By Brian McKitish, TalentedMrRoto.com
October 10, 2006 - 11:21 a.m.

2005-06 OVERVIEW

Brandon Roy is a Rookie of the Year favorite this season. (Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty Images)

With all the talk about the New York Knicks, many forget that the Portland Trail Blazers finished the season with the NBA’s worst record at 21-61. In all fairness, the Blazers go-to guy on the offensive end, Zach Randolph, was clearly struggling to recover from microfracture surgery, and the rest of the team found it hard to survive without Z-Bo leading the way. The Blazers other star, Darius Miles, started of the season en-fuego but cooled considerably and ended up missing 42 games with various injuries. His on-going feud with head coach Nate McMillian (which culminated with a trade demand at the end of the season) didn’t help matters either. With their two stars struggling, the rest of the team could not find any consistency on the offensive or defensive end.

Although nothing seemed to go right for the 2005-06 Blazers, they could take solace in a few youngsters showing their potential during the latter stages of the season. Rookies Jarrett Jack and Martell Webster impressed during the month of April when Portland decided to give their young blood some extra playing time. The youngsters played well, but it was clear that Portland needed to make some changes in order to get back on the winning track.

In an effort to rebuild the franchise, the Blazers were one of the NBA’s most active teams during the off-season. After trading away Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff to the Boston Celtics, and moving Steve Blake to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Blazers will look a lot different in 2006-07. Though their best additions came through the draft (Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge), Portland also added some much needed depth under the glass in Jamaal Magloire and Raef LaFrentz. How all the new players will fit into Nate McMillian’s game plan remains to be seen.

ADDITIONS:
Brandon Roy, G
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF
Jamaal Magloire, C
Raef LaFrentz, C
Dan Dickau, PG
Sergio Rodriguez, G

LOSSES:
Sebastian Telfair, PG
Steve Blake, PG
Brian Skinner, PF
Viktor Khryapa, F
Theo Ratliff, C

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
C – Joel Przybilla
PF – Zach Randolph
SF – Darius Miles
SG – Brandon Roy
PG – Jarrett Jack

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2006

It’s going to be an interesting season for the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers. Only Brandon Roy and Zach Randolph are set in stone as starters, the rest will have to fight it out during training camp. Jarrett Jack is the frontrunner for the starting point guard spot and proved to be a solid passer and decision-maker late last season. Despite playing most of the year with an injured ankle, Jack posted 11.9 points with 5.3 assists and only 1.4 turnovers in 25.6 minutes per game. With his ankle now healthy, we can expect to see Jack improving his 0.5 steals per game on the defensive end.

With Zach Randolph looking as strong as ever, the Blazers are looking to center their offense on the post game. Randolph will get his touches while Rookie of the Year candidate, Brandon Roy, will be all over the court. He’ll start the year as the shooting guard but can be moved to the point or even small forward due to his versatility. His playmaking abilities will bode well for Randolph, as well as the rest of the Blazers lineup.

The wild card for the Blazers? Darius Miles. He oozes talent but has yet to put together a solid full season in the NBA. He’ll get the opportunity, but his window is closing quickly…at least as far as Portland is concerned. Second-year man Martell Webster was impressive at the end of last season and should see 25-30 minutes per night, while youngster Travis Outlaw is still looking for the opportunity to show his stuff. With the two youngsters waiting in the wings, Nate McMillian will have a short leash on the ultra-talented Miles.

KEY BENCH POSITIONS / POSITION BATTLES

Backcourt - With Brandon Roy, Jarrett Jack, Juan Dixon, Martell Webster and rookie Sergio Rodriguez all vying for spots, someone is going to have to sit. Currently, Roy and Jack are slated to start in the backcourt, but nothing is set in stone here. Roy has tremendous position flexibility, while second year man Martell Webster will be able to secure 25-30 minutes between the shooting guard and small forward positions. If Jarrett Jack stumbles, expect to see Roy manning the point with Webster at the two. Juan Dixon plays with great intensity and is a perfect change of pace guy off the bench. He can put up decent stats in limited minutes but will need an injury to have much fantasy value. Rookie Sergio Rodriguez has impressed during training camp and bears watching as a possible mid-season pickup if he can continue his solid play.

Power Forward/Center - After Zach Randolph, things get pretty cloudy in the Portland frontcourt. Centers Joel Przybilla, Jamaal Magloire and Raef LaFrentz will duke it out during training camp, and all three deserve to see time on the court. It remains to be seen how things will shake out, but it is highly likely that we’ll see a three-headed monster at the five in Portland this season. Przybilla and Magloire should split time (thus deflating each others value) while LaFrentz will come off the bench, using his long-distance shooting to present match-up problems for opposing big men. Once rookie LaMarcus Aldridge returns from a shoulder injury, the frontcourt gets even more crowded. Aldridge may not be ready to contribute this season but could have some value later in the year if the Blazers fall out of contention.

Travis Outlaw - Outlaw has yet to prove himself on the big stage but is still young (just 22 years of age) and possesses great talent and athleticism. With all the uncertainty surrounding Darius Miles, Outlaw has some deep sleeper potential this season. There’s no need to draft him just yet in fantasy leagues, but keep your eye on the youngster for a potential pickup later in the season.

PLAYERS WE LOVE

Brandon Roy - Rookie of the Year? I’m counting on it. Roy put on a show during the Las Vegas Summer League, posting 19.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.8 threes in 26.4 minutes per game. He is by far the most NBA-ready of all the rookies and has everything you’d look for in a young star-to-be. He can score off the dribble or from long distance, has great handle, is a very good ball distributor and plays solid defense. Oh, and he’ll see a ton of minutes due to his versatility.

Martell Webster - In April of last season, Martell Webster showed why he was the sixth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. April was the only month in which Webster saw more than 20 minutes of action per night, and the youngster responded with 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 threes per game while shooting a respectable 45.8 percent from the floor and 91.3 percent from the line. Still only 19 years of age, Martell still has a lot of growing to do, but he’s ready to contribute and should get his opportunity this season. He will have to win a spot in the rotation during training camp, but with Darius Miles missing time with a knee injury, Webster could have the inside track at the starting small forward job. If not, he’ll come off the bench behind Brandon Roy at shooting guard. Or, if Roy is moved to point guard, Webster could start at the two. However it shakes out, expect to see a heavy dose of Webster in Portland this season.

Zach Randolph - Everyone keeps calling for a breakout year from a similar power forward in Carlos Boozer, but Randolph has looked just as sharp in camp and can be as dominant under the boards as Boozer can. Randolph posted solid numbers last season (18 points and 8 rebounds), despite working his way back from microfracture surgery a year ago (something Amare Stoudemire is currently struggling with). Despite his solid effort, Big Zach was clearly uncomfortable on the court, settling for mid-range jumpers (a la Chris Webber) instead of using his wide array of post-up moves. His reluctance to bring the ball down low was the driving force behind his career-low 43.6 percent from the floor. Not this year. Randolph has apparently worked out something fierce during the off-season, drawing praise from his teammates and even his coach Nate McMillian. He’s more comfortable on his surgically repaired knee, and the Blazers are going to run the offense through him in the post. A return to his 20-point, 10-rebound ways would not be out of the question, and a jump in field goal percentage should be expected as well.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Jamaal Magloire - Not only is there too much competition at the center position in Portland, but Jamaal Magloire hasn’t exactly been giving off the “team” vibe during preseason action so far. According to Jason Quick (the foremost authority on the Blazers in the media world) of The Oregonian, Magloire stated that he would put up a fuss if he didn’t start for this team. Really? I know he’s competitive, but those aren’t the type of statements you want to hear out of a guy that might not end up starting. With Joel Przybilla and Raef LaFrentz nipping at his heels, Magloire will need a solid preseason just to win the job. Even if he does, he’s part of a three-headed center machine that will limit his minutes and production.

Darius Miles - Will somebody please tell this guy that he has more talent than about 90 percent of the league? Every year I target Miles late in fantasy drafts, in the hopes that he can capitalize on the immense potential he possesses. I won’t fall for the bait this time around. Injuries and questions about his attitude have dropped his stock in my mind, and Portland has too many young players at his position that they need to evaluate for the future. Currently sitting out of training camp with soreness in his knee, the Blazers have been working Martell Webster almost exclusively at the small forward position. Travis Outlaw is another high-upside youngster who’s ready to see some more action on the court, and with both Webster and Outlaw around, coach Nate McMillian will have no problem showing Miles the bench if he doesn’t shape up. If you’re looking for a late-round gamble, go with Webster over Miles.

BOTTOM LINE

The rebuilding Blazers took a step in the right direction when they selected Brandon Roy in the 2006 NBA Draft. They still have plenty of growing to do but have a nice young core of players in Zach Randolph, Brandon Roy, Martell Webster, Jarrett Jack and Travis Outlaw. The center position might be a dead-zone for fantasy stats all season as all three-headed monster will limit the minutes of all involved. Although Portland doesn’t project to be a playoff contender, they still have their fare share of fantasy relevant players. Most can be had later in fantasy drafts, and some – particularly Randolph, Roy, Webster and Jack - could outperform their draft day value.

The views expressed by TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT: Player Rankings | Depth Charts | Other Team Previews