Portland Trail Blazers

Would Bledsoe fit as a SG next to Lillard? He seemed uncomfortable handling the ball when i saw him this year. On the surface, I would be VERY excited about this duo going forward. And apparently the Clippers want a 3 & D guy... http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/59849/how-the-clippers-could-walk-away What would it take? Batum + ????? = Bledsoe + ????? Butler's Contract? Could we work Jordan in here somehow? Remember that Neil has ties to the Clippers so at least the lines of communication are open. Please feed my appetite and come with something clever!!! Would Bledsoe fit as a SG next to Lillard? He seemed uncomfortable handling the ball when i saw him this year. On the surface, I would be VERY excited about this duo going forward. And apparently the Clippers want a 3 & D guy... http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/59849/how-the-clippers-could-walk-away What would it take? Batum + ????? = Bledsoe + ????? Butler's Contract? Could we work Jordan in here somehow? Remember that Neil has ties to the Clippers so at least the lines of communication are open. Please feed my appetite and come with something clever!!!

Dan Hanner of RealGM.com has a nice by-the-numbers breakdown of the 2013 NBA Draft class. Big improvements in efficiency 1. Shane Larkin ORtg improved from 99 to 117 while using 3% more possessions 2. Alex Len ORtg improved from 99 to 113 while using 6% more possessions 3. Trey Burke ORtg improved from 106 to 121 while using 2% more possessions 4. Victor Oladipo ORtg improved from 107 to 122 while using 1% fewer possessions 5. Reggie Bullock ORtg improved from 118 to 128 while using 3% more possessions 6. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ORtg improved from 104 to 113 while using 4% more possessions There are so many more names I could include on this list. Murray St.'s Isaiah Canaan deserves a lot more praise. Even though his team did worse, Canaan had a brilliant season personally. On the flip side... Not improving 1. Andre Roberson ORtg fell from 109 to 100 while using 2% fewer possessions 2. Phil Pressey ORtg fell from 114 to 101 while using 3% more possessions 3. Cody Zeller ORtg fell from 127 to 119 while using 2% more possessions None of these guys was terrible. Roberson was still a dominant defender. But when you tread water in college basketball, NBA scouts start to downgrade your potential. Zeller treaded water and didn't improve and his draft stock has fallen quite a bit. From Z to Z, from Zeller's free throw rate, to his declining ORtg, that's a quick look inside the college stats. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com digs into the advanced stats to produce this interesting look at the best "Big 3" combinations of players in NBA history. The Portland Trail Blazers' combination of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey ranks eighth on his list of the top 10 since 1974. For this study, I considered every potential star trio in the NBA since 1974. Why 1974? That's the first season that the NBA officially tracked turnovers. Using that as a starting point allows us to measure each player using the same rubric. Turnovers are a pretty big deal. ... Don't think of this Blazers trio as a Big Three? Think again. Clyde Drexler and two-time All-Star Terry Porter made up one of the best backcourts of the Jordan era, and Jerome Kersey was no slouch either. Most youngsters these days remember Kersey as the washed-up vet on the 1999 Spurs championship squad, but Kersey was a big-time rebounder and defender at small forward for the Blazers and helped push them to two Finals appearances. If the rise of this Blazers' core hadn't run parallel with the "Bad Boy" Pistons and Jordan's Bulls, we probably would think of them much differently. The top three overall on the list... 1) Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish (Boston Celtics) 2) Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant (Chicago Bulls) 3) Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs) Hat tip: Casey Holdahl, Blazers.com -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Unfortunately I have one those gut feeling where you just know what is going to happen. I mean the Heat players don't even seem flustered in their interviews. I guarantee there will be more free throws for the heat players in the next two games. Being at home for the heat is a tremendous advantage and I think they will use to full capacity. I don't really believe in all the conspiracy theories about teams being set up to win and to lose, but how do you explain this http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/pair-lebron-james-brand-nikes-already-calling-him-161113547.html A pair of Lebron nikes already say 2 time champion on them. Very bold of the maker seeing that the heat are down 3-2. Of course if the game was fixed the bold statement wouldn't be a problem. Anyways I predict that the heat are gonna win the next two games, with talent or help from the league, whichever you choose to believe. Just my two cents Unfortunately I have one those gut feeling where you just know what is going to happen. I mean the Heat players don't even seem flustered in their interviews. I guarantee there will be more free throws for the heat players in the next two games. Being at home for the heat is a tremendous advantage and I think they will use to full capacity. I don't really believe in all the conspiracy theories about teams being set up to win and to lose, but how do you explain this http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/pair-lebron-james-brand-nikes-already-calling-him-161113547.html A pair of Lebron nikes already say 2 time champion on them. Very bold of the maker seeing that the heat are down 3-2. Of course if the game was fixed the bold statement wouldn't be a problem. Anyways I predict that the heat are gonna win the next two games, with talent or help from the league, whichever you choose to believe. Just my two cents

In its most recent NBA mock draft, the Sporting News predicts UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad will be drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 10 overall.

Your daily dose of NBA draft links, including ESPN.com's updated mock draft, top prospect Alex Len on his Portland visit, second round sleepers and more.

In my never ending quest to steal Shump from the Big Apple I present the following moves. (I know I'm dreaming a little but I've over-thought this for so long I'll present it anyway) - http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=l6c83gu PHX gets: Novak, Freeland, Leonard, Pavlovic, #10, #24, #45 NYK gets: Beasley, Marshal, #5, Rights to Papanikolaou PDX gets: Gortat, Shumpert, White - Why Phoenix does it: This accomplishes several things for a rebuilding Suns team-- Numero Uno; they rid themselves of Beasley, which at this point I can't imagine is an easy job right now. They also replace him with Novak. Not a really an upgrade in talent but at least he'd be a better locker-room veteran for a really young team. While they lose one project in Marshal they take on two projects that might be farther along and fit their needs a little better as they have their PG locked-up with Dragic. They lose the 5th pick but only fall back five spots. Plus they go from having 3 draft picks to 5 which will let them collect young, future assets. Finally, in doing this deal they actually wind-up saving an extra 5ish million which I think would put them in the neighborhood of $18-$20 million in cap space! Can you imagine what kind of Free Agent shopping spree you could go on with that kind of money?! They'd need a starting C so maybe they'd go offer a max deal to Al Jeff or Peck or Splitter. Or they could spend some of it now and pull an Olshey and punt the rest of their space to next summer. Also, they'd cut Pav, he's just the grease to get the money to work out. - Why New York does it: The Knicks are in a tight spot right now; they've got one measly draft pick, three players tying-up over $58M and VERY little flexibility to improve their once good-looking roster. Shump is near-untouchable yet he's really the most valuable trade-chip they have. They'd hate to lose him but for the #5 pick they could get someone who better fills a position of need. Part of that depends on what spot 'Melo is going to fill. I think the likely choice here is to go with Trey Burke or McLemore to help shore-up the new hole in their backcourt or else Oladipo or Bennett if Anthony starts at the 4 next season. It would be a bitter pill to swallow taking Beasley but hey, character doesn't matter in New York! And with the massive egos already there it might force him to shape-up a bit. He's experienced and should he get his act together he'd be a valuable back-up to 'Melo. He's a million bucks more expensive than Novak but his contract's not guaranteed in '14-'15 so if he doesn't work out he won't be on the books long. Marshall is an incentive to do this because it gives them a little bit of future depth at the 1. Let's face it: they ain't getting to the promised land starting Ray Felton so if they draft Burke or if Marshall has a break-out season, they could easily and cheaply supplant him and make him expendable. There was some rumors that the Knicks have been scouting Papanikolaou even after they traded his rights to the 'zers so this would just be a little inexpensive bonus. It's NY so they won't have a hard time filling out the rest of their roster with VetMin guys. They've added cheap, potentially game-changing assets and increased their future flexibility while they try to retool (rather than give up on) their Anthony/Stat/Chandler core. - Why Portland does it: Why wouldn't they do it? In one amazing swing of the bat they'd land their (future) franchise SG in Shump and a chance to kick the tires on Gortat, see how he does with Lillard and LMA anchoring the ship. I think Shump is going to be a near-star or even star player in the future and I think it would be the best situation for both him and the Blazers. Last season there were some rumblings that his people were unhappy about how he was being used in NY, being played out of position. He's still getting his strength back after recovering from ACL injury and he really stepped-up his game for the p

Mar 14, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) is defended by LSU Tigers guard Malik Morgan (24) during the second round of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports With the tenth overall pick in the draft, Portland has options. We’ve always said that. The options range from drafting a wing, to drafting a big, to trading for a veteran center. Well, here’s a new one for the Blazers: should they trade down in the draft? The benefit of trading down in the draft, or trading the tenth pick for a lower pick as part of a bigger trade, is that it allows Portland to net a wider range of assets in exchange for giving up a better asset. For example, let’s say Portland trades the tenth pick to the Atlanta Hawks for the 17th and 18th picks in the draft. How does that help the Blazers? Well, instead of grabbing one lottery-level rookie, Portland can grab two mid-first round rookies. Consider Portland’s situation right now. Their starting lineup is more or less set, with the center position aside. Nobody that would conceivably be available at the tenth pick would be filling that starting spot–they would be playing on the Blazers’ bench. However, that bench is in dire need of talented players. So, instead of acquiring just one talented player, why not acquire two? The difference in talent wouldn’t hurt the Blazers as much as the added depth would help. If Portland keeps the pick, let’s say they draft Georgia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a very likely possibility. But, if Portland trades the pick for Atlanta’s two picks, they can get, say, San Diego State guard Jamaal Franklin and North Texas forward Tony Mitchell. Neither of those two players are as well-regarded as Caldwell-Pope, but suddenly, the Blazers have two rookies they can play off the bench rather than just KCP. With Portland, that goes further in fulfilling the need of depth. Another benefit of trading down in the draft is that it allows Portland to offload contracts that they don’t want to a team willing to take that contract on so they can get the guy they do want. This could include most notably Joel Freeland, a big man that was awful in limited minutes for the Blazers this season but will be paid about $5 million over the next two seasons. Take Freeland’s contract off the books, and that’s more flexibility in signing free agents or making trades. For a team in huge need of depth and an average cap situation at best, the additional cap space could be hugely beneficial. The Hawks aside, other teams that could make an appealing trade partner for the Blazers include the Utah Jazz (who hold the 14th and 21st pick in the draft) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (19, 31, 33). The Blazers aren’t limited to trading strictly for picks, either. The Brooklyn Nets hold the 22nd pick in the draft and also have MarShon Brooks, a 24 year old guard that appears to be on the outs with the team. It’s interesting to note that the Blazers have three second-round picks in this year’s draft. Second-round picks are hardly guaranteed for impact players, but the Blazers would likely keep at least two of the rookies they draft with those picks if they kept them, if not all three. Too many rookies in the locker room might not be ideal for the Blazers, which already are a young team, so trading down in the draft might also mean dumping a number of those second-round picks for other assets. Trading down in the draft hasn’t seen as much buzz as other options have, but it’s a valid route for Portland to go. With their bench the way it is, especially compared to their starting lineup, it’s one option the Blazers should definitely give thought to. Follow @KevinYeungNBA Follow @ripcityproject

Victor Oladipo, 21, measured out at just over 6-foot-3 (without shoes) with a wingspan of over 6-9 at the NBA pre-Draft combine. He also recorded one of the highest vertical leaps at 42 inches. He's a probable Top 5 pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

Mar 8, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts talks with forward Nicolas Batum (88) during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT To the concern of some cautious Blazer fans, Nicolas Batum was signed to a 4 year $48 million dollar contract  last year, in hopes that he would soon reach a rather optimistic ceiling. One season later, Nicolas Batum’s value is still up for debate. However; it is clear that the Blazers are invested in him, for better or worse, so there is no reason not to plan ahead. Despite marked improvement as a facilitator, Batum’s 5th NBA season was underwhelming. That is not to say that he performed especially poorly, but he did not meet the expectations his inflated contract bred. For $11 million at 24 years old, one’s points per 36 minutes should not suffer a decline as his did (16.4 in 2011-2012, 13.4 in 2012-2013). Only so much of this can be blamed on injury. Batum’s wrist gave him difficulty most of the season, but I’m not going to let him off the hook. You can’t score 19 one night, slum for 5 and 3 the next few, then return to form with 15 and blame the dip on affliction. I understand the need to play gingerly at times, but many were quick to mask blatant inconsistency with the convenient blanket excuse of “soreness”. The problem is not that Batum is good unless he feels bad; the problem is that there are two Nicolas Batums in the first place. One is the chase-down defender and knock-down shooter Portland paid $11 million for, and the other bleeds turnovers that require the chase-downs and can’t hit the broad side of a barn. In order for Batum to be worth his contract, I want to see the following ‘per game’ progression over the next three years (if not better, of course): Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks 2012-2013 14.3 5.6 4.9 1.2 1.1 2013-2014 16.0 6.0 5.0 1.5 1.2 2014-2015 17.0 6.5 5.0 1.8 1.4 2015-2016 18.5 7.0 5.3 2.0 1.5 First things first, Batum has to get a midrange game. He’s a respectable 3-point shooter and a strong finisher at the rim, but to be the complete package Portland needs, he MUST become a more efficient jump shooter. Batum shot just 34.6% anywhere between 3 feet out and the 3 point line all season. These majestic clunkers made up 26% of Batum’s shot attempts. He has to get more comfortable at the elbow so the offense does not stagnate into predictability (more so). As for rebounding, I’m less concerned. Batum has a 7’4” wingspan and an athletic build, he just needs to work on boxing out. Most of his contested boards come from reaching over opponents rather than edging them off the ball. At this point, it’s unrealistic for him to add weight, but learning to use his better is within reason. His tendency to fly into the scrum should be converted into starting there to begin with. Assists were a pleasant surprise from Batum last season, but not without cost. His newly discovered knack for finding seams was met with a fair number of imagined gaps. Sloppy passes to unavailable teammates gave away key possessions in a game where each one counts. His decision making has improved, but his court vision isn’t where it could be. When Batum is able to recognize defense poised in the passing lanes before committing to the swing, his value will skyrocket. Speaking of passing lanes, Batum’s long arms make him an ideal perimeter defender. This is why Terry Stotts will occasionally put him on opposing point guards.  The sheer width of a strafing Batum is enough to force opponents into bad passes. I want to see Batum’s name displayed in the top 10 on the steals leaderboard one day. Perhaps, as a forward, this is an unrealistic expectation, but the potential is there depending upon how the Blazers’ evolving defense changes. Where blocking is concerned, Batum’s numbers are fine; it’s the type of blocks I want to see change. It’s no secret that Batum excels at transition defense, s