Potential Offseason Moves For the Blazers

The Blazers should show Chandler some love this offseason

Which players could take the Blazers over the top next season?


The Blazers had a great run this season while battling through tough injury problems.  Their main scoring threat, Brandon Roy, is now hobbled by knee injuries and looks like he will be for the remainder of his career.  This year saw the Blazers' Lamarcus Aldridge grow into the new face of the franchise and a perennial all star candidate.  They also saw the emergence of Wesley Matthews as a starting two guard, acquired Gerald 'Crash' Wallace, saw Batum's continued improvement, and Miller's solid play once again.  One thing is certain, the Blazers have a good core of players but a few holes still remain on the roster.  I believe their biggest need is a go to perimeter scorer to play off of Aldridge, and that take over when Lamarcus is on the bench.  Another need is a tough defensive minded center to patrol the paint, and finally they need to find the point guard of the future.

Rich Cho, the Blazers GM,  now needs to find a perimeter scorer who can get to the hoop and create their own shot.  Cho may not have to look outside the current roster to fill that void.  Roy used to fill this need, but because of his injury he is and will continue to be mainly a perimeter threat.  Roy has said that he wants to battle for the starting position after a few great performances in the playoffs where he showed the ability to finish at the basket, but it is not something I think he can consistently excel at in future years.  The Blazers hope Matthews can make even more headway in a promising career and have the same kind of improvement he showed this year.  After the season Matthews admitted that he has a lingering ankle problem that plagued him throughout the playoffs.  The Blazers need to make sure that he heals correctly and does not over stress the injury this summer,  if he comes back healthy, and can work on his game a little, he could potentially be that go to guard that the Blazers need.  If either Roy or Matthews can assert themselves in that 2 guard position Cho can turn his attention elsewhere.

Nene could add the powerful
inside presence the Blazers need
next to Aldridge

Batum is also a player that needs to assert himself more and really work to get stronger in the weight room.  In the Dallas series he was repeatidly over matched, by a bigger player in Dirk Nowitzki.  I think if he really took an off season and committed himself to developing his body he could take his overall game to the next level.  He is already a defensive stopper because of his long rangy frame, and he has proven he can be a solid perimeter shooter and has the confidence to make some big shots at the end of games.  He needs to work on his ball handling and look to attack the hoop more.  If Batum can make some of these improvements he could become that perimeter threat instead of one of the two guards.

Gerald Wallace is one player that is already primed to have a huge season next year.  With a whole off season under his belt to fine tune the offense and to try and imiprove his perimeter shot he should be an even more potent part of the offense.  He turned around the attitude of the team with his arrival.  His hard play and tough demeanor worked great with this team, and you could see a huge improvement in other players such as Batum.  It is very exciting to see an all star player such as Wallace in a Blazers uniform.

Camby did very well last season, but his career is almost over and ideally he should only play about 25 minutes a game next year to try and save him for the playoffs and possibly extend his career by a year.  That means the Blazers need to get a center in the draft or free agency.  A possible free agent fit could be Tyson Chandler.  Chandler is the defensive stopper that they need and he has proven he is a smart player and is just getting through a season that saw him injury free.  They could make a bid for Deandre Jordan or Marc Gasol, both of whom could shore up the front line.  Another very intriguing name is Nene.  There are rumors that Nene will opt out of his contract with the Nuggets and become a restricted free agent next season.  He provides a huge body down low who can provide both offense and defense.  Of course, if they made a successful offer to any of these players it means the end of the Greg Oden era.

Oden continues to rehab, but all hope
 is not lost as rumors are circulating of a
possible 4 year $40 million deal.

I think that at this point in Greg's career it may be time to cut their losses.  I feel bad for Greg and its not his fault he has been constantly injured, but it does not make sense for the Blazers to shell out $8 million for a one year tender on a player that has played only 82 games his whole career.  There have been rumors of the Blazers offering Greg a longer term contract, 4 years for 40 million.  Given, he has shown signs of being the player they need down low, and they spent millions making him the face of the franchise when they drafted him number one overall,  that is why it is so hard for them to give up on him. I think it is, unfortunately,  time  for the Blazers to cut their losses and give Oden a chance somewhere else.

The Blazers' have had a lot of issues with Andre Miller since his addition two seasons ago, and there were a lot of rumors at the trade deadline of acquiring Devon Harris at the trade deadline.  Now he is on a rebuilding utah team, and I think that the Blazers may be able to pry him away from them.  They could offer some combination of Miller's expiring contract, Rudy Fernandez, Luke Babbit, the rights to Victor Clavor, and two picks in this years draft.  That would give Utah a couple of nice young players along with another draft pick and the expiring contract of Miller, who could tutor any young point guard that the Jazz draft.

I think that Harris would look much better in a Blazer uniform
next season.

If the Blazers stand pat and retain their current roster they will still have a very good team next year, and if they do bring Oden back and he can play at least 40 games and in the playoffs the Blazers will be at the top of the defensive rankings and a big threat to any team in the playoffs.  They could find a solid rotation player in this years draft, but they probably won't find anyone who will be a star.  I would love to see a player like Faried drop to them, although with the lack of talent in this years draft it looks doubtful.  I think the Blazers should take a shot at a player like Lucas Noguiera, who can step in immediately and help out on defense despite his raw offensive skills and young age.

Overall, I think that the Blazers have a lot of potential if they can stay healthy (which has been a universal feeling for the past 3 years), and they have the assets to make a real splash in a turbulent offseason. It will be very interesting, and I am excited to see what moves Cho decides to make and which players on the current roster can take their game to the next level.   

Which players would be a good fit for Portland in the 2011 NBA draft?

The Blazers have a few crucial holes that need to be filled this upcoming off season.  Although many people are calling this draft very weak because there are very few players that look like they will be all-stars, I think there will be a lot of solid role players and there will be definitely be one or 2 layers that surprise everyone and become great.  The Blazers look poised to get the 21st pick of the draft.  This means they will get a player that will need some development for at least a year before they are ready to contribute.  They do have some assets they could use to trade up if there is a player they really like, but I don't expect them to go that route.

The Blazers 2 biggest needs are a stable center to go along with LaMarcus, and a point guard for the future.
Here is a list of a few players that might be available around the Blazers pick and that I think would be a good fit in Portland.

1. Brandon Knight-  Knight's stock has been all over this season, and every scout has a different take on him.  He seems to be more of a scorer than a distributor, but he is extremely talented, athletically gifted, and has a lot of upside.  If he is available I would expect the Blazers to pull the trigger on him and then try to use Andre Miller's contract as a trade asset.

2. Kenneth Faried- Faried is another player who has a ton of talent but could slip to the Blazers.  He would slip because he lacks the ideal size even though he is the best rebounder in this draft.  He reminds me of Ben Wallace because of how defensively active he is.  He would be a great back up for Aldridge, and think of a defensive minded line up like Wallace, Faried, Aldridge, Batum, Mathews.

3. Lucas Nogueira- Nogueira is a young seven footer out of Brazil.  He is very offensively, but he could come in and help on defense.  He is very athletic and has a huge wing span.  He could learn a lot from Marcus Camby in the last few seasons of his career, and if Portland's trainers could develop him in the same way as LaMarcus, he could be a great pick.

4.Markieff Morris- Markieff is the better rebounder and shot blocker of the Morris twins, and he would help out Portland's front line.  He would bring a lot of energy off the bench for Nate McMillan.  His offensive game is still improving and he continues to show upside.

5.Nolan Smith- Smith had a great senior season at Duke, but there are questions of whether he could play the point in the NBA or is he an undersized 2 guard.  I think that he could learn a lot from Andre Miller, but I don't know if he would be an upgrade over Patty Mills.


6.Patric Young- Young is a little undersized at the center position but he makes up for it with long arms and elite athleticism.  He reminds me of Kendrick Perkins because of what he does on the floor.  He won't give you much offense yet, but defensively he will compete.  He will be a project, but he has the potential to develop into a nice player.

Gerald Wallace Has Become Beloved By Blazer Fans

Gerald Wallace brought his heart and hustle to Portland, and so far it is paying off.


During his career Gerald Wallace has been known as the ultimate hustle player in the NBA. He is not known for his offense, but he makes his living with defense and rebounding   When Portland acquired him at the trade deadline they had a good idea of what they were getting, but they could not imagine how Wallace's presence would change the face of the team.  Since he arrived the Blazers have been playing with more heart, more hustle, and more toughness.  Wallace's demeanor is to not back down from anyone, and that is rubbing off on some of the younger players who had been criticized for being soft.

Wallace can play the 2, 3, or 4 and he is an exceptional defender at each position.  He has been starting at the power forward position, moving aldridge to the center position.  That line up is very small, and conventional wisdom would say that the lineup is too small to compete against bigger team, especially because front court depth is a major problem.  That, however, is not the case as the Blazers have been not only competing, but winning crucuial games down the stretch.  They have been playing hard and hitting the glass, led by Wallace.

Wallace has been key to these wins, he has had 40 point games, and many 13-15 rebound games.  He has been locking his man down each game and he has not been afraid to get down low and do the dirty work.  Friday was a perfect example, he seemed like he was on the floor every other play.  He got in Artest's face all night and did not back down when he got in his face.  Wallace even took a huge charge against the 7 foot Andrew Bynum which swung the momentum back to the Blazers side.

When Wallace was traded to Portland I think blazer fans knew he was athletic and talented, but I don't think they understood how athlletic and how talented he really is.  He seems to be one of the most athletic players on the floor every night.  He has also proven he can knock down the open three, which was a concern at the beginning.  The fact that he is hitting his open shots, hustling on the boards and on defense, and throwing down thunderous dunks is making him a fan favorite.  He was given a standing ovation Friday night as the fans chanted his name during the closing minutes in the victory over the Lakers.  It looks like the addition of Wallace was a perfect move, and it seems like Portland fans are eager for this marriage to continue for many years to come.

Brandon Roy Is Coming On Strong After Injuries

Roy has had a frustrating season full of injuries.

Brandon Roy is on the road to a good recovery from his devastating knee injuries.  


Brandon Roy has had a history of knee problems dating back to his time at Washington.  The Blazers were aware of these concerns when they traded for him in the 2006 draft for the rights to Randy Foye.  They also knew these concerns when they signed him to a maximum deal in 2009.  A lot of teams would have been cautious about signing a player with these ailments, but the Blazers made him the face of the franchise. Up to that date Roy had come back from a knee injury before and did not show signs that these knee problems would slow him down.  Brandon had played his way into the hearts of Blazer fans and the Blazers' front office.  He had become the face of the franchise, an all-star, and was regarded as one of the rising stars in the league.

This shows what is done
during an arthroscopic surgery.

In the 2010'11 season everything changed, as his knee issues came to the forefront and have caused Roy to miss 33 games so far this season.  The doctors say that Roy literally does not have a mcl in either of his knees.  This causes bone on bone friction and will cause a lot of swelling and discomfort when he tries to make cuts, cross overs or explode to the basket. Not only did Roy have surgery on one knee, he had arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees.

In an article on Gossip Sports John Canzano, a Blazer Authority, talked to some surgeons and they said that the outlook was bleak.  "The “consulting surgeon” whispers that he believes the best-case strategy for handling Roy is this: A) Limit Roy’s practice reps to almost nothing; B) Play him off the bench in 65-75 or so games a season, choosing rest in key spots; C) pray. Surgeon suspects the Blazers might get 1-2 years out of Roy employing this strategy."

This is going to be a permanent issue for the rest of his career, but since he came back 13 games ago he has shown signs that he can change his game and continue to have success for the Blazers.  Since he has come back he has been playing limited minutes, around 25 minutes per game, off of the bench.  He immediately showed that he can still make an impact on the game.  He poured in 18 points in his second game back against the Nuggets in 24 minutes and shot 50% from the field.  Since then he has only had 2 twenty point games but has slowly returning to form.  He has begun to regain his quick crossover and has shown the ability to pull up for a jump shot.  He has also showed signs of being able to take his man off the dribble and get to the rim, although he still struggles with finishing.

Roy has shown the ability to knock down
big shots since returning from double knee surgery

Going forward Brandon Roy can still be a very effective player for the Blazers.  He may never return to the form which got him a max contract, but he can be a big offensive force off the bench because of his ability to bring the ball up the court, distribute to teammates, his consistent jump shot from medium and short range, and his ability to take defenders off the dribble.  His combination of talents will allow him to be a good point-forward for the team.  It will remain to be seen if he can stay healthy for a whole season, but a role similar to what he has played since his return could give him enough rest to be ready and able to play every night.

You have to root for a guy such as Roy, who has had devastating knee problems but has continued to work at recovering and fitting into his new role. Hopefully Roy can make an impact for more than the 2 years that these surgeons suggest his productivity will last. If we can take anything positive for Roy from this injury he has shown that he is a hard worker and a good teammate.  He has continued to be a team leader, setting the tone with his work ethic and hard play.  If he continues all of these trends hopefully he will be a great player and success story for years to come.

Blazers Keep Nate McMillan For 2 More Years

Nate McMillan will be in Portland
 for at least 2 more years.

Nate McMillan has been rewarded for his great work as coach of the Blazers, on Wednesday he signed a 2 year extension.  


The Blazers took a proactive approach on their biggest off-season issue, and inked Nate McMillan to a two year extension.

Nate McMillan has emerged as one of the top coaches in the NBA.  He began his career as a 12 year player in Seattle.  Just like his coaching style, he was a solid, tough, stat-filling type of player.  He was never flashy on the offensive end, but he was a tough defender, a consistent long range shooter, and a good distributer.

McMillan stayed in Seattle and in the year 2000 started his coaching career as the interim coach for the Sonics.  He coached there until 2005, leading them to the playoffs twice and winning the North West division in 2005.  He then moved on to the Portland Trailblazers.  He is also a mainstay on the US national team, helping coach in the 2006 world championships and the 2008 Beijing olympics.

Nate McMillan has been the Blazers' coach for 6 years now and has actually lost 5 more games than he has won as coach in the span.  When he moved here from Seattle he took over a team with numerous off-the-court and cap problems that was floundering at the bottom of the league.  His tough minded approach has changed the locker room chemistry and the mind-set of the players while the front office has taken care of the cap problems.

Since his tough start, McMillan has taken Portland to the playoffs the last two years and is poised to lead them there for a third.  McMillan won the NBA's coach of the year award last year, for his work amid a rash of injuries which affected the Blazers' roster all year.  This year Nate is in the running for the award once again, dealing with the same type or even worse injury problems.  This year Nate has led the Blazers to the 5th spot in the West so far and has successfully dealt with problems such Rudy Fernandez wanting to be traded, Brandon Roy and Andre Miller questioning his decision making, and the loss of Greg Oden once again.  Through all of those problems he has maintained a positive attitude and continues to plan for the future.

This is a very important move for the future of the franchise.  Keeping McMillan, now a perennial coach of the year candidate, helps the Blazers to continue to focus on the future.  There was talk earlier in the year that the front office was pondering blowing up the roster and rebuilding around Aldridge and Batum.  If the Blazers had lost McMillan I believe that they would have gone ahead an blown this team up.  Now that they have solidified Nate's position in the franchise he can continue to mesh the current talent together and rebuilding is not necessary.

The Future of The Blazers Roster

The future of the Blazers is still tied to
 the decisions concerning Greg Oden

Injuries have killed the Blazers' hopes the past few seasons, and as a result we do not have a good understanding of what this team could achieve if they ever become a healthy club.  


The 2010-11 season has had its ups and downs so far, highlighted by the emergence of Lamarcus Aldridge and the disappointing injury to Brandon Roy.  Greg Oden, the former #1 overall pick, has missed another season and has garnered more Sam Bowie comparisons.  The off season drama surrounding fan favorite Rudy Fernandez came and went with him remaining in Portland and he has become a major contributor.  The Blazers' major free-agent addition Wesley Matthews has become a candidate for most improved player, and is averaging 16 points per game.  Batum has improved, but has not become the defensive presence or assertive offensive player that the Blazers want him to be.  Andre Miller has continued to be the steady performer that NBA fans have become accustomed to over his career.  Marcus Camby has been good, but is starting to show his age and has been injured off and on all year.  Patty Mills has showed some signs of life, and has shown he can be a very exciting player in fast break situations.  The two rookies on the roster, Armon Johnson and Luke Babbit, have failed to contribute.  Fellow rookie Elliot Williams has also been injured all season.  The Blazers lost Pryzbilla, who was coming off major knee surgery, but added the former all-star Gerald Wallace.

So what do we know about this roster, and what can they hope to achieve from this point forward.
First and foremost, we know that this team is probably the best team in the face of adversity we have seen in years.  They lost their star player, Brandon Roy, to devastating knee injuries but barely faltered.  They took the news of Greg Oden's injury in stride.  They have dealt with many of their key members missing games here and there but they never stopped competing.

I believe this toughness comes straight from their head coach Nate McMillan.  In years past this has been the case as well, but never before have the injuries been so severe.  Oden was young and not yet established when he went down the past few seasons, but losing the face of their franchise in Roy was a much bigger blow to the stomachs of the fans, team, and organization.  McMillan never let this effect his coaching, and kept the Blazers headed in the right direction.  There was some talk early in the season that the players were unhappy with McMillan, and that this could be his last season in Portland.  I think this is their biggest off-season issue, they must resign McMillan.  In the past few seasons I believe he has proved that he is one of the most competent coaches in the NBA.

We know that the new face of the franchise is now Lamarcus Aldridge.  It is sad to see a player like Roy suffer a career altering injury, but the Blazers rebounded with Aldridge who was an emerging talent to begin with.  This season he has become the man since Roy's injury.  He has become one of the best scoring big man in the league, and leads the league in alley-oops.  He has a long and lanky 6'11 build, he is athletic, and he has a sweet shot with a release point so high it is almost impossible to block.  As he continues growing as the star of the team I believe he will continue to get better.  Look for him to improve his conditioning over the course of the off-season, as he has gotten tired at the end of some games. (Which is understandable if you are playing 44-46 minutes per game.)

Batum has a lot of potential and talent and will have
a bright future if he puts it together with an
improved mental approach

We know that the Blazers are full of young talent and decent to great role players.  The franchise only other 'untouchable' at the trade deadline was Nicolas Batum.  Batum is also a long and lanky player with great athleticism, and is a great defensive player when he wants to be.  He has great fundamentals and shoots relatively well from the field.  The only knock on Batum is that sometimes his mind is not where it should be, he seems to wander and get lost at times.  If Batum improves his mental game, and becomes a player who is aggressive every night on every play he could become one of the best defenders in the game.  Batum is still very young, only 22 years of age, and needs to add strength to his slight frame.  He has a ton of potential.

Brandon Roy is going to have to settle in with his new role on the team.  He will not be the go-to guy any more, but he can still shoot with his sweet stroke.  At times he can break down defenses and get to the rim, but he now lacks the explosion that made him a max-contract player.  With Andre Miller likely gone in the next few years, I look to Roy to initiate a lot of the offense.  He could be a threat bringing the ball up the court and he also has the ability to set up his teammates.  He will never be the type of player he was, but he can still average 15 points per game and hustle up and down the court.

Other role players include Wesley Matthews, who will probably be the starting 2 guard going forward.  He is a great offensive player and he really hustles on defense.  Last year for Utah he gave Kobe fits in their playoff series.  He will be looked to to make open threes, finish on fast breaks and lock up opposing players on defense.  Rudy Fernandez has become happy again in Portland, which is a good sign.  He is their best long range shooter and shows some flashy passing, usually on lobs to Aldridge.  He needs to continue to fine-tune his game and become a better defender but he is a valuable member off the bench.

The Blazers must figure out what role Gerald Wallace is going to play for their team.  He is a great defender, rebounder, and slasher on offense.  He finishes very well at the rim, but he is not a great shooter.  He can play the 2, 3, and 4 positions which makes him a valuable player.  It is unclear to me whether he is a potential starter, and if he is would this move Batum to the 2, or Aldridge to the 5.

The Rookies and Patrick Mills need to continue to improve their games.  Babbit has been a non-factor this season, barely making appearances off the bench.  In college he was a dominant scorer, and he could  be used as a stretch 4 for the Blazers.  He needs to work on his conditioning, getting stronger is key.  He also needs to work on his moves off the dribble and defense.  Armon Johnson had a great run in the first few weeks of the season, but lost his confidence and became stuck on McMillan's bench.  He needs to work at becoming a true floor general for the team, he has the athletic ability and size to become a good defender, and he knows how to finish at the rim with his floater.  He needs to develop his jump shot.  Elliot Williams is an unknown because he has not played at all.  Patty Mills needs to continue to work on his jump shot and decision making.  He could be key for the future of the team if they ever decide to run a faster paced offense.

In the upcoming off-season the Blazers have some decisions to make.  1st, as I stated before, they have to decide about Nate McMillan.  2nd, they need to decide on whether or not to pick up Oden's option of around $7 million next season.  They could use Miller, who has an expiring contract at the end of next season, as trade bait.  They have a first round pick in this years draft, which I believe they should use to add another big body to their front line.  In my mock draft I have them taking the young seven footer from Brazil, Lucas Nogueira.  He has a lot of athletic ability, but is raw offensively.  In the second round I have the Blazers taking Tyler Zeller.  It is unlikely that he will still be around because of a great season this year, but the idea that the Blazers pick 2 seven footers would not be a bad idea. They could also target a point guard prospect such as Brandon Knight if he slips in the draft.  There have also been rumors that Pryzbilla could return to Portland for a reduced salary next season.  The Blazers could also opt to bring Victor Claver, the versatile 6'10 forward, over from Europe.

The Blazers still have a lot of young talented
players that could mesh into a dominant unit

If Oden can make a comeback next year,  and live up to half of the expectations the organization had for him, then the Blazers could make a huge push in the playoffs.  With the addition of Wallace, the evolution of Batum, Mathews, and Aldridge the Blazers could become a defensive powerhouse.  Oden would anchor this defense and allow the Blazers' pesky wing defenders to gamble a little bit more on 50-50 balls.  They could bring Camby off the bench so they could play each player only 24 minutes, letting Camby play a year or two longer and getting Oden comfortable playing again.  Aldridge would be the go to player on offense, but with Andre Miller hitting Mathews and Wallace on their slashes and cuts to the hoop or setting up Roy, Batum and Fernandez beyond the arch the Blazers have a ton of options on offense.

The bottom line is that the Blazers still have a very bright future, even after their devastating injuries.  This roster can be a championship competitor if they stay healthy.  Portland fans should not lose hope, as there are still many exciting times to come at the Rose Garden, this season and in future seasons to come.