Fan Poll: New Trail Blazers
By David MacKay
April 17, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts reacts in the second half against Golden State Warriors at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Now that the Blazers have finished successfully conducting their offseason business, which new Trail Blazer are you most excited to see suit up in the 2013-2014 NBA season?
Jun 27, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) shakes hands with NBA commissioner David Stern after being selected as the number ten overall pick to the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2013 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
CJ McCollum – Drafted 10th overall out of LeHigh University in the first round. He was the player that most resembled Damian Lillard in this year’s draft and many have stated the Portland hoped to relive that success. In reality, he was the best player available and the Blazers snatched him up. Whether or not his small school prowess transfers like Dame’s did is yet to be seen.
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March 21, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Allen Crabbe (23) celebrates after a play as UNLV Rebels guard Anthony Marshall (3) looks on during the second half of the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at HP Pavilion. California defeated UNLV 64-61. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Allen Crabbe – Drafted 31st overall out of U.C. Berkeley. Crabbe is first and foremost a spot-up shooter. Not a great ball handler, pretty raw in most aspects of the game, but his jumpshot is lethal on the swing. He will have to battle for minutes, but if he gets them, his job will be primarily to space the floor for other players. There is plenty of room for improvement.
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Mar 27, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets power forward Thomas Robinson (41) drives past Indiana Pacers power forward Jeff Pendergraph (29) in the first half at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Robinson – Acquired July 10th in a trade with the Houston Rockets. Robinson has a lot of work to do on his offensive game, but he is a serviceable defender and an absolute monster on the boards. Drafted 5th overall by the Kings last year (one spot ahead of Damian Lillard), Robinson is just 22 years old and will come off the bench behind LaMarcus Aldridge.
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Mar 17, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New Orleans Hornets center Robin Lopez (15) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Hornets 97-95. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Robin Lopez – Acquired July 10th in a 3-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. Lopez will take over J.J. Hickson’s vacant spot as starting center. He is 7’0”, 255 lbs, and coming off of his best NBA season thus far. While his defense isn’t top tier, it is certainly a step up, and his offensive efficiency should come in handy at the rim.
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Mar 24, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small forward Dorell Wright (4) celebrates after a three point basket against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Sacramento Kings 117-103. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Dorell Wright – Acquired July 10th as an unrestricted free agent. Wright is 9 year veteran, but he is only 27 years old. He is the only Blazer to have entered the NBA straight out of high school (a present impossibility under the new CBA). His breakout year came in 2011 with Golden State, but he has since settled into a new role as a bench player with range.
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Jan 26, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz point guard Earl Watson (11) calls a play during the first half against the Indiana Pacers at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Earl Watson – Acquired July 11th as an unrestricted free agent. Watson is 34 years old and not expected to see the court in Portland’s crowded guard rotation. He is, however, a great pickup, as his mind for coaching and longstanding knowledge of the game serves to aid Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in growing into team leaders on the court and in the locker room.
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Apr 5, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz point guard Mo Williams (5) controls the ball during the first half against the New Orleans Hornets at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won 95-83. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Mo Williams – Acquired August 8th as an unrestricted free agent. Williams is 30 years old, but still very valuable. He is a scoring point guard that can shoot the three and occasionally facilitate. His primary role will be to provide scoring off the bench, and relieve the pressure McCollum would have had as a rookie point guard in charge of leading an NBA offense.
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