How to Win This Season for the Trail Blazers.

We discussed yesterday how the Portland Trail Blazers still have options if their ambitious plans for the season don’t pan out. We examine the inverse possibility today. What happens if the Blazers have uncontrollably great success? Are they about to act on this? How could they possibly get there? Today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag is about that.

Your most recent piece regarding the Blazers’ improved positioning caught my attention. The team’s championship is what I want them to achieve. I don’t think this year’s team they put together is good enough, do you?

I suppose my concern is that we’ll finish no better than the fourth or fifth seed, lose in the second round for the next few years, and then start over from scratch. Damian alone will be in his mid-30s and much less valuable. Although I appreciate Damian’s dedication, I believe it would be better to take a chance on our young players, the package Damian is traded for, and our own lottery selections for the ensuing few years (tanking!).

Could you hypothetically explain to me how Damien and I could contend for the title? Do you believe that the young players (Walker, Ant, Sharp, and Nazz) have enough development to get them there, or is it more likely that they will be acquired through a trade with our young players in exchange for an all-star player?