The team effectively needs to replace Roy, Miller, and Camby. That is more than just a minor overhaul. Nobody on the current roster has a prayer of being Miller's replacement. There is no realistic replacement for Camby. Matthews is a huge downgrade from Roy. Then there is the whole issue of the bench. I just don't see how this team gets better without some major retooling.
oh for petes sake.... miller/wes/crash/lma/oden roy rudy camby batum is a pretty decent 9 man rotation then add in hope as in hopefully babbitt can play hopefully williams can play hopefully armon can play mills freeman claver koponen MLE this year #21, and likely another bought pick or two the future is still bright, lets please try and win without giving up just because we might not
Yet you're keeping the foundation, aren't you, and an expensive foundation in Wallace and LMA. Sounds more like a re-model than a teardown. If you're really blowing things up, then LMA and Wallace are probably the best pieces to do it.
Plus two best players. Blowing it up was trading Rasheed Wallace for scraps, which didn't work, or Zach Randolph for scraps, which worked in terms of fan support and playoff games.
Agree with your list; however I'd keep Williams and see what kind of player he is. And I would also sign the extension of Miller - - he can always be traded! You build around: LMA Wallace Batum Matthews Williams Miller the rest = move 'em! This is pretty much "blowing it up" but can put a respectible group of players on the floor and still win games.
Blow Up and Blazer fans. God it seems like fucking "ground hog day"! Can I once embrace a fucking team for longer than 2 seasons?
i never advocated blowing anything up, i said surround our core with all stars, find someone else to have an argument with yourself with
I think we need some tweeking. PG backup PF backup SG My targets? Young vets: DJ Augustin: durable PG; only missed 12 games in three years | Had a down year from three but has been 40% from three the previous two years | 23 years old Tyrus Thomas: DRtg 102 | 18.2 PER | 1.6 BPG in 21 MPG | 24 years old Ben Gordon: Career 40% from three | Instant offense | 28 years old
The Blazers have one starter left from a 54-win team in 2008-09. Isn't that a "blow-up"? Granted, Batum and Roy are now on the bench, but still, that's 80% of the starters on a team that tied for the 2nd-best record in the West. Basically, people will whine about anything. The Blazers blew up a 54-win team, for some reason.
the big IF is Greg. If he's healthy and his dominant self, the current roster is definitely good enough to be one of the best in the league next season. I would at least wait another year before making any major moves unless a real opportunity presents itself. I happen to think that the current Blazer backcourt will be much more complimentary to his game then the one he played with in past years. Greg's contractual crossroads may also dictate the club's moves. If he's healthy but wants out of Portland, then what? A S&T would seem the likely solution as few clubs will have the sort of salary available that he'd undoubtedly desire. STOMP
Yes yes yes!! "Blow it up!" Miller, Camby, Roy, Rudy, Patty, Babbit, Mills, Armon, Elliot, Chris J, Barron need to go. That's over two thirds of our roster.
Why do Babbit/Armon/Elliot/Chris J need to go? Elliot would have been a top 5 pick if he didn't need to have knee surgery, Armon showed nice defensive presence but a tendancy to turn the ball over to much for mcmillian and well babbit needs to get on the floor before we can really judge him. Chris J can be a serviceable backup for 10 to 15m a game, he made some great plays for us when he was on the court and was a non stop energy guy.
"Blowing up" a team tends to push you further (time-wise) from contention, rather than speeding up the process. The team should always be in the same mode: attempt to use superior talent evaluation (and superior resources whenever Allen's money can be leveraged into an advantage) to upgrade the roster. If that means trading Miller and/or Matthews and/or Batum, fine. If that means trading Aldridge, fine. Even if that means trading FORMER NUMBER ONE PICK GREG ODEN...fine. There are no "keepers" such that they should be off the table if a good deal for that player comes along. I would say that Aldridge is good enough to be a supporting star on a title contender, Wallace is good enough to be a tertiary star on a title contender and Miller, Batum and Matthews are good enough to be complimentary players on a title contender (though, of course, Miller won't remain at that level for much longer). So, clearly, the team is missing the big number one star for a title contending team. Roy maybe could have been that guy with two healthy menisci. Greg Oden might be that caliber of player if he can string some semi-durable seasons together. Or Oden might be capable of being a secondary star, if he doesn't reach his perceived ceiling. So, the main two points in my mind are this: The team has enough talent that starting over doesn't make much sense at all. Oden's future with the team will probably be mapped over the next year and the variability in his possible impact is so high that I don't think any large scale action on the roster should be undertaken until that's been decided. Now, if a great deal for any player on the roster comes along...take it. But how drastically the team needs to be transformed still, in my opinion, depends on what happens with Oden over the next season.
