2006 NBA Draft: The Team With The Best Draft Was ...
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by user Blueduck22
It seems impossible that this doomed franchise that is on pace to lose $100 million over the next three years could pick themselves up off the deck and own Draft Day 2006. There are some dissenters in the great state of Oregon who were drinking the Kool-Aid distributed by the "Draft the Stache" campaign (led by Sports Radio 1080 The Fan) who had all their eggs in Adam Morrison's basket. But if any Blazer fan was told that LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy would both be in Blazer uniforms and Sebastian Telfair would be on his way out of town, there would have been elation. Pure unadulterated elation.
The one negative was that Viktor Khryapa, a Nate McMillan guy, is gone. There is a simple explanation for that. This was Kevin Pritchard's (director of player personel and future GM) first draft as the man who was basically in charge. He got bluffed by Chicago, who probably claimed that someone else was trying to trade up to #2 to get Aldridge. Rookie mistake on Pritchard's part. I forgive.
Some pundits are criticizing the fact that Paul Allen spent $1 million in the Brandon Roy trade and $3 million in the Sergio Rodriguez trade. What these "experts" fail to realize is that Allen doesn't care about money. He has so much of it that it doesn't matter. Are the Blazers now "contenders"? By no means. Are they better than they were two days ago? Yes. Will they be exponentially better after Darius Miles is shipped out? Absolutely. For the first time in years, there is genuine reason for excitement in the Rose City.
Date
Thu 06/29/06, 5:52 pm EST
