Rudy would fit perfectly next to Brooks as the playmaking SG. As a matter of fact, by next year I think Fernandez will be the best Rudy in the NBA currently. A team of Brooks Lowry Rudy Artest Outlaw or Webster Scola Landry Gortat Dorsey can make the playoffs. Add Yao to the mix and that team would be an upgrade over last year. Trade Tmac for some contributors and you have a legit contender.
Rudy has the potential and skill set to be like Ray Allen in his Bucks/Sonics days. He IS a SHOOTER and much more. Next year I can see him as a legit 3rd option which is what he should be. If the Blazers make a move for Turkoglu that bumps him to option 4 ...behind Roy/Aldirdge/Turkoglu I can see why he would have beef with that. Especially when he's making freakin $1.1 mill or so. He needs the opportunity to put up 20 ppg which he's more than capable of doing and doing it at an efficient rate if I may add. If adding Turkoglu meant losing Rudy....That'd be a monumental mistake. I follow the Blazers religiously as they are my 2nd favorite team since I've lived in Portland all my life. The real problem the Blazers have is the PG position. Steve Blake is like the vanilla version of Rafer Alston. When Blake plays well the Blazers look unstoppable and they beat anybody. When he stinks it up the whole team struggles outside of Roy/LA who are pretty consistent regardless. Since Rafer is now in NJ (on the bench where he belongs) and backing up Devin Harris that leaves Steve Blake as the NBA's worst starting PG. I said this in the Turkoglu to Blazers thread and I'll say it again.... Adding Andre Miller is much bigger for Portland then adding Turkoglu and it's a no brainer to turn the other way if it meant an UNHAPPY Rudy.
Rudy is unhappy, and will remain unhappy in Portland because he believes, rightfully so, that he is a starter in the NBA, with a shot of becoming a star. He will never be that in Portland since they already have a better player in Brandon Roy. In Houston he would fit in perfectly, we have 0 starting SGs.
If we can get Freeland's rights along with Rudy,I would be really pleased. If not,get Koponen along with him. I must admit I have been surprised that he has only shown 3 point shooting ability,some passing and a few alley-ops which gives the impression that he has quite a few limitations. However,I don't think I can make a good armchair judgment about him. I'm sure that many others have seen a lot more of him than me. I felt that he could be a semi-Ginobili when he signed up. DM was interested in him after all,and probably has done his homework concerning him. Battier should be moved for him if he is capable of doing more in a new system, unless we can get a significant piece in return for McGrady.
How about Battier, Brooks and Dorsey for Fernandez, Bayless, Outlaw, and pyrzbilla. Then re-sign Artest. And you have. Lowry, Bayless Fernandez, Taylor Artest, Outlaw, Budinger Scola, Landry Pyrizbilla, Hayes
Agreed. He seems like a perfect morey ball player. And stacking on young talent is key right now. Sure, we'd make Portland deadly for a year or 2, but honestly, wouldnt you be completely ecstatic if Battier helps them beat LA? Ok, maybe not ecstatic, but I'd be happy for him, and happier for an LA loss. I love Battier, but unfortunately w/o Yao, if an offer such as this comes along (which i still doubt would), you have to jump all over it. Again, w/o Yao, we're not going to be a contender for a year or 2 at the earliest, so its not like we'd be trading him to a nemesis. We dont really have any for now....
I think you're delusional. Rudy doesn't have the handles, body control or court awareness to be a 20 ppg player. He's basically a spot up shooter off the bench who can bring a scrappy energy to the game. He's also a streaky shooter who shot 42.5% last season and didn't do much in games where his outside shot wasn't falling. Granted he's a rookie, but I don't see his ceiling being anywhere close to where you guys project it.
Four degrees of NBA shooters. Persona Nongrata = Can't hit the rim from three point land to save his mother life and won't even try because they know/believe their shooting touch is trash. Inconsistent = They can hit on occasion but are rarely consistent. Most NBA guards and forwards are like this. Open looks they can at times knock down and make it look easy. But on many nights, they throw up bricks from the beyond the arc. Solid Range = The usual level for star swingmen and guards. Capable of usually hitting 50% or more their open look shots and often able to hit a clutch shot or two. Sharpshooter = Ray Allen or college level Steve Novak, can hit clutch shots three out of every four nights. If left open, will hit a shot. If left poorly guarded will hit the shot. If told to throw a basketball at an apple off of YOUR head will hit (or at least have with little hesitation in taking) the shot.
True, but I could see him as to how the younger Turguglu was for Sacramento back in the day. He was a perfect 6th man, come in off the bench with a spark, run krazy around screens, decent to good shooter, even handle the rock. We would not be building our team around him, but he would be an excellent piece of the puzzle.
Rudy is going to have to deal with it if the Blazers sign Turkey-Glue. He can be a superb 6th man. As a starter, I'm not so sure he's ready yet. Long-term, it remains to be seen how good he will be. He fits the Blazers well and it would be ashamed if they let him go. If the Blazers were a weak team with no aspirations, making Rudy a starter might be a no-brainer. But he ain't ready to be a starter on a contender.
You're severely underestimating Rudy. I think you're confused cause your description above sounds like Sasha Vujacic. He (RUDY) actually does have the handles, body control, court awareness, exlposiveness and a nice first step to be a 20 ppg player. Just a "spot up shooter" ? Please. The guy just turned 24 a few months ago and is coming off his 1st year in the NBA. He's been a spot up shooter because he hasn't had much of an opportunity but when he's been given the chance he does much more than that. If 42.5% shooting and 40% from 3pt land for a SG qualifies as "streaky" especially in their first year....quick put the pipe down. A_3PO - I agree that I'm not fully sure that Rudy is ready to be a starter on a team with Championship aspirations but I think he will make huge strides this next year and in 2010-2011 I can see him reaching his full potential of 18-20ppg/4 board/3 assists. He actually reminds me a lot of Cuttino Mobley. If adding a 30 year old Turkoglu means losing a 24 year old Fernandez...Blazers are making a huge mistake. Losing Fernandez while adding Turkoglu doesn't put the Blazers over the top. Replacing Steve Blake with a better option at PG actually can.
I think you've been thinking about Sasha too much lately. Suddenly everything seems to be about him. I think you're confusing Rudy for Drazen Petrovic, someone who had a lot more control on his jump shot and was also a white man born outside the US. Let's make a bet. If I win, I give you the digits to an offshore bank account and you deposit 10,000 Euros in it. No excuses. If I lose, I'll do the same for you. Rudy has to average 20 ppg through a miraculous development of handles, court awareness and body control in the next 3 years. Deal?
I doubt Rudy is ever a 20/4/3 player in his career unless it's on a bad team. He'll just have to suck it up next season, raise his game to another level and prove himself on the court. 100% agree with you on Blake. He just doesn't cut it as a starting PG, which is the Blazers biggest need by far.
I always thought the guy was more a scorer/playmaker then sharpshooter although based on this thread Portland used him more in that role.
Portland already has a scorer/playmaker and better then Rudy F (Roy). So Rudy needs to learn to fit his game around Roy and be content being a backup, or stay unhappy while he's there.
