10 Questions Facing the Portland Trailblazers for the 2011-12 NBA Season

For the past decade, the Portland Trailblazers have been surrounded by a variety of questions.

Would they have won the championship if the Los Angeles Lakers never went on the run?

Would they have been a good team if players like Zach Randolph and Damon Stoudemire could control themselves?

What if they drafted Kevin Durant?

What if Brandon Roy and Greg Oden were never hurt?

This year, the questions continue. The Blazers will most likely be a team competing for a top four spot in the tough Western Conference, but that doesn't stop people from wondering and questioning the team. 

Will Greg Oden Be Healthy This Season?

Here is a little thought of mine. I believe Oden's injuries have become somewhat of a "conspiracy."

We all know about his new "setback" that may keep him out of this season.

The same thing happened last year. This makes it two years in a row where Oden has found out about a new injury that is enough to keep him out of the season, but he can't feel.

Does that make sense? Last year, he was sidelined for the season right after it was announced that he would play. Funny thing is, he said he felt great, but ended up with an injury that would keep him out again.

How could someone feel great if they had such a serious injury?

Looks like history is repeating itself, as almost the same exact thing happened this year. After being cleared to practice, a checkup has left his appearance this season questionable.

None of it makes sense to me, but who knows? David Stern kept Paul off the Los Angeles Lakers, so anything really is possible right now in a league full of conspiracy thoughts.

Will LaMarcus Aldridge Be Snubbed from the All-Star Team Again?

Check these numbers out. 

During the periods of time that Brandon Roy was out with injuries last year, Aldridge raised his game to near MVP numbers, averaging along the lines of about 26 points per game and 11 rebounds a game while leading a depleted Portland team.

He finished the season with overall averages of about 22 points and nine rebounds per game.

He was snubbed from the All-Star game for no apparent reason. The entire legacy-clause when it comes to picking the All-Star team is totally unfair.

Tim Duncan did not deserve that spot on the All-Star team; Aldridge did. Just look at the numbers and how he led a team almost all by himself.

This year, Aldridge should be a lock for the All-Star team, and they should not even second guess it. If Duncan is picked over him again, expect a lot of hate for the NBA coaches coming from Portland.

Will Raymond Felton Make the Blazers a More Up-Tempo Team?

When the offense was orchestrated by Brandon Roy, the team was an extremely slow-paced team.

Now that Roy is gone and Felton has taken his place as primary ball-handler, Portland will most likely speed up the tempo.

Raymond Felton showed that he is extremely capable of putting up All-Star numbers in a fast-paced offense.

He averaged around 18 points and nine assists as a member of the New York Knicks last year, one of the most fast-paced teams in the league.

In the first game of the preseason, Portland just got out and ran the offense as fast as they could. It ended up in a blowout victory for them.

In the second game, they slowed down and ended up losing.

Portland is maybe the most capable fast-paced team in the league, possessing one of the most athletic rosters in the league with Raymond Felton, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Gerald Wallace and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Role players like Elliot Williams and Chris Johnson have also showcased their athleticism.

Portland needs to get out and run, as it will help the team tremendously.

Will Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas' Experience Help?

Portland does not have many players on the roster over the age of 30. Two of them are Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas, two of the most experienced players in the league.

The great thing about Camby's and Thomas' experience is it is serviceable experience.

Age is catching up to both, but Camby showed last season he is still a top-10 rebounder and defensive presence. Kurt Thomas proved a huge asset to the Chicago Bulls, while Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer were out with injuries.

They will both be called upon to get minutes, especially since Camby is slated to start at center, and both will produce stats and great leadership for the team.

The addition of Jamal Crawford could help as well, as he will also be playing significant minutes and should be a good locker room presence.

Will Injuries Still Be a Problem?

To put it bluntly, yes.

Greg Oden, Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby all have histories with injuries. When healthy, all three are huge parts of the team.

Camby might be sidelined to start the season, as he was said to "tweak" his knee, even though it is not considered a big deal.

Oden will be out until at least January or February, and may be out all season due to the previously stated "setback."

Wallace, well, he just plays with such high intensity that injuries just seem to follow him.

One sign of hope for the Blazers is that Wesley Matthews is now healthy. Many people did not know of his injury until the the offseason, and many still probably don't know he was hurt.

After spraining his ankle, Matthews kept his injury a hidden problem and played on it. Even though he played on it for months, he still produced at a high level.

He's one hundred percent now and has no problems with his ankle, so expect him to continue his surprising play from last year.

Will LaMarcus Aldridge Assert Himself as the Leader of the Team Once Again?

Last year, Aldridge was without a doubt the leader of the team...when Roy was out.

This year, Roy has retired and has been replaced by a guy who will demand the ball less in Jamal Crawford.

Crawford has made a living off of being a spark plug off the bench, so it's not like he will change his thoughts on the role this year. Roy became a little too distraught with his role last year, at times trying to force things when he shouldn't have, and also trying to take the leadership role from Aldridge.

Aldridge complied with Roy and would hand over all leadership to him naturally, as he played the role of the Robin to Roy's Batman for so many years.

This year, Aldridge has no one to compete with for leadership of the team, so expect him to rise to the throne permanently as the leader of the Trailblazers team.

Can Felton, Wallace and Aldridge Play at the All-Star Levels They Have Before?

Raymond Felton played like a real All-Star in New York last year.

Gerald Wallace was an All-Star in the 2009-10 season.

LaMarcus Aldridge was the biggest All-Star snub last year.

Can all three perform at those same levels?

Felton may be able to match his assist averages from his time in New York and has a slight chance to come close to the same scoring numbers. He was surrounded by even more scoring in New York, yet still churned out high-scoring numbers. He has less scoring, but more defense, around him in Portland.

Wallace will continue his high level rebounding which earned him an All-Star selection after averaging over 10 per game as a small-forward, but won't match his scoring from Charlotte due to the fact that he doesn't need to with options like Aldridge, Matthews and Felton on the team. On Charlotte, he was the go-to option.

Aldridge's numbers will likely rise from last year, as he now has full control of the team and will have a better facilitator on the team in Felton.

So the answer is yes, they will be able to match their All-Star worthy play, even if their statistics take a slight hit from being surrounded by so much talent in Portland.

Will They Find an Answer at Center?

The Portland Trailblazers really need a new, young center. If Oden does not work out this year, they really need an answer to the center issue.

One way Portland can find a center is through the draft. Big men like Cody and Tyler Zeller will probably still be available in the mid to late first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, and Portland should jump at the opportunity at picking either. Both would be great fits in Portland.

Portland has few trade options, though, when it comes to finding a center. They need to find a low-risk, high-reward kind of guy, maybe someone like Hasheem Thabeet. All they need is a guy down low to rebound and block shots and make an occasional shot here and there. 

A second-round pick or two should be enough for Thabeet. Now that's low risk.

A player like Thabeet can also be pursued in the free agency. He won't demand anywhere near a large contract, so he's someone they should take a chance on!

By next year, I'm predicting there to be a new starting center in Portland, but don't expect one this year.

Can They Make It out of the First Round?

The fans believe in this Portland team, and so do the players. 

As long as Aldridge continues the strong showing from last year, Wallace continues to mesh and additions like Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford find their niche in Portland, they should be a pretty good playoff team.

One advantage Portland has that no other team has: LaMarcus Aldridge.

It's pretty apparent from looking at the rosters of every NBA championship team that a team needs a low-post scorer to be successful. It's rare to win without a skilled big man, and Portland has one.

Many teams in the West lack a really good big man, aside from the Clippers, the Lakers, the Grizzlies and the Mavericks, so Portland will likely fall into a matchup that favors them down low.

Expect Portland to break out of the first round this year.

Can They Contend for the Title?

I'm going to make it clear.

No Oden, no contending.

This is a very talented Portland team, but without a young-gun enforcer down low, they aren't getting anywhere near a title.

Oden's health is up in the air again, so who knows if he will be able to play? Right now, it looks like the odds are tipping in the favors of Oden returning by around February, but anything can change at any given time.

Portland could contend next year, though, if they add a good young center to the roster. Like I said before, they have many options, including free agency, the draft and even maybe through a trade.

Adding a reliable, fresh new face at the center position to a roster full of players who can play at All-Star levels, great veterans and solid young role players should be enough to push Portland over the top.