Sunday Chatter: Where is This Team Headed?
by Dave on Jan 30, 2011 1:13 AM PST
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PrintFor all of the minutiae discussed about the Portland Trail Blazers on a daily basis here and around the blogosphere, there's one topic that most are dancing around. You can find plenty of suggestions about pre-deadline trades, Greg Oden's re-signing potential, and Brandon Roy's knees or lack thereof. Sometimes I think we delve into detail specifically to avoid addressing the bigger question in all of this: What will it amount to? There's no doubt the apple cart got upset this winter. Maybe it will never be fixed. Maybe it'll be repaired but the apples will be wormy or delivered too late. Or maybe everything will be just fine.
Personally I can't think of a single move or likely development that's going to set this team back on track because I don't even know what the track looks like anymore. Another way of saying it is, "Back on track to what???" That makes discussing specifics difficult.
So let's devote a chat thread just to this topic. What does (and/or should) the Blazers' future look like. I'm not talking this month or even this year, but two, three, four years down the road. Where is the team headed and on what are you basing those assertions?
Weigh in below.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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Who knows
I never seen a team in any sport at any level have worse luck or be harder to predict than the Blazers. Who knows what the future holds? Will Roy be back at a high level? Will Oden ever play a full season? Will they ever be able to sign a center without his knee spontaneously exploding? If you know the answers to any of these questions you’re a much smarter fan than me.
JRogero
clipper curse
They had to become the red headed step child of the NBA before anything good happened to them. And if you wanna say “what good, their record sucks,” just reference the thunders first season with durrant
by lcmonkey05 on Jan 30, 2011 3:50 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
The Clippers and Blazers are totally different stories.
It’s the difference between being laughed at and laughed with.
wha??
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 30, 2011 10:10 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
A friend just visited LA and says there's a Clippers banner that says,
“Rise With Us”.
Stealth > Wealth
Oh no, their slogan is COMPLETELY different. They have periods.
Rise. With Us.
(Lawdy, if you worked for an ad agency and you were hired to come up with a slogan for an NBA team, wouldn’t you at least get an intern to check out what other teams are using?)
Wiggada Wiggada Zers!
If I worked for an ad agency, I'd come up with the laziest slogan I could that'd get me paid.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
Something big.
After all the daydreaming and the expectations, Mr. Allen and the rest of us fans want more. We want too see a roster with big possibilities. Its going to take alot to get us really excited. We actually believed we would be battling for a championship soon. Wow. That’s a hard act to follow. Go Blazers.
by lamarkable on Jan 30, 2011 1:29 AM PST via mobile reply actions
mediocraty
I love the blazers, but they are missing the main piece of the puzzle. Roy’s knee’s scare me. I think Oden will eventually be healthy (especially with a potential stirke increased layoff), but will never fully be the force he was expected to be. Without the main ‘superstar’ hub in place (Roy with bad knee’s does not count), the team as constructed will not compete for anything other than a low playoff seed. I hope I am wrong. Go Trailblazers!!!
"Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis" Dave 12/18/08
by shua on Jan 30, 2011 1:51 AM PST via mobile reply actions
and for those of you wondering....
I have no idea how to spell mediocrity (sp?).
"Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis" Dave 12/18/08
by shua on Jan 30, 2011 1:53 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
that is correct
Harry Bosch: "Everybody counts....or nobody counts."
by 92wastheyear on Jan 30, 2011 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
Doom. DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
We don’t have a franchise player anymore. Aldridge has gone from good to great this year, but he is not an elite, game-changing level player. At least maybe not yet, not until he can deal with double teams and have a coach and team that knows how to get the most out of him. There’s a lot of teams that can do that with a great PF in the same mold and a bunch of B level players (see the Mavs most of this past decade) but none that can get us to a championship.
I’ve kind of come to the acceptance of who the Blazers are: mediocre. If the best you can hope to squeeze out of this team is the 7th or 8th playoff spot, that’s more of a curse than a blessing because you have no shot at the lottery.
It’s time to move on from Greg Oden and, sadly, Brandon Roy as the player we knew him. Someone will throw far more money at Oden than he’s worth, and maybe he will and maybe he won’t get past his injury problems- but it won’t be in Portland, sadly enough. Roy to his credit is doing all he can to still play at a high level, but who knows how much he can contribute? He’s no longer a player that we can rely on as the cornerstone of the franchise.
This team is headed to 40-something win fodder until they either crash out or are able to make a sweeping change via trades. If you look at all the Finals teams for the past decade, all of them have been top 3 seeds, and all of them have won at the very least 56 games except for the 04 Pistons (who won 54, only two games less than the overhyped Lakers) and the 06 Heat (who had, surprisingly, the biggest upset being a 52-win team beating the 60-win Mavs). The NBA is a very top heavy league and if you can’t break through to that 50-something win plateau every year, there’s not much to look forward to unless you have a lottery pick and an exciting young prospect.
I would rather watch a young 7-8 seed playoff team
Then go back to watching lottery balls and hoping to catch the next big thing. I would rather be Utah than the Clippers. I would rather be consistent than “boom or bust”.
The team is still young, if we are making the playoffs every year that says something about the talent on this team, and since they are young we can probably expect improvements along the way. Yeah, it might never win a championship, but we don’t know until we have paid our dues in the playoffs and the youngsters have learned the playoff game. To win a championship takes both luck and fortitude.
by Sir.Ludo on Jan 30, 2011 2:32 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs
But why?
I’m not saying it’s fun to be the Clippers nor should we try to head ourselves in that direction.. but for what it’s worth, even the Clippers themselves have a better outlook for their future than the Blazers do with Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin. If you swapped Donald Sterling for Paul Allen, I’d guarantee you the Clips would be a contender very, very soon. We can be happy that we have an ownership group that can and will spend money to win, but I’d rather see this team do whatever it can to acquire good players than never win a championship.
The reality of it is that the NBA is structured in such a way that if you’re not one of the top 3-4 teams in your conference, you have no chance at a title. We can still be consistent, as long as we’re not consistently bad. The Celtics had a hell of a drought between Len Bias and Kevin Garnett (minus a couple random playoff appearances with Antoine Walker and Pierce earlier this decade) but look at them now. I’d much rather be in their shoes then be where we are.
Winning a championship doesn’t take luck. Seven game series assure that. Winning a championship take talent, and how many players on our roster are desirable enough to any of the 29 other teams in the NBA that they’d call a “crucial piece”? Would the Lakers love to have a guy like Batum replace Artest? Would the Celtics kill for Wesley Matthews to take over Ray Allen? Would the Thunder want Greg Oden or Brandon Roy? (lol)
I love these guys and I love their perseverance but I love it when they win more than anything else. To each their own.
The REALITY right now...
…is that if you’re not the Celtics, L@kers, Spurs or Heat you have no chance at a title!..
The surrender it all to win a championship approach is much more likely to turn you into a bottom feeder then a champion.
I really don’t understand your logic to,“move on from Oden and Roy”? Cutting them loose alone doesn’t make us a championship contender. The challenge remains to get those title caliber stars to Portland. Giving up the Batums, LMA’s, Roy’s and Oden’s may, by some estimations, make it harder to get those players here.
The underlying, but obvious path you are suggesting is to get bad enough to miss the playoffs and get into the lottery. How many times has that ploy worked? How many champions have been built that way? How do you propose we get these “crucial pieces”? How many years of lottery pergatory will it take to draft enough blue chippers to be a contender?
My opinion is that it is very, very unlikely that your idea makes us any better long term but it does guarantee we will be worse now… and for the forseeable future.
Personally . . .
I’m weighing the whole notion of being amused by corporate sports. The Blazers were my first, and the one I have the hardest time letting go. But the economics are just criminal. There’s no way public subsidies for sports can be justified or tolerated. I’ll probably end up following every Blazer development for years to come, the same way I went ape-poop when Allen’s hobby ant-farm got lucky in the lottery and won the right to draft Oden.
I shouldn’t enjoy this stuff, but I do. I shouldn’t be interested or invested in how zillionaires wearing one costume do against zillionaires sporting another costume, but I am.
Shouldn’t it be time for me to let go? There’s no better opportunity. The team is not in good shape. I have other things in my life to focus on. But some part of my brain that registered pleasure when this uniform did well keeps greedily hungering for more.
And apparently this is the case for most NBA lovers, as only a tiny handful of teams contend for a championship but 25 other fanbases still exist . . . I don’t know if my Blazers addiction is a good thing or bad thing.
Unfortunately, for us rationalizers, basketball is a sick-awesome exciting sport . . .
by twinsbrewer on Jan 30, 2011 4:28 AM PST reply actions 7 recs
I wish I could rec this twice.
Wow. This is samurai-sword sharp.
I have the rational vs. emotional argument often. I wonder about the extent of my passion, as it relates to being an adult.
And I still go to games, wear Blazer t-shirts to my semi-white-collar job, and take crappy losses to the Kings personally.
Great post.
by FlyingOutlaw on Jan 30, 2011 12:31 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks for the nice words
Incidentally, it’s only in the last few years that I stopped blaming myself for Blazer losses . . . aka, I didn’t wear my jersey proudly enough, I went to the bathroom at the wrong time, etc. All, I think, stemming from the 2001 conference finals game where a friend slapped me on the back after the third quarter ended and said, in congratulatory mode, “you guys can’t lose this now!” (I still blame him for that one.)
So, I think, as it relates to Being an Adult, you’re probably way ahead of me . . . but it’s the journey, not the destination, right? (riiiiggghhhttt . . .)
Cognitive dissonance is a dog in heat.
No matter how much you try to ignore it, it just plain stinks.
I’d enjoy the NBA a lot more if it was player-owned.
Stealth > Wealth
How about municipally owned --
— like the Green Bay Packers?
Oh, wait, I forgot . . . the NBA, NFL, and MLB all have clauses prohibiting any future public ownership of their teams. They don’t want more Green Bays, and they have federal anti-trust exemptions making this collusion legal. Too bad, as a place like PDX would be perfect to try that experiment and see if it might work . . . Still, maybe something to think about if PA (who is not healthy) has thoughts down the road of moving or contracting the team. Those anti-trust exemptions might or might not stand up in court; to my knowledge, they’ve never been seriously challenged.
Of course I would love that, but it'd be a tough sell to a lot of Portlanders.
I’m all about worker-owned business, and I think the players would do a fine job. The cities should own the arenas, but the players union should dictate wages (contracts), benefits, and scheduling.
Stealth > Wealth
It's just a moot point right now
It might not be in the future, if the worst happens. Say that occurs, I actually think Portlanders could maybe be more receptive to creative thinking than most. They’re quite an odd mix . . .
Noooooooo!
Can you imagine the City of Portland, or Portlanders collectively, trying to manage a professional sports franchise? A city known for its weirdness, its differentness, its quirkiness, trying to run an NBA team? I hope this is intended as a joke, folks, because it sounds like a plot line from the new ch 503 comedy series “Portlandia”.
Win the day!
Green Bay does it just fine, thank you
And they’re arguably weirder than Portland. They even drink more.
Again, right now, this is moot. But if the day ever comes where the options are A) let the team be contracted/moved or B) challenge the NBA’s antitrust exemption in court, what would be the harm in trying?
I can’t imagine how Portland citizens, no matter how “quirky,” could possibly run a team worse than, say, Donald Sterling . . .
When riches hits opposed to when poverty strikes.
When the Blazers are doing great, we have a tendency to just tweak the team just a little to make it look better and make us feel better,
When everything goes bad, we go back to making sure our survival kit is in tact, what-ever that may be.
So to Dave’s question of Where are we headed and what is back on track, I would have to say have enough healthy players to play the game. So us getting back on track is getting healthy. Once healthy then we feel good and we can worry about tweaking the team.
We are currently only mediocre because of injury. Do we really expect our B players to play as good as our elite players with the difference in their salary? Maybe Rudy saying he isn’t Brandon Roy meant that BRoy got the dough for being elite and he feels he is elite but is not getting the dough.
Lets get healthy then worry about championships.
hg
The future
lies with Cho obviously. Even with the big three of Roy, Aldridge and Oden it was questionable. It used to be said that to win a championship you need a Superstar and a Star. Like for instance Jordan and Pippen. That third option is what we’ve had in the past few years but of course injuries nixed any hope of even that developing into a near contender. I suppose you could count any of Roy, Aldridge or Oden as a Number 2 but really none qualified as a number one type super star. I suppose you could count Boston as a team without a superstar that won it all but don’t tell Pierce. That brings up the next ingredient of a good coach. Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich stand out today. Pat Riley and Jack Ramsey come to mind as great coaches of the recent and not so recent past. ISO Roy and McMillan did not equal championship and never would have.
The Blazers need a real Star player to build a team around!
The Blazers need a coach who understands Basketball fundamentals and can motivate!
So that is the question to me, can Cho find those two ingredients and then build a team?
Maybe we already have the team core we just need the other two ingredients.
In the meantime, I can still enjoy the team. When you see a play like the other day when Batum stole the Ball went full court and jammed it that is what makes it worthwhile. If it stops being entertaining then I’ll leave. I am a Blazers fan so I want my guys to do good!
Go Blazers!!
Mediocrity.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
come on AK
you can give us more than that. I’ve been waiting for you to chime in for quite awhile. Tell us what your thinking.
by toolman on Jan 30, 2011 6:15 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Ah, it's too much work.
Besides, there’s a lot of good posts in this thread with people picking up the slack for me.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
Cho is a realist.
Read the Cho interview and you will have the roadmap. Right now, Cho is starting with an average or slightly above average team.
He will do what Seattle/Oklahoma City did. As Cho said, he will not trade the team’s long term future for a short term fix. He already knows that he no longer has the assets to make this team a contender in the short term and the is not going to trade the teams core, which he identified as Aldridge, Batum and Matthews for that short term fix. Cho has repeatedly said he values draft picks, and is a little defensive about the Bayless trade to get one. His first move was not the best, but will not stop him from systematically dealing off the players we have who do not fit into the long term to get the picks necessary to build a long term future.
Roy’s interview the other day simply cemented Cho’s future strategy. As Roy said, he will not be able to play at the all-star level he once played at again, which makes him the $15 million 2nd team 6th or 7th man since he also will not be able to again play 30 or more minutes a game. And, he is still evaluating Oden.
In the end, we have three players Cho will keep, and everyone else is on the trading block. We currently have three centers, none of which will be around in a few years and have too much money tied up at that slot for the level of performance we’re getting. Miller is an interim player, who will also be gone. No one else has much value, so to get those picks he wants, these are the players we can expect to see traded.
Maybe Oden stays – but maybe he doesn’t. And Roy will be the boat anchor on the salary side, as he will be around for a four more years.
Under the circumstances, those constantly promoting trades had better look at the Cho interview because he will do what Seattle/OKC has done. He’ll dump the vets and their salaries for picks, or someone who will get a pick downstream, and build primarily through the draft and by dealing those picks.
But, he will not trade Aldridge, Batum or Matthews. So, any trade talked about that includes those three on this board will go nowhere.
by Eben Calder on Jan 30, 2011 6:38 AM PST reply actions 5 recs
Agree.
Of course, I also wish Cho would evaluate the fitness/training team. They may have stellar resumes and be very hard working; but their results are not what I consider acceptable.
I know basketball is physical sport where there will be injuries. However, it seems as though no other team has so many players fall and rupture tendons or run and tear miniscus as the Blazers have. (Joel, Jeff, Camby).
Also feel Batum should not have reinjured his shoulder last year.
Rudy should not have continual chronic back problems.
The way Oden has been handled is completely messed up.
Roy saw Outlaws foot problem before the trainers did.
Webster was traded with a back injury.
Juwann Howard remained healthy and trains every summer with Michael Jordan’s former trainer.
LMA has remained healthy and trained this summer with a Dallas Mavericks trainer.
Miller probably plays through injuries and probably does his own thing…seems as though he would do whatever HE thinks is best regardless.
Roy’s knees MAY have been in better shape had they had better preventative maintenance care…this is an unknown.
Dante is fine so far and so is Wesley Matthews…Wesley is new to the team this year though….
Anyway…I’d like to see Cho make some changes in this area.
What good is getting a super star or stars when the Blazer fitness/trainnig methods cannot seem to keep these guys healthy?
ESPECIALLY THE BIG GUYS…who are more prone to injury than the smaller players.
I wish this too.
Of course, I also wish Cho would evaluate the fitness/training team. They may have stellar resumes and be very hard working; but their results are not what I consider acceptable.
Not because I think it will change anything, but just to get people to stop talking about it and using it as a scapegoat.
Here’s a question: If our training staff has questionable methods, why hasn’t a single one of our veterans who have played on multiple teams prior to Portland ever said a single word about it? Take Marcus Camby. Another center out with a knee injury that required surgery, the typical Portland curse. He’s played for Toronto, New York, Denver and the Clippers. He’s been injured and recovered at every stop, so he’d be intimately familiar with each team’s training staff. Yet, he has only nice things to say.
Maybe we should blame Nate for getting guys to play hard, for lots of minutes. That’s a much more likely source/reason for injuries.
It’s not the training staff.
hear, hear
the “training staff is to blame” refrain needs to be restrained, indefinitely
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Jan 30, 2011 1:53 PM PST up reply actions
The reason players may not say anything is that I am sure the fitness/training staff does their job well.
I am not saying they are slackers or don’t know what they are doing. And they are probably also very likable.
They are probably doing what many of the other fitness/training staff on other teams do. There may just be some kind of combination of things or something that is missing…which players may not notice.
Also I do think there are varying styles and some of these seem to have better outcomes..ie: Phoenix, OKC.
My point is that it seems like a team would want the BEST POSSIBLE style/regimen for these multimillionaire athletes.
Jeff Pendergraph was on Talking Ball and said the Blazer fitness/training staff uses OLD SCHOOL methods..he also said there are other approaches out there that include other things..he was really tap dancing as though he didn’t want to burn any bridges….
Where Is This League Headed?
Will a new CBA change the dynamics of a league that favors glamor teams in big or tropical cities?
Get a PG
Out of Oden, Miller, Rudy, 1st round pick, cash package. Get Curry for that and we have a young core to build around. We are back on track for the 2012 draft and season.
Curry
Matthews
Batum
Aldridge
Beidrin
Roy 6th man
Roy 6th man
. I see a lot of fans stating this. I question Roy being able to play the hectic NBA schedule. An adequate NBA 6th man puts in a good chunk of minutes each and every game. Brandon’s knees seem to require multiple days off between games.
If the NBA had the typical schedule of a Euro league (2 games per week) I’d see Roy’s chances for becoming a sixth man more of a reality.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
what do you want to bet that Cho's reference to a young PG in return for Batum had a Curry context?
Honestly, how many other young point guards would be available for Batum?
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Jan 30, 2011 1:57 PM PST up reply actions
scratch that
replace Batum with LMA. Cho said a young PG would cost us Aldridge.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Jan 30, 2011 1:59 PM PST up reply actions
Personally I can’t think of a single move or likely development that’s going to set this team back on track because I don’t even know what the track looks like anymore.
Long term – It’s going to be an entirely new track that will be laid down by Rich Cho in the coming months/seasons. Obviously it has not been started yet and I’m going to guesstimate it’ll be a 3-5 year process once it does. Of the current roster, only one to two players (if any at all) will still be in Blazer uniforms once the train starts back up again.
Short term – Traditional Blazer mediocrity. Expect this team to get just healthy enough to where they start clicking and beat enough bad teams (along with some upsets against good teams) to rally the Blazer faithful. This optimism with repeated be reset by reality as the team loses to contenders and is occasionally upset by sub-par teams.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
This sounds about right, Net Ranger.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
more of the same
Sounds like Blazers will be trading assests for picks and/or young players.
This means…lottery bound.
The X factor is G.Oden. The reality in the NBA is you need a Top 5 player + nice supporting cast or 3 very good players (ala Spurs/Celtics) to seriously compete for championship.
IMO, the NBA is not a level playing field to begin with and all teams are not equal. NBA is much like baseball, usually the same teams are in the mix although the NBA slightly skews towards teams that have the Top 1-10 stars or a collection of very very good players in the 10-40 range.
Blazers and other small market + so-so weather teams will never get a Top 1-20 free agent player to sign with them as players head to the big cities/markets where the endorsement potential adds to the overall financial package that small market teams cannot compete against or they pick warmer climates.
Therefore, the only hope is through the draft and that means having to suck and suck somewhat bad to get a Top 1-5 pick AND then hope their is a true franchise changing player in the draft.
Portland was a little unlucky the year they had the 2 & 6 (LA & Roy) pick as that was a somewhat weak draft with no true Superstar. Very nice players, yes, but Top 5 future talent, no. GOden was a possible franchise changer but…ugh.
I think in the NBA, small market teams/so-so weather climate places are longshots to begin with unless they get seriously lucky in the draft with true game changers coming out (OKC). I mean does anyone really see the Bucks, T-Wolves, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Jazz, Raptors, & Pacers winning a title…in the next decade or even 2 decades? In the last 30 years, there has been 1 smaller market + so-so weather team that won a title…Pistons. That’s it.
Teams like the Lakers, Bulls, & Celtics have a built in advantage over teams such as the Blazers, Nuggets, Jazz, Bucks… as they are BIG cities (more things to do for very rich young men in their 20’s) & more endorsement potential as they are on TV more often and more local businesses to get endorsements from.
I mean, if your the Cavs, you might as well just fold. If you can’t keep a Top 2-3 talent who grew up in the area, you have no shot of ever landing a top tier free agent or keeping a rising young star that you drafted.
Future- hopes on GO as I stiill believe he is a game changer, otherwise, dive into lotto territory and hope for the best. Otherwise, will be 40-50 win teams, 4-8 seed and probably 1st/2nd round competitive.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the team, but realize teams like the Blazers are behind the 8 ball to begin with and if we did not have a Paul Allen type owner who is willingly to throw $$ away, we would be the Bucks/Pacers, Grizzle on a yearly basis.
This is exactly what I think
Only Detroit is a BIG city (11th largest in the nation). With a high African-American population (81% of the city residents are black). So I don’t think you can fairly compare Portland with Detroit. If Portland can be become a truly elite team, then they may have a shot at a big time free agent, but there are going to have to acquire a true superstar first.
Because Portland lacks a true superstar the most probable way to get one will be through the draft….unless Miami decides they want to trade us LeBron or Wade. This means we need a high pick. Very rarely are you going to get a superstar outside of the top 10. In fact if you look at the All NBA 1st team for the past 3 seasons it looks like this
2008 – Garnett (5th pick), James (1), Howard (1), Bryant (13), Paul (4)
2009 – Nowitzski (9), James (1), Howard (1), Bryant (13), Wade (5)
2010 – Durant (2), James (1), Howard (1), Bryant (13), Wade (5)
Kobe is the only player in that group drafted outside of the top 10. And Nowitzski is the only player drafted 6-10. Otherwise all other players in the group are top 5 picks. And really since 2006, when high school players had to wait one year, Rondo is the only legit elite player to be drafted out of the top 10 (Roy 6, Durant 2, Rose 1, Westbrook 4, Griffith 1)…b/c these guys are scouted even more it makes it harder to hit home run outside of the top 10.
What does all this mean? It means Portland’s best bet to get to an elite level is to get lucky in the draft lotto in a year where a legit superstar is available…and then have the good sense to take him. We had two opportunities in the recent past and blew it (CP3 and Durant)…maybe the 3rd time will be charm? I sure hope so. This also means we are going to have to either trade for a top 5 pick (possible, but unlikely) or suck so bad we are in a position to get a top 5 pick on our own merits (of lack thereof).
A 3-4 Seed in the West
and “just one more piece” from becoming that dominant team many of us foresaw when Oden was picked. Unfortunately, Roy’s knees will never allow him to be the player he once was…I actually have more faith in Oden’s return than I do in Roy’s.
Indeed!
Oden has pieces of knee that needed repair; Roy has pieces that need replacement and the replacements do not exist. Roy is done. (The Pritchard’s geniusometer needle continues to sink.)
by Trutherlizer on Jan 30, 2011 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
The jury is still out on Roy
although Oden is more of a sure thing (no record of repeat microfracture surgery in the anals of NBA medicine), Roy’s procedure is experimental with no NBA case history as a precedent.
If Roy does make it back to earn his salary (or at least a substantial portion of it) – he will become a legend.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Jan 30, 2011 2:04 PM PST up reply actions
you have to love spell check
please read that as “annals”
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Jan 30, 2011 2:05 PM PST up reply actions
Blazers Future...
@ NetRanger. Are you being facicious? 1-2 players will be on the roster (if any at all)???
Come one now. Lets be real about a few things. Roy, Aldridge, and Mathews are not going anywhere. Financially they are the core. And hopefully on the court they are the core, on the assumption that Roy can get back to 80% or better. We have 3 current obvious trade pieces in Miller, Camby, and Pryzbilla. This team is very dependent upon Miller right now, and I think he is worth much more then his current trade value. He is almost 35, but shows no signs of being that old. Camby is in highest demand to get traded to a contender, but at 37, I’m not sure we could get equal value for him. Having him for the remainder of this year and next I think is the smart play. He is a leader on and off the court. For me, Pryz has got to go. I love him, but he is the odd man out. If I were GM, I would ship Pryz and Rudy out for a mid-level talent PG or a big. I would try and sign Oden to a 2 year deal, 3rd year team option, and I would use both the 1st round picks next year + some cash to move up in the draft and either get a PG or a big (whichever you didn’t trade for with the Pryz/Rudy package)…
I could see a 10 man rotation of
Dre, Patty, (Kemba Walker via draft)
Roy, Wes
Batum
Aldy, Troy Murphy (via package….someone like that)
Camby, Oden
OR
Miller, Hinrich (via package), Patty
Roy, Wes
Batum
Aldy
Camby, Enis Kanter (via draft), Oden
3-5 seasons is a LOOOOOOOOONNNG time in the NBA, my friend. Things change very fast. I’ll agree with you that Roy’s going nowhere for the next 4 seasons (because he can’t). But please don’t fall into the trap of overvaluing LMA and Matthews. Remember, sometimes you have to trade away good to get better. Totally possible.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Whom for and Why would you trade Aldridge?
Obviously Aldridge is playing at a high (All Star/Superstar) level right now. You don’t just go trading away big men like him. Good franchises don’t let pieces like him go. I think his overall game is as good as Amare Stoudemire’s. Offensively he isn’t as aggressive and solid, but defensively he is WAY better. I mean, who would you trade him for? A point guard of the future? I don’t see the benefit in that kind of swap, because there is much more PG talent coming out of the NCAA then big men. Just look at next years draft class.
And the big elephant in the room with the Blazers, which I think fans tend to forget is that it is hard to get players to come here. Whether it be via free agency or trade. Now days players have some say in where they get traded. See: Carmelo, Lebron, Bosh, Chandler, etc. I was thinking the other day, who is the best player (and all I care about is players in their PRIME, so this excludes Pippen, Steve Smith, Miller, Camby, etc) to come to Portland via trade or draft. I’m talking in their PRIME. Cause we have had some great players come here, but they are all on their downside when they come. So who is it???? I came up with Derek freaking Anderson. DA. Wow, really that’s the best we can do.
I can think of a few
How about Rasheed, Buck, Brian Grant, Danny Ainge, Wes Mathews, Joel, Damon, and Kiki.
Portland is not an arm pit destination!!!
If the Blazers were smart they’d really push/market the NIKE connection for one thing.
And the weather is not god awful here like it is in other areas of the country.
Also Portland is not that small market. I think part of the reason the rest of the country doesn’t hear about us is that games are played SO LATE…for those in EST territory.
But…LA is in the same boat.
So I figure once Portland GETS a superstar or DEVELOPS one…maybe LMA…maybe Nic Batum in a few years…or dare I say…Greg Oden!!
then attention can be paid to this team due to their players.
I am from Chicago and moved out here in 05…I think sometimes native Portanders don’t realize how appealing this city is to people.
Also I am sure the NBA owners get reputations, as do coaches. Paul Allen is known as an owner who is willing to spend $. His players are treated very well. I think Nate McMillan is known as a decent coach around the league.
Other than being INJURY RIDDEN…I see no reason why a player wouldn’t want to play here.
They can get just as much exposure if they are truly stars. Especially if the team goes to the FINALS with said star.
Just my opinion…
I agree about Paul Allen's rep
Even the players who have been disgruntled here say good things about PA and how well he treats the players. Of course, I’m not sure if they’re still flying the ultra-nice jet these days . . .
This is off-topic, but I thought you moved to Pdx more recently than 2005. Did you follow the Blazers the first couple of years here?
Wiggada Wiggada Zers!
Exactly, some people don't realize the high amount of turnover that occurs with the rosters of pro ...
sports teams.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
It's where the NBA is heading that I'm concerned about...
Mediocrity is rampant in the league and if something doesn’t change in this next collective bargaining agreement we will, unfortunately, continue to be the Washington Generals for the likes of those purple and gold pukes down south, the green and white leprechauns in bean town and, at least for a while, the south beach glamour boys. When you look at the lack of parody in the NBA… through the unclouded eyes of a fan (not easy for me)… you see a league full of guys like us waiting for a miracle every year. The truth of the matter is that we are probably no closer, or further, from a championship then we were 2 years ago while the cake was baking. There are 20 cakes baking right now and unless something changes in Sterns big office they will all most likely fall flat.
I would love to see Greg come back and have a long, dominant and healthy career. I’d REALLY love Brandon to come back and play at a high level… The reality is though that even if that happens… without serious changes in the league structure… the Portland Trailblazers will still most likely be what we have been. A good…not great… team.
I don’t mean for this to sound harsh or negative…just realistic! There is a reason that the vast majority of NBA teams have never won a title… and I think that reason sits in the commisioners chair.
That Said…
#7
GO BLAZERS!!!
wonder when Stern will retire?
And also wonder if there is any way the new CBA will allow for more parody? Along the lines of the NFL? Any thoughts?
I sure hope the new CBA can usher in some parity... (guess I was using the wrong parody vs. parity)
I don’t know if a hard cap is realistic and to tell you the truth I have no idea what is going to come out of the negotiations. Unfortunatley I don’t think parity is the focus from either side of the table. The players want to get money and the owners want to keep money. The only hope is that a side affect of somebodies greed will be an equalization of talent.
Big markets plus big names seem to equal success for the Comish… It’s a shame too!.. Gives the NBA a WWE kinda feel that I don’t think it deserves. It is such a beautiful game when played well. It doesn’t seem right that we should go through an 82 game season only to end up back at the same inevitable conclusion.
I really hope something good comes out of the negotiations this time around. Maybe we’ll see a miracle and decisions will be made based on the good of the game instead of the bank accounts of the already rich.
We can always hope!
GO BLAZERS!!!
I think he retires soon
As soon as the CBA mess is figured out, he’ll retire.
Defender of the Universe
I hope so. How long are the contracts usually? 5 years?
So the NBA will live with his effects, even if retired for 5 more years…
Nah, I think he still has global aspirations.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
??
My question is, does the NBA as a business model really care too much about small market teams. Let’s face it, if the finals were the Pacers vs Kings, would anyone watch. That would mean huge hits for commercials, sponsorships… The NBA like baseball does better on the whole (as in getting BIG TV deals) when the BIG market teams are constantly in the hunt or at the end.
Just look at the Giants/Rangers TV ratings…small tv ratings over multiple years will equal smaller TV revenues that get spread out league wide to owners. As much as I could care less about baseball, it has pretty much dropped the facade about parity. The Royals and a few other teams are basically development teams for Yankees/Sox.
As a Blazers fan, I would love to see the Blazers in the Finals 5 years in a row. The NBA, sponsors, TV, and casual NBA fans…not so much. They want Lakers, Celts, Bulls or a team with a Top 1-5/10 player.
The reality is, what is Stern supposed to do to change the model? Should small market teams get a bigger cap space than teams in bigger markets or states with no income tax (FL)?
Football is a different beast to an extent due to its widespread popularity, betting, fantasy sports and the fact that players overall have short careers, many barely make it to their 2nd contract. Plus, it is a helmet league. Sponsors outside of a few BIG NFL stars, go towards Basketball as fans can actually see the players face while playing.
NBA needs to be more competitive
This years super bowl features 2 of the smallest markets in all of professional sports and yet it’ll get more ratings and more ad revenue than the NBA could even dream about. Why? Because everyone thinks that next year it could be their favorite team in the Super Bowl. In the NFL you can go from worst to first in a hurry. In the NFL all teams have an equal shot winning. (as long as they have decent management)
Does anyone outside of LA, Miami, San Antonio or Boston really think they have a shot at the NBA title this year? How can it be could for a sport when only two teams (Boston, LA) own +50% of the titles. San Antonio is the one small market exception but it takes some incredible coaching and hall of fame talent to overcome their small market standing. If the NBA became more competitive more people would watch the NBA.
JRogero
by JRogero on Jan 30, 2011 3:40 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
The idea of San Antonio as a small market team is a myth.
According to the latest numbers from the US Census, San Antonio is the 7th most populous city in the U.S. (and the NBA).
San Antonio has over 800,000 people more than Portland and they beat Salt Lake City by almost 1.2 million.
"Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is." - Josey Wales
Not true
You’re looking at BS statistic. It doesn’t matter how big the city proper is, you have to look at the Metro areas. And in fact, Portland’s metro area is larger than San Antonio’s by about 200,000.
Nicolas Batum is the future of the Blazers
You are right. I was looking at the wrong info.
However, if we view market size in terms of marketability as opposed to metro areas the picture changes again. Teams like the Lakers, Celtics, and Heat have a nationwide market (look at all that green in the RG during the Boston game).
I would still be willing to bet there are many more Spurs fans than Blazer fans across the country (despite our rather large internet presence). The Spurs consistently rank in the top ten for Team merchandise sales. I doubt the Blazers have ever made the top ten.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very impressed with the Spurs accomplishments and the consistency with which the franchise has been run. I just don’t think the idea of them being a “small market team” is as much of a hindrance for them as many fans profess.
I also believe that most of us Blazer fans (including me at times) rely too much on the “small market” excuse. At least the Blazers get to play on national TV fairly often.
The team I really feel sorry for is Milwaukee. Small market and they get absolutely no love from TNT or the NBA. No games on TNT this season and only 4 games on ESPN.
But I could be wrong. I usually am.
"Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is." - Josey Wales
I think the Spurs sell a lot of of merchandise because of their extended run of success on the court.
I’m sure that if the Blazers won 4 championships over the next 8 years their “market size” would skyrocket as well due to many people not from Portland jumping on the bandwagon.
Kinda related but not really; I really love the Spurs, they’re just such a well run organization and all their players have really bought into the team mentality. I don’t see how anybody could have anything but the utmost respect for the Spurs.
Nicolas Batum is the future of the Blazers
If I had to choose a new team to root for it would be the Spurs.
In fact, I am rooting for SA to beat the Bulls single season win record (as long as one those wins doesn’t come tonight). ;-)
"Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is." - Josey Wales
It doesn't really apply to the AFC...
I’m a huge Packer fan, so I haven’t seen it much since there’s been a lot of parity in the NFC ever since their Super Bowl dominance came to an end in the late 90’s, but the AFC has only seen three teams come out of their conference since 2003: New England, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis.
Sometimes it just happens in pro sports. Ask any Bills, Raiders, or Bengals fan how it’s been like over the past decade. Or a Lions or Rams fan for that matter (at least Detroit has something to look forward to with their team).
I think the problem is that there’s too many playoff spots in the NBA and not enough top talent outside of the lottery in the draft. The only way to acquire an impact player in the NBA is by getting a top pick (via trade or record) or swapping around for better talent, or go the Heat route and save up a ton of cap room for attracting a top-tier player.
New England, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis well run organizations
At least in the NFL no 2 teams own +50% of the titles. That’s never a good sign for the competitiveness of a league.
JRogero
Healing takes time.
One way to look into the Blazer’s future is using money and cap space. Not saying this is the best way, just one of the ways.
The biggest hurdle is BRoy’s contract.. Between the max size and the length of his contract, the Blazers are at a huge disadvantage until the 2015/16 season.
Next year, when you add Oden’s salary to BRoy’s, the results are about $24 million of Cho’s cap space will be spent with little to no return on the stat sheets. Then what does Cho do with GO’s contract the following year to improve the team??? Both BRoy and Oden, if tradable at all, will bring very little in return. Is anyone stashing a spare miracle or two they can cash in? It may take a miracle to get BRoy and/or Oden healthy and playing well agin. If a miracle happens, it will make a big difference if the Blazers can return to being a contender in the next five years, no matter what Cho does..
Rebuilding by trading for good or franchise type players with big contracts is not going to be easy, if possible at all, unless the player’s skills are starting to decline. So Cho’s options are to trade for cheap young players with potential, or draft picks. We can only hope he evaluates young players better than the other GMs in the league to slowly start gaining ground on the ring contenders.
What about the expiring contracts? With the threat of a strike, it does not look like very many of the ECs will be resigned until after the new CBA is in place. Joel’s EC is the Blazer’s largest without options. Now that Joel is healthy and back to playing again, his trade value has gone back up.. Does Cho trade Joel for a future draft pick, or a good young player? The answer will probable depend on what options are made available in trades. So the answer is somewhat out of Cho’s hands. At the worst, Cho lets Joel’s contract expire and $7.4 million come off of the books. However, it would be nice to get at least a future draft pick for him.
The Blazer’s hold a team option on Miller’s EC.. Cho has several options with Miller, trade, pick up the option, or let it expire. Again what happens will depend a lot on what happens by the trade deadline, the draft, with the new CBA negotiations stirring the pot…
Shuffling the rest of the Blazer roster with trades is another option.. Does Cho let some of the players go for future draft picks to lower team salary? Trade for good young players with potential? Or gut the team and make a consolidation trade for a proven good player??
The more we think about the future of the Blazers, we find very few answers, and only more questions. What the fans need to do now is just be patient, and see what options are presented to Cho, or he develops. Cho says he has a logical long term plan. This plan must include if no trades happen.. My guess is the long term plan is to rebuild through the draft, unless a no brainer type trades are offered.
This team is hurt very badly.. Healing an injury this size takes time.. Cho is the team healer… Give him time to find the best options, and then give him time to let the choices he makes start to mend the wounds. The healing will not happen overnight, this week, this month, or this season. The healing starts now with his long term plan. The plan that he must keep secret to give himself better odds of achieving..
Someday we will be talking championship rings again. Until then, I am still a Blazer believer. I enjoy watching the new style of play.. Now is the time for us fans to plant our feet firmly on the ground, and support Cho. Give him a chance…
by oldfishermen on Jan 30, 2011 9:45 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Re: Healing takes time
This is an excellent post and the most logical approach. What else can be done? I think Cho has the patience and the knowledge on how to best move forward. So much is out of his control until the fate of BRoy is determined. It would not surprise me if trading GO is an option. He is a restricted free
by Idahoblazerfan on Jan 30, 2011 10:34 AM PST up reply actions
G. Oden
Sorry posted before I was ready.
Greg Ogen is a possible trade option because he is a restricted free agent. There may be a team out there that will give a good plyer or 2 plus draft picks for the risk. It’s not likely but possible.This next few weeks will be fun to watch Cho as he reveals his direction. My wife and I watch the games through NBA Leagus Pass on Dish Network and we still look forward to every game. GO BLAZERS!
by Idahoblazerfan on Jan 30, 2011 10:40 AM PST up reply actions
The only thing I'm sure of.....
The only thing inwhich I’m sure is we are not headed where we thought we were headed 3 years ago, at least not in the same manner or hopefully projected pace.
The Brandon, Oden, Aldridge multiple championship, dominate for a decade….dream is dead.
And that’s sad, and tough to swallow. It never got off the ground. The dream was like the Spruce Goose…you marveled at it, gasped at it’s potential…but in the end it barely flew.
So what now? The good news is we aren’t worse off than most N.B.A. teams. Infact I would argue we still are better off than most franchises.
Where are we headed? Back to the drawing board. But back, with lessons learned and some good pieces in place.
The Blazers have been victims of some unexpected adversity. Odens lack of health and durabilty and Brandons seemingly sudden fall from All-Star to player hobbled with bad knee’s….again tough to swallow…
Unexpected adversity. What I hope for now? The unexpected advantage or “good luck”. It’s the player we do have already, improving and becoming that player we wish we had today. It’s that mid-round to late draft pick, becoming something special. It’s the timely trade that nets you assets or talent that improves your standing.
Basically…were headed where most franchises are already at. Back into the pack of good but not great N.B.A. teams, desperately trying to get better.
It sounds bleak, but all is not lost, we have talent, Aldridge, Batum. We have ownership willing to sacrifice and I think sincerely desiring of success. We have relatively untested management…but management I think that also wants success.
Now really, you hopefully enjoy the journey. Because that is what we are on. I’m looking for some unexpected things to go right. I’m looking for Oden to return and re-write his story for The Blazers…I’m looking for a story about Elliot Williams…I’m looking for the continued improvement of Batum, the growth of Matthews…I’m looking for things to happen that nobody could foresee…and I’m looking for at least some of them to be GOOD things.
This team has paid any debt of negative Karma that could exist. It’s time for some unexpected things to go right on this journey. I plan to enjoy them when they do. In the meantime, I leave it to Rich Cho, Larry Miller and Paul Allen to work to make luck…..
I still believe The Blazers will get there…it’s just not going to be on the path that seemed so clear and easy just a few years ago…
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Jan 30, 2011 9:58 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
what are the best assets of our team, and how do we build around them?
As things stand, the best assets of our team are the following:
1. an incredibly wealthy owner, with unimaginably deep pockets, who has stuck with the team through thick and thin, and has not lost his fascination for building a winner,
2. a strong and devoted fan base, probably the best in the NBA, which has seen the team through some very dark and dismal moments, and which has the fortitude to withstand the immediate situation,
3. a smart, analytical GM, who has the courage to make the tough decisions to remold our team, by salvaging what he can from the existing shell, and laying the foundation to better prospects moving forward.
You notice I did not mention the players. Many of them, at present, are liabilities. BRoy, as much as we admire him for his athletic abilities, is not worth the bloated max contract that the team signed last summer. Everyone realizes that he is untradeable. In other words, a liability to the team. LMA, as well as he played for a 1.5 month period, is not the elite baller we would like him to be. Some of our other pieces, as likeable as they are, will not be the core of a contender. I have nothing against any of our current players. But they will not provide the path to the team’s success in coming years. We need to be patient, hope that Allen’s money and interest in the team never flags, and depend on Cho’s wisdom to establish the foundation for a winning product. It will get worse before it gets better, though.
Win the day!
The future is Oden.
For better or not-better.
Unfortunately, the team likely has no better idea of what to expect than you do, Dave. This makes Cho’s task very challenging.
wha??
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 30, 2011 10:13 AM PST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
In five years half the NBA teams will be owned by Chinese and Russian oligarchs
fleeing their native land. PA will be even a more bitter old spinster than he is now, but he won’t own the TrailBlazers. Comcast will, and you will only see the games on their networks. “The Product” will remind you of the latest hollywood films, technologically advanced, visually slick, and utterly banal; kind of like the NFL now. There won’t be a John Ford or a Jerry Sloan in sight and the old fans won’t watch until game 5 or 7 of a series, if their team is playing. Five years from now LeBron will be a shoo-in for the BBHOF but the mention of his name or seeing his image will cause people to associate with the Nike Swoosh and simultaneously puke. In 5 years the Blazers will be an 8th seed and people will wonder whatever happened to that Cho dude? Did he ever get his braces taken off?
by oregonslee on Jan 30, 2011 10:41 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I like John Ford
Did you know that the native Americans in Monument Valley were so used to Ford shooting there that they basically made him an honorary tribal member?
by twinsbrewer on Jan 30, 2011 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
I did not know
but I’m sure he must’ve had very fine relations with the people.
Joel Freeland?
Could Joel Freeland have a change of heart and see how he could help this team in the immediate future?
by Idahoblazerfan on Jan 30, 2011 10:54 AM PST reply actions
I would say short-term future, since 2011 is unlikely with any kind of uncertainty about a lockout. But 2012 is a possibility.
He would be a nice backup to have if Greg returns healthy and LaMarcus stabilizes his production that fits the age of the core group.
I think we're gonna trade off our vets for draft picks
see a lot of Armon, Babbitt, etc… the rest of the way. Miss the playoffs (Memphis will get in). We will use our lottery pick and the other assets we acquired by trading Dre/Camby/Joel to rebuild around LMA-Nic-Wes (maybe Rudy). We hope for the best with Roy and Oden. We stockpile a lot of youngsters, maybe hit gold here or there, package picks to move up and get guys we have targeted. When their rookie deals are up Roy’s contract can come off the books and we can extend who we want. Strip it down, build it back up, but do not gut it. That’s what I think is going to happen.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
I can see it.
It’ll be the gallows or the podium for Cho, depending on where the chips fall.
Stealth > Wealth
I see this as the most likely (and in my mind, best case) scenario
I could see Cho moving Nic for a “wow” offer, while Batum is a good young player with some upside, he’s not a franchise guy, or even a #2 piece on a contender. If we can flip him for something along those lines, it should happen.
Kevin Durant won me over when he went Rocky IV on Russia this summer.
by blazeraddict on Jan 30, 2011 7:54 PM PST up reply actions
Next to LMA, we don't necessarily need full #1 guy
a second 1a type player like Granger who is having difficulty with his team may work well for Batum.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jan 30, 2011 8:46 PM PST up reply actions
I like this line of thinking
If we can get an undervalued 1a like Granger from a team like indy who is going young, Batum is a great trade chip.
Kevin Durant won me over when he went Rocky IV on Russia this summer.
by blazeraddict on Jan 30, 2011 9:03 PM PST up reply actions
I would hate to see Batum go.
But I’d probably give him up to get Granger.
Nicolas Batum is the future of the Blazers
I mentioned this on their site and they thought I was drunk
Mind you, I was. But it was a well written piece regardless. I thought with George taking over and some of them loving Landry I got a trade getting them both. Collison/George/Batum/Landry/Hibbert would be a decent starting 5, but they laughed it off.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jan 31, 2011 12:09 AM PST up reply actions
Tear it down.
When you make a brick wall and make a mistake the only real way to fix it is by tearing down the wall and starting over. I feel this is the only way we can fix this current Blazer squad. Only Aldridge is worth keeping everything else needs to go.
So in your analogy...
Do you throw the bricks away and buy all new ones?..
Does that mean we go out and get another load of cruddier bricks so our wall will be easier to tear down the next time?
A small market team (like us) can ill afford to “Tear it down” because there is no assurance that once re-built it will be even as good as it was before…let alone better. The vast majority ot teams that seek to make it into the lottery fulfill their task… usually more times then they actually planned to.
Keep LMA, Wes, Nic… hope for Oden’s recovery and for Brandon to, again, be productive. If that doesn’t happen we probably have to tear anything down to get in the lottery… IMO.
#7
GO BLAZERS!!!
I think the point is that you can't just take the bad part of the wall down
And making a structurely sound wall with cheaper materials will be more effective than a wall of good bricks with a major flaw in it.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jan 30, 2011 8:51 PM PST up reply actions
in a place like Portland, we would not want to throw away our defective bricks
We would want to salvage our old bricks that have outlived their usefulness, and try to find some other bricks that have lost value to another wall-builder, and perhaps make an exchange. That way, both wall-builders would face a sort of win-win situation. Let us also consider that the bricks we already have might be perfectly fine, but they are just not being put to optimal use in their present configuration. Of course, that does not solve the problem that there might be some defective bricks for which we paid way too much money to acquire, and have no part in any conceivable wall we might wish to build. Those bricks should be unloaded on the spot market, and shipped out before they cause any more difficulties to our wall.
Win the day!
The post I replied to says we have only one brick worth keeping...
Throwing out ALL the other bricks and surrounding the good one with inferior…but cheaper bricks… does absolutely nothing to make our wall better but in fact makes it weaker without any real plan to improve it.
There seems to be a feeling that simply tearing down the wall will automatically make it stronger when we rebuild it. There are thousands and thousands of Timberwolves and Raptors fans who know that’s not the case. All you end up with is a crappy wall that keeps falling down on you.
could it be that the bricks are fine, and what we need is a new architect and some better mortar?
Win the day!
Yes... That could very well be the case...
My real life feeling is that we are missing two “bricks”. Our best bet…and most realistic chance at getting over the top… is that Greg will be one of those bricks and that our architects will use a few of our lesser bricks and their substantial hardwork and talent to get us that last one.
Tearing down your wall just leaves you with a broken wall… IMO.
I think the blazers have a good core
The blazers have long term answers at the 2 3 and 4 spots. They need answers at the 1 and 5, can or will Oden ever suit up for the Blazers again and if so can he manage 10 and 10 in 30 minutes of PT? If the answer to all that is yes then PDX has an answer at the 5 spot. That brings us to PG if the starting line up is Oden, LMA, Batum,and Wes the need will be for a scoring PG a guy who can get 18-20 points because 5, 3, and 2 spots will have defensive specialists who are best used as 3rd or 4th options on offense. I would love to trade for Harris but I don’t see what we can offer for him, outside of providing grease to get a Melo trade moving, I think Denver would have moved Harris for Miller in a deal that sent Melo and Billups to the Nets alas that deal appears dead. Which leaves FA the draft and current roster as only other options. Is the PGOTF already on the team? Can Johnson, Mills, or Williams be the long term answer at PG? What FA PG will become available preferably in 24-28 year old age range? Are there any available at the Blazers draft spots in the upcoming draft? I know not the answers to these questions just that with the Lakers getting older and the power in the NBA shifting East if the Blazers can answers the questions surrounding starting Center and PG they will be in the mix in the West. The good/sad news is that I think the new CBA will allow for teams to buy out at least 1 bad contract meaning it is unlikely that the Team has to wear the millstone of Roy’s contract past this year sadly I think that also means Roy never wears #7 for the blazers again.
I still think their gonna go big.
by lamarkable on Jan 30, 2011 2:34 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Its hard to imagine Paul Allen settling-
for a mediocre team @ this point in his life/health. And also @ this point in the Blazer saga.
by lamarkable on Jan 30, 2011 5:14 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Something just dawned on me...
If Star Trek happens in the future, why do they only have crappy film cameras? Why don’t they use advanced digital technology?
and their monitors look like 15" tube televisions!
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Yeah, it's barely believable...
like you have to suspend reality to watch it.
Whoa, nice.
Kinda like being a Blazer fan? I know I have to suspend reality sometimes . . .
Wiggada Wiggada Zers!
Like when more than half the team has had knee surgery in the past 2 seasons?
Why doesn’t Cho steer us toward the sun at high speed and use the slingshot effect to take the team back in time? Then we could pass out knee pads for everyone or trade our most frail assets.
IS HE THE CAPTAIN OR ISN’T HE? CRIMINY.
Cho's gonna make some people upset no matter what
These are tough decisions, especially when you have a gang like the Vulcans looking over your shoulder. Cho is going to have to go all in, one way or another, and no matter what he does fans and the media will second guess him.
There is nothing anyone can reasonably do with B.Roy, so the Blazers either hope he can make a comeback, or take the team in a whole new direction. Personally I hope they get what they can and move him no matter what they have to do because he will control the team if he plays as long as Nate is here. If Nate isn’t here then they have to get rid of him because he would be an Albatross around a new coaches neck. Do I think this is right? No, Roy has been a great “face” to the franchise and it’s a killer this has happened. The blazers owe him at a minimum to do it with class and dignity, but it has to be done.
We don’t know what players are at Cho’s disposal but it seems based on comments that he’s going to keep Aldridge, Batum, and Wes and get pieces for the draft with the rest. They might be able to keep close to an eighth place in the playoffs until the new guys develop. That’s what I would do as well,
If nothing else, you're definitely correct that Rich Cho is in a tough place.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
blow it up...rebuild around the semi dynamic threesome of....
semi dynamic threesome being aldridge, batum and mathews. everybody and i mean everybody else is and should be expendable. management should determine how to package, negotiate, trade, move or whatever our picks, euro’s and present roster apart from the three mentioned above. the team needs a superstar player for lack of a better term. that would give us four really awsome players and then fill out the roster with proven journeymen, older players and guys who want a real shot at a championship. the lakers have kind of done that the last few years. the bulls with scottie and micheal did it for an entire decade. so did the pistons and so have the spurs. otherwise like its been said; "this team is a low seed and first or second round exit at best. there is so much assumed fear about what could happen if we moved some of these guys that we are potentially missing out on right now and our near future. this team seems from the outside; frozen and living in a self imposed grid-lock. what we have is what we got and what we are going to get. that simple, blow it up!
Into the playoffs
I’m hoping Cho can walk the fine line of restructuring our team without sacrificing the ability to make the playoffs. Missing the playoffs by one spot isn’t going to get us a much better pick, but seeing who steps up post season and getting some of our younger guys more big games under their belt could pay off down the road.
I’m kind of hoping that maybe we can shore up our outside shooting. I haven’t seen it look this bad in some time. I will say I like our more open court style—shouldn’t be hard to add to that. But, long term, if another great player is what’s needed, we will have to give up something substantial for a decent pick, as much as I would hate to see them go.
by BBlazer on Jan 30, 2011 11:59 PM PST via mobile reply actions
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