For the Portland Trail Blazers, the future should be now

I don't think it's any real surprise that while the coaching staff and management for the Trail Blazers has expressed their desire to compete for a playoff spot, that their chances for reaching that goal seem slim at best. The team has struggled massively with rebounding since the trades of Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby, and the interior defense has been inconsistent as well. The Blazers clearly have entered a rebuilding mode, and could have as few as six players under contract when the NBA draft rolls around, depending on whether they exercise team options on Jonny Flynn and/or Hasheem Thabeet, as well as a potential buyout for SF Shawne Williams.

For this team to truly start to rebuild, the front office needs to know what they have. The team is trying to do right by its fans, which is admirable, but the Blazers' hopes for the postseason are likely a pipe dream.

While Joel Przybilla re-signed with the team, he's clearly no longer in his prime and could choose to retire at season's end, or chase an opportunity for a ring with a contender (as could Kurt Thomas). Craig Smith fell into former coach Nate McMillan's doghouse earlier in the season for dominating the ball in the post, and has seen only garbage time minutes since. Raymond Felton has shown promise over the last half dozen games, but with the team entering a rebuilding phase, he's likely not a long-term option for the team. Jamal Crawford has been the usual shoot first, ask questions later player that will either shoot you into or (more often times this season) out of a game. With a $5 million player option for the '12-'13 season, Crawford has indicated he'll likely decline that option and test free agency.

The two players that the Trail Blazers are likely to build around going forward are wing Nicolas Batum and All Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Batum still has a tendency to disappear from games if his shot is not falling early, but has the talent to be a third option on a good team. Batum has a good stroke from outside, can attack the basket off the dribble and has shown flashes of being a great defender.

Aldridge is clearly the franchise cornerstone, and has one of the best inside-outside offensive games of any player in the league. Aldridge is also a solid defender in the post, and runs the floor as well as any big man in the league.

Wesley Matthews is likely going to stick around for a while as well, as he's a solid perimeter defender who has a good three-point shot. While his contract isn't great (a little over $20 million over the final three years of his deal), he's never missed a game due to injury in his career, and provides the team with a solid hustle player.

The team has its fair share of young players on the roster. Before second-year shooting guard Elliot Williams had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, he had been showing a knack for scoring, tallying 88 points in 149 minutes on 50% shooting from the field. An elite athlete, Williams has shown flashes of being a potent scorer off the bench for the future. While his injury history is a concern, its possible that Portland could use him in a role similar to Jamal Crawford's this season, though I wouldn't expect him to receive over 20 minutes per night.

Jonny Flynn got his first significant playing time of the season against Oklahoma City on Tuesday, logging 10 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists (1 TO) in 25 minutes. While Flynn wasn't spectacular on defense against Russell Westbrook (then again, not many are), he did a fairly good job of keeping Westbrook in front of him and contesting the shot. Flynn has a $4.3 million team option that the Blazers have the option to pick up.

As mentioned before, J.J. Hickson gives the team two things it has lacked from frontcourt players not named LaMarcus Aldridge. Athleticism and points in the paint. Hickson has also displayed a level of hustle that Portland has been sorely lacking this season, as he works hard for every rebound and loose ball. While his basketball I.Q. may not be the greatest, it's also something that can be improved with good coaching and a willingness to learn. The Blazers can extend Hickson a qualifying offer this summer to make him a restricted free agent, which will give the Blazers an opportunity to match any offer he gets from another team.

Hasheem Thabeet looks the part of an NBA center, as he runs the floor fairly well for a big man and has fairly decent upper body strength. The problem is that he has a high center of gravity, and seems to lack the level of basketball I.Q. and athleticism needed to play in the NBA. Its highly unlikely that the team picks up his $6.4 million option, which would severely eat into Portland's cap space this summer.

Luke Babbitt has been largely an end of the bench player in his two seasons with the Blazers. Babbitt has solid athleticism, but has struggled adapting to the speed of the NBA game, as he appears to think instead of react. Babbitt has shown a solid shooting stroke in limited minutes (13 of 27 from distance this season, 48.2%), and has decent athleticism.

Nolan Smith has seen increased minutes after Elliot Williams went down with injury, becoming the primary backup to Raymond Felton. While he still has some time to develop, Smith has struggled with decision making and on-ball pressure, which leads me to believe that he might be better suited for shooting guard instead of point guard.

The problem with all my analyses of these young players is that its been such a small sample size. Only J.J. Hickson has seen the court enough to have an idea of what he is (and isn't) capable of, as Smith, Babbitt and Williams are all in either their first or second seasons, and have seen very limited floor time.

The Blazers could have as much as $23 million in cap space this summer, and could also have two of lottery picks in the 2012 Draft (if New Jersey finishes fourth or lower in the Draft Lottery). The team may try to lure one of the marquee free agents to Portland (Deron Williams, Steve Nash). Williams would be an especially nice pickup, as he's entering the prime of his career at the same time as Aldridge and Batum, and could form a nice trio. The problem is Portland is a small market, and its very rare for a top level free agent to choose the rainy Pacific Northwest, when there are cities with better weather and bigger markets to choose from.

If Portland is serious about the long-term success of this team, then interim head coach Kaleb Canales should start limiting minutes for Felton, Crawford and Thomas in favor of the younger players. With options that need to be exercised soon, the team can't afford to simply use practice as the determining factor in who stays or goes. With the playoffs a long-shot, the team needs to focus firmly on the future, even if that means a couple extra losses along the way.