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Again, simple question. After the trades they made, they may be significantly worse.

Without looking at their remaining schedule, I think they'll be bottom of the lottery. I think they'll play better at first w/o Nate kicking their butts before they realize it's them that suck and fizzle out. There's only like a month left of games or something, right?

Yeah, just about a month.

Assuming Batum gets most of Wallace's minutes, Blazers are either 8th or 9th seed in the West, putting them somewhere between maybe 13 and 17.

You guy's know we don't get the pick this draft - right?

We get it next draft (2013) plus it's top 12 protected for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Who knows what they do over the next 12 months and how that effects them in the standings.

Yeah, I'm referring to 2013.

I understand it may be a little bit early to be predicting, but traffic is kind of low so why not just have a little thread to bookmark when the 2013 draft swings by?

COURTSIDE 93 wrote:Yeah, I'm referring to 2013.

Edit that into the first post

Done Crunk.

Above and below? Great words to make a confusing poll.

Is that pick really unprotected in 2016? Because that scares me.

This is just a pure guess, as so much can happen starting from this offseason to the end of the 2013 season, but I think they'll end up picking somewhere in the 7-13 range. Looking at the direction they're heading, they certainly do no look like a playoff caliber team, but Aldridge alone should keep them out of the league's bottom five.

Oden2 wrote:Is that pick really unprotected in 2016? Because that scares me.

There is no indication it shouldn't be. If you find such a one, please link it here, would be appreciated. So far, everywhere it is stated it's unprotected or they just list protections in previous year.

doc.end wrote:

Oden2 wrote:Is that pick really unprotected in 2016? Because that scares me.

There is no indication it shouldn't be. If you find such a one, please link it here, would be appreciated. So far, everywhere it is stated it's unprotected or they just list protections in previous year.

Yeah that's what I've heard as well.. If the Blazers end up losing a number 1 pick in that draft that'll be devastating, but that's a long time from now fortunately. I can't imagine we stay out of the top 12 for too long too long with LA to build around though.

The pick is top 12 protected until 2016 where it will be unprotected.

I predict we may get it by 2016

They are getting a lottery pick from the Nets and they'll have $25m in cap space to resign Batum and add another strong free agent. We might get that pick in 2013.

Septhaka wrote:They are getting a lottery pick from the Nets and they'll have $25m in cap space to resign Batum and add another strong free agent. We might get that pick in 2013.

Batum is pissed at them though, his agent has already said other teams get first dibs to try and sign him this summer bc Portland has had their chance and blew it.

Batum will resign there now that Wallace is gone. Portland will match anyones offer anyway since hes restricted. We will get it next year. Still an awfully talented team even without the Nets pick.

Batum is a UFA so what other teams want is irrelevant at this point, Portland can match any offer. Also, one of Batum's biggest issues was playing time and ever since about 10 games ago, Batum moved to SG which solved that issue. I think Batum will be let go if he gets a ridiculous offer, but otherwise we will match. That is, of course, pending on his performance over the next 23 games.