Trail Blazers and Jazz the best of a division in flux

What went right:

The rich got richer.

Actually, we have no idea how owner Paul Allen's portfolio is doing. But in terms of roster-rich, the Trail Blazers are in buy mode, ready to pounce on opponents who, by comparison, are barely scraping by. Portland already was in good shape at the guard spots with Brandon Roy, Steve Blake and Sergio Rodriguez. Now the Blazers have added rookie Jerryd Bayless and Spanish import Rudy Fernandez. Bayless, acquired from Indiana in a draft deal, excited Roy with his summer league play. "I like the way he plays, his aggressiveness," Roy told The Oregonian a few weeks ago. "More than anything, I like his attitude.''

The two seem like a natural fit, with Roy directing the offense and Bayless capable of handling other point-guard chores. Then there's Fernandez, who spent last season overseas and brings that extra seasoning to Portland. Coach Nate McMillan, one of Team USA's assistants, had a VIP seat for Fernandez's Olympic performances. "I'm sitting there with a straight face, trying not to smile,'' McMillan said, after witnessing Fernandez's 22-point outing against the Redeem Team in the gold medal game. "That's my player and I want to [applaud].'"

Brandon Roy isn't done growing his game.

Already, Roy has demonstrated that he can handle playmaker duties from inside a prototype shooting guard's body. Lately, he's been working on moves more suited to his size (6-6, 229), including coming off screens and becoming a tireless catch-and-shoot threat. You don't want Roy off the ball all that much, but after a dedicated summer (and another recovery from minor knee surgery), he might hurt foes by doing that, too.

What went wrong:

Expectations are way out of whack.

Given the obvious talent and the team's history -- it won an NBA championship during its first taste of the playoffs back in 1977 -- it's understandable that fans see big things in store for the Blazers. But this team is not ready yet. It remains the youngest in the NBA and Portland's players are all still growing, on the floor and off, and learning what it takes to win. Better that the Blazers take a modest step this season and keep advancing beyond that, than to soar too high and fall back.

Darius Miles could end up costing them big bucks.