Hollinger's NBA Power Rankings - Blazers Number 4?

The Portland Trail Blazers are finally getting some love from John Hollinger and his uber nerd rankings.  It sort of feels a little dirty seeing them ranked so high while still being such a young and inexperienced team as compared to the 3 teams above them doesn't it?  But man, they deserve this after the way they have been playing over the month of November.  Congrats boys!

(click image for the big boy version)

Oooooh LaMarcus! Blazers put it to Detroit. 96-85

Another double digit and convincing victory over an NBA powerhouse!  The two stars for Portland shined bright this afternoon in game against the Detroit Pistons that had the "Bad Boys" on their heals from the beginning.  What kind of statement was made today in game 1 of a 5 game road trip?  Portland has arrived.

*Side note!  Did anyone catch the Cheetah Girls in possibly one of the worst renditions of the National Anthem ever?  Carl Lewis was proud today.

Quick Recap:

The Pistons starters looked a little sluggish from the opening tip and the Blazers quickly took control of the game opening up at one point a 14 point lead.  The second units came in and Detroit's looked much more aggressive and physical while making a sizable dent in the lead the starters had built.  The game was close down the stretch with the Pistons taking the lead with just a few minutes left until Brandon Roy decided it was time to take over.  A series of pick-and-rolls with LaMarcus Aldridge along with a couple of quick layups from Roy and this game turned into a route out of no where. 

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge were better than any other player on the court.
• Allen Iverson is not fitting in.
• And Rip Hamilton is feeling the effects of it.
• Rasheed can still play, but his days are visibly limited.
• Thank god Batum got some solid minutes!
• Thank god Outlaw didn't!
• Solid defensive rebounding job from Oden which is what we need.
• He also made a solid impact on the defensive end in general.
• What a showing at a weird time of day at the beginning of a road trip!
  

Plus/minus sheet:

Highlights for those of you football-ing on a Sunday:


Box score.

The Worst Trade in History? Conley and Warrick Blazers? Spare me.

I didn't really want to bring this up, but wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't.  Many of you have been hearing the chatter or rumors flying about a possible deal with the Memphis Grizzlies which would send Travis Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez out of town for Mike Conley, Hakim Warrick and Javaris Crittenton.  (Ick.)

Portland has long coveted Conley, in large part because of his childhood friendship with center Greg Oden. Conley and Oden grew up together in Indianapolis, playing together through a Final Four season at Ohio State. Pritchard knows that Conley has the credibility to get in Oden’s face when he needs a push, and that’s played an important part in his trade explorations.

We need someone to get in Oden's face?  GROW UP GO.  You shouldn't need childhood buddies to get you motivated.

Luckily Kevin Pritchard came to his senses and released some sort of statement squashing this ridiculous idea of a trade.  I'm still not sure why the Blazers front office likes Conley so much?  By no means do I think the kid is a better player than either Blake or Sergio.  And we all sure as hell know that Hakim Warrick is only half the player that Travis is.

OK, I've said enough about this rumor.  Blah.

5 Thoughts vs. Detroit 11/30

Ahhh, the beginning to an extremely difficult road trip against a powerhouse like Detroit.  This should be quite the test and no matter what the outcome, could set a tempo for the rest of this east coast swing.  Since this game is the first of 5, you get a shortened version of the "thoughts" today with 5.  Lets hope it's enough!

1.  Detroit is just barely swinging a close friend of ours, the ESPN Accuscore.  +1 Pistons
2.  Battle of the bad No. 1 draftee 7 footers.  Toss Up
3.  Runnin' Rip vs. Runnin' Rudy.  Toss Up
4.  No "Answer" for Brandon Roy.  +1 Blazers
5.  You better be damn physical Blazers.  Toss Up

Totals:  Blazers 1   Pistons 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers 

(I know that says toss up, but these boys are damn hot.  Plus, don't we all despise the Pistons and that grind-em style of play?)

Poll: Most Impressed with so Far?

We asked the question to readers, "Who are you most impressed with so far?"

Those results aren't all that surprising are they?

My Take:

I personally voted for Batum as we already knew what we should be expecting from Rudy.  We've seen the hundreds of Youtube clips and we all definitely saw his play during the Olympics so rather than being "impressed" I would say more like "satisfied."

Batum on the other hand couldn't get off the bench in summer league and was almost guaranteed to be heading back over seas to play a couple more years.  And then, something changed and just days before the season kicked off vs. the Lakers, there was chatter about him possibly starting?  Of course, he didn't start that game, but has started since and has made quite an impression.

I'm starting to get worried about the return of Martell Webster.  He's never really fit his game into the NBA or with the Blazers and we are all aware that once he returns, he'll be starting and Batum will be struggling to get off the bench next to Bayless.

Time to start cooking up trade talk with either Martell or Travis?

Your thoughts?

"Your" Blazer Dancer Blondes

Please welcome Lindsey, Melissa, Cristi, and Kimberly; your 2008-09 Blazer Dancer blondies.

Did Someone say Home Court Advantage? Blazers Dismantle Hornets. 101-86

Best start since 2000-01?  Best start at home since 1998-99?  This team is really looking like something we imagined but didn't think possible for at least a few more years.  Oden's progress is definitely taking its sweet time, but the rest of the team is rolling.  LaMarcus seems to have found himself, Blake and Sergio are making quite the point combo, and Rudy Fernandez on any given night, is a spark that any NBA team would dream of.  Oh, and did I mention that Brandon Roy is quickly moving himself into elite territory?

Quick Recap:

Since I was out "James Bond-ing" tonight, I can't add much to this except from what I see from the box score, minimal highlight reels, and this horrific "Talkin' Ball" show on CSNW.  So lets jump straight to the bullets.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Blake and Sergio sure took care of Chris Paul for the second time this season.
• Luckily, David West was also shut down.
• The hype around Oden is starting to die off, and that's a good thing.  For him.
• It's OK to take nights off Brandon, but we like this version much better.
• Peja Stojakovic is not going to lead any NBA team to a win.
• Martell, please stay injured.  We need Batum.
• How big of a disappointment has Tyson Chandler been this year?
• I'm shuddering a bit while thinking about the upcoming road trip.

Plus/Minus sheet:

Hightlights for those of you watching James Bond tonight:


Box score.

15 Thoughts vs. New Orleans 11/28

The ultimate team effort was put on display Wednesday against the Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers will need much of the same tonight against the New Orleans Hornets.  Still sitting at undefeated at home on the season, this will be a true test.  Or should we just say that Chris Paul is that "true" test?

15 to get it going!  (Feeling a "Toss Up" battle?)

1.  Turkey hang over?  Toss Up
2.  Travis, Brandon and LaMarcus at Ibiza Wednesday after the game.  +1 Dammit
3.  Lets make it 7-0 at home?  +1 Blazers
4.  Hornets just rattled off 4 straight.  +1 Hornets
5.  ESPN's Accuscore showing just enough love.  +1 Blazers
6.  The thought of James Posey hitting 8 more big shots?  +1 Dammit
7.  Chandler and Paul leading the alley-oop category.  +1 Hornets 
8.  Rudy and Sergio not far behind!  Toss Up
9.  Needing to find an answer for David West?  Toss Up
10.  LaMarcus showing up against another elite power forward?  Toss Up
11.  Oden vs. Chandler?  Toss Up
12.  Melissa only worth $299.99?  Toss Up
13.  Beavers vs. Ducks chanting at the game?  Toss Up
14.  Bigger game, Roy or Paul?  Toss Up
15.  Needing a major positive before an ugly east coast road trip?  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 3   Hornets 2   Damnit 2  


Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews

• Sheed's Shakedown. [Bust a Bucket]
• An in-depth preview.  [Blazers Edge]
• The other side of the fence.  [Hornets 247]
  

Blazers Plus/Minus vs. Heat 11/26

It is sort of hard to look at the plus/minus ratios during a 38 point blow out, but as you can see from our subtle little highlights, Joel is still out-performing Greg.

Those numbers are closing in and Oden definitely played well tonight.  I would still like to see him carry more of a presence on the defensive end like Joel has started to do, but that will come with time and experience.

Funniest stat from that sheet?  Roy and Rudy as the lows. 

Hell of a team effort tonight boys; nice work.

Miami...Sucks? Blazers Cruise over Heat. 106-68

Are the Miami Heat one of the worst road teams in history or is the Rose Garden just that big of an advantage? Probably the latter, but still, the Miami Heat were completely exposed tonight and where was Dwyane Wade? I think this quote about sums it up:

"From the beginning of the game, all the way through, they outclassed us and outplayed us," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Still, it was a fun sight to see; even if we were in section 304!

Quick Recap:

The Portland Trail Blazers put up a season best 37 points in the first quarter to jump out to a 20 point lead that never got below 10.  The second and third quarters were pretty even between the teams while the fourth quarter pratically mimicked the first.  You know things are going well when Brandon Roy scores just 8 points and the team wins by 38.  It was quite the team effort the entire 48 minutes.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Greg, you played well tonight, but seemed to disappear for about 30 minutes.
• And nice new look too by the way.
  
• What a defensive effort from LaMarcus and Joel!
• Tonight just wasn't your night Mr. Wade.
• And who else do the Heat even have besides you?
• Six players in double figures, and none were Roy.  Wow.
• I have a giant man-crush on Batum.  Find this kid some damn minutes!
• Beasley tried to dunk on Joel...hahah.
• Thatta baby Channing!
• You too Sergio with those 11 assists and just 1 turnover.

Highlights for those of your prepping turkeys:



Box Score.

A Trip Around the NBA - 11/26/08

Every now and then instead of focusing completely on the Blazers, we like to spread some love to our friends around the world covering the greatest game on Earth.

• LeBron James loving life in New York?  [Cuzoogle]
  
• Umm LeBron, this just isn't fair man.  [Hoop Doctors]
• Andray Blatche is the new Shawn Marion?  Eh.  [Give Me the Rock]
• Oh no, Ron Artest is vlogging.  [Ball Don't Lie]
• From New York City, with love.  [Hoops Addict]
• The new LeBron "Chalk" commercial.  [Hooped Up]
• Magic Johnson not recommending Isiah for jobs?  [Full Court Press]
• Today's date in NBA history.  [Nugg Doctor]
• LeBron needs to stop copying Rondo.  [Loy's Place]
• Seeing as I live in Oregon, I had to post this.  So classic.  [Tar Heel Fan]
• Steve and Barry's going out of business is not surprising.  [Vent About Sports]

15 Thoughts vs. Miami 11/26

How about some pre-Thanksgiving thoughts to get your holiday weekend going!  The Heat are in town and Sir Dwyane Wade will likely be in full form.  He's been on an absolute tear over the last couple of weeks (which is good for my fantasy team), so lets hope "your" Portland Trail Blazers can keep him somewhat in check.

1.  5-0 at home feels great!  +1 Blazers
2.  Shawn Marion out again (family funeral).  +1 Blazers
3.  Heat are 2-4 on the road?  +1 Blazers
4.  Battle of the bad point guards resumes.  Toss Up
5.  Haslem vs. Oden.  +1 Haslem Heart
6.  Blazer Dancers wearing silver shorts and cowboy hats again.  +1 Thanks!
7.  Miami hasn't lost back to back games all year.  +1 Heat
8.  Beasley scores 20 and is still a non-factor.  -1 R.O.Y.
9.  ESPN Accuscore seriously loves the Blazers at home.   +1 Blazers
10.  Greg Oden starting again.  Toss Up
11.  Chances of Dwyane Wade scoring 40.  +1 Heat
12.  Przybilla again as the deciding factor.  +1 Blazers
13.  What's with all the Y's in names in weird places?  Toss Up  
14.  We'll be there cheering!  +1 Rose Garden
15.  Turkey thoughts a distraction?  Toss Up 

Totals:  Blazers 5  Heat  2   Haslem 1   Thanks 1   R.O.Y. -1   Garden 1 

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Blazers Previews:

• Sheed's Shakedown baby!  [Bust a Bucket]
• Your detailed approach.  [Blazers Edge]
  

Blazer Dancers go Red Fringe?

A new outfit on the Blazer Dancers scene would be this skimpy little red fringe cocktail dress?  Enjoy my friends...

And did anyone catch those silver shorts last night?  Hopefully those pictures will be on their way.

Way Too Close Boys. Blazers Sneak by Kings. 91-90

The Rose Garden wasn't quite as eletric last night as it has been and the play on the court reflected that.  Not a lot of energy at times from the Portland Trail Blazers who were lucky to sneak away with this win from an extremely banged up Sacramento Kings squad.  One major positive?  My section 103 seats behind the Kings bench!

Quick Recap:

A quick start from Portland was exactly what we expected against a team that they blew out just days ago.  However, once that first quarter was over with, the game became much tighter and the Blazers rarely looked like a team that was on the verge of dominating anyone.  Brandon Roy carried the team down the stretch again to secure a win while the rest of the team looked, well, pretty awful.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Greg, Greg, Greg.  Wasn't sure you were even in the building tonight buddy.
• LaMarcus, get out of this damn slump.  It's starting to get old.
• And just think, Kevin Martin didn't play.
• How good has Joel Przybilla been?
• Steve caught fire for a bit tonight.
• What happened to Sergio over the last 3 games?
• Spencer Hawes right now, is twice the player Oden is.
• Defensively, the Blazers have a long way to go if they plan on making a run.

Highlights for those of you watching Monday Night Football:



Box score.

Shout Me Out Tonight?

I'll be at the game tonight with a buddy who is a HUGE Kings fan.  So if anyone wants to grab a beer and heckle the hell out of him, give me a shout!  He'll likely be wearing this throwback Kansas City Kings jersey that I gave him a while back, so he'll stand out like a sore boob.

Just yell something like, "KEN YOU KNOB!"

Got the BlackBerry with me so if you use the Contact Form to give me your number or something, I'll definitely get it.

GO BLAZERS!

15 Thoughts vs. Sacramento 11/24

We took a game off from the 15, or should I say a weekend off from the blog. It was a much needed break, but now we are back in full Blazers force. The Kings are in town, we'll be at the game with a friend who's a giant Kings fan, and I can't wait to watch his face drown in disappointment after they get destroyed. Again.

Could this bet he first "15" shut-out?

1.  Likely no Kevin Martin again. +1 Blazers
2.  Blazers easily 4-0 at home.  +1 Blazers
3.  Kings officially getting screwed by ankle injuries.  +1 Blazers
4.  Blazers on a 2 day rest and ready to spend a week at home.  +1 Blazers
5.  Blazer Dancers updated their page!  +1 Boy Shorts Designer
6.  John Salmons remains the Kings go-to guy.  +1 Blazers
7.  Bobby Brown plays basketball?  +1 Blazers
8.  An excuse from Yahoo that the Kings play 17 games this month.  -1 Sympathy
9.  Because the Blazers play 16.  Toss Up
10.  Living and dying by 3's?  Toss Up
11.  Remembering Reggie Theus from "Hang Time."  +1 Saturday Mornings
12.  Me at the game sitting next to a buddy in a Kings throwback.  +1 You Betcha
13.  Brandon Roy possibly being on every 15 as a +1?  +1 Blazers
14.  ESPN Accuscore at a whopping 87% for Portland.  +1 Blazers
15.  I love the name "Beno".  +1 Kings

Totals:  Blazers 8  Kings 1  Sympathy -1  Designer 1  Betcha 1  Saturday 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Blazers previews:

• Sheed's Shakedown as always from Bust A Bucket.
• Dave with another solid write-up from Blazers Edge.
• I'm sure Rip City Project's will be on the way.

2008-09 Blazer Dancers Team Photo. Finally.

The team photo and website has finally been updated!  I believe that this picture is available at Napa as a poster in case you are super obsessed weird into dance...teams.

We are now Members of SportsBlogNet.com!

We learned about the Sports Blog Net a while back through some friends and decided it was something we should probably join as well.  Our other site, the Sports Dollar is also a part of the network and has seen plenty of positives come out of it. 

As a sports blogger, this is definitely a site you should be checking out and trying to join.  Here is a list of the things the SBN can do for your blog:

• Increased Traffic: We feed a portion of your post through SportsBlognet.com and link back to your site
• Link Trade: Most of the other websites in SportsBlogNet are ready and willing to trade links with your site
• Increased Revenue:  We will offer your site to our advertising contacts on a daily basis
• Ability to network with other Bloggers: Not only will you be able to trade links but all the bloggers in the network are looking to network with new bloggers as away to promote eachother’s site
• Blog Tips: Periodically we will send out a newsletter with Blog tips on how to drive more traffic to your website
  

Sounds like a "no brainer" to me?  Obviously networks are great for any blog, but when you have one specifically built with the goal of helping your sports blog grow and make money, how could you ever turn it down?

Where's the Fire Greg Oden?

I know you are young, I know you have only played a few games, and I also know that you had to take an entire year off because of a major knee surgery, but seriously, show me some anger.  Show me some fire Greg Oden.

Jason Quick (of the Oregonian) brought up probably the most interesting note I've heard yet on Greg.  This will be paraphrased but basically he said that guys like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (the greats of the game) didn't need anything to get them going before each game.  Every night, they just knew how to turn it on; it was part of their chemical make-up or DNA.  With Greg, you just don't have that.  Essentially, he needs someone to light a fire under his ass to really get him angry and get his blood pumping enough to make a difference on the court.  "Bringing it" is not natural to Oden.  That...is not good.

Tonight against the Phoenix Suns, I really noticed what Jason Quick was referring to.  Instead of looking at this game as the opportunity of his life against Shaq and coming out with blood boiling, he just faded away into the bench.  He even had chances tonight to take on Stoudemire, whom we all know is not a top notch defensive player, and couldn't come through.  And sure, foul trouble played a part in his limited court time but even if he had 30 minutes tonight, he wouldn't have made a difference.

I need him to make a statement before I can ever truly become committed to the thought that this guy is going to take this franchise to incredible places.  If I have to see another image of his frowning face on the bench, I'm going to turn the channel.  Why is it that he's either frowning and getting all weepy and down on himself, or he's "back to being the old Greg."  Where is the consistency?  The only consistent thing we've seen with him so far is damn injuries.

I could also care less that he has a ton of pressure on him and huge expectations to live up to.  So do Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Paul Pierce, yet they continually find a way, year after year, to bring their best.  Pressure is something that comes with the territory and until he stops pouting at every mistake, he'll never be what Portland needs him to be.

Maybe he's just missing those intangibles that the greats are born with?  For Blazer fans (and myself), I hope Jason Quick is wrong.

On a side note:  Can he quit with that obnoxious swooping/leg kicking/backboard slapping annoyance of a dunk?  Just dunk the damn ball and come back down.  You don't need to try and rip the basket down with each dunk there big guy.  You practically kicked Amare Stoudemire in the face tonight because you are incapable of just dunking and dropping straight to the floor. 

Too Much Sun in Phoenix. Blazers get Burned. 92-102

Back-to-back games proved to be too much for the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.  Well that and not showing up on the defensive end, which seems like an almost nightly occurrence for this young team.  I'm also starting to get frustrated with Greg and his lack of fire or emotion when the team really needs it.

Quick Recap:

The first half of this game was pretty hard to watch as each team was ice cold on offense while also not playing much defense.  Nothing exciting happened except for Stoudemire posterizing Outlaw who then disappeared for the entire game.  Blake was on fire for the second night in a row which is sort of a good thing, but not when guys like Aldridge and Fernandez are throwing up clunkers you know it's going to be a long one.  The Blazeres put on quite a run late in the 3rd and then pissed it right back away by allowing the Suns as many open looks from deep as they could ask for.  The 4th quarter was slow and Portland just couldn't put a big run together.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Oden vs. Shaq was a snoozer.
• Aldridge was fairly flat the night after playing up to his potential.
• Brandon Roy is just damn amazing.
• Nash was key during a stretch where the Blazers made a run.
• Matt Barnes is such a tool.  What's with the helmet hair?
• Poor Outlaw really did get abused by Amare.
• Nice to see Blake playing so well.
• Sergio played 7 minutes?
• Time to give Batum more than 18 minutes a game isn't it?
• Come back home boys and rest up.

Highlights for those of you line dancing on a Saturday night:


Box score.

No 15 Thoughts vs. Phoenix 11/22

Sorry BoL readers, but there is no "15 Thoughts" for this game, although if you need something to tide you over, you can read the thoughts from the 11/1 match-up between Phoenix and Portland.  In that episode, I picked the Suns to win in dominant fashion.  Well, I'm sort of changing my stance at that after what the Blazers have accomplished over the last 2 weeks.

This is going to be one hell of a game and the first battle between Oden and Shaq.  Should be fun!  And I'll be watching!

Hello Second Straight Blowout. Blazers Romp Kings. 117-96

The BoL was out of service last night and I was forced to keep track of the game on my BlackBerry.  At least the updates gave me a pretty good indication that this game was all Blazers.

Highlights for those of you out on the town with me last night:

15 Thoughts vs. Sacramento 11/21

One game at home and two more immediately following on the road? It has been one hell of a schedule so far for “your” Portland Trail Blazers. First, they start off with the toughest 5 game stretch to begin a season in decades, then head out on a 5 game road swing, come home for 1, and head back out for 2. At least their good fortunes have made this start much more acceptable. Now, on to the Kings and probably the most boring of NBA franchises. A little 15 to spice things up?

1. Looked at the Kings roster lately? +1 Blazers
2. Kevin Martin takes on Greg Oden part 2. Toss Up
3. Now realizing Martin is out for tonight’s match-up. +1 Blazers
4. Kings Dance Team is more than worth an hour look. +1 Kings
5. Maloofs vs. Paul Allen. +1 Kings (they own the freakin’ Palms people)
6. Spencer Hawes admittedly loving George Bush. -15 Idiot-ness
7. Greg Oden admittedly loving Barack Obama. +15 Smart-ness
8. Seriously, John Salmons is averaging 18.8 pts/game? +1 Blazers
9. Przybilla betting $1000 to the first player to dunk on Hawes. +1 Outlaw
10. Kings have won the last 3 meetings. +1 Kings
11. ESPN Accuscore! Woohoo! +1 Blazers
12. Kings website promoting an Oden vs. Hawes match-up. +1 I’m Laughing Right Now
13. This Brad Miller wallpaper. +1 Now Laughing Hysterically
14. LaMarcus breaking out of his prolonged suck-fest. Toss Up
15. Who is going to stop Brandon Roy? +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 5   Kings 3   Hawes -15   Oden 15   Outlaw 1   Laughter 2

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Blazers/Kings previews:

• Sheed's Shakedown at Bust a Bucket.
• Blazers Edge drops one.
• Check Sactown Royalty for enemy coverage.

The NBA Ugly List 2008

After watching the Blazers route of the Chicago Bulls the other night, I got a great glimpse at three members of this list.  Actually, you could call them the motivation behind it.  Players in the NBA have taken their looks, beards, hair, and tattoos to an all new level and should be recognized for how ridiculous they look.

With some commentary of course...

Anderson Varejao - The list needed to start off hot with "Side-Show Bob" and his hairstyle that hasn't been updated since the first Simpson episode.  Easy choice for this list.

Andres Nocioni - I didn't want to be reminded of the exorcist while eating pizza during a basketball game.  OK, I just threw up a little...and I caught it in my hand.  Ew.

Chris Kaman - Last year we called him the "Missing Link" and luckily he chopped the hair off to rid himself of that title.  But is this the new German look from his anti-American Olympic days?

Drew Gooden - He obviously didn't get the memo that the beard growing contest with Stevensen was over.  Is that tentacle trying to grab Deng's tongue?

Joakim Noah - The teeth.  The hair.  The attitude.  The yelling that we'll never forget from the NCAA Championships. Flat out ugly.

Marquis Daniels - Is that a Gremlin?  GIIIIIIIZMO!  It's Stripe, run!

Mike Miller - Caw-caw!  Oh...that's not a golden eagle or an osprey...

Shawn Marion - "Hello, Clarice..."

Adam Morrison - At least the locks and that pony tail are gone, but the Johnny Depp look is not flying.  Don Juan DeMarco what!

Chris Anderson - Kids, this is what a crack dealer looks like.  They wear fancy jerseys, sneakers, and headbands in public and usually have an old guy by their side for cover.

Pao Gasol - Hmm...not much to say about Pao, except that the beard and its 10 missing patches, drives me nuts.

Robert Swift - "Dear Lord, thank for you for not judging my black nail polish."  God - "WTF?"

Marc Gasol - And then Marc Gasol decided to eat another human...

Some honorable mentions include:

• The Lopez brothers
• Brad Miller's old corn rows
• Greg Oden's beard
• Stephen Jackson in general
• Tyronn Lue's corn row days
• Sam Cassell possible lifetime achievement
• Carlos Boozer inching closer

Any we missed?

Blaze of Glory - 11/20/08

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer ridiculousness and info. If you ever have anything to add to it, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes. (Kidding!)

• Henry Abbott clears up some of his remarks on Oden from yesterday.  [Blazers Edge]
• The greatest poster ever?  [Bust a Bucket]
• A great story including Zach Randolph and a fan.  [Deceptively Quick]
• Solid recap from last night as always.  [Rip City Project]
• Just a few dunks from last night?  [Blazers Blog - Oregon Live]
• Air Jordan's dedicated to the year the Bulls beat the Blazers.  [Kicks on Fire]
• Oden could still be the Rookie of the Year?  [Celtics Blog]
• Rudy vs. Juan Carlos Navarro.  [Pete Marasmitch]
• "Bad-News Bulls" is just about fitting.  [Portland Tribune]
• In random note, how about those Nuggets Dancers!
  

Whoa Blazers! A Hammering of the Bulls. 116-74

What a showing tonight from the Portland Trail Blazers!  During the opening minutes of the first quarter, this thing was basically decided.  So much for that big match-up between rookies Greg Oden and Derrick Rose, as Rose decided either not to show up or was completely shut down by the point guard tandom of the Blazers.

Quick Recap:

The Blazers jumped out to an enormous first quarter lead and never let up.  I was actually surprised to see Portland not allow any sort of comeback seeing as this year they have struggled at putting teams away once they grab a hold of a lead.  However, after leading 34-13 through one, the Blazers controlled each quarter thereafter finishing out with one of the most dominating performances I have seen from the Blazers during my 4 years in Portland.  Wow.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• The Bulls looked awful in every aspect of the game tonight.
• Did Derrick Rose make the trip to Portland?
• Greg Oden had a very nice debut in his home town.
• The things Brandon Roy continues to do, blow my mind.
• Haha, Joakim Noah.  I really wanted someone to foul out in one half.
• Nice to see Channing find a rhythm again.
• Joel Przybilla is probably the second most important piece to this team.
• Sergio is possibly solidified his spot as the future point guard.
• Nocioni's hair really does scare me.
• Aldridge showed signs of his normal self, but we are still waiting.
• There was a Larry Hughes sighting!
• Poor Bayless.

Plus/Minus sheet (since we showed this to you earlier):

Highlights: 






Box score.

Aldridge in Decline. Oden at Fault?

The recent struggles of LaMarcus Aldridge sort of boiled over last night in an ugly road loss to the Warriors. Without actually knowing the guy personally, it’s obviously a little hard to start throwing out facts as to why he is playing sub-par basketball. One thing we can do though, is speculate like a mofo!

My initial reaction was to think, “Oh he’s just in a little slump and will likely come out of it any day!” Well basically 4 games into this pot hole, he’s starting to spiral downward a little faster than “come out of it any day” would have imagined. I’m starting to wonder, is Greg’s majestic return pushing LaMarcus and his game away?

Let’s look at the stat side:

• Since Greg’s return in Miami, Aldridge’s minutes have been dropping in 10’s which is significant. In the first 7 games of the season, his minutes were hovering around 40 per game and with Greg now breaking shot clocks, his minutes have dropped to almost 31 per game. Of course, fouls, horrific refereeing, and luck play a big part in this stat, but it’s still worth a look.
• When was his last double-double? Against Orlando, or better yet, the night before Oden returned.
• His points per game are now down to 15.5 (9.75 per during Oden’s return) and rebounds down to 6.8 (6.25 per during Oden’s return). Those are pretty alarming if you ask me.
  

Why is this happening?

• We all read the story on the friendship between Roy and Aldridge right? That let us in a little bit on his personality and being a guy that doesn’t necessarily like to open up to either change or new experiences? Is Oden’s return not easily welcomed by the guy that was performing as good or better than Roy during those first 7 games? This team was clearly looking like Brandon and LA’s; is it still?
• From a game perspective, with Oden in the game, the team is obviously looking more in his direction. They are trying to work him into a groove by continuously feeding him the ball. I think it was Truehoop today that commented on how exciting it was to watch Oden and Roy work the pick and roll during the final minutes of last night’s game and I agree, but is it wise to push away your second best player?

Final thoughts:

• He’s completely disappeared and it’s frustrating to watch as a fan. We all know how good this guy is and during their 4 game win streak, he was arguably the best player on the team. We need that LA back before we start hearing “unhappy” talk and find him running around with angry Spanish agents. Maybe tonight, McMillan can send some extra focus his way rather than watch him get into early foul trouble and then quickly move away?

Something Disturbing from Last Night's Box Score.

First the ESPN box score which looks fantastic for Oden.

Now the Yahoo box score which doesn't look so fantastic for Oden.

 

Let's just hope that number improves or we may be preaching for more Joel.  This may look bad now, but it probably is needed in order for Greg to find his groove with this team.  I'm not about to say, "stop playing him" because I'd be an idiot.  I am saying that this is a stat we should definitely be paying attention to over the next month.

15 Thoughts vs. Chicago 11/19

(Look at Deng's face. He's flabbergasted by that beard.)

Aside from still being angry about last night, we should focus on more important teams that are from legit cities; enter tonight's match-up with Chicago.  The Bulls sporting the same record as the Oakland-ites come to town after getting dropped in Los Angeles last night.  Oh, and those Bulls also have yet to win on the road, so Blazers, let's keep it that way.

15 time!

1.  Portland 3-0 at home, Chicago 0-4 on the road.  +1 Blazers
2.  Battle of the Rookies:  Oden vs. Rose.  Toss Up
3.  Bulls with same playing style as the Warriors, but with far more talent.  +1 Bulls
4.  Chance to make it a third straight victory against Chicago.  +1 Blazers
5.  Joakim Noah’s shrinking playing time.  +1 Personal Satisfaction
6.  Drew Gooden’s 2008-09 beard.  +1 2008-09 NBA Beard Contest
7.  Our friend the ESPN Accuscore.  +1 Blazers
8.  Benny the Bull.  +1 Drunk Mascots
9.  Brandon Roy vs. Ben Gordon.  +1 Blazers
10.  Is that Luvabull wearing a crown?  +1 Blazers
11.  Sheed showing some love at the game.  +1 Blazers
12.  That nagging “points for” and “points against” stat.  +1 Bulls
13.  Vinny Del Negro’s hair, and a special post to follow.  +1 Bulls
14.  LaMarcus Aldridge comes out of his slump tonight?  Toss Up
15.  The seriousness of this game, with 2 tough roadies to follow.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 7   Bulls 3   Satisfaction 1   Beards 1   Mascots 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Blazers Play Awful and Hand One to the Warriors. 111-106

I'm hoping that many of you did NOT have the pleasure of watching this utter suck-fest of a basketball game.  From starting the game down 9-0 to letting some rookie, toolbox named Morrow put up 25 points, this game was disgusting.  Oh and the help from the referees wasn't making the night any easier.

Quick Recap:

The game was ugly from the get-go but the Blazers managed to hang around while rookie no-names dropped 3's and former Dukies flopped.  It continued to be sloppy throughout with the Blazers somehow going into the break only down 2.  The second half didn't get any better and the Warriors actually stretched a lead to over 10.  Of course, "your" Portland Trail Blazers manage another comeback and looked to almost pull off a miracle when 3 zebras decided to drink from the Blazer trough of hope; sucking up all chances that Portland created for themselves with squeaky little whistles and bad gelled hair.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Oden ended Biedrins double-double streak.  We told you didn't we?
• Oden dominated down the stretch with his best game to date.
• Roy was solid, but made a bonehead play, down 3 with 10 seconds to play.
• Stephen Jackson was awful, except the zebras handed him 10 free throws; which he made.
• Poor LaMarcus found plenty of time on the bench.
• Sergio looked very confident and made some major plays.
• Rudy was active, just couldn't drop the big one.
• Corey Maggette is rising as one of the most annoying players in the game.
• But Anthony Morrow as a rookie is far worse.
• Nate should have stood up for the team.  This was his chance to make a stand.
• At least now, they are coming home!

Highlights:


Box score.

Screwed Game Ball! Boland, Ayotte, and Delaney.

Hell of a game tonight by referees Matt Boland, Mark Ayotte, and Bob Delaney!

• You know which way the game is going when they allow LaMarcus Aldridge only 20 minutes of playing time which is about half his average. 
• Did Corey Maggette attend your "flopping" class pre-game?
  
• Was that a free throw violation on Travis Outlaw?  Can anyone find me the last time that was called at any level of basketball?
  
• Was that a foul on Rudy Fernandez, or should I say a foul on the guy who's jersey was being ripped off?
• Was that a technical foul called for Rudy showing you what a jersey being ripped off of him looks like?

And the game ball goes to...Mark Ayotte.

Game recap on the way, and as you can probably tell, I'm f-ing mad.

Blaze of Glory - 11/18/08

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer ridiculousness and info. If you ever have anything to add to it, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes. (Kidding!)

• Sheed's Shakedown for tonight's game.  [Bust a Bucket]
  
• A Rose Garden perspective from a couple of writes.  [Blazers Edge]
• Taurean Green tearing it up Europe?  [Deceptively Quick]
• Blazers moving up in Stein's rankings.  [Rip City Project]
• Joel Freeland still showing he's got skills in Spain.  [Basketball 24/7]
• Oden's Nike Power Max.  [Kicks on Fire]
• Roy's all black Nike Blue Chips.  [Sneaker News]
  
• Blazers must improve defensively in order to win tonight.  [Dwight Jaynes]
• Martell Webster hoping for a December 5th return.  [OregonLive - Behind the Beat]
• A report card for Rudy Fernandez.  [Beyond the Beat]
  

15 Thoughts vs. Golden State 11/18

Four games down and one to go to finish off the first major road trip of the year.  I would love to say that this trip has been a great success, but if the Blazers lose tonight in Golden State, all those high points may just be washed away.  Golden State is almost as awful as Minnesota except they have a legit coach that will guide them to a couple more wins.

A little 15?

1.  Portland is 4-0 when scoring 100, Golden State gives up 105.  +1 Blazers
2.  Oden on 3 days rest.  +1 Blazers
3.  Oden ending Biedrins 16 game double-double streak.  -1 Oden Haters
4.  Blazers losing 6 straight in Oakland.  +1 Warriors
5.  And losing those by an average of 14.0 points.  +1 Warriors
6.  Hello 2007-08 Warrior Girls.  -1 2008-09 Warrior Girls
7.  Monta Ellis not even getting a wallpaper.  -1 Monta Ellis
8.  Roy reminding Oden that he "killed it in college".  +1 Blazers
9.  Rookie Anthony Morrow scoring 37 again.  +1 Fluke
10.  Decline in scooter sales in Golden State.  +1 Monta Ellis
11.  Warriors playing their entire bench.  +1 Warriors
12.  The tattoo of all tattoos.  +1 Gun-toting Jesus
13.  Golden State with 2 losses to Memphis and 1 to Sacramento. Ouch.  +1 Blazers
14.  My Mom at the game.  +1 Blazers
15.  Brrrrrrrandon Roy!  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 6   Warriors 3   Haters -1   Dancers -1   Monta 0   Fluke 1   Jesus 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

7 NBA Logos Likely or Unlikely to Ever be Seen?

The NBA logo has so much history and is probably the most recognized logo in all of sports.  If a friend were to ask you "who is the player on the NBA logo?" and you didn't know, then you probably shouldn't consider yourself a serious NBA fan.  So to make the logo relevant to a new generation of fans, we threw out a few options...

7.  The GO-Hawk - We'd loved this hair, but starting out your first and entire season on the bench after being chosen #1 overall pretty much knocks this one from ever receiving consideration for an NBA logo.

6.  The Game Winner - As Blazer fan this would be the most amazing logo ever, but unlikely seeing as he's only in his 3rd year.  Although the shot he made that was inspiration behind this logo definitely warrants some consideration right?

5.  The Flying Miller Lite - Fighting is definitely not an option if becoming a logo has crossed your mind.  Oh, and getting hit by beer cups also isn't.

4.  The Superman - Oh Superman.

3.  The Can You Digg it! - Maybe someday, but the quotes, fortunately unfortunately will probably last longer than this silhouette.  Those were the years of a lot of hatred.

2.  The Defensive Stopper - Hell no.  This would be a damn disgrace to the game.

1.  The Future - I think we may have a winner.  Can't you see this happening somewhere in the future?  Class act, ambassador to bowling, and one hell of a ball player.

Your thoughts?  Any of these players stand a chance at making the logo? 

Too Close for Comfort, Blazers take out the T-Wolves. 88-83

Late write-up from a late night of celebrating!  This team is going to give me an ulcer if they keep letting teams hang around that have no business being on the same court as them.  The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that needs to be handled if this Portland Trail Blazer crew has expectations of making the playoffs.

Quick Recap:

This game absolutely should have been a blowout and wasn't.  At no point, did this ever look like the Blazers were going to take control and put away the T-Wolves and that's a little scary.  There was steady play again from Roy but the rest of the team disappeared in a game where Portland had many advantages.  They did pull together down the stretch defensively (or cold shooting from Minnesota) to come back and outscore the T-Wolves by 15 in the second half.  Thanks to some big plays from Oden as well, and this road trip is looking like a great success.  One more to go at Golden State!


Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Oden's presence was felt.  Jefferson actually looked scared with Oden on him at times.
• Thank you Brandon Roy.
• Calling LaMarcus, Rudy and Travis!  You guys still around?
• Al Jefferson is almost unstoppable at the block.
• Sebastian Telfair is sooooooooooo bad, and I'm giddy.
• And so is Kevin Love.  See his plus/minus from last night?
• Starting to feel bad for Bayless, especially with such a promising summer.
• The combo of Joel and Greg could prove to be too much for teams in the future and that's exciting.
  

Highlights for those of you that have a life on Saturday nights:



Box score.

15 Thoughts vs. Minnesota 11/15

Still hurting a little after last night's loss? Me too. The game was there for the taking and James Posey (that SOB) took it away from Portland. That said, there is nothing like bouncing back against one of the worst teams in the NBA! And Kevin Love loves the 15? Unlikely.

1.  Minnesota about to lose its 7th in a row. +1 Blazers
2.  Oden back to back double doubles? +1 Blazers
3.  "No one feels sorry for us." - Mike Miller.  +1 Blazers
4.  Well thank you very much ESPN Accuscore.  +1 Blazers
5.  T-Wolves last win over Portland? March 25, 2007.  +1 Blazers
6.  Is this a raccoon? +1 Blaze
7.  Kevin Love sucks.  +1 Blazers
8.  This is not Mike Miller.  -1 Yahoo Sports
9.  Tonight's arena theme, Cheer Competition?  -1 Umm...
10.  Chance of snow tonight in Minneapolis.  +1 City of Portland
11.  Chances of Minnesota starting 1-12.  +1 Likely
12.  Worst NBA site in the league?  +1 Also Likely
13.  Still laughing at FireMcHale.com.  +1 Hire this guy Minnesota
14.  Al "Markie" Jefferson telling Oden he's "Just a Friend".  +1 Still Laughing
15.  T-Wolves handing R.O.Y/All-Star Brandon Roy to the Blazers.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 7  T-Wolves 0   Blaze 1   Yahoo -1   WTF -1   Portland 1  Likely 2   Fire 1   Laughter 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Blazer previews:

• Sheed's Shakedown, as always from Bust a Bucket.
• Blazers Edge with some details.

Blazers Shut Down Chris Paul, still Lose. 87-82

Tonight's game was an interesting one to say the least. Both stars (Paul and Roy) were held in check and neither team really seemed to find any rhythm. The Blazers had hopes of a 3-0 start to this 5 game road trip, but went cold late and fell to the Hornets.

Quick Recap:

Like I just said, both stars were subpar tonight while the role players were definitely vital. Posey came on late and pissed me off with a couple of huge 3's while Greg pulled in the first double double of his career. It was tight the entire way, but the Hornets, with that home cookin', were stronger in the final 5 minutes to pull out a win.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format: 

• Nice to see Oden look like the guy we all hoped he'd be.  (Giant block what?)
• I hate James Posey just as much as before.
• Tyson Chandler is a machine on the defensive end.
• Peja is old and can't shoot anymore.
• Sergio and Blake with a nice job defensively on Paul.  (Nice work boys.)
• LaMarcus had a couple of spurts but disappeared when we needed him.
• David West was solid again.  Such a smooth player.
• No repeat performance from Rudy.
• Batum has officially looked his age.
• Brandon was also good in spurts, and sort of forced a late 3.  (We still love you.)

Highlights for those of you who have a life on Friday nights:

• Oden's giant goal-tend blocked shot.  (Updated footage.)

• And here is Oden's big ol' dunk off an out-of-bounds play:
  

• And the rest of the highlights:

Box score.

15 Thoughts vs. New Orleans 11/14

Hello 4 game winning streak!  Hello 2-0 start to a road trip! Hello next victim New Orleans!  Tonight probably marks the toughest test for the Blazers yet.  A game against a home Hornets squad coming off a loss to the oh-so-hated Lakers means, "Hello Motivation!"

Lets see if our 15 will do the trick!

1.  Lookout 3 game road winning streak!  +1 Blazers
2.  Super Dooper Oop Combo:  Paul to Chandler.  +1 Hornets
3.  Super Dooper Oop Combo:  Sergio to Rudy.  +1 Blazers
4.  Battle of the bad vs. amazing point guards.  +1 Hornets
5.  Honeybees, hot or not?  Toss Up
6.  That damn ESPN Accuscore.  +1 Hornets
7.  Rudy renaming parts of New Orleans to the “Spanish Quarter”.  +1 R.O.Y.
8.  West vs. Aldridge.  Toss Up
9.  The “Posey Factor”.  +1 Hornets
10.  The “Peja jacking up unauthorized 3’s Factor”.  +1 Blazers
11.  Hugo vs. Blaze.  +1 Hornets
12.  Brandon Roy’s pain threshold.  +1 Blazers
13.  McMillan vs. Scott in the battle of coaching power stances.  +1 Nate
14.  Chris Paul’s consecutive 20-10 streak.  +1 Ridiculous
15.  This becoming the match-up to see for years.  +1 Guaranteed

Totals:  Blazers 4   Hornets 5   R.O.Y. 1   Nate 1   Ridiculous 1   Rivalry 1

Predicted Winner:  Hornets (pfft, barely)

Other Blazer previews:

• Sheed's Shakedown over at Bust A Bucket.

NBA Dancer Boy Shorts Continued...

Just the other day, we gave you the Blazer Dancers' new uniforms (boy shorts!) which turned out to be quite the hit amongst men ages, 15-99.  Well after perusing the interwebs of the NBA, we noticed many other dance teams sporting these not-so-boy-like shorts and figured you needed more!

Charlotte Ladycats

Boston Celtics Dancers

Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dancers

Miami Heat Dancers

Dallas Mavs Dancers

Sacramento Kings Dancers

Houston Rockets Power Dancers

Philadelphia Sixers Dancers

Golden State Warrior Girls

Blaze of Glory - 11/13/08

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer ridiculousness and info.  If you ever have anything to add to it, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes.  (Kidding!)

• Anyone see this interview with Brandon Roy?  [Street Roots]
• Oden makes it through his first game. (roll eyes) [USA Today]
  
• Oden talks about his first performance.  [GO's Yardbarker Blog]
• Casey Holdahl not sleeping, but talking Rudy.  [Center Court]
• Plus, Rudy completely stole the show last night.  [Blazers Beat]
• Kevin Durant gets his Nike Blue Chips.  [Sneaker News]
• I just thought the title of this article was entertaining.  [Les Gehrett]
  
• An interview with tall British machine, Joel Freeland.  [Portland Trail Bloggers]

Dwyane Wade gets a lot of Calls. Blazers Win. 104-96

Make that 2-0 to start the 5 game road trip?  Who is this new founded, road dominating, actually hanging on to a lead, team?  Who has the next Rookie of the Year?  Who has a big goofy 7 footer who sings N*Sync?  Who actaully fills their arena unlike the Miami Heat?  "Your" Portland Trail Blazers, damnit!

Quick recap:

Quite the game again last night against Wade, Beasley and crew.  The game started out looking like blowout material with LaMarcus receiving untouched layout after untouched layup.  There was actually a 14 point lead in there I believe until the old Blazers showed up instead of laying the hammer down.  Still, the game over the last 6 minutes of the 4th, was never really in jeopardy and Brandon Roy once again came up huge.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Dwyane Wade goes 11-15 from the line, puts up 36 points, draws in about 6 phantom calls, throws down a huge two-hander over 3 Blazers, and the Blazers still win!
• Oh and Greg Oden returned as well!  He did have one bucket and a free throw allowing him to sneak into the box score, finally.
•  Rudy, Rudy, Rudy.  Was he not in the freakin' zone last night?
• Sergio actually played pretty well against the Heat's horrible point guard combinations.
• Did anyone see Oden make Beasley into his b*tch?
• Why is Chris Quinn logging minutes for an NBA team over someone like Dan Dickau?
• Marion not playing was a gift.
• LaMarcus needs to not disappear after starting out so hot.
• Thank you again Brandon Roy.  Every time Wade made it a point to go at him, he returned the favor.  It is nice to see him maturing into a very elite level of player.

Highlights for those missing the 2 channel action:


Box score.

Greg Oden's First Basket, EVER.

Keep this one for your kids!  Greg got in the game, grabbed an offensive rebound, did a little spin, and threw one down.  It must have been such a huge relief for him to get out there and find some sort of feel for the game.

Hopefully some more minutes against the Hornets from big GO. They'll definitely need it...

Paul Pierce. Damn!

In a non-Blazer related note, Paul Pierce takes out the undefeated Hawks at the buzzer.  Time to start thinking the Hawks are for real?

It's Official, Greg Oden is Back.

Caption time anyone?

Blaze of Glory - 11/12/08

The Blaze of Glory is your almost-daily link list of Blazer ridiculousness and info.  If you ever have anything to add to it, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes.  (Kidding!)

• Forget the need for a veteran when you have Roy?  [Bleacher Report]
• Terry Porter is getting that jersey retired.  [Portland Mercury]
• Now the Blazers are going to look at trading Sergio?  [HoopsWorld]
  
• More coverage on the BDL Interview with Roy.  [OregonLive Blazers Blog]
• Yes, Oden is ready.  [AP]
• Channing's AZ block record in jeopardy!  [Arizona Republic]
• Oh, and Frye's favorites are up at his blog.  [Channing Frye Blog]
• KP vs. Darius Miles.  [Deceptively Quick]
  

Ball Don't Lie's Interview with Brandon Roy

 Nick Friedell, a contributor to Yahoo's Ball Don't Lie, had a chance to sit down with Brandon and discuss a bunch of stuff.  This guy is just an amazing individual and should be incredibly inspiring to kids of all ages.  It's people like Brandon Roy that need to be presented to the world rather than the Allen Iversons of the world.  (Different subject for a different time!)

Here is a quick excerpt on his thoughts towards Barack Obama:

BDL: You said after last Thursday's game that your shots didn't mean anything compared to what Obama accomplished. Has he inspired you to get into a political career down the line?

BR: I wouldn't say he's inspired me to get into a political career, but I think he's inspired this season to be a role model, something I wanted to do beforehand, and now that I see him, how much he motivates people that I'm around, that are in the NBA, it's inspiring for me. I think the message for him is, he can't carry all African-Americans, he needs us to step up also, and be leaders in our community, and that's what I'm trying to do.

Good luck tonight boys!  It should be a hell of a game; I think we all know the history of Wade vs. the Blazers.  Let's hope they can overcome it...

15 Thoughts vs. Miami 11/12

Game 2 of the first road trip of the season!  Woo!  "Your" Blazers stubbed the hell out of the Magic the other night, ending a few different streaks in the process and now have their sights set on the Miami Heat Dancers.  Tonight is another "must have" with a trip to New Orleans only days away.  The Heat have been somewhat surprising though, with the complete return of Wade and steady play of Beasley and Chalmers.

But are they any match for...the 15?!

1.  Heat Dancers are 3 time defending champs ?  +3 Moving to Miami
2.  Brandon Roy's back.  +1 Heat
3.  Dwyane Wade.  +1 Heat
4.  Not allowing another home consecutive winning record .  +1 Blazers
5.  Michael Beasley's shenanigans.  +1 Blazers
6.  Miami winning by 18.0 on average at home this year.  +1 Heat
7.  Asking your friend to spell Yakhouba Diawara .  +1 NBA Knowledge Pride
8.  Oden vs. Haslem.  +1 Blazers
9.  Heat Dancer Laura reading the bible while watching Scarface.  +1 Scared
10.  Alonzo Mourning hovering in the January distance.  -1 Kidney Transplants
11.  Shawn Marion's mask which he loves so much .  +1 Rip Hamilton Jokes
12.  Battle #2 of the bad point guards.  +1 Blazers
13.  GameCasting the first half while at work.  +1 Productivity
14.  Our rookie topping all the charts.  +1 Pritchard
15.  Thinking 5-3 looks much sexier going to New Orleans.  +1 Blazers


Totals:  Blazers 5   Heat 3   Moving 3   Pride 1   Kidneys -1   Masks 1   Productivity 1
Pritchard 1   Scared 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Blazer game previews:

• Sheed's Shakedown at Bust A Bucket.
• Blazers Edge as always.
• Rip City Project throwing out some thoughts.
  

Oden Maybe Playing Wednesday?

The chatter and rumors are flying this morning!

Rotoworld.com is reporting that with his practice on Sunday he may be in?  Do they not know that he's been on a court for the last almost week at least shooting and warming up?  We'll see what the REAL word is when Quick or Meagher weigh in later today.

Oh, and if that link mysteriously stops working, please let me know!

Blazer Dancers get New Outfits? Boy Shorts!

I think it was Esquire that decided one of the greatest inventions of the last 75 years was women wearing boy shorts.  The Blazer Dancers also decided that was a good invention and designed their hottest outfits yet...

• Our coverage of NBA Dancers and boy shorts has continued... 
• Cuzoogle is also looking at the top 20 College Basketball programs the right way!

____________________________________________________________
Get your NBAPI 2009 NBA Finals Kobe Bryant MVP T-Shirt!

Interview with LaMarcus Aldridge before Magic Game

Andre Aldridge interviews LaMarcus Aldridge and calls him cousin?  Can anyone confirm this is true or was this just a joke because they have the same last name? 

He admits that Dwight Howard is a beast around the basket (which he proved in the game) and talks about the road woes that have plagued them over the past couple of season.

Blazers Battle Refs, Drop the Magic. 106-99

Hell of a damn job tonight by the Portland Trail Blazers!  Most people had them losing the opening game of a 5 game road trip, but the team itself, had some other plans. 

It felt like the refs were out to get them tonight, Tyrone Biggums was in the building, and a nasty losing streak against the Magic was also hovering.  So what did they do?  Gave the ball to Brandon Roy who dominated.

Game thoughts in exciting bullet format:

• Roy forcefully took over the game.
• LaMarcus looked intimidated by Dwight Howard.
• Howard was an absolute beast in the first half.
• How on Earth does Turkoglu go off for 35?
• Blake easily won the battle of the bad point guards.
• Although he was horrific again defensively.
• Who is Rashard Lewis again?  Still haven't seen him this year.
• Big thanks to Outlaw for some game ending pass deflections again.
• Rudy, you are just smooth.
• Joel, 10 minutes is probably good.  Any more and you would have surely been ejected.

We'll hopefully have some video footage soon!

Any thoughts of your own?  How will the rest of the road trip shake out?

Box score.

15 Thoughts vs. Orlando 11/10

A 5 game road trip needs to get started on a positive note or things can spiral exponentially downward in a hurry.  After 2 giant home wins and back to .500 overall, the Blazers better come ready to play.  Orlando has been at home for an entire week playing the schmucks of the east, so no guarantees on this one, except the usual 15!

1.  Blazers 3-0 at home, 0-3 on the road.  +1 Magic
2.  Orlando on the verge of closing out a home stand at 5-0.  +1 Magic
3.  Oden actually making the trip out east!  +1 Blazers
4.  Portland hasn’t won in Orlando since Nov. 24, 2004.  +1 Magic
5.  J.J. Redick averaging 0.5 pts/game.  +1 Kellex’s Personal Satisfaction
6.  Dwight’s padded tank top from Adidas is not cute.  +1 Nike
7.  Orlando’s Dunking Dancers.  +1 Magic
8.  Regular Magic Dancers.  Eww.  -1 Pre-Season Audition Panel
9.  Rudy vs. Dwight part 2.  Toss Up
10.  LaMarcus vs. Turkoglu/Lewis?  +1 Blazers
11.  Roy flowing off of 2 straight game winners.  +1 Blazers
12.  Battle of the bad point guards.  Toss Up
13.  Early game not influencing the Monday Gossip Girl party.  +1 I Didn’t Admit That
14.  Those new Orlando Uni’s.  +1 Magic
15.  Pressure to win game 1 of this road trip.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 4   Magic 5   Satisfaction 1   Nike 1   Audition Panel -1   Embarrassed 1

Predicted Winner:  Magic 

Other Blazers-Magic previews:

• Bust a Bucket's Matchups.
• Rip City's road trip coverage. 
• Blazers Edge digs deep.
• Third Quarter Collapse on their home squard. 
• Orlando Magic blog talks about the home stand.
  

A Little Reminder to Dwight Howard...

If this happens again tonight, I may just...just...declare an official man-crush on Sir Rudy Fernandez.

2008-09 NBA Power Rankings - Week 3

Another week down and it still doesn't feel like the season has really started rolling.  Atlanta is lucky undefeated while the Spurs are 1-4, New York is winning while the Wizards are plummeting; maybe this year will follow suit to the NFL season which has been absolutely ridiculous?

On to the week 3 rankings!

The Joe Calzaghe's:
1.  Los Angeles Lakers
2.  Boston Celtics
3.  Atlanta Hawks
4.  Cleveland Cavaliers
5.  Utah Jazz
6.  New Orleans Hornets
7.  Phoenix Suns
8.  Toronto Raptors
9.  Detroit Pistons
10.  Orlando Magic

The Roy Jones Jr.'s:
11.  New York Knicks
12.  Portland Trail Blazers
13.  Houston Rockets
14.  Miami Heat
15.  Denver Nuggets
16.  Chicago Bulls
17.  Milwaukee Bucks
18.  Memphis Grizzlies
19.  Sacramento Kings
20.  Dallas Mavericks

The Retiree's:
21.  Indiana Pacers
22.  Philadelphia Sixers
23.  Golden State Warriors
24.  New Jersey Nets
25.  Charlotte Bobcats
26.  San Antonio Spurs
27.  Oklahoma City Thunder
28.  Minnesota Timberwolves
29.  Los Angeles Clippers
30.  Washington Wizards

Don't forget to check out the weekly rankings over at Cuzoogle!

Official Blaze of Love MySpace Page!

The Official Blaze of Love MySpace page has launched!  It looks a little plain now, but it'll grow in due time.  MySpace, although a tad spammy at times, can really act as a great tool for us to communicate with fans of the Blazers. 

The MySpace page will be a simple extension off of the blog and will be updated on a fairly regular basis.  Expect to see pictures from past games we've attended and other fun fan experiences.  It's MySpace, but it should still be a ton of fun.

Make sure to add us to your friends list!  And feel free to spread the word to the rest of your Blazer fan friends.

Blazers Sneak One Out Against Minnesota. 97-93

You know that old saying, "Don't play DOWN to your competition"?  Well, someone should have shouted that in the ear of every damn Blazer player tonight.  After rocking Houston the other night, Portland took on the Minnesota Timberwolves and just barely snuck by with a win.  If it wasn't for Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge AGAIN, I'd have been embarrassed.

Quick highlights and then our take:




Some thoughts in uber exciting bullet format!

• Blake was still really bad.  A couple of clutch shots, but basically disappeared again.
• Sergio played!  A lot!  Surprised?
• Aldridge was slow early on and actually looked to be abused by Jefferson.  Luckily for us he turned it on late and ended up making several key buckets down the stretch.
• Roy was Roy.  Although he was slow again for 3 quarters, he came up big with a bucket to put the team up with less than 20 seconds to play.
• Al Jefferson is a freakin' beast.
• Telfair was as unimpressive as ever.
• Kevin Love was non-existent.
• The T-Wolves definitely look like a bottom feeder and the Blazers played down to it.
• The Rose Garden came up big again.
• My first game of the year was the real deal.

One a side note, I've got to give a huge thanks to the guys over at Bust A Bucket for hitting me up late with an extra ticket!  I came home after a solid day of college football and beer-ing to an email from Sheed offering up a seat at tonight's mayhem.  How could I resist?

Was very cool to meet some fellow Blazers bloggers and chat about the team, life, and Blazer Dancers.  Hopefully we'll do it again guys.  Thanks!

The Assassination of Michael Jordan by the Coward Kobe Bryant

Has anyone else seen this video?  I know this isn't Portland Trail Blazers related, but this is remarkably well done.  Very cool stuff here and worth the 3:32 it takes to watch it.

15 Thoughts vs. Minnesota 11/8

I still get a few chills after thinking about that win against the Rockets the other night.  After such a high, can this team pull it back together and take down the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves?  I hope so, damnit.  After that first 5 game swing, they came out 2-3, but now they'll hit the road for an East Coast swing that could make or break the first half of the season.  Time to step up and grab one more at home before you take off boys!

15 time!

1.  Baffled-laughing ticket agent telling me this game sold out.  +1 Blazers
2.  Chances of Outlaw posterizing Kevin Love.  +1 Blazers
3.  Sebbie Telfair!  +1 Blazers
4.  FireMcHale.com's opening flash.  +1 Priceless
5.  Mike Miller's hair.  +1 T-Wolves
6.  McMillan now worrying about players' minutes.  +1 T-Wolves
7.  Minnesota's last win in Portland, Dec. 7, 2005.  +1 Blazers
8.  Number of pairs of torn Nike B-Roys.  -1 Hotness Shoe
9.  75% to Portland on the ESPN Accuscore.  Ouch.  +1 Blazers
10.  Number of times Kevin Love is booed.  +1 Non-Privileged Kids
11.  Number of times Kevin Love is cheered.  +1 Lake Oswego Yuppies
12.  Number of times Sergio is booed.  +1 Already Tattered Ego
13.  Rose Garden fever from the Houston game.  +1 Blazers
14.  Al "Biz Markie" Jefferson.  +1 T-Wolves
15.  Brandon Roy encore.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 7   T-Wolves 3   Priceless 1   Shoe -1   Real Kids 1   Yuppies 1   Ego 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

An Interview with BoL

Just wanted to tip you all off to an interview we took part in over at the And One blog.  Carolyn is one of our long time friends dating back to our Le Basketbawl days, and was kind enough to sit down and drop a few questions on us. 

Here is a quick snippet:

Q. Tell us why the Blazers are going to lose to Cleveland in the playoffs.

Answer. Nice of you to place a 1-3 and Oden-less team in the NBA Finals already! It is going to be one long season, that's for sure. But if we do get there, let me just say that Lorenzen Wright isn't going to scare anyone.

Hope you enjoy!

Blaze of Glory - 11/7/08

The Blaze of Glory is your daily link list of Blazer ridiculousness and info.  If you ever have anything to add to it, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes.  (Kidding!)

• The Sergio Rodriguez conversation from practice today.  [Blazers Edge]
  
• A disaster if the team trades Travis Outlaw?  [Columbian] 
• I told you already, that Seattle likes the Blazers.  More proof.  [Seattlest]
• Some guy actually says Luke Ridnour is better than Blake.  Hah!  [Sporting News]
• 10 most productive rookies.  [Surge the Blog]
• Yes, Greg's return date is in doubt.  [Fan Nation]
• Damn right Joel played a solid game on Yao last night!  [Houston Chronicle]
• How clutch is Brandon Roy?  [Blazer's Blog]
  
• More frustrations with the Blazers' TV deal.  [NR Today]
  

Pritchard: Not so Fast Serg!

In a not-so-surprising response to this mornings Sergio Rodriguez trade talk, Kevin Pritchard has said "he is not being traded any time soon."

Here is a couple other quotes with Pritchard from a conversation with the Oregon Live's Jason Quick:

"We like Sergio, and we are not in any discussions,'' Pritchard said. "We want to see this team, and we want to see this team grow. It's awfully early to be even talking about this stuff.''

The article goes on to say that it was Sergio's Spanish agent that went off and demanded the trade while his American agent is the one that the team actually deals with.

Although, when you keep reading, the article has an update at the bottom:

*UPDATE AFTER PRACTICE: Sergio is upset. He had a 20-minute sitdown with Pritchard, then spoke about his frustrations about playing time. He didn't necessarily ask for a trade, but he made it known he is having a tough time dealing with his situation. More to come ...

As Quick said, stay tuned!

Sergio Rodriguez asks for Trade?

Sergio and his agent have officially asked publicly for a trade from the Blazers. (Yes, that site is in Spanish.)

Here is a jumbled quote from his agent:

"McMillan does not like to Sergio. Do not trust him. Any excuse is valid to feel. For the player it is impossible to have confidence, because in three years, has never known before a match what was your role, how much or when he was going to play, even if he was going to play or not. Neither knows why they are going to certain failure."

My thoughts?

The team will not be any worse without Serg.  He's a great "team" guy and probably a close to friend to just about everyone, but if he's unhappy, the last thing this team needs is to have its chemistry shaken.

The Blazers have been inconsistent at point guard this year, so maybe it's time to move him and see what options are out there.  I also heard thoughts that this could be a great time to package Outlaw, Webster or even Frye to see about getting a PG to take them to the next level.

Your thoughts?

As more info rolls in on this, I'll be sure to update this post.

Now That's a Game! Blazers in OT 101-99

WOW.  A big thanks to Charles Barkley for calling this a "boring" game at half time.  How'd that finish work out for ya, Chuck?

In case you didn't get to see this game, you missed one hell of a finish.  It went something like this:

• In regulation, a defensive stop by Roy on Artest to get the ball back followed by a huge defensive stop by Artest on Roy to send the game into OT.
• In OT, a couple of baskets traded, but with 10 seconds the Blazers grabbed the ball, handed it to Roy who jarred an 18 footer to go up 2 with 1.8 seconds left.
• Rockets call timeout, get the ball out of bounds, post Yao up and feed him the ball.  Yao turns, hits a fade-away and gets FOULED by Roy.  So he makes the free throw putting the Rockets up 1.  Yeah you can say "WTF?!?!" right about now.
• With 0.8 seconds, the Blazers have time for a catch and shoot.  Roy blasts up the right side of the lane finishing about 30 feet out, catches, turns...DROPS A BOMB as the light comes on to finish off the Houston Rockets.

I'm so running on crazy energy right now!  I'm sure there will be video of this soon and I'll have it for all of you that missed it!




And his interview with Cheryl Miller after the shot:




And a video of the final 3 shots:




A few more thoughts:

• Oh and by the way, still no defense tonight although down the stretch, they were able to come up with a few big stops.
• LaMarcus had a huge night.  By far his best performance so far this season.
• Rudy was damn solid again with 15 points and 3 of 5 from deep.
• Travis with 13 boards?   That-a-kid.
• Tough shooting night for Roy, but he sure finished it with a flurry.  Huge props to Artest for some incredible defense.
• And another quick "thank you" to my fantasy all-star squad tonight.  T-Mac, Scola, Yao, Roy and Rudy.
  

Box score.

15 Thoughts vs. Rockets 11/6

A 1-3 start is not really what we were expecting from this year, but with that brutal opening schedule, it’s hard to really be surprised.  The team has looked good at times and horrific at others, especially defensively.  And actually the offense has been nothing to brag about either.  We’ve seen little movement from the team and too much gunning from Travis Outlaw to ever really get into a rhythm.  Here’s the laymen’s solution…only let Roy and Aldridge touch the ball and we win!  Well, Rudy can spot up in the corner as our only reliable outside shooter. 

Ok, enough ranting and on to tonight’s 15!

1.  Facing 5th straight elite Western Conference team.  +1 Rockets
2.  Fantasy impact on my team:  Yao, T-mac, Scola, Roy, and Rudy.  +5 Kellex
3.  Tribute to “Duck” tonight with Kersey in the building.  +1 Blazers
4.  Artest vs. Roy tonight?  +1 Rockets
5.  Points allowed per game comparison = -13 for Houston.  +1 Rockets
6.  ESPN listing Oden as the starting center on the depth chart.  +1 Hope
7.  Home cookin’.  +1 Blazers
8.  Return of Aaron Brooks, a Duck that actually made an NBA roster.  +1 Ernie Kent’s Job
9.  Thought of the Blazer Jam Squad making their first appearance.  -5 Fans
10.  Steve Francis’ jacket.  +1 This Country
11.  Yahoo’s “roster report” not listing Rafer Alston at ALL.  +1 Blazers & DWI Funding
12.  Nate McMillan about to explode.  +1 Blazers
13.  Sitting behind Oklahoma City in the standings.  +1 Blazers
14.  Coach Adelman feeling the history.  +1 Blazers
15.  The current "trio" of the NBA:  T-mac, Yao and Artest.  +1 Rockets

Totals:  Blazers 6    Rockets 4    Kellex 5    Hope 1    Fans -5    Ernie Kent 1    This Country 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Jazz Win 103-96. Bleh.

It really irritates me to type that.  My hatred of the Jazz dates back to the Malone/Stockton/Hornacek days and will likely never yield.  Boozer is a Dukie, Kirilenko has horrific hair, Okur screwed Z-Bo from a magical All-Star spot, and Deron Williams is too damn good.

So what happened tonight?

• Brandon Roy was just "off".  Not sure what the deal was, but I saw him throw passes with defenders clearly in the passing lane, dribble off his feet, and rarely force the issue.  
• 2 rebounds from LaMarcus?
• Bayless 0 minutes?

Defense was probably the deciding factor once again.  Despite the inconsistent play of LMA and Roy on the offensive end, the team is really showing that it can't defend ANYONE on the other end.  I jumped all over Blake after getting torched by 2 premier point guards last week, but now the whole team is at fault.

McMillan, like many coaches, preaches hard-nosed play on defense which will reward your offense, but we just aren't seeing it.

On a positive note, we've got to give props to Rudy again for another solid performance off the bench.  We did need just one more three from you though, you sexy Spaniard!

Box Score.

Blaze of Glory - 11/5/08

The Blaze of Glory is your daily link list of Blazer ridiculousness and info.  If you ever have anything to add to it, make sure to drop us a line unless your name is Dwight Jaynes.  (Kidding!)

• Lil Wayne calls Oden a bust.  [ESPN the Mag]
• So does Bill Simmons, basically.  [ESPN the Mag]
• Why is no one talking about the mysterious illness of Maurice Lucas?  [Dwight Jaynes]
• Top 5 reasons for Batum to start.  [Hoops World]
• Why the hate for Travis Outlaw?  [Bleacher Report]
• Scroll down to the movie "Fast Break", interesting.  [Willamette Week]
• A deeper look at the Ali appearance before the Suns game.  [Portland Tribune]
• An NBA cheerleader ranking system.  [The Parliament Forums]
• 5 players likely to be the most overpaid.  Two on Portland's payroll.  [Coed Mag]
• A Q&A with Shoals of Free Darko.  [Blazers Edge]

15 Thoughts vs. Jazz 11/5

After a hefty break, "your" Blazers head to Utah for a little battle in McMormon country!  Portland hopes to come up big after a horrible defensive performance against the Phoenix Suns in which the point guard position of the Blazers had quickly become exposed.  Let's hope they took the last 3 days to correct this...15 time!

1.  Deron Williams in the line up.  +1 Jazz
2.  Deron Williams not in the line up.  +1 Blazers
3.  Utah blowing out teams without Williams.  +1 Jazz
4.  Landslide vote for McCain last night in Utah.  +1 Blazers
5.  Batum starting.  +1 Blazer Forum Speculators
6.  Chances of the team sporting fake kitchen appliance caused black eyes.  +1 Tom Penn
7.  Utah shoots for its 2nd 4-0 start in 3 seasons.  +1 Jazz
8.  The battle between LaMarcus and Boozer.  +1 Blazer Forum Speculators
9.  The battle of the boards.  +1 Jazz
10.  The battle of the pretty boys:  Rudy vs. Korver  +1 Jazz
11.  Hello Nu Skin Jazz Dancers!  +1 Polygamists
12.  Watching Roy abuse Ronnie Brewer.  +1 Blazers
13.  This picture of Kirilenko on our minds.  +1 Blazers
14.  Blazers needing to avoid the gutter of the Northwest.  +1.5 Blazers
15.  Game 4 of the most ridiculous opening schedule in recent history.  +1 Oden's Injury

Totals:  Blazers 5.5    Jazz 5    Speculators 2    Tom Penn 1    Polygamists 1    Oden's Injury 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

VOTE. And your Portland Ballot Drop Boxes.

The BoL has the day off as we plan our attack tonight.  It could either be the greatest party in the history of the United States, or a long night drowning sorrows and thoughts of world end.  (Ok that was extreme, but you know what I mean...)

If you haven't already, VOTE DAMNIT.

Still need to drop off that ballot?  Here is the complete list for the Portland area. 

(And I apologize for the link to Fox, as I'm sure their site will try to distract Democratic voters in some way or another from getting their ballots in on time.)

Iverson Traded to the Detroit Pistons

The headline story for the week was established early today, with word that the Pistons have acquired Allen Iverson in a trade with the Denver Nuggets.  The trade will send Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver along with some much needed breathing room in salary cap space come LeBron James bidding time.

The trade has not been finalized, but sources close to the process told ESPN.com that a trade call with the league office is forthcoming to make the deal official later Monday.

What does this mean for Portland?

A much more balanced Denver Nugget team that will be battling the Blazers for that last playoff spot in the West.  Billups is a local boy to Denver and McDyess is on his 3rd stint with the team.  The combination of AI and Carmelo Anthony was never thought to be a long term answer (no pun intended there), but with the acquisition of Billups, the team should be much more disciplined.

This should make for an even more exciting race come playoff time...

Blazer Dancer Swimsuit Shoot Video and Some Extras

The video may be a couple of years old (2006), but this should give you some happy thoughts towards this year's team of dancers and the possibility that they will also do a swimsuit calendar (and video). 

And here are some pictures from last year you may not have seen:

 

 

2008-09 NBA Power Rankings: Week 2

 The first week of the NBA is complete and things were not quite as crazy as a week in the NFL, but still threw some twists at us.  The top teams are still top teams and the bottom teams are still pretty damn close to the bottom.  I'm sure things will really start to shake loose in the next week or so, but for now, it's all goooood.

The Elite:
1.  Los Angeles Lakers
2.  New Orleans Hornets
3.  Houston Rockets*
4.  Utah Jazz
5.  Toronto Raptors
6.  Boston Celtics
7.  Phoenix Suns
8.  Detroit Pistons
9.  Chicago Bulls
10.  San Antonio Spurs

The Wannabes:
11.  Philadelphia 76ers
12.  Atlanta Hawks
13.  Portland Trail Blazers
14.  Indiana Pacers
15.  Dallas Mavericks
16.  Denver Nuggets
17.  Milwaukee Bucks
18.  Cleveland Cavaliers
19.  New Jersey Nets
20.  Miami Heat

The "Hahhahas":
21.  Orlando Magic
22.  Golden State Warriors
23.  Minnesota Timberwolves
24.  Oklahoma City Thunder
25.  Charlotte Bobcats
26.  Memphis Grizzlies
27.  Washington Wizards
28.  New York Knicks
29.  Los Angeles Clippers
30.  Sacramento Kings

*"Uh oh!" is all I have to say about the Houston Rockets.  Ron-Ron could actually fit in here and become that brute force that these talented Rockets have bee needing the last few years.  Maybe T-mac's back will finally make it through a season and Yao won't take the rest of the year off just to get bounced out of pool play in the Olympics.  This could be some thing special...

Don't forget to check out the weekly NBA Power Rankings over at Cuzoogle.

Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett Election Special Sneakers

I know this isn't Blazer related at all, but it is very damn important.  Adidas dropped me this email a few days ago with sneak peek pictures of the shoes T-Mac and KG will sport during their game against each other on Election night.

 

Now get your asses out there and vote!  If you don't know who you are voting for, you have exactly 24 hours to get educated and make an informed decision.  The most important election EVER is upon us; don't be left out.

Steve "Liability" Blake?

I've got to say that Steve Blake has turned into an absolute liability against opposing point guards. Stevie is a great dude, and a the work ethic and determination should be enough to keep me satisfied, but I'm not.

The last 2 games, the Blazers faced off against 2 premier guards in Nash and Parker and what happened? They were abused. There was no stopping Mr. Longoria or Nash at any point with Blake in the game and early on in the 1st quarter tonight, I became excessively irritated.

Like I said, Steve, I love you man and I appreciate you as a person, but defensively you are really not providing the support your team needs. A kid like Bayless, as a 20 year old, brings a more physical presence. No one will ever doubt your heart or effort level, but we need you to bring the beef or your team is going to continue to get trounced by the Nash's, Davis', Parker's, Williams', and Paul's of the world.

When you are continuously getting beat off of picks or just broken down off the dribble, your big men have to step up. Well, those big men can't step up 25 times a game and expect to have proper defensive rotation on a consistent basis.

It may be time to consider Bayless. The draft pick was used and the guy has proven to be a physical beast on the defensive end. A kid like this is just asking for minutes to prove what he's capable of doing. At this time, I ask for change. Give it a whirl Natey Mac!

Thank You Brian, Courtney, and Ron!

Quality job tonight boys!  Let's just take a quick look at that box score...

Portland 25 personal fouls.  Phoenix 12.

15 Thoughts vs. Phoenix 11/1

After an incredible home opener, "your" Portland Trail Blazers head to the desert to take on the Phoenix Suns.  Could this be a high octane battle for the ages?  Possibly.  Should this have been the hazing of Greg Oden from the Diesel?  Most definitely.  Now let's get into the 15!

1.  Maria Sharapova is a fan.  +1 Suns
2.  Shaq in a back-to-back is like Sarah Palin talking the Phillies at a rally, a trainwreck.  +1 Blazers
3.  Amare Stoudemire laughs in the face of micro-fracture.  +1 Suns
4.  The slight chance that Terry Porter rocks out a red and black tie.  +1 Blazers
5.  Have you seen the Phoenix Suns dancers lately?  +1 Suns
6.  Chances of Phoenix losing 2 in a row at home?  Eek.  +1 Suns
7.  Tough to look at Arizona as a winner with John McCain at the reigns.  +1 Blazers
8.  Battle of the Frenchmen!  +1 Suns
9.  The return of Bayless and Frye to the Lute Olsen-less desert.  +1 Suns
10.  Battle of the Steve's. +1 Suns
11.  Injury comparisons.  +1 Grant Hill
12.  Running with momentum from a "red-out".  +1 Blazers
13.  Chance at a glowing Pac-10 POY in Ike Diogu rises!  +1 Suns
14.  Bowen couldn't guard Roy, who the hell do the Suns have?  +1 Blazers
15.  Phoenix is hot, Portland is not.  (climate-wise people)  +1 College Boys and the abundance of Cougars

Totals:  Blazers 5    Suns 8    Grant Hill 1    Cougars 1

Predicted Winner:  Suns

Roy + Aldridge = BFF

Roy. Aldridge. The two names that will become synonymous with the Portland Trail Blazers for the foreseeable future. Greg Oden may be a face more recognizable to the country, but to locals, Brandon and LaMarcus will soon turn into heroes. Tonight, in a win over the Spurs, they both displayed the reasons that Kevin Pritchard made all those moves almost 3 years ago while erasing a horrific Tuesday night.

On Thursday, Jason Quick of the Oregonian ran a story on the friendship between these two that was once non-existent. I think the picture below explains without words why their relationship remains the most important thing to this franchise. (But still, go read the damn story!)

The Final Seconds...

And in case you missed it because you were out frollicking in your Freddy Krueger costume, here is the final 2 plays of the game, plus a little celebration.

Blazers Win! Video Reaction from the Players

An amazing game tonight that has left most of Portland speechless. We had no Oden, but we beat the f-ing Spurs!  Finally!  Such an incredible feeling and sight; I seriously don't know what to say and I wasn't even there. I was stuck watching it on TV at a bar and still found myself at a loss for words. It feels great to be a Blazer fan, that's for sure.

Thanks to Oregon Live for throwing up this video so quickly: