Not to be buzz kill or anything but the thought came to me "I wonder if this is how the T'Wolves/Warriors/<insert your favorite perennial lotto team here> feel?" Maybe the reason they are sometimes willing to trade their picks is that they have know that both drafting AND keeping good players can be tough. Heck, drafting good ones is tough enough, keeping them when they turn out good is sometimes even harder. Gramps...
Nah, more like I've found myself starting to get my hopes up. That almost always leads to disappointment hence I am trying to temper my optimism by thinking about the success of teams that seem to perpetually be in the lottery. Gramps...
It has occurred to cynical me that signing Drummond after his rookie contract is way more strategic than drafting him.
I think it's a fair question, Gramps. My belief is that if the Blazers were only looking at getting a couple of good draft picks there would be little reason for optimism about getting back to relevancy anytime soon. No matter how good the new crop of rookies may be, it takes time for them to learn how to play at an NBA level. Add to that the simple fact that there will be way more busts to average players coming out of the draft than average to great players, and you have a recipe for multiple lottery appearances. In the Blazers case, they're starting with an advantage over most lottery teams in that they have an established All-Star and a couple of good players (assuming Batum is re-signed). Beyond that, the Blazers should have enough cap space to make at least one major signing and they have some other prospects on the board (Hickson, Claver, & Freeland). I don't expect instant success, but if these assets are used well, I think making the playoffs next year and perhaps advancing a round isn't out of the question.
When we were stuck in the lotto before Roy/LMA, it felt different. There usually wasn't cap space, no true All-Star on the roster, lots of powerhouse teams in the West and and a crappy GM. That's why I'm a little more optimistic this time around that it won't be a long rebuild/retool.
