[Samuel]

Add in who we get in trades and we would be the youngest team combined with the best upside of any team.

Let's not mistake one of those for the other.

 

[Samuel]

What we need to do is get rid of Miles. That is it. Zach will be fine...once we are competitive. The guy has a bad knee and nothing really to play for this season, so why go 100% every game and risk you career when you aren't gonna make the playoffs? I know it sounds bad but come on. I'd want a 20/10 Zach any day of the week.

What we need is a solid C prospect and a SF who can shoot. That's why you go Aldridge/Durant the next two drafts and your set.

Aldridge
Randolph
Durant
Webster
Telfair

There ya go.

We won't be picking high enough to draft Durant or Oden, mark my words.

 

[Samuel]

I wish I could share your optimism. Let's hope something is done this summer that allows me to.

McMillan used an 8-man rotation and started the same guys pretty much every night in Seattle. This season was about player evaluation.

With a few healthy big men next season and a set rotation, it's hard to see how Portland could be in the running for Oden or Durant.

 

[Samuel]

As I've said before, teams with tight 8-man rotations, usually regardless of their mediocrity, do a whole lot better than teams without them.

Next season we're going to see Telfair and Jack log over 2,000 minutes in the season. Randolph will log 2,000 minutes, whoever we draft will probably start over 1,500 minutes, and those not starting will sit. McMillan is going to pick a starting lineup and stick with it for the majority of the season.

I know this is still a young team that needs to give a variety of guys playing time, but Nate will not do that again. You can see that sentiment in his comments to Quick and Tokito:

"Or next year, it will be separated in the sense that they come to training camp and earn that right to start, earn that right to come off the bench, and the third guy is just the third guy," McMillan said.

That idea will likely hold true for all the spots.

Telfair, Jack
Dixon (or Lenard), Webster
Morrison, Khryapa
Randolph, Skinner
Przybilla (or Miles acquisition), Ratliff

And that's about it. Player development next season will take a back seat to Nate McMillan's rotation. Whether this is the best course of action remains to be seen.

Personally I think with a young, developing group of guys, it might be more beneficial to mix and match again.