2007 NBA Portland Trail Blazers
Oregon's Pro Basketball team Needs to Blaze New Trail
Advice for NBA teams to improve their respective teams as the 2007 trade deadline nears, covering all 30 teams worst to first. This installment: Portland Trail Blazers
Portland has been a notable NBA team the last several years only for shooting itself in the foot, with strange draft picks and trades reeking of “quick fix” versus long-term stability and improvement. Things have changes of late however, due both to an upgrade in the talent pool and to coach Nate McMillan getting his scheme across to the players and the results are starting to accumulate. They have played .500 ball for their last ten games, and are only three games out of the last playoff spot in the West. They just mauled the Wizards, third-best team in the East at Washington. They have an All-Star caliber (better numbers than Shawn Marion minus the latter’s supporting cast) power forward giving them 24 and 10 nightly; the leading candidate for rookie of the year and another rook whose upside may be even better; and then toss in a second-year point guard who is starting to blossom. All is rosy in Raintown, right? Not quite so fast.
Zach Randolph has placed himself in elite company with his play this season. His off-court activities have gained him equal notoriety, and one wonders if his psyche is up to the maturity it requires being a team leader playing in meaningful games. His tendency to turn the ball over (3 + per game) when double-teamed is not a good indicator either. But the positive numbers don’t lie, and his increased accuracy at the line over each year of his career shows a willingness to work. Brandon Roy is a physical, fearless two guard that may be the MVP of the Blazers as well as league rookie of the year. LaMarcus Aldridge was slowed by injury at the start of the season, but of late he is showing why he went number 2 overall in last year’s draft.
Jarrett Jack was the equal of Chris Paul when they played against each other in the ACC, but he’s been slower to adapt to the NBA. That worm is turning also. His assists are up to 5.6, granted not eye-popping but indicative that he’s distributing more and shooting less. His FT % is among the league’s best also. Jamaal Magloire has settled in nicely after coming over from the Bucks – his rebounding projects to double-digits given starter’s minutes. He is still young and healthy enough to put up the 13/10 he did three seasons ago. Travis Outlaw has value as a shot blocker, an area where Portland is otherwise anemic.
Problems abound however, explaining how the team has a 22-30 mark so far. Juan Dixon is a liability this season, too many turnovers - he misses the chemistry he had with Steve Blake. Joel Pryzbilla is a mess, he can’t rebound, can’t block shots – what else is a 6:11 stiff good for? Their project players like Martell Webster still have years left on their learning curve. The reserve 7 does not harbor an impact scorer that could be a game-changer. The Blazers should target the Nevada F-C Gus Fazekas in the draft to allow them to part ways with at least one of their no-talent bigs. They need a Bonzi Wells-type for the other pressing need; they just need that person to be anyone other than a reincarnated Wells.
Their bench competes with Atlanta’s for incompetence, so don’t look for help there, unless McMillan develops a little respect for the unappreciated talents of Dan Dickau. The ex-Gonzaga star could give their underwhelming 93.8 ppg a jump, but he gets no minutes. Play him 15-20 Nate! All three of their second round picks need to be good ones so they can clear the rest of the dross off the pine. The return of Darius Miles from knee surgery and (hopefully) his past immaturity is the biggest question mark about 2007-08. With another 18-20 ppg scorer on the floor to complement Randolph and Roy, going into Portland to play will be a test for all visiting teams. Whether or not they slip into this years tourney and become a sacrificial lamb for Dallas in the first round is only meaningful for morale – next year will be the test to see if these New Age Blazers can advance into the upper echelon of the NBA.
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