Team Needs: Help on the offensive end. Backup power forward, different starting small forward.

Outlook: Portland had its worst season in franchise history. After a plethora of years making it to the playoffs, Portland had fell on hard times the past few years and it has taken a toll on everyone. They were near the bottom of the NBA in tickets sold and could use some help from someone in this draft on offense as well in the ticket office.

With John Nash out and Steve Patterson currently manning the General Manager spot, no one knows who is going to draft for the Blazers. A possible replacement could be Kevin Pritchard, the Blazers? Director of Player Personnel. He served as the interim Head Coach in the ?04-?05 season but would be a prime candidate for the GM position. Another option could be Kiki Vandeweghe, who helped the Denver Nuggets return to the playoffs for the first time in a while.

With no GM in position, the Blazers are anenigma. They have the young pieces to trade up as well as a couple of picks. Toronto would love to trade down if they can get their hands on Andrea Bargnani at the #5 pick instead of #1, but Portland, without any trades set in stone, still have some questions to answer.

Most Suitable Prospects:

Adam Morrison ? Morrison is a scorer and the type of win-or-else player Head Coach Nate McMillan wants. He may have a hard time on the defensive end at first, but working with McMillan on his D could tunr him into an All-Star. Diabetes will play a part in his overall future, but he is the type of scorer who can lead the Blazers in points per game, even as a rookie. And that?s an area Portland needs help in. The weight that he intends to put on, as his agent told RealGM's Andrew Perna on Wednesday will surely help him hold up under the physical stress of an 82-game schedule.

Brandon Roy ? Roy may not be great at one thing, but he?s very good at everything, something rare in today?s NBA for rookies just coming into the League. McMillan is said to be infatuated with him because of his ability to score, defend and lead by example. If Portland does not trade up, Roy could become a viable candidate for the #4 pick.

Many people question why the Blazers would take Roy when they drafted Martell Webster with their Lottery pick last year. In this draft, Portland would be best served going for best player available if the player they truly covet, LaMarcus Aldridge, is off the board. Because of the recent success of deep but small teams like Dallas and Phoenix, a team like Portland could buile their backcourt around Roy, Webster and Sebastian Telfair.

Rudy Gay ? Many people may feel that Gay reminds them too much of malignant Darius Miles. But Gay has the talent and will to succeed in Portland, something Miles felt he could not be comfortable with. Gay was inconsistent at UCONN, but he has the tools to become an elite small forward in the NBA. And he would be an upgrade athletically to Viktor Kryhapa and an all-around upgrade to Travis Outlaw.

Tyrus Thomas ? The Blazers may not go for an offensive project like Thomas, but he is the type of player who could sell tickets and the Blazers are in need of a player who can sell tickets. He may not make the electric plays he made at LSU right off the bat, but when he gets some polish on offense, he could become McMillan?s future go-to defender on both small forwards and power forwards.

Best Case Scenario: Morrison or Roy. Both have relatively local ties to the team and would become the instant contributors the Blazers need on the offensive end. Although Roy may be the more complete player, Morrison has the ability to immediately score from everywhere on the court. Portland is a tough, defensive-minded team and Morrison could help the Blazers on offense as much as the team can help him on defense. Plus it would help to have the Ammo?s mustache be renamed the ?Morrison Bridge.?

Worst Case Scenario: Thomas. If Aldridge, Roy and Morrison are off the board, the Blazers would probably have to go with Gay, even with Thomas on the board still. Right now, Thomas is a couple of years away from being an instant contributor on both ends of the floor and Portland needs immediate results from their rookie. Either way, the Blazers would still be able to pick a quality player, but Thomas does not fit what Portland needs.

Other '30 Days, 30 Teams' articles:
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Raptors
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Bulls
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Bobcats
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Blazers
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Hawks
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Wolves
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Celtics
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Rockets
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Warriors
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Sonics
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Magic
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Hornets
30 Days, 30 Teams on the 76ers
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Jazz
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Hornets
30 Days, 30 Teams on the Pacers