The Oregonian has completed it's yearly feature "You Be The GM", where Blazer fans get to have a say in who they would like to see stay and go from the team. It's not always breaking news kind of stuff, but it can be interesting to see what the Blazer fans as a whole think of certain players on the team.Here's the rundown of what I think should happen to this current Blazers roster, just for kicks.
Luke Babbitt -- On draft day 2010, Minnesota traded the rights to Luke Babbitt to Portland for Martell Webster. I feel that this move was Kevin Pritchard's way of sticking it to Paul Allen, Larry Miller and the rest of the guys who forced him out and fired him as GM on draft day. If that was his intent, it was a huge success for KP.
Watching Babbitt ride the bench really makes me really miss Martell Webster, folks. Sadly, Babbitt is not going anywhere. He makes a lot of money (more than Nic Batum this past year!) and we probably can't trade him. So the Blazers are pretty much stuck with him for the moment. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Go 66%-34%
Chris Johnson -- I mentioned on Twitter a while back that because he roughed up Dirk Nowitzki and took it to him a couple of times in the first round of the playoffs, Johnson deserves an automatic 3 year guaranteed contract with the team. And I still stand by that whole-heartedly. Johnson is exactly what Portland needs right now...a young, athletic, non-injured big man that only cares about rebounding, blocking shots and roughing up Dirk Nowitzki. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Stay 92-8
Rudy Fernandez -- Unfortunately, time machines don't exist. But if they did, I would take us all back to about a week prior to this article, when the trade market for Rudy was actually viable. One of the strongest needs for the Blazers currently, is a pure shooter. Sorry, but Rudy can no longer be counted on as that pure shooter. Verdict: Go ... Poll results: Go 72-28
Nicolas Batum -- Batum is now the tipping point when the topic arises regarding the Blazers and any serious trade talk. And the city seems to be pretty much split about Batum. Some think that he has reached his ceiling as a player in this league and that's why we should trade him. Some think that he's still developing and is still on the path to becoming an all-round Gerald Wallace-type player, and that's why we should keep him and make him a building block of the franchise! Folks, we have a Gerald Wallace-type player.....the actual Gerald Wallace!
Listen, Batum is the most attractive piece that Portland has, in terms of trade value. And if Portland can use him to bring a legitimate starting point guard to town, they have to pull the trigger and do it. The time has finally come for that, if the opportunity arises. Verdict: Go ... Poll results: Stay 91-9
Marcus Camby -- At this point in the game, Portland should just keep Camby here until he decides to retire. Unless he is the last piece in a trade to land a franchise changing point guard. But still, Camby is the only thing we have at the moment that even comes close to a starting-caliber center, which is pretty damn depressing when you think about it. Moving on though... Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Stay 83-17
LaMarcus Aldridge -- No brainer. LMA is one of the three building blocks of the franchise. The others being Wesley Matthews and Gerald Wallace. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Stay 97-3
(Quick sidenote: Who the hell were the people that made up the 3% that voted for Aldridge to GO??? I don't get that at all. There were more than 2500 votes in Aldridge's poll, so that means at least 75 people sat there and said to themselves, "Hmmm...LaMarcus Aldridge was so freakin good for the Blazers last season that I think we need to trade him away." Seriously??)
Wesley Matthews -- Second of Portland's "Big Three". Matthews is going nowhere, nor should he. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Stay 98-2
Gerald Wallace -- The one (and only!) great move that Rich Cho was allowed to pull off in his short stay in Portland. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: 98-2
Greg Oden -- I will say again that it's unfortunate that time machines don't exist. But we all know where that discussion takes us. Portland fans have been there many, many times. And it's quite a dark and depressing place. Anyway, even though Greg Oden most likely hates Portland's guts by now, the Blazers should make him a qualifying offer and try to keep him here in Portland. Give the Oden "experiment" one more year and see where we stand. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Stay 79-21Brandon Roy -- I guess I should stop wishing that time machines existed, huh? But geez, if any team desperately needed one, it'd be the Blazers. I agree with some who say that Brandon Roy still can give you something on the basketball court. That isn't what the majority thinks in Portland any more. If you ignore the fact that Brandon Roy isn't going anywhere, I still think keeping him helps the team. The tricky part is getting Roy into a role that makes him happy and works for the team. Good luck with that, Nate. Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: 50-50 (!)
Andre Miller -- I hate to use a cliche like this, but I'm going to do it. This is a business. So yes, the Blazers need to make a real effort to trade Miller away before too long (meaning next season's trade deadline). Miller has been a great addition to the team and it's true that at times Andre Miller has been a godsend for the Blazers. But Miller is the most expendable piece (with Batum), and something needs to happen on the trade front. The Blazers still need to make moves, and Miller and Batum are the best assets to make those moves with. Verdict: Go ... Poll results: Stay 86-14
The rest of the guys -- I know every Blazer fan considers Earl Barron, Armon Johnson, Patty Mills and Elliot Williams important cogs in the Blazers championship wheel, but - again - this is a business, and all of these players are candidates to be extra pieces in a trade that brings a legitimate point guard to the Rose City. Poll results: Barron (Go), Johnson (Stay), Mills (Stay), and Williams (Stay)
