Pivot Points: You Can't Knock Portland's Hustle, But Issues Remain

No one can deny the fact that Portland has a wealth of talent, and are deep at nearly every position. They have arguably, the best roster in the NBA and a veteran, battle-tested coach.

As I look at the Trailblazers though, there are several lingering questions on my mind.

There's an old axiom that says, that you can never have too much talent on one team, but in Portland's case, the majority of the talent is youth.

Last season the young Blazers won an astounding 54 games, and emerged as a potential counter to the Los Angeles Lakers' dominance.

In the playoffs, however, Portland's youth was on full display, as they went down at the hands of a more experienced Houston Rockets team.

Although there was a valuable lesson to be learned in that defeat, are any of the Blazers really mature enough to understand the significance of that teaching moment?

If anyone is, then Brandon Roy would be that guy. The young shooting guard shows a maturity beyond his years, and is on the fast track to becoming one of the league's superstars.

Roy has a combination of size and skills that would put him behind only Kobe Bryant, and Dewayne Wade at his position.

It will take the fortitude and mental toughness of Roy, if the Blazers hope to advance to the next stage in their development.

Luckily, they were able to sign veteran point guard, Andre Miller, to also provide leadership and stability to their young team, but the signing of Miller illustrates one of the problems the Blazers may face this season.

It's no secret that Steve Blake and Roy developed a strange chemistry last season. Roy was at his best with Blake in the game, and was afforded the opportunity to be the primary ball-handler on most occasions.

How does signing Miller affect that dynamic, and where do you find minutes for Jerryd Bayless, and the newly signed Patrick Mills?

That same issue is prevalent throughout the roster, as you have numerous players competing for playing time.

Travis Outlaw is in a contract year, but will he get the minutes he needs to justify a huge payday?

Rudy Fernandez was already complaining about playing time last season, and those minutes will probably decrease even more this season.

Nicholas Batum emerged as a valuable asset last season, but with the return of Martell Webster, how do you keep Batum happy, or vice-versa?

Coach Nate McMillan has a very talented inner-nucleus of players consisting of, LaMarcus Aldridge, Miller, Roy, and Greg Oden, but will he be able to garner the cohesion he needs to keep everyone happy?

One other troubling thing is, that for all of their considerable talent the Blazers were a poor defensive team last year.

They have the players, and the talent, to be a special defense, but the coach and the players have to make a commitment to that element of the game.

If McMillan can find a way to blend all that talent, and make Portland a viable threat to the reigning champion Lakers, then he should be strongly considered for the NBA coach of the year award.