The goal: Win an NBA Championship. Who do you want to be on it?

Okay so we all know the goal entering the seasons (probably minus this season, however) from here on out is to win an NBA Championship. Not to hard to assess. Now my question to all of you guys who currently on our team would you like to see on the team and who you think is needed on the current roster in order to reach it.

We are loaded with young guys everywhere, who do you think offers us the best chance at supporting our main guys, Roy, Aldridge, and Oden (if he is ever healthy)?

Don't know if that sounds confusing to any of you or not, but I figured it would be fun to see which players on our current team people would like to stay for years to come to try and help the Blazers win a title.

 

To be honest, there isn't one guy on the team who I wouldn't want to see win the NBA Championship with us. When we are fully healthy everywhere, I think we have a realistic chance to make a strong run with what we have now. I think the strongest contributors would be: 1.Roy 2.Oden 3. Aldridge 4. Batum 5. Outlaw.

 

Batum - designated perimeter defender
Bayless - have him for offense whenever Roy is on the bench
Rudy - knock down shooter
Pendergraph - capable backup 4/5; banger
Cunningham - potential 3/4 backup

To me, Steve Blake is not needed when you have Rudy Fernandez. They can fill the same role plus Rudy gives you a little something extra. If Miller is here for another year or two, he will be the starting PG, but after he is gone for whatever reason, we will need another point guard.

 

Nice. While I would like for everyone to be on this team if we were to win it all, I don't think that happens. However, my supporting cast would consist of:

1) Bayless: I still feel like he can start at PG if Miller does wind up leaving after his contract or whatever. No, not the pure PG, but he is another creator and does make some excellent passes. Can relieve Roy from doing just about everything. Biggest things he needs to improve on: A little more court vision (although he has already improved on that from what we saw last year) and his jumpshot (which again he has improved on a little bit, but I still feel like it needs to be better). He has the potential to be another guy who is a closer in the 4th like Roy.

2) Batum: He is a nice defender and his size is big for us. I don't know a whole lot about his handles that he apparently has, but I doubt he gets that opportunity in Nate's system anyway, so that will probably remain to be seen IMO. He needs to improve on scoring a little more. Even though a great wing defender is nice to have, it would be nice if he could turn into a Battier type and knock down the open 3 which he still needs to improve on. He will be key.

Pendergraph: I feel like he is a perfect backup to Aldridge and makes Outlaw not needed as much. I realize Outlaw is a good shooter and has been one of our better closers in the 4th, but it will be hard to get him time with Aldridge taking most of the minutes and with Oden/Pryzbilla being on the team (or at least Oden) and of course with Batum and Martell at the 3 it makes it hard for him to get minutes it seems like. Pendergraph will bang, rebound, and has a nice little jumper.

Webster: Now I am basing this off of his recent play throughout January, but if he can show this consistency all year, he is worth keeping IMO and could be key for us to make a run. He is a solid shooter, but confidence is a problem with him. Hopefully he can realize that shooters shoot (Ray Allen), and even if it is not falling, always keep on trying and don't let your confidence be low.

I am having a hard time trying to find room for Rudy. I would like him to be a contributor, but a problem I have is either he or Bayless will want to play a lot and try and prove themselves and get big money and I just cannot find room for both especially with Batum coming back and a much better Webster. I myself, am more of a Bayless fan so I am biased towards him, but if Nate can find room for him then great! However, he will not work at the 1 IMO mainly because his handles are not that of a 1 and either he or Roy will be killed constantly by the good PG's in the league. Bayless as a lot to learn a lot on defense as well, but I think he has more potential in this area more than Rudy. Obviously, being Roy's backup won't net him many minutes, and as I said, Batum and Webster have the SF minutes so Roy will hardly, if ever, slide to SF I think. I don't know where exactly he fits.

Blake and Outlaw I kind of just want gone. They are great people, but I am not sure if we can live with Outlaw's bone headed stuff he does and horrific defense. Like I said, he is a good shooter who has proven to be clutch, but if that shot isn't going for him, then what else does he bring? Blake, while I would like him, he just plays to man gosh darn minutes when that shouldn't be. Obviously he had to tonight, but with Miller, Rudy, and Bayless I feel like they should play ahead of him, I don't know. I just don't think there is room for him either, but I sincerely doubt KP lets these guys go which makes the rotation just as tight next year and creates more problems as far as people wanting to play goes.

 

I say, let's win with the 15 we've got!

Go Blazers!!

 

Miller/Bayless
Roy/Rudy
Batum/Webster
Aldridge/Pendergraph
Oden/Pryzbilla



That's a really REALLY solid ten players right there, lots of depth and versatility since Bayless and Webs can play the 2....yeah. In any case, 10 is too much for a rotation though. Once Miller is gone we have a 3-guard rotation. Ideally we'd have a 3-big rotation too. In any case, that's who we need. Sold.

 

Kevin Durant

 

>>>> ]
To me, a double double per game is > Shooting 30 Shots Per Game

 

The name on the front of the uniform trumps the name on the back of the uniform. There is nobody on the team I wouldn't trade in a heartbeat, if it would bring the TEAM a title.

 

Yea for sure, but Batum is really the key. Most teams need atleast one or two good man defenders in playoffs, but in Batum we have an extremely athletic, very young, man defender of the ages, and he will lock down our perimeter d hopefully for the next decade.

I would love to see,Roy, Aldridge, Batum, Oden, Fernendez, Bayless, Pendergraph, Martell, Pryzbilla be the core of the championship team.

Oh yea I forgot Ha

 

Along with ridiculously, entertaining low post D, with hella swattage > skinny perimeter defense, where he is mostly getting pushed around.

 

Player in uniform putting up 30 & 7 > player in suit on the bench putting up his hand for high fives

That being said, I love Oden and hope he can stay healthy next time he comes back.

 

It's going to be interesting to see how Martell responds to Batum playing behind him. Tell has been awesome the last month or so. I'm really hoping he can stay consistent. If he has truly found his touch, and can be a dominant scorer like he was last night, I would say we've found our third option... or second option depending on how you look at Aldridge. I really wouldn't mess with our lineup, even with Batum coming back.

I like a lineup (with everyone healthy)

Miller/Bayless
Roy/Rudy
Webster/Batum
Aldridge/Pendergraph
Oden/Przybilla

That's a solid ten-man rotation. Eventually I think Rudy is going to be moved. I just don't see him here long term. At that point, I would spread the minutes at both guard positions between Miller, Bayless, Roy, and Webster, with Batum logging most of his minutes at small forward. If you remove Rudy from the equation, I think there is more than enough minutes at pg, sg, and sf for those five guys.

Miller plays 30 while starting.
Roy plays 35 while starting.
Webster plays 35 while starting.

There's still 44 minutes to split between Batum and Bayless.

 

after the big 3 I'd value my core Batum Rudy Bayless Pendergraph. Other players on the roster may be slightly better then those four guys, but I like both their talent and the way they fit with the big 3. I'd be most interested in dealing the guys not listed for a solid <28 year old playmaker or Big

Anyone goes for a clear upgrade, but geez I just look at the IR list and think yes please!

STOMP

 

I probably have the greatest emotional attachment to Batum. Not sure why, but I really like the him. He's probably my favourite Blazer. So I'd want him to be a part of a championship team.

Batum, Roy and Oden are the three guys I most want to be involved. Aldridge and Bayless would be next. Perhaps Fernandez, too. After that, I have no real ties to any of the players...whether Outlaw or Webster or Blake or anyone else is involved is irrelevant to me.

 

Hm....Cunningham is a potential backup 3 but no Webster??

 

I do this trade and walk these guys to a ring.

http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5403441

Fernandez, Przybilla and Outlaw, 1st round and two 2nd round picks for Okafor and Diogu

Miller\Blake\Mills
Roy\Bayless
Batum\Webster\Cunningham
Aldridge\Pendergraph\Diogu
Okafor\Oden

Although Miller and Roy start together, I sub in Blake soon and let Miller play more with the 2nd unit, so he can get Webster and Oden shots. Also so he can be the #1 option to score on offense while Roy is resting.

Okafor starts because he would want to and he has proven himself more than Oden. As well, Oden would not cry about coming off the bench because Oden is not a wussy. Aldridge, Okafor and Oden would play 25-30 each a game at 4 and 5, depending on the opposition. Pendergraph would play the rest to give the big 3 big men a break.

Bayless is the 2nd option basically no matter what unit he is in with, because of his ability to get to the FT line. Unless Roy and Miller are in, he becomes 3rd option.

Batum just plays D on the best teams offender. DC and Mills give rests when needed for their positions. Eventually I let Blake go and Mills plays all his minutes. LA complains about playing time, I trade him for a draft pick and get a banger ass PF. Ofakor and Oden are my front line for years to come.

That was fun to think about lol thanks OP.

 

seems a pretty straightforward case of preference to me... younger cheaper bigger all hold value in the question at hand

STOMP

 

You mean a double double per game plus monster defense >> Shooting 30 shots per game on a team that already has an alpha scorer? If so I agree.

 

If Batum blossoms like most of us expect him to, he should get at least 30 minutes, all at the small forward spot. With Roy playing 38 minutes and Fernandez playing 25-30 minutes, we will most likely see Roy/Fernandez at small forward for most of the time Batum is out. This could be different if sometime in the future we actually see a Roy and Fernandez backcourt. Martell is one of my top 3 favorite players, but I do not want to see him rotting on the bench.