Making Room For Rudy Rudy Fernandez is finally coming to Portland, and the Blazers are finally putting the pieces together for next season. But how exactly does Rudy fit into the plans in the Blazers backcourt? After numerous recruiting visits from the Blazers front office – including owner Paul Allen - over the past few months, Fernandez announced on Friday that he's agreed to join Portland, a decision Fernandez admitted was not an easy one by any means. "It wasn't an easy decision to take but it is the time for a new challenge after a fantastic year with (DKV) Joventut," the 23-year-old shooting guard, who plans to join the Blazers after the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer , said. "They have pushed hard for me to join them and have assured me I will be an important figure for them." The question now is will the "important figure" make the Blazers starting five? Or does Fernandez join the likes of friend and countryman Sergio Rod- riguez in the second unit, a role even Rodriguez had difficulty cracking for head coach Nate McMillan? Then again, finding a role that fits Fernandez – and the Blazers - best is one of several adjustments GM Kevin Pritchard and head coach Nate McMillan will look to solve this offseason. Now with Fernandez available at shooting guard, does McMillan finally make Brandon Roy the Blazers full-time starting point guard? Does Pritchard select another point guard in the upcoming NBA Draft, or shop the free agent market for a floor general? Obviously, Portland will be better off with Fernandez, a two guard who has a shelf full of MVP trophies and continues to draw comparisons to the San Antonio Spurs Manu Ginobili, than without him. And although many of the back- court and roster dilemmas in Portland will play themselves out in the coming months as player pieces begin fall into place, Fernandez' arrival certainly creates a ripple effect on the rest of the team. James Jones– an unrestricted free agent and perhaps one of the most integral members of the Blazers last season – has a choice to make about returning to Portland this offseason. With Portland already crammed at small forward with Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster, the addition of Fernandez could have a bearing on his decision. Jones (8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 44% 3pt fg) was troubled by a knee injury for the majority of last season and appeared in only 58 games, but when healthy and on the court the sharpshooter made every minute and shot count. Knowing Portland's obsession with getting older instead of younger, losing Jones to free agency would be a major loss in the locker room and on the floor. Martell Webster is also sure to have his role re-adjusted. Throughout all of last season, it was more common than not to have McMillan and his coaching staff to ask for more consistent scoring from Webster. Yet the jury is still out if the Blazers liked what they saw. Did Webster really improve? Was he aggressive enough going to the hoop when he put the ball on the floor? His numbers were up (10.7 ppg., 38% 3pt fg) and so were his minutes (28.4 in 70 starts), but will that be the case next season? Webster – who has been rumored to be on the block in Portland – may be the odd man out at small forward, especially considering how crucial Travis Outlaw was to the Blazers success last season and knowing the supporting minutes behind Roy may not be there anymore. Jarrett Jack will also fill some ill effects with a new guard in town. Jack is no stranger to trade talks, and last season was rumored to land in Cleveland or New Jersey at February's trade deadline. After sharing time with Steve Blake and Segrio Rodriguez in the Blazers backcourt, Jack often found himself watching from the sidelines in the fourth quarter while McMillan opted for placing the ball in Brandon Roy's hands. McMillan has already admitted he isn't opposed to having Roy run the point more often next season. Couple this with Fernandez' recent arrival - and belief that the Spaniard could even soak up minutes running the point now and again - and Jack's days in Portland could be coming to an end. Portland now finds themselves in a high stakes poker game with plenty of chips to work with. They have some players available to move if needed (read: Webster, Jack, and perhaps even Channing Frye), and four draft picks (13, 33, 36, 55) to use as liquid assets. The rest of June and surely July will bring more changes for the organization, but for now there is a true excitement around Portland with Rudy Fernandez named the newest member of the Blazers. Let the chips fall where they may. HOOPSWORLD：http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=8993 --

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