Quick: Now, the Blazers are one big, mess.

It's been a long time since a Trail Blazers season has been more frustrating. You'd probably have to go back to the days when the franchise was building around Zach Randolph, Darius Miles and Sebastian Telfair to find a time when the entertainment value at the Rose Garden was so low.

Back then, the frustration was that everybody but Blazers management saw that Randolph, Miles and Telfair had neither the talent, nor the character, to be franchise cornerstones. But this season carries a different type of frustration.

At 18-18, and currently out of the playoffs, it feels as if the Trail Blazers should be better - that they are underachieving. Remember how buzzed this city was after that 7-2 start? The 11-1 home record that was punctuated by the spunk of Gerald Wallace, the speed of Raymond Felton and the savvy of Marcus Camby?

Now, the Blazers are one big, mess. They have lost five of the last seven at home, including a humiliating beat down by Washington, when they allowed 124 points. Two days later, they blew an 18-point second half lead at home to the Clippers. Four days after that, they trailed 37-7 in a loss at the Lakers.

People are confused. People are mad. And everybody, including the guys in the locker room, is trying to put a finger on the problem.

When it comes to the team's followers, many want to pin it all on coach Nate McMillan. Some want to run Felton out of town. And others want to see more of the youngsters, particularly Elliot Williams and Nolan Smith.

But the real problem is more simple: The roster is probably not as good as we all thought.

Because right now, Camby is not the same player as when he arrived. He has deteriorated right before our eyes, continually abandoning the most basic of rebounding fundamentals – putting a body on someone when a shot goes up – which has allowed players to whisk by him for rebounds. And he looks punch-drunk on defense, taking wild haymakers at shot attempts. On offense, he is unwilling to set screens and would rather hover around the top of the key than mix it up inside, allowing teams to virtually leave him unguarded. He is either not trying hard enough or his age has caught up with him.

Wallace has become so inconsistent, missing layins at an alarming rate, that it's impossible to rely on him. What's more, judging from his locker room demeanor, I'm not sure how much the losing is getting to him.

And Felton has become so consumed at placing the blame of his poor play on anyone but himself that he has become a mental pretzel, so twisted and angry that he can't get out of his own way.

Meanwhile, Wesley Matthews, hampered by his inability to handle the ball in the open court, has been exposed as a good bench player but not a starter. And we have learned from watching Jamal Crawford on a nightly basis that for every brilliant and scintilating 25-point performance, there are three others that leave you scratching your head.

Right now, this season has three bright spots: The nightly reassurance that LaMarcus Aldridge is worthy of carrying this franchise; the joy of watching Nicolas Batum blossom; and the intrigue of wondering how good this kid Williams can be with some playing time.

In other words, a season once filled with so much hope has shifted toward a season that now feels like a major transition period. It doesn't feel like McMillan will be back next season. And it doesn't feel like Camby, Wallace, Felton or Crawford, all with contracts that can be terminated at the end of the season, will be back, either.

The more immediate concerns are why this team has such a hard time playing hard, and such an indifferent attitude toward losing . Wallace has smiled and joked after losses. Felton has defended a near-.500 record. The ones who seem most hurt by the losses are Aldridge, Matthews and Batum.

I don't know if some of these guys are trying to get McMillan fired or if they are just sick of Portland and want out. But my sense is all of it is going to happen.

The only question is how quickly?

Team president Larry Miller told The Oregonian's Joe Freeman that the management team will take a "hard look" at improving the Blazers as the March 15 trading deadline nears. But it is unclear whether the Blazers have a grand plan. If they value a playoff run this season, then they need to trade one, or more of the Camby-Wallace-Felton trio.

If they more value a grand overhaul of the roster through free agency this summer, and are willing to sacrifice more games, they should stand pat and the deadline and allow Camby, Felton and possibly Crawford to walk. Wallace has an option for one more year that will pay him more than $11 million, and his agent said he won't make a decision until after the season. It's likely he will opt in, considering the unlikelihood of finding a team willing to pay $11 million a year for a 30-year-old player who produces 13.4-points, and 6.3 rebounds.

Swirling amid all the roster uncertainty is McMillan, who is under contract for one more season after this. It is clear he is not reaching this team, or probably more accurately, that certain members of the team have tuned him out and are not playing for him. To a certain extent, he has to own the indecency some of his players are showing him. It's not fair, but it's the NBA, where the players dictate so much of what happens.

To save his job, McMillan probably he needs to not only make the playoffs, but reach the second round. Right now, this team has given little to no evidence it is capable, or willing, to do that. While some of the Blazers players love to bring up the early-season win at Oklahoma City and the home win against the Lakers as evidence that this is a good team there have been more bad loss than quality wins since then.

There's 30 games left, but 16 are on the road, where this team has been dreadful. There's still time to turn it around, but we've been waiting on that line for a good month now, with little encouragement or hope provided.

It's why Aldridge was as down as I've seen him after Thursday's loss to Miami.

"We have a lot of talent," Aldridge said "I never saw us being in this position. But now we are here. We put ourselves in this hole. Now we have to dig out of it."

The question is, will Larry Miller and Chad Buchanan jump in the hole, grab a shovel and help by trading away the players who are showing they don't want to play here? Or will they stand above this hole and shovel dirt on a season that right now is worth forgetting and hope having cap space this summer will spring a new beginning?

--Jason Quick;

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...sider_trail_blazers_roster_appears_heade.html

 

Well I for one don't agree with any of this article.