Blazers: We May Pick Kevin Durant. Honest.
Smokescreen? Maybe. From Jason Quick, writing in the Oregonian yesterday:
Pritchard insists that he hasn't decided. When pressed on how he hasn't decided with everyone else that Oden is the pick, Pritchard was quick with his response.
"Look at the first half of Durant's game against Kansas," Pritchard said. "Watch that game and tell me it's an easy choice."
The game Pritchard spoke of was March 3, when Durant scored 25 points in the first half against the Jayhawks. The next week, in the Big 12 championship game, Durant scored 37 points against Kansas to go along with 10 rebounds and six blocks.
If the decision will come down to this week's workouts and interviews, as Pritchard says it will, the general manager admits he doesn't know what could be the determining factor.
"That's why I can't say," Pritchard said. "A lot of times it's one thing -- like Brandon last year. He said with a lot of conviction that 'I put my teammates first.' When he said that, boom, that was it. But I want to be able to talk to these guys, see them in the gym."
McMillan, meanwhile, has been more willing to reveal his gut instincts. It was suggested to him that he seems to be leaning toward Oden, and he nodded while smiling.
And from Quick's blog on Oregonlive:
My sense is that Pritchard is sending smoke screens. But I have always said this: during the winter, when Pritchard and I would talk in passing before Blazers games, he would always rave about Durant. And shortly after the Blazers won the draft lottery, Pritchard admitted that his scouting staff would probably concur that he was leaning toward Durant.
For what it's worth -- every person I talked to with Blazer contacts right after the lottery felt there was a very real chance the pick would be Durant. More recently, everyone has shifted hard to Oden. Why so much misdirection? I can only assume that Portland wants to hear offers from not just those who want Oden, but also those who want Durant.
Aber das ist natürlich unrealistisch. Ich kann mir da auch kein brauchbares Szenario vorstellen...