Apparently KP changed his mind

[Wizenheimer]

I was responding in a tread on the general board about young teams and I saw that by average age, portland actually seems to be younger then they were last season.

The average age is 23.4, when it was around 24 last season. I imagine this number didn't account for actual birthdays and maybe a bunch of blazers are approaching those so that number will change.
still...

didn't KP say something like "getting any younger is not a priority"?

when a lot of us were expecting a likely trade out of the draft, KP goes and adds a 1st round pick instead, and then selects two 19 year old players.

maybe KP is a draftaholic

[zzaj]

smoke screens baby!!

I think "experience" is what is meant by not getting younger. The tools were there to pick up Bayless while only really giving up Jack. Even if that means getting less experience back, you gotta go for it.

I think that the "steady hand" of a vet is overrated. Especially when you have someone like Brandon on the team who just oozes maturity. The only reason Jones helped us last year in that streak is because his 3pt shot was falling at an amazing clip. Locker room presence? Brandon, Lamarcus, Frye...all of those guys seemed like business was usual win or lose during post games last year.

I think that it is coming to a point with the roster that too much tinkering just to add a vet could be too much messing with a good thing.

[Wizenheimer]

I agree that the "veteran influence" thing is a bit overrated. At then end of this coming season Roy and LMA will be 3 year vets. Blake and Pryzbilla are vets. So are travis and Martell.

Now, experience may be critical in a playoff series, but so is talent, and portland shouldn't be trading away talent just for the purpose of adding experience, when each game adds experience anyway..

[Mr Odd]

Actually I think he probably wanted to go
older (vets) but along the lines figured
that he might be able to get two young
players that had to much promise to pass
up on. I still believe that KP will add some
good vets the first chance he gets that
wont cost the team to much. Im sure he
doesnt want to add age just to add age,
but to add age if that player is good.. .

[Agenda42]

I seem to remember an interview shortly after the draft where KP was talking about the desire to acquire veterans. Basically, he thought that other teams were asking for too much of our young talent, and that preserving our '09 cap space also made it hard to acquire those players.

[Walton'sBeard!]

I agree that the "veteran influence" thing is a bit overrated. At then end of this coming season Roy and LMA will be 3 year vets. Blake and Pryzbilla are vets. So are travis and Martell.

Now, experience may be critical in a playoff series, but so is talent, and portland shouldn't be trading away talent just for the purpose of adding experience, when each game adds experience anyway..

Agreed. If experience is the be all end all recipe for success then why did 15 older more experienced teams finish worse than the Blazers last year? People around the country do not realize that our young guys have the maturity of older vets. Talent and maturity will get us by until experience takes over.

[PDXKnight]

Actually I think he probably wanted to go
older (vets) but along the lines figured
that he might be able to get two young
players that had to much promise to pass
up on. I still believe that KP will add some
good vets the first chance he gets that
wont cost the team to much. Im sure he
doesnt want to add age just to add age,
but to add age if that player is good.. .

Agreed. Vets are always good to have on a team as James Jones showed, so it's hard to dispute the value of a veteran presence on a young team, but at the same time, Bayless, Rudy, etc. may very well be core players eventually and if you have a shot at them, you don't pass up on the opportunity. I think KP might still be searching for a veteran, however, even with the additions of Rudy, Bayless and Oden this offseason.

[sabi]

I think KP and the rest looked hard at adding a veteran to this team but the choices weren't that attractive or were too expensive. Other teams were probably charging a vet premium to us since they know that is what we really needed to push us over the top and make the playoffs next season. As a result we got younger, but at the same time, probably got a better long term solution in Bayless and Batum. So if it means worst case scenario (missing the playoffs) this season the so be it. On the other hand, I think we'll be in the race in the final games of next season and maybe even ahead. I just hope someone answers our prayers at one of the 2 spots we need most help at.

[BlackMamba]

the balzers have to EXCEPTIONAL veterans in blake and joel, too bad jones didn't stay.

but players like roy even though he's young he acts like a vet.

getting younger helps in the span of 4-8 years to come.

i like it.

[ebott]

maybe KP is a draftaholic

I concur.

I love KP and there's no denying the greatness of what he's done with this team. With the exception of what the Celtics did this last off-season I can't remember a turn around anywhere near as dramatic as KP's been able to do with this team.

But at this point in what we've seen him do I don't think it's all that unfair to claim that KP is a draftaholic. Every deal he's ever made has been on draft day. Every deal has been done in order to draft a player he'd targeted. He's never made a deal for a veteran. He's never signed a free agent.

If someone wants to be overly critical, and cruel, they could make the argument that KP (Taking a moment here to do some man crushing on our GM. How ******* cool is it that we love our GM so much we just call him by his initials? That's yeah close ->| |<- to a nickname. I've never heard of a teams' fans giving their GM a nickname. I love Kevin Pritchard. I hope he's our GM forever) is a one trick pony. He just works the draft.

[Zyme]

maybe KP is a draftaholic

I concur.

I love KP and there's no denying the greatness of what he's done with this team. With the exception of what the Celtics did this last off-season I can't remember a turn around anywhere near as dramatic as KP's been able to do with this team.

But at this point in what we've seen him do I don't think it's all that unfair to claim that KP is a draftaholic. Every deal he's ever made has been on draft day. Every deal has been done in order to draft a player he'd targeted. He's never made a deal for a veteran. He's never signed a free agent.

If someone wants to be overly critical, and cruel, they could make the argument that KP (Taking a moment here to do some man crushing on our GM. How ******* cool is it that we love our GM so much we just call him by his initials? That's yeah close ->| |<- to a nickname. I've never heard of a teams' fans giving their GM a nickname. I love Kevin Pritchard. I hope he's our GM forever) is a one trick pony. He just works the draft.

He rarely makes a trade for a Vet, he exploited a Trade Exemption for JJones

About that one trick, he damn well does that trick well.

[glide22]

we don't need to get older to add experience. it seems like some of the best teams find a solid core group, add some complementary players and then let them develop together (see, e.g.: detroit and san antonio). roy, la, oden and company with a few years of playing together will be tough to beat.

[BiggieSmalls]

maybe KP is a draftaholic

I concur.

I love KP and there's no denying the greatness of what he's done with this team. With the exception of what the Celtics did this last off-season I can't remember a turn around anywhere near as dramatic as KP's been able to do with this team.

But at this point in what we've seen him do I don't think it's all that unfair to claim that KP is a draftaholic. Every deal he's ever made has been on draft day. Every deal has been done in order to draft a player he'd targeted. He's never made a deal for a veteran. He's never signed a free agent.

If someone wants to be overly critical, and cruel, they could make the argument that KP (Taking a moment here to do some man crushing on our GM. How ******* cool is it that we love our GM so much we just call him by his initials? That's yeah close ->| |<- to a nickname. I've never heard of a teams' fans giving their GM a nickname. I love Kevin Pritchard. I hope he's our GM forever) is a one trick pony. He just works the draft.

its because he always ends up doing so well on draft night that the next morning he wakes up and sees he doesnt have any more moves to make because all the other GM's are sitting out there goin "how in the hell did i let him swindle me into that one?" and nobody wants to trade with portland anymore because they know KP will trick them again lol!

[PDXKnight]

If someone wants to be overly critical, and cruel, they could make the argument that KP (Taking a moment here to do some man crushing on our GM. How ******* cool is it that we love our GM so much we just call him by his initials? That's yeah close ->| |<- to a nickname. I've never heard of a teams' fans giving their GM a nickname. I love Kevin Pritchard. I hope he's our GM forever) is a one trick pony. He just works the draft.

The Randolph deal was made on draft day, but it didn't really involve picks since the PHX deal was done separately. Yes, KP ultimately received extra incentives by trading the trade exception to PHX (and he probably had a deal set in place in advance), but making a deal like that takes more than just draft day skills. If he were desperate to make a deal, rest assured he probably could, but he's been holding out for the best return possible which has allowed us to keep our current core together. I think this season will show us what he can do in the regular season with Raef's huge expiring and young talent he can package with him, since I'm nearly positive the capspace 09' idea is a major smokescreen.

[nikolokolus]

maybe KP is a draftaholic

I concur.

I love KP and there's no denying the greatness of what he's done with this team. With the exception of what the Celtics did this last off-season I can't remember a turn around anywhere near as dramatic as KP's been able to do with this team.

But at this point in what we've seen him do I don't think it's all that unfair to claim that KP is a draftaholic. Every deal he's ever made has been on draft day. Every deal has been done in order to draft a player he'd targeted. He's never made a deal for a veteran. He's never signed a free agent.

If someone wants to be overly critical, and cruel, they could make the argument that KP (Taking a moment here to do some man crushing on our GM. How ******* cool is it that we love our GM so much we just call him by his initials? That's yeah close ->| |<- to a nickname. I've never heard of a teams' fans giving their GM a nickname. I love Kevin Pritchard. I hope he's our GM forever) is a one trick pony. He just works the draft.

I totally agree that it is rare for fans to give their team's GM a nickname, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Knicks fans had several "nicknames" for Isiah Thomas -- most of which would be unprintable here.

[mojomarc]

ebott--don't forget Toronto fans used to call their GM BC, before he fell out of grace. I never quite understood their adolation, but there ya go.

[ebott]

ebott--don't forget Toronto fans used to call their GM BC, before he fell out of grace. I never quite understood their adolation, but there ya go.

And also we called Bob Whitsitt Trader Bob. Jerry West was beloved in LA, did he have a GM nickname? I'm sure there's been others. But even so we're talking about just a handful of guys in the history of the league. KP's awesomeness is more awesome than any other awesomeness I've ever known.

I totally agree that it is rare for fans to give their team's GM a nickname, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Knicks fans had several "nicknames" for Isiah Thomas -- most of which would be unprintable here.

LOLZ!!!!!1!!!!1!!!!11!!!!

The Randolph deal was made on draft day, but it didn't really involve picks since the PHX deal was done separately. Yes, KP ultimately received extra incentives by trading the trade exception to PHX (and he probably had a deal set in place in advance), but making a deal like that takes more than just draft day skills. If he were desperate to make a deal, rest assured he probably could, but he's been holding out for the best return possible which has allowed us to keep our current core together.

I guess since Rudy seems to be by far the best part of the deal I just kind of thought of it all as a move to get a hold of Rudy. But I guess you're right. The Randolph deal wasn't really draft related. And in that light it doesn't speak much to KP's non-draft GM skills.

I agree he's really got more GM skills than calling him a draft day one trick pony. With the exception of taking Oden at #1 KP's had to wheel and deal to repeatedly PWN draft day. He's not just sitting on his laurels and picking the best guy that happens to be there. He's aggressively going out and getting the guys he wants.

I wonder how much of a different beast trading for draft picks is vs trading for and trying to sign veterans. Do other GMs just not put much value into the draft? Maybe that's why KP has been able to do what he's been able to do.

I think this season will show us what he can do in the regular season with Raef's huge expiring and young talent he can package with him, since I'm nearly positive the capspace 09' idea is a major smokescreen.

Could be. We'll see how it all shakes out. I expect us to use the first half of the season to see how all our pieces are fitting and then we'll use LaFrentz and the pieces that aren't fitting to make a deal.

Then again, maybe Weizenhimer's onto something with his draftaholic talk. Could be KP knows he's good at getting value in the draft. Maybe he's not as confident when it comes to dealing for other teams' veterans. But that wouldn't be so bad. After all...

About that one trick, he damn well does that trick well.

[mojomarc]

When examining KP's deals, I think we can all agree that the Randolph deal wasn't really a draft day deal. But how come no one is mentioning that earth-shaking, league-altering Taureen Green/Von Wafer deal?

[Yadadimean]

I was responding in a tread on the general board about young teams and I saw that by average age, portland actually seems to be younger then they were last season.

The average age is 23.4, when it was around 24 last season. I imagine this number didn't account for actual birthdays and maybe a bunch of blazers are approaching those so that number will change.
still...

didn't KP say something like "getting any younger is not a priority"?

when a lot of us were expecting a likely trade out of the draft, KP goes and adds a 1st round pick instead, and then selects two 19 year old players.

maybe KP is a draftaholic

He said he is looking to get better, regardless of whether that means getting older or younger.

[Wizenheimer]

I was responding in a tread on the general board about young teams and I saw that by average age, portland actually seems to be younger then they were last season.

The average age is 23.4, when it was around 24 last season. I imagine this number didn't account for actual birthdays and maybe a bunch of blazers are approaching those so that number will change.
still...

didn't KP say something like "getting any younger is not a priority"?

when a lot of us were expecting a likely trade out of the draft, KP goes and adds a 1st round pick instead, and then selects two 19 year old players.

maybe KP is a draftaholic

He said he is looking to get better, regardless of whether that means getting older or younger.

he also said what I said he said before he said what you said he said. Or maybe he said what I said he said after he said what you said he said. That doesn't really mater though...

know what I'm saying?...