Portland now is what Toronto was supposed to be

[AllKnowingNBAer]

When we drafted Bargnani number one overall, traded for TJ, in addition to already possessing a young All-Star in Bosh, we looked primed to be a year after year contender for the Eastern crown (within three+ years). Portland looked like they were doing a good job last year as well, possessing two lower picks... though they were not at our level, as we had Bosh and they had no real future All-Star franchise player yet. We won the Atlantic crown and they were a 32-win team in the West (nothing to be ashamed of), and we both looked good for the future.

One year later, and things are a little reversed. Portland skyrockets in the West to division contender status already, and they look like they found themselves a 1-2 franchise player/sidekick punch with their two lower picks in Roy and Aldridge. They are a .600 team already, and are still loaded with young talent that wasn't supposed to be as high as ours (not including Oden in the equation, who when healthy, will skyrocket them even higher).

We, on the other hand lost TJ to injury and will always have that longterm fear. Our number 1 pick is playing so poorly, it's frightening. Bosh is still Bosh, and if it wasn't for the emergence of other players (Calderon and Moon), we'd be taking a step backward.

We're still at pace for 45 wins and we're still young and developing, yes, but we definitely have been brought back down to Earth after that dream year and "potential" we saw in our team after we finished the '06-'07 season. The Trailblazers have the league talking, just as we had them talking last year, and I kind of miss it now. I really hope TJ comes back with a vengeance, and Bargnani can somehow just wake up. But as an optimist, I have a feeling that everything is going to be alright.

ANDIAMO! FORZA RAPTORS!

[A_wildstabatanything]

Everyone mentions 2004 & 2006... but I think 2005 hurt us a lot too (especially now that TJ's health is such a big issue). If we had selected Bynum & Granger then Roy or Gay would have been obvious picks the following year.



Calderon
Roy
Granger
Bosh
Bynum




Portland made some bad moves at the draft (Telfair, passing up Paul/Williams for Webster) but a part from they were close to perfect with their selections.

Not once in our 4 years in the lottery did we select the best player available. (Although we came very close with Bosh)

[random_hero891]

When we drafted Bargnani number one overall, traded for TJ, in addition to already possessing a young All-Star in Bosh, we looked primed to be a year after year contender for the Eastern crown (within three+ years). Portland looked like they were doing a good job last year as well, possessing two lower picks... though they were not at our level, as we had Bosh and they had no real future All-Star franchise player yet. We won the Atlantic crown and they were a 32-win team in the West (nothing to be ashamed of), and we both looked good for the future.

One year later, and things are a little reversed. Portland skyrockets in the West to division contender status already, and they look like they found themselves a 1-2 franchise player/sidekick punch with their two lower picks in Roy and Aldridge. They are a .600 team already, and are still loaded with young talent that wasn't supposed to be as high as ours (not including Oden in the equation, who when healthy, will skyrocket them even higher).

We, on the other hand lost TJ to injury and will always have that longterm fear. Our number 1 pick is playing so poorly, it's frightening. Bosh is still Bosh, and if it wasn't for the emergence of other players (Calderon and Moon), we'd be taking a step backward.

We're still at pace for 45 wins and we're still young and developing, yes, but we definitely have been brought back down to Earth after that dream year and "potential" we saw in our team after we finished the '06-'07 season. The Trailblazers have the league talking, just as we had them talking last year, and I kind of miss it now. I really hope TJ comes back with a vengeance, and Bargnani can somehow just wake up. But as an optimist, I have a feeling that everything is going to be alright.

ANDIAMO! FORZA RAPTORS!

Theres no way that they're contenders in the West, they're exactly where we were last year. They're a young team, a great feel good team and they'll break into the play-offs this year, but you can't tell me with a straight face that this team is able to compete with the likes of Dallas, Phoenix, and San Antonio, and L.A. even teams like Utah and Houston have made waves in the playoffs.

Actually when you look at the talent in their conference they'd be lucky to make the playoffs.

[Mak]

Portland got lucky, they made one of those trades that changes teams fortune for a long time. Telfair for Brandon Roy, you don't find a GM dumb enough every day to make a trade like this. That's pretty much the difference, and being in the west they got more lottery picks and their GM did an amazing job drafting.

[bballin]

Wrong, BC never even meant for us to be as good as we are right now, his plan was to build for the future and make a surge once those young players developed and cap space was mde available in 09-10.

Aside from that Portland has been rebuilding for years, it didnt just start happening last year and players like Outlaw, Jack, Webster all have been given time to develop over the years and this is why they are turning around with the additions of last years two picks.

People often forget this and put all the success on Roy but thats not the case, it took years of drafts, fa signings, trades and a a draft in which they had two top 5 picks to finally get over the hump.

They also have been slipping lately, dont hand them cinderella's slipper yet

[Hieberrr]

They are what we were last year.

[Basketball_Jones]

They have been playing like a team since last season. Now without Randolph they can start sharing the ball. Even Juan Dixon said it was a good team atmosphere last season after being traded to Toronto. They won't get past the first round this year imo, they really have no shot blocking presence. Oden should change all of that.

[~ TeRRoR SquaD ~]

They are what we were last year.

[GameBoy]

They won 12 straight. They're much better than we were last year. And Roy is such a legit superstar that it hurts. Yes they are conference contenders.

[RockTHECasbah]

An year under their with their most impactful player (Oden) and they are legit title contenders

[Air_Surfer]

They won 12 straight. They're much better than we were last year. And Roy is such a legit superstar that it hurts. Yes they are conference contenders.

allll aboard!

[RockTHECasbah]

The more time passes, the crappier a GM, Babcock is exposed to be, Graham and Villaneuva got early praise because they were somewhat NBA ready, but we passed on Andrew F'n Bynum

The only good thing he did was Jose and possibly Roko

[Hieberrr]

Andrew Bynum was raw as hell when he came into the NBA. Without Kareem, he'd still be the same as he was when he first entered the league.

[Southward1]

Everyone mentions 2004 & 2006... but I think 2005 hurt us a lot too (especially now that TJ's health is such a big issue). If we had selected Bynum & Granger then Roy or Gay would have been obvious picks the following year.



Calderon
Roy
Granger
Bosh
Bynum




Portland made some bad moves at the draft (Telfair, passing up Paul/Williams for Webster) but a part from they were close to perfect with their selections.

Not once in our 4 years in the lottery did we select the best player available. (Although we came very close with Bosh)

I completely agree, babcock did terrible that year. He not only could've taken bynum, HE SHOULD'VE taken bynum. But he took the soft as a marshmellow charlie v, and dumb as rocks joey graham, and now we're stuck even if we used charlie to take the superior ford. We are a better team than portland right now, but it's only because we have the best player. Next year with oden, they'll pass us.

they're pretty much a lottery draft pick ahead of us, and we won't get that player until we spend the 10 million of capspace 2 years from now.

[kingr]

Charlie V wasn't a terrible draft pick. In the beginning, I didn't support the pick because I wanted gerald green or danny granger. Mainly gerald green (which has been a disapointment thus far). Charlie V played quite well, to which I became a big fan.

Now Joey G was a terrible draft pick.

But if only we traded our picks and mo pete to get Chris paulll

[lmaonade]

When we drafted Bargnani number one overall, traded for TJ, in addition to already possessing a young All-Star in Bosh, we looked primed to be a year after year contender for the Eastern crown (within three+ years). Portland looked like they were doing a good job last year as well, possessing two lower picks... though they were not at our level, as we had Bosh and they had no real future All-Star franchise player yet. We won the Atlantic crown and they were a 32-win team in the West (nothing to be ashamed of), and we both looked good for the future.

One year later, and things are a little reversed. Portland skyrockets in the West to division contender status already, and they look like they found themselves a 1-2 franchise player/sidekick punch with their two lower picks in Roy and Aldridge. They are a .600 team already, and are still loaded with young talent that wasn't supposed to be as high as ours (not including Oden in the equation, who when healthy, will skyrocket them even higher).

We, on the other hand lost TJ to injury and will always have that longterm fear. Our number 1 pick is playing so poorly, it's frightening. Bosh is still Bosh, and if it wasn't for the emergence of other players (Calderon and Moon), we'd be taking a step backward.

We're still at pace for 45 wins and we're still young and developing, yes, but we definitely have been brought back down to Earth after that dream year and "potential" we saw in our team after we finished the '06-'07 season. The Trailblazers have the league talking, just as we had them talking last year, and I kind of miss it now. I really hope TJ comes back with a vengeance, and Bargnani can somehow just wake up. But as an optimist, I have a feeling that everything is going to be alright.

ANDIAMO! FORZA RAPTORS!

Oh yeah, their first round pick is injured too

[Kurtz]

They are what we were last year.

Yea, that's probably a much more appropriate title.


And not for nothing, but you never know with these things.

3 years ago, the Bulls looked like the dominant club of the future. One of the youngest in the league, a repeated 50 game winner, 3 young stud players, several good role players, 2 very high lottery picks owed to them by the Knicks, and the cap space to sign a franchise player.

I'd say 3 years ago the Bulls were looking to be more dominant than Portland looks now with Roy/Oden. And they never even had the injury concerns that Portland does.

Yet look at them now.

[The_Hater]

Portland got lucky, they made one of those trades that changes teams fortune for a long time. Telfair for Brandon Roy, you don't find a GM dumb enough every day to make a trade like this. That's pretty much the difference, and being in the west they got more lottery picks and their GM did an amazing job drafting.

True. But the one year earlier the (previous) GM traded out of the draft slot that would have produced either Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

[omeloon]

Yeah, it took Portland a while before they had the draft of their lives. I think they sort of got lucky, wasn't Morrison taken before Roy? Roy pretty much fell in their lap from what little I can remember.

[Live Free]

roy>>>>>bargnani

roy is the truth and he's showin it, a true floor general..portland is my second fav team.. and when they get oden its a wrap