via NBATV's Denver Nuggets season preview - He doesn't know how Portland has assembled as much talent as we have. He's hoping we have too much talent. He's praying for a lot of bitching and moaning about playing time.
Well, if it was a team assembled with the kind of players Denver has, there would be big problems. This a different group.
In terms of talent over the last 25 years, I don't even put this group top 6 in Blazer team talent. Every team from 88 to 92 was more talented, and at least 2 of the Pippen years the Blazers were more talented.
Is that simply a matter of letting the cake continue to bake...................or change some ingredients?
Not if you're talking potential talent. We have Roy, likely to be a top 5 player in the league (now a top 10 player). We have two likely allstars in Oden and Aldridge. Then there are a handful of good potential players- Batum, Rudy, Webster.
Not even. Roy, Aldridge and Oden would make those teams, and Roy would excel. But overall, the talent of those teams, top to bottom, was superior to this team. Most of the players on those teams, were better in their 1st year of play then our current young players with anywhere from 1 to 5 years of experience. For instance, name one small forward, 1st or 2nd string off of those teams, that wasn't better in their rookie season, than our current small forwards with anywhere from to 1 to 5 years of experience. I have always taken the view that a player who steps into the league an excels has way more potential than a project player. It isn't always true, but at least with one you have a known good quantitiy.
Since they pretty much all had 4 years of college, and our current guys have been pretty much sitting for 1-5 years with 5-20 mins PT a game, that's a ridiculous comparison. I wonder whom you're referring to? I can't think of any Blazers rookies who came in ready to rock, other than Petrie, Walton, Sabas, and maybe TP. Drexler took a couple years to get consistent. Rudy is better than he was starting out. Cliffy never got the playoff poise. Most of our good players came through Bob whitsitt's phenomenal trading finesse.
I think we have both talent & chemistry. That said, I think we have too much similar talent and would like to see us pare down a bit and add a couple of good role players.
The amount of talent we have on this team is ridiculous and much better than any other year. Roy is going to be better than that little overrated **** Clyde. Aldridge will be better than Sheed due to his ability to run the floor and lack of overzealous passion. And Oden will be better than Walton (yes, I'm aware of how good a healthy Walton was). We have three players better than the best players of those respective generations. Duckworth, Lucas, Bonzi, Damon, Sabonis, Steve Smith, and an old Pippen have nothing on our current team in my opinion. We've had some pretty good players, but I've never honestly believed the whole team from top to bottom deserved a good chunk of minutes until this one.
I agree with your sentiment about talent on the team. Just not the part about Clyde being a **** and that Oden will be as good as Walton was. I would LOVE for Oden to show the skill that Walton did, and it IS possible, I just don't think it's that likely. I think Oden will be amazing though when all is said and done.
Roy is probably already better individually than Clyde, but has yet to demonstrate the desire or ability to be the perfect teammate Clyde was. LaMarcus may be as good as Sheed but completely different. He may never be the perimeter player Sheed was at both ends. Both are fantastic team players willing to sacrifice personal gain for team victory, unlike Roy. Oden has no prayer of ever being as complete a player as Sabonis or Walton. Not even if he plays for 40 years. Get real.
