I hear all about the Trail Blazers future. Portland is, Portland that.......How they'll be great for years to come.
Many people think the Warriors will be the team that moves down to make space for the Trailblazers.
Well, I think this is absolutely not true.
The Warriors' young talent is just as good as the Trailblazer's young talent.
Andris Biedrins is just as good as LaMarcus Aldrige, or maybe even better. Biedrins give the Warriors a person that can patrol the paint on the defensive end. Sure Biedrins is offensively limited, but he consistly puts up double-doubles. Biedrins has good hands and is good in the pick-and-roll.
Also, many people say "Greg Oden is coming back!", and that is why Portland will jump up in the standing next season. Leave Oden out of this. He is coming off surgery, and no one really knows what will happen to his athleticism. Many players are never the same after their surgeries (see Webber, Chris). Oden is also very raw and offensively limited. I just don't see him as a superstar, "impact player" that others see him to be.
What about Monta Ellis? This guy is absolutely unstoppable. He has played well enough to deserve the MIP a second time. I, personally, would rather have Monta Ellis on my time from now on then Jarrett Jack or Travis Outlaw.
And don't forget Baron "B-Diddy" Davis. This guy is averaging 22 points, 7.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 steals. Baron is powerful, quick, and a great leader. Who would you want: Baron Davis or Brandon Roy? I'd take Baron every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Brandon Roy got the All-Star spot, and Baron got screwed because past coaches had grudges against him, but Baron is playing at an All-Star level.
Overall, the Warriors have just as much, if not more, potential in the future than the Trailblazers.
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3 months ago
Due to Oden's knee recovery, his shooting has improved consistently during the season because often, that was all he could do on the court. Silver linings. Also, he can catch fast passes. They say he has "soft hands". It's good to be skeptical, but things do look promising. Additionally, have you heard of Rudy Fernandez? Look him up on Youtube. He's the one cutting down the net, placing it around his neck. Considered to be possibly the best player in the European league. This weekend, he said he's 90% sure he'll be playing in Portland next season. Blazers indeed look promising.
from 3 months ago
You definitely make good points. I never said the Trailblazers won't be good in the future. They will be good for sure. I was just saying the Warriors will be good as well.
3 months ago
Remember, between the Warriors and Blazers it is not a zero sum game. There are other teams on the fringe...though they are still winning at close to a 50 game clip the Spurs are getting a bit long in the tooth, Dallas killed themselves by picking up Jason Kidd, and key components of other teams are nearing the time their studs will start wearing down...Iverson in Denver has taken a lot of abuse, the Suns basically went for the 1 - 2 year window with O Neal...Portland and Golden State are there with the Hornets for probable long-term top teams. Neither will be looking at struggling to reach the 8th seed in a couple more years.
With that said, some of your player analyses are a bit curious; discounting Oden, while I get what you are saying, is not an approach with a long term positive expectation. If you just want to discount players who can cause problems...well, B-Davis has a long, tried and true history of injuries. This season has been great for basketball fans because he has been more or less healthy but who would mbe surprised to see him miss significant time? On the flip side...who would be prudent to assume he will miss time? When comparing teams you should look at the probable or best case scenario.
Biedrins is an excellent role player. You are the first person I have heard put him on a comparative level with Aldridge. Beidrins is perfect for the Warriors because with Davis, Ellis, Jackson, etc. roaming around, driving the lane, and so forth he does not need an offensive game. However, when the Warriors need points will they ever run a play for him? On the boards he and Aldridge are a toss-up, maybe a slight edge to Biedrins at this point, defensively it is pretty close with perhaps a slight edge to Aldridge. He has the good fortune to be in a situation with a coach who sees his talents and maximizes them. I can only imagine what the Warriors would have done this year if they had Aldridge instead of Biedrins...can't say the same if it were reversed.
Ellis is another guy I would love to have and not sure where the comparison to Jack...at best a role player at this point in his career...comes from. The Outlaw one, however, is intriguing. Ellis is far and away the better scorer. It is not even close. He is also more consistent at this point. Outlaw has shown flashes of various things...he has at times controlled the boards, at times been a dominant scorer, at times been a shut-down defender...but not consistently. He will come out one game and carry the team, then disappear for a game or three. If he ever becomes consistent Outlaw will be tremendously valuable due to his youth (remember, he came out of High School), athleticism, ability to defend, and help on the boards. That is a future judgment, however, as at this point the edge certainly goes to the high percentage shooting scoring machine Ellis.
I would not compare Davis and Roy largely because they play different positions and roles. Roy is not a point guard, though he often takes the role late in the game. Take either off their respective teams and you probably need more than 2 hands to count the number of wins that disappear.
When you look at teams you should check out the overall concept of the team. The Warriors rely heavily on a trio of phenomenal players...Davis, Jackson and Ellis...with some solid role players, some of whom are better than they have looked on the Warriors (Al Harrington, take a bow). I like their make up with Pietrus, Biedrins, Harrington, Barnes...I love watching the Warriors and hope this years Western Conference Finals somehow ends up being Phoenix-Golden State. That would be a fascinating, fun series to watch. And I fully expect to see the Warriors close to or at the top of the Conference for the next several years.
The concept of 3 guys carrying the bulk of the scoring load every night does not, however, apply to Portland. They have at least 6 guys currently on roster who can carry that load, and that does not include Oden. Portland is built very much on the team concept with no one player really given the freedom to do the things the Warriors do. That is neither good nor bad, it simply reflects different philosophies.
Assuming the Warriors have to get worse for Portland is an interesting thought but I think it has a couple flaws as seen above. In 2 - 3 years a Portland-Golden State Western Conference Finals seems like a reasonable possibility; they have youth, talent, and excitement on their side.
from 3 months ago
Wow! A lot of thoughts there.
I appreciate the feedback. You make a lot of good points. Thanks a lot.
3 months ago
I don't know what you are on, the Blazers talent level greatly exceeds the talent level the Warriors have. I do like the warriors and I have been a warriors fan for a long time, however; I am not blind to the fact the Blazers are mostly likely the team of the future. Roy is a defensive stopper and an amazing team leader. He plays under a calmness, rarely seen in the nba. Aldridge is better than Biedrins right now and I believe he has a higher ceiling as well. Rudy Fernandez will also make Portland a formiddable opponent. YOu are correct w/ Oden and I am not sure he will recovery fully, but if he does, watch out!
Go warriors!
LaShante
3 months ago
Lay off the sauce Divya, I would better dollars to donuts that Portland wins a title before the warriors due. Aldridge, Roy and Oden will make a formiddable trio. They also have Outlaw, who is coming on strong.
Go Blazers!
Tyler
from 3 months ago
Sauce? I don't get it.
By the way, Ellis, Biedrins, and one more person (Brandan Wright maybe) are just as formidable trio.
And who knows if Oden will be his normal self after surgery. Some players are never the same again. They're just less athletic and slower.
3 months ago
All of the points you make are ridiculous. Do you even watch the Portland Trailblazers enough to make such statements? I have watched the Golden State Warriors for the past 3 years and they clearly don't have as much talent as Portland does. Portland will certainly be a playoff contender with their pieces next year and possibly a championship contender by even next year. The Blazers are the third youngest team of all time in the history of the NBA and look what they have accomplished with little experience. I see multiple all star players coming from that team, it's going to be a bright future for them. Golden State is out of the playoffs now and I don't see them improving much more next year with their constant perimeter shooting and weak defense.
from 3 months ago
What they have accomplished is a a 40-40 record. 13-27 on the road.
I don't see the "greatness" or "aura" or the "future championships".
from 3 months ago
Hey Einstein Divya, the Blazers were expected to win about 20 games this year after Oden got injured. Well, I'd say they've gone beyond passing expectations. I read a lot about Greg oden these days in practice and such, and the Blazers brass is just in awe of how good this guy looks. He's beefed up and huge, yet he has not lost a bit of his athletecism. He's going to be amazing. the Blazers are already led by two super sophomores that are only going to continue to get better and better. The Blazers are getting a healthy rejuvinated Oden next year, Rudy Fernandez ( who many say would be a lotto pick if he had been drafted this year), another year of experience and supreme confidence coming into the year. The Blazers also just waived Miles to give them aprox 33 mil to sign a premier FA in the Summer of 09. The Warriors on the other hand were basically completely healthy this year, yet still didn't make the PO's. BD and SJax are getting older now, and it still has yet to be seen that BD can remain healthy all the time. And I would indeed choose Roy over Davis considering that he is much younger and is only going to get better. Saying that Biedrins is better than Aldridge is beyond laughable. I can think of 30 GM's that would choose Aldridge over Biedrins right now. GS is probably going to resign Ellis, and I don't know if they'll have much capspace to sign anyone else. The Warriors are a good team and have a decent future, but it's just ignorant to say they have a better future than the blazers. And it was proven this year when GS was healthy and didn't make the playoffs.
3 months ago
They accomplished a .500 record without Greg Oden and they still are getting superstar Rudy Fernandez of Spain. The Golden State Warriors already have their key players and didn't make the playoffs. Baron Davis is in his prime and he is not an all star caliber point guard like Chris Paul or Deron Williams. Even Don Nelson will tell you the Portland Trailblazers are the better team of the future. Look up his comments he made towards the Blazers and you will see exactly what I mean. Why do you think Don Neslon sat out Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson for most of the second half last night? They weren't getting the job done in a do-or-die situation.
3 months ago
The Warriors are better right now, but with the Blazers' promising youth, there is no question that the blazers will be WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY better in the near future.
3 months ago
(Holding back laughter) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
You must be in denial. Blazers will own the Warriors for years to come.
3 months ago
Holy cow.
This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
By the way, have fun paying 150 million and screwing your cap for the next 5-8 years by paying for an undersized center who has no offensive ability whatsoever, and a shoot-first PG.
3 months ago
You're on crack if you think Biedrens is, or ever will be, better than LaMarcus. Curious what evidence you have to back that up, surely you must be basing that ludicrous observation on *something*.
Nothing against the Warriors, they'll be just good enough to barely miss or make the playoffs for years to come, but Portland's young talent far and away exceeds anything GS is bringing to the table.
3 months ago
I'm a Blazer fan, but I think the Warriors are fun to watch too. I think it's a misnomer to say it's one or the other ... both teams will be good for years to come. I think it's more probable to see the Nuggets or Rockets drop to make room for the Blazers than it is for the Warriors to falter ...
That said, you're the first person I've heard compare the two, and I really don't see how you think the Warriors will be better in the long run. Boom Dizzle and Jax are your two best players, and they are 29 and 30 years old respectively. Then there's Harrington and Barnes at 28 apiece. See where I'm going with this? Ellis and Biedrins are certainly nice players, and I'd love to have either of them--but not over Roy or Aldridge. Furthermore, there's no guarantee you'll have all these players in the future, what with Boom-Dizzle seeking a new contract, and Ellis, Pietrus, Biedrins, and Azubuike all looking to get PAID.
The Blazers' core, on the other hand? Let's see ... Aldridge--not yet 23. Oden--just turned 20. Roy--23. Outlaw--23. Webster--21. Frye--24. Rudy--22. Sergio--21. See where I'm going with this? All these guys are so young, and they'll just keep getting better. If we can stay healthy--which no team can count on--I'd say we have about a 12 year window opening. And the kicker is that we know we have the richest owner in the league who will pay to keep all these guys. Assuming the Warriors can stay healthy and keep their team together, I'd say they're looking at a 4-5 year window until Davis and Jackson are done. But heck, they might lose Davis as soon as this offseason if he opts out and looks for a long-term deal.
Finally, you can't talk about these teams without talking about their coaches. Both coaches are supremely responsible for their teams' success. But McMillan looks like he'll be coaching here for the next 15 years, while Nellie looks like he needs a drink. He'll hang it up in another couple of years--or at least move elsewhere--because that's what he does. And once that happens, you can kiss the playoffs goodbye ...
3 months ago
Wow, I haven't seen a new post from dumbya lately. I actually don't like either team, but really you think the Blazers aren't going to be a force. First they are young and went 41-41 in the west. In the east they would be in. Second they are adding a legit force in the middle, who cares about his offense what has Pryzbilla contributed? Third they have a great GM, and he was a member of the Spurs organization and is using that same map. Fourth they have a ton of cap room over the next two years something like 18-26 million depending on D. Miles. I wish my Clippers were in this position.
2 months ago
Biedrins averaged 10 and 9 in his 3rd year, while Aldridge averaged 17 and 7 in his 2nd year. Yeah, advantage Aldridge. About the surgery to Oden, Amare Stoudamire had the exact same surgery and how is he doing? Dumya, you note Chris Webber... How old was he when he had the surgery? Exactly. Just like Amare, Oden will bounce right back cause he's still just a kid. Also Baron Davis over BROY? I dont think so man. Roy is about 5 years younger, is still growing as a player, and already made an All-Star team. Brandon actually has a very legitimate chance at getting an MVP in the coming years (if not next year). Can anyone actually see Baron ever getting close to an MVP?
Portland's role players are better, their stars are younger, and their coaching is better [Nelly is a joke (sitting Baron Davis in a must win game?!)]. Not to mention, the Blazers have Rudy Fernandez coming over next season. If he had entered the draft this year, he would have been drafted in the top 10. They say he'll be better than Manu Ginóbili. He's 6'6'', a Euro League MVP, and 22 years old! 22!
As every other team in the West gets older, the Blazers are EASILY the frontrunner to be THE dominant team for the next decade.
2 months ago
Oh, and the Blazers happen to be the 3rd youngest team in the HISTORY of the NBA, and they still went .500. It's kinda scary to think how good these guys will be in the years to come.
2 months ago
Hhaaha i needed a good laugh..thanks for the article...I made sure to pass this one on to all my friends. Biedrins better than aldridge...oh man thanks again hahahaha.
23 days ago
Does Golden State have anyone in the middle to deal with Oden?
NO.
Monty Python would call this a very silly article that should be reported.
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