28 replies to this topic

[L.A.K.E.R]

Is anyone else slightly worried about a certain up and coming team in the Western Conference? That one team with the guy who's like 1000 years old. Yup, the Portland Trailblazers. Isn't it scary how much potential such a young team has...

I mean, just a breakdown of their potential starting five could be enough...

PG- Jerryd Bayless

SG- Brandon Roy

SF- Rudy Fernandez

PF- LaMarcus Aldridge

C- Greg Oden

You're looking at three guys in the starting lineup who have the potential to make the All Star team in upcoming years. Bayless is a great combo guard who was primarily used in college to play the 2 position. He's a tremendous scorer, but he claimed that his playmaking ability was not fully displayed his solo year in college. I'm interested to see the kind of PG he'll be in the league. In the next few years, he could be up there with the likes of CP3 and D-Will. Very good player.

Then, they have Brandon Roy who had a breakout season this year which culminated into an All Star year for him. This kid has loads of potential and is very skilled. Great all around game, can get his teammates involved and can score. He'll be a great leader for this young Blazers squad.

Rudy Fernandez is the little known about player from Europe, but he was a star in the European leagues. This guy is an athletic swingman who could be huge for the Blazers in upcoming years.

LaMarcus Aldridge is another up and coming young player with a decent offensive game and above average defense. He'll be solid for the Blazers.

Oden is a wunderkind. He'll be a beast in the league and match up with the likes of quality big men like Andrew Bynum, Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemaire etc. As they were saying when he was selected in the draft, he's a "once in a decade" kind of player.

Don't forget about the bench with players like Channing Frye, Travis Outlaw, and Martell Webster all of whom are solid players. They've also got Steve Blake and the rest of the Bench who can all contribute.

With a core of Bayless, Roy, and Oden, along with the rest of the supporting cast, the Blazers are going to be a tough team for years to come.

(But the Lakers have 08-09 down )

[Varsity Optimism]

way to break it down... they are going to be very good for a very long time.

i smell some potentially EPIC WCF's in the coming years

[L.A.K.E.R]

For sure. As long as the Lakers maintain HC advantage against them, we have nothing to worry about. But if we don't, then the Rose Garden is going to be a very tough place for us to win at.

[L.A.K.E.R]

Who knows who they play at SF. I mean, Rudy'll probably be starting in the long term in the future...I don't see Outlaw starting over him. They've got a heck of a Bench with Blake, Frye, Outlaw (or Fernandez), and Webster. Yeesh.

[sega]

I think Bayless is more of an athletic Iverson type who will never be a true PG.

Very young team with a good leader, Brandon Roy.

I think the faith of the Blazers depends of Oden. Oden has to live up to the 'next big time Center' name or Blazers could be like the Sacramento queens of early 2000s, getting far in playoffs, only to lose to Lakers. =p

[L.A.K.E.R]

6-18 is the Lakers' record at the Rose Garden in the last 13 years. 4 of those wins happened in the WCF with Kobe and Shaq in the early 2000s. Very tough place to play. Only going to get tougher with the addition of Oden and Bayless.

[Whatsa]

Yeah I knew from when I say Brandon Roy own the Lakers.. I knew the Trailblazers would be a very crazy threat to the Lakers and any other team when Oden comes back.

But yeah, we'll be fine.

[JD]

I have the same concerns about Oden, that I have about Bynum. Can he stay healthy? If not, their chances of making any serious noise, are slim to none.

[Sako32]

They're look scary, but I'm not that scared because we're the Super Laker http://lakernation.c...tyle_emoticons/default/cool.gif , we still have yet see 3 of these guys play an NBA game, they're 2 young guys and 3 rookies.

[sega]

great thing that they traded Joey Dorsey for bum Nicolas Batum (maybe the only bad move their FO has made this off season), or that bench would have been capable of beating Minesota, Memphis, and New York's Starting 5.

[Laker_in_Tulsa]

I don't see them being more than a 1 or 2nd rounder. They won't have a legit go to man, a leader for the team. I still don't think they have the right coaching. As soon as those guys want to start getting paid, ego's will start flying.

[K0be10-11]

They will make the playoffs atleast as a 8th Seed but they wont do nothing yet untill in 3-5 years , they are all young and bunch of college players

[SaintNicholasVanExel]

Oden is such a G.

[Aceis²FresH]

not worried yet


i hope deng goes to Portland

then they'll be complete

[lakaluva]

way to break it down... they are going to be very good for a very long time.

i smell some potentially EPIC WCF's in the coming years

You guys dont pay atention. They have a on year shot at a title. After this season they have to sign some role players for larger contracts, and the year after they have to sign their stars to huge contracts... no way they keep that team intact... especially the way players are bolting for Europe.

[BringDFishBack]

Oden = Sam Bowie. He will never, ever live up to the hype or anywhere close to it. Aldrige is a good player, but more of a 3rd or 4th option. Roy is also great, but I don't see him running his own team. If they were to add a superstar, then I can see them competing. But in that lineup I don't see a franchise player, and only 2 guys with all-star potential.

[Real Deal]

You guys dont pay atention. They have a on year shot at a title. After this season they have to sign some role players for larger contracts, and the year after they have to sign their stars to huge contracts... no way they keep that team intact... especially the way players are bolting for Europe.

I'm sure Paul Allen really cares about how much money he spends on this team. He'll pay Roy and Oden the max, give Aldridge a little less, and prepare to dish out cash to Bayless...and that will put him over the cap by what...$20-30 million?

If Cuban can hit $100 million with his Mavs (a couple seasons ago, I believe) and...good God, look at the Knicks...Paul Allen will pay to win. He's definitely got the money.

[L.A.K.E.R]

Oden = Sam Bowie. He will never, ever live up to the hype or anywhere close to it. Aldrige is a good player, but more of a 3rd or 4th option. Roy is also great, but I don't see him running his own team. If they were to add a superstar, then I can see them competing. But in that lineup I don't see a franchise player, and only 2 guys with all-star potential.

No franchise player? If not Oden, it'll be Brandon Roy. Have you forgotten he led the Blazers to a 41-41 record in the tough West? Although it wasn't enough to earn his team a berth in the 50-win West, it still shows how far the team has come in two years. He earned himself an All-Star berth on the Western team and was only in his second year in the league. He's a solid all around player who can create for others, shoot the three, drive to the basket, and has a high basketball IQ.

I don't think Oden is a Sam Bowie at all...Heck, he played exceptional in college despite having only his left hand for use during the bulk of the season. He can move really well, and even if he were to falter on offense (which he won't), he'd more than make up for it on defense. With the likes of Roy and Bayless on the offensive end, along with the bench, in addition to Aldridge and Oden on the other end, they are fierce. They'll be competitive from the 09-10 season for a number of years (3-4 years IMO)

But, we still have Bynumite coming back...

Epic battles in the WCF for years to come...