Portland was the 17th pick.  Portland also needed a new GM!  Their
original GM missed his pick and after several e-mail messages and 
even a phone call I was unable to determine when I would get his
pick.  Not being able to hold up the draft any longer I asked:

  Simon Cushing

to take over.  Simon was the GM last year and agreed to do it again.
Thanks Simon!!!  The original GM, finally got ahold of me and 
said that he did send it but the mail got screwed up.  I accept
that explanation and hope he tries again next year (Kevin was
a GM last year and had no problems).  Anyway Simon used the
17th pick on:

  Dantae' Jones, SF, 6-7, Mississippi State

===========================================================================  
PLAYER              POSITION    HEIGHT, WEIGHT  95/96 SALARY    AGE ON 
11/1/96
Rod Strickland          PG      6'3", 185       $2,280,000      30
Rod the God.  The best player in the league never to be an all-star?  Quite
possibly.  Also a maddening enigma: plays consistently hard on the floor,
always impassive, but displays considerable lack of judgement (nice
euphemism) off the court.  This is, of course, how the Blazers managed to
pick him up in the first place, as San Antonio (now establishing a
reputation for letting talented bad boys go for nothing) didn't bother to
re-sign him.  Since then (until this year) Rod has been practically a model
citizen (all right - by NBA player standards!) supposedly because of the
quiet small-town atmosphere of Portland.  He has also raised his game
steadily to the point where he is easily one of the top 5 PGs in the league,
respected more by his peers (Gary Payton, for example) than by the public at
large.  He also has come to play in the playoffs consistently, raising his
scoring two consecutive years, and playing KJ then Stockton at least even.
HOWEVER: he has made no secret of the fact that he HATES PJ and wants to be
traded - ANYWHERE - in the off season.  This would be a tragedy for the
Blazers, as he and Sabonis have developed a definite rapport, and point
guards of his calibre are very hard to come by.  To make matters worse,
thanks to his erratic behaviour (especially the post-trading-deadline
"strike" of the past season) it will be very hard to get fair exchange for
him.
STRENGTHS: speed, penetration, finishing in the lane, strength (can even
post up), improved jump shot to 3-point range.
WEAKNESSES: sometimes lax on defence, tends to hold on to the ball too long,
moody, not a leader-type, free throws.

Aaron McKie             SG      6'5", 209       $845,000        24
Aaron is not yet, and possibly never, a starting-quality guard in the NBA.
Except sometimes.  Sometimes, Aaron looks like a Hersey Hawkins type, with
the purest of strokes.  Other times, you don't know he's on the floor.  His
problems are that he's a bit of a tweener.  He's not really 6'5" - nearer
6'3", and he's neither fast enough to cover point guards nor big enough not
to be posted up by most SGs.  He does hustle constantly, however, and has a
great attitude.  He can also occasionally get on hot streaks with his
good-looking (but oddly inconsistant) jumper, and has the occasional nifty
slash to the hoop.  He's also unselfish (almost to a fault - see Grant,
Harvey) and will give up the ball often, and occasionally effectively.  He's
not good enough of a passer or ball-handler to play PG, unfortunately, 
otherwise he would be better suited there.  This has to be considered the
Blazers' biggest area of need, as Aaron is a decent 3rd guard, but no team
with him as starting SG can expect to excel.
STRENGTHS: attitude, defensive hustle, rebounding, coachability
WEAKNESSES: shooting, footspeed, size, finishing at the hoop

Harvey Grant            SF/SG   6'9, 235        $3,551,000      31
For the second-highest paid player on the Blazers (behind, of course, Chris
Dudley) Harvey is very far from the second-best player.  He's also very far
from the player the Blazers thought they were getting from the Bullets.
What happened to that sweet-shooting 18ppg player?  To be fair, Harvey
shoots about the same % he did at Washington, he just takes about 10 fewer
shots per game.  Unfortunately, one would hope that if a player shot that
little, the ones he DID shoot would go in, but Harvey's jumper is now less
reliable than twin brother Horace's (and his rebounding was never in
Horace's league).  This is particularly unfortunate, as Harvey could be
making a living off the double-teaming of Sabonis, but he just isn't.
Portland thought they were getting a scorer, and were disappointed in that,
but were pleasantly surprised with the great defence they got.  Harvey is
arguably the Blazers' best defender, to the extent that he's almost a poor
man's Derrick McKey.  However, when you've got low scorers like McKie and
Buck Williams, and NON-scorers like Dudley on your team, you need more than
9ppg from your starting small forward.  Harvey would be gone if anyone would
take him, and will almost certainly be gone in a year when his contract runs
out.  This may affect the team more than one would think, however, as he's a
consummate team player, and calming influence, and (gasp!) actually listens
to PJ as if interested!
STRENGTHS: attitude, defense, coachability
WEAKNESSES: everything else!  In particular his free-throw shooting 
REALLY nosedived this year.  A great role player, but not worth the salary.

Clifford Robinson       F       6'10", 225      $3,018,000      29
Ah, Uncle Cliffy.  The Headband Man.  Ex-Sixth Man of the Year.  Clifford is
nothing if not versatile, having started now for the Blazers at 3  different
positions for long stretches.  Two years ago, without Dudley, he was the
centre.  Last year, he was the SF. Finally he found a home at PF this
season.  He's not the prototypical PF by a long stretch, as rebounding has
never been a strength, and a large chunk of his scoring comes from 3-point
shots.  But he defends gamely at that position, and (during the regular
season) racks up the points on outside shots, drives to the basket (he's one
of the most agile 6'10" players in the league) and only occasional post-ups.
There have been two knocks on Cliffy in recent years.  The first was that he
has abandoned his previously excellent defence as his scoring role with the
team has crept up.  To his credit, he reversed this trend in the latter half
of the season (perhaps because his scoring touch almost completely deserted
him!) and the Blazers thrived.  The second, more serious, knock is that he
vanishes in the playoffs.  This trend did NOT reverse - he averaged around
15ppg but on less than 40% shooting.  For this reason his name is bandied
about every offseason in trade talks, but with few takers.  I like Cliffy,
and he's the longest-serving lifetime Blazer, but if he was replaced by a
more efficient scorer, I would bid those headbands adieu!  If he stays, I
hope he somehow rediscovers the joy of the game, as these days he scowls
constantly, gets down on himself, and is never to be seen doing the Uncle
Cliffy on the sidelines.  I also hope he goes back to blocking more shots,
and running the floor in transition, but with the current walk-it-up
philosophy of PJ, that's hardly his fault.
STRENGTHS: Athleticism, 3-point shot, defense, versatility, size
WEAKNESSES: inconsistency, LOVE of 3-point shot, moodiness, rebounding, and, 
of course, free throws.  Notice a pattern here?

Arvydas Sabonis         C       7'3", 290       $2,200,000      31
Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year.  Both of these awards would be
sitting on "Sabas"'s mantelpiece if there was any justice in the world.
Alas, there isn't, so he finished second in voting in both.  This man had
become, by the end of the season, the centrepiece of the whole team, more
even than Strickland.  In the playoffs, everything was run through him, and
he responded, with averages of 23.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg.  (What did Damon "ROY"
Stoudamire average in the playoffs?  Oh I forgot - he was nowhere to be
seen.)  If he was not hobbled by old injuries, he would be the best centre
in the game today, beating out even Hakeem Olajuwon.  (And, as he likes to
say, "If an old lady had a beard, she'd be a man.")  As it is, he's a top
five centre, best in the league at that position at passing and 3-point
shooting (if you don't count converted forward Sam Perkins, that is) and
among the leaders in rebounds.  He's also got, in the words of LA Times
writer Mark Heisler, "the kind of genius basketball IQ that comes along only
once or twice a decade" or as the much-maligned Bill Walton put it, he's a
"7'3" Larry Bird". Thankfully he's not that ugly, but you get the idea.
Without him, Portland were a below-average team on the way to the lottery.
With him, they're potential title contenders, it's that simple.  Hyperbole?
Perhaps, but he's a special player, and his sophomore year is the best
reason to be a Blazers fan in 96/97.
STRENGTHS: everything that doesn't involve speed or athleticism
WEAKNESSES: speed (severe lack thereof), chronic leg pain that limits his 
playing time

Okay, so those are the players who start the game.  Let's run through 
the remaining players on the roster, roughly by size:

PLAYER              POSITION    HEIGHT, WEIGHT  95/96 SALARY    AGE ON 
11/1/96
Chris Dudley            C       6'11", 240      $3,800,000 (!)  31
Chris is one of the better defensive centres in the league, and a 
ferocious rebounder, among league leaders in rebounds per minute.  He 
also couldn't score in an empty gym.  He is paid a lot of money for a 
career role-player, but I don't begrudge him that, as there is never a 
moment he's on the court that he's not working, and will never try to do 
more than he can on offence.  He's the perfect complement to Sabonis: 
Arvydas can't play more than the high 20s in minutes and is an offensive 
machine.  Dudley would foul out in 30 minutes, and is a defensive 
machine.  If we could only fuse the two together, that would be a 
PLAYER!  Together, Dudbonis makes the centre spot one of the most solid 
for the Blazers.  No need to take a gamble on the like of Zydrunas 
Ilgauskas, except for someone for Sabas to chat with.
STRENGTHS: Defence, rebounding, hustle, attitude
WEAKNESSES: putting the ball in the basket, free-throwing (although he 
improved to above 50% this year!  Shaq should be so good.)

Buck Williams           PF      6'8", 225       $3,400,000      36
If a player came into the league these days weighing 225 and only 6'8, 
he would be described as "willowy" and people would say "he'll have to 
play the 3 in the pros".  Fortunately, nobody ever told Buck that, and 
he has been one of the premier PFs in the league since winning ROY in 
'82.  "Old Workhorse" is the phrase that comes to mind these days, and 
Buck is a FA whom the Blazers are unlikely to re-sign.  This is a 
mistake I think (and Buck apparently agrees!) as Buck is still a 
productive player (he was a major force in the Blazers' late season run) 
and his value in the clubhouse is incalculable.  He is truly a classy 
person, and he was hugely influential in the Blazers' great teams of the 
early 80s.  I truly hope the team re-signs him, and that he retires a 
Blazer, possibly moving on into management.  If they don't, they lose 
the only true PF on the roster, and that area becomes a need.
STRENGTHS: defense, rebounding, clutch play, "intangibles" (yuk)
WEAKNESSES: age, post-up game, free-throwing (natch)

Gary Trent              F       6'8", 240       $1,022,000      22
Hard to tell how good Trent is going to be.  He suffered by being on a 
deep team and playing for a coach who hates rookies.  He had a couple of 
great games (abused Michael Finley against the Suns) and a couple where 
he looked lost.  He's a 'tweener, as there's no way in hell he's really 
6'8", but he's tremendously strong and very athletic.  On a weaker team 
I suspect he would have made an all-rookie team, as he has the right 
qualities to dominate.  He was benched in particular in favour of Buck 
in the late-season surge.  The one good thing about Buck leaving would 
be to have Trent start, as he's a definite prospect, and will only just 
be 22 at the start of next season.
STRENGTHS: strength, athleticism, rebounding, scoring round the basket
WEAKNESSES: outside scoring, defence, free throwing (he's the WORST of a 
sorry bunch!), youth, 'tweener-ness.

Dontonio Wingfield      F       6'8", 256         $225,000      22
Dontonio is a bit of an enigma.  Has the reputation of a headcase, but 
played hard and played well late in the season, beating Trent out of the 
rotation.  He's a Blazer only if Whitsitt picks up his option, but he 
definitely will with the progress Wingfield made.  Again, his stats seem 
misleading, as he played more of a swingman role for the Blazers, 
guarding big guards on occasion.  Surprisingly, he's a great 3-point 
shooter, and hit some clutch ones in playoff wins.  At the start of the 
season I would have guessed he'd be gone by season's end, but he 
remained and surprised.  Increases the Blazers' depth at forward.
STRENTHS: defence, 3-point shooting
WEAKNESSES: ill-defined position, average at most things, not the player 
he should be inside.

James "Hollywood" Robinson G      6'2", 180       $1,040,000      26
'Wood justified his existence by beating the Lakers with a 3-pointer at 
the buzzer this season, but otherwise was a bit of a waste of a roster 
spot.  He's always had promise and is a great athlete, but makes too 
many dumb mistakes and is a SG in a PG's body.  At present, Whitsitt is 
in a wrangle with him over whether or not 'Wood made the requirements 
such that the Blazers have to pick up his option.  Doesn't look like 
brass wants him around, and rightly not.  The most damning criticism I 
can think of is that Pinhead picked him as a sleeper star in his rookie 
year.
STRENGTHS: occasional 3-pointer and acrobatic move
WEAKNESSES: ludicrously high dribble, recklessness, lack of feel for the 
game

Randolph Childress      PG      6'2", 188         $682,000      24
Another player who suffered from PJ's anti-rookie sentiment, but had one 
great game against Orlando at home (Blazers win) while Rod was out, 
before ending his season with a shoulder injury.  Blazer fans are high 
on him, and see him as a possible replacement for Rod eventually.  He 
can definitely score, and showed that he could run an offence when given 
the chance.  The new Terry Porter?  I hope so.  If Rod stays, and 
Childress is healthy, the PG slot is as solid as centre.
STRENGTHS: clutch shooting
WEAKNESSES: has had serious injuries

Designated Scrub: Bill Curley (on IR the whole year, was throw-in in the 
draft-day trade with Detroit)

Coaching Staff:
Don't know enough to say about the assistant coaches, except that Johnny 
Davis (new Philly coach) will be missed, as he was a buffer between PJ 
and the players.  Dick Harter was famous for defence in NY and seems to 
have instilled it in the Blazers, as that's their major strenth these 
days.
PJ, on the other hand MUST GO!  He just can't handle the players right.  
Rod is the only one who spoke out, but he's rumoured to be universally 
unpopular with the players.  Unfortunately he's only 2 years in to a fat 
5-year contract, and the late run probably got him at least another 
year.  If I had to choose between Rod and PJ (as Rod suggests Whitsitt 
will have to) it'd be Rod in a heartbeat.

Team evaluation:
>From being THE premiere fast-break team of the early nineties, the 
Blazers have metamorphosed into a half-court team built round the 
considerable talent of Arvydas Sabonis.  They still rebound tenaciously, 
and defend better than ever, but running just ONCE in a while would be 
appreciated, by the fans AND Rod Strickland.  However, build on your 
strengths, and PJ rightly realised that Sabas is the franchise for now.  
But PLEASE guys, WORK ON YOUR FREE THROWS!

Team Needs:
The major need is at SG, although the team management is apparently high 
on McKie.  He's too inconsistent and a little too short for my liking.  
Also, the Blazers lack a classic 3: Cliff is now at PF, and none of the 
other forwards are slashers or perimeter scorers.  Centre and PG are 
solid, IF Strickland stays, and Whitsitt has publicly said he has no 
intention of trading him (whatever that's worth).

So that means that I select....

Dontae' Jones!

ANOTHER forward, you groan?  Well yes.  He's the BPA in this draft, and 
he lit up the NCAA tournament in a way that reminded me of Juwan 
Howard's play a couple of years back.  He's a pure scorer at SG and 
seemed capable of getting his points in the half-court and on the break 
(not that THAT'S an issue for the Blazers).  Cliff has just slumped too 
often when needed, and the Blazers need scoring where they can find it.  
PLUS he's got infectious enthusiasm, something severely lacking in this 
season's team.

Others considered, still available:
Ryan Minor: Reminds me of Majerle, and could swing to big guard.  He was 
a very close second, and I predict he'll have a big rookie campaign.  
His outside shot scared me a little, but I could regret not picking him.
Steve Nash: If Strickland was gone, I'd take him.  However, I'd still 
like to see how Childress develops.

Others considered, just taken:
Jerome Williams: Buck will have to be replaced eventually, and he seems 
ideal.  He also has infectious enthusiasm.  I would be happy to see the 
real Blazers nab him.