Better than last year?
With the upcoming season just around the corner, the Blazers are hopeful that some new faces will erase the terrible taste of last season that still lingers in the mouths of fans around the city.
Blazers’ management has been extremely busy during the off-season. The coaching staff hopes that the array of moves and trades will help them to escape the title of worst in the NBA. And after woefully compiling a league-worst 21-61 record, that is exactly what the Blazers were and still are until they can prove themselves on the court.
A definite step in the right direction was obtaining a collection of young and old talent on draft day. Portland bolstered their squad with key rookie additions center/power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and strong forward Brandon Roy. The mature Roy and freakishly talented Aldridge appear to be the future building blocks of this team, and if Portland enjoys any success during the upcoming season it will be due to the rookies’ stellar play. As for the older additions, journeymen Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau joined the Blazers in a trade that shipped Sebastian Telfair to Boston. Just like the star rookies, LaFrentz will play a large part in the Blazers’ fate this season with his ability to contribute at the power forward and center positions. Dickau’s role will be far less significant as he will see the majority of his time backing up point guard Jarrett Jack.
Another key addition was former All-Star center Jamaal Magloire, giving Portland depth at the center position and an experienced veteran player to facilitate the development of their young studs.
Despite the huge strides they have made with this shuffling of the roster, the Blazers are too young and inexperienced to compete for a playoff spot this season. Prepare for another rebuilding year, but rest assured Blazer diehards, this one will have a few more wins than last season.
