I know it's not time to panic, I also know the Blazers have players in different roles then last years team. It takes a while to adjust and it should. I'm just stumped at how the Blazers consistently use 11 players. Granted, they have the talent to put the depth on the floor, but does it really benefit having all this POTENTIAL? With that thought, what championship caliber team is or even ever has played with as many players and the amount of minutes as the Blazers are? Granted, a lot of championship teams will give minutes to their bench but it's BECAUSE THEY ARE WINNING BIG like by 15 points and have a 6-0 or 4-1 record. Then and only then do they give the minutes the Blazers do.

Below I have taken both the Lakers and the Celtics to compare to the Blazers minutes.

Blazers 2-3

Roy 38 minutes,

La 31 minutes,

Webster 27 minutes,

Blake 26 minutes,

Miller 25 minutes,

Outlaw 24 minutes,

Oden 23 minutes,

Fernandez 22 minutes,

Pryzbilla 17 minutes,

Howard 12 minutes,

Batum if he wasn't injured it would be 11 players and who's minutes would he get?

Starters average minutes = 145

Plus top three off the bench =71

Boston 6-0

Allen 34 minutes,

Pierce 33 minutes,

Rondo 32 minutes,

Garnett 29 minutes and probably going to go up while getting healthy,

Perkins 26 minutes,

Rasheed 21 minutes,

Daniels 21 minutes,

Williams 17 minutes,

House 15 minutes,

They have Davis out who would most likely take up most of Williams minutes.

Starters minutes = 154

top three off the bench = 59 minutes

Lakers 4-1

Kobe 41 minutes,

Bynum 40 minutes,

Odem 40 minutes,

Artest 38 minutes,

Farmer 14 minutes,

Brown 12 minutes,

Powell 10 minutes,

Gasol is out and will help reduce minutes from the front line and from Powell.

Starters minutes = 191 minutes

Top three off the bench = 36

Orlando seems to be the only team that has played their depth the way the Blazers have. But, they have also went 4-1 and won their games by almost 15 per. This is not a matter of talent, it's a matter of cohesiveness. This is about keeping your best players on the court to match up with the other teams best players. It's letting them play together and trusting what the other players can do and letting them do it. Sure, Boston proved last year that if you loose one of your stars you won't make it. The Blazers only have one star because they have let him become that. He's playing 38 minutes (Roy).  How are our POTENTIAL stars going to become stars without getting the minutes stars get? But that has been the same with every championship team. There are lots of would've and could've in the NBA. That doesn't mean that the Celtics added more depth they improved their 6 and 7th players with Wallace and Daniels. The lakers didn't add more depth, they added Artest to a championship rotation.  The Blazers added a proven player in Miller and he becomes part of the 2nd team. The second 5 guys that play extended minutes while our POTENTIAL stars rest on the bench. If this means we need to trade someone then so be it.

The Blazers have done an outstanding job of gathering talent, now they need to use it to upgrade the team so that they have the strongest 8 man rotation possible. Even with the group they have the Blazers should have three players complaining about not playing because they are going 8 deep. Use the depth when they need it. Thats only when they have an injury or they have proven to be a better player. I know it's not going to make players happy.  Maybe this issue will take care of it's self.  Maybe we will see both Blake and Outlaw heading out of town.  I would hate to see them go, and it doesn't help the rotation now.  Especially with a contract coming up for Greg Oden. One last note. This team needs to improve its perimeter defense. Yet they continue to leave their (except Batum) best guard defender with "DNP coaches decision". Obviously I'm referring to Bayless. That is what makes him so good.  He has TALENT!  Yes he is going to make mistakes, no he is not going to have the most assists. But he doesn't need to. He would be Playing with Roy or Miller who can handle the assists. One last note to Nate about Miller,  Hey Nate, Miller is better then Blake. Roy will adapt, He is a star, He will do what he has done his whole Basketball career, evolve.

I think they go after a Grant Hill and Antonio Mcdyess. If they do trade they will go after Hinrich. If you look at what the Blazers value, solid role models, character guys and now veterans. These three fit that criteria. All three of them are at points in their career where they just want to win a championship and not start over. All three have been on teams that either have went a different direction, cutting cost and or in Hinrich's position is making starter money but is a reserve competing with a potential superstar. Grant is unrestricted, Mcdyess is unrestricted. Combined the two of them made roughly 2.5 million last year. I have tought for a while that these players would look at San Antonio. But now that San Antonio has traded for Jefferson and drafted the position players (Blair) I have changed that thought. I know the Blazers probably won't get all three. But two of them I could see. Unfortunately, with these acqusitions, Blake and Outlaw would be traded. Below would be the 12 deep roster.

Hinrich, Bayless,

Roy, Rudy,

Webster, Hill, Batum,

LMA, McDyess, Pendergraff

Oden, Pryzbilla

 Looking at this roster, it keeps the core together, brings veteran leadership, great character and the public will love this group.  On the court keeps the qualities that KP looks for, flexibility, size at each position and I feel Nate would be happy with these verterans.  

I was going back and looking at the 76-77 championship season. I wanted to see what their record was at this point of the season. I was a little surprised to see that if the Blazers win tonight they will have exact records after 48 games (31-17). The thing is with that team they went on a loosing streak of 5 games soon after their 31'st win. They ended up with 49 wins for the year. I just don't see a series of games where they loose 4 or 5 in a row. I still see barring injuries 54 to 55 wins.

After seeing Rudy play last night, one thing became clear. He is not a bench player. I know that Rudy is not a SF. Sure, he can fill in for short stints. He was an excellent SG in Europe and is talented enough to be one in the NBA. I just question that SG is his best position to maximize floor time on this team. WHY CAN'T HE BE THE STARTING POINT GUARD?

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How good would the Blazers be if they were without Roy and Blake? With the depth the Blazers have, and the salaries that are going to be negotiated in the next three years. How good potentially would the Blazers be without these two guards? Surely they could put a very strong team on the floor with Oden and LMA. What if the Blazers only had Outlaw, Webster, Rudy and or Bayless to fill out their starting five, and then the extra player as the sixth player off the bench? Could they be as competitive as a 50 win team? My immediate reaction would be that they would have the potential to be a 50 win team. But would struggle without a true facilitator. They would miss having player’s whose play can make players around them better. This is one reason I don’t like both Roy and Blake as starters. I feel by Christmas that Bayless will be at the point position, not Blake. With the depth this team has they are easily the deepest talent in the league. It would be very easy to argue this point against any team. But, if they were gone, injuries, salaries, you would have to believe that the Blazers would need a different PG. One who could do all three areas of Shooting, passing and penetration? Now looking around the league the player that comes to mind would be a player like Conley. They would still have Webster and Rudy to play the two and the three. Outlaw would fall to the starting fulltime SF. If Webster’s progress is anything like Outlaws jump was last year, he maybe the strongest player for that position if Roy were injured or traded. The way he is developing his body, ball handling and attacking the basket. He could very well be the off guard of the future, but not with a player like Bayless running the point. The problem would be assists. I think that the one thing that would be missing would be that player that makes players better. That is what Roy does and Blake to an extent. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe Bayless will be that. Rudy would be the 6th man. He is probably the closest to a facilitator like Roy and Blake. But his physical makeup and game seems to be more of a "Ginobli" to me. The Blazers would surely have a solid 8 deep team. It makes you wonder how the lineups will work out. I know it has been stated and written that the starting lineup will be Roy, Blake, Oden, LMA and either Outlaw or Webster. If we had a true second unit with a full second five playing, Rudy, Joel, Outlaw or Webster, Bayless and Frye. I would have to think that the second unit would be one that will lack that player that makes players better. I obviously see Roy here for awhile. I’m not so sure about Blake. I’m not sure he will ultimately be our guy. I’m sure we will see Roy playing with all these players effectively. I’m just concerned when Blake and Roy go to the bench. I don’t know, maybe Sergio will surprise us all. I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. I’ll just hope that Roy stays healthy and is here for a long time.

  I know there has been a lot of hype for the Blazers center Greg Oden this year, along with the rest of the team.  I have to admit that I get excited thinking about the expectations of the team with Greg in the middle.   I find it easy to imagine that Oden will be one of the great centers.  Especially with all the hype on him out there.  It's easy to get caught up with the thought that the Blazers might have one of the greatest centers of all time.  Reality is that no one will know until it actually happens, and he at least plays a season.  Even though so many prognosticators have said things like "he is the one of a once in a decade centers.", or "he is the next Bill Russell".

I decided I would go and compare him to the top 5 centers of all time.  I reviewed their impact as rookies and their overall careers.   I personally don't believe that he will have to be one of the top 5 centers of all time for the Blazers to be an eventual championship team.  I think he only needs to be a top three center in the league now.  I base that on the other hype which is the surrounding cast around Oden, The overall team and the hyped job that the miracle worker Kevin Pritchard has done. 

The top 5 centers I have selected were not based on my research.  But, I do feel that it is hard to argue with these 5.  I will attach the website at the end so you can see where I got my info.  I'm only looking at the main statistical factors, Points, Rebounds and Assists.  I would include blocks but can't find the stats for some of the old timers in that category.  These top five were based on stats not championships.

#1 Wilt Chamberlin Rookie, Points 37.6, Rebounds 27, Assists 2.3/ Career, Points 30.1, Rebounds 22.9, Assists 4.4

#2 Kareem Abdul Jabaar Rookies, Points 28.8 Rebounds 14.5, Assists 4.1/ Career, Points 24.6, Rebounds 11.2, Assists 3.6

Bill Russell Rookie, Points 14.7, Rebounds 19.6, Assists1.8/ Career, Points 15.1, Rebounds 22.5, Assists 4.3

Hakeem Olajuwon Rookie, Points 20.6, Rebounds 11.9, Assists1.8 / Career, Points 21.8, Rebounds 11.1, Assists 2.5

Shaquille O’Neal Rookie, Points 23.4 Rebounds 13.9 Assists 1.9 /Career Points 25.2, Rebounds 11.5, Assists 2.7

Overall averages from all 5 Rookie, Points 28.7, Rebounds 17.3, Assists 2.3 / Career Points 23.3 Rebounds 16, Assists 3.1

Now after reviewing the stats of the first three I decided that the generation the first three played in were not numbers they would be capable of getting now.   It is obvious that they had such a huge physical advantage during that time.  Realizing that the NBA now has SF's that play at 7 Ft. tall.  But really looking at Hakeem and Shaquille I would think that if Oden is a dominant center like they say HE COULD BE, why we wouldn’t look at those rookie stats they had. 

Shaq and Hakeem combined rookie avg. Points 22 Rebounds 12.9 Assists 1.85 Blks 3

There are always factors involved.  You can use history for so many statistical facts.  I can just imagine him getting rookie of the year.  Especially if Oden has anywhere near Shaquille's or Hakeem's rookie years stats.   I would have to believe that if he does have anywhere close to 18 points and 12 rebounds the Blazers would be looking at a bigger jump then 7 or 8 games.  I would have to believe they would see more of the jump that Orlando had when Shaq came into the league.  The team has so much going for them, chemistry, inside game, outside game and more important a major facilitator in Roy, and several major finisher with the addition of Rudy and Bayless.  I can't wait till November. 

http://www.geoclan.com/sports/articles/06/TopFiveCentersinNBAHistory.htm

I agree that Outlaw and Webster really improved last year. Unfortunately with the addition of Oden and Rudy there will not be enough time for them both. Especially with Rudy. If you don't think Rudy will play you are mistaken. It is a lock that either Outlaw (who lacks in defense), Frye (only because we want to keep Outlaw for a PF) or Webster (who needs to improve his ball handling and creating a shot) has got to go. Their value is to high right now. If you keep them they will not get minutes which decreases the high value that they currently have. You also have to keep the cap in mind. Not trading them puts you in a position of loosing them for nothing. Unfortunately, Outlaw is the most coveted and the one that is going to loose out the most in the next two years with the decrease in minutes. I think that along with Jack he will be moved. Jones is in a similar position that Ime was in last year and will be gone if he opts out and if he stays he will see PT but not as much as last year especially if we keep both Outlaw and Webster. He will be gone for sure next year. With the new contract Outlaw signed he is a bargain and the best chip to use to either bring in another piece and eliminate extra players on this team or for a higher draft piece. I wish we had 8 starters but we don't. I see Kevin moving up in the draft, reducing players via trade both during the draft. If not, you will see players moved at the draft deadline. Rememeber, all along Kevin has said that he wants to create valuable pieces to improve this team. He now has created valuable pieces and has to use them to build a championship team. That means making difficult decisions on who you can get the most for without moving your core pieces.