This Year's Silver Lining...?

[Public Defender]

I was planning on starting a thread on this topic before reading this post from Ed O, but since he weighed in already, let me start with him:

given that we'll be older and more experienced, I would be more likely to say we'll be a legit contender than we woulda been if we'd stayed healthy this year.

Do this year's injuries actually help the Blazers long-term?

I would argue, as Ed O suggests above, maybe so.

1.) Key young Blazers will emerge with lots more experience. Martell Webster has been the "clutch" player who won a key game. Jerryd Bayless has been allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph have gotten off the bench to make real contributions.

2.) The "through the fire together" mentality could actually diminish future griping about playing time. Nicolas Batum has already been quoted saying something to the effect of "I'm just glad to be healthy enough to get out there and play" - which is not a sentiment the youngster likely had before going down with injury. Next season, as players have to sacrifice minutes for wins, hopefully they'll have Batum's gratitude on their minds, as well.

3.) All the players are now aware - if they weren't already - of the fragility of their bodies, and hopefully they'll condition and tone their bodies even more in the offseason. Oden has already demonstrated a keen interest in his body's quirks. That should be a good thing.

4.) Everyone trusts each other a little more. Whether it's Nate putting the ball in Miller's hands, or Batum swinging the ball to Webster for a game-winning three, the Blazers have come together this season.

Sure, there are arguments for this season being a "set-back" due to injuries, and I welcome those. But I think this season as a "trial by fire" shouldn't be ignored for the good it's done, too.

 

[LittleAlex]

I was planning on starting a thread on this topic before reading this post from Ed O, but since he weighed in already, let me start with him:



Do this year's injuries actually help the Blazers long-term?

I would argue, as Ed O suggests above, maybe so.

Only if the two centers who got hurt come back at full strength next season. If they don't then it really doesn't matter who else steps up.

Without quality big men Portland has zero chance of winning a title.

 

[hasoos]

I am not so sure with many of the players that experience matter so much. Some of them, yes. Some, I am pretty sure no matter how much experience they have, they will still be the same core player, and no quantity of experience playing during a rough season will help them.

 

[STOMP]

whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger

this years club is still young enough to gain from their struggles... agreed

STOMP

 

[Buzz Killington]

Disagree.

As I've stated in the past, next year will essentially be this year. When the rotation is in full swings, we'll have the same growing pains, rotational problems. they're all professionals, they need to get through this.

 

[MARIS61]

KP is too hyper to sit on his hands, we'll have a lottery pick this year, so our team next year will have just as many new faces as this year's did, and the year before that. On top of that we may have permanently lost both our centers. We've got no clue who will be our eventual PG leader. So it's silly to say we've progressed at all. This has been a huge setback. Last year's team would chew this one up.

People say Bob Whitsitt was no chemist, well, KP is no baker.

Deal ahead.

 

[maxiep]

I agree with issues on both sides of the thread. I agree that in the long term, these injuries have made us a stronger team. We learned about players who shouldn't have even worn a uniform this year. We've also learned that we need more than talent to win ballgames.

I also agree that we have put off the fitting process that should have happened this year. We still have yet to have Roy, LMA and Oden fit well together on the floor. We still don't know who our point guard will be. The beginning of next year will look a lot like the beginning of this one.

 

[bigbailes]

I also agree that we have put off the fitting process that should have happened this year. We still have yet to have Roy, LMA and Oden fit well together on the floor. We still don't know who our point guard will be. The beginning of next year will look a lot like the beginning of this one.

maybe it's just me but, i don't care how the beginning of next year looks. all i care about is where we are at when the playoffs roll around. that's one of the reasons you didn't see this out of many of us when this season started.

 

[jlprk]

If injuries are good for you, we need a trainer who will just honestly break legs instead of bringing players back too early. I like the way the thread is titled "[What is] This Year's Silver Lining...?"--as in, "Well, what is THIS year's silver lining? Every damned disappointing year, we need to come up with one."

 

[Nikolokolus]

That's the trouble with Silver linings, they tarnish. I much prefer platinum linings myself.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's hard to find a silver lining in this season. Unless we pull off a miracle and make noise in the playoffs, which is always possible, I will look at this year as a waste. We aren't going to be good enough to win the championship, but not bad enough to get a lottery pick. Just another season stuck in the middle. :/

 

[Public Defender]

We aren't going to be good enough to win the championship, but not bad enough to get a lottery pick. Just another season stuck in the middle. :/

This is an interesting statement - because I don't think the Blazers had better than a really, really remote chance of winning a championship this year without the injuries.

Ed O suggested (in the quote above) that perhaps the Blazers were better off having the injuries. I'm not sure about that. And I agree that there's a lot of "meshing" that didn't happen this year, that will need to happen next year. But if along the way, the Blazers have gotten experience for their younger players, learned a little more about the value of conditioning, learned to value playing/winning over individual playing time, and pulled together more as a team - I'm not sure it makes this season a "success", but it does make what has been thoroughly disappointing from night to night, a little more palatable. (hence the "silver lining" title, since we're still looking at clouds, if you ask me...)

 

[ABM]

We aren't going to be good enough to win the championship...

I don't see how you can say that. The team has closely battled/beat every powerhouse THIS season. I agree, though, that we'll need, both, Oden and Joel healthy to make any run at the title.

I agree with this assessment:

...Key young Blazers will emerge with lots more experience. Martell Webster has been the "clutch" player who won a key game. Jerryd Bayless has been allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph have gotten off the bench to make real contributions....

Although, I still believe there needs to be a bit of a thinning process over the summer.