| Lottery Summit: Portland Trail Blazers Authored by Andrew Perna & The RGM Blazers Forum - May 19, 2008 - 12:38 pm
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The Portland Trail Blazers:
2007-08 Record: 41-41
Difference From 2006-07: 9 More Wins
Chance Of Landing #1 Pick: 0.6%
Restricted Free Agents: Von Wafer
Unrestricted Free Agents: James Jones (P), Raef LaFrentz (ETO)
The Verdicts
1. What could the team have done different to make the playoffs?
BamBam8: A healthy Greg Oden and fewer minutes for Jarrett Jack in the fourth quarter.
BlackMamba: Having Oden on the floor.
jeffhardyfan52: If we got wins over some lower teams that we should of beat.
Spykes: There were a couple wins we let slip that we shouldn't have, but more than anything, losing Oden for the season is probably the main thing that kept us out of the playoffs. Well, that and being in the ridiculously tough Western Conference.
Oden2: A healthy Oden. That's basically all we needed.
b_roy7: Having Oden, and being in the Eastern Conference.
magee: In-game adjustments. The Blazers tend to stick to the gameplan too much without trying to shake things up during the game. That style of play never wins in the NBA. Every great team makes adjustments in the game. Portland showed potential, but is still a couple years away in that regard.
d-train: With the injury to Oden and the Zach Randolph trade, the Blazers were not close to being in the playoffs.
baas9: A healthy Oden.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
BamBam8: Three-point shooting and chemistry.
BlackMamba: I agree that team chemistry was our biggest strength, and it was proven with the winning streak.
jeffhardyfan52: Chemistry for sure, and we shared the ball well – besides Jack.
Spykes: I'm gonna go with the team’s chemistry as well. We haven't had a Blazer team that shared the ball this well in ages.
Oden2: The biggest strength of the Blazers was their ability to keep most games close and manage to win those games. I don't know the exact number, but the Blazers were something like 8-2 in games decided by three points or less.
b_roy7: Chemistry, bench support, improvements in LaMarcus Aldridge to fill in Randolph's spot, and much betters seasons from both Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw.
magee: Without a doubt, chemistry and bench play. The bench could have played with any of the starters and still have made an impact. The chemistry on the court was due in large part to trusting Brandon Roy with the ball and trusting each other on defense.
d-train: The team had success when Roy was able to create open shots for teammates and keep turnovers low. It also helped when Roy's teammates made the open shots.
baas9: Team chemistry and heart.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
BamBam8: Outlaw and Webster (although inconsistent).
BlackMamba: James Jones and Outlaw.
jeffhardyfan52: Jones, Outlaw, Webster and Josh McRoberts, when he played.
Spykes: Outlaw, hands down. He was able to step up and really become a strong factor for this team.
Oden2: I would say Jones and Outlaw. T.O.'s been amazing in the clutch and J.J. was a guy that I thought would be decent, but his impact on this team has really surprised me.
b_roy7: Outlaw.
magee: Outlaw and Jones. Outlaw showed he can develop a great jump shot while making small adjustments throughout the season on how teams played him. Jones is the ultimate glue guy for this team and it’ll be a shame if we lose him.
d-train: Most experts didn't expect the Blazers to win so many games because nobody knew Roy would consistently breakdown defenses and create open shots for his teammates. Everyone knew Roy was good, but he was better than anyone thought.
baas9: Jones was a major reason we played as well as we did during our streaks. When he was sidelined with injuries you could clearly see the effect in the win/loss column.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
BamBam8: Jack and Sergio Rodriguez.
BlackMamba: I agree, Jack. He was expected to have good numbers and performances all season long, instead he had a lot of turnovers and the lack of capacity to for some periods of games run the ball.
jeffhardyfan52: Jack.
Spykes: Hard choice between Jarrett and Sergio here. Take either one; they both took a pretty noticeable step backwards.
Oden2: Jack. I expected him to play respectably as a backup combo guard, but he's looked pretty bad this season. It's looking more and more like he needs a change of scenery, and I can't speak for all fans, but the Blazers would probably be better without him on the floor.
b_roy7: Jack. I can't really say Sergio, since his minutes vanished with the signing of Steve Blake.
magee: Blake and Jack. Being the starter and backup and having point guard as the team need is a problem. Both have to go. They will help whoever they go to tremendously, but they aren't great fits offensively with this team. If the Blazers could combine these two and Sergio, they would not have any problems.
d-train: The Blazers certainly expected more from Channing Frye after trading Zach Randolph for him. Portland was desperate for big man help, but Frye managed to earn only seventeen minutes a night.
baas9: Most would say that Jack had a bad season, but I wasn't the least bit surprised by it. The player that I had hoped would have a breakout type year, but never really stepped up when given the minutes was Webster. He just never could quite put it all together on a consistent basis.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
BamBam8: Very confident. Kevin Pritchard is the man.
BlackMamba: Very. Pritchard has proved in the last couple years to be a great general manager that knows what the team needs and how to get it. Plus, Paul Allen respects and is 100% confident in what he does, he totally backs him up.
jeffhardyfan52: Very. I fully trust that Kevin Pritchard will do what’s best for the team.
Spykes: Everything Pritchard has touched has turned to gold for the Blazers. Our front office got even better last summer when Tom Penn joined on as Assistant GM, so no worries what-so-ever.
Oden2: I'm very confident in Pritchard and company going into the offseason. Kevin has gained my full confidence, and whether he makes a big move or a couple of small moves, I'll be confident that he made the best decision available at the time. In regards to the draft, I have a feeling we will have yet another good draft day.
b_roy7: I would give Pritchard my life to deal with; I trust every move he makes.
magee: As confident as I am with my kendo stick skills. We have the best front office in the league, without a doubt. It helps having an owner who will pay in the range of eight million for Rudy without even signing him.
d-train: Pritchard has only been GM since a couple months before Blazers won the Greg Oden lottery. There is no track record yet to judge Pritchard by, but he has the same support staff that had a great draft in 2006.
baas9: Very. Prichard has given no reason for anyone to feel otherwise and Allen has shown the willingness to do what it takes to make Portland a Championship contender again.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
BamBam8: Point guard, then maybe small forward, but we really need a good point.
BlackMamba: A point guard. The Blazers have good depth in all the other positions. They also have plenty of point guards, but sadly only Blake seems capable of adding something to the team.
jeffhardyfan52: Point guard, then small forward.
Spykes: I really don't think they need to get younger at all, so I'm gonna say nothing. Assuming Portland stays at #13, I really don't think there's anything that can substantially help the Blazers in the draft. I'm hoping Pritchard is able to move the pick and either move up or trade out completely.
Oden2: This may not necessarily be in the draft, but the Blazers need a starting point guard. Trading the pick or moving up in the draft seem like the best courses of action to take.
b_roy7: Easily a point guard to go with Oden, Aldridge and Roy. A pure passer with a shooting touch, if that’s not too much to ask. Small forward would be our second need if the organization doesn't feel Webster can fill it. A rebounding presence off the bench could also be helpful, someone in the Paul Millsap/David Lee mold.
magee: Only an elite point guard can solve their woes and none will be there at thirteen. D.J. Augustin will make a great pro and playmaker, but him not stepping up in the Tournament could hurt his future in the pros, along with the fact that he is relatively small. The same goes for Darren Collison minus the size. Collison looked like Blake against Memphis, constantly over dribbling the ball to no avail. Best player available, but that likely won’t be the case since the Blazers have the firepower to trade up in the draft. A banger-type of four, like the Brandon Bass' and Jason Maxiell's of the NBA, would be great, but a cheap version in James Mays could be had in the second round. A sharpshooting wing could help if Webster is dealt.
d-train: At #13, Blazers have to take the best player available. The biggest needs are point guard and small forward, but Portland can make room for any player that can play.
baas9: A starting quality, pass first/playmaking point, who'll commit to playing solid defense and can hit an open three-pointer with consistency. Or, a true "back to the basket" big man, who can rebound and is willing to bang down low on both ends of the floor.
7. Assuming the lottery plays out true, who would you like your team to select?
BamBam8: Either trade the pick for a vet or try to move up. If we can't do either of those, then I guess I'd pick Nicolas Batum.
BlackMamba: Well, I would love the Blazers to trade and try to get Derrick Rose (that seems almost impossible) or Russell Westbrook (a more realist trade going at around 8-10). If not, Darren Collison or Kevin Love would be good.
jeffhardyfan52: I think we trade the pick for a vet, or if we use it then Love.
Spykes: Assuming nothing changes and Portland is stuck using the pick, I'm gonna say a small forward like Batum or Donte Greene. Point is the more pressing need, but looking at the mock drafts right now, I don't really see someone who'll be available when Portland is picking.
Oden2: I want the Blazers to trade the pick for a starting caliber point guard, but if Pritchard decides to keep the pick, then probably Batum, simply because he'd likely be the best player available.
b_roy7: There are a lot of possibilities for the Blazers. I would like to trade up, but realistically, maybe Westbrook/Batum/Collison.
magee: Westbrook. Too gifted athletically and too much potential on offense to turn down. May not be there though, so Batum.
d-train: Westbrook.
baas9: If we were to draft in our currently projected position, I would have to say Love because of the type of post offense he brings in combination with his highly polished overall skill set. However, I do believe that trading some of our youthful potential to move up in the draft for an immediate impact point guard or well established vet would be preferable.
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Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM. If you’re a fan of one of the many teams that we have yet to feature, surf over to our forums and weigh in on what is happening within the organization. If you’d like to contact Andrew, shoot him an e-mail at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
