NBA TV Preview

A once-proud franchise that boasted 26 playoff berths in 27 seasons from 1977—2003, the Portland Trail Blazers reached their nadir in 2005-06, finishing with the NBA's worst record.

The Blazers will need years to undo the team's mismanagement during the Bob Whitsitt era, where talent was gathered at the expense of character. Even before their decline, they weren't an easy team to root for.

So it's a bit counterintuitive that this team is led by Zach Randolph and Darius Miles, two 25-year olds who don't exactly exude leadership. Unless they discovered off the charts maturity this summer, expect them to be around only until some of Portland's new arrivals are up to speed.

Randolph is the team's leading scorer and rebounder (18.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg). Miles, whose seductive athleticism enticed the Blazers to reward him with a mult-year contract, averaged 14.0 but lacks an all-around game.

Unquestionably, Portland's strength lies with its interior depth. In addition to Randolph, the Blazers have re-signed center Joel Przybilla and acquired forward Raef LaFrentz and center Jamaal Magloire in trades.

LaMarcus Aldridge, the No. 2 overall pick acquired by the Blazers during one of six draft-day trades, could emerge as the team's best big man ... eventually. His game and his body invoke comparisons to Chris Bosh. As a sophomore at Texas, Aldridge averaged 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds in 2006.

Inexperience reigns in the backcourt, where Brandon Roy, the sixth overall pick, joins 2005 first-rounders Jarrett Jack and Martell Webster. Spanish import Sergio Rodriguez, a point guard selected with the 30th pick in the first round, is also in the mix. None is over the age of 23, so expect some inconsistency.

Jack is the expected starter at the point, after the off-season trades of Steve Blake and Sebastian Telfair. Roy, a 6-6 guard from Washington, dazzled at the Vegas Summer League, averaging 19.0 points on 64.7 percent shooting. Unheralded Juan Dixon and Dan Dickau will also contribute.

This appears to a be a very competitive roster for a team that only won 21 games a year ago. The youth at point guard and the uncertain future of Randolph and Miles in Portland will probably hinder the team's growth initially, but a more important gauge of Portland's success will be the development of the team's young players (on and off the court) under Nate McMillan.
-- Bill Evans

2006-07 Blazers Mini-Packs

Roy

His candidacy might be hindered by playing on a small market team nestled in the Pacific Northwest, but don't overlook Brandon Roy as a preseason Rookie of the Year favorite.

Roy, a Seattle native, will have no trouble acclimating to a city only a few hours South on I-5. He has already confirmed the draft-day "NBA ready" label with a virtuoso performance at the Vegas Summer League, averaging 19.0 points and shooting .647 percent from the field.

At 6-6, he is versatile enough to play both guard spots, and he has the advantage of joining a team with nobody entrenched as the starter at either guard position.

"He showed he can play with the ball some," Nate McMillan told the Portland Tribune. "He's under control. He made good decisions with the ball. But that's summer league. He won't face the majority of those guards in the NBA. For me to get a true read on him, it starts in the preseason, when he goes up against guards he'll be seeing during the regular season."

LaMarcus Aldridge might have heard his name called first on Draft Day, but Roy is the name McMillan will likely call first this fall.
-- Bill Evans

X&O STRENGTH

McMillan

An exciting young team that has improved themselves with a multitude of deals in the off-season but still very young…One of the best low-post players in the game in Zach Randolph…Looking forward to having Darius Miles back…Brandon Roy is a very versatile player who will be able to play both guard spots…Young Martell Webster is one of the better pure shooters in the league.

X&O WEAKNESS
Better than they were last year, whether or not they will be ready to contend is another story...Too much youth and inexperience.

HEAD COACH PHILOSOPHY
Will try to play more of a half-court game to look for the positives…He feels like he now has some players that you can throw it into...McMillan is a taskmaster, a little bit oldschool, and expects an honest day’s work every day... He will teach these kids to be professional.
-- Dave Fredman (courtesy of the National Basketball Coaches Association)

The guy that's going to have a good year for them is Martell Webster. I like him a lot. He looked good in summer league. It's his second year, but I think he can flat shoot it and he'll do well.
They're going to be young and when you see young teams like this, they're inconsistent.
Every time Zach Randolph gets the ball, he's going to shoot it.
Juan Dixon is one of those guys -- Is he a true point guard? Is he just a basketball player? -- he does things to help you win.
LaFrentz is a guy that one night he can give you 17 and the next night he'll give you four.
I think they're still a few years away (from significant improvement).
-- Eastern Conference Scout

Zach Randolph: He’s more comfortable on his surgically repaired knee, and the Blazers are going to run the offense through him in the post.

Jamaal Magloire: With his trade to the Blazers, Jamaal will play back-up to Joel Przybilla in Portland, and his numbers will take a tumble as a result.

More fantasy news

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, and the rest will have to fight it out during training camp. The Blazers 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. 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.
-- Brian McKitish
Blazers Fantasy Preview

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