Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Portland Trail Blazers finished last season with an even mark for the first time in four years, despite having the third youngest in the history of the NBA.

Thursday the team has five picks in the annual NBA draft.  As Andrew Theen reports, the city is abuzz with unanswered questions and wild speculation.

Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard  orchestrated a record six trades two years ago  producing franchise cornerstones Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Last year Pritchard lucked out with a logical first pick in Greg Oden.

This year's draft is a bit trickier.    The team has two first-round draft picks -- one acquired just Wednesday, and  three more second round picks. And they could combine some of those picks to get into the top ten.

Dave Deckerd: "This year it's wide open.  Which might not mean as much for the Blazers' talent acquisition.  But it means a ton in terms of intrigue."

That's Dave Deckerd -- an Idaho minister and founder of the sports blog Blazersedge.com.

Deckerd said draft day excitement has doubled visitors to his site in recent weeks.  Just check out one of the threads...there are easily 150 plus comments just on trade rumors.

Dave Deckerd: "Blazers could trade up, Blazers could trade down, Blazers could trade out entirely, and we don't know which of those is going to happen."

For fans like Ben Isaacson, speculation is part of the fun of draft day.

Isaacson runs the philly cheese steak stand at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland.

Customer: "Can I get two waters too?"

Ben Isaacson: "Two waters? yeah...."

Isaacson wants the team to get older, not younger.

Ben Isaacson: "I would like to see them pick up players that they can get the most trade value for and then try to get themselves a veteran, probably at the small forward position or point guard.  Because as good as our guys are at that position they are all young."

Isaacson bought season tickets for next year.   With Greg Oden returning from micro-fracture knee surgery and the appearance of European star Rudy Fernandez, some fans are expecting the Blazers to make the playoffs, but Isaacson says he doesn't think the team is ready yet.

After the tough years of the Jail Blazers era, fans have returned to support the new breed of Blazers.

A lot of those players are popular in the community.  But for his part Ben Isaacson doesn't mind if the team lets some current players go.

Ben Isaacson: "They are great, and they are inconsistent.  So, whatever is going to glue them together, I think it's a veteran and i think it's the right way to go.   And if we have to lose some of our guys that's fine."

The draft day lore of Kevin Pritchard has spawned 3 groups on the social networking site Facebook, one titled "in Kevin Pritchard we trust".

That's kind of unusual for a guy who doesn't suit up for the actual team.   A lot of Pritchard's popularity is attributed to deliberate marketing, says cheese-steak purveyor Ben Isaacson, but, he adds, it's hard to argue with results.

Ben Isaacson: "It seems that every time Paul Allen appeared to have control, or Bob Whitsitt appeared to have control things went horribly wrong.  Now when Kevin Pritchard appears to have control everything seems to be going pretty well."

The NBA draft coverage tips off on ESPN at 4 pm Thursday.