| 08 December 2009
I have no doubt in my mind that Dwight Jaynes' scoop on Jerryd Bayless asking out of Portland is more fact than fiction.
His sources are as strong as they come in this business.
The trouble is, now with Rudy Fernandez the latest to join the long list of walking wounded in Portland, Bayless' playing time is about to shoot through the roof. If Bayless did indeed asked to be traded - as Jaynes reported - then it couldn't come at a more worse time for the Blazers and a more opportunistic time for Bayless.
I'm just not sure Portland should "accommodate him" or will "accommodate him". Not now. Not like this. And not later either.
Look. Let's be honest here. The verdict is still out on the Andre Miller experiment in Portland. And if anyone will be on the move come February's trade deadline, it very easily could be Miller. The last thing the Blazers need to do is ship out a young talented point guard/guard in Bayless, before they fully realize what they have or don't have in the veteran they shelled out big bank for this offseason.
And for Bayless, patience is the key. He'll get his time.
In fact, he's about to get plenty of it with Rudy Fernandez on the shelf.
Update: While Kevin Pritchard denied yesterday that Jerryd Bayless asked for a trade, the Blazers are busy today getting ready for the Indiana Pacers.
As for the trip to New York that resulted in a loss, the Blazers simply opted to play it low key in the city that never sleeps the night before the game. Can you blame them? Plenty of rest is exactly what this team needs right now.
Dime Magazine is running this story a tad late, but I figured it's worth a quick mention - "24 Hours in NYC With The Portland Trail Blazers".
I'll give this to Bayless. The kid has his head in the right frame of mind as a pro.
“Not during the year, I’m still trying to get established in the league,” said Bayless, when asked if he hits the clubs on the road. “I don’t have that luxury to do that.”
photo: alex mcdougall
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