It’s the most dreaded and beloved time of year for Portland Trail Blazer fans. A time of year that has a long, documented history of either making or breaking Portland’s team. The NBA Draft is arguably the most polarizing event in the league and in no other place has that been more evident than Rip City. It’s the time we shine or whine (or wine, depending on how bad it is). With all of the unpredictability that comes with the draft, the one thing that has always remained the same, for better or worse, is that it’s always a new beginning: The beginning of a new era, or the beginning of the end of one. Rarely have the Blazers let a draft pass with the result impacting the organization in an insignificant way. Be it a missed opportunity, an opportunity that became an unknown, or an unknown that became an opportunity, the draft has a way of changing the trail of the Blazers organization. So I put it you, Portland: Now that we’re all done cringing with one eye open, how’d they do?
The draft has now passed, and whether it’s obvious today or not, and whether you like it or not, change is ahead. If nothing else, General Manager Neil Olshey will make sure of it. Forever the wild card of the Trail Blazers’ organization, Olshey works like he’s always playing a game of chess. He never makes a move just to make a move; he’s deliberate. But with that, he believes in constant progress, as does his boss, which at times can make him anxious to deliver immediate results. That being said, it’s safe to say that Olshey has a track record of proven success. We may not always understand his thinking, or what’s going on behind the scenes, e.g., “Portland Meltdown 2015”. But with a long-term vision, creative planning, and a solid scouting staff, Neil Olshey has earned the benefit of the doubt.
Olshey isn’t perfect, nor is the rest of the Blazers front office. But if nothing else, we can all agree that there can be no reward without risk. And if the Trail Blazers are to continue going deeper into the playoffs, risks will need to be taken; calculated risks, but risks nonetheless. We all know Portland has a special team that is only going to get better. But in the meantime, we also need to keep in mind that there are a lot of other teams that are already better, who are also only going to get better. And as critical as it is to keep this team’s core together, they simply cannot respond by doing nothing. Whether their answers are found in the draft, in trades, or in free agency, they cannot show up with the same pieces next year that they did this year. Portland has fallen in love with this group, and I’ll admit that I’m no different. But at the end of the day, do we truly believe that this same team can win a championship?
If you didn’t also arrive at “no”, you are delusional, and quite possibly drunk. I’ll be honest with you guys, I absolutely hate the draft. I get tired of hearing “It’s a rebuilding season,” and “It’s a development year.” At what point do you stop investing all of your resources into rebuilding and developing, and work with what you have? Or even with the developed players that other teams have? Quite frankly, it makes for boring basketball. But then a funny thing happens: Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge are drafted. Then Damian Lillard is drafted. Then CJ McCollum is drafted. Then I shut my mouth. The point is, there’s obviously a lot of value in the draft. But for Blazer fans, there’s a natural hesitation, given the extreme peaks and valleys of decision making that usually shows its face around this time. Personally, I don’t believe the answer is in this year’s draft. But what I do believe in is Neil Olshey. After all, he’s drafted a hell of a lot more all stars than I have.
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