Of all the teams in the NBA, the one I am most impressed with is the Portland Trailblazers. But, first, let's get it out of the way: They are not winning a title. Greg Oden can't seem to stay healthy enough to develop into the blue-chipper we all know he can be, Roy's knee is turning him into this generation's T-Mac, and... well... let's not get started on the Centers.
But, Pritchard must have had a crystal ball in his office that he used to communicate with spirits before Paul Allen sacked him. Seriously? Portland signs Wes Matthews to an obscenely bloated contract after his only good year? Seriously? Portland trades for the huge cap figures of an aging Marcus Camby? Seriously? Portland signs Andre Miller, the worst possible guard for this team, to be a cornerstone player? Seriously? All these moves work out? The last time a team tried this, we realized that Isaiah Thomas is never going to be a good GM, but for some reason Pritchard has been the GM of the year and he's not even employed. Crazy league we're in.
Where's Portland without these guys? Portland only scores around 90 points a game, and these guys represent 35 points and 11 boards a game. Without the unheralded 3, Portland looks more like last year's Nets than last year's Bucks. The mere fact that they're hanging with everyone is why Pritchard, the best unemployed mind in the NBA, deserves GM of the Year.
With all of these injuries, it would be easy for Portland to write themselves off. They're down to 7 healthy bodies that should even play in the NBA, but they're still winning! Portland has pulled of marquee wins against the Suns and the Magic and took OKC to overtime twice. I hope they can pull off a midseason trade and move Rudy for a good piece to get back into the running in a few years, because Aldridge and Matthews are keepers.
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