OT: Looks like the Blazers just bought themselves a pick

[revprodeji]

In the same way he would be mad because the Yankees try and buy a championship.

[shrink]

In the same way he would be mad because the Yankees try and buy a championship.

The Yankees really do annoy me, and it makes me appreciate the NBA's rules much more. Salary matching and the lux are good things most of the time. Even the "buying the pick" idea has limits .. $3 mil max, which would keep Paul Allen from simply outspending every team by buying them out for all the lottery picks.

I don't have anything against the Blazers, and I've said a number of times that they were a favorite team of mine for a long time. I liked the Aldridge trade for them, and the Roy/Foye looks good too (so far!!! mwahahah!). However, it's Oden that gets them the gasps, and the POR front office had nothing to do with Oden getting there -- that was dumb luck. Without Oden, I don't think people are saying how brilliant they are, or how great an owner Paul Allen is.

[Calinks]

They got the 27th, not the 20.

I was refering to the Bobcats.

[Gunny]

Dang, what's with all the Yankee hate? They haven't accomplished really anything in almost a decade. In my opinion, the Red Sox should be the new most hated team in baseball. They're not far behind the Yankees with their 2nd largest payroll.

Anyway, back to the original topic, I pretty much agree with the consensus here. Allen > McHale, but then again, it's not that difficult when you're the richest owner in basketball.

[casey]

Don't give Paul Allen too much credit.

1. Simply spending money doesn't do it. Would you applaud him for being over the lux with his Jailblazer teams, that made a bigger splash on police blotters than NBA courts?

2. Don't give him credit for lucking into Oden by winning the lottery. Replace Corey Brewer on our team with Oden, and people would be saying the wolves front office had set up a fantastic future.

3. Let me hear from POR once they have a winning record. How many years have they been subpar, picking up lotto picks?

4. Here's a shocking fact. Last time they listed the net worth of NBA owners, Paul Allen of Microsoft was worth $20 billion, and the other 29 nba owners added together were worth $25 billion. Its a lot easier for him to throw $3 mil in the air -- he doesn't have to care if it works out of not.

Why not give him credit? It's not the owner's job to put together a roster, it's his job to pay those players. And clearly he's willing to go above and beyond. What more would you want out of him?

btw, I was loving what Portland was doing before they lucked out and got Oden. Don't discount all the great moves they've made besides getting him. They were a .500 team with a bunch of kids.

[4ho5ive]

Hey Casey, are you guys gonna try and package the #13 and the #27 to move up and grab a PG, or are you trying to deal for a vet?

[shrink]

Why not give him credit? It's not the owner's job to put together a roster, it's his job to pay those players. And clearly he's willing to go above and beyond. What more would you want out of him?

I don't hear you singing the praises of Dolan around here.

And the guy is worth $20 billion dollars. Most owners are worth less than $1 billion. You think he deserves credit for being willing to carry -- what, the sixth highest payroll in the NBA?

Its like giving me credit for making baskets if I was playing against toddlers. It is so easy for me to do, I would not deserve "too much credit," as I posted.

I was loving what Portland was doing before they lucked out and got Oden. Don't discount all the great moves they've made besides getting him. They were a .500 team with a bunch of kids.

Which lottery pick did you prefer? Telfair at #7 or Webster at #6? First rounders for Sergei Monia or Qyntel Woods? I didn't "discount all their great moves" and in fact listed both the aldridge and Roy trades. But as I said, without Oden, they aren't getting all this optimism. Swap Brewer in for Oden, and we'd be them, and they'd be us. That is luck.

[thegreatblaze]

Which lottery pick did you prefer? Telfair at #7 or Webster at #6? First rounders for Sergei Monia or Qyntel Woods? I didn't "discount all their great moves" and in fact listed both the aldridge and Roy trades. But as I said, without Oden, they aren't getting all this optimism. Swap Brewer in for Oden, and we'd be them, and they'd be us. That is luck.

Telfair was selected at 13, not 7. And Webster has turned out to be a pretty good role player with a great jump shot, he hasn't shown that he was worth the 6th pick, but it doesn't really hurt us since we got Roy & Aldridge after. And all four of the moves you metioned were all well before the Kevin Pritchard era. Ever since the KP took over we have improved drastically, and all of his vast array of moves have seemingly been flawless. I think KP has earned props for what he's done so far. And Allen deserves credit too, since he stuck with his guns and decided not to sell the team when we were at the bottom of the league and losing money.

[casey]

I don't hear you singing the praises of Dolan around here.

And the guy is worth $20 billion dollars. Most owners are worth less than $1 billion. You think he deserves credit for being willing to carry -- what, the sixth highest payroll in the NBA?

Its like giving me credit for making baskets if I was playing against toddlers. It is so easy for me to do, I would not deserve "too much credit," as I posted.

So what does it take to deserve credit? What can an owner possibly do to deserve any credit?

Which lottery pick did you prefer? Telfair at #7 or Webster at #6? First rounders for Sergei Monia or Qyntel Woods? I didn't "discount all their great moves" and in fact listed both the aldridge and Roy trades. But as I said, without Oden, they aren't getting all this optimism. Swap Brewer in for Oden, and we'd be them, and they'd be us. That is luck.

Like OdenRoyLMA2 said, that was all before Pritchard was in charge. And he turned that Telfair mistake into Brandon Roy. I count 14 draft night trades over the last 3 years, and almost all of them have been good or great trades.