Disclaimer: I’m sure by now, most of you are tired of discussing Jerryd Bayless. Please bear with me, as I’m going to try and provide a little bit different look at the whole situation.

Being Blazers fans, we all tend to find our favorite players. Now whether it’s because of their on-court intelligence, first class athleticism, personalities or leadership (both vocal and silent), it doesn’t make a difference. Certain players just seem to have a very divisive quality about them, where people are divided on exactly how good someone is/can be. Never has that been more apparent than with the hot-and-cold relationship between Blazers fans and Jerryd Bayless.

At this point, there seems to be two vastly different opinions on Bayless:

1) He is a hard working kid who will eventually be a perfect fit alongside Brandon Roy, becoming our point guard of the future

OR…

2) He is simply a 2-guard who can’t shoot, stuck in a point guard’s body.

I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as both sides have valid arguments that can be backed up. Jerryd definitely can do things our other point guards currently can’t, namely his ability to create shots for himself and get to the free throw line at a very solid rate (1.6 makes per game in 12:24 minutes/game). That number could have been higher had some calls been made that would have been called for more established players. For a comparison, Bayless almost as many FT/game as Blake and Sergio COMBINED, in less than 1/3 the total playing time per game. Bayless also has the will to get better, as he was often reported to be one of the first players at the practice facility, as well as one of the last to leave. So what’s not to like about Bayless?

Bayless definitely needs to improve his shooting from both the field (36.5%), as well as from three (25.9%). As many have pointed out, he also tends to put his head down and drive, frequently ignoring open teammates that have a better look than he does. He also didn’t quite have a 1.5 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio, hardly numbers you’d like to see from a point guard. So why do people believe that Bayless is a long-term answer at PG?

-          He is a very good athlete, with a strong, compact body that will have an easier time withstanding contact from attacking the rim.

-          He will still only have just turned 21 by the time training camp opens this fall, and has a lot of room for growth.

-          He could give our offense another scoring option, who can create shots off the dribble and attack the rim, which would force defenses to collapse.

Before this past season, I did a poll to gauge how BEdgers felt about Jerryd’s chances to become the starting point guard for the Blazers in the near future…here were the results:

Looking at the results, a whopping 87.6% (304 of 347) people polled believe that Bayless would, AT WORST, be our starter by next season… I’m willing to bet that the number wouldn’t be nearly as optimistic if I were to list a poll again now. This just goes to show you how much the culture of Blazers basketball has changed. During the 05-06 season, the majority of Blazers fans talked about “potential”. We had guys like Darius Miles, Zach Randolph, Travis Outlaw, Sebastian Telfair and Martell Webster, just to name a few. Darius and Zach’s bad behavior got them a one way ticket out of town, along with Sebastian Telfair’s trade to Boston for the rights to the 7th pick in the 2006 Draft (which we parlayed into Randy Foye, swiftly sending him to Minnesota along with cash for “The Franchise” Brandon Roy). Travis was a fan favorite then, but now a large portion of Blazers fans are calling for him to be shipped off. Martell missed all but five minutes this season, a huge disappointment for those (including KP and Monty Williams) who believed Martell was primed for a breakout year. Seeing that laundry list of guys who have yet to live up to the promise they sometimes displayed, it’s no wonder that as a whole, people are now wary that Bayless may not be the answer. It’s very hard for fans to be patient, and being Blazers fans, we’ve been through the constant arrests and embarrassments some former players caused, the Twenty-Five Point Pledge and the rebuilding.

The NBA culture is largely a “now” league. Many of us believe that Portland can potentially be a contender in the Western Conference next year, which makes being patient very much a virtue. While very few would disagree with the fact that Bayless had a disappointing season, I just refuse to count out a kid that works so hard, and does everything in his power to become a better player and transform his game into what Coach McMillan wants. Whether you believe Bayless is the long-term answer at point guard or not, all I know is, I wouldn’t bet against him.

To those of you that finished this, thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear your opinions.

After watching our first three games this season, there are some observations I’ve had about our team in general, as well as some indvidual players. First, let’s start with the team…

*We aren’t playing good team defense. It seems as though we’re late in rotating to the ball on swing and skip passes, resulting in an abnormally high amount of open three pointers, which our opponents have been hitting at a significantly high rate (52.3 from the field, and a whopping 51.2 from distance)

*Our first team’s offense looks stagnant. This is especially true when our opponents move into a zone. Instead of using our dribble and getting into the heart of the zone and dishing, we need to attack the rim and get ourselves to the line, only kicking if the defense closes in time. We seem to just settle for the first decent look we get. Very few teams can consistently win by taking a high rate of jumpers, and I can’t recall the last team to win an NBA title while consistently settling for outside shots.

*Injuries are really hurting this team right now. While being 1-2 so far is not that bad, there are certain things that both Oden and Webster can do which we need. Webster had been arguably the most impressive Blazer in camp (outside of Aldridge), and really looked good in our first preseason game before his injury. Martell does a good job of scrapping on defense, and is not out of position all that often (something Travis is still struggling with). While the numbers may disagree with me, there’s nobody outside of Brandon Roy I’d rather have take an open three than Martell. Oden provides a scoring threat at center for us, one of the few things Przybilla doesn’t do. Because of Oden’s sheer size, he’ll demand at least occasional double-teams when guarded by smaller centers. Even though he’d admit he’s not in game shape yet, during the pre-season, he averaged 11.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in 23 minutes a game, which for half the centers in the league would be a good year. Give this kid time, and he’ll be VERY GOOD!

*Our best line-up is Roy, Fernandez, Batum, Aldridge, and Przybilla. Since we’ve only seen Oden in one half of one game, this is our most complete line-up when factoring in half court offense, fast breaks and defense. When Webster and Oden are back healthy, I’m sure this will change, but with this line-up, we can play a zone defense, with good passing lane defenders in Fernandez and Batum, and two good shot blockers in Aldridge and Przybilla. We’d be able to get out on the break, and all of our guards can handle the ball (Roy and Rudy our two best), and Aldridge and Przybilla (to a lesser extent) can run and finish in transition.

*The officials won’t give us any breaks. If you’re unsure of that, just watch the officiating in the Suns game. We’re a young team, and we DO have to earn a reputation in this league as an attacking team before calls that should be made will be. Outside of Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernandez, nobody else is attempting 3 free throws a game, which tells me we are settling for far too many jumpers, as evidenced by our paltry 42.1% shooting from the field, which is the sign of a young team.

Now for the individual observations.

*Brandon Roy is our Point Guard of the Future. While Nate has been very hesitant to say such things, Brandon initiates the offense at least 2/3rds of the time. At this point, he is our best ball-handler, and while Nate may never list Brandon as a PG, he is one.

*Aldridge can be a force…when he puts his mind to it. One of my biggest worries with him is that he’s starting to get Rasheed Wallace Syndrome…No I don’t mean getting technicals every game. He seems to be taking too many jumpers, and while he makes a decent percentage of them, he’s also a very efficient post player. If he were more willing to take it hard to the rack, he’ll get the man guarding him in more foul trouble, and open up more easy shot opportunities as his man will have to be more cautious while they are in foul trouble.

*Rudy is our second best playmaker. Note that I didn’t say player, as the #2 guy is still LaMarcus (Brandon is #1). Rudy seemingly is all over the court, and does an excellent job of coming off of screens, as well as rebounding and playing the passing lanes. He does gamble a little bit more than I’d like to see, but he’s always hustling, doing the little things to try and help this team win.

*Batum is NBA ready. While I don’t think he’s come anywhere close to reaching his potential, this kid’s defense is already more polished than any of our other wing defenders. He’s rarely out of position, and uses his long arms very well to contest shots, as well as poke the ball away from his man. I remember watching Summer League and thinking he was AT LEAST three years away from being a rotation player. I still can’t believe how much this kid has progressed in just a few short months!

*We miss Martell Webster. Since Nate has seemingly insisted on starting Outlaw, our first unit has seemed out of sync. Travis seems like a great kid, but our offense has been missing some continuity. He is definitely a very good offensive player, but he kind of has the Ron Artest – Zach Randolph black hole mentality, that every time he touches the ball, he needs to shoot. While Outlaw is not THAT bad about passing, and has done better this year, he needs to be a better catch-and-shoot player from inside the arc when he’s open, instead of always taking a dribble and allowing a defender to close on his shot. With Webster in the first unit, Outlaw can slide back to being the primary option with the second unit, where he'd have more freedom to take shots.

*Given time, Greg Oden will be a beast. It seems as though quite a few people have been jumping off the Oden Bandwagon lately. Why? Because he landed on Derek Fisher’s foot and sprained his own? Ludicrous. If that would have happened to Aldridge, would there have been the same reaction? NBA big men get injured. It happens. The kid doesn’t turn 21 until January 22nd, yet some people seem ready to write him off. Oden is a

very good passing big man, something most centers take 3 or 4 years in the league to develop. He requires constant attention in the post, as his sheer size and strength make him a target for double teams. He uses his body very well to box out, and rebounds out of his space. He also does a very good job of staying on his feet until the last second before trying to block a shot, which should be able to keep him from fouling as much as a lot of other young big men do. His offense is raw, I don’t think anyone would dispute that. At this point in his career, he kind of reminds me of Dwight Howard his first couple years in the league. Let’s also not forget Oden also needs a little bit of time to adjust to the NBA game, both with the speed of the game, and how it’s played. Despite being injured in the first four minutes of the Laker game, he was still able to keep Bynum at bay (including a SICK block of a Bynum hook shot before he sprained his foot), and grab 5 boards (3 offensive) in just under 13 minutes of play. As long as Oden comes back healthy from his foot injury, he should end up averaging close to a double-double with at least two blocks per game.

*Blake has struggled on “D”. While he’s been shooting very well this season (45.5% from the field, 50% from three), he has been getting beat off the dribble a lot, which is allowing the drive and kick for the open three (which, as mentioned above, has led to opponents shooting over 50% from distance).

So, with all that being said, what are your thoughts on this team so far?

So it looks like we've dodged a bullet for the time being...I just saw on the bottom line on ESPN that the Celtics have indeed decided to release Darius Miles...The move made sense in that they already had 15 people with guaranteed contracts, so had they decided to retain Miles, they would have had to not only pay Miles the veterans minimum, but also pay the the player they cut the remainder of their salary. Everyone take a deep breath, and enjoy this moment!

I’d venture a guess that most of you are as excited about our prospects in the upcoming NBA season as I am. With that in mind, I’d like to take a look at our team, one player at a time. I think there’s no better place to start off than with our All-Star…

Brandon Roy – The face of this franchise, Brandon Roy has been given the keys to this team, and is an unquestioned leader. Roy is coming off his first All-Star appearance, as well as arthroscopic surgery to repair his meniscus. Should Roy stay healthy this year, we should see, at worst, a repeat of last season’s numbers. Roy is the epitome of unselfish, often times deferring to his teammates more than he should. He, along with everyone else on this roster, will benefit from the return (or arrival, depending on how you look at it) of…

Greg Oden – Perhaps no rookie big man in the past five to ten years (outside of perhaps Yao Ming), will have the spotlight shone as heavily on them as it will on Oden. At seven feet tall, and most likely playing between 275-280 pounds, he will provide this team with an intimidating presence in the paint, something this team truly needs. He has the innate ability to keep his feet on the ground until the last possible minute, then sky to block a shot. Oden will be especially helpful on the offensive side of the ball. Last season, people would often cheat off of Joel Przybilla and double both Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, believing he couldn’t hurt them. There will be no such luck with Oden. His size, strength and athleticism will force teams to keep a body on him at all times, or face a constant barrage of alley-oops. Early on, Oden will need to adjust to the way NBA referees call the games, as well as the speed of the game. Should he be half of what some of us think he will be, I’d bet he’ll average no worse than a near double-double, with probably right around two blocks a game in his rookie campaign. This will definitely help his frontcourt teammate...

LaMarcus Aldridge – A classic face-up big man, this season, should have a lot more open looks at the basket. Along with Oden, he will help form one of the top inside-outside big men tandems in the NBA. While his rebounding numbers may drop slightly due to the big guy’s arrival, I expect his both his scoring and assists to go up, at least slightly. Should a double team come, Aldridge will record a lot more assists, including some of them to…

Martell Webster – Webster will most likely be our opening day starter at small forward to give the first unit a legitimate outside shooting threat. His defense should at least slightly improve from last season to this. Then again, everyone’s perimeter defense will look a little better when they have a monster like Oden backing them up. I’m willing to bet that Martell will be hoisting up between 3-4 three-pointers a game. His numbers may take a dip, as his minutes may be cut down due his new backup…

Travis Outlaw – Instant offense. That’s what comes to mind whenever I see Outlaw enter the game. He still needs to work on his ball handling, as well as his less-than-stellar on ball defense. Making the permanent move to small forward will force him to be a better ball-handler, and he will have to get much better at defending fellow threes. That being said, I can’t say that anyone from the second unit was more exciting to see enter the game than he was. Let’s not forget our own “Lieutenant Dan”…

Steve Blake – Perhaps no current TrailBlazer is more blue collar than this guy. He is the consummate professional, and is a proven three point shooter. While I don’t expect Blake to score much more than the eight points per game he did last year, he’s going to get a lot of open looks from three with our “Big Three” getting most of the attention. Blake will be our opening day starter, but might be looking at some good competition from…

Jerryd Bayless – Coming off an MVP performance from Bayless in the Vegas Summer League, some might expect Bayless to supplant Blake from his starting post, sooner rather than later. My main concern with Bayless being inserted into the starting line-up is the fact that there may not be enough shots to go around. He is similar to Brandon Roy in that he is best at making plays with the ball in his hands. I firmly expect Bayless to be at least an adequate role player for our team, along with fellow second unit player and new arrival…

Rudy Fernandez – Arguable Spain’s second best Olympic player behind Pau Gasol, Fernandez has shown he’s a true team player. I suspect he’ll provide some of the three point shooting off the bench that was lost when James Jones bolted town. He still takes too many chances on both sides of the floor, but has top flight athleticism and a willingness to put his body on the line for his team (taking charges, diving for loose balls, et cetera). Rudy should be an immediate rotation player, and, should Bayless struggle, may be playing with fellow countryman…

Sergio Rodriguez – Its possible nobody has seen as large a drop in their stock on this team than Sergio has. After his rookie season, there was a clamoring for him to replace Jarrett Jack in the starting lineup by some over-exuberant fans. Were he not playing for such a defensive minded coach, Rodriguez may already be our back-up point guard. He still needs to allow his screeners to get set (too many times Przybilla or Frye would be whistled for illegal picks through no wrong-doing of their own), as well as his decision making and defense. Should he get some playing time, he may well be threading the needle to the likes of…

Channing Frye – With the return of Oden, Frye will see a decrease in playing time, due in large part to the fact he saw a good amount of time at both power forward and center. Frye has not let that deter him, as he appears to be in the best shape of his professional career. Also adding a three point shot, Frye will still be a vital part of our “White Unit”, forming an inside-outside tandem of his own with former starter…

Joel Przybilla – Firmly entrenched as one of the leaders on this team, Przybilla adds another level of toughness and grit to this Blazers squad. Quite possibly the best back-up center in the league, Przybilla will still see a fair amount of playing time while Greg Oden adjusts to the speed and officiating of the NBA. His ability to rebound and alter shots, as well as setting bone-crushing screens will be a welcome sight for the playmakers of the “White Unit”. Should Przybilla or Oden have foul or injury troubles, we have another tough big man to take their place by the name of…

Ike Diogu – Another player whom injuries have plagued, Diogu is NOT a finesse player. Built like a Panzer, Diogu’s physicality reminds me of Utah backup PF Paul Millsap. While he may never be more than a role player in the NBA, Diogu will provide us with a physical presence at power forward that can bang with the stockier 4’s in the league. Should something catastrophic happen with our frontline, then we may witness an appearance by…

Raef LaFrentz – Injuries have robbed LaFrentz the last five years of his career. Before injuries caught up to him, LaFrentz was an excellent high post power forward with the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. While we can’t reasonable expect anything close from him, he has transformed his game and is willing to bang with other bigs and is still an effective rebounder and adequate shooter in short bursts. Another player who’ll likely not see the court much this season is…

Nicolas Batum – “Batman” will probably not see the court much, if at all, this season. He has the length and athleticism to be an excellent defender, and the speed to run the court, but he still needs to refine his shot and get stronger. Management believes that if Batum works hard, he will be a solid player for us in the long run. Unless we’re hit by the injury bug this year (let’s hope not), I believe Batum will see some time in the D-League to refine certain areas of his developing game.

Team Expectations:

I believe that the talent is there for this squad, as is currently assembled, to make the playoffs. Whether we do that will be largely contingent on how well our players work together, as well as the development of Oden, Aldridge, Webster, Fernandez and Bayless. We will definitely have one of the best second units in the league, which will afford us the ability to get out and run more on the fast break and take advantage of our depth. Injuries will always be a concern, but as long as our “Big Three” can steer clear of extended ailments, we will have the ability to compete against any team, any night. I think our record will improve over last year, as the addition of highly touted big man Greg Oden will make our team’s defense and rebounding infinitely better. Should everything come together quickly this year, we may approach 50 wins and a playoff berth. It had better come together fast though, as we open with 15 of our first 22 on the road, with only 9 of 22 coming against teams that missed the playoffs last season. If we can manage to stay near .500 through the first month-plus of the season, playoffs should be a reasonable goal. Either way, the future looks bright. It’s a great time to be a Blazers fan. Let’s enjoy it!

There has been quite a clamoring on BlazersEdge to have Terry Porter’s number retired. I, too, firmly believe that he is definitely worthy of having his number hanging from the rafters in the Rose Garden. While I know Ben and Dave, along with some others, have brought this subject up before, I just thought I’d put a give everyone a little bit different look at it. To prove that, I’m going to give you Porter’s career numbers as a Blazer, as well as any honors he received while with Portland, and compare those to some of the other players whose jersey numbers are retired. Hopefully, by the end, those of you still unsure whether or not Porter is deserving, will have changed your mind. Also, let’s remember I’m not saying the players I’m comparing Porter to don’t deserve to have their numbers retired. I’m just giving you the facts! J

We’ll start off with a statistical comparison first:

Terry Porter (1985-1995) - 758 games, 31.6 minutes/game, 14.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 47.1 FG%

Lloyd Neal (1972-1979) – 435 games, 25.3 minutes, 11.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 48.5 FG%

Lionel Hollins (1975-1979) – 315 games, 29.3 minutes, 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.9 steals, 43.5 FG%

Larry Steele (1971-1980) - 610 games, 24.2 minutes, 8.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 48.3 FG%

For my money, Porter had the best career in both longevity (played more games in a Blazers uniform than both Lloyd Neal and Lionel Hollins combined) and statistics (leader out of those four players in points and assists, while finishing second in both steals and rebounds).

Next, let’s look at some of their career accomplishments as Blazers:

Terry Porter - 2-time All-Star (1991, 1993), Two NBA Finals appearances (1990, 1992), Recipient of Walter J. Kennedy Citizenship Award (1993)

Lloyd Neal - 1st Team All-Rookie (1973), NBA Champion (1977)

Lionel Hollins - 1st Team All-Rookie (1976), All-Star (1977), 2-

Time All-NBA Defensive Team (1977, 1978), NBA Champion (1977)

Larry Steele – League Leader in Steals (‘73-‘74 Season), NBA Champion (1977)

The big claim here for Neal, Hollins, and Steele is that they all were on the Blazers 1977 NBA Championship team, while Terry Porter never won a title. However, Porter had more All-Star appearances (two) than did the other three combined (one, by Lionel Hollins). Porter also received the Walter J. Kennedy Citizenship Award. I believe that is just as important as any of the other statistics or awards that I’ve been comparing.

Porter was a shining example of positive leadership, both on and off of the court, and though he never won a title, definitely has as much right as some of the other former Blazers players to have his number hanging in the rafters! Kevin Pritchard, Paul Allen, Larry Miller… We Blazers fans are asking you politely…Do the right thing, and hang Terry Porter’s number from the rafters!

While I was listening to Wheels after Work today, and just prior to the end of the show, he announced that on next Monday morning (August 18th), he will undergo Laproscopic Band surgery. This is similar to a stomach staple, in that a band will be placed around the upper part of the stomach, shrinking the available space for food (very similar to gastric bypass, but according to Wheels, much safer). He also went on to say that he will not be hosting Wheels After Work this week, but will be out of the hospital the same day as the surgery.

I'm sure I speak for my fellow B-Edgers in wishing Wheels a speedy recovery! Our prayers are with you Wheels!

That’s something I’ve been wondering since the day we traded for his draft rights. One of my biggest concerns for him coming out of college was his physical strength, and I thought that his overall lack of muscle mass might get in the way of him being a top-flight power forward. There was never a doubt that the skills were there, but power forward is a very physical position, and I was worried he wouldn’t hold up well.

Obviously, he has been able to improve his strength since we acquired him on Draft Night 2006. One question I’ve been asking myself is, “How good CAN LaMarcus truly be”? For that, I’ve tried to find power forwards with similar body structure and skills sets, and for this particular piece, I’ve found three current NBA players who Aldridge may compare to, and they are Chris Bosh, Rasheed Wallace and Jermaine O’Neal. For these comparisons, I’m using the players stats from seasons when they were 21 and 22 (which was how old Aldridge was in his first two seasons) to see how they stack up.

At 21 Years Old

Aldridge: 63 games, 22.1 minutes, 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1.2 blocks, 50.3% FG

O’Neal (his last season in Portland): 70 games, 12.3 minutes, 3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.8 blocks, 48.6 FG%

Wallace(his rookie year w/Bullets): 65 games, 27.5 minutes, 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks, 48.7 FG%

Bosh (his third year in the NBA): 70 games, 39.3 minutes, 22.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 blocks, 50.5 FG%

Player             1st        2nd       3rd        4th       Total Points

Aldridge           1          2         2         1                33

O’Neal             1*       0         2**       5                23

Wallace            0         3         4         0                33

Bosh                6         1         0         0                67

[First place = 10, second = 7, third = 4, fourth = 1]

(*-tied with Chris Bosh so there will be two first places awarded for games and no second place)

(** - tied with Rasheed Wallace for third, so there is no 4th place for blocks)

Taking a look at the numbers, Bosh is by far the best out of the four at that age. However he came to a team that was built around him. Jermaine was on our Western Conference Finals teams, which were stacked at the ‘4’ and ‘5’ with the likes of Sabonis, Brian Grant and Rasheed Wallace, and Wallace was largely Chris Webbers back-up in Washington. While the Blazers 2006-2007 season wasn’t necessarily spectacular, he was stuck behind Zach Randolph at PF (a 20-10 guy, no matter what people think about him) and Joel at center, so playing time was limited, even though we weren’t a great team.

Now let’s take a look at their respective stats the next year…

At 22 Years Old

Aldridge (first year starting): 76 games, 34.9 minutes, 17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, 48.3 FG%

O’Neal (first year with Pacers): 81 games, 32.6 minutes, 12.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.8 blocks, 46.5 FG%

Wallace (first year in Portland): 62 games, 30.5 minutes, 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 blocks, 55.8 FG%

Bosh: 69 games, 38.5 minutes, 22.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, 49.6 FG%

Player             1st        2nd       3rd        4th       Total Points

Aldridge           0         4         3         0                40

O’Neal             2         1         1*       2                33

Wallace            1         0         2*       4                22

Bosh                4         2         1         0                58

[First place = 10, second = 7, third = 4, fourth = 1]

(*tie for 3rd in assists, so no 4th place was awarded for assists)

As with the first set of stats, the numbers again reveal that Chris Bosh is the premier player out of those four, with him taking home first place in 4 of the 7 categories at 22 years old. Aldridge and O’Neal would be in a close race for second, with Rasheed Wallace pulling up the rear.

Overall, between the two years of comparison Bosh was the clear winner with 125 points, with Aldridge claiming second at a solid 73 points, with Jermaine O’Neal narrowly edging Rasheed Wallace, with 56 compared to Sheed’s 55.

Looking at the numbers and breakdown, I firmly believe there’s no reason LaMarcus shouldn’t be able to become at least the player Jermaine and Rasheed were, though it might not be reflected in the numbers playing alongside a beast like Oden. His jump shot is at least close to on par with both Rasheed and Bosh’s, he was every bit efficient as any of the other power forwards in this comparison, and those numbers will only improve with a complementary big man like Oden next season.

It’s hard to not get excited about next year looking at all the talent Kevin Pritchard has assembled. After a 41-41 season, with last years number one overall pick Greg Oden well on his way back from microfracture, the addition of Jerryd Bayless and Rudy Fernandez, and the growth of our other young players, this team is on the verge of something truly special. It’s an exciting time to be a Blazers fan!