The Most Helpful Summer Acquisition for the Portland Trail Blazers

NBA Website HoopsRumors is running a series of interviews called "Top Bloggers" wherein they ask locally-based writers to fill in the nation on their favorite teams. The Portland Trail Blazers were up today and HoopsRumors' Chuck Myron tapped our own Eric Griffith to share his views on the Trail Blazers. The interview is extensive, including discussion of LaMarcus Aldridge and his summer defection, making a bid for Enes Kanter, the growth of Damian Lillard, and this forecast about the Blazers returning to playoff viability:

As for when Portland will be a surefire playoff team, I think it's virtually impossible to accurately predict right now. Too much of their future will be determined by player development this season and lottery luck over the summer. If they do get a "hit" on some of their young talent and do get a high lottery pick, then the Blazers could be a consistent playoff threat by 2018. But if all goes awry, they could easily be pressing the reset button again in a couple of seasons.

On Portland's summer moves, Griffith opines:

Both Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis have shown potential to become quality big men and they both will get plenty of chances to prove themselves this season. Both players also pair well with the perimeter game of Leonard. Either Plumlee or Davis could turn out to be the most helpful addition to the team for this season.

For the long term, many Blazers fans are salivating over Vonleh. He appears to have the potential to develop into an All-Star and is a good bet to at least become a solid rotation player. Olshey acquired Vonleh for Nicolas Batum, who was likely to leave in free agency after this season anyway, so anything Vonleh can give the Blazers can be considered a bonus.

There's much more to the interview, so be sure and check it out.

Meanwhile, what do you tab as the most helpful move of the summer (aside from extending Lillard's contract)? Take a stab at answering the question below.