Rockets, Blazers discussed a Mo Taylor-for-Derek Anderson swap?

he died.

 

Last I checked JJ, T-Mac and Sura haven't been arrested before. On top of that aren't sex offenders.

 

I do not want to trade Taylor for another 2 or back court player. Our glaring need is at the 4. If we get a banger to help Yao and relieve the inside pressure on Yao - our team and Center will much improve. A Banger would give Yao the Physical help to play his game.

Why does this coach not play Andre Barrett more?????

Do not make this trade.

I am not going to worry- no way Steve Patterson makes this trade....

I got flamed for wanting to trade Mo Taylor + a # 1 pick to NO for an old power forward.

Now everyone suppports moving Taylor for a streaky, broke down player....

 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/percyallen/2002172202_allen06.html

Blazers going in circles in their turnaround plans

Percy Allen / NBA reporter

PORTLAND — I needed to see the train wreck that is the Portland Trail Blazers before believing the reports surrounding this team.

I needed to look into coach Maurice Cheeks' eyes and separate fact from fiction when he said: "This is the place where I want to be."

We talked candidly for a few minutes Friday night, and still I'm not sure. He was happy at the moment after beating Charlotte in a game that was closer than it should have been in front of a listless crowd at the Rose Garden.

Still, there was something not quite right about Cheeks when he said, "Some things don't turn out like you plan them."

This was supposed to be the season that general manager John Nash and president Steve Patterson, the men in charge of the restoration project, made Portland's troubles go away.

They had gotten rid of malcontents (Bonzi Wells and Rasheed Wallace) and drafted a 25-point pledge to fans, promising to field a team of law-abiding citizens and role models for the community.

"It wasn't just lip service," Patterson said. "But I'll admit we've had some problems. Not as many as we've had in the past, but still we've had our problems."

Patterson wears his frustrations like a bad suit. He seemed like an odd choice when owner Paul Allen hired him in 2003, because he'd been out of the NBA for 10 years while working with the Houston Texans and a minor-league hockey team.

But then, Allen has a fondness for sports executives with crossover appeal, which might explain former Trail Blazers GM Bob Whitsitt's eight-season tenure as president of Allen's Seattle Seahawks.

The troubles that led to Whitsitt's dismissal may be hampering Patterson. Many accused Whitsitt of not being a football guy, and some NBA people are whispering similar words about Patterson.


"You have to look at their draft and wonder if they can evaluate talent," said one Western Conference executive. "Historically, they've never been very good in the draft, and they've done nothing to change that."

Of their past eight draft picks, only rookie point guard Sebastian Telfair appears to have a future in Portland. Rookies Viktor Khryapa and Ha Seung-Jin have played a combined four games this season, and last year's first-round choice, Travis Outlaw, is buried on the bench.

Not only is the product on the court far below expectations — Portland (20-26) is fourth in the Northwest Division — but the troubles off the court have remained.

Patterson has had to deal with illegal dogfights in Qyntel Woods' backyard and catfights between Darius Miles and Cheeks in the film room.

Woods, their top draft pick in 2002, was waived. Miles, who received a six-year, $48 million contract before the season, was suspended two games for spewing racial epithets at his coach.

And Cheeks, who briefly considered resigning, decided to stay at least until the end of the season. He hopes to reverse the course of a team that is besieged by alpha-dog struggles, trade demands and daily unrest.

"I enjoy myself here, I enjoy coaching," Cheeks said. "Challenges are everywhere, no matter where you go. You leave here, and you'll see it somewhere else. I promise you that."

Darker days appear to be on the horizon as the Feb. 24 trading deadline approaches and trade talk swirls in Portland.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who was placed on the injured list Jan. 7 following elbow surgery, has been the subject of numerous deals. It's unlikely he will ever play again for the Trail Blazers.

The same might be true for Derek Anderson. Once considered a role model for good behavior, Anderson told the Oregonian that he feels "lost in the shuffle ... like I'm out of this whole organization."

Guard Damon Stoudamire has this take.

"You see, that's the thing about D.A. (Anderson) that gets to me and people around here," Stoudamire said. "We all got our little issues and things that we deal with.

"I'm not going to question anybody's heart, but I just say that if somebody challenges you — the way I've grown up from Day 1 — you step up to that challenge. You prove to them what type of person you are."

The latest rumor has Portland trading him to Houston for Maurice Taylor and fetching whatever they can for Abdur-Rahim.

Say what you will about their on-court abilities, it's awfully strange for a team that wants to clean up its bad-boy image to trade away two of the nicest guys in the league.

Patterson, who sits next to Allen beneath the basket at home games and must explain why $77 million can't buy a competitive team, declined to speculate if Portland would make a trade in the next two weeks.

"I get calls all of the time about this guy and that guy," he said. "But here's my question: I think we can still make a run here. We're not that far out. ... So you balance that with, 'Do you make a trade?' "

This much is certain — short-term fixes won't work. In my mind, it seems simple. Portland needs to spend the rest of the season determining if Telfair, the 13th overall pick in last summer's draft, can play with forward Zach Randolph, whom the team gave $84 million before the season.

Everyone else is expendable, including Miles and Stoudamire, a torrential scorer who is capable of scoring 54 points as he did last month. But he's in the last year of a contract that pays him $12.5 million and unlikely to re-sign with the Trail Blazers unless he takes significant pay cut.

Stoudamire is the lone remaining link to the 1999-2000 team that lost 4-3 to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. He has seen coaches and teammates replaced. He has witnessed turnover in management and is watching many of the problems that ruined those old Blazers teams destroy this one.

"I've had my problems, no doubt, but I've cleaned up and did what I had to do, and, like now, when new stuff comes up people get frustrated," said Stoudamire, who overcame a problem with mar1juana. "It's up to the organization to still try to get rid of those problems.

"Somewhere up there in Washington, Bob Whitsitt is probably smiling. ... It's like we take three steps forward, but something will happen that will take you a step back."

Take for instance, the final minutes of Friday's game against Charlotte.

Ruben Patterson had a chance at an uncontested layup on a fast break, but opted to leave a no-look pass for Miles, who trailed the play. Miles bobbled the exchange and kicked the ball out of bounds, which stalled Portland's momentum and preserved Charlotte's upset chances.

On the ensuing possession, Charlotte hit a midrange jumper, cutting the deficit to 78-69 with less than six minutes left.

Cheeks called a timeout.

When play resumed, Patterson tossed another bad pass, which resulted in a turnover. The Bobcats scored again. The lead shrank to 78-72 and Cheeks called another timeout.

Charlotte closed to 81-77 with about four minutes left, but got no closer.

Portland may be dysfunctional, but it's not so bad that it loses at home to a team with just two wins on the road.

Still, even in victory, the Blazers exhibited their immaturity.

As the final seconds melted away Friday, Telfair, looking every bit like a 19-year-old, dribbled alone at the top of the key.

Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff, who conceded the win and instructed his team not to foul, walked toward midcourt and extended a hand to Cheeks.

Before they embraced, Cheeks' eyes grew wide.

"Don't shoot the ball," he shouted, just as Telfair launched a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

The shot went in, giving the rookie a career-high 23 points. The basket also pushed Portland over the century mark, guaranteeing free chalupas for ticketholders, who screamed their approval.

Cheeks could only shake his head.

Telfair said that he was confused, believing there was a difference between the shot clock and the game clock and that he had to take a shot or risk a turnover.

"You take the turnover," Cheeks said. "In that situation, you don't show up an opponent. It's a rookie mistake."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com



Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

 

Unfrotunately, Taylor is a streak, broke down player too... at least as long as he plays for the Rockets

 

Clutch, that is freaking hilarious! That post should be a sticky at the top of the page.

 

Ok, trade MoT for Kidd.

 

I think once and for all we need to stop these Kidd to Houston rumors or talk. Forget the fact we have nothing to offer NJ or the fact that Kidd is running around on a bum knee. Kidd is making MAX dollars. Tmac is making MAX dollars and Yao will be getting MAX dollars. Les cant afford THREE MAX players. It is that simple. End of story.

 

If we move Mo, I wouldn't deal for D.A. As much as we all want to move him, let's not make this team any worse than it already is, especially since we look to be improving as of late. We should push for SAR, who's gonna be out for at least a month. They may want immediate help backing Zach to make a push for the playoffs. Also, as the previous article states, Stoudamire is in his last year and probably won't resign. Nick V. may also be in his last year since they have a team option on his contract. We have enough 2's on the team. Hell, I'd even take Henderson from Dallas (whose contract is similar)in exchange for Mo. Just don't get another 2. Frontcourt depth is already severly lacking with Padgett and Howard playing extended minutes. We should make a trade out of need( a 1 or 4) instead of haste.

 

Hadn't checked on this thread in a couple of days and have to say, Clutch's "rumor" post is in a category by itself for post of the year.

In a nutshell (no pun intended) he has encapsulated the BBS "rumor" universe. Bravo.

 

NVE, SAR and Henderson. All guys in the LAST year of their deals. No team is going to trade those guys for Taylor and all the money coming to him.

If we move Taylor it is going to be garbage out for garbage in. We have to accept that. Our only hope is that the garbage we get back is garbage that FITS this team better. Gives the team something it doesnt have now. Taylor is pretty much worthless to us now. He is redundant with Howard.

And I dont think we can move Taylor and get back a rebounding PF that we want. I dont see us going from point A to point B. We might have to make a COUPLE of moves to get the guy we want. And it might not happen this season. But we still need to make moves that make sense for this team in the long run and make moves that go along with our plan of action for this summer in terms of the draft and MLE.

 

Any new or current information on a possible trade for Derek Anderson?

By the way, I haven't even seen Mo Taylor on the bench. Is he so far in JVG's doghouse that he can't come to the game?

 

No MoT has been at the games (even this past road trip), sitting at the end of the bench in street clothes.

 

He was their yesterday !!!!

 

MoT was mentioned on NBA FastBreak (ESPN2) last night. They were talking about players who are on the trading block and the last player they talked about was Mo Taylor.

They said that they Rox were trying to trade him for Portlands Anderson but Portland was not interested apperently. They said that the team needs to find a way to move MoT before the trade deadline.

That was it.

 

Seems the Rockets cant give away Taylor! Man has he fallen!

Hopefully the Blazers will see that Anderson has few takers at this point and just deal him to the Rockets before the deadline in an effort to change their team chemistry a bit and subtract a player in Anderson that isnt fitting in with them.

 

we are rolling right now. i don't want anything to mess it up and moT might become a distraction later on in the season if he isn't taken off the IL.

we need to move him for ANYTHING...except a worse contract.

 

Man,

I'm all for moving Mo Taylor, BUT, I don't believe moving Mo for Derek Anderson would be a smart move. Mo's contract ends after next season, and Derek Anderson's ends the year after. So, if we were to move Mo for Derek, we would have a logjam at the two spot. I personally like Derek Anderson, but Jon Barry, and David Wesley are playing very well and at a much considerable cheaper price. Mo will be coming off the books after next season. Derek Anderson has the exact same deal as Mo if I'm not mistaken (6 year 48 million) so I think either him coming off the cap after next season, or getting a more viable asset (power forward that is actually servicable) is in the Rockets' best interests.

 

Both have identical contracts and both have two more seasons, after the current one, left on those contracts. Contract-wise it's a wash. We are basically swapping players who don't fit with their current teams hoping that they will contribute more elsewhere.

 

YES - you are correct SIR !





if ONLY Mo T came off the books sooner !