How Outlaw and Batum's injuries might be good for the Blazers in the long run

As a disclaimer: We never want to see any Blazer get hurt.  If he's under contract and wearing a uniform, we want them healthy, happy, and productive.  This is my attempt to look at the silver lining of a less-than-deal situation, although I think many of these scenarios will end up playing-out pretty accurately.

Other than Greg Oden's development, the biggest issue/story of the pre-season and early season has been minute,s and how they are distributed amongst all of our young, talented players.  It's the one curse of having a roster loaded with young talent: keeping everyone happy with their role and playing time.  In regards to playing time, the biggest question was at the 3, how Nate would divide the playing time to keep Batum, Webster, and Outlaw happy.  On the heels of that discussion came many suggestions that we should trade Outlaw for help at the 1 or the 4 (pre Andre Miller signing).  I was surprised by those ovations considering the versatility and scoring punch Outlaw brings to the table for us.  Nonetheless, there was some logic behind the argument.

Fast forward to today:  minutes problem - solved.  With both Nicolas Batum and Outlaw out for 3-5 months (putting them back with the squad sometime in the late spring) the issue of competition at the 3 is irrelevant (for now).  And what Blazer fan isn't thoroughly appreciative that we didn't make some of the suggested trades with our wing players, which has kept the outlook during this injury-riddled portion of the season more positive than it would have been otherwise?  Our depth and talent that were once considered an "issue" are now our saving grace.

It definitely hurts to lose 2 players that were major contributors to the team; Batum as a starter and Travis as the main man off the bench, not to mention the versatility and depth they give us.  But I think in the long-run this could end up being a good thing for the Blazers, for the following reasons:

1)  The Blazers will be fine

Unless we have some major unforeseen collapse, the Blazers will still make the playoffs, and Batum and Outlaw will be back when we do.  We still have Miller/Blake, Roy, Aldridge, and Oden to get us there.  Those players alone should ensure we make the playoffs at a decent seed, let alone the presence of Rudy and Martell.  We're one of the few teams that could endure losses like this and not have much of a letdown.  Both guys will be back for the playoffs, so we will be at full strength when it really counts

2)  It will help the players that were buried on the bench

The loss of these 2 guys should help develop some of our players that weren't seeing many minutes to start the season.  Rudy and Martell, and even Bayless (and maybe Cunningham?) will see more minutes with them out.  For Rudy we will see if he can shoulder more of an offensive load and be a go-to guy for us, which will help us determine his future and value with the organization.  Martell won't have to look over his shoulder as much and can focus on playing, and the Blazers can evaluate where he stands in the small forward rotation once everyone is back and healthy.  It should also give Martell experience, especially on the defensive end, to prepare him for when we need him to step up in the playoffs and guard some of the league's elite scorers.  And if Cunningham gets any run, it was more than he was going to get, so that can't be bad.  Most importantly, it lets Rudy and Martell establish value.  Rudy was a reserve and was good in spots last year, and Martell is coming off a year-long injury.  Regardless of whether they remain Blazers or not, the extended playing time will increase their value (hopefully), either in experience, or for trade value should we want to move them for other assets at some point

3)  We might be able to keep Travis, and keep him cheaper

It's a contract year for Travis, and as much as I'd like to see him get paid "Like outta this world" - I don't think that would happen with the Blazers.  This injury might be a blessing in disguise for us, as with a depressed league economy and a ridiculous free agent class, teams might be less willing to shell out money for a guy coming off a long-time injury, and the Blazers might be able to retain him for less than we would have otherwise.  This could also become a null point if Travis comes back and kills in the playoffs and actually raises his value - but as a fan that's a terrific turnout as well

All said and done - I think this time will be a great test for the Blazers, and dealing with the adversity of losing two main contributors for a majority of the season will make us stronger in the end-game.  At the same time, it will help us really identify the value of these players, something that would have been harder to do with everyone healthy and playing.

How do you think it will turn out?