Going into the trade deadline, I think the team should make a move to vault into the playoff picture. That said, it should be a minor move, and, the move should not involve JJ Hickson. Here is my favorite idea:
Blazers get: Roddy Beaubois
Mavs get: Nolan Smith, best of 2013 rd. 2 picks
Why it makes sense: Dallas will not make the playoffs, and will most likely get rid of Beaubois at the end of the season anyways. Getting a 2nd round pick is better than nothing, and Nolan Smith's more structured style may fit better in Dallas. If Smith doesn't work, he will be released after the season anyways. For Portland, Beaubois offers potential as a scoring guard off the bench, a role he has struggled with over the past year, this season especially. Just like Portland did with Hickson last year, Beaubois could thrive under former Dallas assistant Terry Stotts, and be just the spark this team needs off the bench.
Team Grades for the season:
Offense: B
Defense: C-
Coaching: B+
Intangibles: A-
Potential: A-
Overall: B
The team has been good offensively. Our guards can fill up the scoreboard (or shoot our way out of the game), and we have two posts inside who can score in multiple ways (LA especially). Defensively, the team has struggled. Matthews and Batum always guard the opposing teams best players, though both post defensive ratings (estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions) of 108 and 106, respectively. For reference, Tony Allen, a very well respected perimeter defender for Memphis has posted a defensive rating of 99 thus far this season. Hickson, rather surprisingly, has the best defensive rating on the team, though Aldridge is who most would say is the team's best interior defender. The saying "Offense wins games, but, Defense wins championships" could be true for this team if they want to make the playoffs. The intensity must get better on the defensive end. Coaching has been a plus. I did not expect the team to be this good so early in Stotts' tenure. That grade is close to an A, but the team has faltered some lately. The players on this team have great intangibles, which is a fantastic revelation considering past players over the past decade, and the team has lots of potential to grow, especially once the bench gets some better depth. Players will develop further, such as Leonard, Freeland, Claver and Barton, but they are too raw right now to efficiently contribute at a high level. This is where the acquisition of Beaubois could help relieve the pressure off of the bench unit. Overall, the team gets a "B." We have a 2-time All-Star in Aldridge, potential future All-Stars in Lillard and Batum, and solid starters in Matthews and Hickson. The team is looking up from here. (Stats from basketball-reference.com)
Individual Players: (pts/reb/ast/st/bk/player efficiency rating (per))
Aldridge: 20.7/8.9/2.5/.9/1.2/20, A-. Aldridge is scoring like the #1 option we need him to be, and has improved his rebounding to the point where is is about to break the 9 per game barrier. Our All-Star, he needs to continue to lead.
Batum: 16.3/6/4.9/1.4/1.5/17.4, B+. Batum has looked like a deadly scorer at times. Other times he is quick to defer in the offense. He is a good help-side defender, but has to have an aggressive mind-set during every game.
Hickson: 12.9/10.9/1.1/.5/.8/20.5, A-. Hickson has been a surprise. As our center, he has been a double double machine, and a capable defender. He has been efficient, and knows the ways he needs to score. The biggest knock on him is his size: At just 6'9", the team may benefit more defensively with a 7-footer playing defense.
Lillard: 18.1/3.3/6.5/1/.25/16.3, B+. Lillard is the favorite to win the rookie of the year award, and rightly so. He has the feel of a PG that many rookies lack. His ability to shoot the ball, coupled with his quick footwork, has made defenses pay. Where he must improve is on the defensive end. Despite his great offensive rating, he has a higher defensive rating. To get to the next level, he has to become an above-average defender.
Matthews: 15.2/2.9/2.7/1.5/.3/14.3, B. Matthews has done what we need him to do. He has been our best 3-point shooter, making 38% of his shots. He has been a good defender as well, off-the-ball especially. If he can improve his efficiency above league average (15), his grade will go up.
Before I grade the bench, notice that I intentionally left the bench grade off of the overall team grades. The bench has been dismal, as you will see shortly. No player has a good efficiency rating, no player averages more than 5 points per game, and the plus minuses are not good. For that reason, I am leaving stats off, as they do not serve that good of a purpose.
Barton: C+, Among our bench unit, Barton shows the best ability to score, though he takes a lot of questionable shots. He is young, and is good value as a second round pick, but he needs to learn to play in the flow of the offense better.
Leonard: C+, Leonard is showing improvement. He has potential to be a starter in the league, but that is still a few years away. In the meantime, he needs to get stronger and improve his footwork.
Price: D+, Price is playing too many minutes. He has had some good games, but overall I cringe whenever he tries to make a play. He takes questionable shots at questionable times in the shot clock, but he hasn't committed too many turnovers. That's about the only silver lining.
Freeland: D, I expected so much more out of Freeland. The English big man is making 3 million dollars this year, but is unathletic and fouls a lot in the post. He shows potential as a rebounder, and has a solid mid-range game, but role player looks about as good as it's going to get.
Claver: C-, I am still intrigued by Claver's potential. He has not shot the ball well, but has shown potential as a defender. When he played with the starters while Wes was out, he looked good as a complimentary player. On a bench unit struggling to find an identity, he struggles to stand out.
Jeffries: D+, Jeffries takes charges. Ring the bell, over and over. He is a bad scorer, and a below-average rebounder, but his intangibles are important for our other young bigs. He is a great locker room guy.
Babbitt: C-, When Babbitt gets hot, watch out. Unfortunately, his 3 point stroke is worse than last year, shooting just under 32% compared to 43% last year. His shot still has to be respected by defenders, but it doesn't look like he can make it enough to carve out a Steve Novak-like role in the league.
Pavlovic: D, Another veteran presence, his awareness has helped the team in many games. Unfortunately, he doesn't need to be guarded intensely, as he is shooting just 28% from 3-point range, and is a suspect on-ball defender. This is most likely his only year in Portland.
Smith: F, Nolan Smith was drafted ahead of Faried. I hate to keep bringing this up, but he has been a disappointment. He turns the ball over at an alarming rate, and in situations where most college players wouldn't turn the ball over. He needs a change in scenery or an extended stay in the D-League.
Williams: inc., Williams is out for the season, again. He would have been our 6th man, but the team is now in a quandary about his future. His option for next year was declined, though he could feasibly come back at the right price (very low $). Much of his game is based on his athleticism, and teams will have to wonder if it has been affected by his injuries to his knees and Achilles.
The team will have a good future, and is only depth and continued development away from being a consistent contender in the West. Does the team have the mindset to overcome obstacles and make the playoffs? Time will tell, but I am excited to find out.
Follow on twitter @ZRey12, and of course: Go Blazers!
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