STRENGTHS:Andre Miller is
an outstanding addition at point guard ... Miller gives this
young team needed leadership ... Miller isn’t a three-point
threat, but is great at positing up ... Brandon Roy
(22.6 ppg) is one of the game’s top two-guards
... Roy continues to get better at creating his own shot ...
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge (18.1 ppg) is a
potential future all-star ... The Blazers have depth at virtually
every position ... Greg Oden is a solid defensive
presence ... Steve Blake does a great job
taking care of the ball (3.22 assist-to-turnover ratio) ...
With Blake and Miller, Portland now have much better depth
at the point .... Oden and Joel Przybilla provide strong interior
defense from the center position ... Travis Outlaw
and Rudy Fernandez are two strong offensive
options whether as starters or reserves ... Led by Aldridge
and Oden, Portland remains a strong offensive rebounding unit
... The Blazers are a strong three-point shooting team, although
Miller won’t help in this area ... Blake is a solid
three-point shooting threat.
WEAKNESSES: Oden’s offense is still a work in progress ... Portland is just an average free throw shooting team ... After a first-round playoff exit, can the Blazers live up to higher expectations this year? ... Coach Nate McMillan will have a difficult task in apportioning minutes ... Besides Aldridge, the Blazers need to develop other inside scoring threats ... While a strong offensive rebounding team, defensive rebounding needs work ... Joel Przybilla offers little offensive help ... Nicolas Batum must show he deserves minutes after an unproductive postseason.
PROJECTION: 1st in the Northwest Division
/ 2nd in the Western Conference
.PROJECTED STARTERS
Point
guard Andre Miller
Shooting
guard
Brandon Roy
Small
forward Nicolas Batum
Heady
point guard with great playmaking skills and ability
to create his own shot. Not very efficient from long
range, though.
The
team's leader and only star. Quite a scorer and playmaker.
The addition of Miller will take some pressure off
him.
The
French forward showed a lot of promise in his rookie
year. Will compete for playing time with Rudy, Outlaw
and Webster.
Power
forward LaMarcus Aldridge
Center Greg Oden
Sixth
man Rudy Fernandez
Big
man with a lot of finesse to his game. Beatiful mid-range
shot. Must improve his rebounding and defense.
Will
be asked to rebound, block shots and show progress
on the offensive end. Questions remain about his durability.
Flashy
swingman with great three-point shooting and slashing
skills. Should have an increased role this season.
No?
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