Writer’s note: this is the first of a three part series on critical off-seasons for the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks.

The latest class of NBA bachelors looking for an expensive marriage with a new team underwhelms at best. A cadre of overpriced stars and limited role players declared for free agency by Monday's deadline.

The teams that won this year's youngster-filled draft traded unproven freshmen to get old guys who can play. That would be Kevin McHale's Minnesota Timberwolves, who landed the most undervalued guard/forward hybrid in the NBA. Who knew that McHale would devise a way to pair Mike Miller with Kevin Love and Al Jefferson?

The Portland Trail Blazers stole the evening again and stomped all over it. The Blazers landed the draft's second- or third-best point guard in Jerryd Bayless, depending on who you ask, and managed to snatch explosive reserve Ike Diogu in a trade.

Most mock rookie of the year lists slot Greg Oden at the top and Spanish star Rudy Fernandez in third place. Nate McMillan gets to mesh all of that talent with All-Star Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Who doesn't envy the Blazers' position as a possible future powerhouse?

I can name three teams, and they hail from the same hot and humid state.

The Blazers will make a run at the seventh and eighth playoff spots next season, but they are not ready to contend. Adding Miller makes the Timberwolves a playoff prospect—but Randy Whittman's young bunch has a long route to a championship.

That arduous path includes multiple bumper-to-bumper, three-hour traffic jams, torn-up stretches of highway, faulty directions, and a half tank of gas with no filling station for 1000 miles.

A productive big man next to beastly Big Al, with Miller and Corey Brewer: so, what's the problem?

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