If you don’t remember who Ha Seung Jin was, I truly cannot blame you. His one claim to fame is probably the fact that he was the first Korean in history to be drafted into the NBA. His claims to shame are probably his ugly face, awkward body and terrible basketball skills. Normally, the Short Term Blazers posts are cheery and starry-eyed memories of Blazers past with short stints in Portland. This one however, is going to be abnormal.
Ha Seung Jin stunk. His career-high was 13 points and only ever played 46 games across 3 seasons. He was terrible, there’s no ifs-and-buts about it. The one perhaps good thing I have to say about him is the fact that he visited my parents’ restaurant pretty regularly while he was in Portland. My Mom even has photos with him. Really.
Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t have ill-will towards the guy. It’s not like I want him to never have a basketball career or anything. I just never want him to set foot on a NBA floor again.
In this edition of Short Term Blazers, we examine last season’s late addition, Von Wafer. After the mid-season trade with Denver for Taurean Green, this trade was sort of pointless. However on the plus side, it did create a great short term Blazer for us to write about. Vakeaton Quamar Wafer (Von Wafer) has only been playing professional basketball for three years, but has already become an NBA (NBADL) journey man. Von only played 64 minutes in a Blazers uniform, but he was key to the team’s success. Who can forget his career high 11 points against the Clippers on Feb 27, 2008. I know I will never forget his influential play. Von actually has played more minutes for the Blazers than he has for any other NBA team. He played a full minute during the 2006-07 season for the Lakers… a minute.
Von is a free agent this summer, and it looks like he will not be getting that 15th roster spot. Is it back to the D-League for Von? Probably. I’m hoping he at least gets to play overseas, maybe Bosnia?
Von, your career in Portland was short (or long for you, considering it was your longest stint) but I will always remember you. Not because you were that good, but because I actually liked Taurean Green, and we traded him away for your 11 points against the Clippers.
The “Short Term Blazers” series will highlight past Blazers who may have had a short stint in the Rose City, but will forever live on in our hearts. Now I proudly present to you, the Jamaal Magloire edition.
Where do we begin? Jamaal Magloire has done it all. To make it easier on you, the reader, here is a bulleted timeline of Magloire’s greatest achievements thus far in his basketball legacy:
· 1998 - Won a NCAA Championship with the Kentucky Wildcats as a starting sophomore
· 2000 - Left Kentucky as the school’s all-time leader in blocks
· 2000 - Drafted 19th by the Charlotte Hornets
· 2004 - Named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the 2003-2004 season
· 2004 - Leads the East All-Star team with 19 points, 8 rebounds in 21 minutes
· 2006 – Becomes a Blazer
Now you look at that list and I dare you to tell me you are not impressed. I dare you. Winning a NCAA National Title as a sophomore? Holding the record for Kentucky in shot blocks with 268 total? LEADING the East All-Stars? LEADING? On an East All-Star team with names like Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce and Michael Redd, Jamaal Magloire shows them all up. Oh by the way, did I mention he was a reserve? That should be proof enough of the raw power and talent “Big Cat” possesses.
But then you say, “But Pandizzle, he was terrible in Portland!” Terrible is too harsh a word. Big Cat averaged a double-double whenever he started for the Blazers, and by-gone he was the toughest SOB in the paint I ever saw. Crashing the boards, playing tough-as-nails defense and giving the hard foul when necessary. He saw his minutes dip from 30 to 21 when he was in Portland, and his performance suffered for it. He averaged a double-double his entire career before coming to Portland. I’m not laying blame on anyone, I’m just stating the facts. If you gave him more minutes, he would have gotten more production and fans would have gotten more show.
Yes he was slow and yes he didn’t fit the young and athletic Blazers offense but he laid it all out on the floor for us. For a player who knew he would not be a Blazer for the long-term, he played a hard-nosed single season for us and for that I salute him.
Big Cat, if you’re out there, just know that Portland is not full of haters. There are still a few people who remember you as you would like to be remembered…a hero.
If none of the above convinced you of Magloire’s awesomeness:
We’re planning on this becoming a regular feature for the site. The “Short Term Blazers” series will highlight past Blazers who may have had a short stint in the Rose City, but will forever live on in our hearts. I now proudly present to you, the Josh McRoberts edition.
Rewind back to June 28th 2007. That’s right. The day of the 2007 NBA Draft. A day that will live in Blazers lore until the end of time. The day the Blazers selected Josh McRoberts from Duke University with the 37th pick in the second round. A day I will never forget.
Forget Greg Oden for just one second. He wasn’t the only franchise-changing draft pick that night. “Young” McRoberts, the 13 PPG, 8 RPG, 3 APG Duke prodigy was going to be a Blazer. Now first realize, none of us have ties to either UNC or Duke, so leave that argument out of this. Readers have no idea how excited my fellow draft watchers and I were that night. We had joked and laughed about the idea of the Dukie wearing a Blazer uniform to help Greg Oden in his transition to the big leagues (Oden and McRoberts are best friends.) Then it came true. Our surprise, reaction and delight rivaled the Draft Lottery results, which netted us the #1 pick.
Then came the season. Josh only saw 30 minutes in 8 total games. But let me tell you. Those were the most exciting 30 minutes of the 07-08 season (not really.) That’s not to say Josh didn’t have his highlights during the season. I was witness to Young McRob’s first points as a NBA player and I could not have been more proud. His 100%, 2 for 2 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal performance against Philadelphia last December in just 1:45 was something for the ages. As soon as he came off the bench, myself and the rest of the Rose Garden exploded and he delivered. Big time. Then there was the first time Young McRob ever dunked a NBA ball into a NBA hoop. Watching that just gives me chills.
Unfortunately, after 1 short season with the Blazers, Josh was traded during the NBA 2008 draft night. In exchange for McRoberts, Jarrett Jack and the draft rights to Brandon Rush, the Blazers received Ike Diogu and now-Summer League MVP Jerryd Bayless. While I fully accept this as a fantastic move by Blazers management, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. There were a lot of things I wanted to see him in a Blazer uniform. His first 3-pointer, his first alley-oop, his first double-digit scoring game. I wanted to grow old with him. *sigh*
Josh, if you’re out there, I know you’re at home in Indiana with your family now. I hope you make the best out of a terrible situation (The Pacers are wretched). Just know that you still have at least 1 fan left in the Rose City.
If you don’t remember who Ha Seung Jin was, I truly cannot blame you. His one claim to fame is probably the fact that he was the first Korean in history to be drafted into the NBA. His claims to shame are probably his ugly face, awkward body and terrible basketball skills. Normally, the Short Term Blazers posts are cheery and starry-eyed memories of Blazers past with short stints in Portland. This one however, is going to be abnormal.
