Memo to Kevin Pritchard: Land mines abound, best be careful where you tread
KD smacks one over the fence today …
Does Portland know that Hedo Turkoglu is 30?
31, by the time the playoffs start next season.
Portland? By the time the playoffs start in 2010?
Brandon Roy, 25. LaMarcus Aldridge, 24. Rudy Fernandez, 25. Greg Oden, 22. Travis Outlaw, 25.
And when those players are in their primes? 2014 or so? Hedo’s going to be well past his, at age 35. And this was a guy who was made to already look old and slow up against Trevor Ariza in this year’s Finals.
So why, exactly, is Portland throwing its free agent booty at Hedo?
What am I missing here? The team was, statistically, the best offensive team in the NBA last year. Possession to possession, nobody scored more. Defense is this team’s weakness, so they’re spending all sorts of dough on a defensive liability?
The team, for years, has been one of the better closing squads in the NBA. They don’t make a lot of comebacks, not with Nate McMillan’s snail-slow pace, but with Travis Outlaw and Brandon Roy in the fold, they do just about lead the league in game-cinchers in the last 90 seconds. Statheads can talk about Carmelo Anthony, TV talking heads can talk up Kobe Bryant, but no team is better in the clutch than the Portland Trail Blazers.
And they’re trying to add a guy who made his hay as a late-game finisher? Read that again. His value is inflated because of his late-game heroics. The team would be overpaying for something it already has in spades.
What is wrong with this picture?
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Agreed, 100%.
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Related:
Unhappy Fernandez has Europe Suitors
Tags: Ball Don't Lie, Brandon Roy, Carmelo Anthony, Greg Oden, Heo Turkoglu, Kelly Dwyer, Kevin Pritchard, Kobe Bryant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Orlando Magic, Paul Allen, Portland Trail Blazers, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Trevor Ariza, Vince Carter
July 1st, 2009 at 10:58 pm
[...] a good move, could just be smoke/mirrors. Khandor breaks this move down better then I could. On the bright side, this whole thing has Fernandez [...]
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am
One of your best if not your best post I have read. Fantastic analysis. Clear and thougthfully presented. I agree totally. I would just prefer he goes to the blazers, because if its not the blazers its the raptors and I dont think hes a good fit here and his age scares me.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
as long as he doesn’t go to Toronto I’m happy…
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I think turkoglu is a better defender than you give him credit for. Not an ace but definitely not a liability. Wasn’t he allowed to guard Bryant in the final possessions of a close playoff game afterall?