However, with the season-ending knee injuries to both Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden, Portland is left in desperate need of somebody that can patrol the center and allow for effective perimeter defense, something the team has been struggling with since Pryzbilla and Oden went down. This is where Camby comes in. Although he is not a scorer, only averaging 7 points a game, Marcus Camby is currently second in the NBA in rebounding —averaging 12.2 rebounds a game— and is sixth in the league in blocked shots, blocking 1.9 shots a game. With Camby, Portland will now be able to match up with the likes of the Lakers’ Pau Gasol, Nene of the Denver Nuggets, and San Antonio’s star Tim Duncan.
“I’m going to bring my hard hat every night,” Camby promised at his press conference after the deal was completed.
If this holds true for the end of the season, the Portland Trailblazers may continue their rise back to one of the premier franchises in the West.