NBA general manager survey prompts Trail Blazers assessment

The 13th annual NBA.com general manager survey was released yesterday. This survey is intended to reveal what the current NBA landscape looks like, according to those in the front office. Comprised of 56 questions, ranging from 2015 NBA Finals predictions to which team has the best home-court advantage, the general managers weigh in with their favorites.

Each general manager can vote for any team or player, as long as they are not their own. The percentages given are not an exact number of the 30 GMs that voted a certain way. Instead, the pool of respondents are calculated in order to come up with a percentage for each question.

The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the surprising teams last season. Many experts (and probably GMs) did not have them making the playoffs and I’m guessing none had them reaching the semifinals. Before I read this year’s GM survey, I would have guessed there might be a little more love for the Trail Blazers. I mean, they surprised you last year, right? They have Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, two of the best young stars in the game. How could they not be taken seriously this year?

The GMs disagreed with almost all of my predispositions.

Aldridge was the only Trail Blazer given any sort of praise by the GMs. He tied with Blake Griffin as the best power forward in the NBA at 25 percent of the pool results. That one was easy, fellas. He was dominant last season and will look to be back in the discussion for MVP this season. In 69 games last season, Aldridge averaged a career high in points and rebounds at 23.2 and 11.1 respectively.

Lillard, who might be one of the most underrated point guards in the league, received an undisclosed percentage of votes for the best point guard in the NBA. Chris Paul took that category with 71.4 percent. That does not leave a lot of room for Lillard to sneak into the top three. Russell Westbrook took second while Tony Parker rounded out the top three. Lillard is definitely a rising star and has become a face of the NBA. He is signing endorsement deals left and right and even has a signature shoe on the horizon.

Jan. 04, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez (42) battles for a rebound with Philadelphia 76ers power forward Brandon Davies (20) during the first quarter of the game at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Who was the third best offensive rebounder last season? If you said Robin Lopez, you win! Lopez was a HUGE addition for the Trail Blazers last season. He gave them an interior presence that they had lacked for quite some time. Lopez collected 326 offensive boards (a franchise record), only behind DeAndre Jordan‘s 331 and Andre Drummond‘s 440. Six more offensive rebounds and Lopez is second best in the league. The GMs decided that Lopez didn’t deserve any recognition, as he didn’t even receive a single vote for the best offensive rebounder. Reggie Evans, who wasn’t even in the top-20 in total offensive rebounds last season, came in a tie for third with 7.1 percent. Really?

Some Trail Blazers fans have a biased view of their team, as many loyal fans do. We are not, however, blind or uneducated. As I watched the Portland Trail Blazers last season, I saw a young team that has a bright future. Their starting five is one of the best in the league and they have two legitimate All-Stars. The depth needed a lot of work but they were able to add Steve Blake and Chris Kaman during the offseason. How could a team with young, talented players not be mentioned in the most fun to watch category? Golden State led that category with 57.1 percent, followed by the Clippers, Spurs, and Thunder. The Trail Blazers did not rank.

As you can see, the Trail Blazers are not getting a lot of the spotlight. Which, truthfully, I’m perfectly alright with. This team has always flown under the radar and its players have always had chips on their shoulders. You realize I didn’t even mention Wesley Matthews as a possible best defensive player or best perimeter defender candidate. Nicolas Batum as a best international player candidate? Forget about it. The GMs seem to have tunnel vision and don’t sway much from the “popular” answer.

The Trail Blazers will have to prove themselves once again. Bring it on.