It's getting more difficult to tell what Portland really has in rookie forward Josh McRoberts.
How do you evaluate a player who sees as much floor time as Darius Miles?
Obviously, the Blazers brass believe in McRoberts' overall abilities, but in the long run does he really have a home in Portland knowing how stacked Nate McMillan's roster is in the low post?
"He has potential," McMillan said prior to McRoberts being sent down to join the Idaho Stampede today.
"We think he has potential, to be what? Is he a three or is he a four? And we haven't seen that. So that will come with summer league. You've got LaMarcus (Aldridge), Travis (Outlaw), Martell (Webster), James (Jones), (Channing) Frye – all those guys. But he has potential."
McMillan actually missed another name for that list, and it's not Greg Oden. Let's not forget about one of Portland's stockpiled players over in Europe and his possible invasion this summer.
Joel Freeland – a 6'11, 245 pound forward/center playing for CB Gran Canaria in Spain - continues to draw comparisons to the New York Knicks David Lee and could be a mainstay in Las Vegas this summer for Portland as he was last year (remember this one?).
Nothing is for certain though, nothing except for the competition McRoberts will face moving forward in Portland and his guaranteed contract that runs until the 2008-09 season.
McRoberts, 21, is now Boise bound for the second time this season it was announced today by the Blazers. But surely Portland will not only take this extensive time to evaluate his overall game, but also to see how exactly McRoberts fits into the overall scheme of things.
"Sending Josh back to Idaho will give him the best chance to develop as the season winds down," said General Manger Kevin Pritchard in a team press release. "Getting the opportunity to play extended minutes is an important step in his rookie season, and we saw good results from his last trip there."
McRoberts averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 26.5 minutes in eight games with the Stampede from Jan. 9-Feb. 3 and now with 15 games remaining for the Blazers, it appears as if McRoberts could be down on the farm for the rest of the regular season.
