Liberate Channing Frye & Travis Outlaw

Thanks to my pharmacist barista, I feel like spreading more G-ODE silver lining. I admit Portland will be bad next season. Hell, they were already likely to suck; no offense to Oden, but the team was terrible with an experienced/crafty All-Star in the frontcourt, and Gregory wasn't entering the league at 25 points per game by any dreamer's effort. With Zach Randolph in New York, the Blazers were already going to have a problem getting together some offense. Only four players in the entire league used a larger share of their teams' offensive possessions than Z-Bo last season (T-Mac, Wade, Kobe, Melo). Brandon Roy was fairly consistent as a creator (for himself and others), but Randolph was statistically the centerpiece by a large margin.

If Nate McMillan is concerned about offense -- and he should be -- then his rotational decisions should be evident. The assumed frontcourt options are to start a tandem of LaMarcus Aldridge/Joel Pryzbilla or go with Channing Frye/Aldridge. Pryzbilla is actual allergic to shooting; the resultant hives are not pretty, I assure you. Frye, though disappointing in his sophomore Knickerbocker campaign, has shown elongated flashes of vast offensive efficiency. I doubt you need any convincing Aldridge has budding beauty in his core on that end of the court. And a Aldridge/Frye frontcourt could take some pressure off Roy in the halfcourt while providing gazelle-like targets for pass-minded Steve Blake and Jarrett Jack.

McMillan can one further to really give this team an offensive identity in Oden's absence: Start Travis Outlaw. When Aldridge and Randolph both sat during the last nine games of last season, Outlaw averaged 20 points a night on 31 minutes and showed zero hesitation in hoisting up the shots. (In the season finale against Golden State, he took 18 shots and 16 free throws.) I'm not saying a Blake/R.O.Y./Trout Law/Frye/Aldridge lineup makes you Phoenix -- but it sure as heck douses the G-ODEless sting a bit.