Sometimes you’ve just got to make the call.
That’s pretty much where Blazers GM Neil Olshey found himself Friday morning. Wesley Matthews — Portland’s starting two guard, top perimeter defender and key to their offensive spacing with his three-point shooting — was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Arron Afflalo can step in as a starter and provide quality minutes, but who plays behind him now?
How about Ray Allen? Sure, Allen said earlier in the week he was going to sit out the season, but Olshey made the call anyway, reports Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports.Blazers general manager Neil Olshey made a call to agent Jim Tanner on Friday morning on the chance that Allen might reconsider his decision to sit out the 2014-15 season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Nevertheless, Tanner informed the Blazers that Allen, 39, remains intent on sitting out the season and wouldn’t consider the possibility of joining Portland – or any other team, sources told Yahoo Sports.
It was worth a shot. To quote Wayne Gretzky, you don’t score on every shot you don’t take.
With the trade deadline and ensuing buyout market in the past, the Blazers are going to have to dance with what they have. That lack of depth and shooting hurts their title contending chances.