How Many Years To Rebuild This Team?

Look at this mess of a roster. Let's take an honest look and see what's up & down:

100% Keepers: LA, Nic

OK to keep but can be used for a trade (ie, have some trade value): Matthews, Wallace, Williams

Must trade, waive or have a couple if Italians make them disappear: Babbitt, Crawful, Failton, A. Johnson

Either too old, may pan out someday or otherwise meh: C Johnson, N Smith, Thomas, Camby, C. Smith

A team usually consists of 7 or 8 "players" to see them though. We have 2. A PF & SG/SF. We might be able to obtain 1 of the 8 as a free agent, but our talent evaluators suck so bad that seems unlikely. No drafted player will come in as a rookie and be one of the 8. If we're reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally lucky, we can trade Failton and Crawful and get one of the 8, but their value was crap before they came here and now it's circled the bowl and is floating out to sea.

So at best, next year we have 3 of the 8 required and no hope beyond that for the near future.

We're in dire straits.

 

The Blazer's are not going to "rebuild," they may make some moves before the deadline, or over summer, but rebuild is going overboard.

Nash/Felton
Batum/Mathews
Wallace/Batum
LMA/Freeland
Camby/ ?

Not the most likely but what I'd like to see.

 

We have two good NBA players, a few others and the rest are misc. We're 3 starters and at least 3 good reserve players away fro the playoffs. That's a rebuild.

 

So who the hell are you trading to get Nash? Nobody apparently.

 

We're a litte weak in the backcourt right now but very strong at forward. Our Center position depends heavily on Camby (I don't like Kurt Thomas much but he's even older) and Camby is what? 36? even if he plays like a 20 year-old.

I would like to see us give Armon Johnson a chance. I think Crawford is becoming a decent player for us and could also be used at PG, Matthews is just OK and Felton is mostly disappointing. I think we need to get another backcourt contributor (could actualy be Eliott Williams) and probably should let Felton go. At Center I suggested picking Festus Ezeli who seems like a very decent Center prospect. If he's available to us in the 2nd round I wouldn't expect us picking him but would be pleasently surprised if we did.

 

Reports are he'd like to play in the NW, close to home. With the right supporting cast its possible he would sign here in free agency.

Offensively perhaps, but our Defense is Playoff legit. IMO all we need is Rebounding and another solid Backcourt piece.

 

IMO, No one on this team is 100% keeper. It's not like you can't upgrade from LA or Batum, so they should be available.

If Portland started the process now (too late IMO, but you all know that) they could be back in the playoffs and competing in two years, but they have to scout well and be willing to accept that they aren't very good.

New coach aside, they need to deal Wallace, Felton, Crawford, Matthews, Camby and anything else of value I might be overlooking for picks, picks and more picks. Then we need to get LA and Nic out there this summer recruiting FA's. Trading those players should allow us to miss the playoffs and end up around the 10th pick and at least 1 additional pick in the teens. I think the team should see if Williams is a player or not and then move forward. Aldridge, Batum and Williams, with Smith as either Linesque PG or back up going forward. Don't fucking draft for need.

 

Not committing to a rebuild is just going to prolong the this stretch of mediocrity. "Retooling" is just a code word for rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

How many years to rebuild? How many years until Allen sells?

 

Aldridge
Batum
Freeland

And go from there. Go after Eric Gordon hard in free agency, and make a play for Augustin.

PG: Augustin
SG: Gordon
SF: Batum
PF: Aldridge
C: Freeland

6th man idea: Nick Young (UFA)

And we're right back in the thick of things.

 

Freeland? LOL

If Portland actually does have some cash this summer, Gordon would be a great get. I think he will end up in Indy though because he is a native there. Another thing I would try desperately to do is land Rondo. I'm not sure it can be done without Batum though?

 

Nic and LMA are cool and all but it's going to take a lot more than their recruiting to get any meaningful FA's here. The team has to be solid already for any free agent to come to the NW. Otherwise NOBODY of any credence will think twice about signing here.

 

I like throwing a big contract offer at Gordon or Brook Lopez in the summer to see if we can pry one of them lose from their current teams. We still desperately need a PG though.

 

Batum is playing like an All Star as a starter. 20ppg/6reb/48%fg/38%3FG%/great defense. If you believe like I do that these 6 starts are the new norm for him, that means we have two All Stars. Gerald Wallace isn't fantastic anymore, but he's still competent starting material at SF. Medocre 15 PER, but still provides good defense and the occasional explosive night. Camby, Matthews and Rhino are adequate bench guys. So let's re-write your post:

Next year we probably have two All-Stars, one other starting-quality guy, a few other good players (and we'll have dumped a really shitty point guard). We're 2 starters and maybe 2 or 3 good reserve players away from being an upper-echelon team.

Hopefully Portland can reload at the trade deadline or next summer, filling in the glaring holes on this team. Ideally we somehow swap out Felton for Deron or Nash, but even a lesser upgrade could be massive for this team.

I actually like the off-season we'd had last summer at the time. If Felton didn't have a stunningly bad season, it would look a lot better in hindsight. Craig Smith was a nice pickup, and Crawford would look fine in the role he was meant for if we weren't trying to use him as a PG. The real-world disaster of Felton wrecks what on paper was a decent off-season. Hopefully we have another off-season that looks good on paper, but this time actually materializes in the real world too.

But we're a long ways away from needing a complete re-build. Teams with two All-Star caliber players just don't do that.

 

Freeland more than held his own against NBA centers (outside M. Gasol ). At 6'11" 255lbs. he has the size as well.

 

Brook Lopez is horribly over rated IMO. Between him and LA, we would be the worst rebounding front court in NBA history.

 

I disagree and hope like hell I am wrong

 

I agree with mook. We have two All Star caliber players in LaMarcus and Nic. Our problem is at point guard and backup center. If we got competent players at those positions we would be right in the mix.

 

I think a coaching change should be considered - this offense is stunting the growth of players and suits very few (Roy)

 

David Blatt would be an awesome hire.