Portland Trail Blazers forward Thomas Robinson has had quite the interesting start to his career in the NBA, getting traded from the Sacramento Kings after being a top 10 pick and then getting moved again to the Blazers after the Rockets wanted to make room for Dwight Howard, but now the star says he is happy.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Robinson said that he feels "wanted" by his new team and he is ready to step up and help the team win. Robinson was traded to help make room for Dwight Howard and the Kings trade likely was a mistake, as the team never got the chance to sign any of the major free agents this past offseason. Robinson won't be a starter in Portland, but he says the team has plenty of young talent to work with and now that he has played with Houston and Sacramento, he is ready to stick in one city.
Robinson could have ended up being a jaded player, but instead it seems he has embraced his journey in the NBA and now he has the chance to do something special in Portland, as the team has players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and with Robinson in the fold maybe the team can make a run to the playoffs again.
Robinson was originally traded from the Kings, where he was drafted, to the Rockets before moving to the Blazers and now the young star is with his third team after being taken number five in the NBA draft last season. His time with the Rockets was short, but he made an impression on fellow traded star James Harden, who told Pro Basketball Talk that he feels that Robinson can become a great player while in Portland.
Amazingly, Robinson was taken ahead of players like Damian Lillard and Harrison Barnes in the draft and now the Blazers have two of those names on the same roster after dealing for Robinson. The young star will likely serve as a backup to LaMarcus Aldridge, who has been rumored in trade talks all offseason, especially last week when reports came out that he met with management to work out ideas for a trade. Reports said that the team went to a number of teams with an offer, including the Bulls, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Clippers and others. Aldridge said that he preferred the Chicago Bulls, but right now that deal seems unlikely.
The website relayed some quotes from CSNNW.com that Harden made about Robinson and he spoke about the player and said that he would work well in Portland with the Blazers. Harden called Robinson a beast and said that he is a very hard worker, solid rebounder and a player that has the chance to turn his career around in Portland. Robinson has all the talent in the world and he was traded mostly for his situation rather than the skills he possesses and now it seems that he will stay in Portland for at least a little while, especially after playing in the Vegas summer league and averaging 10.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks through five games.
Harden went on to say that Robinson will be a player that can stick around in the league and play solid basketball, adding that he thinks he can be a special player and that the trades will motivate him to get better. Portland has a number of young players that need time to develop and Robinson is now one of those stars after making the jump from Houston.
