The changing of the guard???

[big daddy russ]

Will tonight's SA/Portland NBA season opener represent the first step of the changing of the guard? San Antone, Detroit, and Dallas are the last teams of the "old powers" still around, while Portland may be the team to beat within the next four years or so.

How's this for an eight-man rotation heading into the future?

PG: Jarrett Jack
SG: Brandon Roy (last year's ROY)
SF: Martell Webster (preps-to-pros 21-year-old)
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge (you saw what he can do while he was at UT... athletic big man)
C: Greg Oden (though he'll be out this year)

Off the bench
PG: Steve Blake
G/F: James Jones (athletic, long, and a good defender off the bench)
F/C: Channing Frye (another athletic, long, good defender off the bench)

At 27 years old, Steve Blake is the senior citizen of the group. Only Blake and Jones are older than 24, and of the starters, Roy is oldest at 23. Average age of those starters is barely 22. Everyone except (I think) Taurean Green was chosen in the first round of the NBA draft.

Am I overestimating how good that frontcourt will be? Am I just overestimating the Blazers? What do you think?

[BILLYFRED0000]

The thing is they are all young and they will not be consistent nor will they all stay put long. I think they will be good but someone has to be the superstar of the bunch and no one can say if any will be or if their youth and immaturity will keep the team from jelling. The mavs are not that old either.

[Mace Griffin]

they may be good but i still think their a long ways away. Oden being out sets them back a long way bc it will probably take them at least a year to gel once he comes back

[kepdawg]

It'll be another year or two before there is a change at the top.