There is always a method to the madness – even when it comes down to compiling a top 10 list about an injured veteran center on the mend in Iowa. Heck, even Raef LaFrentz would probably admit he’s never been at the center of Portland’s world as much as he is right now.
Actually, the story idea – running today thanks in large part to fellow HOOPSWORLD writer Jason Fleming’s insight – came about pretty easily. It helps having fans and fellow writers tell us – two guys based in Portland – how the Blazers need to move LaFrentz’s contract.
They even took it a step further saying the Blazers should pull the trigger on the Amar’e Stoudemire trade proposal. I went there yesterday. And I don’t want to go back today….but I will.
What is amusing is the feedback we are getting on this “10 Reasons To Keep LaFrentz’s Contract” piece. If you have time, check out the comment section from the story. Love those who take time to comment. They truly make the debate lively. But I also love how funny it gets – not in a ‘ha-ha’ way, but more of a ‘are you friggin serious’ way - when people say Portland is stupid for not trading for Amar’e or not moving LaFrentz’s contract.
That’s along the comedy lines of David Letterman’s interview with Joaquin Phoenix last night.
Classic.
Now, I’m not typically a betting man, but I would bet a bag of Funyuns those same folks who say Portland is stupid for not trading LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless and Raef’s contract to the Suns reside outside the greater Portland metro area and even the state of Oregon.
Am I wrong here?
If so I would love to hear from you….
pic via: o-live
Yeah i read some of those comments but started to get mentally sick after so i had to stop. Some people….where do they live??? In can’t be a place with a t.v. or oxygen for their brain. I thought Portland fans were homers until Pho fans go in their saying that the Amar’e trade was bad for Phoenix??? Really? It just is so tough to wrap my brain around (which gets the right amount of oxygen)
Interesting take WM (and I’ll see your bag of funyuns and raise you a six pack of yoo-hoo)
My feeling is that LMA + Lafrentz for Amar’e is something Portland would have to think about, but would probably still reject not because LMA is better than Stoudemire (he’s not!) but I just can’t envision him being any happier here under a guy like Nate McMillan than he’s been under Terry Porter, the inclusion of Bayless makes it sound like the deal is coming straight from the desk of Steve Kerr and not from Kevin Pritchard.
As for the Blazers holding on to Raef’s deal until it expires, I’m intrigued by the sign and trade possibilities that KP might be able to work out, and a few of the restricted free agents (Childress and Sessions) interest me enough that whatever deadline deal KP is able to swing had better be something along the lines of Raef, Batum and Travis for Caron Butler plus Etan Thomas for KP to bite.
It’s sort of funny to see the Blazers with this much flexibility and basically no real urgency (well maybe a little) and so many other teams (supposedly?) desperate to shed salary. I never would have thought that trading Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff would have payed off so well as it has.
i think the majority of those who left comments believed the suns offer was actually solid for the blazers…..and it wasn’t until i asked those die-hard blazer fans to comment if they approved the deal, that the comments started to reflect a true feeling on portlands end.
it happens.
rumors like these always get people fired-up from all corners of the country….and the world for that matter.
hey nj….thanks for hitting me up.
i’m certain there is a lot of pondering going on in these discussions. i’ve said this before – kp often talks about the best trades are the ones that don’t get done….because they are just so “name driven”.
but you bring up an interesting point by mentioning both sessions and butler (two guys i actually enjoy)…if….if….if portland makes a move, do they go with a young guy with upside or a proven star.
in my book, they have plenty of both in roy, aldridge, oden, bayless and batum. what the blazers need, i believe is some more veteran presence in the two positions which need addressing (a back-up 4 and legit all-around 1).
and for the record, i will take nestles quick instead of yoo-hoo.
w-max,
jaoquin has gone off the deep end.
off-topic: durant explodes for 46 in the game, while oden is sidelined w/ a chip fracture on his patella.
how am i suppose to feel about this? is this some karmic cosmic joke?
it’s not like we are the washington wizards, but i’m another “incident” away from turning into jaoquin.
it’s hard to tell whether Joaquin Phoenix was faking it or not during that Letterman interview, especially since he’s such a talented actor…
if he’s acting…..might as well give him an oscar now.