Portland Trail Blazers

Hey, I wanted to start an online association for NBA2K 13 on Xbox. The league name is portland and the password is lillard. No caps. The league has 30 teams. The difficulty is on pro. There will be 15 games. Also there will be a fantasy draft. The type is serpentine. The draft will be 8:00 tomorrow (may 20) I will be able to reschedule the date if needed. (I need five more words) Hey, I wanted to start an online association for NBA2K 13 on Xbox. The league name is portland and the password is lillard. No caps. The league has 30 teams. The difficulty is on pro. There will be 15 games. Also there will be a fantasy draft. The type is serpentine. The draft will be 8:00 tomorrow (may 20) I will be able to reschedule the date if needed. (I need five more words)

Monday's here, the site is back running normally, and it's time for the Mailbag! Dave, Why did Chris Kaman's value drop so fast? Wasn't he an All star? (though he was replaced for B Roy's injury)I thought he was one of the better centers in the league when he was playing for the Clippers. In 2011-12 he was getting paid 14+Mil and it dropped to 8 in one year and now he is considered a retread. Sangwoo Injuries took mobility out of an offensive game that was already considered shaky. Kaman had good moments for the Clippers but he was never a guy you'd rely on, particularly defensively. As he struggled on offense he became something of a black hole, calling his value further into question. I agree that Kaman could still be of value as a minute-eater in the middle, kind of like your third starter in the rotation in baseball. He wont' take you to the next level but he might keep you from slipping through a shaky floor. Whether signing him is worth it depends on your aims and cash on hand. Dave, Everyone from Paul Allen to my kid nephew knows we need rim protection. All the talk has been center, center, center. I agree with this wholeheartedly. It should be our main target in the offseason. But I think a dynamic shooting guard is just as pressing of a need. Various articles I've read seem to think its going to be a one-or-the-other type of situation where we need to hit a homerun on either a big or a guard, with the nod generally going to the big. I don't think this is the case. Would adding a cheaper, less-proven center like along with an unpredictable scorer work? Andy Depends on what you mean by "work". The Blazers would do well to hit big with either a guard or center. Not all options are created equal, however. The differences between backcourt and pivot show up in how said player would be acquired, how much they'd cost, and what other moves the team would need to make. If the Blazers hit big at the center position they could call their off-season a success no matter what else happened. For our purposes, "hitting big" would mean the Blazers believe they've acquired a long-term starting-quality center, probably with defensive chops. Adding that guy to their Core Four would complete the starting lineup. They'd fill in with bench players around the edges, then use cap exceptions to add more next year. The problem is that these players are rare and, except for Dwight Howard, none are unrestricted free agents. The Blazers need cooperation to make this happen...a team willing to trade or unwilling to match an offer for their restricted free agent. Getting that center will cost Portland a current starter, their lottery pick, tons of money, or all of the above. The other problem with the center position is that the next tier down--guys good enough to start but not good enough to rely on or to solve all your problems long-term--will be darn near as expensive cap-wise. You could easily blow 60% of your cap space on a mediocre big man. The whole point of spending money on a center is being able to say your biggest holes are filled. If that doesn't happen you've just wasted that money even if the position reads "C" on the roster card. Mostly-dynamic shooting guards are more plentiful on the unrestricted free agent market, easier to acquire in general, and usually less expensive. The Blazers may not be able to hit big when measured against the Hardens and LeBrons of the world but given enough money they could hit big enough. They can also find reasonable bench options at the wing positions while preserving enough cap space to sign another player. The difference here is that the team could acquire the best free agent shooting guards on the market, spend a ton of money doing so, and still be staring at a gaping hole at center which must be filled somehow. I don't think the Blazers can enter next season with Meyers Leonard and Joel Freeland as their only options at center. That team will suffer no matt

March 2, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) is guard by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) in the first half at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports The Blazers defense last season was a tale of two extremes. While poring over the finalized team stats after the season finished, I was elated to see that they allowed their opponents the third worst percent on three pointers made. As our knowledge of basketball stats continues to evolve and grow, it is becoming apparent that three pointers are far more important than had been realized these past few decades. Just as an example, of the ten teams who made the most three pointers during the regular season, Portland was the only one who did not make the playoffs. This is a trend worth monitoring, and a play style that Daryl Morey in Houston and Mike Woodson in New York have embraced. If three pointers are so crucial for success, it only stands to reason that keeping opponents from making them is also extremely important. This all sounds like rainbows and unicorns thus far, so where was the problem? Standard field goals. The Blazers allowed their opponents to shoot 51.2% within the arc. Take a second to think about that. Every time an opponent threw up a shot worth two points, it had over a 50% chance of going in. It pains me to think about. If we reintroduce three-pointers and free throws into the equation, every shot that opponents attempted earned them an average of 1.21 points. Painful. For some context, Indiana (who is an excellent defensive team), allowed only 1.10 points per shot by their opponents. That’s a staggering difference. If an opponent attempted the league average 82 field goals in a given game, the Blazers allowed, on average, 9 more points than the Pacers. The question is then, why? Portland allowed their opponents to make 66.2% of their shots at the rim (8th worst in the league), but even more harmfully, allowed opponents to shoot at 47.1% from three to nine feet away from the hoop (absolute worst in the league by nearly 4.0%). The next worst team (Minnesota) allowed opponents to shoot 43.2% in this area. In the past three years, no other team even had allowed their opponents to break 46% from this range. This is a major problem, and is precisely the reason why speculation is flying that the Blazers will pursue a veteran center. They lacked any sort of rim protection this year. While a hustler, J.J. Hickson was woefully undersized to be a starting NBA center. Size still can and does matter – just look at Memphis banging down low in the playoffs – Hickson does not have that kind of size on his side. While I strongly support giving Meyers Leonard time to develop, last year he did not do much to staunch the bleeding around the basket. In fact, no Blazer really seemed to be able to do much. Rather than merely blame players, though, I think it is worth looking at team philosophy as well (this is not to say that a rim-protecting center would not have drastically helped). Due to their elite ability to limit opponent three-point success, it stands to reason that the Blazers made this area a point of focus. The problem is that when you buy into one area, you suffer in others. The NBA, and any professional sport, is a game of back and forth: go all in for offensive rebounds, and you will get burned on fast breaks. Prevent the fast break, and you’re sacrificing second chance point opportunities. In soccer, focus on defense and your offense will suffer. In tennis, ratchet up your serve speed and you will increase double faults. It’s a timeless dance, and one that coaches in any sport throughout all eras have tried to navigate. In the Blazers’ haste to clamp down on the three pointers, they opened themselves to being gouged closer to the hoop. They get into a hazy area with cause and effect, though. Terry Stotts and the other coaches could have looked at the roster, sa

What makes a good roster? Is it a roster full of allstars w/ huge contracts? Or is it a roster full of potential allstars w/ great salaries? personally I think that a gm has to have the perfect balance of both. I mean imagine if we had a line up of lillard caliber players with similar contracts. We would have a great starting line up with millions left in capspace. That is why players like lillard are so important. What I would like to purpose is trading Batum and his overwhelming contract (10.9 mil next year) for Otto Porter, Anthony Bennett or maybe (a bit of a stretch) Shabazz and a bunch of non guaranteed contracts that we would let go. This gives us -plenty of cap space to bolster the roster (23.4 mil) -Gives us a very good prospect that is likely to surpass nicks production within 2 or so years. (maybe without the run down blocks) We could trade batum to Cleveland for their pick (#1-#5) We could trade batum to Pheonix for their pick (#1-#5) We then trade #10 Freeland 3mil and #40 for Gortat (7.7 mil) which leaves us with (23.4mil)+(2 mil for #10 pick) +(3mil for freeland) - (7.7 mil for Gortat) - (5m #1-#5 pick) Leaving us with 15.7 mil in capspace We Get Evans for 12 mil Leaving us with 3.7 mil in capspace We get Brewer (3.7 mil), Oneal (vet min) and Maynor (biannual exception) to get a roster of pg:Lillard /Maynor/Williams sg:Evans /Matthews/Barton sf:Porter, Bennett or shabbazz/ Brewer/Claver pf:Lamarcus Aldridge /O'neal/Mbakwe (#39) C: Gortat /Leonard/Muscala (#45) This is a possible and very deep roster without many weaknesses. The key is finding someone to trade their lottery pick for Batum. For one Batum is proven AND has as much potential as the guy a team wants to draft Two, Batum is young and shows improvement Three, I don't think Batum really cares for Portland after the whole Minnesota fiasco and teams may predict that his production is gonna be better elsewhere I think his production will be better elsewhere and if Minnesota thinks he is worth the price other teams probably think so too. Plus Cleveland offered batum a 13/mil contract last year. I think they will accept his 11 million contract if it was offered. What makes a good roster? Is it a roster full of allstars w/ huge contracts? Or is it a roster full of potential allstars w/ great salaries? personally I think that a gm has to have the perfect balance of both. I mean imagine if we had a line up of lillard caliber players with similar contracts. We would have a great starting line up with millions left in capspace. That is why players like lillard are so important. What I would like to purpose is trading Batum and his overwhelming contract (10.9 mil next year) for Otto Porter, Anthony Bennett or maybe (a bit of a stretch) Shabazz and a bunch of non guaranteed contracts that we would let go. This gives us -plenty of cap space to bolster the roster (23.4 mil) -Gives us a very good prospect that is likely to surpass nicks production within 2 or so years. (maybe without the run down blocks) We could trade batum to Cleveland for their pick (#1-#5) We could trade batum to Pheonix for their pick (#1-#5) We then trade #10 Freeland 3mil and #40 for Gortat (7.7 mil) which leaves us with (23.4mil)+(2 mil for #10 pick) +(3mil for freeland) - (7.7 mil for Gortat) - (5m #1-#5 pick) Leaving us with 15.7 mil in capspace We Get Evans for 12 mil Leaving us with 3.7 mil in capspace We get Brewer (3.7 mil), Oneal (vet min) and Maynor (biannual exception) to get a roster of pg:Lillard /Maynor/Williams sg:Evans /Matthews/Barton sf:Porter, Bennett or shabbazz/ Brewer/Claver pf:Lamarcus Aldridge /O'neal/Mbakwe (#39) C: Gortat /Leonard/Muscala (#45) This is a possible and very deep roster without many weaknesses. The key is finding someone to trade their lottery pick for Batum. For one Batum is proven AND has as much potential as the guy a team wants to draft Two, Batum is young and shows improvement Three, I do

Depth on our teem really affected the Blazers this season. The team started to dip after the all star break and never really could get a good contribution from the bench. So using the draft to get depth is most important to look for first. I think the Blazers should sign and trade JJ Hickson for the 5th or 6th pick depending on the outcome of the lottery and should draft Victor Oladipo. The reason is he brings a defensive spark off the bench. He is a solid finisher at the rim, improved jump shooter and good motor. Now with the 10th pick we should draft Rudy Gobert. He brings a defensive presence in the paint and if he bulks up he could be a Tyson Chandler type player for the Blazers. Not saying he will for sure but saying he could have that potential. His shot blocking and his huge wing span should really help the Blazers with there paint defense. Rudy and Meyers can duke it out for the starting spot and they could bring back the "twin towers" saying. With the 39th pick we should target Isaiah Canaan. He will bring a lot of offence off the bench with his 48% 3 point shooter. With the last 2 picks we have in the 2nd round we trade them both for future late first round pick. Now signing free agent signing time. First we try and resign Maynor with the offer of 3 years and 10 million. Then offer E-Will 1 year and 2 million contract. Now maybe get Jermaine Oneal who can mentor both Rudy and Meyers a little bit. He will also be able to fill minutes when Aldridge is resting and just in case a injury occurs with one of our bigs. I would not offer more then 3 million a year. So 2 year 6 million contract offer and i doubt anyone will match it. Damian Lillard/ Maynor/ Canaan Wesley Matthews/ E. Williams/ Barton Nicolas Batum/ Oladipo/ Claver Lamarcus Aldridge/ J. Oneal/ Freeland Meyers Leonard/ Gorbert Depth on our teem really affected the Blazers this season. The team started to dip after the all star break and never really could get a good contribution from the bench. So using the draft to get depth is most important to look for first. I think the Blazers should sign and trade JJ Hickson for the 5th or 6th pick depending on the outcome of the lottery and should draft Victor Oladipo. The reason is he brings a defensive spark off the bench. He is a solid finisher at the rim, improved jump shooter and good motor. Now with the 10th pick we should draft Rudy Gobert. He brings a defensive presence in the paint and if he bulks up he could be a Tyson Chandler type player for the Blazers. Not saying he will for sure but saying he could have that potential. His shot blocking and his huge wing span should really help the Blazers with there paint defense. Rudy and Meyers can duke it out for the starting spot and they could bring back the "twin towers" saying. With the 39th pick we should target Isaiah Canaan. He will bring a lot of offence off the bench with his 48% 3 point shooter. With the last 2 picks we have in the 2nd round we trade them both for future late first round pick. Now signing free agent signing time. First we try and resign Maynor with the offer of 3 years and 10 million. Then offer E-Will 1 year and 2 million contract. Now maybe get Jermaine Oneal who can mentor both Rudy and Meyers a little bit. He will also be able to fill minutes when Aldridge is resting and just in case a injury occurs with one of our bigs. I would not offer more then 3 million a year. So 2 year 6 million contract offer and i doubt anyone will match it. Damian Lillard/ Maynor/ Canaan Wesley Matthews/ E. Williams/ Barton Nicolas Batum/ Oladipo/ Claver Lamarcus Aldridge/ J. Oneal/ Freeland Meyers Leonard/ Gorbert Poll Thoughts? No. Yes. Maybe just not the draft ideas. Not the free agent idea. Scratch it all. 2 votes | Results

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Nerlens Noel is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports I feel rather badly for the team that receives the #1 pick on Tuesday. Not because of some misguided notion that it is a bad position to be in, but because no player in the 2013 NBA draft is the standout first selection. That is not to say that there aren’t any talented prospects, just that there is little to no drop off. Usually there is a player or two held in consensus above the rest. Last year it was Anthony Davis, and the year before it was Kyrie Irving. Even the Blazers had their choice between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant in 2007 (but we don’t speak of that anymore). However; this year the curve is not so steep. Kentucky center, Nerlens Noel, and Kansas shooting guard, Ben Mclemore, are the favorites to be taken first, followed shortly by Georgetown small forward, Otto Porter. It almost seems wasteful to receive the 1st pick when the 2nd and 3rd are arguably just as good. Can we really say that the difference between Ben Mclemore and Otto Porter is as pronounced as the difference between Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams? The Orlando Magic have the best chance (25%) to receive the #1 pick in this year’s draft. They finished the season with a horrid 20-62 record, only 4 losses worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are likely to receive the 3rd pick. So why does it seem so imbalanced that their picks could be nearly identical? Well, the Cavs feature NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving as well as would-be NBA All-Star Anderson Varejao, in comparison to Orlando’s… Nikola Vucevic? That’s not a knock at the Magic, it’s just that the difference in draft compensation for either team does not match the obvious separation between the talent of their respective rosters. The #1 pick is a rarity to be celebrated by a starving fan-base, but in a decidedly weak draft class, the allotment is bitter-sweet. It’s like rummaging through a pile of money and settling on the shiniest quarter, despite the hope for a dollar. The next kid to purge the pile may have to clean his coin to make it sparkle, but in the end, each quarter is worth the same. Perhaps it is not so bad that Portland is staring down the barrel of the 10th pick. There is no player in the 2013 NBA draft I strongly lament being unable to select. Sure, it would be great to luck into a better draw, but the middle of the pack is not without its dimes. @davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com

With news breaking of the the blazers "interest" in moving up to snag Victor Oladipo it got me thinking of the possibilities. When you look at the range that Oldadipo is projected in- I'd say its a safe bet that the 3rd pick is a probably where he'll end up. If the lottery holds true the Cavs are slated to have that pick and really they look like one of the best possible trade partners out there. The Cavs have a need at SF and we have a valuable commodity at SF in Batum. Before anyone gets worked up I know there are restrictions on trading Batum - let's just say the deal is worked out in principle for arguments sake. The deal that came to mind, Batum and the 10th pick for Varejao and the 3rd pick. There's plenty of positives for both sides here- the Cavs land the SF they need (wanted to sign) who is also locked in at a decent salary level to pair with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters- they move Varejao in the last year of his contract (team option) and get someone of value in return, and they get another asset with the 10th pick which they can use to take another young big. The blazers get roughly 2 mil in salary relief with Batum/Varejao and the opportunity to "rent and roll" Varejao and see how he works alongside LMA. Insert Oladipo into the lineup alongside Lillard, Aldridge, and Varejao - move Wes to the bench as a super sub and you're starting to address some of last seasons deficiencies - perimeter and interior defense. Now the blazers have a gaping hole at SF but they also have additional cap room which they can now use to go after Andre Igoudala. I'm well aware of the arguments for and against Iggy- past prime, too much money, etc. However, with this lineup I believe you can play more towards his strengths and allow him to be the slasher/d/3 player that he is. I'm more than open to other options here but I'm just beaming at the thought of Oladipo, Iggy, and Varejao locking down on defense. Offensively you continue to ride the Lillard -LMA pick and roll, you gain a secondary ball handler/playmaker in Iggy and a very high ceiling player in Oladipo- not to mention our bench just got better than at any time last year simply by moving Wes from the starting lineup to the bench. Now with all of this in mind what say the Hive? What is your perfect (albeit realistic) storm? Discuss below and feel free to blow up, destroy, and or massacre my thoughts- or praise my amazing GM skills and nominate me for GM 2014! (I kid of course, but seriously)... With news breaking of the the blazers "interest" in moving up to snag Victor Oladipo it got me thinking of the possibilities. When you look at the range that Oldadipo is projected in- I'd say its a safe bet that the 3rd pick is a probably where he'll end up. If the lottery holds true the Cavs are slated to have that pick and really they look like one of the best possible trade partners out there. The Cavs have a need at SF and we have a valuable commodity at SF in Batum. Before anyone gets worked up I know there are restrictions on trading Batum - let's just say the deal is worked out in principle for arguments sake. The deal that came to mind, Batum and the 10th pick for Varejao and the 3rd pick. There's plenty of positives for both sides here- the Cavs land the SF they need (wanted to sign) who is also locked in at a decent salary level to pair with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters- they move Varejao in the last year of his contract (team option) and get someone of value in return, and they get another asset with the 10th pick which they can use to take another young big. The blazers get roughly 2 mil in salary relief with Batum/Varejao and the opportunity to "rent and roll" Varejao and see how he works alongside LMA. Insert Oladipo into the lineup alongside Lillard, Aldridge, and Varejao - move Wes to the bench as a super sub and you're starting to address some of last seasons deficiencies - perimeter and interior defense. Now the blazers have a gaping hole at SF but they a

Mar 22, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Jamaal Franklin (21) is defended by Oklahoma Sooners guard Cameron Clark (21) during the second half during the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Wells Fargo Center. San Diego State defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 70-55. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports The first day of the NBA Draft Combine has passed, and for the Blazers, it seems they have significant interest in wing players. At the draft combine, the Blazers met with five players, per OregonLive.com’s Jason Quick: UCLA guard-forward Shabazz Muhammad, Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse forward James Southerland, Indiana big man Cody Zeller and San Diego State guard Jamaal Franklin. Muhammad, Southerland and Franklin are all players that can play the wing position at the NBA level, and even Carter-Williams is not your average point guard prospect at a height of 6’6″. Zeller was the only big man the Blazers scouted on day one, in spite of starting center J.J. Hickson’s pending free agency. The Blazers’ lack of interest in a starting center doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. General manager Neil Olshey has expressed an interest in pursuing a veteran center rather than adding one through the draft, and they are only a year removed from drafting center, Meyers Leonard, with the 11th pick. The Blazers likely plan to stick with Leonard, and instead shift their attention to drafting a wing. The Blazers are nearly a lock for the tenth pick in the NBA draft this year, but they may not keep it–that pick could be traded in a deal for an established center. The same goes for the Blazers’ three picks in the second round (39th, 40th and 45th). However, in the event that they keep those picks, the players they have met with so far speak volumes about where their interest lies in the draft this year. Shabazz Muhammad, Jamaal Franklin and James Southerland all have one thing in common: they are wing players that serve to put the ball in the basket, albeit in very different ways. Muhammad is a pure scorer (to the point of one-dimensionality?) who gets his through playing off the ball and taking advantage of his superior physical tools in the paint and on the break. Franklin is a much more versatile player than Muhammad, but his main appeal lies in his scoring ability as a slasher/cutter. Whereas Southerland is one of the NCAA’s best 3-point shooters and he is almost strictly a catch-and-shoot specialist. With the worst scoring bench in the NBA last year (last in the league at 18.5 bench points per game, while the 29th-ranked Pacers averaged 26.1), it’s clear the Blazers are seeking help in the draft. The silver lining is that they have a bit of a blank canvas in terms of how they want to upgrade their bench. Muhammad, Franklin and Southerland are all very different types of scorers, and it seems the Blazers are looking indiscriminately for scoring help. Other players the Blazers could be interested in that fit the scoring wing mold include LeHigh guard, C.J. McCollum, a Lillard-esque scorer with the ball; Georgia guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, an off-ball scorer with a sweet stroke; and Virginia Tech guard, Erick Green, the nation’s leading scorer with a smooth jumpshot and the ability to score with and without the ball. Meanwhile, neither Michael Carter-Williams nor Cody Zeller identify much as scorers. Carter-Williams is a versatile point guard that actually struggles to score, much like a young Rajon Rondo, and Zeller is an all-around big who, admittedly, has a relatively polished offensive game but is also extremely unselfish. They strike me more as the Blazers doing “due diligence” on prospects, but anything could happen in the Blazers’ effort to retool their bench. Whether or not the Blazers keep their picks, it’s clear they have an interest in adding a much-needed scoring punch to their ben

Here's a round-up of stories from day two of the 2013 Chicago pre-draft combine. Day one news and notes were posted here. Jason Quick of The Oregonian runs down some of the guards that the Portland Trail Blazers interviewed this week. In the Blazers' case, [GM Neil] Olshey said the majority of the interviews were handled by team performance psychologist Dana Sinclair because he expects most of the 18 players to visit Portland. Olshey and his staff did, however, interview UCLA wing Shabazz Muhammad and Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams, perhaps because it would be their only chance to interview them before the draft. ... [Carter-Williams] also said the Blazers were one of two teams that asked him about his on-the-court body language, which teetered between pouting and surly during stretches of this season at Syracuse. "They were one of the teams to ask me about it," Carter-Williams said of the Blazers. "I told them my body language didn't have anything to do with my coaches or my teammates. I hold myself accountable, and to a high standard, and when I'm disappointed in myself that frustration comes out a little bit. I don't let it affect my game, but it's definitely something I can work on. I think it's something that I can fix, something that is easy to change, so I don't think it's a problem." Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com offers some news and notes from day two. "I'm not sure I want the No. 1 pick," said one NBA general manager. Another looked frightened at the thought of having to draft someone first this year. "There's really no one worthy of the top pick," he said. "But someone has to go number one." ... • No one was hurt more in the measurements and testing than Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk. He is 6-foot-10 and 3/4 without shoes, but he has a wingspan of just 6-9 3/4. For a comparison, Nerlens Noel was actually shorter at 6-foot-10, but has a 7-3 3/4 wingspan. ... • Don't read much into which teams interviewed which players out in Chicago. Many teams lined up guys they know won't come in for actual workouts over the next few weeks. For instance, Boston -- picking No. 16 -- interviewed Victor Oladipo, who is expected to go before the Celtics pick. Danny Ainge and his staff also brought in Noel, who is expected to go either first or second overall. All That Amar of SLC Dunk did some great work from the combine. Full player list with statistics and draft board rankings. Who has the worst wingspan-to-height ratio? The T-Rex/Alligator rankings. Digging into the heights of various prospects. Who cheated the most on their list height compared to their real height? Chad Ford of ESPN.com breaks down the results of the athletic testing portions of the combine. We typically don't make a big deal out of the standing vertical jump, but in the case of Indiana's Cody Zeller, we'll make an exception. Zeller's score (35.5) was the highest ever recorded by a player taller than 6-foot-9. Standing vertical jumps matter for big men, who typically don't get a running start before jumping in the paint. ... Of the players projected in the lottery, Zeller was the most impressive. He got a reputation this season as someone who struggled to play against long, athletic players. However, he excelled in every category Friday. He was explosive, quick and fast. He clearly showed some of that at Indiana with the way he ran the floor and at times showed explosion around the basket, but this result could only help him. "It was a big day for Cody, I thought," one GM said. "I think we soured on him just a little too much. I still have questions and want to see him shooting the ball more. But this really helped us get intrigued again." A look at winners and losers from Ford. France's Rudy Gobert also wowed with sheer size. His 7-foot-8.5 wingspan and 9-foot-7 standing reach both were record measurements by the NBA. While Gobert didn't look particularly explosive, nor was he particularly skilled offensively,

Interior defense, rebounding and bench scoring are the three biggest weaknesses of the current Blazer roster. My hope is that the Blazer organization takes control of their own destiny, by drafting and targeting players without relying on trades or other teams not matching restricted free agents. Please Olshey don't waste the free agent signing period waiting on other teams to match your offer like last offseason. Forget about Tyreke Evans and go after a guy like OJ Mayo who was quoted saying that he'd love playing for Olshey. Also target Nate Robinson who has grown up and become a legit instant offense guy in pressure situations. Plus Nate loves the northwest and may actually give Portland a hometown discount. With Nate and OJ coming off the bench you will drastically improve bench scoring, especially since both guys can create their own shot. Secondly, draft Dieng with the 10th pick. The guy can rebound, block shots, contain the pick and roll, and make passes. Don't believe he has a low ceiling. He has only been playing basketball at a high level for a few years and didn't grow up playing as a kid. He has helped lead his team to two final fours and a big east and national championship. Then draft one of the rebounding/shot blocking back up power forwards in the second round. Mbakwe, Howell or my favorite, Jackie Carmichael will most likely be available. Also pick Andre Roberson if available in the second round as a lock down defensive wing who can rebound, create steals and block shots. Also use a second round pick on Phil Pressey who is a pure passing pg who creates steals with his quickness. Thirdly, bring over Pap from Greece. He's a better defender than Babbitt and a better shooter than Claver. Plus Claver is more of a stretch 4 IMO. I also think you need to give Batum some rest during the season so he is fresh come playoffs and not breaking down. X defense X rebounding X scoring Interior defense, rebounding and bench scoring are the three biggest weaknesses of the current Blazer roster. My hope is that the Blazer organization takes control of their own destiny, by drafting and targeting players without relying on trades or other teams not matching restricted free agents. Please Olshey don't waste the free agent signing period waiting on other teams to match your offer like last offseason. Forget about Tyreke Evans and go after a guy like OJ Mayo who was quoted saying that he'd love playing for Olshey. Also target Nate Robinson who has grown up and become a legit instant offense guy in pressure situations. Plus Nate loves the northwest and may actually give Portland a hometown discount. With Nate and OJ coming off the bench you will drastically improve bench scoring, especially since both guys can create their own shot. Secondly, draft Dieng with the 10th pick. The guy can rebound, block shots, contain the pick and roll, and make passes. Don't believe he has a low ceiling. He has only been playing basketball at a high level for a few years and didn't grow up playing as a kid. He has helped lead his team to two final fours and a big east and national championship. Then draft one of the rebounding/shot blocking back up power forwards in the second round. Mbakwe, Howell or my favorite, Jackie Carmichael will most likely be available. Also pick Andre Roberson if available in the second round as a lock down defensive wing who can rebound, create steals and block shots. Also use a second round pick on Phil Pressey who is a pure passing pg who creates steals with his quickness. Thirdly, bring over Pap from Greece. He's a better defender than Babbitt and a better shooter than Claver. Plus Claver is more of a stretch 4 IMO. I also think you need to give Batum some rest during the season so he is fresh come playoffs and not breaking down. X defense X rebounding X scoring