Reaching for a bar that is set too high?

Not gonna happen so dont worry about it.
But, You talked about what goes up must come down. I think we did it the opposite way. This franchise has been down for so long we are due for some success. I will never forget the damn shaq ally-oop from kobe in the comback playoff victory when he runs down court with his huge gaping mouth pointing at kobe. Not to mention the worst record reciently. "what goes down must come up"

to make the right decision. He is the master at talent evaluation. That's why he takes so much of Mr. Allen's Big $$$$ to the bank every week.

The dude (KP) will choose the right dude (the guys that have "D's" in their names).

Worry not, my rp34 friend...

...for Oden to have his off games, just like any other player. He's human.
Certainly we'll see his strengths, but a great team will find & exploit his weaknesses, too. Like every other player.
But, with the improvements from last season, I'm seeing real positives. Oden may very well glue all that together this year or next. Sergio's playing more and more like his idol, Steve Nash. The Freddie Jones Alley-Oop's? shivers
And B-Roy? Nothing needs to be said.
We'll be cool.

Everyone in this blog is posting assumptions.  We assume that Oden will be magnificent because the media says so, because he out performed the rival for the top draft spot, because someone, somewhere said he's going to be the best.

I'm feeling positive that there will be success for Oden.  That wasn't my point.  My point was, what if Oden's success doesn't turn into Blazer's success.  

Bowie failed to bring this franchise a championship.  To make matters worse, the person that was taken directly after him turned out to be the Greatest of All Time.  

For those who followed the Blazers during that time, our pain wasn't really felt until a few years later, when it was painfully clear that Bowie was a flop and MJ was lighting it up for 30 a night.  

Since no-one is officially capable of predicting the future, leaving an unknown present in the average fan's psyche, how would you feel if the other draft pick succeeded, when the our draft pick failed?

But alas, I would spoil the granularity of our enjoyment stream by chunking it up with theoreticals.

But remember, Zbo once had a 95% favorable vote, Darius Miles had a 90% and Theo Ratliff had a 98%, but we all know how that turned out.

No one is a sure thing in this league.  That's what makes it interesting..

We pick Oden and he doesn't perform as high as hoped... but I think it would take several seasons before my hopes are dashed.  I expect it will take time for his skills to peak, so I don't see myself throwing in the towel early.  That said, I'm really confident he'll deliver.  And from what I've heard from him and our other young core, I just don't see any possible ego conflict occuring outside of Zach, who may not be around anyway.  If Durant becomes the superstar of these two, that's just bad luck.  Picking Oden means dreaming of a dynasty.

If we pick Durant, I think things are more risky.  I'd still give him time to develop, but I'll really compare his contributions to that of Oden.  I'm a bit worried that his need for the ball could cause a problem with other players down the road.  Part of me is also worried that he'll have a 'Stache-like impact, although I'm sure even worst case scenario he'll be better than Morrison.  If Oden ends up dominating the league in this case, I would definitely have a chip on my shoulder for a long time.

We were dreamed of a repeat, a threepeat (only that word didn't exist then)... a dynasty and it all came crashing down with Walton.  We thought Clyde and Terry & Buck & Duck could do it all.  They couldn't.

So I see possibilities.  I see the rainbow up there, but if it doesn't really end at a pot of gold, I can still enjoy the rainbow.  So if Oden gets run over by a runaway driverless delivery truck and ends up with two broken legs I'm not going to jump off the Marquam Bridge.  I'm going to be unhappy if Seattle/OKC/KC finishes above us in the division, but I'm not going to blame Oden or Pritchard or Mother Nature. It's been known a long time as the "breaks of the game".

I'm along for the ride and I hope it's wild and wonderful, surprising and sweet, but if it's not all those I will still have enjoyed it.  

did it really hurt the franchise? We enjoyed alot of success after that by making it to the finals twice. If Oden gets bad feet and has to retire early, I'll be ok with that, even if Durant turns into Jordan part 2 because I want Oden. But if the Blazers pick Durant and he busts while Oden is dominating in Seattle, I'm gonna be pissed.

Portland fails to succeed except perhaps through injuries and nobody can get too upset about that.  Whether that means a championship (and how soon that would be) is too far away to judge.  We haven't even BEGUN to explore what it really takes to get all the way, or even close to all the way.  As the Suns and Mavs are finding out, there are SO many things that can get in your way...little twists of fate that seem small at the time but change the course of destiny for you.  I dare not even speculate seriously that we could get past those when we haven't been within sniffing distance of any position where we could even experience them for years.

However, I am VERY confident that Portland will succeed and will be heard from in the coming years.  I am confident because I see us building on foundations that can't lose:  smarts, unselfishness, defense.  I see Oden fitting right into that, which to me (along with his talent) makes him a no-brainer.  I think there's a decent chance he does turn into Superman, but even if he doesn't he's going to be really good as long as he follows those three mantras.  His athleticism and height alone will take care of that.

I would not be surprised to see Durant get a quicker start in the league.  I would also not be overly disappointed if we didn't make much noise next year, up to and including missing the playoffs again.  Though I hope at least this time it would be barely missing instead of getting torpedoed.  What happens in the short term, good or bad, isn't going to phase me much.  Like a professional poker player, I'm pretty sure that, whatever vagaries luck may bring right now, given enough hands the cream is going to rise to the top.  We just have to worry about getting the creamy players and continuing to develop their skills and teamwork.

--Dave

KP took care of the first 2 (of 3) in last years draft. What's he going to do now that he's handed (on a silver plate) the #1 pick with this crop of incoming talent?

I trust he will make sure that we will add the third piece required to go deep, deep. deep. So let's just wait and see just who it is going to be shall we? And when his name is called out, you gatta believe it was the right one. In KP we trust! Can we please stop with the Sam Bowie comparison with this years draft? Jerome Kersey is no longer on the team to fall on anybodys shin, OUCH!

I will probably like any player drafted by the Blazers - because they play for the Blazers - unless and until they do something heinous (which does not include strip clubs, but does include, oh, say, SHOOTING outside of strip clubs or other idiocies).  

If the player proves to be transcendent, that's a bonus.

I liked Sam Bowie.  Bummer about his legs.  I never did tell my former beloved our second offspring was named after Bowie.  (Well, heck, "Sam" was a thousand times better than than his suggestion, anyway.)