Oregon Sports Live

There is finally some news to report from Blazerville.  It’s time to introduce a new segment.  It’s an homage to the great Tina Turner.  “It Takes Two” Takes to get to the crux of an issue.  CNN seems to believe eight people with laptop computers provide eight times the insight.  Turns out that leads to eight times the headache.  Unfortunately we at OSL don’t have the resources or the green screens to replicate that information overload.  No, we gestate on our own time and with our own minds.   OSL’s Andrew Theen and Mike Whitman can’t hit the high notes like Tina, but we’ve got you covered.  Hit it!

1. The Blazers appear extremely close to finalizing a long-term extension with power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.  The rumored five-year deal makes LMA only the third player from the 2006 draft class to hit the jackpot and ink a lucrative second contract.  Aldridge joins Brandon Roy and Andrea Bargnani in the very exclusive group.  Did the Blazers fork over two much for Aldridge?

Theen: Absolutely not.  The Blazers are paying Aldridge for what they think he’ll be worth in a few years time. He’s still growing (literally).  His potential is still untapped.  The extension simply puts all the onus on Aldridge.  There can be no more lackadaisical first half of the season followed by a ferocious post All-Star game effort.  Aldridge needs to play like he has in February and March for the entire season.  This year already shaped up as a “show-me” year for LMA.  He’s long talked about wanting to be an All-Star, and he is close.  The All-Star game is in his hometown of Dallas, and Aldridge minced no words at Media Day: he wants to be there.  Now LMA has All-Star money, and he needs to live up to the faith the franchise has in him.  Right now some NBA observers (Bill Simmons) are shaking their heads.  They think Portland made the wrong move here, and is flying in the face of the economic reality facing the NBA right now.  Thanks to Paul Allen, the Blazers don’t share that market reality so therefore they shouldn’t be scrutinized for their fiscal decisions.  The true judgment for Portland will come on the court.  That may not seem fair, but that’s how it is thanks to daddy-computer-bucks Paul Allen.  The wallet is officially open for business again, and paying Aldridge big makes sense.  Aldridge is a proud guy.  He takes things personally, he internalizes perceived slights, and he can be moody.  He’s also fiercely loyal.  I assume Aldridge will notice any negative response to his contract extension and he’ll use that for motivation fodder.   If Portland wins the division and a playoff series, all talk of overpaying for Aldridge goes out the window.

Whitman: Think about it this way: is there a power forward in the league that you would rather have for the next five years instead of LaMarcus Aldridge? Seriously, show me a single big who has a better chance to succeed Tim Duncan as the Power Forward King, and I’ll shut up. I promise.  Amare and KG are on the down-skid, and Dirk isn’t getting any younger. Outside of those franchise guys, here’s your list of  viable, moneyballin’ fours: Chris Bosh, David Lee, David West, Brandon Bass, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, Pau Gasol, Blake Griffin, Rashard Lewis, Troy Murphy, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Josh Smith, Andrea Bargnani, Rasheed Wallace, Thaddeus Young, LaMarcus Aldridge. You know who the best player on that list is? Actually, it might be Troy Murphy. I really like Troy Murphy. But anyway, hear me out on this one. Sheed is in the same boat as the other old-timers. You couldn’t pay me to take Sheed at his salary for the next five years. Lee, West, Bass, Booz, Millsap are all solid producers — even All-Stars — but they’ve all peaked as players. Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh and Troy Murphy are studs, no doubt about it, but Pau is a defensive liability, and Murphy may not survive the next couple of years if he stays in Indiana. Bosh is a classic example of a player who is better on a bad team. Rashard Lewis is way over-payed, and I hesitate to even call him a power forward. Odom is a total dice roll when it comes to production and attitude. Bargnani is a ninny. The “ceiling” guys are Love, Griffin, Young, and Aldridge. For all of those guys, the best is yet to come.  But Aldridge’s best will be better than the rest. Is $65 million over five years too much? Maybe, but it would be far worse for the Blazers if LaMarcus entered the regular season thinking that the franchise didn’t appreciate him. LMA’s attitude isn’t, “I gotta make that paper.”  It’s more like, “I want to be an All-Star so freaking bad that I can’t sleep at night.”  Finally, the last thing you need to ask yourself is whether any of the teams who own the aforementioned players would trade their guy straight up for Aldridge if you called them up with an offer today. With the exceptions of Dallas, San Antonio, LA, and possibly Boston or Toronto, who’s turning down that trade? Point is, you have to resign LaMarcus.

2. The last seat on the bench is rarely talked about by any franchise.  So the competition to finalize Portland’s roster felt strangely overblown…unless you are an Ime Udoka fan.  It appears that Paul Allen (aka “The Great Wallet”) usurped his minions and went with another gut reaction.  We know Allen’s gut usually leads him to a young point guard.  The latest is an Aussie with a broken foot.  Patrick Mills (or Patty) is now a Blazer.  Blazer fans won’t get to see Mills until January at the earliest, and maybe not at all this year.  Is this a wise move?

Whitman:I am really going to miss Ime Udoka. Jarron Collins…not so much. But I have to say that I like the move. At Ime’s position(s), there’s a legitimate logjam. Rudy, Travis, Nic, Martell and Ime would all have been fighting for minutes at either the two or the three. Juwan Howard looks like he’s going to be receiving some run backing up LaMarcus at the four-spot, which, quite frankly, is a more solid option than placing Travis in that position. Too many roosters in the small-forward hen house means that somebody is turning into a chicken dinner. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I understand that it’s already a bit of a tight squeeze at the point as well – but there’s a big difference between the two spots. At small forward, the Blazers can see their future and feel reassured. Nic, Martell, even Dante Cunningham – these are long-term guys who fit the bill at the three. At point guard, the Blazers’ crystal ball becomes hazy. Dre’s day, however successful it may be, will be short-lived with his age and three-year contract providing major roadblocks to long term benefit. Steve Blake is  a solid player, but is he really your point guard of the future? Anybody excited at the prospect of Jerryd Bayless holding the reins must be a Wildcat fan with a lousy sense of reality. Patty might just be the guy to direct the Blazers to the promised land. Or maybe he won’t be. But he’s at least worth signing, especially considering the aforementioned small-forward situation.

Theen:  In a word: yes.  I love Ime Udoka just as much as the next guy.  I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Udoka several times.  He’s a classy guy and somebody who you want to root for.  But NBA teams don’t deal roster spots out like charity.  Udoka probably has a better chance of actually producing on the court elsewhere.  Blazer fans should wish him luck.  He wasn’t in the picture here in Portland.  Jarron Collins is a big body, and he could’ve been of some use banging against Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden during practice.  But Dante Cunningham and Juwan Howard are already valuable bodies there.  Sorry Jarron; your services aren’t needed.  But this decision is really more about Mills than anything else.  A lot of Blazer fans probably have never seen Mills play.  They just see a second round draft pick with a broken foot.  Well I’ve watched Mills play over a dozen times, and I’ve always been impressed.  Before he broke his wrist against Gonzaga in January, Mills was well on his way to another 30-plus point barrage on the Zags.  He owned them, by the way, and he always looked like the best player on the court (yes, better than lottery pick Austin Daye).  Mills seemed destined for the lottery as well, but the wrist injury changed all that.  His Olympic experience is already well-documented.  The kid is a player.  Most importantly, he’s proven it against quality competition (dropped 20 on the US and Argentina) and he a very good scorer with a hot hand.  He absolutely embarrassed the Oregon Ducks as a freshman on his way to 37 points.  I applaud Paul Allen for standing up and overruling Kevin Pritchard and Nate McMillan here.  Even if Mills doesn’t produce this year, he could be a valuable trading piece down the road.  This is a great move.

So what do you think, dear readers? Are TheenMachine and Whitman way off base, or are they geniuses? Think the Blazers overpaid for LaMarcus? Hate Patty Mills? Love Ime? Shout it out in the comments, Rip City.