Wizenheimer wrote:Celtsfan1980 wrote:Oden needs to develop an offensive game and they need to acquire a veteran or two. I'd say they're two years away from competing. I feel they have more potential on any team I can ever remember, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to keep the team together. It is funny how people complain about how Boston has made their team, but Portland being handed Oden in the draft lottery is okay.
just like San Antonio was "handed" Duncan?
Don't forget, the year before winning the lottery, Portland had the worst record in the league, but the lottery gods saw fit to drop them to the 4th position in the draft. Worst case scenario.
So portland's GM entered that draft with only the 4th pick in the first round and parlayed that single pick into Aldridge, Roy, and Rodriguez.
As to keeping the team together, the blazers won't have much trouble with that, at least not for the next 7-9 years. Rookie scale contracts and the richest owner in sports will see to that.
It certainly applies to Duncan as well. If Boston has the draft lottery go their way, I'll be the first one to say something. They do it behind the scenes, so I'll continue to believe it's rigged until I see evidence which suggests otherwise. From an article I had read shortly before the draft lottery, the Oden camp was looking at Boston as their preference. I believe Oden's rookie contract expires at the same time Garnett's contract expires, so Boston could be a big player in the free agent market at the same time he becomes free agent. Bill Russell is one of Oden's idols, and he has been compared to Russell a lot. Boston's also a big market team while the Blazers aren't. I'm not necessarily saying he will be a Celtic, but there's no guarantee he'll be a Blazer for his entire career. Shaq played on a very good Orlando team and still left for the big market Lakers, so even winning is not a guarantee that he will stay.
