I think this question really gets to a bigger question - how important is making the playoffs this season?
KingSpeed is making the case, I think, that the Blazers can make the postseason with Juwan Howard as the starting center and that things will take care of themselves once other players begin coming back.
I'm not sold on that.
I think the Blazers will do a whole lot better once Brandon Roy is back, and should get even a little better with Travis Outlaw.
But Aldridge is not a defensive presence inside, neither is Howard, and while Pendergraph is far more effective than I expected, he's not the answer there, either. One of the Blazers' strengths - the center spot - has become a major liability, in the absence of Oden and Przybilla.
There's only one spot that's consistently a mismatch in the Blazers' favor - and that's when a healthy Brandon Roy is on the floor at shooting guard. Aldridge is underachieving, and can be neutralized far too easily by what should be inferior players. The center spot, as previously discussed, is not a strength. And point guard, in the thick competition in the West, is a draw at best most nights (and many nights, not even that). I'd like to put some faith in Batum as a mismatch at SF, and he's showing great promise, but it'll take time before I'm convinced.
Ultimately, I don't see the Blazers making the playoffs without either an upgrade at C, or improved play out of our decent talent at PG and/or PF (since I don't think Andre Miller or LaMarcus Aldridge is going anywhere, I'm calling on them to play better). So, to me it's a question of "can Aldridge play better?" or "can Miller play better when everyone's healthy?". If the answer to either of those questions is "yes," than I like our chances of making the playoffs, even with Howard as starting C. But if the answer is "no" - then the Blazers need to upgrade somewhere, and the spot that would make the most sense is C.
