Is there life in Portland again?

[RC27]

i just find it amazing, as fast as roys injury broke our dreams and hope, LA turns his game up and lillard steps in to roys shoes to carry the city... with all the bad luck we endured, we sure had some good this past year and a half.

[Rhino]

Ya I still can't believe how quickly it's turned around it's nothing short of a miracle because we all know it doesn't normally work out this way. If any fans deserve this it's the Blazers faithfull!!

[Rhino]

Ya there is life again in Portland and it's name is "Damian Lillard"

[RC27]

THe team has taken on Lillards identity, the "fight against all odds" mentality. LA is the best player, but this is lillards team, i heard that last night, and i completely agree.

[shen]

THe team has taken on Lillards identity, the "fight against all odds" mentality. LA is the best player, but this is lillards team, i heard that last night, and i completely agree.

Batum is better then LMA.

[RC27]

Batum is better then LMA.

we can easily agree to disagree. and even if he was better right now, aldridge has done it consistently. Bautm has done it for 2 months.

[BradyIsTheMan12]

The thing you have to look At though is how beneficial would it be for the team to be 8th seed or be the 9th place team and not get a pick? I'm not openly rooting against the Blazers, I am rooting for them to be better in the long run. The team is young and needs more pieces. If you think this team with this bench will ever really compete then I dont know what to say. I'm definitely not saying the team has to get a star first rounder, just a bench guy and a top 12 pick could definitely create a solid role player.

Like I said, I don't care what happens. I'd be ecstatic it the Blazers made the playoffs obviously. I'm more saying I wouldnt be upset if the team doesn't make it. They are a few pieces away, but once they get those pieces then watch out

Do you think that we are going to build our bench through the draft? Most teams build their bench through free agency and trades, and that's where Portland will build their depth as well. I also agree with shen about the importance of playing playoff games. It builds character, and forces the team to be ready for more situationals.

I might agree with your thoughts on the importance of this draft if our core pieces weren't set as well. I don't see the core changing that much, and the 10th or 11th pick most likely would not result in a core piece that can drive this team to a championship.

[Blazers23]

I might agree with your thoughts on the importance of this draft if our core pieces weren't set as well. I don't see the core changing that much, and the 10th or 11th pick most likely would not result in a core piece that can drive this team to a championship.

I disagree, a 10th or 11th pick or anything in the top 25 could be a great piece to build with. A few examples:

2008 Draft- ROy Hibbert 17th pick
Same draft - Hickson was 19th pick
Serge Ibaka was 24th
Nicolas Batum
Even the 26th pick was good George Hill

2009 Draft
Jrue Holiday 17th pick
Ty Lawson 18th pick

OK thats' enough examples. I think

In the upcoming 2013 draft Isaiah Austin Center out of Baylor might be available in the middle round to us. or Texas PG Myck Kabongo. I absolutely love Tony Mitchell though, I think he is a bigger version of Elliot Williams and provides us what we should/could of had in Elliot. Quality, YOUNG and I really mean Young players in this next draft. It's gonna be interesting to see in which direction Olshey takes us in the draft.

[shen]

I disagree, a 10th or 11th pick or anything in the top 25 could be a great piece to build with. A few examples:

2008 Draft- ROy Hibbert 17th pick
Same draft - Hickson was 19th pick
Serge Ibaka was 24th
Nicolas Batum
Even the 26th pick was good George Hill

2009 Draft
Jrue Holiday 17th pick
Ty Lawson 18th pick

OK thats' enough examples. I think

In the upcoming 2013 draft Isaiah Austin Center out of Baylor might be available in the middle round to us. or Texas PG Myck Kabongo. I absolutely love Tony Mitchell though, I think he is a bigger version of Elliot Williams and provides us what we should/could of had in Elliot. Quality, YOUNG and I really mean Young players in this next draft. It's gonna be interesting to see in which direction Olshey takes us in the draft.

31 picks and u found 6 players. Thank you for proving my point. Even if you find a decent player it will be 2-3 seasons before they play any meaningful minutes. I read an amazing article a year or two ago about how terrible rookies actually are and how fans who want them are fooling themselves. When you have a core you build bench from FA, simple fact. Name 1 team to make it past second round who did not have a FA bench? Ever?

[RC27]

There are numerous players every year that turn in to studs that year or the year after. and he named players outside of top 11 because that was the argument. Also forgot jevale mcgee, Ryan anderson, and jason thompson. so 9 out of 20 is pretty good compared to being swept in 4 games.

and if they took 2-3 years to develop,then so be it, then lillard will be 24, batum 26, mathews 28, aldridge 29... our window wont be closed in any near future....

[kingjaymes23]

This team can't "build" a bench through free agency and doesn't have anything to trade (besides Hickson). The team has to use nearly all the cap room to get a C this offseason. They will have maybe 4 mil left and can use that on a decent bench guy, but even then the team is not that deep.

We can argue this all day, but we will all have our own opinions. I can't tell you guys you are wrong because you bring up good points, but the people that want a draft pick aren't wrong either. It's just one of those things where everyone is right. The way the Blazers are playing though, they could play up to a 6 seed, maybe even 5th. If they got that high, I would not be upset at all with losing a draft pick

[kingjaymes23]

Dp

[shen]

This is why we are loosing. Cosmos don't know what to do. A Lakers fan starting a good thread about Blazers. I am a very superstitious person and we were looking good then this thread and now we can't buy a W.