NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

Yahoo - Allow us to introduce: Greg Oden, Steve Blake, Channing Frye, James Jones, Taurean Green, Josh McRoberts

Dearly departed: Zach Randolph, Ime Udoka, Jamaal Magloire, Fred Jones, Dan Dickau

Is that confetti in your hair? Losing Oden for the season certainly didn’t help the Trail Blazers’ playoff chances, but they have another talented young big man poised for a breakout season. LaMarcus Aldridge, whose development made it easier for Portland to part with Randolph, has frustrated opponents with his inside play. With Brandon Roy, last season’s Rookie of the Year, quickly growing into a leader, Portland’s young roster could contend for a playoff berth sans Oden.

How’s Cancun in June? Roy has already been slowed by a sore left heel – the same injury that caused him to miss 20 of Portland’s first 25 games last season. And among all those young legs, the Trail Blazers have just two true veterans: Joel Przybilla and Raef LaFrentz, the latter of whom played in only 27 games last season.

In the crosshairs: Given a $12 million contract and an opportunity to start, Travis Outlaw showed up at training camp and promptly failed the team’s conditioning test. Even worse: Outlaw’s greatest basketball skill, allegedly, is his athleticism. He also arrived late for the Blazers’ first preseason game, quickly earning him another meeting with coach Nate McMillan and general manager Kevin Pritchard.