I do think he may play McMillans stodgy game. With the two Spaniards gone, maybe Blazers can get some of whatever chemistry McM has.

Don’t worry about replaying this issue again. It bears repeating until the roster represents a reasonable representation of the minutes earned/played based on performance/talent.

If we sign Turkoglu we definitely need to consolidate some other assets before they rot on the vine.

Rudys defense is light years ahead of Blake!
Blake can’t stay ahead of a average point guard, on a grind it out team. He would need roller skates to keep up with a Tony Parker, or any other “quality” P.G..

We still need a Forward, with big enough stones to defend the paint. A spot we tend to bleed to death in.

I could be brutal in who I would trade to make this the team we really all dream of. My first trade would be to dump McMillan. No championship will EVER be won with McMillian’s game or should I say his lack of said game.

I think Rick A would love to have a Rudy.

There’s no rule that a team must have 1 player at each position on the court at all times. Nothing would stop the Blazers from working in a smaller/bigger lineup and inserting Rudy on the floor.

I assume you know this, but you cannot solely consider the set lineups in which the Blazers had from last year

1. If Hedo takes up Rudy’s minutes then there is a very high probability that team wins will be less than this year.
2. If Hedo takes Travis’s minutes then team wins have a strong chance of improving
3. If Hedo takes Nick’s minutes then there shouldn’t be much difference in team wins.

Talent wise, here’s the WP48 equation: Rudy = 0.129 > Nick = 0.116 > Hedo = 0.101 > Travis = 0.043

I don’t think he’s a legit starting SG, maybe for a non-playoff team he can fill a void, but for a serious contender – no way. Rudy’s a bad defender, too skinny, not quick enough or strong enough. He has trouble creating his own shot, needs help by coming off screens – best as a spot up shooter, not good with pull-ups in 1-on-1 situations. This may surprise some people who stereotype players by race or other factors, but he NEEDS TO WORK ON BALL HANDLING. He had trouble against full court pressure, especially smaller, quicker guards – also it’s why he can’t create his own shot or effectively get into the paint or drive the lane. What Blazer games do you guys watch?

I think Rudy is already among the top 20 SGs in the league, with top 10 potential. Trouble is, Brandon Roy is top 3.

What is Rudy’s ceiling? A realistic guess might be a Richard Hamilton or a Ray Allen, both of whom have similar flaws. Obviously, Rudy needs to work on ballhandling more; but as a SG, I’m not sure handling ball pressure coming up court is a big concern. Ray Allen isn’t exactly Brandon Roy with the basketball easier; and Rudy is quicker than the aging Allen.

He’s already a better outside shot than Rip Hamilton, who gets open for the catch-and-pop as well as anyone in this league.

Rudy’s ultimate ceiling? Probably Reggie Miller, who also couldn’t guard anybody, and was skinny as a rail. The difference is that Reggie could put the ball on the floor; but Reggie combined the best attributes of Rip’s game–a genius at getting open and a quick release on the catch-and-shoot–with Ray Allen’s deadly accuracy from deep.

Not a bad guy to have on the roster.

The trouble with Rudy, is he’s at his best with a creative playmaker. Roy and Hedo both are good passers for their position, but are generally looking to score. Blake and Bayless are not creative passers. The one creative passer the Blazers did have–Sergio–is now gone.

Rudy would be GREAT next to a Chris Paul. The Hornets don’t have much we need, though…

But FIRST, anybody who thinks Rudy can defend point guards in this league automatically loses all credibility when it comes to analyzing basketball. That’s one of the most ludicrous things i’ve heard in a while.

Second, I agree with Dwight’s assesment of the team’s potential rotation on paper, but I think Playing time will have to be earned. So if Rudy wants more opportunity he’s going to have to make his case on the court. Which means somebody else gets squeezed down to the end of the bench, perhaps Webster (still recovering from injury) or Batum (still very young).

Third, WHICH IS IT DWIGHT? Is Rudy a starting shooting guard in this league or not? You contradicted yourself in the last couple posts. Personally, I don’t think he’s a legit starting SG, maybe for a non-playoff team he can fill a void, but for a serious contender – no way. Rudy’s a bad defender, too skinny, not quick enough or strong enough. He has trouble creating his own shot, needs help by coming off screens – best as a spot up shooter, not good with pull-ups in 1-on-1 situations. This may surprise some people who stereotype players by race or other factors, but he NEEDS TO WORK ON BALL HANDLING. He had trouble against full court pressure, especially smaller, quicker guards – also it’s why he can’t create his own shot or effectively get into the paint or drive the lane. What Blazer games do you guys watch?

I love Rudy, want him to be a Blazer, but you have to be able to honestly break down a players skill set and abilities. Too many Portland fans are front-runners and fair-weather followers who put too much value on their own misinformed opinions. They are drunk off the Rudy juice. The question is why? hmmmm………..(cough) he’s white….(cough,cough)