Blazers Make A Monster Trade!! Nba Contenders Again!!!!!!

Originally posted by boneprone
He's taking us to the promised land.

Deep down you know its true.

Originally posted by boneprone
Shit seems like we traded Dan Dikhau also..

Hmmm.

Trail Blazers Facing a ?Lame Duck? Year?
The Trail Blazers for the first time in over two decades are possibly heading into a season that does not matter.

It may sound harsh, but the Blazers might be looking past next season and into the future. With Theo Ratliff, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Damon Stoudamire, Dale Davis, and possibly Zach Randolph becoming free agents after next season, the Blazers are facing a season where three fifths of the starting lineup from last season potentially won?t be back.

The Blazers most likely are not looking to gut the entire team for the hope of potentially signing one big free agent, but the team does want the flexibility.

Next season may not be the most glorious season in Trail Blazers history, but it might go down as a season that no one forgets. The year of the transition.

The Blazers look poised to become significantly younger. Randolph (23), Travis Outlaw (19), Sebastian Telfair (19), Viktor Khryapa (22), as well as Darius Miles (22) if resigned, and Sergei Monia who will most likely come to the United States next season and be only 22 years old, all make up the young core of the Trail Blazers.

While Randolph and Miles look to be the only players from that group to get significant minutes that does not mean that the rest won?t play vital roles for next season?s version of the Trail Blazers.

Telfair has a strong chance to be the teams backup point guard, which could prove to be vital experience for the first prep-to-pro guard to enter the league who is less than 6?5?. Outlaw has shown some improvement and a more chiseled physique coming into the Trail Blazers mini-camp. Khryapa is considered to be a player that will have an impact next season, possibly getting minutes at the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward spots depending on his shooting ability and strength.

As the current roster stands, the Blazers won?t be facing a lot of expectations. Unlike past seasons, the Blazers are not going to be favored to make the playoffs. This gives the team a lot of room to over-achieve. If the team plays well enough to make it to the playoffs, the season would have been nearly a complete success. If the playoffs are missed again, the team will look forward to the 2005 season to compete.

The next season will test a lot of fans patience. But the team will be growing, and management is hoping that the core that will bring a winning team back to Portland will be developing in practice, on the bench, and during spot duty.

Here?s to hoping this team is filled with quick learners.

Originally posted by The Truth Hurts
Celtics4L

Originally posted by harvey
from http://trailblazers.realgm.com/showarticle.php?artid=82

Originally posted by Thugmaster
go BULLS