Blazers Post Mortem

Obviously this is long overdue, but I think it's worth looking back at the Blazers' 2006-2007 season. While we're still a long way from the top, I think there were a lot of positive signs, and the team seems only a piece or two away from making the jump towards the playoffs and some much-needed postseason experience.

Some of the highlights:

-- Z-Bo. Zach finally looked like the post player and leader that McMillan has been demanding the past two years. He went back to fighting for post position and hitting the boards instead of relying too heavily on his jumper, and he even tried on defense now and then.

-- Brandon Roy. Not much to say about B-Roy that hasn't already been said. He plays like a 10 year veteran. I'm always comfortable when the ball is in his hands, and his versatility is great. Whether it's at the 1, 2 or the 3, he's in complete control, and he never seems overmatched by the competition. And even though he's not a ridiculous athlete whose physical skills just jump out at you, he has a thoroughly impressive way of just getting to where he wants at any time. It's almost scary how quickly this guy has become the face of this franchise. He's the first guy since Clyde that the team and the town can truly rally around.

-- 32-50. Before this season I thought that the team would win close to 40 games. Although we fell a little short of that number, without the injuries to Zach, B-Roy and others, I think we would have been right there. Obviously it would have been nice to see us win more games, but I love the fact that the team never quit, and at least now we're in the running for one of the top two picks in the lottery. If we can get Oden or Durant I might literally crap myself in pure joy. But even without one of those two, it seems like we're a lock to pick up Corey Brewer, and I think he'd be a fantastic addition. I wasn't entirely sold on him before the NCAA Tourney, but he really stepped it up and proved he's got range and guts to go along with his defense and athleticism. He's going to make a great 3 guard, and he can make an instant impact in our line-up.

-- Sergio Magnifico. Sergio showed flashes of brilliance at times, but I'm not completely convinced he can sustain that for an entire game, let alone a season. I know Jarret Jack seemed to lose confidence at times, and was also a little inconsistent, but it's important to remember just how young these guys are. It's a lot easier for Sergio to come in with the run-and-gun line-up and look really good in short bursts than it is to run the team for a whole game like Jack does. Obviously, we're going to have to make a choice about who we want running the point, but I think JJ has got to stay in the starting spot for now. Maybe after another year Sergio will be ready for full-time responsibilities, but he's not there yet. Still, the thought of him running up and down the court throwing sick no-look passes to LaMa, Roy and Brewer (or maybe even Durant??!!) is enough to get me ready to start the "Spanish Chocolate" chants.

--LaMa. Without injuries cutting into this guy's playing time, it might have been a closer race for Rookie of the Year. And if Nate hadn't been trying to sell the league on Jamal Magloire, we might have known how good LaMarcus was earlier in the season. I didn't think Aldridge was going to be this good when he came out of school, but man I am stoked on this guy. He's got great hands, a nose for offensive rebounds, disgusting length, and a sweet jumper. A little more bulk and he'll be owning the paint for years to come. Between Roy, Aldridge and Sergio, this might turn out to be the best draft class we've ever had.

Nonetheless, as exciting as this season was, it wasn't all roses. There were definitely some black clouds hanging over the year, and going into the offseason, there are still some question marks.

-- Z-Bo. The strip club??!! Sometimes I honestly wonder about Zach. I love his effort on the floor, and he's got all the desire in the world, but he can still be a world-class idiot. Not to mention that he's a black hole in the post. He's gotten a little bit better at passing out of double-teams, especially now that he knows B-Roy is out there with him, but I really don't know if he's going to be a part of this team's future. Especially if we want to go up-tempo with Roy, Sergio & LaMa.

-- Darius Miles. Although I tried my best to forget this guy is still on the team, just knowing that he is still (technically) a Blazer makes me sick. I'm scared that he's going to get healthy (if a cancer can ever be "healthy") and start hanging around the team again. The sooner we unload him, the better. The only problem is, who the hell wants him? Even Isaiah Thomas wouldn't trade for him at this point, so who knows what's going to happen.

-- Jamal Magoire. Yes, the Big Cat is a professional. He works hard, fouls hard, plays hard. I understand all that. But honestly, I was ready to kick Nate in the junk for playing this guy so much. He's just TERRIBLE. I mean, he can't rebound, he can't run, he can't shoot free throws. The only things he's good at are palming the ball and making hard retaliation fouls. And he's got a ridiculously inflated opinion of his own worth.

-- Joel Przybilla, the Vanilla Gorilla. I'm not sure what happened to him, but the honest truth is that even when he was healthy, he looked bad. This was not what I expected when we got him signed, and I hope he can pull it back together. Without a healthy Gorilla running up and down the court, our best back-up at center is Magloire. And that's not a good sign.

Final Verdict:

It was a good year. Not great, but there were a ton of good signs. No matter what pick we get in the draft, I think we're looking solid for next year. At this point, our biggest need is experience. If we get Brewer, I think we'll be set, and if we get Durant or Oden??? Like I said, it'll be brown-pants time.

Prediction for 2007-2008:

Without Durant/Oden: 40-42, with a first round loss to the number one seed.
With Durant/Oden: 44-38, with a first round loss to the number three seed.