Post by Akomplice on Sept 25, 2010 15:10:34 GMT -5
Entering this free agency the Blazers had their eyes on two players Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups. They were the biggest names in this free agency and they have yet to reach their prime in this league. Well Billups in a rare feat actually stayed with his team reupping with a seven year deal. Tim Duncan on the other hand bolted Dallas to join the Pacers in Indiana. What does this mean for the Blazers? 0 for 2 thus far in trying to land some big name free agents.
Damon Stoudamire did some time with Rick in Oz, told him all about Portland.
One of the most surprising players in this league has been Rick Fox, who transformed into one of the most reliable scorers in this league. Fox still has a great shot from beyond the arc and is still efficient shooter from the mid range. As he gets up their in age he tends to jack up more shots from beyond the arc. He doesn't try to get to the rim as much anymore because he doesn't want to take the beating that comes along with it. He plays solid man to the man defense and can come up with a steal a game. Fox will be the number one option on this team this year so it wouldn't surprise us if he can get back to the twenty point plateau. He is here on a two year contract to help bring up Joe Johnson and the Blazers feel that he can teach him a lot of things, like how to sneak in tits and get bye on reputation. You remember that time Jackson Vahue dropped 50 on the Bulls?
Derek Anderson is either one of the most underutilized players in the league, or one of the most overrated players. Time will tell which one the Blazers will get this year. Last year Derek Anderson was teammates with Rick Fox in Dallas and decided to join him in Portland because it looked like he had a chance to be a legit scoring option, something he wasn't able to be last year with the Mavericks. Unlike Fox, Derrick Anderson is only twenty seven years old and has his best years staring him down. Derrick Anderson can be dangerous with the ball in his hands. He can run the point in moments, but should never be the primary ball handler. Derrick Anderson has a good outside shot and can still get to the rim, but what really makes him stand out is the fact that he can rebound excellent for a shooting guard and has the penchant for coming up with steals. Like Fox he is here on a two year deal for the Blazers which will be a nice time for auditioning for a bigger contract when he turns twenty nine years old. The Blazers are hoping that he can find his streetball nickname and become the district attorney.
Antwain Smith was a late second round pick for the Pacers two years ago. He brings one thing to this team really, inside scoring. He shouldn't be considered a good shooter, rebounder nor a defender. When he does bring is a reliable scorer off the bench to compete with Kedrick Brown for some minutes. Last year for the Pacers, Smith actually got some reliable minutes. He ended up averaging just over twenty minutes a game and put up seven points a contest and also pulled down four rebounds a game. Another player on a two year contract to help in the short time.
When putting in the bid for Spoon, I had to stop and laugh for a moment. I remember growing up as a Knicks fan how much I hated the guy when we resigned him because he got a boatload of money for not doing much essentially. Fast forward a few years and now here I am signing Spoon to a long term contract to be a backup player for the Blazers. Spoon brings a wide body to bang down low. He doesn't have a array of low post moves, but he will find ways to score. He uses his wide body to effectively box out and that's where we believe he will help us the most. He is also a solid defender. He will probably compete with Najera to be the starting power forward on this team. Spoon is here on a six year contract that will pay him 2 million per a season. Considering what he brings to the table, it is likely that he will be a Blazer for a throughout the rest of his career.
Overall the Blazers didn't get their top targets, but felt we put enough talent on this team to not hand over top lottery picks for the next two years to the Wolves. The Blazers will admit that it was a motivating factor that really played a role in their free agency approach. The Blazers moved the picks for Terrel Brandon a few years back when things looked brighter in Portland. However when a big time signing goes bust and another bolts, things have to chance. With Fox, Anderson, LaFrentz and Johnson the Blazers are hoping that they can have a better season than last year.
Damon Stoudamire did some time with Rick in Oz, told him all about Portland.
One of the most surprising players in this league has been Rick Fox, who transformed into one of the most reliable scorers in this league. Fox still has a great shot from beyond the arc and is still efficient shooter from the mid range. As he gets up their in age he tends to jack up more shots from beyond the arc. He doesn't try to get to the rim as much anymore because he doesn't want to take the beating that comes along with it. He plays solid man to the man defense and can come up with a steal a game. Fox will be the number one option on this team this year so it wouldn't surprise us if he can get back to the twenty point plateau. He is here on a two year contract to help bring up Joe Johnson and the Blazers feel that he can teach him a lot of things, like how to sneak in tits and get bye on reputation. You remember that time Jackson Vahue dropped 50 on the Bulls?
Derek Anderson is either one of the most underutilized players in the league, or one of the most overrated players. Time will tell which one the Blazers will get this year. Last year Derek Anderson was teammates with Rick Fox in Dallas and decided to join him in Portland because it looked like he had a chance to be a legit scoring option, something he wasn't able to be last year with the Mavericks. Unlike Fox, Derrick Anderson is only twenty seven years old and has his best years staring him down. Derrick Anderson can be dangerous with the ball in his hands. He can run the point in moments, but should never be the primary ball handler. Derrick Anderson has a good outside shot and can still get to the rim, but what really makes him stand out is the fact that he can rebound excellent for a shooting guard and has the penchant for coming up with steals. Like Fox he is here on a two year deal for the Blazers which will be a nice time for auditioning for a bigger contract when he turns twenty nine years old. The Blazers are hoping that he can find his streetball nickname and become the district attorney.
Antwain Smith was a late second round pick for the Pacers two years ago. He brings one thing to this team really, inside scoring. He shouldn't be considered a good shooter, rebounder nor a defender. When he does bring is a reliable scorer off the bench to compete with Kedrick Brown for some minutes. Last year for the Pacers, Smith actually got some reliable minutes. He ended up averaging just over twenty minutes a game and put up seven points a contest and also pulled down four rebounds a game. Another player on a two year contract to help in the short time.
When putting in the bid for Spoon, I had to stop and laugh for a moment. I remember growing up as a Knicks fan how much I hated the guy when we resigned him because he got a boatload of money for not doing much essentially. Fast forward a few years and now here I am signing Spoon to a long term contract to be a backup player for the Blazers. Spoon brings a wide body to bang down low. He doesn't have a array of low post moves, but he will find ways to score. He uses his wide body to effectively box out and that's where we believe he will help us the most. He is also a solid defender. He will probably compete with Najera to be the starting power forward on this team. Spoon is here on a six year contract that will pay him 2 million per a season. Considering what he brings to the table, it is likely that he will be a Blazer for a throughout the rest of his career.
Overall the Blazers didn't get their top targets, but felt we put enough talent on this team to not hand over top lottery picks for the next two years to the Wolves. The Blazers will admit that it was a motivating factor that really played a role in their free agency approach. The Blazers moved the picks for Terrel Brandon a few years back when things looked brighter in Portland. However when a big time signing goes bust and another bolts, things have to chance. With Fox, Anderson, LaFrentz and Johnson the Blazers are hoping that they can have a better season than last year.
