AOL.com's Preseason NBA Power Rankings: 29. Portland Trail Blazers

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Sep 21, 2015.

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  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Poor Damian Lillard.

    Every weekday leading up to NBA tipoff, we'll be rolling out our preseason power rankings for the coming season. Yesterday, we opened up with No. 30 -- you guessed it, the Philadelphia 76ers.

    At second-to-last, we have a team unfamiliar with the bottom of the league's standings over recent years. After losing four of five starters from last year, the Portland Trail Blazers come in at No. 29.

    It's been a disappointing summer for the organization as a whole, but particularly for Damian Lillard. The All-Star point guard, who just turned 25 this summer, is suddenly the lone starter left from the playoff team of the last two seasons. With LaMarcus Aldridge now a Spur, Robin Lopez a Knick, Wesley Johnson a Maverick and Nicolas Batum a Hornet, the Blazers were forced to refresh on extremely short notice -- and had a rough go of it.

    One of the more questionable moves of the offseason came shortly after it started, when Portland inked Al Farouq-Aminu to an eyebrow-raising $30 million deal. He'll slide in as the starting small forward, joining a frontcourt with Meyers Leonard and former Brooklyn Net Mason Plumlee.

    Gerald Henderson will be manning the other guard, while C.J. McCollum and Moe Harkless figure to receive big minutes under Terry Stotts. Ed Davis and Noah Vonleh are two intriguing options as big men, but neither have been relied on heavily in their careers -- Vonleh played just 25 games last year for the Hornets.

    It should be a long year in Portland after a couple of surprisingly fun campaigns under Stotts. The bright side: With several contracts coming off the books next summer, they should be able to reboot and build around Lillard fairly quickly.

    http://www.aol.com/article/2015/09/...er-rankings-29-portland-trail-blaze/21236984/
     
    SlyPokerDog, Sep 21, 2015
    #1
  2. barfo

    barfo triggered obsessive commie pinko boomer maniac Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Several contracts coming off the books next summer?
    None that matter.

    barfo
     
    barfo, Sep 21, 2015
    #2
  3. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    Wesley Johnson?

    And $7M a year is eyebrow raising for a defensive stud? Dumb

    A rough go of it? I think we managed the situation pretty damn well.

    "Poor Damian Lillard"
    Really? That's a dumb quote. Poor Damian Lillard will make too much money now. Poor Damian Lillard is now the leader of a franchise. Poor Damian Lillard lost his friends!!! :(

    "It should be a long year in Portland after a couple of surprisingly fun campaigns under Stotts"
    They were suprised because those "writers" and "analysts" look at our team as much as a casual New York Knicks fan.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2015
    BonesJones, Sep 21, 2015
    #3
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  4. VanillaGorilla

    VanillaGorilla Well-Known Member

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    AOL still exists?
     
    VanillaGorilla, Sep 21, 2015
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  5. EL PRESIDENTE

    EL PRESIDENTE Username Retired in Honor of Lanny.

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    Bring it. #ridethetank
     
    EL PRESIDENTE, Sep 21, 2015
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  6. tester551

    tester551 Well-Known Member

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    That was my thought exactly
     
    tester551, Sep 21, 2015
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  7. Sinobas

    Sinobas Banned User BANNED

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    I think this roster is still more talented than the Lakers.
     
    Sinobas, Sep 21, 2015
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  8. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

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    They be sleeping on us. My kind of assessment. #usvsworld
     
    BlazerCaravan, Sep 21, 2015
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  9. julius

    julius Living on the air in Cincinnati... Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Losing Wesley Johnson has to hurt the most.
     
    julius, Sep 21, 2015
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  10. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    He was key to our success. I don't know how we'll live without Wesley Johnson.
     
    Natebishop3, Sep 21, 2015
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  11. oldfisherman

    oldfisherman Unicorn Wrangler

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    The Blazers loosing their Johnson hurts more than if Trump lost his hair.
     
    oldfisherman, Sep 21, 2015
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  12. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

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    So does
     
    BigGameDamian, Sep 21, 2015
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  13. santeesioux

    santeesioux Just keep on scrolling by

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    Losing Wesley Johnson stung almost as much as when we lost Bo Outlaw. At least we got Gerald Wallace back from Charlotte.
     
    santeesioux, Sep 21, 2015
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  14. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    We will surprise a lot of people. 2 seasons ago, no one predicted us to make the playoffs and we reached the 2nd round.
     
    KingSpeed, Sep 21, 2015
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  15. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

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    LA writer is obvious.
     
    HailBlazers, Sep 21, 2015
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  16. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

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    I didn't know LaMarcus wrote... y'know, articles.
     
    BlazerCaravan, Sep 21, 2015
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  17. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    I've missed these KingSpeed posts! Good to see you back here Eric!
     
    riverman, Sep 21, 2015
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  18. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

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    Thats what Lakers fans are saying as well.
     
    BigGameDamian, Sep 21, 2015
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  19. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    I think it's cool that the Lakers fans think we are going to surprise a lot of people. But then, they should know. They also lost Wesley Johnson.

    BNM
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2015
    Boob-No-More, Sep 21, 2015
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  20. BlayZa

    BlayZa Misbehaving responsibly

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    hold the fuckin phone....

    we lost wesley johnson?

    *panic*

    ABANDON SHIP!!!!!!!
     
    BlayZa, Sep 21, 2015
    #20
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