partners could get them.

Aside from his Arizona Wildcat heritage, Bayless fully fits the bill of what I’m looking for in a future PG for the Blazers.  Not as good a defender as Westbrook, but not as vulnerable as Augustin.  Good size at 6′3″, even if his wingspan isn’t particularly great.  Good athleticism, and a good scorer - a PG that can work with Roy even when Roy is running the offense like a PG.  I thought Augustin would have been nice, but overkill - as long as we have Roy, we don’t need a traditional/pure PG. Size, defense, and someone who can score when the offense gets stale - nice.

Ike Diogu is fine as an insurance post-player - with Aldridge and Frye ahead of him, I’m not expecting to see a ton of Diogu in Portland.

I know KP was loving Brandon Rush, but our wing situation is more than crowded (well, less than it looked this morning, before James Jones opted out of his deal - more on that later).  Outlaw and Webster will man the small forward spot, Roy and Rudy Fernandez will handle the shooting guard spot, and now we have our point guard rotation with Bayless and Steve Blake (I’ll enjoy watching Faris try to figure out who to complain about - does he stick with the demand that Sergio needs to play, or does he back a beloved Wildcat - maybe Blake will become the fall guy now that Jack is gone!).

McRoberts was no great asset, so I’m not feeling anything there.  But Jarrett Jack, boy, am I glad he’s getting a new start somewhere else.  I always liked Jack - he could have been a great fit here, but not he took a major step back last year and just had the look of a guy that needed to go somewhere without the baggage he’d collected here in Portland.  Glad its the Eastern Conference.  A heartfelt good luck to Jarrett - and thanks for being a good Blazer for two tough years and the first of many good ones.

Oh, and lastly - finally, a 2-for-1 trade to ease up some roster space.

Portland trades F Darrel Arthur (#27) and PF Joey Dorsey (#33) to Houston for SF Nicolas Batum (#25)
Batum has been to Portland a couple times, and I know KP and Paul Allen are big fans.  We had NO USE for two more power forward prospects (see the paragraph above on Ike Diogu), this is just good use of all these picks to find a trading partner and ensure you get a guy you like.  This is classic KP.  Batum has been described as a Pippen-like small forward, thin and athletic at 6′7″ or 6′8″.  We can leave him in Europe and we might see him in a couple years, or he’ll be a tradable asset.  With the amount of players the Blazers still have under control, this is no surprise.

Portland selects C Omer Asik (#36)
Again, more euro-prospects we can stash until a later date.  What franchise did the Blazers hire KP away from again?

Portland trades PG Mike Taylor (#55) to Clippers for future 2nd
Sounds about right - if there isn’t a player you want, move off for the future.

A couple other thoughts…
I am anxious to see Petteri Koponen play point guard in the summer league this year.  With Sergio Rodriguez shooting himself in the foot by deciding not to play, we’ll actually be able to see what Petteri can do and he’ll have a better shot at winning a job in training camp.

James Jones decided not to exercise his player option this year, and like with Ime Udoka last year, I’ll say thanks for the great year and good luck.  James completely deserves to go get paid after the positive influence he had on this team, but now is on the time for the Blazers to sink mid-level money into a player like him, and its time to give the small forward sport to Outlaw and Webster and see if they’re the guys or not.

Thats all for now - great night to be a Blazer fan.  We got a point guard that may prove to be the guy we need, and we didn’t have to give up Frye, Outlaw or Webster to do it.  I won’t be surprised if KP has more up his sleeve, but our rotation today is much, much cleaner than it was three months ago - our primary depth issues have been addressed, and new talent has been brought in to boost the point guard spot.

PG - Blake, Bayless, Rodriguez
SG - Roy, Fernandez
SF - Webster, Outlaw
PF - Aldridge, Frye, Diogu
C - Pryzbilla, Oden, LaFrentz
(Subtracted Miles, Jones, Jack, McRoberts, Wafer)
(Added Bayless, Diogu, Fernandez)
(Koponen, Freeland, Asik, Batum in European storage) 

But I will say this. When it’s all said and done, the best player in the 2008 draft will be Kevin Love. Period. End of story. If Portland gets an opportunity to take Love, and they don’t, I will be shocked. He’s better than Rose, and Beasley, and Mayo put together, and he’s gonna have a good career in this league.

In addition to the rehabilitated and one-year wiser Greg Oden, the Blazers will also add 6′ 5″ Spanish shooting guard Rudy Fernandez.  Yeah, the best player who didn’t play in the NBA this season.

This season, Rudy led DKV Juventut to the Spanish Copa del Rey de Baloncesto tournament title and the ULEB Cup championship, winning MVP in both tournaments.  Rudy also led Juventut to the EuroCup title in 2006, winning MVP honers there as well.   This guy is 23 years old, has been playing high level international basketball since he was 16, and is highly decorated as a player in the Spanish ACB league - the best league outside of the NBA according to Kevin Pritchard.

Transitioning to the NBA isn’t an easy task for any player.  But the Blazers need another shooting guard to back up Roy and allow Nate to play three-guard lineups that don’t involve two guards 6′3′ or shorter, and I think we’re going to see plenty of this kind of matchup nightmare next season.

Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez.  Who cares when they were drafted, we’ve got two high-impact rookies coming.  And who knows what else KP has up his sleeve.  The future is coming, and it looks great.

I expected the Spurs to push the Lakers to 7 games. I was wrong. The foul at the end of game 4 has been blown out of proportion. Yes it was a foul. But Brent Barry was too far from the basket to make it an issue. The Spurs should have drawn up a better play. And the ball should have gone to Robert Horry. The Spurs didn’t do their homework. The bigger issue is why Joey Crawford was even refereeing the game. The even bigger questions is when did referees become the third team on the court? They are affecting the outcome of these games. Let’s just say it. If this was reversed, and Fisher was shooting the 3, and Barry fouled him, Crawford would have made the call. And alas, that’s why the NBA has become a movie with actors, not players. And the referees are directors.

No disrespect to the Pistons or Celtics, but the Lakers-Spurs is the NBA finals, the true heavyweight matchup, and the most interesting series since the Detroit-LA finals four years ago. The playoffs have been surprisingly tame and boring up to now. What about all the game 7’s you say? There’s been so many game 7’s because so many teams are playing down to expectations. Specifically, our friends the Celtics. Please stop calling them the Big 3. They’re not. They’re 3 players who’ve spent their entire careers on perennially losing teams, why would putting them together suddenly change anything. Here’s my litmus test: put the Celtics in the Western Conference, and they would have gotten blown out in the first round by the Nuggets. The Pistons will beat them in 5…6 at the most, but after losing game 2, they’ve seen their last win of this campaign. On a side note, Doc Rivers vs. Flip Saunders doesn’t inspire me to go out and do great things.

But as I predicted immediately following the Gasol trade, the Spurs and Lakers would be in Western Conference Finals, and the Lakers will go on to win it all. You have two of the greatest coaches of all time, two of the greatest players in Duncan and Kobe. Two great point guards who’ve seen their fair share of pressure. Such a great history; Fisher’s shot with 0.4 seconds left against the Spurs in ’04 to propel the Lakers into the finals.

Certain matchups seem to favor San Antonio. Duncan over Gasol, Parker over Fisher. The Spurs have the ultimate wildcard player in Manu Ginobili. LA’s wildcard is Lamar Odom. If he has a great game, San Antonio is in trouble. LA has the deeper bench. Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton can come in provide an immediate spark. Then there’s Robert Horry. How fitting would it be for Big Shot Bob to hit a game winner over the team he saved so many times. We often talk about experience winning a series. It single-handedly did for San Antonio in New Orleans in Game 7 Monday. The Hornets are clearly a great team in the making, and fast forward a few years, they would have won that game. But experience doesn’t figure as a factor for either LA or San Antonio, because there is already so much of it. Between Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Duncan, Kobe, Fisher, Ginobili, Parker, Horry, and Bowen, we have enough NBA rings to open a jewelry shop. There’s no gimmicks here. No halftime speeches, nothing. It’s simply a question of who is better.

I don’t expect the Spurs to go 3 for 21 in a fourth quarter again in this series. That was shocking for one of the best close out teams in the league. But alas, the Lakers have the greatest player in the game since Michael Jordan, and like he did in game 1, he is the only player in the NBA that can single-handedly carry a team on his shoulders. LeBron is good, but he’s not there yet, I’m not sure he ever will. I don’t think he wants it enough. This finals series will go 7, and it will go to LA.

1) Rudy Fernandez and Greg Oden The Blazers can trade out of the draft and will be pretty much assured of having the most impactful class of rookies joining a team for next season. There is no making up for a lost season, but the work young Gregory has put in during his “intern” season with the Blazers will have him more prepared for his first full-time NBA gig than he would have been for last year. And with Joel Pryzbilla coming off a strong season as the team’s starting Center, the Blazers are suddenly looking like they’ve got great depth at a key position.

Speaking of depth, the other problem for the Blazers last year was at Shooting Guard, where Brandon Roy was the only legitimate 2 on the squad (Martell isn’t there yet, Jack is OK as a combo guard but not an SG). Listening to the talking heads and stuff, it seems pretty clear that the season Rudy has had in Europe this year would have vaulted him into the top 10 of this year’s draft. Explosive 6′5″ shooting guards playing in the highest level of basketball outside the NBA have a way of doing that. And, if all goes according to plan, Rudy will also be coming to the Blazers. More on Rudy and how he fits in just a second.

2) No lottery magic this year. Boy, would it have been SWEET to score Derrick Rose this year. Now the debate rages on for the folks that have to debate what the Blazers should do even though Kevin Pritchard has yet to cause any Blazer fans to have any doubt the right thing will get done… I’m not here to give a take on what they should do with pick #13. If we keep it and use it, I’m pretty sure it’ll be because KP thinks he’s going to like what he has to choose from. And if he trades it? I’m pretty sure that even if I don’t immediately like the return (like with the Stat-Bo trade from last year’s draft day) it will end up looking pretty good. So, on this one, I’ll leave it in the capable hands of our boy-wonder GM.

3) The Point Guard Situation I know that I lobbied that Jarrett Jack deserved another year to grow with this team. I didn’t completely hate how he played last year, but can understand why on a team that almost uniformly exceeded expectations in every way why Jack ended up being the goat amongst a majority of the fans. He didn’t prove a thing, and while I like Jack, I’m not so sentimental as to think he merits another shot. So, what started as a four-option solution last year (Blake/Jack/Sergio/TBD) has been narrowed down to three (Blake/Sergio/TBD) in the search for the Blazers’ “Championship Point Guard.”

I actually think Sergio failed his test last year, too. While Jack is demonized, Sergio is given a pass for not getting on the floor enough. Personally, I don’t think its a good sign that Sergio couldn’t meet Nate MacMillan’s expectations enough to win time from Jack. Its natural for Sergio fans to ascribe this to some kind of man-crush between Mac-10 and Jack, but I’m an Occam’s Razor kind of guy - I don’t think Sergio got the time because he didn’t play well enough to earn the time. I also don’t think Sergio has shown any indication whatsoever that he would be an effective Point Guard playing off the ball next to Brandon Roy, who isn’t the answer to the PG solution but even while playing SG will handle the ball a significant part of the time (and probably most of the time coming down the stretch). Again, more on this later.

Here’s what I think are the key attributes for the PG the Blazers need to be looking for, in order of priority for me:
1) Strong Defender - to get out of the Western Conference, we’re gonna have to be able to deal with Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Baron Davis, etc. A lock-down defender is a must.
2) Good Shooter - With Roy, Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge, there are going to be lots of double teams going away from the PG and SF. We’ve got the shooters at SF in Martell Webster, James Jones, and Travis Outlaw (and Rudy too, when we’re in three-guard lineups). Blake was admirable, but I want better. If this guy is going to be on the floor with the “Last Five Minute” lineup (and I’ll want his defense out there), he has to be effective playing off the ball as a shooter on offense cause its going to be Roy running the show.
3) Size - I generally want PGs to be 6′3″ or taller, but not at the expense of being able to keep up with Paul and Williams, the benchmarks by which our guy will be measured. Maybe its because Terry Porter was the man for this team when I was a kid, but this is my list.
4) Floor General - Our PG needs to be able to play the PG position with skill, but I really don’t think we need a Steve Nash/Chris Paul level floor general to reach our peak. It would be nice, but again - if Roy is handling the ball 30 or 40% of the time, its kind of a waste to sacrifice defense, shooting, or size to maximize this.

So, who do I like? I like Blake long-term as a depth guy - hopefully he likes it enough in Portland to stay with the team and ease into a Steve Kerr-type depth role. He played great off the ball last year with Roy, can run the offense, and gives great effort on D.

OK, so Blake is the good long-term backup, what about the starter? I’ve already ticked Jack and Sergio off my list. Who else is there? Jose Calderon is one option that’s been talked about regularly around here - the rumor is that KP went after him hard at the trade deadline, and he seems to fill most of my requirements except #1.

Derrick Rose? Obviously.

My sleeper pick isn’t much of a sleeper anymore, but I love UCLA’s Russell Westbrook for this role. I’m not dying to draft another kid and wait on a project, but he’s 6′3″, he played solid at PG while Collison was out to start the season, played solid at SG when Collison came back, ended up leading UCLA in assists per game despite playing 2/3 of the season at SG, and looks like he’s got the chops to be a plus defender in the NBA.

I just don’t see many other options yet at PG in this draft. Eric Gordon is more combo than PG, and while I just downplayed the PG part above this guy needs to be at least at or above average to take the pressure off Roy.

Jerryd Bayless I didn’t see enough of this year, but it doesn’t look like he’s falling to us. DJ Augustin and Ty Lawson don’t have the size.

I’m not a huge fan of any other guards already in the NBA. Kirk Hinrich might have just become available, but I’m just not a huge fan of his game. Nobody else springs to mind. Any suggestions are welcome in the comments.

Oh, and just remembered - Petteri Koponen, anyone? He’d be a project, but as they say in the business - the most important ability for players is “availability,” and we own the rights to Petteri.

Ultimately, next year isn’t a Championship Contending Season for the Blazers, so I don’t think this situation needs to be resolved this offseason. As I’ve said a million times here, I’m a patient man. KP isn’t though, so my guess is that this is at the top of his to-do list.

Whew, this went on longer than I expected.

4) Brandon Roy So, if PG is such a big dilemma, and we’ve got a top SG prospect hopefully coming this year in Rudy, why did I neglect to include Brandon in the list of PG solutions?

In short, I have no interest in seeing Roy burn energy playing defense on NBA PGs. It’s natural to want to maximize what you have when you’ve got a superstar whose unique talent actually expands beyond the position they’re slated to play. But with Roy, we should just be glad we’ve got a potential top 5 SG who is already flourishing after his 2nd season, and not try to overdo it. The best SGs in this league play a huge role for their teams that go beyond traditional SG stuff - Wade, Kobe, LeBron (who plays the 3 but still), Joe Johnson, T-Mac, and more that I’m sure I’m forgetting. Those guys don’t just score, they create baskets for everyone by being the focal point of the offense and, yes, basically running the point. Contrast these guys to players like Vince Carter, Ray Allen, Corey Maggette - guys who are great SGs, but can’t play that expanded role the first group does. That first group is the SG+s, while the second group are just SGs. Roy is an SG+.

But the SG+s can’t be in that mode the entire time - teams have to change it up or the defense’s job gets easier. This is why Roy needs that unique PG who can be effective next to Roy whether he’s in SG or SG+ mode.

OK - that’s it for now. Sorry for the delay - I’m going to try to be a little better now as we move forward. I never did put a good recap on the season which I really meant to do, but maybe at some point I’ll get that done. Needless to say, I was thrilled. They missed my prediction of 38 wins by 3 - the right way.

It is a GREAT time to be a Blazer fan people. Make no mistake - no writing doesn’t mean I’m down on the team or the season. Just short on bandwidth.

Oh, and how’s this for even more great news? If training camp were starting in a few weeks, Greg Oden would basically be ready to go. The workouts he’s doing right now would demolish normal people. The proof of his successful rehab won’t officially come out until training camp next fall, but his recovery could not be going any better. A year away from basketball won’t have a positive impact on his basketball skills, but his physical condition may be better than ever come October.

One last thing before I quickly catch up on the recaps - the Rudy Fernandez situation is going to be the plot-line of the summer. The gossip is going to get worse before the situation resolves itself, but let’s hope Rudy’s goal is to prove himself in the best league on the planet. He will have to leave money on the table to come to Portland, but the upside for him is better here than in the Spanish league. And the situation with Sergio Rodriguez in Portland has no relation to what Rudy will experience here - Rudy is an established professional. Sergio was still a project when he came to the Blazers. To think Rudy will get shafted in Portland because Sergio is stuck behind Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack, well, if Rudy stays in Europe that won’t be the reason why.

Anyway, it was up and down last week…

Game #68 Recap - Suns 111, Blazers 98
Starting with the down… This was LaMarcus Aldridge’s sixth straight game with more than 20 points. This was also one of Brandon Roy’s worst games, adding just 6 points to an otherwise strong 7 boards and 7 assists. The Blazers got decent second-level scoring from Jack, Outlaw and Frye off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the varied attack Phoenix brought to the game.

I’ll say this too - Roy may be the farthest along of our youngsters, but he’s got to learn how stay productive when he’s up against the league’s best defenders. I don’t doubt that he will - last year he was protected from these scenarios by the fact that he was never Option 1 for the Blazers while Zach Randolph was still around. But Roy is the lead player now, and he’ll need to play through the tough matchups with players like Raja Bell and Bruce Bowen as the Blazers rise over the next few years. He’ll get it figured out, but for now - its games like these that remind you he’s still just an NBA sophomore.

The game links:
ESPN Box Score
AP via ESPN
The Oregonian
Blazer’s Edge
Mike Barrett’s Blog

Game #69 Recap - Blazers 107, Clippers 102
This game was butt-ugly. No defense in the first half as the teams were tied at 57 at halftime. The Blazers dominated the 3rd quarter to take an 87-75 lead into the 4th. Then the Blazers let the Clippers back in by scoring just 20 4th quarter points. A typically tough win for the Blazers, who have had very few “easy” wins lately.

For the Blazers, this was classic Roy + 3 formula - Roy with 21, 6 assists and 4 boards, and Aldridge (22p/12r/7a), Webster (16p/4r) and Blake (15p/11a) with the support. Not only was this LMA’s 8th straight 20-point game, it was probably the best game of his career. 7 assists! LMA is finishing this season strong - and that’s just another great sign for this team.

The game links:
ESPN Box Score
AP via ESPN
The Oregonian
Blazer’s Edge

Game #70 Recap - Blazers 83, Clippers 72
I’ll admit I was worried about this game. The Blazers really let the Clippers hang around Friday night in Portland, and the Clippers had Corey Maggette back for the rematch in Los Angeles.

The scoring from Friday night didn’t show up in this game, although Maggette was the Clippers’ bright-spot with 21. The Blazers had a chance to exploit the small roster of the Clippers (only Nick Fazekas is taller than 6-9), and on Saturday night they did it.

I’m not going to go through and research it, but I’d guess this was the Blazers’ largest rebounding margin of the season - winning on the boards 53-41. Joel Pryzbilla had an absolutely monster night with 14 points, 25 boards, and a block in 35 minutes. Nate has often tried to protect Joel from small-lineup matchups, but he let Joel go tonight and it was a huge factor.

Add LMA’s 9th straight 20-point game (21p/10r/3a) and a typical Roy night (23p/6a/3r/3s) and this game was never really in doubt.

The game links:
ESPN Box Score
AP via ESPN
The Oregonian
Dave @ Blazer’s Edge

Like I said in the lead - 5-7 in the last 12 gets this team a winning record. I want them to pull it off of course, but I want this team to learn something over these final weeks that they can build on for next year.

Its a great time to be a Blazer fan.

Next Three Games:
3/24 @ Sonics
3/25 vs. Wizards
3/27 @ Warriors