The Portland Trail Blazers former big three of Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, and LaMarcus Aldridge had the potential to run the league someday. In their brief time playing together as a big three, the Blazers had a record of 50-12. Sadly, injuries got the best of them and they never reached their potential. What could they have been if they had stayed healthy and together? Perhaps, a true NBA dynasty.
Brandon Roy
Brandon Roy was the 6th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. He was an electric, 6'5 scoring guard from the beginning of his NBA career. He made the All-Star game in his second, third, and fourth seasons in the league. Sadly, Roy's career was cut incredibly short due to the loss of cartilage in his knee. He retired in 2013, at the young age of 26.
Greg Oden
Greg Oden was an elite center prospect from the time he was a sophomore in high school. He was an athletic, bruising big man with a prowess for rebounds and blocks. He had a variety of post moves and could finish in almost any way. He was the 1st pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Blazers but he never got to achieve that potential due to devastating knee injuries. He could have been an elite two-way big man with championship equity.
LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge had the most successful and longest career of the three young stars, also starting his career with the Blazers. He was a smooth post-scorer with an excellent mid-range game. He was a better defender than he was ever given credit for and he contributed to some great teams throughout his career. He was a seven-time All-Star and a Hall of Fame talent.
Championships
Determining when the Blazers would have best had a shot at a championship can be difficult. They would have had very legitimate shots in both the 2008-09 season and the 2009-10 season. The Western Conference was won by the Los Angeles Lakers in those two years. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were formidable forces, but the Blazers had a lot of talent to match up with those players. The Blazers had two really great two-way role players that helped them match-up specifically well with the Lakers: Andre Miller and Nicolas Batum. Still, those Lakers teams were very good and they had the experience on their side. If they had beat the Lakers in those seasons, they would have been perfectly matched up with the Boston Celtics or the Orlando Magic out of the East.
Their best chance to become consistent finals contenders would have been in the following seasons. As the Miami Heat built their super team, the West was looking for a team to fill the hole left by the Lakers. The Dallas Mavericks stepped up in the 2010-11 season, but the Blazers could have been the team to truly step up. They would have been a great matchup for the Heat as well. Oden and Aldridge could wall off the paint and force LeBron James and Dwayne Wade to beat them with jumpers just like the Mavericks did.
For the rest of the Heatless era, Portland would have had to contend with the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, but they would have been solid match-ups with both of those teams. After that time, the Blazers would likely end up beginning to fall-off around the beginning of the Golden State Warriors Dynasty. Still, the Blazers would have had a large window to compete.
Long-Term Consequences
As crazy as it sounds, the Blazers would still have been able to get Damian Lillard in the draft. Lillard was drafted with the Nets' pick that was acquired in a trade for Gerald Wallace. The trade was likely to happen no matter what as it wasn't motivated by tanking. Lillard could have been a star to keep the team young and motivated as their championship window went on.
The Blazers would not have been able to get CJ McCollum in 2015, but they would have still had a core of Damian Lillard, Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Wesley Matthews, and Will Barton. That is a great core that were all around their prime in 2015 and could have remained in contention for years to come.
Conclusion
If the Blazers' trio of stars could have been a contender for a long time if they had remained healthy. The Blazers would still have Damian Lillard to carry on the franchise after Greg Oden and Brandon Roy aged out of their primes, and they could have been championship contenders for years to come. If Roy doesn't deal with cartilage issues, he is almost certain to make many more All-Star games and likely be a Hall of Famer. Oden and Aldridge would be looked back on one of the better frontcourts of the decade. The Blazers would likely have at least one championship banner hanging in the Moda Center by now, if not more.
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