Congrats Blazers...Now Get Over It

Congratulations Portland Trail Blazers on a great season. You overachieved, brought the city to hysteria not seen since the early 90s and created a solid foundation on which to work on. Now get over it.

It's time to start looking towards next year. The Blazers, if they keep their roster intact, are a lock for the playoffs for the next decade. But is that what management wants? To be the Utah Jazz? I don't think so. It's seriously time to consider making this team into a title contender. Barring a miracle draft pick in the next few years, their needs to be some roster shake-up, otherwise the Blazers will be piddling around third or fourth best in the west for years to come.

First, let's look up what makes a championship team. Over the past 20 years, there has been a pretty simple formula to great teams: You have you have your 'Big 3'-a guard, a wing, and a post, surround them with a few shooters and some defensive stoppers and you got yourself a title (This excludes the 2003-2004 Pistons, because the Lakers self-destructed in that series and any Shaq-led team because all the centers sucked in the early 2000s). Seriously look back at the past winners: 2007-2008 Celtics (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett), The Spurs dynasty (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Timmy Duncan), The Bulls dynasty (MJ, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc/Horace Grant), The mid-90s Rockets (Kenny 'I'm Barkley's Bitch' Smith, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem). Let's add in the team that will win it this year, The Cavs (Mo Williams, Lebron, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas). All those teams had great shooters and defensive stoppers. This is the blueprint and Portland needs to get on board.

So they have two of the three pieces in Aldridge and Roy. The first question to ask? Is that third guy on the Portland roster right now? It's not Outlaw. He has all the talent in the world but the worst basketball IQ in the pros today (although I'd make an argument for Tony Allen (why did he take the last two shots of game 6 against the Bulls? uh-hello, Ray Allen had 51)). Outlaw seems like a great guy, but he is not the answer for a big 3. By the way, have you heard an interview with him? I catch every fifth word, if I'm lucky. Could the third guy be Martell? That's a huge question mark after he missed this entire season. I don't know if he has that type of killer instinct needed to be a great player. How about Rudy or Bayless down the road? I see Rudy being a spot up shooter. Bayless could be there if he actually plays his game. For all but about five of the games he appeared in this season, he looked petrified out there. Seriuosly, it look like he crapped his pants. I'm not sold on him yet. Oden will be the defensive stopper that is needed down low after he learns the intracacies of playing post in the NBA.

I think we need to look outside for a trade to bring in that third piece. Outlaw and Martell are expendable, but what could they bring in? I would throw in Frye and Sergio, but I think all we would get for them is a bag of garbage and some used socks. It could be time to look at trading Przybilla. He has great value and I know he is a huge part of this team, but if Portland is seriously looking to contend for a championship, there will have to be sacrifices. With that being said, I want Przybilla around until he can no longer walk up and down the court. The guy is just a badass.

Anyway, players that we should look for that could be expendable to other teams. And let me remind you that I don't really know how plausible it is to get some of these guys but I think it is an avenue that needs to be explored.

How about Caron Butler? The Wizards should just blow that team up. Seriously, they suck. They gave a max-contract to a guy coming off multiple surgeries. Their best statistical player (Antawn Jamison) would be the third option on any other team. And did you know that the Wizards starting centers for the past 17 seasons have been either Brendan Haywood or Etan Thomas. Ok, so I exaggerated, but wouldn't you think Washington's front office would figure out that these guys are not the answer. What do you think they say to themselves? "Brendan Haywood has averaged seven and a half points a game and less than six rebounds...He plays the softest I have ever seen a seven-footer play and he is coming off an injury-riddled season...I think we have another five years in him."-I mean seriously, don't you think Turd McGee out of Dumbass University would be a better choice? Time to change it up Wiz.

Rudy Gay? Memphis sucks and needs to shake things up. The biggest challenge in that is letting Gay know that he will be the third option no matter what.

Michael Redd, Richard Hamilton or Richard Jefferson? They're all getting older and maybe looking to play more of a bit role in exchange for a championship. Gerald Wallace could be a great option as well. 

If Portland makes a bold trade to pickup one of these guys they could become a contender by next year. A more realistic shot to win the championship might come a few years from now, but it's time to start looking for that third guy now. All the makings are in place, Portland just needs to make a bold move this offseason to realistically start thinking about a championship.