2006-2007 Finish: 42-40

What went well

What a difference a GM makes. After losing in Game Seven of the NLL Finals last season, the Portland Trailblazers were poised to roar back in 06/07 to try and reclaim the Western Conference crown. Then long-time GM Jowe quit the team and the Blazers collapsed without him.

Before he left, GM Jowe made one last trade. He sent disgruntled sophomore Chris Taft to the Nuggets for Kenny Thomas and James White. Besides that, the only offseason moves were re-signing the team's big four (Ben Wallace, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and Zach Randolph). They all thougt they would be playing again under the NLL Western Conference GM of the Year. They were wrong.

The Blazers did not play bad ball. They finished above .500, but the Hornets won a tie-breaker and made the playoffs. The Blazers went home. Terry and Randolph both played phenomenal ball. Wallace was elected Defensive Player of the Year. So the season wasn't a total disaster, but it didn't fulfill the city's hope for repeated glory.

What didn't

Without GM Jowe, the Blazers went from champion caliber to a middling bunch. Pierce sat out most of the season in protest. The team seemed to be able to play well until the last few weeks of the season where they bottomed out going 6-11 to drop out of the playoff picture.

Stars

- Jason Terry, PG-

Terry finally shed his 'goat' image in his two seasons in Portland. Last season he really took over the team and rained in 32.9 points per game. He hasn't lost any of his quickness or speed and in a short time, he has emerged as the big draw over Pierce and Wallace. He just re-signed a long deal and should be in Portland for years to come.

- Zach Randolph, FC-

Z-Bo followed an injury-shortened season with another one, but in the 63 games he did play, Randolph averaged 11.8 points and 10.6 rebounds. Many may think the Blazers don't get enough games out of this guy for money, but the Blazers didn't start to tank until after he went down for the count. Besides the starters, the Blazer lineup is pretty thin, so he should still have great opportunities next season to score a lot.

Goat

- Paul Pierce, GF –

We know you were upset when GM Jowe hit the road, but did you have to sit out most of the season, Paul? We know that Pierce did injure himself, but we also know that he played in only 39 games last season. Pierce, never one to sit quiet, complained at any opportunity about the lack of stewardship the Blazers had. When he was on the court, he scored an impressive 29.8 points on 54% shooting. But he didn't make the All-Star game for the first time in four years. He says next season will be big. Let's hope the Blazers get someone in there to replace GM Jowe soon.

Looking to the future

The Blazers need a GM. The Big Four are locked into place for many years. The team just needs them to stay healthy. If the team can re-sign Aleksander Pavlovic (a restricted FA), they should be good with a starting lineup. They are a little bit over the cap and they should use the MLE on a player or two that will really help the squad.

Besides Pavlovic, Jason Hart, Josh Powell, Michael Ruffin, Will Blalock and Thomas all expire. Besides Thomas (and they should think here), the Blazers should really let the others go. Powell is young, but he didn't contribute much in his two seasons in Portland. In the draft, the Blazers picked up Texas A&M senior Acie Law. With Terry locked down at point guard, Law will be a good pick-me-up off the bench. He was the top point guard in the draft and should develop into an amazing NLL player. Also picked up was Chris Richard, who may or may not make the squad.