Portland Trail Blazers 2009-2010 Preview

By General
for NBA-Basketball.org

Published: October 9, 2009

Background of 2009-2010 Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers headed in the 2009 NBA playoffs with a belief that they could make a few upsets along the way – the manner in which they played throughout the regular season certainly backed up this belief. They were thoroughly dismantled by an impressive Houston team that could have even taken out the Lakers if it wasn’t for Yao Ming’s unfortunate injury. In the 2009 offseason, the Portland Trailblazers were arguably the busiest on the market. Sadly for them, business doesn’t always translate to getting the job done. After failed attemps at Hidayet Turkoglu and Paul Millsap, they settled with veteran point guard Andre Miller. Other than that, they are hoping that their core of young and talented players will progress further, their big man Greg Oden can stay healthy and play to his potential, and that the limited experience that they have gathered from last year can help them finally make some noise in the playoffs – and not just the kind noise coming from their passionate fans.

Trail Blazers additions in 2010

Andre Miller

Juwan Howard

Ime Udoka

Jeff Pendergraph

Trail Blazers departures in 2010

None

Probably Starting Lineup for the 2009 2010 Portland Trail Blazers

PG – Andre Miller
SG – Brandon Roy
SF – Nicolas Batum (Travis Outlaw)
PF – Lamarcus Aldridge
C – Greg Oden

Portland Trail Blazers Guards

Around certain quarters, Brandon Roy is already considered a bonafide superstar and the scary thing is that he’s just going to get better. He is a franchise player able to carry a team, and is the perfect teammate to serve as a role model to his young teammates that listen and look up to him. This season, the Blazers acquired Andre Miller, a proven point guard that will add some much needed experience and leadership to this young team. Steve Blake will still see plenty of playtime, and his 3 point shooting ability will be greatly missed in the starting lineup. Now when Brandon Roy attacks the rim, Andre Miller’s defensive assignment can help out with more comfort than leaving alone a Steve Blake. Rudy Fernandez is another spectacular player who could very well start for some teams, Portland fans expect him to have a breakout year this year and have a similar kind of impact that JR Smith provided for the Nuggets in the past couple of years. Jerryd Bayless, who was once considered a star in the making, will have to settle with being the team’s 3rd PG and see very limited minutes.

Portland Trail Blazers Forwards

The small forward position for the Blazers has always been a fascinating case study in what to do when you have 3 equally skilled players at one position. If you thought being an All-Star coach was a tough job, try being stuck in this situation and being in Nate McMillan’s shoes. Almost ‘luckily’ for him, Martell Webster who was once the starter on this team, has suffered injuries over the past couple years… but should be back this season and find his way back in the rotation. Travis Outlaw, the starting small forward after Webster was injured, also lost his starting position when he made some questionable plays in key stretches and was a liability on defense. In their place, it is Nicolas Batum who will be the starting small forward for what seems to the years to come. This young French player has shown signs of being a real asset at the 3 position with his defensive presence and ability to both take it to the rim and convert from long distance.

The power forward position isn’t nearly a big headache for McMillan as LaMarcus Aldridge has that starting spot secured for the next decade. There’s absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t become a perennial All-Star in similar fashion to a player like Rasheed Wallace which he is so often compared to. Besides drafting a couple of rookies to backup LaMarcus, the Blazers have decided to sign super-vet Juwan Howard. Even if he doesn’t see too many playing minutes, it will good to have another cool headed veteran with playoff experience to keep the younger players focused, and hopefully help develop LaMarcus’ confidence as well.

Portland Trail Blazers Centers

Greg Oden came to Portland as the number 1 pick 2 seasons ago but so far he’s yet to provide them with what he’s capable of. Sure the injuries have been the predominant reason for this, but he also has a long way to go to develop his basketball IQ and not be so prone to foul trouble. Having a veteran pass first PG such as Miller will help Oden out more than anybody else, and hopefully he can be put in situations to make easy baskets as is the strategy for Dwight Howard over in Orlando. Joel Pryzbilla is one heck of a luxury to have as a reserve center, and will probably be the best reserve center in the NBA this upcoming season.

Best Case Scenario for the Portland Trail Blazers

The Trailblazers haven’t made it past the first round of the playoffs ever since the Trailblazers days, but this season should be the start of the formation of their dynasty. This team has been couple years in the making and now one would feel like its time to stop pushing goals into the future and start getting results TODAY. They have the right personnel, chemistry, and talent – if they can play beyond their age and experience, don’t be surprised to see them make a Finals appearance.

Worst Case Scenario for the Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers were in a tough situation this offseason with one free free agency signing to their name. The right signing could have made them primary contenders for the Championship, but Andre Miller brings with him as many questions as he brings answers. Greg Oden also still hasn’t proven that he’s going to have a breakout season, so a lot hangs in the balance of exactly how well they can match up to powerhouses such as the Lakers or Spurs.

Trail Blazers 2010 Outlook

The 2010 Blazers will have a stellar regular season and actually make it past the first round. However a second round matchup with a more experience Spurs team will signal that another year is necessary to really be championship contenders.

Portland Trail Blazers 2010 Predictions

Record: 50-32

Surprise Player: Rudy Fernandez playing like a 6th man of the year candidate

Key Player: Greg Oden and whether he can have an All-Star level season

That wraps up the Portland Trail Blazers 2009-2010 season preview and our detailed look at the Trail Blazers in the 2010 NBA season.

Author:General

General has written 32 articles for us.

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