Know Your Enemy: Portland Trailblazers

12 LaMarcus Aldridge F
2 Dan Dickau PG
3 Juan Dixon G
24 Stephen Graham G
1 Jarrett Jack PG
9 Raef LaFrentz FC
21 Jamaal Magloire C
23 Darius Miles SF
25 Travis Outlaw F
10 Joel Przybilla C
50 Zach Randolph PF
11 Sergio Rodriguez G
7 Brandon Roy G
5 Ime Udoka SF
8 Martell Webster GF

Coach:
Nate McMillan

Starters:
PG Jarret Jack
SG Brandon America
SF Ine Kamoze
PF Randolph
C Joel Przybilla

Bench:
Travis Outlaw
Martell Webster
Juan Dixon
Jamaal Magloire
Dan Dickau

None of the teams in the Northwest Division are going to win the championship this year. Knowing this the merit of the individual franchises has to be measured on the long term plan. I've blasted Minnesota and Denver recently, even though despite my predictions they could both finish above five hundred. Neither of them has a chance of doing anything more than that though, and there's no plan.

Portland also doesn't have a plan, but they have taken a crucial step that Minnesota and Denver have yet to take: They admit that to themselves. What the Blazers have done is rid themselves of Qyntel Woods, Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudemire, Ruben Patterson, and any other player that's been part of that ridiculously caustic franchise to start it all over. All they have left to do is get rid of D Miles. I maintain that you can keep Zack Randolph because one bad apple isn't so bad when surrounded by high character apples. That's not how the saying goes, but I think that's reality. I base that on Rasheed when he first got to Detroit, and the Glenn Robinson season in San Antonio.

What's left in the Rose City is Randolph, and a suddenly sparkling character starting five featuring Brandon Roy, Jarret Jack, and Joel Przybilla. There's also some guy starting at the 3 named Ime Udoka. I referred to him as 90s dancehall star and renowned hotsteppa Ine Kamoze above...did you even notice? He's immaterial. Przybilla was a shot blocking machine last year who they somehow got to resign in that crappy town. I guarantee you Detroit would rather have him than Nazr. We all know about Brandon, and Jack just seems like a lunchpail guy to me. I like him. One day we'll look up and he'll be a 15 year veteran. Steve Kelley time:

This team still sucks, but at least they suck with a purpose.

Salary paragraph time...(bringing up hoopshype looking for anything glaring to write about)...unfortunately they are committed to 9 mil per year to Mr. Miles and his freak honeys from Mount Holyoke through the next three seasons. Other than that things could be worse. Luckily in the NBA a sucker is born every minute, and someone will talk themselves into that contract. Randolph gets 17.3 in 2010/11, but if they can get his head on straight he could be worth it. Big if, but you have to take a shot somewhere and it might as well be with a 20-10 low post beast.

On the court:
Jarret Jack is a physical working class point guard. He takes care of the ball to the tune of a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio, which will only improve with time. His jumper is abysmal from beyond the arc, but I'm willing to give him time because it's just his second year. I think not having to worry about Steve Blake taking his minutes will lead to an improved performance. (You may ask if I'm worried about Dan Dickau taking his minutes - I'm not.)

Brandon Roy is the rookie of the year. The only way he doesn't win is if he gets hurt or gets the award stolen from him by some douche from a bigger media market. I can't wait to watch Brandon's basketball IQ on the pro stage. Him and Jack provide one of the better defensive guard tandems in the league. I couldn't be more excited.

Ime Udoka.......................who? In 03-04 he played 4 games with the Lakers. Last year he played 8 games with the Knicks. Portland clearly values his big city experience which will allow him to serve as a media relations mentor to the younger players on the roster. Or something. He's also 29 years old. Apparently he went to Portland State. I'm moving on.

Zack Randolph is crazy. He can use this crazy for good or for evil. When he's good he is very very good, providing the Northwest Division's most intimidating post presence. As stated above I like him on a character team. If Portland were smart they would hire an assistant coach whose sole job description is to keep Randolph away from D. Miles.

Joel Przybilla quietly had a decent season last year. He was the most consistent player on that awful team despite his pedestrian averages. I like him, too. Best C-PF combo in the division says I. If you think I like him only because he was a Gopher, you might be on to something.

Benchwise Travis Outlaw always destroys summer league. He has to be able to do it against the big boys one of these years you would think. Martell Webster looked like a lost little boy last year when I watched him, which is what he was. The Blazers rave about his jumper, but I didn't see it. I guess looking at the numbers he shot a solid 35% and it will only get better. That's the thing with these Blazers: they all get the benefit of the doubt because they're young. I promise to shit on them next year.

It will still be a miracle if this team wins 30 games this year, but I think they're in the right direction. They ought to be in the TankitforOden Championship Series come the end of the season, and that should be fun to watch. Despite their promise I always have this to say to the once and forever jailblazers: Fuck you Portland.