"We have to take the long-term perspective, if that's what you want to call it," McMillan said. "Because Greg is going to be there and LaMarcus and Brandon — those are the cornerstones of this organization. So that development has got to happen. We're probably a year or two behind on it, but it's got to happen."
Roy went so far as to state that his rapid development from a questionable first-round pick into a second-team All-NBA player was ignited by Oden's slow rise.
"I was forced to do a lot more because he was out," Roy said.
He added: "I learned to play without a scoring center. I played with Joel (Przybilla), but he was defensive minded. So, I got the ball whenever I wanted. And now, I've got two good big men; I've got to get back used to playing with two guys on the inside."
Roy and McMillan added, though, that the Blazers will become a much better — and harder to defend — team once the squad's young big three learn how to add to each other's game, rather than take away.
"If we can figure this out, where we can all get on the same page — yeah, that's the great upside of it," Roy said. "If we can get on the same page, with me and Greg and LaMarcus, then we can be really, really good. I think it's just everybody trying to get there as fast as possible. ... But it's just us staying patient and understanding that, look, we're going to get it."
