After trading Miller and Fernandez, what’s next for Blazers?
Nolan Smith will help the Blazers, but the team still needs a Kenneth Faried type player. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
The Portland Trail Blazers were very busy on draft night. They traded fan-favorite Andre Miller to the Denver Nuggets, sent Rudy Fernandez to Dallas, and drafted Nolan Smith and Jon Diebler. Felton should be a long-term upgrade over Miller; Smith should give them a spark off the bench from both guard spots; and Diebler, called “perhaps the best spot-up shooter in the draft” by ESPN’s Chad Ford, should be able to hit some threes. Getting these three players is all well and good, but these moves will only mean so much if more moves aren’t on the horizon in Portland. So what’s next?
They need rebounding and defense. If Smith and Diebler see playing time, they should provide some of the scoring the Blazers need off the bench. And, as Smith is also renowned for his defense, it is pivotal for Portland to focus on the frontline. They don’t have much behind LaMarcus Aldridge, though Chris Johnson showed some promise. This is why passing on Kenneth Faried to take Smith was shocking. Faried would have excelled at both rebounding and defense–two skills that are ingrained, not taught. A hole would have been filled. Instead, they have to be on the lookout for some physicality with at his skill level.
They may not have to look far for some help in this department. June 30th is the deadline to extend Greg Oden a $8.8 million qualifying offer. All indications point to them doing this, but will they then extend him? Would they be willing to match a multi-year offer?
Even if they re-sign Oden, Portland will need some more size. With Smith instead of Faried they have Felton, Wesley Matthews, Brandon Roy, Elliot Williams, Jon Diebler, Armon Johnson, Patty Mills, and him as their depth at guard. That’s an excess amount. The best bet is that Johnson and Mills, unfortunately, are the lowest two on the totem pole. Waiving or trading these two would create this depth chart:
Point guard: Felton, Smith, and Williams.
Shooting guard: Matthews, Roy, and Diebler.
On paper this is a solid trio at each position, though who knows if Williams’, Smith’s and Diebler’s games will translate to the NBA-level. I’m confident the three rookies will be able to make sound contributions, so it’s a good blueprint that can allow the Blazers to move their attention from the guards to the frontcourt.
Now that they have traded Miller and his contract, which showed the team’s emphasis to get younger, do they trade Marcus Camby? The 37-year-old center is beloved by the fan-base, and also like Miller he seems to have a great deal of effectiveness in the tank. He has been one of the better rebounders during his superb career, and has especially excelled at tipping out misses to create extra possessions. But since they have gone young with the rest of their roster, does it seem logical to target fresher legs?
If they were to look on the free-agent market, Tyson Chandler wouldn’t have the freshest, being a 10-year veteran, but he is only 28. He, who helped Dallas win an NBA title, is not the most likable guy, yet it can be argued that he would otherwise fit the bill as an ideal target. That said, the case could also be made that Portland should go for someone with a little more bulk. And, in taking the latter argument as my own, that player should have more of an offensive game than Chandler’s dunks and five-foot hook shots.
Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol will be on the market as well. He is a terrific passer for someone his size, has a well-rounded offensive game, and is a respectable free-throw shooter and solid rebounder. Given that and his age of 26 he is going to command a bundle. I’m not sure tying up a ton of money over five or six years is the right move for Portland, though owner Paul Allen has money coming out of his ears.
After passing up Faried, Landry is what Portland needs. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Chandler and Gasol are crossed off my list. Who is still on it? Look no further than Carl Landry, whom a friend of mine on Twitter suggested. As he made his case I couldn’t help but agree. Landry has moved around in his short career, playing for three teams in four years. His constant change of scenery has nothing to do with his talent. He has excelled wherever he has been, with the toughness Portland should be after.
Playing 37 minutes per game in 28 contests with the Sacramento Kings during the 2009-2010 season Landry averaged 18 points on 52 percent shooting and six rebounds. He has the mentality to crash the boards and torch opponents with a fundamentally sound offensive game. The fearless attitude is a plus, but perhaps his most important attribute is that offensive ability. The Blazers have a few weaknesses and bench scoring has consistently been one of them.
As previously mentioned, Smith and Diebler should help upgrade this unit, but Landry would bolster it significantly. LaMarcus Aldridge finished in the top-10 in minutes played this season. One reason was because he was just so important to the Blazers success, but another was because they didn’t have anyone who could produce consistently behind him. Landry could allow him to rest for stretches and keep his 40-plus minute games down and keep him fresh for the stretch-run and the playoffs.
Portland, with the moves they have made, have improved their outside shooting, quickness, and bench production. They only need a few more pieces. And, knowing the team’s aggressiveness, the rest of this summer should be an entertaining one as they continue their quest to build a championship contender.
