Portland Trail Blazers' Storylines for the 2008-09 Season

Finally, it begins. 

For Portland Trailblazer fans, next Tuesday’s game against the Lakers will be the culmination of years of waiting, watching and anticipating. 

Blazer fans have every reason to be excited about this team. With a once-in-a-lifetime big man, two nearly-established stars, and an exciting European import, Blazers fans are believing that they will be tasting a playoff berth this year. 

The Blazers’ expected improvement has even caused some analysts to draw comparisons to the performance of last year’s New Orleans Hornets, who surprised the league by snagging a high seed in the playoffs.  

But this year’s Blazers are not last year’s Hornets.  Unlike that New Orleans team, which was focused mainly on the play of Chris Paul and David West, this Trail Blazers squad is overflowing with talented and contributing players. 

What’s more is that the Blazers this year, more so than any other NBA franchise, are overcome with storylines.  Whether it be a healthy Greg Oden finally stepping onto the court, the introduction of Spanish sensation Rudy Fernandez to the NBA, or LaMarcus Aldridge’s ascension into star status, each one of Portland’s players has something specific to prove this year. 

But with all these colliding motives and aspirations, someone has to be left in the dust in Rip City.  Over the next year, Kevin Pritchard will have to make some tough decisions as to who he wants to prioritize on this roster.  Having an abundance of talent is great, but many of these guys will need more minutes than Portland will be able to offer in order to meet their full potential. 

With that being said, here are a few storylines that might force the Blazers to make some serious moves over the course of the next year:

1. Nicolas Batum will start the majority of games at the SF spot for the Blazers 

For you diehard Blazer fans out there, the possibility of Nic Batum’s insertion into the starting lineup is old news.  A few weeks ago, Coach Nate McMillan began to play with the idea of starting Nic alongside Brandon Roy, Steve Blake, Oden and Aldridge.  Batum ended up sticking with the starting unit in practice, and his relative success in preseason has translated to a possible starting role in the Blazers opener on Tuesday. 

McMillan’s experimentation with Nic at the starting small forward spot speaks volumes to this kid’s potential to grow and progress.  In the Vegas Summer League, Batum was virtually nonexistent, averaging a measly 6.8 ppg and 4.6 rpg over an 27 minutes.  In the Blazers’ preseason, Batum’s stats are nearly identical (save a few rebounds) and he has even started to figure out how to best utilize his long limbs to get blocks. 

The important aspect of Batum’s preseason stats is the fact that he has been averaging nearly the same numbers as he did in Vegas in only half the minutes and against much better talent. 

In addition, Blazer players, coaches, and even fans will tell you that Nic is mature beyond his years and is comfortable playing within the game.  The incredible jump Batum has made from raw prospect to potential role player in just a matter of weeks should scare the likes of Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster. 

If Outlaw gets beaten out for the starting forward nod, a move which looks likely given Travis’ success in the second unit, both he and fellow underachiever Martell Webster may have trouble taking the position back.  Assuming Batum does in fact end up starting for a majority of the games for the Blazers this year, expect Outlaw or Webster to be packaged for a more reliable veteran before February’s trade deadline.

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