I think standing pat is foolish...
and I think if you buy into the we were injured and won 50 games, imagine if we were healthy? type of opinion then you are buying in on fool's gold....
Yes, the team performed very well considering the injuries, yes having Oden healthy for a full year would make a difference, yes if Roy were healthy the playoff series vs PHX would have been more competitive....but don't kid yourself, this team is not a WCF team....and this year's PHX team was a lot better than HOU last year...Maybe POR takes them to 7 games, but I doubt they would have advanced...
POR is not an NBA title contender as currently constructed, not with the offense it runs, not without another player who can step up and be relied upon to score outside of Roy...
If Lebron James cannot win games by himself for CLE running an iso-heavy offense, which had a great regular season, when most teams don't scheme to stop you or where your not playing a good team every night, then you are CRAZY if you think that Roy can...
The Roy-iso offense has to change, POR will NEVER win a championship utilizing this offensive scheme...
You have a PF in Aldridge, who puts up good numbers but relies WAY to much on outside shooting (65% of attempts outside 10ft in the playoffs, shot 29% from that range...that is not a fluke people), and is more likely to pass up a big shot than take one..
You have a center in Oden, who I think COULD be the #1 option, and certainly the #2, but has been unable to stay healthy, do really want to roll the dice and HOPE that he has a healthy year? I sure wouldn't...I mean if he does...great, but plan for the worst (ie like you can't rely on him) and then if he does stay healthy & comes back as good\better than he was then you are sitting in a great position....
This team needs another reliable scorer off the bench, I mean I hate to say it but a Corey Maggette like player who can get his shot when he wants, no other player on this team can do that...that is a major problem...and outside of Oden, not ONE of our other post players has a reliable INSIDE presence on offense, that is a big problem in the playoffs....as much I dislike Charles Barkley he is right on the money with that assesment...too many jumpshots and too many Roy-iso vs 2 and 3 defenders.....
How about back up PG? You got Miller, who has what? 2? 3? years left and then what? Can Bayless be a starting PG? Or is he better suited to a scoring guard? I think so far the latter seems to be more likely...at some point you have to address this....
Same goes for center, this is could be a serious problem in a few years, Camby has 2? years left Przybilla? Maybe the same, maybe 3? will he even be here after the trade deadline? Can he even come back after that knee injury at his age? That leaves you, again, with an oft injured Oden and little else...
Almost all of the playoff teams ahead of POR are getting better, or I don't see them slipping...So yeah POR needs to make some changes, I think resting your hopes on a healthy Oden and then suddenly expecting the team to jump to the WCF when they haven't even shown themselves capable of getting out the 1st round, let alone take PHX or HOU to 7 games is homeristic...
Classic! Repped.
