Over Valued Talent

I thought Rudy got robbed. And I don’t think Shannon Brown is better than Rudy, and Kyle Lowry? Scrub. I guess it’s your opinion, and I agree we DO over value some players.

but yeah, we do tend to overvalue players

but you…

Tom, you really got things riled up around here. Nobody really answered your main point. They were too caught up arguing about the stupid dunk contest. I agree that we overvalue our players as do most teams. This OKC game really exposed our offensive (and I mean that any way you want to take it) shortcomings. I have recently come around to the realization that Rudy, Bayless, Webster, Blake, and Outlaw could go away if we could get something in return and I would have no problem with it. They are not core players.

The romance in the league with young and promising teams is out of hand.

that will be all

before you call them, “garbage,”?

and am not able to properly deliver my opinion in an understandable fashion. But I do I feel that I understand your anxiety.

Where exactly do we go from here?

Do we have “great young talent”, or is this what you get from a group of not fully developed guys who are supposed to be role players in this system?

Many of them are still quite young… would these players (minus Roy and Oden) develop into a more impactful squad?

Is the system at fault or would we get killed by speeding up the game?

Did we do the right thing in building around Roy, LMA, and Oden? After all, Oden and Roy have both fought injuries throughout their careers and LMA is inconsistent. Whether these 3 can even play together (STILL!) remains to be seen. Our core, the 3 guys that most fans pin championship hopes on, how many games have they even played together in the last 3 years!?! 50? 75?

Will Marty ever learn how to drive off the dribble?

Will Blake ever make shots at the levels of yesteryear?

Will Rudy be able to thrive in a such a static system that depends on fixed sets, or does he need a faster, more flowing offense to have a real impact?

Will we ever acknowledge that B-Rex is undersized at the 2 and is not a 1, but instead is the classic (dreaded) short combo guard?

Will Travis really matter once he’s back?

Can a 31 year old Przybilla come back and be able to start? (in the event Oden goes down again… which at this point has to remain a possibility)

What could we even get if we packaged up some of this talent?

Will we ever have a player who can, night in and night out, establish himself on the block with a back-to-the-basket game and get us some easy baskets?

Is this in all earnestness truly a lost season?

You mean to tell me we really have to wait for the injury bug to pass? Really?

If (big, Big, BIG IF) Roy comes back, no one else gets hurt (I know, I know… a really big IF), and Oden is back and in shape by the playoffs (I said it was a big IF, didn’t I?), what does that mean? Would we be the dark horse?

Do the OKC Thunder have a more promising future than us?

Will we ever admit to botching Oden/Durant sweepstakes? (I know all about our team’s need and circumstance at the time… the question remains.)

Where exactly do we go from here?

And at the end of the day, all I can do is turn on the game and hope my team wins.

Quit playing with my emotions, Basketball Gods! My current level of anxiety is sure to shorten my life by 5-10 years!

This year is the last of the rebuilding years for the Blazers. We all thought our championship window was open this year, but due to injuries it will not open until next year. But Blazer management MUST move to win-now mode. The “try-outs” they’ve been running for the last three years need to be over. Pick a player to “make the team”, like Batum. Cut a player (via trade) like Webster.
Other than San Antonio, the NBA champions in the last decade won by acquiring a top player via trade or free agency. (Shaq to the Lakers, Shaq to the Heat, Gasol to the Lakers, Garnett to the Celtics, etc.)
The Blazers need to make a big trade to get “real talent” (as the OP said), and focus on winning in 2011.
Please, Pritchard, do something now.