Going into the 2011-12 season, Portland's front office, coaches, players and fans felt this team could be a dark horse contender for the NBA title. Just a few short weeks later, the coach was fired, some of the core rotation players were traded and it looked like a full-on reboot in Portland.
But with a starting lineup featuring first-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, potential All-Star Nicolas Batum and the always solid Wesley Matthews, the Portland Trail Blazers are not your typical sad-sack lottery team. They own New Jersey's 2012 first-round pick (top three protected, however) in addition to their own. Add those two likely top-11 picks and Portland is in a unique position to either find two long-term solutions or move those assets (players or picks) for another potential star.
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David Thorpe
NBA- NBA Analyst for ESPN.com
- Executive director of Pro Training Center
- Started coaching career in 1987
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