Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Blazers Win The Lottery

The Blazers won the NBA Draft Lottery and with that victory the team has the option of selecting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. I can’t explain how excited I am as a Blazers fan. I am not a hyper-emotional person, particularly when it comes to events that aren’t even during the season. But, as I sat in the car listening to the Blazers beat the long odds and come out with the top spot, I actually started yelling, screaming and pumping my fists. I looked like a bigger tool than usual, yet as I write this, more than 3 hours after the announcement, I am still excited at the possibilities that are afforded my team.

Either Oden or Durant will help the Blazers finally climb out of the abyss it has been in since the 2000 Game 7 Western Conference Finals collapse. The Blazers were a flawed but winning team at the time with serious character issues. After that loss the team spiraled down with more character problems coupled with losing. During this period Paul Allen continued to make awful business blunders like the throwing the arena into bankruptcy and ultimately buying it back from his creditors. Things were rough and Portland fans had been spoiled with 20-plus years of playoff appearances, so the fans started to leave in droves. I stayed but cringed every time I watched a game full of bad seeds play poorly.

Last year, GM Kevin Pritchard, then an assistant GM, wheeled and dealed in the draft ending up with Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Sergio Rodriguez. All of these players performed well this past season. Moreover, these guys and others the management brought in had good character and the organization finally looked to be heading in the right direction, although the wins weren’t there yet. Now, with the power and possibility of the number one pick, it finally feels like the Blazers are really turning the corner.

The question now becomes who the Blazers draft—Oden or Durant. My money, and I think most others as well, is on Oden. I believe Oden and Durant are both real deals. Oden is a defensive stopper whose offensive game will develop in the next few years. Durant is the dynamic scorer on the wing that will have the ability to lift his teams on the offensive end. The two are a yin and yang of sorts and either will probably end up being long-term contributors in the NBA and likely have many All-Star appearances between the two of them. But, Oden is the better fit and gives the Blazers more options.

Coach McMillan is a defensive minded coach and will know how to integrate Oden into his game plan. Oden will be the defensive presence Portland lacks and will improve everybody around him because he will allow his teammates to be more aggressive knowing Oden can help clean up any mistakes. Offensively, Oden is not as progressed as Durant but he can improve his offense and he has lots of time to do that since he is only 19. It’s easier to improve offense than defense which gives Oden an edge.

A team also can’t pass up a potentially dominant center. There are many more gifted wing players in the league than there are talented big men. You just can’t. Look at what Tim Duncan did for the Spurs, although he was more polished coming out. Oden has the potential to make the Blazers a contender for a decade coupled with Aldridge and Roy.

Drafting Oden also gives the Blazers a good opportunity to trade Zach Randolph for an athletic wing with better character. Luol Deng probably isn’t available any more but somebody like him that will unclog the middle for Aldridge and Oden. I can’t think of anybody right because I am just so excited about the future. The only thing that could make this better is if Liverpool beats AC Milan in the Champions League Final on Wednesday.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

as a long-suffering Timberwolves fan, all I can say is "Fuck you, and I hope Greg Oden dies right after your team picks him."

Screw ya'll for jumping in the draft when you had no need to do so. I hate you guys. I'm going home.

fullcourt said...

Pick Oden.

The West this year has proven that big men rule the playoffs. I think the trailblazers should build towards that. Durant will just turn them into a group of middle-sized underachievers. Although great and very versatile, he'll be like KG. The farthest he'll go is the western conference finals unless Pritchard can get better players than what KG has.

KD is tall too, 6-10, he outrebounded Oden in the NCAA, but remember, he's a toothpick. He rebounded well in NCAA because everyone else were toothpicks, Oden didnt get as much because sometimes the toothpicked forwards are a bit quicker. Now, in the NBA, i doubt KD, as a toothpick, will be able to impose his will anymore on the boards, Oden on the other hand will be able to utilize his power. big men rule.

check out my post about the draft:
http://fullcourtnba.blogspot.com/2007/05/draft-lottery-liquorish-lace.html

Dude, send me an e-mail, let's exchange notes. keep in touch

Anonymous said...

end your tinnitus -
error nuker -
fatburningfurnace -
fat burning furnace -
fat loss 4 idiots -
final sync -
firewall gold -
fitness model program -
fit over 40 -
fit yummy yummy -
flattenyourabs -
flatten your abs -
forex candlesticks made easy -
forex killer -
forex megadroid -
get rid of your cellulite -
g money pro -
google shadow -
governmentregistry -
government registry -
gov resources -
health biz in a box -
homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
hybrid water power -
i software tv -
joyful tomato -
keyword spy pro -
kingdom of pets -
macro virus -
malware bot -
maternityacupressure -
maternity acupressure -
meet your sweet -

Anonymous said...

microcap millionaires -
moles warts removal -
mole wart removal -
muscle gaining secrets -
natural cure for yeast infection -
paid surveys etc -
panic away -
pdf creator -
public records pro -
quick article pro -
quick income blueprint -
quit smoking today -
ranking loophole -
reg clean -
reg defense -
regi cleanse -
registry easy -
registry genius -
registry winner -
reg sweep -
reg tool -
reverse mobile -
richard mackenzie direct -
rig worker -
rocket chinese -
rocket french -
rocket german -
rotator cuff training -
rss feeds submit -
save the marriage -
site builder elite -
six figure yearly 2009 -
sleep tracks -
sold in 21 days -

Anonymous said...

conversationalhypnosis -
conversational hypnosis -
copy n profit -
credit secrets bible -
cure angular cheilitis -
cure morning sickness -
dirty talking guide -
domain tweak system -
dotcom income secrets -
duplicate file cleaner -
earth4energy -
earth 4 energy -
easy launcher -
easy system cleaner -
eatstopeat -
eat stop eat -
eczema free forever -
email finder -
energy 2 green -
error nuker -
evidence smart -
fat burning furnace -
fat loss 4 idiots -
final sync -
fitness model program -
fit yummy yummy -
flattenyourabs -
forex enterprise -
governmentregistry -
government registry -
home job stop -
homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
how do i get him back -

Anonymous said...

reg sweep -
reg tool -
reverse mobile -
reverse phone detective -
richard mackenzie direct -
rich garbage man -
rocket chinese -
rocket french -
seize cars -
shop until you drop -
six figure yearly 2009 -
sleep tracks -
spyware nuker -
spyware stop -
sunshine 4u -
the bad breath report -
the cash1234 system -
thedietsolutionprogram -
the diet solution program -
the free car -
the lazy marketer -
tonsil stones remedies -
truth about abs -
truth about diets -
turbulence training -
vincedelmontefitness -
vince del monte fitness -
violin master pro -
warp speed fat loss -
wedding speech 4u -
xp repair pro -
yeast infection no more -
2ip hosting -
10 minute forex wealth builder -

Anonymous said...

30 minute back links -
500 love making tips -
acid alkaline diet -
advanced defrag -
affiliate jackpot -
anti spyware -
art of approaching -
battery reconditioning -
blogging to the bank -
burnthefat -
burn the fat -
carb rotation diet -
carp evolution -
cb bonus domination -
combat the fat -
content website builder -
conversationalhypnosis -
conversational hypnosis -
cure angular cheilitis -
cure morning sickness -
dirty talking guide -
driver robot -
earth4energy -
earth 4 energy -
easy launcher -
easy system cleaner -
eatstopeat -
eat stop eat -
error smart -
evidence eraser -
evidence smart -
fatburningfurnace -
fat loss 4 idiots -
fitness model program -

Penis Enlargement Pills said...

nice posting keep blogging,....
i am very new in blogging, please and kindly visit my blog,..
thanks a lot...