ESPN: Blazers Rank No. 13 In "Future Power Rankings"
Chad Ford and John Hollinger rank the Portland Trail Blazers No. 13 in the latest rendition of ESPN.com's "Future Power Rankings," a look at which NBA teams have the brightest futures.
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The future looks hazy. Not bad, necessarily, but hazy. LaMarcus Aldridge and Wes Matthews are the only core players certain to be on the team next season; all the rest are likely to be free agents. The team has kept the general manager position open as well, with owner Paul Allen apparently relying on his Seattle friends to whisper things in his ear.
All this could be a tremendous opportunity to rebuild the roster around Aldridge and make another charge for the top of the West; the Blazers could also bring everyone back, as the current team isn't chopped liver, either.
The good news is that Allen remains willing to spend for a winner, that the Blazers potentially have cap space to chase a star and that Aldridge is a fantastic centerpiece. Instead, the familiar story is their struggle to get from here to the league's upper crust.
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The top-5: Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers and Indiana Pacers.
The Blazers were ranked No. 10 in March 2011, No. 5 in March 2010 and No. 1 in November 2009.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
4 months ago
Ben Golliver
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Sucks to see the decline in our future power rankings over the years.
We could of been champs by now.
Ah-well, lets see what the next page brings.
Yeah, no joke.
Lose Roy, lose Oden, lose 2 GMs…
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
have to disagree about losing oden
Hard to lose something we never really had. Looking at the big picture we only lost expectation put on a college kid. Hazy is correct. Let’s just hope the pg smoke clears for a change and the Blazers actually make moves to get some bigs soon. Should have been done years ago. Even healthy Greg was never going to play 48 minutes 82 games plus the playoffs.wake up call came when Pryz went down. No excuse after that. Truth hurts. Even for billionaires.
just win baby !
by FrenchieFan on Feb 8, 2012 12:24 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Didn't read the title did you?
This is a projection of future power. In that equation Oden loomed huge. Now if we are talking about current power…. you have a point.
so you can predict the future vullkem
Good for you !! Please do share with the rest of us who are tired of waiting for the future to arrive.
just win baby !
by FrenchieFan on Feb 8, 2012 2:41 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
the future with Greg ^ just to be clear
just win baby !
by FrenchieFan on Feb 8, 2012 2:48 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Frenchie
Vulkem’s post is 100% correct. Oden and Roy are the reasons our rankings have steadily declined.
going into last season we had Camby AND Przybilla at center, ASIDE from Oden. I don’t know if this is revisionist history, pent up frustration spilling over, or what, but it comes off as awfully snarky.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
and I'm sorry for being direct
but it’s kind of disrespectful to tell people to “pull their heads out” or sarcastically congratulate them on being able to predict the future when that’s not what they’re doing
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
wow
Keep waiting on the "future of Oden " and take internet blogs as serious and personal as you want to.Everyone has an opinion. Mine is different than yours.
just win baby !
by FrenchieFan on Feb 8, 2012 4:56 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Pryz was injured all last year
But jump on Frenchie for having a valid point ! Gotta <3 Blazer fans. Its easier than admitting the truth of what the future holds with Greg. Go ahead have it. Make yourself feel better there sammy :)
just win baby !
by FrenchieFan on Feb 8, 2012 5:08 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
again
what are you talking about? Who said anything about Oden coming back? Who is waiting for him?
I certainly didn’t say that and neither did Vulkem
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
and by the way
Joel Przybilla played in 31 games for the Blazers that season before being traded for Gerald Wallace, so no, he was not injured all season.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Every time we do this I have to remind you that I stopped including Oden in my thoughts about this team a long time ago
and every time we do this you make fun of me for still waiting on him.
That’s pretty frustrating
I could start interpreting your posts as waiting for Greg like you do mine, and then bash you for it, but that’s not very fair to you.
Yet you do it to me every time and you did it to Vulkem right up there. He’s not waiting on Greg, he said nothing about that…and he gets a “good for you, you can predict the future” response?
Why?
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
No one is waiting on the future of Oden
are you reading what we’re writing, or just being condescending as a reaction to having your posts replied to?
You are welcome to your opinion, and I am welcome to express to you that I don’t appreciate being told to “pull my head out” when our opinions differ.
My main issue is that our opinions don’t differ, and that Vulkem did not disagree with you. That’s the problem I have.
No one is waiting on Oden. Your interpretation of Vulkem’s post was wrong. All he said is that the reason for our decline in these future power rankings, which is what they are, has a direct correlation to Oden and Roy. That is a plain and simple fact. He said nothing at all about waiting for Oden.
Go back and carefully read his post and how you responded. I’m telling you this respectfully…it’s not cool to misinterpret what someone wrote and then jump on and insult them for it.
It’s not cool at all. I would love to have good discussions with you about how you’d like this team to improve, but it’s hard when you mischaracterize what we write
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Thanks Sammy
I’m glad someone understood what I was saying
I'm not predicting the future....ESPN is trying to...
Thought that was clear…
I agree that we need bigs...
but quality bigs are just so hard to come by. Look at all the overpaid bigs this offseason. Marc Gasol, Nene, Kwame, etc. I think the best deals this offseason have been Kurt Thomas and David West. My point is, its not as easy to get a quality big without jeopardizing your financial flexibility. But I do think we should have addressed this issue in the draft. I’m hoping that we can somehow get Meyers Leonard in the draft this year
We need to keep Batum around.
I thought the same thing,
I am obviously not up on current events in Indy.
Sounds more like current power rankings. Not interested.
Absolutely.
With Roy Hibbert & Danny Granger as franchise cornerstones, in addition to Darren Collison, George Hill, Paul George, Tyler Hansbrough, David West, Louis Admundson, Lance Stephenson & Jeff Foster. Really deep team. They go 2-3 deep with quality players at each position.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
I see them as settling in Atlanta Hawks territory the next few years
I’d be amazed if they ever make a conference finals, but they’ll do well enough in the regular season to get a nice seed and make it to the second round.
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
No way.
Hawks never had a Roy Hibbert. Collison is way better then any PG they had. Granger is the superior player to Joe Johnson & he doesn’t have the worst contract in the NBA.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
Horford?
Teague?
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
No and No.
Hibbert is better then Horford(who is more like a Tim Duncan type C who is a PF posing as a center). Roy Hibbert can defend any center in the NBA & is a good passer. Collison is superior to Teague as well.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
hmm
without digging too deep Collison and Teague have near identical stats this season, with Teague having the superior PER. Additionally, Collison’s PER has declined every year while Teague’s has improved to now over 16.
Injuries aside, Horford has been superior to Hibbert until this season, when Hibbert is ahead but again, Horford is injured.
Of course Hibbert is more of a true center, and I wanted to dismiss the comparison at first too, but the more you dig the more similarities there are.
I think you are either overvaluing the Pacer players or undervaluing the Hawks players.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
so Yes and Yes, 420!
clap back! haha
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Collison has proven a lot more in the NBA, but Teague is having a better year yeah.
While Horford is statistically better, Hibbert has more value to a team at the end of the day because of the size difference being the ability to go against the likes of Howard & Bynum in a 7 game series.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
you are correct on both counts
BUT, the comparison isn’t that outlandish the more you look at it right?
That’s why I said that I think the key to Indiana’s ceiling will ultimately fall on the development of Paul George.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
after all
Atlanta’s been pretty dang good and threatened some great teams in the playoffs, but seem to be stuck. Indiana, like Atlanta, will have to break through the Miami/Chicago wall in the East at some point. That’s a pretty tall order for the next few years
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Paul George will be the key
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
and cap space.
they still have tons of it.
"Wide, girthy. Just like a Rhino. Sometimes my horns are visible."
Anyone know what our draft pick situation looks like over the next couple of years?
Do we have extras that we’ve gained or loss? Which are protected/unprotected?
#7
Our 2013 1st round draft pick is owned by Charlotte from the Gerald Wallace trade
Top 12 protected till 2015, then becomes unprotected in 2016. We own Denvers 2012 2nd round draft pick & we owe them our 2013 & potentially 2014 2nd round picks. We also have two 2015 2nd round picks from Minnesota(their worst one) and Denver.
Portland has the right to swap its own 2012 2nd round pick with Denver’s own 2012 2nd round pick. [Denver – Portland, 10/4/2005]
Portland’s own 2013 2nd round pick to Denver (top 40 protected in the 2013 Draft). If Portland’s own 2013 2nd round pick is in the top 40 picks, then Portland shall convey their own 2014 2nd round pick to Denver unconditionally. [Denver – Portland, 6/24/2011]
2015 second round draft pick from Minnesota
Minnesota trades the least favorable of Minnesota own 2015 2nd round pick and Denver’s own 2015 2nd round pick to Portland. [Minnesota – Portland, 6/27/2011]
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
Can we stll sign and trade under the new CBA?
It would seem we could use our cap space to sign and trade and net a very valuable asset.
"Brandon Roy has done this before."
by sabonis11 on Feb 8, 2012 11:26 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Starting in Year 3 of the new CBA, sign-and-trades will be prohibited for any team that is more than $4 million over the luxury tax.
"Luke is our go-to Chalupa man," Matthews said. "Designated."
Just goes to show...
…The Future is hard to predict.
I asked my Ouja board about The Blazers future. Planchette moved to B-A-B-B-I-T-T-M-V-P. I have no idea what it means.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
your board spelled "MOP" wrong
it was trying to tell you he won’t cut his hair until the team finally cuts him.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
Our future cannot be determined this year
instead we must wait and see what this offseason brings as it will be extremely pivotal in determining our future as a franchise. Unless, of course we sign alot of one year deals in which the offseason after that will be the pivotal offseason.
We need to keep Batum around.
"The future looks hazy. Not bad, necessarily, but hazy."
I guess that could be said about most of us! Life can be fickle, can’t it?
I’m not unduly concerned about the Blazers’ fall over the years in their “future potential” standings. Kind of interesting, I suppose, but certainly not predictive. If anything, those in the top 5 now could be concerned if they look at what happened to the Blazers after they were highly rated.
I like to hold on to the notion that surprising things can happen-good things, that is. Like when the Blazers won their sole championship against all odds. It’s all about everything falling in place at the right time, often something that no one could have predicted.
I would have expected worse considering what the franchise has been through the last couple of years
Our big three didn’t work out and now we’re hanging by the hope of LaMarcus Aldridge. I’m excited to see what we can do next season. I just hope the decision makers are smart enough to make a difference for the better.
Cap space next summer
The Mavericks are ranked 7th mostly due to future cap space (“Money” actually, where they’re ranked 3rd). Somehow the Blazers 13th in the Money metric.
Ford and Hollinger (who’s usually right) talk about the possibility of the Mavs landing BOTH Howard and Williams. I keep hearing that’s the plan, but it doesn’t seem feasible. Moreover, I fail to see how the Mavs have more financial flexibility than the Blazers. What am I missing?
Even if the Mavs amnesty Marion or Haywood, they’ll still have at least $30m in salaries. Is everyone counting on them to get a huge discount from Williams and Howard?
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
Trade Shawn Marion, perhaps?
Between March 1st and March 15th, Dallas could maybe offer up Marion, Odom, Beaubois, and D. Jones to Phoenix for Steve Nash and Grant Hill — who both have expiring contracts — then go make a run at Dwight Howard and Deron Williams this summer.
DALLAS
C: Brendan Haywood (28 m.p.g.)
PF: Dirk Nowitzki (32 m.p.g.)
SF: Grant Hill (24 m.p.g.)
SG: Jason Kidd (18 m.p.g.)
PG: Steve Nash (30 m.p.g.)
C: Ian Mahinmi (20 m.p.g.)
PF: Brandan Wright (16 m.p.g.)
SF: Vince Carter (24 m.p.g.)
SG: Jason Terry (30 m.p.g.)
PG: Delonte West (18 m.p.g.)
C: Sean Williams (0 m.p.g.)
PF: Brian Cardinal (0 m.p.g.)
SF: Yi Jianlian (0 m.p.g.)
PHOENIX
C: Marcin Gortat (32 m.p.g.)
PF: Channing Frye (20 m.p.g.)
SF: Shawn Marion (28 m.p.g.)
SG: Jared Dudley (28 m.p.g.)
PG: Roddy Beaubois (20 m.p.g.)
C: Robin Lopez: (12 m.p.g.)
C/PF: Markieff Morris (16 m.p.g.)
PF: Hakim Warrick (16 m.p.g.)
SF: Lamar Odom (20 m.p.g.)
SG: Michael Redd (12 m.p.g.)
SG/PG: Shannon Brown (12 m.p.g.)
PG: Ronnie Price (12 m.p.g.)
PG: Sebastian Telfair (12 m.p.g.)
SF: Josh Childress (Inactive)
SG: Dominique Jones (Inactive)
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