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IN ADDITION TO THE SMART PICK IN GREG ODEN, THE BLAZERS LOADED UP IN THE SECOND ROUND
I know this is a couple of days late, grading the NBA draft and all, but I wanted to let it digest before I made any rash comments. Some 96 hours later, I’ve got to say the Portland Trailblazers won this thing big-time. Sure, they would have won this Draft even if they just got franchise center Greg Oden, but Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard was very advantageous late in the first round and adept in the second round with the selections of Josh McRoberts at 37 and Taurean Green at 52 serving as great examples. And then there’s the trade of Zach Randolph to the Knicks, a move which seems to be more about not letting the Zach Attack corrupt the young Oden.
First Round, Pick One — Greg Oden, Center, Ohio State University
Pritchard did not bow to the Kevin Durant pressure and selected the franchise center. The city of Portland is buzzing over Oden as they very well should be. While Oden has a long way to go in developing his game, he can have an instant impact next year with his shot-blocking ability.
Second Round, Pick 37 — Josh McRoberts, Power Forward, Duke
McRoberts isn’t mentally tough enough to be a go-to guy. With that said, this selection is brilliant by Portland as McRoberts can blend in and be a fourth or fifth option when on the court. This is when McRoberts is dangerous, when he doesn’t have to worry about being a leader and scorer. With this selection, Portland has nabbed the number one high school players for the classes of 2005 (McRoberts) and 2006 (Oden). McRoberts’ career at Duke was disappointing, but the kid has some great ball handling and passing skills. And he’s athletic around the rim. McRoberts can settle in on the Portland frontline behind Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Channing Frye, and not worry about having to do too much in his first year. In time, McRoberts could be a very dangerous guy off the bench. This is more than a value pick. At pick 37, McRoberts is a steal even if he busts out. This guy was projected to go in the top ten if he came out of high school and has some major skills. While I’m not a big fan, I will recognize that the soft McRoberts is in a good situation here.
Second Round, Pick 42 — Derrick Byars, Guard, Vanderbilt University
When Portland made this pick, my mouth dropped. However, I was disappointed to find out that the Blazers traded Byars to Philadelphia for the last pick of the first round, Petteri Koponen of Finland. Byars had a tremendous senior season at Vandy, and was a Jeff Green travel away from leading the Commodores to the Elite Eight. It’s a shame that Portland got rid of this kid because Byars is a tough-nosed kid who doesn’t mind taking the big shot (cue up the NCAA Tournament Game against Washington State). Byars would have competed for a roster spot on Portland and been a solid contributor. Byars is first round talent in the second round, and Pritchard should have held onto the kid. The Byars’ trade is the only move I didn’t like by the Blazers, even though Koponen is supposed to have a high upside (haven’t we heard that a lot about Europeans).
Round Two, Pick 52 — Taurean Green, Point Guard, Florida
Absolutely love this pick. Green is a bit small at 6′0”, but I have no doubt in my mind that he could be a backup in the league for quite a while. Green led Florida in scoring and can be deadly from beyond the arc. With that said, he can get lackadaisical with the dribble and make foolish turnovers. Still, Green at 52 is ridiculous and absolutely worth it.
Round Two, Pick 53 — Demetris Nichols, Small Forward, Syracuse
Portland traded Nichols to the Knicks for a second round pick in next year’s draft. At 6′8”, Nichols can really shoot the three ball and had a tremendous senior season after three inconsistent seasons at Syracuse. Would have liked to seen Nichols stick with Portland, but it’s hard to keep five-six rookies on the roster with your eyes toward the playoffs.
Trades — Portland Sends Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau and Fred Jones to the New York Knicks for Steve Francis and Channing Frye
The Trailblazers are obviously issuing in the Oden era, and this fact alone could have been hard to take for Randolph, who is a talented player but a me-first guy. Trading him to the Knicks even for garbage Stevie “Never Was a Franchise” is worth it though. If Francis is a pouter this year, send him to the bench and use his expiring contract to your advantage during a mid-season trade. If he actually plays worth of anything, so much the better.
I like the addition of Frye. While similar to Aldridge, Frye has a great jump-shooting game and is a perfect compliment to Oden. Frye has found a home in Portland and be a very dangerous asset off the bench for this young Blazers’ team.
Portland Trades Cash to the Phoenix Suns for the 24th Pick in the First Round, Rudy Fernandez
Don’t know much about Fernandez but getting a first round pick from the financially-strapped Suns for cash is larceny by Portland. Fernandez allegedly is a good step-in shooter (another benefit of having a good passing big man like Oden) and has been compared to Manu Ginobli (he’ll have to do a lot to justify such a comparison).
Overall, Portland’s future is looking rosy. It may be premature to book them in the playoffs next year in the tough Western Conference, but it is realistic for the Blazers to compete for the eighth seed.
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