One correction:

I believe the Honorable Mention occurs if even one GM (possibly your own) puts your name down, so bear that in mind.

It’s specifically noted in the article that GM’s cannot vote for their own folks, in the italics section:

General managers were not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel.

Figured you might want to knock that part of the post out.

Just got back from the game…………………………..

Blazer fans: Prepare to meet Mr. Greg Oden. I mean the real Greg Oden.

Last year? Let me tell you what last year’s Greg Oden was:

1. The ugly duckling.
2. The caterpillar in the cocoon.
3.Cinderella scrubbing the floors
4. Peyton Manning year 1

Very soon, Greg Oden is going to rock the NBA. No brainer. Book it.

What I observed from the big man tonight changes everything every GM has said, written or talked about up to now.

Wow.

We here in the Pacific NW could care less about your stinkin’ poles!!

for defender least surprisingly most overrated by NBA General Managers.

    Interesting. But as far as Brandon Roy being poised for a “Breakout” season? While I think he can improve, and with the improvement of himself and the team perhaps gain a higher profile among the N.B.A. elite, I hardly would call Brandon worthy of the definition of about to “Breakout”. All Brandon has done since entering the league is Rookie of The Year, All-Star, All-Star…..? That’s pretty “Breakout” already if you ask me.

   I’d even be a little insulted if I was Aldridge. He’s been very consistent. I guess I just see “Breakout” as being a player or players that significantly increase their personal contribution to their respective teams. So I think you could apply that definition to Oden, since I think he could really “Breakout” or expand his role this season. But I think it’s clearly too late to apply that definition to Brandon. Once a guy has been Rookie Of The Year and a two time All-Star isn’t it too late for him to “Breakout”?

   As a Blazer fan, the more I look at the results the more unsettled I become. Seems like The Blazers are being evaluated at arms length to “success”. We are the potential division winners being afforded the least respect.

   Getting so much most likely to breakout attached to your team and players IS kind of a cop out and insulting. So if Brandon, LMA and Oden…and thus The Blazers really “Breakout” and have a great season and a great post season, all these GM’s can go back and say, I knew The Blazers were poised to breakout….

   But conversely, if for some reason Brandon, LMA or Oden were to struggle or The Blazers underachieve in light of local preseason expectations then all these most likely to “Breakout” predictions just get forgotten.

   I’m probably just being a typical Homer fan, but I think The Blazers deserve a little more respect. Unfortunately, to really get GM’s and a lot of the rest of the N.B.A. evaluating world to recognize it looks like we will have to make the playoffs and advance…..if that’s breaking out? So be it….I think it is going to happen and if it comes as too much of a suprise to anyone then they haven’t been paying attention to what has been building here the past few years.

  Plus to continue my rant just a little longer….Can’t McMillan get a little respect? Olympic Team, plus since he’s come here each year has IMO offered nothing but a changing but incredible challenge. A team in transistion, based on youth that went from Zach Randolph centered….to Brandon Roy and a real total team mentality. If you look at the past 3 years what coach yearly faced more challenge and has expedited success and gotten the most out of their team? Honorable mention as a motivator? Keep it…McMillan deserves at least to be in the running with the other coaches as one of the leagues best.

  This season McMillan once again faces a new challenge. Now expectations are as high as they have ever been, and he still has a young roster but now one that is considered incredibly deep. So if he is able to keep harmony, find a succesful balance, and coach The Blazers to 2nd round or Finals will somebody at least consider that maybe he is more than just a good motivator?

   Seems to me almost every season McMillan has coached The Blazers has come with more than your average # of challenges and a whole bunch of landmine built in excuses or reasons The Blazers could fail. This is really the first season where it’s a little bit the opposite inwhich The Blazers are generally expected to succeed. So far McMillan has done nothing but helm The Blazers re-emergence and development of youth masterfully. So like Brandon Roy, at some point I ask what must McMillan do just to get recognized as one of the better all around coaches in the league?

  As a Blazer fan I don’t like to be too paranoid or small town thinking, but sometimes I think we could be hoisting The Trophy and pouring champagne in celebration of a championship and just then and only then would some of the N.B.A. world wake up and go….Hmm…The Blazers might be pretty good….

…is that perceptions always trail reality. Think of how many references we saw to Jail Blazers 2 years ago, after the turnaround had already begun.

Same thing going on here. Until the Blazers actually win something (other than the right to draft 1st), the team has nothing more than the dreaded “potential”.

… think of us right now. They are predestined to be in the same category as those people who step off the curb without looking and thus get run over by a bus.