why did blazers take nolan smith?
Nolan Smith fits the role of a combo guard. They don't really have a point guard now opposite Andre Miller. Patty Mills is a good 12th man, and Armon Johnson didn't do anything that made Portland want to continue as the man of the future.
They probably could have looked at a post, but you have Wallace, Batum, Aldridge, Camby and they use Greg Oden if he comes back.
A froncourt player like Kenneth Faried would have made sense, because Oden is always hurt and for a good majority of last season they were starting Dante Cunningham- who is decent offensively but doesn't play defense or rebound at all. Also Aldridge and Camby have been known to get hurt also so having more frontcourt depth sure would help. Why draft Smith if you were going to make a trade for Felton anyways?
I could kinda buy it, but when they acquired Ray Felton then it really was a head scratcher. I think Nolan Smith will be a guy who sticks in the league, and could be a very good backup, but it's a crowded house in Portland and I don't think he was the best player available for Portland at 21.
Smith didn't really fit a team need, nor was he BPA. I think despite the fact I think Nolan will be a good player, it was a poor choice for Portland to draft him, I don't see him playing much there and probably getting traded or leaving when his contract is up.
Faried wouldn't start but he would provide valuable insurance for their oft-injured big men(they have a thin frontcourt in terms of manpower anyways), whereas Smith will just fight for small amounts of minutes with the three other combo guards they already have who don't play much.
One of their three combo PGs will be traded this season or next offseason. They'll have one season to figure out who is more valuable between Smith, Johnson, and Williams.
Anybody else think they should play a faster tempo? They have all the tools now. The only reason they played slow was because of injuries, Andre Miller, and Brandon Roy. Now that Roy is a bench player and Miller is gone, they have a much more athletic team.
Camby and Aldridge are both very mobile big men that can run the floor as well. Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum are two very athletic wings. Wesley Matthews would thrive in that style and Felton is a good quick speedy point guard. They have all the tools.
I like Smith, he's a classic overachiever who can factor as an everyday backup utility guard. I do think the Blazers picking him signals that either Mills or Johnson are gonna get let loose, probably Mills. I'm not sure if Smith factors all that much next year though with that said. He's not a true enough PG to play alot of time at that spot, and with Matthews and Roy at the SG spot he also won't factor there all that much either.
Since the Blazers were targeting Nolan Smith anyways, they should have traded down 8-10 spots and picked up a future 2nd round pick, because they could have still gotten Nolan, unless they believed another team wanted him.
I had Nolan sloted at #41 to the Lakers. So when the Blazers took him at #21, I was just as shocked as all of you.
i think Nolan Smith is very rounded player that score and defend well, he remind me so much as a player Goerge Hill, like a mirror, but only more decisive and assertive.
will be nice combo guard for Portland, largely will be used to replace Rudy Fernandez in the rotation, he is not close to being a pure PG but maybe he will be able for some minutes of the bench to play the position as the backup for Felton and that will give portland possibility to tighten the rotation if they like.
and i said even before the draft that there no chance Portland taking Faried, i was exception from the most in that saying, but i just knew for sure, taking Faried don't make sense when you just acquired Gerald Wallace, Faried is an undesize and small 4 who has great rebounding instincts and who hustle, he would not were able to get minutes at that role over Crash!
bad pick imo as a Blazers fan, I think Armon will be a good backup PG, and even if we had to take a pg, why not Darius Morris? he's way better. But we needed another big guy like Farried. or.....why not Jordan Hamilton???? for christ sakes, this guy can score, and Portland needs more scoring even if we have Batum, Wallace, Roy, Mathews, and don't forget Williams and Babbit. Hamilton is tooooooo good to pass there, he is a lotto talent and we passed on him? SMH Should have taken Hamilton ugh
I think most of you are overlooking the reason for the pick.
It seems most of you think Nolan was drafted to play point.
Im pretty certain he ws drafted as a defensive specialist. Since Roy's need could be problems that leaves Wes to handle all guard duties. Nolan provides toughness and lock down defense they believe they need.
Not saying there isnt going to be a star to pop up in the late round but i would say they didnt see any star potential in any player left and decided to go for the specialist pick.
It might not make much sense right now but who knows what the Blazers are still up to. Maybe they're just worried about Brandon Roy's health and took Nolan Smith as another insurance in case Roy would go down again. It's also possible they will try to swing a deal and trade away a guard for an extra big man.
I thought they just drafted his clone last year in elliot williams, and also have armon johnson- so now 3 identical combo type guards.
wouldn't a bigger sg, like marshon brooks have made more sense.
Even Jeremy Tyler, or Jajuan Johnson would have made more sense, as they can use size down low.