and it’s based on injuries and future injury-proneness. The injury bug has bitten all of our Big Three repeatedly, and that’s cause for concern to me. If Oden comes back healthy and Dwight Howard-level monstrous, then I’ll gladly eat my words. But in two years, we need Oden > Chandler, because Paul > Roy and West = LMA (in two years I feel that this will be true—their sophomore stats are nearly mirror images of one another).

For the moment, looking at the success that the Hornets are already having that we’re only hoping to have soon, I’d go with their Terrific Trio.

I would take the Blazers core without blinking. Outside of Dwight, there’s not a big in there that can be in the same sentence with Oden in a few years. Paul and LBJ are special but their supporting cast isn’t (I like West but he’s no all-star w/o CP3).

But New Orleans is already there.

Everyone on this site would pick the blazers core since they are the best choice.

However, for me, it was a close choice between us and the Lakers.

that every one is talking about them contending with us but I see one big problem with them: Peja.

He is their 3rd leading scorer and hits .441 from 3 opening up the lane for Paul and West to work. He also hits .440 from the field so he is a threat from anywhere on the court. He is also 30 and should begin to slow down here in a few years as he has already began declining as this year as his scoring has decreased the past few years
16.4 this year,
17.8,
18.2,
20.1,
with a high of 24.2 in 03-04

He was out 5 games and the won 3 but 2 of them were against Seattle, the other win was against Phx but only by 3 and Den and we beat them without Peja. Once he goes out they will lose a lot of their scoring. Of course this doesnt take into account Paul getting better, but he is playing so well right now it is hard to see him getting loads better.

I went with the Lakers. They were the best team in the West and we haven’t even seen Bynum together with Pau yet. This team is going to be scary good for the next 5 years. Once Kobe is no longer elite, their run will be over, but I think they are a surer bet to win a title with their core than New Orleans or the Blazers.

Note that I’m just talking basketball here- I’d much rather ROOT for our guys than the Lakers, but with the uncertainty around Oden and the absolute certainty that Kobe and CP3 are both way better than anyone we have right now, I’d have to rank it like this:

1) Lakers
2) Hornets
3) Blazers
4) Jazz
5) Magic

If Oden turns out to be better than Bynum and a few other things go our way, I could easily imagine us shooting up to #1. Its just that the Lakers and Hornets are ALREADY contending and there’s still a lot that could go wrong for us.

that said, I think Kobe’s team will dominate for the next 2-3 years. After that, it’s all Portland.

I don’t see how a true fan (I’m not trying to call anyone out, though) could choose another team. Part of being a fan of a team is forming a (one-sided) relationship with the players. I feel like Brandon, LaMarcus, and Greg are friends of mine. Would you trade three of your friends for three other guys? Even if they bought all your beer? I wouldn’t.

I can appreciate haggling over statistical differences and projections of future success, but I just plain like all the guys on our team. Even if they don’t win a championship in the next 5 years, I like them and will stand by them.

I could much more easily answer this question if the Blazers weren’t included at all, but including them in the choices introduces a whole host of confounding factors that aren’t even remotely related to performance on the court.

It’s an interesting question, but I wouldn’t expect to gain too much insight by asking it of such a biased sample.

Slugging it out for the title every year for the next ten years. Sweet! We need stiff competition to make our eventual dominance official.

Only because I have yet to see what Oden can bring. If you ask me next year, I’ll probably say the Blazers. Ugh…now I have to take a shower or change my screen name. Feel so dirty.

Do I want to win now or in the future.

Nawlins is rawkin but what if Peja goes down again? They have an excellent mix that is rather shakey. YOu need that strong inside presence and sharp shooting scoring for this team to work.

The you have the fawkers. I think they have a good chance of surviving for at the championship level for 4-5 years before the blazers do some bumping. You have an up and coming center and honestly this team would be my second choice.

Blazers. You have uncertainty but HUGE potential and a LONG window where the other teams windows are smaller. this is the depends part. Do I want the chance now and almost certain, or slightly less certain but for the next 10 years? Aldridge will get better and be great. I see Roy playing at his current level and only making minor improvements. Oden is uncertain but his mediocre potential could take us to the championships and his max potential will cause us to dominate. also, you have Rudy on the wings.

Cavs: will never make it without something more for James. Jordan had Pippen.

Utah: HAHAHA not happening. they are just not good enough.

Magic: Sorry… Dwight is a beast but he’s not a leader. that team lacks the player that will take them over the top. Lewis that was not. I’m just glad blazer management wasn’t stupid enough to attempt to match that pricing.

NO won´t have a ring in the next 20 years.
From 2010 is “Blazers win” and only Blazers for a decade.

Randolph, Curry and Marbury!!

New York, New York baby!! Hows that for a 1/4/5 combo?

I don’t think Utah has quite what it takes without a real center. I realize they’ve got some bruisers down there, but who will stop Oden? Who will stop Aldridge? Who will stop Roy? We match up too well with them.

The L@kers is the same thing… sure maybe we don’t have an answer for Kebo, but Pau will get run over by Oden or LaMarcus, Odom can’t hang with either of them either, we’ve got 6 extra fouls for both of them off the bench with Frye and Przy, and who can contest Roy? He took it right to Kobe this year.

New Orleans isn’t as deep as we are, and again look at the match ups. Do I think we can stop CP3… maybe not. But he won’t be able to stop Roy either. And with two hyper athletic bigs (and two more off the bench) we have the manpower to overwhelm them.

I don’t see how anyone else will pose any legitmate threats at this point.

We have the best core.