Blazers edge and others ttakes on trades/playoffs
Playoff Implications
It's been said many times that Western Conference playoff teams need to have a bankable identity. Portland has worked to create that in Brandon Roy's absence and succeeded to the point where they were very likely to make the postseason as constructed last week. Camby, however, was a huge part of that identity, which emphasized extending possessions and making up for poor shooting with second-chance opportunities, spacing the floor around Aldridge, team defense, and playing hard every night. In his absence, Portland's offensive rebounding rate will decrease, its team shooting percentages will likely take a hit, Aldridge's efficiency will likely drop and its current defensive efficiency will be difficult to maintain. Those are some fairly critical areas when it comes to playing playofff-caliber basketball down the stretch.
In other words, it's fair to say that Portland's playoff chances are directly tied to Camby's timeline. As mentioned above, if he's back in a reasonably short window, it's still Portland's No. 8 seed to lose. Any longer, and the lack of depth and quality becomes extremely exploitable.
A final question to keep an eye on: Will playing without Camby for an extended period of time make Portland more likely to use Brandon Roy once he's deemed fit after his surgeries? It's easier to re-insert a player into a team that's in flux rather than a team that's set and stabilized. It's also more tempting to hope that Roy can be a panacea if the Blazers start to head south a bit without Camby as there would be less to lose. It's still too early to take a stance on that without knowing both of their timelines, but that's something to watch.
Here's a round-up of other Marcus Camby reactions...
Wendell Maxey believes the trade talk will heat up...
"Some front offices are still trying to figure out exactly where they (Portland) stand with their roster," said one league source.
"This (Camby's knee) sends the message that the Blazers are a lot more serious about making changes than before, but that's what happens to a number of teams once injuries take over. You can't control injuries, but you can control making moves to better your team."
ESPN's NBA rumors wonders if New York Knicks forward Anthony Randolph is the answer...
With Marcus Camby about to undergo surgery on his ailing right knee and Portland down another body in the frontcourt, it's possible the team could look to make a move to shore up depth concerns. And New York's seldom-used Anthony Randolph could be a logical fit. As ESPN's Chris Broussard reported late last week, Randolph, according to sources, is expected to be traded for a first-round pick in the next two weeks.
Dwight Jaynes asks...
Man, can Joel Przybilla hold up through an increase in his playing time? He played a season-high 17 minutes Monday night and was said to be OK Tuesday. Still, playing center for the Portland Trail Blazers seems to me one of the world's most hazardous jobs.
Travis Demers analyzes the implications from all angles and wonders whether the Blazers are still a playoff team...
It's hard to look at that roster, and that lineup and say that's a playoff team. It really isn't. As of this moment, the Blazers are in 8th in the west, 2 games behind Denver for 7th, 4 games back of New Orleans for 6th, 2 and a half games ahead of the Suns and Grizzlies, and 3 games ahead of the Rockets. If the Nuggets trade Carmelo Anthony, that should take them out of the picture, depending on what kind of contributers they get back. That may open up a spot. The Hornets are a borderline playoff team. The Suns are who scare me, now that they are starting to play well for the first time since pulling off the big trade in mid-December. The upcoming schedule looks relatively easy with the Kings twice, the Pacers and the Clippers. The rest of the schedule gets a little tougher in February, and more difficult in March and April. If they play .500 basketball the rest of the way, they won't get in.
