Anytime the Portland Trail Blazers face the New Orleans Hornets, it’s hard not to think about Chris Paul partnering in the same backcourt as Brandon Roy. No need to close your eyes to imagine that dream team. Just look back to the 2005 NBA Draft for a swig of reality juice and what could have been.
Ignore the chewy pulp. That’s just hindsight.
At the time, Portland owned the third-overall selection. Then President Steve Patterson and then General Manager John Nash opted to move down in the draft. They traded the pick to the Utah Jazz for the sixth and 27th overall picks and a 2006 conditional first-round pick.
We know how this one played-out: Deron Williams to Utah, Paul to New Orleans, Raymond Felton to Charlotte and Martell Webster to Portland.
Was it the right move?
There are two camps here. One camp believes without that Jazz-Blazers trade, Portland wouldn’t have been able to obtain Brandon Roy with the sixth pick in 2006. Give Kevin Pritchard more credit than that. Something tells me he would have got his man regardless.
The other camp knows Patterson and Nash missed the boat. Their faith was in Sebastian Telfair. Remember, Sabby was the point guard of the future for the Blazers at that time. Now Portland is still searching for their point guard of the future and Paul is busy being the best point guard in the league.
He went from Rookie of the Year in 2006 to an All-Star, first-team All-NBA and first team All-Defense last season. He led the Hornets to one of the best records in the NBA last year (56-26). He pushed New Orleans into the second-round of the playoffs. He finished second in MVP honors. He won a Gold medal this past summer.
No offense Martell….or Deron (it’s Deron!)….or Raymond…. but that resume isn’t too darn shabby. Anyone want to call for a draft do-over?
Now picture Paul alongside a smooth shooting guard, a foreign import at small forward, an underappreciated power forward and young talented center and tell me how sick that would be.
Wait a minute – that’s the New Orleans Hornets starting five.
Never mind.
Guess the only time Roy and Paul will be on the same team for the next 10-15 years will be at NBA all-star games representing the West.
And it goes a little something like this….
pic via: daylife
I’d argue that the fact we didn’t get Chris Paul was a good thing because it ushered in the change in management and put Pitchard in the GM seat. Had we got Chris Paul, Nash and Patterson would have been more successful.
For as much as I love Roy and the other players on the court, I’m pretty clear that Portland’s main advantage is in the front office right now.
Wendell,
Why do you have to go there again?
CP3. Love him. Probably, my fave current non-Blazer. I’m a PG guy, e.g., Porter, Damon, Tim Hardaway, GP.
My heart sank a second time when NO extended his contract.
Wendell,
2 things:
-KP, at the time, under those idiots, Patterson and Nash, wanted CP3 and was pulling for him. KP is Nostradamus.
-I agree with you, that KP, even if we had drafted CP3, would’ve pulled some strings and ended up w/ B-Roy and maybe LA. I’m convinced he would’ve pulled a hat trick. But…there is no way in hell we would have landed Greg Oden. As much as I love CP3, I’m still willing to see this one play out. I have faith in Greg.
“Um… Excuse me, Deron”
– Young journalist
“It’s DERON!!!!”
hey glen….i’m right there with you.
many a nights last year in the media room and around the arena there was plenty of chatter about the blazers chasing paul if the hornets didn’t extend him….that was early in the season. obviously new orleans did right by him….and their franchise.
the story that kp’s vote to draft paul fell on deaf ears is well-known around these parts….not alarming, considering his eye for talent. but this isn’t about what kp did.
this is about what patterson and nash failed to do.
thanks for reading and writing jason…..good call.
that may have been the straw that broke patterson and nash’s back in portland. no doubt the blazers are sitting pretty….
but they would be knock down gorgeous with paul.
Yeah if only KP would have rose to power one year sooner. Pryzbilla could have been as offensively talented as Tyson Chandler (which is 0 without Paul). We all know Paul, is most likely gonna be the greatest out of that draft but i still think Martell has the physical tools to be a great player in this league. He is smart, young, good work-ethic, excellent three point shooter (better than Paul), and don’t tell me he can’t jump. If he puts on all around game together and brings it consistently i don’t see why he couldn’t be a great player in this league. Isn’t he 21? He even has time on his side.
thanks t beers….that story never gets old:
what’s up will….no doubt marty is a good fit for portland. he’s only going to get better…..but still. we are talking about chris paul here brother.
O i’m not taking a thing away from Paul. Should have got that MVP last year in my book. I’m just saying if Marty puts it all together we won’t have to feel AS bad about drafting him.
i got you will…..will be good to have webster back in the mix.
Maybe he’s not Paul, but what if you had gone after a guy like Mo Williams, instead of allowing the Cavs to get him?
Williams and Roy would look pretty good together, too, although some might argue that they’re similar players.
mo williams is always a classy call mark….would have been cool with him in portland. solid pick up by cavs….