The most exciting moment in recent Portland Trail Blazers history came on May 22, 2007, when the team seemingly received a life preserver in the form of the number one overall pick. Ironically, thanks in part to that stroke of luck, the Blazers find themselves hoping for a magic ping-pong ball again five years later.
The most exciting moment in recent Portland Trail Blazers history came on May 22, 2007, when the team seemingly received a life preserver in the form of the number one overall pick. Ironically, thanks in part to that stroke of luck, the Blazers find themselves hoping for a magic ping-pong ball again five years later.
Greg Oden, the crown jewel of the 2007 lottery and the man celebrated as a savior years before he played an actual game for the team, is no longer a part of the franchise. Neither is Brandon Roy, who served as the team’s superstar back in 2007 and was seen as their answer to Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and other basketball greats of the time. Currently, neither player is with the team. The current squad consists of all-star forward LaMarcus Aldridge; starting guard Wesley Matthews; reserves Luke Babbitt, Elliot Williams and Nolan Smith and a whole lot of uncertainty after that.
Potential all-star and fan favorite Nicolas Batum is a restricted free agent who thus far has not received an official contract offer from the team. Point guard Raymond Felton was cast as the team cancer last season and will almost certainly not be back. Forward J.J. Hickson showed remarkable potential down the stretch. Sixth man Jamal Crawford has a player option for 2012 that he will almost definitely not be exercising. Add it all up, and the results of the ping-pong balls on May 30 prove exceedingly important to the franchise’s immediate and long-term future.
The 2012 NBA Draft is considered to be one of the strongest in recent years, as it boasts potential stars such as Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jared Sullinger and Portland’s native son Terrence Jones (a Jefferson High School alum). The Blazers’ pick is currently projected to be number 11 based on their finish in the 2011–12 season. However, they do have a chance at a second pick, thanks to a trade with New Jersey in March.
On March 15, the Blazers traded forward Gerald Wallace to the Nets for injured center Mehmet Okur, ineffective forward Shawne Williams and the Nets’ conditional first-round pick in the 2012 draft. However, the condition stated that the pick would fall to Portland unless the Nets earned a top-three selection through the lottery, at which point Jersey would keep the pick for themselves. Therefore, in an interesting twist of fate, Blazers fans will now be rooting for their team to not end up with the top overall selection, at least via New Jersey’s pick.
Currently, the Nets’ pick is projected to be number six and has a 75 percent chance of coming up at that spot or later. Therefore, the Blazers have a three in four shot at gaining two potential franchise-altering prospects, which would serve as a badly needed break for a team that has fallen on some terrible luck as of late. The question that must then be asked, of course, is if everything goes as it should on May 30, who should the Blazers take?
Obviously, because the team already has LaMarcus Aldridge installed at power forward, that position is set. Given that Paul Allen will likely be run out of town if he fails to re-sign Nicolas Batum, the small forward position likely needs little concern as well. Fans have a love-hate relationship with shooting guard Wesley Matthews, but it must be remembered that he only recently completed his third professional season and therefore needs to have time to grow as a player. That leaves point guard and center as the two positions in which the Blazers are currently weakest.
Among the players likely to be available at those positions during the Blazers draft slots include Sullinger (a sophomore from Ohio State who can play center and would have gone number one in the draft in 2011 if he had declared for it), Tyler Zeller (a senior 7-foot-tall center from North Carolina), Kendall Marshall (a sophomore point guard from North Carolina with incredible passing skills and a recent wrist surgery) and Damian Lillard (a junior point guard from Weber State who averaged 25 points per game in 2011–12).
The Blazers still don’t have an official general manager, a long-term coach or a fan base with confidence in the current ownership administration. All of those problems will still be there after the events of May 30, but if everything goes right and the Blazers successfully land two lottery picks, they will seem just a little less heavy.
The lottery will take place on Wednesday, May 30, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time on ESPN. Updates will likely be posted on www.blazersedge.com as they occur.
