Let’s make one thing clear.
No matter what you’ve read, what you’ve heard or what you’ve seen, the Portland Trail Blazers aren’t tanking. It’s not their style, nor is it in their vocabulary.
No, no. This is no 1984 Houston Rocket Project. This is the NBA edition of Extreme Home Makeover.
Portland management have sketched out a blueprint to quickly transform the Trail Blazers back into the contenders they once were. Team president Larry Miller has alluded to the fact that this instant rejuvenation will kick into gear once the season comes to a close.
No, no. This plan is well underway. And it’s on course for a celebration.
After a 7-2 start to the year, Portland unraveled. Turnovers, miscues and behind-the-scenes drama took over the franchise and sank the Trail Blazers to a sub-.500 record as the trade deadline neared.
At that moment, the suits at One Center Court experienced an epiphany. The fog of false promises and delusions of grandeur cleared. They realized the sullen state the Trail Blazers were in. They saw the rise of once-downtrodden clubs in the Western Conference and Obama-ed their own. “Time for a change,” they said.
After sending away Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby, after shedding Greg Oden, after cutting ties with Nate McMillan, Portland finds itself in an ideal situation heading into the summer.
The Trail Blazers own four picks in this year’s draft – two in the top 11 assuming the New Jersey Nets don’t earn a top-three selection. They have up to nearly $26 million in cap room – $19.9 if they resign Nicolas Batum – and an Erik-Spoelstra-style coach in Kaleb Canales.
Portland has all it needs heading into one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. It has the firepower it needs to land a star-caliber free agent (i.e., Steve Nash). It has a cornerstone in LaMarcus Aldridge already in place. The pieces are there. All that’s left for the Trail Blazers is to deliver.
In the offseason, anyway.
Now, Portland is executing the initial stages of its ingenious scheme.
Heading into the March 15 trade deadline, the Trail Blazers held a 20-23 record. They averaged just 97.1 points per game and shot a mere 44.5 percent from the field, all while allowing more than 95 points per contest on 44.9 percent shooting.
Five players still on the roster averaged more than 20 minutes per game. Two put up more than 14 points each night.
Then came the Thursday that blew up Twitter.
Since then, guys at the end of the bench have earned extra playing time. Young guys like Nolan Smith, who played in less than half of the first 43 games at less than seven minutes per stint, saw his minutes per game jump to 14. Luke Babbitt, who participated in just 17 games heading into the trade deadline, has been a part of each contest since with his minutes nearly tripling.
Newcomers in Jonny Flynn and J.J. Hickson have logged extra time, dazzling fans and management alike with their hidden talents.
The Trail Blazers may have gone 8-8 since deciding to “tank.” They may have displayed a dreadful defense and a mediocre offense. They may be 4.5 games out of the final playoff spot with seven games to play.
But this isn’t about this season. This is the first step of Portland’s plan. Consider this the audition stage.
As these younger guys prove their worth in the league, Trail Blazer management salivates. It’s seeing its stock rising as the trade chips continue to stack up.
They may say otherwise. They may no-comment to the idea. They may not even have a permanent general manager or head coach. But next season has already started for the Trail Blazers. The Extreme Home Makeover has begun in the Rose City, and Portland already has the foundation laid out for an estate it hasn’t seen since the Clinton administration.
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