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What Could Have Been The Next Best Dream Team: 2008-2009 Trail Blazers

  • Mar 10, 2025
  • 2 min read


By the 2008/2009 season, the Portland Trail Blazers were pursuing to become the next dream team. Brandon Roy, Greg Oden and Lamarcus Aldridge were a killer combination of phenomenal shooting records and strong defense. So… what happened?


From a courtside perspective, those big three had the potential of becoming NBA champions. At least two championships would have made sense for the direction the team was headed. A 52-10 record, Brandon Roy being a three time All-Star from 2008-2010 and averaging 22 points per game, Lamarcus Aldridge being one of the best shooters in the league at the time, and Greg Oden defending his way through each game as one of the sturdiest guys on the court. 


A wave of similar injuries struck the team like lightning– causing a quick and bittersweet end to what could have been the next dream team. Greg Oden and Brandon Roy both suffered nonrecoverable knee injuries. Oden retired by 2012. Roy retired in 2011 but returned to play just five games for the Timberwolves in 2012 before officially retiring once again. Just three years after their departure, Lamarcus Aldridge went to play for the Spurs, leaving the team in the hands of Damian Lillard.


The generation of Lillard with Andre Miller, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and Steve Blake on the team had potential of their own. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t put together a core group of guys like Roy, Oden and Aldridge that were on track to becoming NBA champions. This gave some effect towards Lillard becoming one of the best players in the league without a championship ring. 


If it wasn’t for the double injuries, would Roy, Oden and Aldridge have become a memorable dream team and 2X NBA champions? Would the Blazers have gained more names in their Hall of Fame? 






 
 
 

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