It also was reported that coach Nate McMillan — who was dealing with an injury to Steve Blake at the time — had pre-deadline concerns about his point guards. But a quick review of the numbers indicates the Blazers are ranked second in offensive efficiency; getting the ball in the basket out of their patterned sets doesn't seem to be a problem.

Portland also checks in at 30th in possessions per 48 minutes, which suggests that instead of going nowhere fast, a slower, half-court oriented offense is allowed to flow through the playing skills of Roy. And if the point guard du jour can bring the ball into the forecourt without incident, defend the position and make open shots, point guard concerns may be overblown.

It should be noted that the league's most statistically efficient offense can be found in Los Angeles, where the Lakers punish the scoreboard with no card-carrying point guard in the starting lineup. This doesn't mean Roy is the equal of Kobe Bryant as a defense-challenging threat or that the Blazers need to run the triangle. But it does reveal that — especially as rookie Jerryd Bayless continues to evolve — the Blazers can flourish without spitting up a key rotation player for someone who fits the point guard definition on offense without being able to defend.

But going forward (in time and in the conference standings), Portland and its maturing roster must commit to a consistently stingy effort on defense. The Blazers are ranked 18th in defensive efficiency, which is last among teams currently registered as playoff-bound.

Goal-tending improvement from Oden — with rebounding and fly-swatting assistance from Aldridge — also improves the Blazers' overall versatility by allowing McMillan to play three perimeter-oriented players at the same time. This (in theory) would boost defensive pressure and allow greater spacing and dribble penetration on offense.

Tactics and player groupings can be irrelevant without leadership from a premier player, and the Blazers have one in Roy. Blazer fans eventually may rejoice that Pritchard didn't compromise future roster flexibility by attempting to swing for the fences now. Sure, the window of title opportunity doesn't stay open forever, but Portland's is barely cracked.

How far the Blazers go in the coming years depends on how Pritchard massages the cap in building around Roy.

Considering the wisdom used in acquiring Roy in the first place, I'd say the franchise is in pretty good shape.