The son in question is named Domantas, and he looks the way most 15-year-olds look playing sports. Awkward, gawky, unpolished, and at times, uncharacteristically smooth.

Part-time Eugene radio producer and Fro-Yo enthusiast Matt Prehm responded on this Oregon Duck recruiting forum saying:

“Looks like he’s the age of a 2014 recruit but international recruits are tough to figure out. The biggest thing after a quick google search is that he plays for an overseas pro team. If he’s making money I believe he can’t come over and play in the states.”

Take that as you will. As an Oregon Duck fan and former Eugene resident I would say that Prehm’s knowledge of basketball and assessing talent is fairly limited. More importantly, I would be interested in hearing more from the Sabonis family or someone close to them to understand if this well-circulated rumor has any merit.

It could be possible that Sabonis might be trying to position his son in the eyes of American viewers early by having him play in front of consumers through college. The Sabonis family is hardly hurting for money, and any relatively pithy sum for non-star player in a European league probably isn’t mentionable when significant branding leverage could be obtained by playing for a major school in the U.S.

That, or they’re going to launch a reality show on TLC called Sabonis & Sons. I’m not sure which I prefer. Feel free to watch a gawky teenager play basketball by clicking the video below.

Laurelhurst, Ore. — Portland Trail Blazers analyst, comedian, and strip club enthusiast Ian Karmel has announced plans to relocate his act to Los Angeles starting in August of this year. Karmel, 28, has been a staple of the Northwest comedy scene since 2010 and over the last 18 months has added significantly to his resume including spots on Portlandia, Talkin’ Ball, and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival.

A native Oregonian, the Club Sesso frequenter told AYS he had mixed feelings about leaving his native land in search for the next step in his career.

“I’m going to have to find a new dealer down there, I’m not looking forward to it. Me and Jeff have come a long way together. But you have to do what’s best for yourself,” said Karmel.

A student of comedy, Karmel has also been a student of the NBA, adding comic relief and relevant commentary in place of the sycophantic, inane and probably racist Isacc Ropp on Comcast SportsNet’s Talkin’ Ball. With Karmel leaving, the post-game show for Blazer home games will have quite the hole to fill.

“Like, hey yo! We will probably have to convince Brandon Roy to come back to get back on the fans’ good side now that Ian is gone,” said babbling human cartoon Dwight Jaynes.

There’s no word yet on if Karmel plans a farewell tour of the Rose City, but he’s sure to be working regularly and on work nights so you can’t really come out and see him in the coming weeks. His website has show dates but it’s mostly useless. Follow Ian Karmel on Twitter to get the full scoop without all the horror of the accompanying smell.

If you’re in Portland, or in the LA area and want to feel alienated and confused, check out Ian Karmel’s standup. His closer is something about hamburgers and H.P. Lovecraft, so it goes about how you would expect.

Until then. Keep it Hollywood.

Lisieux, France — [BEGIN TRANSLATION] The glorious and venerable Nicolas Batum, who is both amazing and hated because European racism is a strange and frivolous beast, has undergone significant surgery to improve his ability on the ball of baskets, court.

Where other, feeble nations do not dare to forge foward into the black, French ingenuity has proven once again as a leading example for the rest of the world. First, we put a baboons face on a woman or something and called it a face transplant. Remember? Now, we have again broken new ground in medical science.

In an effort to improve wingspans, defensive abilities, and also to for the of a lengthening of arms, French super-surgeon Jaques (oh yeah, we have also started to use the forename for private occupations just as we do for soccer players. Another French first, so suck it) grafted one of those shark nabber toys onto Batum’s left hand during a twelve-hour operation in Paris.

Already hailed by French superstar and ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas as having one of the best wingspans of his time, the venerable Nicolas Batum is now set to be able to defend well outside his current level, as well as be able to block shots and generally pinch other players without their knowing it.

Once Batum is healthy, you will really see what a Frenchman with a shark grafted to his arm can do in a professional basketball game. [END TRANSLATION]

Portland, Ore. — While 2011 NBA Draft pick Nolan Smith is no longer suiting up for the Portland Trail Blazers, he certainly left behind some exciting highlights from the 2012-2013 season. Smith, 24, will continue on with his career elsewhere and given his skillset, should be able to find work.

“Did you see the time he and I both scored 27 points during a Summer League game? Kid’s got to go somewhere with that kind of impact,” said first year Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

When reminded that they lost that NBA LVSL game to the Houston Rockets, Damian added, “Yeah, that sounds right.”

Smith has always been out of favor with the Portland fanbase after being drafted just one pick before Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried. While Smith has learned the ins and outs of shuffling down the end of the bench to make room for returning rotation players, Faried has become a fan favorite.

“It’s like, you put up numbers and suddenly everyone loves you. I don’t understand sometimes,” remarked Smith during his exit interview.

“I miss Duke.”

The People’s Champ still has time to find his way to an NBA team before he turns 25, but it’s not looking good.

“I hope the video we made really showcases what I can do,” said Smith.

Portland, Ore. — Rumblings around the Rose City have the Trail Blazers moving up in the upcoming NBA Draft on June 27, but it’s not for who you might think. While the draft stock of Alex Len and Rudy Gobert seem to be soaring, the Blazers front office is looking to trade their first round pick and their lower second rounder to be able to move up and draft a plate of lasagna.

“We’re at this point where we are just one or two pieces away, and I think a plate of lasagna is what everyone on this team needs right now,” said Blazers GM Neil Olshey.

While Portland hasn’t officially made the move yet, sources say they are in talks with both the Phoenix Suns for the No. 5 pick and the Charlotte Bobcats for the No. 4 pick.

“I’d like to see the right deal made, and I trust our management to do that for us,” said coach Terry Stotts adding, “At the end of the day, it’s about making the right deal and getting everyone on this team a plate of lasagna.”

Rumors have it that Portland owner Paul Allen has been eyeing a plate of lasagna for months, and the billionaire has a special place in his heart for the layered Italian dish with just the right amount of cheese, sauce, meat, and spices.

“Mama Allen used to make the best lasagna and I think that’s really what’s making the push for them to move up,” said an inside source close to the team who didn’t want to be revealed.

“I think they’re close to pulling the trigger on a deal. I can smell it from all the way over here.”

The Palma de Mallorca native has recently been in contact with the Portland front office — HR Department — and has agreed to come on as a part-time nacho concession stand worker on the middle bowl of the Rose Garden for Trail Blazer home games.

“[Translated] I really feel like Portland is my home, and that I have a special connection with the community here. I think the opportunity is one that will allow me to get back into the public sphere and really show what I have to offer as a member of this organization,” Fernandez said through a press release Monday.

Details of Fernandez’s deal is private, but experts estimate that he will be making $10.25 /hr to start and with limited benefits through Vulcan Inc. food services contractor Ovation. The contract will run through 90 days and at that time the Blazers will assess whether Fernandez has met expectations or whether his demands for a raise will necessitate moving him in the offseason.

Southwest Portland, Ore. — From Tinseltown to Tigard, the food and grocer industry has been set alight by the nontraditional partnership between the Portland Trail Blazers and Seth’s Old Timey Bean Juice. Traditionally a drink for Mennonite farmers and freshman at Reed College, bean juice hasn’t been seen as a performance drink until local Oregonian and rat dad Seth J. decided to put his own personal recipe into production last February. The Blazers are hoping the revitalizing tonic will have some kind of effect on their long-standing confrontation with injury.

“Look, we have to do something,” said Portland GM Neil Olshey, “I’m not just going to luck into the first pick in the draft every year.”

Portland management is trying to take full advantage of the juice on and off the court.

“It’s grown locally right in Yamhill County, which is a great selling point for us brand-wise,” said Blazers President Chirs McGowan.

“We’re going to have our traditional partners, so you’ll see it on endcaps at Fred Meyer’s as well as an incentive to sign up for products with Wells Fargo bank.”

McGowan added, “Who doesn’t want free bean juice with a checking account? It’s un-Oregonian.”

Players on the Blazers roster were initially skeptical, but after trying the drink they bought in to what management was selling. Several players emptied the cases brought to the team’s practice facility in Tualatin. Forward Victor Claver was especially fond of the drink, saying he drank so much at home before coming in to workouts the next morning he couldn’t possibly handle any more.

“No, no please, thank you.”

The launch of the partnership will coincide with a new mobile app from the team’s digital department led by Dan Harbison, brains behind last year’s Portland Trail Blazer app.

“I’m thinking I’m going to make them log in to both applications, then they have to drink a bottle of bean juice before they can log out again,” said Harbison.

Overall, the end goal is to get the Blazers back in to shape and the injury bug off their back. Olshey remarked that he wasn’t entirely sure that the bean juice would do much good and that the injury plague was purely coincidental.

“Plus, I think Jenson was poisoning them or something,” said Olshey.


Click to view slideshow.

Sacramento, Calif. — NBA fans around the nation have been watching recently, as talks between the NBA, the Maloofs, and ownership groups from both Seattle and Sacramento have struggled to seal the fate of the royal franchise in the Sunshine state’s capital.

Today, fans got their answer.

A new ownership group has now officially taken over the Sacramento Kings and pledged to keep them in the city known for being the place you drive through when you’re trying to get to Los Angeles.

“It’s a win for this city, it’s a win for the NBA, and it’s a win for me if I plan on being Cory Booker’s VP candidate in 2016,” said Sacramento Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson.

Fans from across the nation were excited to hear of the great news for the Kings organization.

“I’m glad they’re staying. They’ve been terrible for a while and with this kind of turmoil and with the way Petrie screwed up that team they’re going to be a pushover for a while longer,” said Nuggets fan Jeff Armstead.

While the Kings are sure to rebuild, their franchise cornerstone remains DeMarcus Cousins, a move that doesn’t inspire anyone with knowledge of the situation.

“Cousins? Oh yeah, that guy is batshit insane,” said one Kings writer who didn’t want to be named as he gave out obvious information.

Sacramento is looking at a long-term deal that is based on a new arena in the downtown area. While some of it will be publicly funded, Mayor Johnson hopes it won’t cost the taxpayers a dime.

“We’re going to fund it by taking the money from empty parking spaces since no one is in downtown Sacramento,” said Johnson without a tinge of irony in his voice.

Fan sentiment seems to be that they are glad the highly volatile situation is over and that the Kings are looking especially terrible for the 2013-2014 NBA season.

“Hey, the Western Conference is tough, we need all the wins we can get,” added Armstead.

Milwaukee, WI — Somewhere in the middle of the map for North America, like by those crab pincher things I think, Milwaukee Bucks Twitter was foiled in their plan to overthrow Portland basketball writers as the darling of Twitter circles across the nation.

While Portland twitter was unaware, the Bucks social network quietly grew, gathering intelligence, commentary, content, and hops.

“They started by growing beards,” said Wisconsin resident Eric Buenning.

Buenning, who writes for a Bobcats blog for some reason, said it’s been a long time coming for the flyover states.

“Look, we’ve got Cole Patty I guess. He lives here somewhere, I think? And I’m not really sure how Canada is laid out but I think Seerat is here too. We’ve been gathering steam for a while now. It’s the Nekoosa Spring.”

Unfortunately, even as the Bucks have added a new coach and the writing at sites like Bucksketball.com are some of the more insightful offerings from around the league, nobody can be bothered to really take notice of the small, Alice Cooper-approved city of 598,000.

While the rest of the twittersphere was prepped for the sudden flux, Portland proved to be too much for the Glove State (I don’t know what it’s actually called — ed.)

“Have you seen the GIFs I’ve been putting out? Forget about it, Wisconsin,” said Oregon native Sean Highkin, writer for The USA Today’s For The Win.

“Samesies,” remarked Blazersedge showrunner and CBS Sports columnist Ben Golliver.

In the end, Portland stayed strong with its pictures of pho, sunny skies, and pledge to keep giving everyone skunky, shitty beer if they all pretend like we’re still cool.

“I guess we pretty much just grew beards,” said Buenning.

Right, Greg Oden. Blazer fans love to blame him for every bad break that’s come to the team since he was drafted ahead of Kevin Durant in 2007. He’s a scapegoat for everything from wasted draft picks, to poor team-defense, to a medical staff that can’t seem to keep even the fittest athletes from crumbling under a particularly strong gust of wind down the gorge. And now that I think about it, he also made the decision to trade Moses Malone away for pocket change and a half-eaten Monte Cristo sandwich.

Seriously, I hate that guy.

So when I see the lumbering behemoth sitting courtside at the Blazer game against the Memphis Grizzlies, my blood boils. It runs Blazer red, pinning my senses at full alert, a wheeling case of emotion. His expressionless face plastered on the jumbotron, I feel a shiver run down my spine. How could he sit there, in full rich-athlete garb of a sweater-and-jeans, and watch my team play basketball? What has he ever done for this team? I’ve been here through thick-and-thin, dammit. All he’s done is run around a gym and talk about how ‘painful’ his rehab is. I’ve been a season ticketholder since 1988-94, 1998-2002, and 2007-10 for Christ’s sake. Doesn’t this team have any sense of loyalty?

I collected my thoughts in between shovels of nachos. After a long swig from my metal-bottled Bud Light, I knew what had to be done.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

That’s right, you hobbled old goat. Go and be a dentist. We could have had Kevin Durant and Brandon Roy at the same time, which would have definitely worked out totally different. It’s because of you that we can’t have an up-and-coming center like Meyers Leonard. Portland will never get their point guard of the future because of you. And why didn’t you have weak side help on Kobe’s Game 7 lob to Shaq? You piece of shit.

I try to huck my bottle at him from my skybox but it just sails down to the first few baseline rows. I almost hit Free Throw Guy and I recoil a bit. He’s a treasure of the city, Free Throw Guy. Thankfully it just clangs off some disabled kid’s head and harmlessly falls to the floor. My compatriots in the Rose Garden are joining in, loudly, now. We’re really letting him hear it for totally ruining our team’s chances and also for drafting Taurean Green. Seriously, Greg? You chose to draft Taurean Green? Ugh.

The camera pulls away from him and the jumbotron now has some promotion for Subarus. That calms me a little. But I’m still furious that he would even show his face here in this hallowed area owned by a company that sounds like it’s a front for international arms and volcano lair sales. I need to focus myself back on the game to cleanse myself of Oden’s filth. It’s the end of the first quarter and he’s nowhere in sight. Good, get out of here you loser.

What’s that? The Blazers are down by eleven? That’s fine, I need to get out of here so I can beat traffic anyway.

1. Joel Freeland is Surprised During a Preseason Game

2. Adam Morrison is Indigo Montoya

3. That time a writer tried to hate on Seth Ball

4. #STACHELION is born

5. I tried to draw Koby Karl

6. Finally had to drop Adam Morrison from my fantasy team smh

7. Yelling names of players without any context? YELLING NAMES OF PLAYERS WITHOUT ANY CONTEXT

8. Wherein Kobe Bryant will never retire

9. Meyers Leonard gets his first fake twitter account

10. A Tumblr rendition of Meyers Leonard

11. Brandon Roy announces he can’t play basketball to the shock of everyone

12. James Harden’s beard finally gets out of hand

13. JJ Hickson, B-Boy

14. Receiving a print from @MaddisonBond

15. Pineapple Pizza debate tears basketball twitter in twain

16. Meyers Leonard, student of Robert Sacre

17. Lee Corso dons the Brooklyn Knight helmet

18. John Wall is sad

19. JaVale Clones

20. Andrew Bynum and his hair have a roller coaster of a season

21. Seth deletes his account for the 1,837th time

22. Seth leaves us with the Meyers “Leonardsade” nickname

23. Gunderson coins #TRILLBARTON

24. Basketball Twitter takes jokes and runs with them

25. The Spurs steal their new alternates from your rec league team

26. Wherein Joel Freeland is the Incredible Hulk

27. Wherein the Pargos get waived and sign a series of 10-day contracts

28. Wherein everyone is excited about Nerlens Noel

29. A modest proposal for the protection of Meyers Leonard’s cranium

30. Wherein I give away two tickets to a Blazer game to Dustin and his wife

31. Wherein Meyers Leonard sets up a Leonardsade stand to make extra pocket money

32. Wherein Bob Ross paints a happy little tree right there

33. I paid money to see a Blazer game once

34. Wherein I propose wrapping Lemons in bubble wrap for protection

35. Wherein LeBron James’ dong puts Jam in a jam

36. Wherein the Blazers are not good at help defense

37. Wherein I thighjazzle Teague

38. Basketball: Now without those pesky wires!

39. Wherein the Blazers get a new jersey in response to Golden State

40. Who thirsts after Seerat the most? Seerat does.

41. Basketball Twitter gets obsessed with the Google Hangout

42. Wherein we all get catfished by Vick and have to prove who we are

43. Lemons!

44. Wherein Jam’s most embarrassing moment will live on for eternity

45. Wherein I stumble upon Highkin’s wardrobe

46. Wherein Seth and Danny are like, p much totes bffs tho

47. Wherein I photoshop Norris Cole Patty

48. Black Panther Bob McAdoo

49. Dirk Nowitzki has traveled 500 miles to give you his seed

50. Wherein I make myself sad trying to make fun of Laker fans

51. Wherein I move to Portland and the streets are too real

52. Wherein I photoshop Lemons and he puts it on IG/Twitter, Part 1

53. Wherein I sit in a sky box, meet the Schonz, and am better than you

54. Wherein Greg Oden surrounds himself with who is is familiar with

55. Wherein I had to give proof of ID to Rosin

56. Wherein @MaddisonBond shows up wearing this hat to my birthday

57. Wherein Greg Oden is finally healthy enough for a comeback

58. Wherein I photoshop Lemons and he puts it on IG/Twitter, Part 2

59. Wherein Rick Pitino is Emperor Palpatine

60. Wherein Highkin visits the Everglades

61. Wherein Highkin is in the club

62. Wherein Highkin hangs out with Ian Karmel

63. Wherein Highkin goes to Disneyland

64. Wherein Highkin cooks a romantic dinner

65. Wherein Highkin spits lines on a Soulja Boy track

66. Wherein Highkin is outnumbered by wild bears at a Detroit Pistons game

67. Wherein Highkin goes kayaking

68. Wherein Highkin goes hikin’ (by @Critch5)

69. Wherein Highkin addresses the nation

70. Wherein the Blazers pack Meyers Leonard away for safe keeping over the summer

Chart of Damian Lillard’s threes from the last 20 games.

Terry Stotts hasn’t let up on the gas, and has played Damian Lillard in every single game for the Blazers this year. If that continues, the Rookie-of-the-Year candidate will be on pace for 186 made threes for 2012-2013. That would put him well above Stephen Curry’s mark of 166 made threes from 2009-2010.

Portland’s young guard is shooting 36% from three, far less than Curry’s astronomical 43%. He’s certainly not the pure shooter that Curry is, but those who have watched him know that Lillard’s shot-making ability is a pleasant surprise. He hits some of the deepest shots I’ve personally seen a rookie guard ever make. Depending on what kind of off-ball malarkey Terry Stotts draws up for Lillard, next year’s total could climb even higher than this year.

Eventually, it would be prudent to see those numbers remain stead or even dip if it meant his percentage went up a few points. I’d rather he take a few great shots rather than a lot of good ones. In the meantime, Blazer fans can enjoy yet another win from their draft class of 2012.

As I wrote about last month, an equally disappointing rumor being floated is the Blazers’ interest (read: Paul Allen) in upcoming Minnesota Timberwolves RFA Nikola Pekovic. Outlined in that article is the awful contract that Pekovic could demand (upwards of 4 YRS/$67MM) and the bind it would place Portland in regarding salary cap and future growth of a young core.

So where are the Blazers to turn?

Marcin Gortat has been languishing in Robert Sarver’s under-financed organization all year and we’re well aware of his unhappiness. Meanwhile, if the Blazers are looking for a starting center — and by all accounts, they are — that would match Pekovic’s production, Gortat might be an option to look at. While Gortat is not the scorer that Pek is, he’s a better post defender and rebounder. Perhaps most importantly, both players have similar numbers when it comes to scoring efficiency in the post, and both can run the floor. The Blazers need another viable post option as part of their offense and Gortat would be able to provide a low-post threat.

While Pekovic will command a large contract due to his age and production, Gortat currently makes just $7.2 million — what amounts to half of what Pekovic is estimated to get paid. On top of that, Gortat will be much easier for the Blazers to get. The Timberwolves are sure to wait until the last minute to match an offer for Pek, putting Portland in free agency limbo. There’s no indication that Sarver wants to keep Gortat on the Suns roster as part of the rebuilding process, and when his contract is up in two years he won’t be looking to negotiate in the $10 – $11 million range for a 30+ year-old center. The Blazers? That’s another story.

While the Suns try to rebuild, they need stable pieces that aren’t looking for a big payday that will produce despite the slow development. By some accounts, Portland will need to find somewhere else for Wesley Matthews this summer depending on long-term strategy and in preparation for the draft. While Matthews makes less than Gortat, it’s not by much and it’s enough to make the trade work cap-wise. Matthews would provide solid, unselfish guard play for the Suns and act as a huge upgrade from Shannon Brown, who has been a hobo in a riot this year in Phoenix. He is, however, still Shannon Brown.

A package consisting of Matthews and one of Portland’s stockpiled second round draft picks should be enough to get Gortat out of Phoenix and onto a winning team, which the Blazers are sure to be in 2013-2014. Even further, the Blazers are far more likely to want to pony up to pay Gortat when his contract expires for a reasonable price (say around 3 YRS/$32.25MM), especially when Pekovic’s price tag could be astronomical. As a refresher, here’s what the next four years could look like salary-wise for Pek and Gortat:

Nikola Pekovic:

Marcin Gortat:

Of course, the elephant in the room is age. While Pek is only in his third year, Gortat is in his sixth year and will be on the wrong side of 30 by the time he’s ready for a new deal. Obviously, Pek is going to be more productive than Gortat, and there’s no questioning that. But at what price?

Gortat, even if he plays well, isn’t getting paid more than Joakin Noah, and especially not at the age of 31. With the extra $27 million Portland would have left over from signing Gortat instead of Pek, they could sign another starter or bench player outright. Even further, while Pek is a better player than Gortat, is he that much better than Gortat? It’s all well and good to make bear tattoo jokes, but I don’t think he is.

Gortat is a valuable piece that someone is going to snap up from Phoenix. For a severely reduced price, Portland could get 90% of the production of Nikola Pekovic while only paying 60% of the salary. What the Blazers need is room for their young talent to grow and a bench. Trading for Marcin Gortat does that. Signing Pek?

Well, that just continues the spat between Paul Allen and the Timberwolves.

Last year the Blazers decided to offer the Pacers’ Roy Hibbert a gargantuan contract through restricted free agency that was met with split approval. As often the case is in Portland, Neil Olshey will be searching for the missing piece to send the Blazers past the first round of the playoffs. While the bench has been the most glaring issue with the team this season, Nikola Pekovic has been the discussion as Portland looks to target another center through the RFA process this summer. The question is, will signing Pekovic be the piece the Blazers need?

Pekovic’s value to the Blazers (and indeed any team) hinges around the size of his contract. The salary cap for 2013-2014 has not yet been released, and the cap has stayed at $58.044 million the last two years in a row. The cap is relative to the amount of BRI the league takes in during a 12-month period. David Stern was quoted in November as saying BRI could reach as high as $5 billion for the year ending in June 2013, an insane number. Equally as insane would be the potential that number has to affect salary cap and subsequent contract offers.

A far more reasonable number to estimate off of is the one provided by CBA FAQ at around $4.481 billion. Using that as projected BRI, the salary cap for the 2013-2014 NBA season could sit around $62.95 million.

So where does that put Pek?

It’s no secret that big men in the NBA are paid well. We’ve seen Tyson Chandler, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol are all playing for big money. Indeed, Zach Harper of A Wolf Among Wolves estimates that Pek will command a max contract offer in restricted free agency this summer.

A max contract for Pek would look something like this:
 

How terrifying.

For the Blazers, they could easily fit that amount of salary under the suggested cap (they are at $42 million dedicated now with another $5 million in non-guaranteed contracts). The issue would sit with whether or not they felt that it would be pertinent to pay a 27-year-old center more money than anyone on the team, and whether Pekovic is the missing piece the Blazers need. Put simply, is Nikola Pekovic good enough for the Blazers to extend a max contract to?

Pek has obvious value to the Timberwolves. Over the last two seasons he’s been a part of the best 5-man-unit and a quick glance at the rebounding numbers shows he has an obvious affect on team rebounding when he’s on the floor. This year, he has great WS/48 numbers and is averaging the (near) double-double Blazers fans have become accustomed to through JJ Hickson. This goes without saying, but Synergy confirms that Pekovic is a better post defender and individual defender than JJ. On the floor, Pek is an obvious upgrade to Portland’s starting five, and a valuable member of the Wolves.

But what if the Timberwolves match?

If they did, the Timberwolves would be right up against the cap or barely over depending on who they option/cut/give a qualifying offer to. The Timberwolves would be paying Pek more than Kevin Love if they matched a max offer, which is ridiculous on its face. But Love may leave the Timberwolves, and if that happens it would be a smart move to retain Pekovic.

Perhaps more interesting than whether the Blazers should offer Pek a contract is whether David Kahn wants to make the Blazers sweat it out, holding up their cap space until the final possible moment. While this would keep the Blazers from making an offer at any other big-level free agents, it would also keep them just shy of being able to offer to a sixth man like Corey Brewer until after they make their move.

Signing Pekovic away would be a move that might be too much to swallow for Portland. The Blazers have a young core that will bode well for future salary cap considerations. If they sign Pekovic, they would end up with a few million left to sign their bench players. It would require Will Barton to drastically increase his efficiency, and it might even mean trading away Wesley Matthews in order for some cap relief or a draft pick. If the Blazers cut Pavlovic and Ronnie Price, the Blazers would look like this:
 

That would leave just $4.75 million to arrange between at least three roster spots. Up against the cap, with no bench but a great starting line, it’s hard to imagine the Blazers doing any better than they will do in the 2011-2012 season. The Blazers are used to playing their starters 40+ minutes and then sending in the bench from the land of misfit toys. Even with the evolution of Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard, they won’t be able to play enough minutes to make up for the significant absence of a bench.

The best team for Nikola Pekovic is the team that he’s on. With trouble brewing in Minnesota, keeping their stars through the avenues outlined in the CBA will be their best route. For Portland, it doesn’t seem that adding another $15 million dollar man to the squad is the key to the success Paul Allen has desired for almost two decades.

Watch them try to sign him anyways.

Jerry West once said that being right 51 percent of the time means you’re doing well as an NBA general manager. With a team that has overachieved in the first half, Portland GM Neil Olshey has beat those odds, but will be faced with a difficult decision come February regarding center JJ Hickson.

For starters, Hickson brings two things: rebounding and scoring. On the surface, it appears that Hickson is an invaluable member of the Blazer lineup and that the success had during the first 41 games of the season would not be possible without him. To an extent, that’s true. In total, Hickson is up 4 rebounds per game over his prior three season average. Is Hickson making a drastic progression at age 24? Or is he simply in a contract year? I’ll answer that question with another question:

Does that matter?

In the first 25 games of the year, Hickson was quite good. But so too was the schedule less difficult, Damian Lillard exceedingly dazzling, and Meyers Leonard… less foul-y. JJ has rebounded the heck out of the ball, but other factors have contributed to the Blazers success alongside his stats.

And about those stats.

The Blazers are in the lower third of the league in terms of FG%. It’s even worse when you consider they are a top 10 team in terms of 3PT shots taken, but 27th out of 3PT%. Basically, the Blazers can’t shoot (or they have poor shot selection, take your pick). That inherently leaves more rebounds for Hickson to scoop up. In fact, he’s averaging almost 4 offensive rebounds per game this year. During his time as a Blazer, Hickson has had a 2 ORB per game spike compared to his last three seasons in Cleveland and Sacramento.

Then there’s his defense. Although he puts in good work offensively, his defensive rotations are, at best, below average. His synergy stats lie on defense, which show him as a decent post and pick-and-roll defender. As is the issue with the majority of the Blazers roster, it’s on the third and fourth pass where Hickson fails to rotate properly and gives up out-of-position buckets to cutters.

And while it would be comparing apples to oranges regarding aggressiveness, polish, and plays run, you might be surprised to learn that Meyers Leonard has better PPP synergy stats than JJ Hickson. Looking at Portland’s most recent losing streak, it doesn’t appear that Hickson’s averages in rebounding (10.5 REB) or scoring (12.8 PPG) during that stretch affected the Blazers enough for it to matter as the rest of the team struggled. Again, when the few great pieces on the Blazers fail, Hickson’s play isn’t valuable enough to have a discernible impact relative to what someone is going to have to pay him this summer.

Therein lies the problem with signing JJ — not just for the Blazers but for any team. When the Blazers gave Utah a mid-level gamble to Utah in 2009, Paul Millsap ended up getting $7.7 million the first year of his new contract. Factor in Hickson’s 2012-2013 campaign, the continued inflation of NBA salaries, and a comparison of Hickson’s numbers to Millsap’s and it’s likely that he will end up with a similar contract (Hoops World thinks so).

That would place Hickson as the third highest paid Blazer over Wesley Matthews. I find it hard to believe any Portlander could swallow that lump with a smile on their face. It would put Portland in the same position as this year, with similar cap space but needing to fill out a bench with pocket change and expired coupons.

The inequities the Blazers have on defense wouldn’t be solved in a year’s worth of development for Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard, either. The Blazers are faced with the option of either trading JJ, or letting him walk with no compensation. Even looking at teams with cap space, a roster need, and a chance at winning, only Atlanta and Houston meet all those criteria (and even then, only Atlanta can offer immediate draft picks or a first round choice).

It’s not just Portland who is at odds with JJ Hickson, it’s the entire NBA. Quite frankly, I’m not sure what system in which Hickson thrives save for one in which the rest of the team plays all-star caliber defense and he scoops up easy buckets and gets more shots for the scorers. There’s only one system like that in the NBA, and Hickson isn’t taking his talents to South Beach. For the moment, it seems, there’s a good chance that the only person happy with the outcome of his contract dealings is going to be Hickson himself. As for the Blazers and the team that signs him? I’m not so sure.

Two gigantic road trips at inopportune times

The Blazers have to spend two weeks playing the likes of Miami, Utah, Minnesota, LA, Memphis, San Antonio, Chicago, and Oklahoma City during road trips in February and March. The Blazers are already .350 on the road during the first half of the year and that’s with everyone (mostly) healthy and without having much film to study on how Stotts’ offense works or Lillard’s tendencies. Having to play good teams on the road? It’s going to be miserable.

The home games aren’t any easier

Portland doesn’t get to play Sacramento eleventy times like they did in December. I could name all the good teams the Blazers are going to play at home in the second half of the season but instead I’m going to pick out the three games against bad teams: Houston, Detroit, and Phoenix. That’s it. The Rose Garden is a tough place to play, but even then the Blazers are on a three-game home losing streak.

Stotts will rest some starters

Playing your starters lots of minutes is great, except when you realize that 82 games is a really, really long season. You and I can’t even play pickup basketball two nights in a row, and these guys are playing 38+ minutes a night for seven months. Sooner or later, Stotts is going to have to give Lillard and Batum some rest, and I suspect it will be on those road stretches where they’re going to be overmatched anyway.

Teams will have some film on Portland

It takes teams a while to adjust, to learn their own system, and then prep for their opponents. It helped the Blazers that no one knew how good Damian Lillard was or exactly how Stotts was going to use LaMarcus Aldridge in his offense (including Stotts, as LMA’s role has evolved over the course of 40 games). You can’t stop great players, and both Lillard and Aldridge will get theirs. But I will look for Lillard to struggle as he has to make adjustments to his game as teams start to defensively remove his favorite options.

This is a good thing

Because Portland owes a first rounder to Charlotte this year unless they make they bomb the last half of the season. The pick is top-12 protected. Basically, if the Blazers want to continue to build through the draft they need to continue to be lower-third-level bad.

When looking at a backup point guard, especially for a bad team like Portland (don’t let the projected playoff standing fool you) it’s important to consider what is a realistic expectation. Certainly, Price isn’t going to average big points, or provide one easily recognizable benefit. In years past, the Blazers were subbing in Sergio Rodriguez (fastbreaks! turnovers!) and Jerryd Bayless (crossovers! turnovers!) and you knew what you were looking for. With Price, it’s a little different.

Part of the reason could be the change of pace from a clear All-Star in Damian Lillard. The rookie has been taking a huge scoring load, especially considering his position, and when Price subs in for him it’s an obvious change of strategy offensively for Terry Stotts. What Lillard does well – shoots threes, creates shots, hits long twos – Price doesn’t do at all. In fact, Price is shooting just 25% from 3-point range and 34% from the field in total.

Despite the obvious inequities, Price is providing some value. While overall neither Price nor Lillard are spectacular defenders (Synergy has Price ranked just below a block of wood at defending any screen or rotation play) it seems that the backup point guard has been able to produce turnovers via steals in key situations, including a third quarter steal during a LeBron James crossover Thursday night. And in fact, Synergy has Price ranked as a better defender than Lillard so far this season.

For the Blazers, it’s not about performance, it’s about need. While many teams are looking for a strong backup point guard to lead their sixth man forward during breaks for the starters, the Blazers really just need a game manager. That means no turnovers and more assists. Price, surprisingly, has stepped his game up for Portland this year. He’s above his career average in AST% and down in turnovers. He’s got a better assist/turnover numbers than Norris Cole, who is starting for the team who will most likely win the championship. He even has a positive win share, which the Heat guard can’t attest to.

And really, that’s Ronnie Price as you see him this year. Because the Blazers are so terrible, we’re quick to look at him in a poor light. His comparative numbers are marginally better than some starters who are also terrible, but that’s kind of the point. He’s not as bad as he could be, and in fact, he’s filling a role quite nicely for Portland. If he stopped shooting the ball, you could even say he’s serviceable. At this point, I think that’s the best the Blazers are going to get.

Better than Nolan Smith, anyway.