Though I don't post often, I read the forum everyday. I'm really tired of the people who say we need to tank for the pick.
This team is put together with young, mostly high draft picks, who didn't get to see much playing time on their previous teams due to injury or being stuck behind someone who was already a proven player. These guys are getting are chance now and are already putting it together. When people make statements that are to the effect of "we need the draft pick to be able to be a legit playoff team," you are essentially saying that this team is already good enough, but just need a draft pick to put us over the hump. To me that's a logical fallacy because the people who want the pick basically think the team isn't good enough, or close to contending in the playoffs on any level.
How is a draft pick going to put us over the hump? I believe that this team learning to play together, gel together, and gain experience together is much more important than purposely losing.
I've heard the arguments that Portland isn't a FA destination, I'd argue that the chances of getting a good player through the draft is close to being the same as acquiring a good player through FA.
Why in the world would anyone want this team to lose in lieu of growing together, and possibly gaining some playoffs experience, regardless of how poor you think the west is this year? It makes absolutely no sense to me.