To Deal or Not to Deal???

It's that time of year where General Managers earn their money. The NBA Trade Deadline is a week away and a lot experts believe the Blazers will be making some moves. I don't know how I feel about this.

There are two sides of me: the fan and the analyst.

The Fan: I love the players we have and I'd hate to see any of our players playing for another team.

The Analyst: We have a lot of assets that are enticing to other teams

Most Likely Moving

• Andre Miller- He's averaging 13.1 ppg and 7.4 apg. 34 years old who has veteran saavy and a manageable contract. He would be a great mentor to any young guard.
• Marcus Camby- He's averaging 5.3 ppg and 11.3 rpg. He may be 36 years old, but you can't find many big guys who have a nose for the ball when it comes to rebounds and blocks. He has one year left on his contract at $12.9 million.
• Joel Przybilla- He may not be putting up big numbers in any of the statistical categories, but when it come to the intangibles, Joel does a great job. He has an expiring contract and any team that is needing to feel a whole in the middle could use Joel.

Could Be Moving

• Rudy Fernandez- At the beginning of the season he was demanding trades, but now he has made Portland his home. He's averaging 9.1 ppg and has been playing great basketball lately. Teams lacking a shooting guard could be calling for him.

No where to Go

• Any of the Blazers rookies- Elliot Williams hasn't played a single game, Armon Johnson is in the D-league, and Luke Babbitt is great bench support. The only way there moving is if they are included in a trade for salary reasons.
• Patty Mills- High energy guard who has been a bit inconsistent. He's young, and teams aren't looking for a young guard who needs training.

Untouchable

• LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews- Do I need to explain this one? The Blazers are wanting to rebuild around these 3, and don't have any plans of letting them go.
• Brandon Roy- Big contract, risky player. No one really knows how much Roy has left in him, I have faith in him, but teams don't trade on faith only.
• Greg Oden- Say all you want about Greg, but I'm not giving up on him. He hasn't played a lot, and he still has a chance to be a productive player.

I honestly believe that the Blazers don't need to make any moves this year. With the All-Star break at hand. they're sitting on the 5th spot in the West, and about to get Roy and Camby back. Why break up a group that has been playing hard, and that has great chemistry. Sometimes I feel like the only reason GM's make trades is because the fans are pressuring them into it. Were playing great basketball, and I don't think there is a player available who can make us that much better.

Agree or disagree with me? Let me know.

Rise With Them- My Dream

When you grow up in Portland there are a few things that you grow to love: the rain, the outdoors, and of course the Portland Trailblazers. I was only a little kid during the days of Clyde "The Glide" Drexler and Terry Porter, so I have no recollection of those great players, but I have heard how my older family member have reminisced about watching them play.

My discover of the great sport came long after the other kids my age. I was in high school before I even cared about anything, but once I got interested there was no stopping me. I memorized where the players went to school, when they were drafted, there numbers, everything about them. It reached a point where if someone asked me where a player in the league played, I automatically knew the answer.

The Blazers were my escape. I could be having the worst day ever, but if there was a Blazer game that night, my day couldn't get any better (unless we won of course). Whether it was watching Brandon Roy driving towards the basket, LaMarcus jamming a put-back slam, Rudy putting on the 3-goggles, or 'Dre steamrolling Blake Griffin (kids got to pay his dues), I loved this team.

When I began my Freshman year at BYU-Idaho, I planned on going into accounting. It's pretty boring work to most, but somebody has to do it. After a while, I began to think more and more about what to do with my life. Here's what I knew about myself... I was good with numbers and analyzing statistics, but I loved sports. How could I mix the two things that I am good at? That's when it hit me.

From that point on it has been my goal, and my dream to become a General Manager in the NBA.