Blazer's Burn Title Tickets

Has any NBA team fumbled more Championship chances than the Portland Trailblazer's?

The City of Roses hasn't to punched its title ticket in over 30 years. But unlike the many other slumping franchises, the Trailblazers have one of the league's most liked (and richest) owners in Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who freely spends whatever the GM wants. They have had high draft picks in most of the best draft classes over the past 25 years. They are the largest city in the US with only one major sports franchise, allowing the brightest spotlight and maximum fan support. Why then, is Portland the team with the longest postseason drought (since 2003) in the NBA???

If you thought choosing an unpolished, oft-injured, physical specimen over a once-in-a-lifetime scorer with an almost limitless ceiling was weird, you haven't followed the Blazer's closely. This is the franchise that chose another oft-injured center (Sam Bowie) over an electric scorer with a national championship and a national player of the year belt (Michael Jordan). Sound similar? I wonder how many Jordan #23 Portland red jerseys little kids in China would be wearing if MJ and Scottie (Clyde Drexler)Pippen had ripped open a six pack of titles upon the world.

I wouldn't dare burden Kevin Durant's shoulder's with that expectation, as he has to will an entire city by himself as it is. However, Durant could have filled up as many fingers with rings as Jordan did had the Blazer's used at the minimum 5th grade reasoning skills. Maybe this is not the right comparison as Oden's Ben Button case had rendered him with a Billy Mays beard and bad knees by the 5th grade. If only the Blazer's were so lucky to have Oden get younger, healthier, and more durable in the coming years....not gonna happen, wouldn't be prudent. But let's examine the Blazer's lineup had they made the obvious selection:

The 2006 draft yielded to the Blazers soon to be all-star Brandon Roy and the next Big Ticket, LeMarcus Aldridge. The 2007 draft should have provided Kevin Durant. That leaves this potential lineup:

PG-?? SG-Roy SF-Durant PF-Aldridge C-??

Pretty good huh? Remind you of the 2008 Celtics? More than just a little...

You didn't think I'd make a Aldridge-Garnett comparison and not back it up did you?? Take a look at the third season of the new Big Ticket (L.A.) against the third season of the original Big Ticket (Garnett):

Garnett____39.3 mpg___18.5 ppg___9.6 rpg___49.3 fg%
Aldridge____36.7 mpg___17.9 ppg___7.0 rpg___48.5 fg%

Granted, Aldridge doesn't possess the leadership or defensive skills that Garnett had/has, but with ultra-clutch Brandon Roy and the soon-to be leading scorer in the league (Durant), I think they'd more than get by.

But let's not forget, in the 2005 draft the Blazers traded the rights to the 2005 NBA draft's 3rd overall pick for the rights to Martel Webster and what would become Sebastian Telfair & Joel Freeland. Sounds dumb until you realize who the 3rd pick in that draft was...

Deron Williams!?!? For the record Chris Paul was the 4th pick, just in case GM John Nash didn't feel like D-Will fit what the team was looking for. Now dumb sounds like a Rue Paul to Beyonce-style upgrade...lemme lemme Upgrade ya grade ya.

The 2008 draft (without Oden) would have tipped Portland towards shoring up the center position with one of the best young defensive big men in the league, Jason Thompson, with the 11th pick (instead of Jerryd Bayless). So now you have:

PG-Deron Williams SG-Brandon Roy SF-Kevin Durant PF-LeMarcus Aldrige C-Jason Thompson

Can you say dyNASTY? John Wooden can. This lineup is a championship lineup while young, fun to watch, and CHEAP to boot.

So not only has Portland botched getting the Greatest of All-Time AND traded away future 3-time MVP Moses Malone for the 1978 #1 draft pick....BUT now they've passed up on another sure fire Larry O'Brein trophy by choosing a gimp over a gladiator. And not just any gladiator, we're talking a Maximus Decimus Meridius-type gladiatior.

And if you weren't convinced already...that 1978 #1 overall the Blazers received for disposing of Moses Malone, one of the greatest posts of all-time, the Blazers chose a mediocre center (Mychal Thompson) over another player of the year. That guy was another silky shooting 6'9" small forward. Some guy from French Lick, Indiana named Larry.

Next time, the hoop doctor will explore why Jake Delhomme's Panthers have just a good a chance at the NCAA title as Jamie Dixon's Panthers