10 Feet High

The Portland Trail Blazers may have just completed their basketball renaissance. GM Kevin Pritchard – despite all his faults - is borderline ridiculous with his moves to make Portland into a legitimate contender.

ESPN.com is reporting that they have offered Jazz PF and beast extraordinaire Paul Millsap a four-year contract worth between $32-36 million. Millsap isn’t a household name just yet, but he will be soon.

To put it the bargain of this deal into perspective, this would be like someone going into a BMW dealership and getting a brand new 5 series sedan for $15,000 off the asking price.

I know everyone loves the Lakers, Celtics, Cavs and even Magic as contenders next season, but it’s official, the Blazers are in that mix. Assuming Utah does not match the offer sheet on its restricted big man, Portland may now feature the best trio of big men in the NBA – with Aldridge, Joel Przybilla and his nine rebounds may be the best back-up center, and Millsap. The addition of Millsap takes pressure off of Sam Bowie (I mean, Greg Oden) and gives him time plenty of time to develop out of the limelight and not hurt his already damaged ego anymore.

With All-Star guard Brandon Roy only getting better, and the smooth shooting Rudy Fernandez on the perimeter, as well as a healthy Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw, this team has all of the tools to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Their only concern is Steve Blake at the point, who despite coming off one of his best seasons as a pro, remains too offensive minded and isn’t the facilitator such a talented team needs. Still, Blake is a solid floor general who doesn’t hurt you at this stage in his career. The youngster Jerryd Bayless from Arizona has a bright future ahead of him, and in time - if he's not traded as rumors have suggested - will be the dynamic point guard this team desperately needs.

In the first round against Houston, Portland got hammered on the glass. But it was more than just Yao Ming. Energy guys like Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes beasted the Blazer big men on hustle plays and loose ball scenarios. For all his talents, the young Aldridge's toughness and overall grit remain a work in progress. Oden still has no idea how to play, and Przybilla is foul prone, which is why Millsap is the perfect fit in the 503. An energy guy himself, Millsap loves contact and will immediately bolster the frontline of the Blazers. He can score on the block, yes, but his real contribution offensively is rebound put-backs and drive dump-offs.

In other words, he will go out and get you 15 and 10, but won’t demand the ball on the block and take away important touches from Roy and Aldridge.

To win a championship in this league, I think you need three key ingredients:
1. Top 10 player (Roy).
2. Top 25 player (Aldridge).
3. Top 50 player (Millsap).

Don’t believe in this formula? Just take a peak back from the past five Larry O’Brien winners: 2009 – Lakers – Top 10 (Kobe Bryant), Top 25 (Pau Gasol), Top 50 (Lamar Odom).
2008 – Celtics - Top 10 (Kevin Garnett), Top 25 (Paul Pierce), Top 50 (Ray Allen).
2007 – Spurs – Top 10 (Tim Duncan), Top 25 (Tony Parker), Top 50 (Manu Ginobili).
2006 – Heat – Top 10 (Dwayne Wade), Top 25 (Shaq), Top 50 (***Udonis Haslem/Antoine Walker***small exception to rule), but in this case, you have a top 5 player in Wade overcompensating).
2005 – Spurs (Same three as in '07).

Millsap’s new deal is hard to match because it’s heavily front-loaded, so it’s safe to say his acquisition is the premier signing of the off-season. This catapults Portland from a good squad into a team fully capable of winning a championship within the next three years.