Williams Attempts to Outplay Roy. Blazers still Pummel Jazz. 122-108

The effort was great tonight Deron, but your attempt to prove that you are a better player than Brandon Roy fell short my friend.  Many are calling this your second straight year of All-Star snubbing, but after watching tonight, I'll obviously have to disagree.  Brandon Roy, at this stage in his NBA career, is better than you.

Unbelievable effort tonight from the boys in black and red (and white)!  From the opening minutes all the way through to the final buzzer, Portland brought their best.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Welcome back Joel Przybilla.  17 boards big guy, nice.
• Oden displayed his achilles heel again.  Fouls.
• And Sergio was about to have a career night.  Then started hacking.
• While Brandon was unstoppable and seems to be finding form.
• Milsap's foul issues were a gift to Portland.
• And Okur finally did not catch fire vs. the Blazers.
• And I guess I should say it...nice game Deron.
• Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you Vicky Christina Barcelona-ing:

(And I apologize for the quality this person actually put out. NBA.com has the legit version.)


Box Score.

Oh Boy, Lakers Fans did not have a Good Night.

I think this picture just about sums it all up...

(Thanks to A Stern Warning for the cap.)

And here is the live action video of the newest Andrew Bynum knee injury, courtesy of our boys, the  Hoop Doctors.

15 Thoughts vs. Utah 1/31

That is one creepy mascot picture.  And that girl looks completely clueless.  Classic.

Top notch challenge tonight for "your" Portland Trail Blazers when they take on the struggling and limping Utah Jazz in the Rose Garden.  These are the games that can make or break a season very quickly especially with this Western Conference race so damn right once again.  The Nuggets seem to be even better with out Carmelo Anthony, so at this point, the Blazers should start focusing on brushing off the Jazzercisers.

1.  ESPN Accuscore showin' the love!  +1 Blazers
2.  Four straight losses for Utah in the RG.  +1 Blazers
3.  Who from Utah can guard the new and improved Oden?  +1 Blazers
4.  Once again, Portland will welcome in "Blazer-killer" Okur.  +1 Jazz
5.  Portland will also have no answer for Milsap.  +1 Jazz
6.  But injury woes are hampering Utah.  +1 Blazers
7.  Deron Williams is not a 2-time All-Star.  +1 Brandon Roy
8.  That 8-15 road record is not going to get it done Utah.  +1 Blazers
9.  Utah is also 1-10 in the second game of back-to-backs.  +1 Blazers
10.  How does 9 wins in the month of January sound?  +1 Warm and Fuzzy
11.  Ronnie Brewer vs. Roy?  +1 Blazers
12.  No Blaze of Love in attendance tonight.  -1 Rose Garden
13.  Hopefully those Washington Roy jerseys are left at home.  -1 Bandwagon
14.  When all signs point to Portland, watch out upset?  Toss Up
15.  Super Bowl predictions?  +1 Cardinals?

Totals:  Blazers 7   Jazz 2   Warm/Fuzzy 1   Bandwagon -1   RG -1   Roy 1   Cardinals 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• SBNation-style enemy coverage from SLC Dunk.
• Bloguin-style from True Blue Jazz.
  

Rudy - The Movie

My buddy over at Cuzoogle sent this over yesterday and I'm just now finding time to post it.  Always love some Blazer love thrown into a movie poster and Cuzzy is easily one the first and best at it.  Make sure to check out the rest of his stuff including today's Orlando Magic tribute.

Brandon Roy, you Stud you.

I haven't had the time to do the research on this, but I'd like to know how many players in league history that have matched what Brandon Roy just pulled off.  What do I mean?

• Rookie Season - Rookie of the Year
• Sophomore Season - NBA All-Star
• Third Season - NBA All-Star

I'm sure that has been done before, but not by many.  To pull off a R.O.Y. award followed by consecutive NBA All-Star seasons in his first 3 years is pretty damn impressive. 

And Sean Meagher has Roy's video reaction to being named to the All-Star roster.

Congrats Brandon!

Hey Idiots, Brandon Roy Played for Washington.

Tonight, I take Blazers fans to task.

Was anyone else at the game tonight?  Was anyone else there during the 4th quarter where the lady in the 100s behind the bench stood up in the Washington Huskies Roy jersey?  And was anyone else completely annoyed while Blazers fans booed her?

Now I understand that many of you are Duck or Beaver fans, but give me an f-ing break here people.  She wasn't wearing the jersey to show her love for the Huskies, she was wearing the jersey as a tribute to Brandon Roy.  Your All-Star.  Your "savior".  Your EVERYTHING.

If there is one thing that drives me insane, it's uneducated bandwagon fans.  Lets just clear this up real quick.

BRANDON...ROY...PLAYED...FOR...THE...WASHINGTON...HUSKIES.  How did you not realize that's who's jersey she was wearing?  His jersey being retired last week ringing a bell?  Oh probably not, because you don't follow the Blazers unless you are attending a game in your designer jeans, while sitting in your lower level seat, while making sure you leave 5 minutes before the game ends to beat that traffic rush only after you've gelled your hair up enough to be noticed on your social outting.

I'm happy that many of you have jumped back on the Blazers bandwagon this year, but if you don't know any of the history that follows "your" team, then just keep your mouth shut.

Oden and Fernandez Join Rookie All-Star Squad

The Portland Trail Blazers will be well represented at this year's All-Star game (assuming that Roy is selected as a reserve) and that is great news for the northwest.  It looks like little ol' Portland has finally grabbed the attention of at least the other NBA franchises!  (The rest of the world still to come...)

Here are the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge rosters:

How about a look at the Blazers All-Star grocery list:

• Oden makes his move and joins the Rookie team - Check
• Rudy stays sexy and joins the Rookie team - Check
• Rudy gets sexier and wins the final spot in the dunk contest - Check 
• Roy eats Cheikh Samb's baby, becomes an MVP candidate, makes second straight All-Star roster - Undecided
  

I'm sure that last item on the Blazers All-Star grocery list will be completed any day now.

LaFrentz on the Move to Sacramento for Salmons?

I'm still trying to figure out why on Earth the Blazers would want John Salmons...?  Where the hell is he going to play? Who's minutes would he be stealing?  I thought we'd all come to the conclusion that Outlaw needs to go and at some point Pritchard needs to bring in a more consistent point guard?

Obviously this move is all about getting rid of Raef's ridiculous contract and freeing up cap space somewhere down the line.  Now, I'm not about to go all contract-nerd on you and give you 15 different scenarios and start speculating about things that will never come to be.  Instead, I'll let others waste their time doing that!

Super Kings blogger, Tom Ziller, put together just about every option possible for the Kings and Trail Blazers to make this deal happen.  Here is one option:

LAFRENTZ FOR SALMONS + THOMAS. This is basically the LaFrentz version of MILLER + THOMAS FOR MARION, except that 1) Marion can actually help the team win some games this year, and b) the Kings save real dollars (not cap space) this season with LaFrentz as insurance will be paying his salary the rest of 2008-09. With just this deal, the Kings would walk into this summer with roughly $18 million in cap space, assuming a Moore waiver. (Rodriguez could also be added to this deal, if Pritchard is feeling generous.) Note that this gets you huge, Boozer-level cap space without moving Miller, which means that theoretically you could pull something like MILLER + MOORE FOR MARION and end up $32 million under the cap this summer. Which is a really, really hot scenario.

Now give yourself a chance to breath and soak all that in.  OK, you got it?  Yeah me neither.

15 Thoughts vs. Charlotte 1/28

I’m not sure it is physically or mentally possibly to come up with 15 thoughts on the Charlotte Bobcats.  I couldn't bring myself to put them together for the 1/17 game and I'm struggling like Steven Adler on VH1 for tonight's.  There are just certain franchises in the NBA that make it extremely difficult to cover and the Bobcats are one of them.  The only compelling story going into tonight’s game is the fact that Charlotte handed the Lakers a home loss in double OT last night.  And a nice side story (possibly most important) is the fact that Bynum erased Gerald Wallace from transforming himself back into “Blazer-Killer” by power dropping an elbow into his chest and crushing his ribs and puncturing his lung.  How about 6 thoughts instead?

1.  The Charlotte “Laker Beaters”?  +1 Bobcats
2.  ESPN Accuscore is not buying them.  +1 Blazers
3.  Lakers injure Wallace, hand Portland a gift.  +1 Blazers
4.  Oden’s momentum?  Toss Up
5.  Bust a Bucket admitting fault during "Draft the Stache".  +1 Clarity
6.  Nothing like that Rose Garden air with me in attendance!  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 4   Bobcats 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Poll Results: Favorite Rose Garden thing?

Our latest poll has come to an end.  A big thanks to everyone that voted on this one!

We asked the simple question, "Other than the game itself, what is your favorite Rose Garden thing?"  The results came out favoring 2 clear aspects to the Rose Garden and we were not at all surprised, especially with the number 1.

I love it that the Blazer Dancers came in easily at #1.  They have been one of the largest parts of this blog's success and continue to bring enjoyment to readers on a daily basis.  So maybe I should use this as a chance to thank Taren, Kristi, Ione, Tina, Marissa, and Lindsey for being so into posting pictures of themselves.  Love ya ladies!

Your thoughts on the voting outcome?  What is your favorite part(s) about the Rose Garden and its atmosphere?

Roy's Facial Lifts Blazers. Portland Snips the Clippers. 113-88

It's amazing that a single dunk in the 3rd quarter of a basketball game can completely flip the momentum from one team to another.  Brandon Roy accomplished this feat last night...


Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Someone please come up with a Brandon Roy theme song.
• Can we say that Oden has arrived?
• After bagging on Outlaw, I'll have to acknowledge his play as of late.
• Defensively though, this team is awful.
• It's a good thing the Clippers D-League team ran out of steam.
• Eric Gordon is going to be one hell of a pro.
• And Al Thornton, damn.
• Other than Roy, thanks are owed to the Blazers bench for this win.
• Bring on the Boooooooooobcats!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you repping squats:



Box Score.

Second Half Live Chat - Blazers vs. Clippers 1/26

OK, I'm back! Join in if you're around!

15 Thoughts vs. Los Angeles (Clippers) 1/26

Assuming “your” Portland Trail Blazers play up to 75% of their potential, this game should be done within the first 10 minutes.  The Clippers are putting out their entire D-League team tonight in Los Angeles to hopefully pull off some sort of miracle on Staples Center street.  Luckily for them, the Blazers are excellent at playing down to crappy competition and this game will probably be closer than we would all normally be comfortable with.

1.  Repeat performance from December 12th?  +1 Highly Unlikely
2.  Wow, Portland is heavily favored by ESPN Accuscore.  +1 Blazers
3.  Who is actually going to put on a uniform for the Clippers?  Toss Up
4.  No Baron, Camby, Z-Bo, or Kaman.  +1 Blazers
5.  There will be a Freddie Jones sighting.  +1 10 Day Contracts
6.  Sergio vs. Mystery PG.  +1 Blazers
7.  Brandon vs. Mystery SG.  +1 Blazers
8.  Oden vs. Mystery C.  +1 Blazers
9.  Aldridge vs. Mystery PF.  +1 Blazers
10.  Batum vs. Thornton.  +1 Clippers
11.  Batum ruining the “15 Thoughts” shutout?  -1 Rookie
12.  You knew Bust a Bucket would be down.  +1 Blazers
13.  The pain of having to sit through this game?  +1 Ibuprofen
14.  Looking for an interesting angle on this game?  +1 Ibuprofen
15.  Already looking ahead to Wednesday?  Toss Up

Totals:  Blazers 7   Clippers 1   Unlikely 1   Contracts 1   Rookie -1   Ibuprofen 2

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Enemy coverage from Clips Nation.
• And more from Clipper Blog.
  

Who Doesn't Love a Blazer Dancer School Girl?

I realized the other day that it had been a while since we gave you a collection of the hottest dance team in the NBA, the Blazer Dancers.  And then after going to the game on Saturday, I also realized how that was completely wrong of me to not have given you a solid update in a while. 

You may remember these outfits from earlier in the year.  You may also notice a ton of the newest BD, Taren as she seems to be a big fan favorite. 

  

 

And sometimes they even take their inner school girl off the court...

Make sure to check out the rest of our continuing Blazer Dancers coverage!

Big Three Lead Portland. Blazers Tickle Wizards. 100-87

The first half of last night's game with the Washington Wizards was not the prettiest basketball I've witnessed.  In fact, a 39-31 half-time score will never have you on the edge of your seat.  Luckily for the sold out Rose Garden crowd, the second half was worth the suffering endured during the first 24 minutes.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Greg Oden is officially coming alive.
• And Brandon Roy might officially be back.
• And Nic Batum is officially fantastic.
• And I'm officially still laughing at the awful-ness of the Wizards.
• The Blazers 24 steals has to be close to a record.
• Caron Butler's 31 and 10 were sooooooo quiet.
• Juan Dixon sighting!
• How is Andray Blatche in this league?  The next Darius?
• Always nice to see Outlaw have his own personal dunkfest.
• J-Bay it's OK buddy.
• Back to Los Angeles!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you at La Merde:



Box Score.

15 Thoughts vs. Washington 1/24

I'll be at the game tonight and since I'm running late, there won't be a "15 Thoughts" but the thing is, do we really need them?  When one of the worst teams in the entire league comes to town, you better expect to win.  And win big.  If "your" Portland Trail Blazers let this one get away, you can mark it as the low point of the season.  "A must win" is an understatement.

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

If anyone else will be at the game, hit me up via contact form for a beer!  Celebrating the birthday of my fiancee!  Should be a great time.

Mini-Blaze of Glory - 1/23/09

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!)

• Seriously, Oden missed Obama's inauguration? What the hell man?  [USA Today]
• Downtown dock to be named in honor of Duckworth.  [KATU]
• 5 players on the verge of becoming superstars.  Yes, Roy.  [Bleacher Report]
• Travis Outlaw a top 10 sixth man?  [NBA Outsider]
• The worst interview in the history of basketball.  It's about english.  [English Baby]
• Blazers themed Air Jordan's releasing on February 14th.  [Sneaker Files]
  

A Trip Around the NBA - 1/23/09

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.

• 18 salaries that Obama needs to freeze.  [Cuzoogle]
• The argument against the Magic winning the East.  [Empty the Bench]
• Dwight Howard the second coming of Sir Shaq-tus?  [Hoop Doctors]
• The "Should Be" All-Star starters.  [Ball Don't Lie]
• NBA TV likes them some bikini models.  [Hooped Up]
• Coaching vacancy in Memphis!  [Grizzlies Fan]
• At least the Wizards look damn sexy!  [Mister Irrelevant]
• A Suns blogger is even amazed that Amare is a starter.  [Valley of the Suns]
• I think I would have rather seen Yi thatn KG.  [Red's Army]
• Rasheed Wallace vs. Jason Maxiell.   [Need4Sheed]
  

2008-09 All-Star Starters Announced! Why AI?

Every year, the All-Star starters are announced and we spend a solid 3-4 days arguing whether or not so-and-so should have made the roster or should be starting over this guy or that guy.  Frankly, it gets pretty damn annoying.  I’ll try to spare you a ton of ranting this year, as I actually think these rosters are pretty accurate except for one glaring guard out east.  You guessed it, Allen “My Hair is 20 Years Out-dated” Iverson.

Seriously someone explain it to me.  The guy’s numbers have taken a huge dip over the last couple of years while his teams all seem to struggle finding a rhythm with him in the lineup.  And don’t give me some excuse about him becoming more of a team player now because all of his stats are down significantly including assists and rebounds.

Is it the nickname thing?  That whole “AI” or “Answer” shtick still doing it for people?  I know the nickname thing has sure been working for Tracy McGrady lately seeing as he almost got voted in for the second year in a row while being injured. 

Is it that awful hair?  Even Carmelo Anthony realized how ridiculous it had become.

Is it reputation?  Seems odd.  This is the same guy that came into Detroit preaching about fitting in and practicing.  And then the next day missed practice without even a phone call.

Is it the shoes?  Hasn’t Reebok been out of the loop for a good 4-5 years now?  The guy doesn’t even have commercials anymore.

Maybe there was no other guard to vote in?  That would only be true if you throw out Devin Harris, Joe Johnson, Vince Carter, Ben Gordon, and Ray Allen who are all having better years than Iverson.

Someone please explain to me, why NBA fans continue to vote this guy in.

Blazers can't stop Williams or James. Cleveland Routes Portland. 98-104

I've been saying this for a week now, "Brandon Roy needs to get out of this damn slump."

The other night, while Roy struggled, Oden stepped up.  Well tonight, they didn't have anyone step up and take over when they needed a last minute push in the 4th.  We saw signs from Bayless and LaMarcus again, but inevitably, LeBron James and Mo Williams proved to be too much.  Luckily from here, the Blazers take on 3 gutter teams which should give them a chance to get back on track.  Assuming they stop playing down to their opponents...

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• LeBron James is better than advertised.  That's right, I said it.
• Mo Williams was the key to this game, and he drove away with the Cadillac.
• Where has Joel been?  Remember how great he was early on?
• We need Blake!  We need Blake!
• I'm sick of lecturing you Brandon, but come on.  
• Bayless, you could have helped...had you actually played.
• Rudy was hot early and then, did he even play in the second half?
• Ben Wallace is no longer intimidating.  Or good.
• The Cavs really do have the perfect mixture of role and star players.
• That 24 Hour Fitness trip must have worked for Wally World.
• At least we don't see Cleveland again until March.

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you Sam Adams-ing:



Box Score.

Live Game Chat - Cavaliers vs. Blazers 1/21

We thought with tonight being such a big test for this young Blazers squad, that we'd invite people to join into a little chat action. This would be the first trial run, so depending on the outcome, we may do more in the future!

So come back at 7PM and we'll get this thing rolling!

Blaze of Glory - 1/21/09

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!)

• An interview with me over at a friend's new site!  [NBAtipoff]
  
• Brandon's jersey will be retired tomorrow! Nice Q&A with him.  [GoHuskies.com]
• And if you are in Seattle, you can meet up with him.  [Seattle Times]
  
• Time for guys like Aldridge to think about dominating defensively.  [Jason Quick]
• Always love to see excitement towards Portland, don't we?  [Fox Sports]
• Anyone else remember this ridiculous Drexler dunk?  [You Got Dunked On]
  
• Greg Oden the celebrity?  [Feet in the Paint]
  
• Who doesn't love an interview with Joel "Ghostface" Przybilla?  [Inside Hoops]
• Get ready for Channing's charity kickball event!  [Channing Frye]
• Nice to see the Blazers not relying as much on Roy?  [Columbian]
  
• I have a feeling this was a breakthrough for GO.  [Fox Sports]
• A book of mid-season thoughts.  [Rip City Project]
  
• Rudy may have something special planned for the dunk contest.  [Blazers Edge]

15 Thoughts vs. Cleveland 1/21

Welcome back King!  After breaking all of our hearts last year in the Rose Garden, you better be ready for some payback.  It was also nice timing of you to hit a solid slump right before you head into Portland.  (Thanks!)  Will you and the Cavaliers be able to bounce back from that awful loss to the Lakers on Monday?  I'm hoping not after these 10 thoughts.  (Yes, just 10 today.)

1.  LeBron James.  +1 Cavs
2.  ESPN Accuscore going with the obvious.  +1 Cavs
3.  Chances of Oden crumbling under big Ben Wallace?  Toss Up
4.  Portland's lost 7 of its last 9 against Cleveland.  +1 Cavs
5.  Pavlovic vs. Roy?  +1 Blazers
6.  Aldridge vs. Varejao.  +1 Blazers
7.  Rose Garden?  Where you at?  +1 Blazers
8.  Cleveland's lost 4 of 5 on the road.  +1 Blazers
9.  Sergio/Bayless vs. Mo Williams?  +1 Cavs
10.  LeBron James.  Again.  +1 Cavs

Totals:  Blazers 4   Cavaliers 5

Predicted Winner:  Cavaliers

Other Previews:

• A Wally sighting at 24 Hour Fitness in Portland.  [Cavalier Attitude]
• Our favorite Cleveland based blog.  [And One]
• And a preview concentrating on Sir Greg.  [Fear the Sword]
  

Oden Dominates the Bucks? Portland Rolls Milwaukee. 102-85.

Seriously, typing "Oden dominates the Bucks?" makes me feel giddy, nervous, confused and excited all at the same time.  What a feeling!  I've been bagging on him all season long, but tonight, I can't.  The energy was exactly what I've been begging for and he finally brought it!  Congrats big guy, now just sustain this.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• LaMarcus let Charlie Villanueva look like an All-Star.  Come on LA.
• Greg you beast you!
• Loving the all-around game from Sergio tonight.  Bayless who?
• I wonder how Joel is feeling with his decreasing playing time?
• Brandon, you need to find your old form.  This post-hamstring deal is no fun.
• There was a Richard Jefferson sighting!  Not a bad one either.
• Michael Redd.  -28.  Eek.
• Time for Cleveland!  Fresh off a loss in Los Angeles!
  

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Quite the performance tonight from the starters I'd say.  +30 for Brandon Roy on an off night?  Just shows you the presence the opposing team senses when he's on the court.

Highlights for those of you Cavs-Lakers-ing:


And the post game interview with Oden (via Bust a Bucket):


Box score.

15 Thoughts vs, Milwaukee 1/19

We’re refusing to talk about the loss to the Charlotte Bobcats if you hadn’t noticed and actually, the entire road trip is not worth mentioning.  After having high hopes of going 4-0 and coming back barely 2-2, there really isn’t much to say.  So now with a little home stretch ahead, hopefully these young pups can get back on track.  The first test comes at the expense of the Milwaukee Bucks whom are likely a lot better than that 20-23 record says.  Their roster is filled with more talent than either the Sixers or Bobcats and should pack in quite the punch tonight, especially after losing to the Clippers the other night (Hah!).  And I’ve got to say, this was one of the hardest “15 Thoughts” ever as the Bucks are probably the most “blah” team in NBA history.  Does anything interesting come out of Wisconsin?

1.  Welcome back 2nd youngest team in the NBA!  +1 Rose Garden
2.  Time for Brandon to get his groove back?  Toss Up
3.  Average point guard play vs. average point guard play.  +1 Blazers
4.  Battle of the struggling benches?  +1 Blazers
5.  Both teams on an alternating win-loss streak.  Toss Up
6.  Who’s going to stop Michael Redd?  Toss Up
7.  Luckily there isn’t an elite PF to school LaMarcus.  +1 Blazers
8.  And no Gerald Wallace to get lay-up after lay-up.  +1 Blazers
9.  And no Bogut to abuse Oden.  +1 Blazers
10.  Richard Jefferson is still playing?  -1 Wisconsin Media
11.  ESPN Accuscore is back on board.  +1 Blazers
12.  Portland owning the last 3 in this seris.  +1 Blazers
13.  Stop playing down to your inferior competition!  -1 Experience
14.  Better win this one, because it’s not getting any easier.  +1 Wednesday
15.  Wow, I think I just predicted a blowout.  Toss Up Me

Totals:  Blazers 7   Bucks 0   RG 1   Wisconsin -1   Experience -1   Wednesday 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Enemy cover provided by the one and only Brew Hoop.
• More from Bucks Diary.
  
• Possibly some more from the Bratwurst.

Hoops Addict Interviews Clyde Drexler

Ryan over at Hoops Addict (one the best NBA sites on the freakin' planet) hit us up with an interview he had just done with Clyde or Mr. Drexler if you're nasty.  Clyde is always up for some good conversation and Ryan is exceptional at putting that conversation down for readers.  I'll just highlight a couple of my favorite parts, but make sure you head over to Hoops Addict to read the full deal.

I think Oden needs to read this one and realize his time will come and not everyone's rookie season is All-Star caliber:

McNeill: As a rookie you only averaged 7.7 points per game. Did you ever get frustrated that rookie season?
Drexler: I was frustrated my whole rookie season! It’s so frustrating when you know you can play and when you’re given an opportunity… I started a couple of games and I had something like 20 points and seven or eight rebounds. And then the next game I went back to playing 12 or 15 minutes. It was very frustrating because you want to play, you know you’ve proven yourself and you know you deserve to play. But, at that time, we had guys who were All-NBA second team in your position. So you had to earn your spot and that’s what I had to encounter.

And finally, it's always nice to reflect on the accomplishments of Drexler.  It just feels like his career is underappreciated outside of Portland:

McNeill: You ended your career joining Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek as the only players to top 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists. What does being in that company with this record mean to you?
Drexler: That just means you played the total game and when guys like Oscar averaged 30 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds for a season, to be in the same category with Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek just lets you know did a pretty decent job. I got lucky a lot, shall we say.

Thanks again Ryan!

Greg Oden NBA "Happens" Tour Bus Commercial

If you haven't seen the string of NBA commercials running right now, then you need to watch some damn games, people. This one features Mr. Greg Oden working out while the tour bus gets just a litttttttle close. All of these are great, especially the CP3 fast break one, but this one just hits home.

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Dunk Contest Time for Fernandez.

Only positive thoughts after last night's embarrassment in Charlotte right?

"Your" Rudy Fernandez won the popular vote out of 3 rookies to compete in the 2008-09 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest!  Woohoo!  Thanks to Jason Quick for the quick release of this info (pun intended?):

Fernandez will compete against reigning dunk champion Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, as well as New York's Nate Robinson and Memphis forward Rudy Gay.

Fernandez initially said he would like to bring teammate and countryman Sergio Rodriguez to the event to throw passes, but Rodriguez at the time said he would decline in favor of vacationing. However, teammate Brandon Roy - who should be a shoo-in for the All-Star reserves - said if he is selected to the team he would assist Fernandez in the competition.

"Eee's surprise!"  - Rudy's preview if he were to get in.  Let's hope he comes out with some better dunks than these.


And if Brandon Roy isn't voted in as a reserve to join Rudy, we're sending out emails to the rest of the league threatening legal action against them.  Or maybe KP has already drafted one?  (Oh!)

No 15 Thoughts vs. Charlotte 1/17

No "15 Thoughts" today as I'm out planning something monumental.  This game should go pretty smooth, but sometimes you just never know.  Look at the Philadelphia game on Tuesday?

There are other previews though that you should definitely check out.

• Our buddies at Bust a Bucket have their always excellent Shakedown.
• And you know Blazers Edge has it  covered.
• Rip City Project will likely have their "pre-thoughts" soon.
• Enemy coverage from Queen City Hoops.
• More from Bobcats Planet.
• And even more from Bobcats Baseline.
• And Jason Quick has a professional look at the game.
  

10th Game Complete - the End of the Darius Saga

We all knew this day was coming didn't we?  Tonight, Darius Miles played in his 10th game and of course the Memphis announcers took it upon themselves to make that point very clear.  Oh, and he actually snatched a block right away.

Still, if you watch the guy play, there is no explosiveness and once his 10 day contract is up, he'll be gone and his chances of signing with another team and ever playing more than 14 minutes a game are unlikely.  He limps on the leg, stands around looking to set screens, can't run at a full sprint, definitely can't elevate off of it, and will soon be an after thought.  Unfortunately, his quick return came at the expense of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Who Buys this Stuff? Random Blazers Memorabilia.

What is there to do on a Friday off-day?  It seems weird to not have a game to look forward to heading into the weekend.  I guess you could keep re-watching that ridiculous Bayless dunk from last night?  You could check out the rest of our videos at our personal BoL Youtube channel?  Join our exponentially growing list of friends at MySpace?  Or you can look up the random Blazers crap toys that we would all love to fill our houses with!

1.  How about a 24KT gold Brandon Roy coin?  Who the hell wants something like this?  (I'm secretly hoping someone admits to having one.)

2.  OK, how about a Blazers checkbook cover?  Seeing as no one on the planet except 50+ year old writes checks, this thing should be free, but that brown nastiness just makes it look scrumptious.

3.  And the best one yet...the Blazers Hard Hat!  I've yet to see one of these at a game, so it might be time to splurge and start something.

4.  Game over!  Here is the winner.  And I'm ordering a pair as I type this.  The beer bottle Blazers holder, in spectacular jersey style.  Speechless.

Blaze of Glory - 1/16/09

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!)

• A hard look at Oden and his continued annoying depressing attitude.  [NBA.com]
• A bitter, yet will written look at the Darius Miles saga.  [Rice Thresher]
• Shoals gives Pritchard some credit, 'playa'.  [Sporting News]
• LaMarcus graced the Jim Rome show yesterday.  [Blazers.com]
• DIME mag is loving Bayless and reminds you all not to be surprised.  [DIME]
• Greg says to Bayless, "Nice little dunky dunk."  [Tucson Citizen]

Bayless 2-Handed Facial Plus the Foul

The night belonged to the Blazers rookie so 2 videos in his honor seem fitting.  After having his ankle broken by Devin Harris, he threw down this monster of a dunk.  The hanging, body swerving, nastiness that is this dunk is...wowzer.

On a side note, I need to shout out to my fellow Blazer blogging colleagues and their digital camera-on-tv footage of this dunk.

Jerryd Bayless needs Kobe's Ankle Insurance

I'm hoping that Jerryd Bayless saw that ridiculous Kobe video that covered the interwebs today.  After this move by Devin Harris, he's going to need full ankle coverage.

The Blazers are Sending out All-Star Swag. Again.

True Hoop mastermind, Henry Abbott, received his box full of swag today from the Trail Blazers and he was most impressed.  To give you a quick recap of the significance, the Blazers have been sending out promotional items over the last few years for Brandon Roy to get his name spread throughout the NBA ranks in hopes of landing him on the All-Star team.  This year they went double-time by sending out swag on LaMarcus Aldridge as well.

Contained in the box was:

Anyway, inside there is a Flip video camera (the mino version) loaded up with some highlight reels of LaMarcus Aldridge. The packaging and everything is customized, with his stats and stuff. (Although if I were the Blazers, I would have pointed out that Aldridge is top ten in the NBA in adjusted +/-. So what if few coaches know what that means. It's Aldridge's most impressive stat, bar none.) I have a flip video camera, and like it a lot. That's how I shot all that video from Train Like a Pro. Reggie Evans saw mine in the Sixers' locker room last night and rushed to point out his, which he said his agent had given him for Christmas.

Then there is another box. This one is bigger. And if the little one is a tidy little video camera, the pressure is on the big box to somehow be more impressive.

That one is a satellite navigation system for your car. I was on the phone when I opened that one, and the person at the other end heard about it and immediately said "f--- that, I wouldn't give that back. I'd give back books and sneakers and stuff. But a satellite navigation system? That's an asset."

If you really need to give this stuff away Henry, you are more than welcomed to send it this way.

Last year the team sent out the i-Roy which I still need and the year before that it was the Brandon Roy Leatherman. 

LeBron, Seriously...You don't get it.

The little blurb of LeBron James sticking up for Darius Miles has been making the rounds over the last 2 days and I couldn't help buy comment on it.  In case you missed it, here it is:

’’The way they came out and handled that situation was completely wrong,’’ James said. ’’There was definitely a way they could handle it better. D-Miles is a good guy.

’’You have to pull for somebody like that after a situation like that. He gets some more games and he’s going to get what he deserves.’’

What the hell is he talking about?  What does he deserve?  He's getting every dollar he was ever told that he was going to get.  As I've said time and time again, Darius Miles is not a victim here.  Everyone outside of Portland needs to stop treating him like one.

Here is some advice King.  If you ever want to be as big (or bigger) than Michael Jordan, you need to learn from him.  MJ would have never commented on something unless he was completely informed on the situation as to not sound like a complete moron.

I still love ya though; keep makin' plays!

15 Thoughts vs. New Jersey 1/15

Where do we even start with this game?  After that disastrous performance last night against Philadelphia, it's hard to be Mr. Happy Guy.  And with the way Vince Carter has been torching teams as of late, tonight could be just as bad!  So you know what, we're going straight to the point with this one...only 5 thoughts.

1.  Stop Vince Carter.  Toss Up
2.  Stop Devin Harris.  Toss Up
3.  Oden vs. Lopez.  Toss Up
4.  ESPN Accuscore.  +1 Nets
5.  Both teams playing their 3rd game in 4 nights.  Toss Up

Totals:  Blazers 0   New Jersey 1

Predicted Winner:  New Jersey

Other Previews:

• Enemy coverage from StateNets.
• Someone find me some decent Nets blogs...
  

15 Thoughts vs. Philadelphia 1/14

This game is all about redemption.  Anyone else still hurting after last year’s meeting?  Remember that 25 point lead that wasn’t enough to put away the lowly Sixers?  Well this year isn’t going to be any easier as Philadelphia comes into this contest on a 4 game winning streak without big stud, Elton Brand.  Andre Iguodala has also re-emerged as the player he was last year averaging almost 24 points a game over his last 7.  Big performances are going to be needed again tonight from Blake and Outlaw if Portland thinks it is going to steal one from the hottest sports city in the nation.  (Not the people, the sports franchises.)

1.  ESPN Accuscore is seriously on crack these days.  +1 Sixers
2.  No Brand to work Aldridge is always nice.  +1 Blazers
3.  Blake vs. Miller.  +1 Sixers
4.  Oden vs. Dalembert.  Toss Up
5.  Philadelphia is only 9-8 at home.  Toss Up
6.  And Portland is 9-10 on the road.  Toss Up
7.  Who’s going to guard Brandon Roy?  +1 Blazers
8.  Who’s going to guard LaMarcus Aldridge?  +1 Blazers
9.  Check out this deal for Sixers dudes.  +1 Man Law
10.  Philadelphia has just 3 wins against +.500 teams.  +1 Blazers
11.  Batum up to the Iguodala challenge?  Toss Up
12.  Sixers Dance team.  Toss Up
13.  No word on Rudy yet.  +1 Mid-Season Injuries
14.  4 PM start time?  -1 Work Productivity
15.  Laughing at Philly fans that hated on Reid and McNabb.  -1 Philly

Totals:  Blazers 4   Sixers 2   law 1   Injuries 1   Work -1   Philly -1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Enemy coverage from long time friends ReclinerGM.
• More from Depressed Fan.
  

Darius Miles - Stuffs Himself, Blazer Fans Rejoice

There is nothing like a break away dunk to get your game flowing after screwing the Portland Trail Blazers over.  Well sort of...thanks for this gift right back to us big guy!

Oh and here is his first bucket in almost 2 years.  Little shaky?  Wobbly?  Just go away D.

Last Chance! Vote Rudy into the Dunk Contest!

Rudy Fernandez has been pleading his case for weeks now for all of you to vote him into the Dunk Contest at this year's NBA All-Star game!  So the voting ends tomorrow people!

If you haven't seen the newest Rudy video, I've embedded it below.  It is damn hilarious.  A little Rudy Rap?


And here are the videos for the rest of the contestants.

VOTE RUDY NOW!
 

Blaze of Glory - 1/13/08

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!)

• Some good news on the Miles front; the NBA won't fine Portland.  [ESPN]
• Pritchard talking about the newest Miles rumor.  [Columbian]
• Part 2 of a series on Travis Outlaw.  [Blazers Center Court]
  
• SportsNation also ran a nice chat with Clyde Drexler.  [ESPN]
• The Brook Lopez vs. Greg Oden debate.  [Big Lead]
• A look at all of the ex-players under KP.  [Bust a Bucket]
  
• How about another interview with Clyde to brighten your day?  [Blazers Edge]
  

More Blazers-Miles Info Released and it's Ugly

Yahoo Sports is dedicating its life to making the Portland Trail Blazers look bad.  Just days after "the email", YS is now reporting that the Blazers had tried to pick up Miles off of waivers to obviously stash him aside, not allowing him to fulfill that 10 game quota.

Before the Portland Trail Blazers resorted to a threatening email to frighten rival NBA teams from signing Darius Miles, team officials late last week made a brazen bid to claim the forward off waivers only to be stopped by the league, multiple front-office sources told Yahoo! Sports.

This is just getting dirtier and grimier every damn day.  Kevin Pritchard and Larry Miller have taken huge hits over the last week and I'm not so sure it's warranted.  Not that I know them personally, but this just doesn't seem like their style whatsoever.  This is coming straight from the big guy, Mr. Paul Allen and that fat pocketbook that he doesn't want lightened.

Outlaw goes Off. Portland Eases by Chicago. 109-95

As we predicted, the Bulls were no match for Portland tonight.  They put up a fight early on, but their lack of discipline proved to be too much to overcome.  This was a quality win for the Blazers especially with LaMarcus and Brandon not enforcing their will.  As a fan, I'm excited for the progress we are starting to see with Oden, but am disappointed after Rudy came up just short of one of the hugest facials of our time.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• How about the effort from Oden in that first half?
• How about the effort from Outlaw in the second half?
• Almost Rudy, almost.
• As much as this pains me to say, the Bulls need to play Nocioni.
• And how about the season shutout on Derrick Rose?
• No love anymore for Joakim Noah?
• Blakey!  Keep shooting the ball boy.
• Drew Gooden's beard is a mix between barf and hilarious.
• Vinny Del Negro is way over his steez.
• On to the next weak east coast opponent!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

 
Highlights for those of you Gossip Girl-ing:



Box Score.

New ESPN.com Needs Some Help.

After Portland's win tonight over Chicago, ESPN found itself looking extra foolish.  First off, the new site design is getting awful reviews, then they decided that Chicago actually had a chance to win tonight and then their articles started contradicting themselves.  Nice work "Mothership"!

Brandon "The Natural" Roy

We're just getting nothing done at work having too much fun today...

In honor of Brandon's fantastic nickname, "The Natural" and those amazing strawberry blond locks of Robert Redford.

And of course anytime I attempt to manipulate a movie poster, I have to give a shout out to my boy Cuzzy and the top notch work he keeps doing to inspire us all.  (Man crush maybe?)

Frye, Ike, and Shavlik on the Pine

Do the Portland Trail Blazers have the nicest bench warmers in the entire NBA?  Aside from Ike looking a little like Z-Bo with hair, the three of these guys genuinely seem like stand up gentlemen.  Of course, we've all seen the Shavlik shirt-off-visor-beanie shots havent' we?  Or the Diogu college-hot-tub-party?  No?!?  Better get yourself onto some Google!

Your thoughts on the nicest bench warmers in basketball?

15 Thoughts vs. Chicago 1/12

Hello Chicago!  Portland heads over to the “windy city” to take on the Bulls in what ESPN is declaring as a good match-up.  Personally, I’m going with an easy win for Portland, and not just because I run a “Blazer” blog, but because the Bulls just aren’t that good.  They seem to have a ton of talent, but also seem to be poorly coached.  I love me some Vinny, but this team is a mess defensively and still can’t decide who they want to be offensively.  Should be a fun one!  I doubt we’ll see the 40 point blowout we saw in the RG a few weeks ago, but it could easily be 20.

1.  The 1st of a weak 4 game road swing.  Toss Up
2.  ESPN Accuscore with some east coast bias.  +1 Bulls
3.  The Bulls just lost to the Thunder.  -1 Bulls
4.  And the Timberwolves.  At home.  -1 Bulls
5.  Chicago will have no answer again for Portland’s towers.  +1 Blazers
6.  Bench play!  +1 Blazers
7.  Battle of the rookie PG vs. the savvy vet.  Toss Up
8.  Roy vs. Gordon.  +1 Blazers
9.  More obnoxious, Tyrus or Joakim?  Toss Up
10.  Chicago gives up 102 pts/game.  Not good against Portland.  +1 Blazers
11.  Seriously, someone find me better hair than Vinny Del Negro’s.  +1 Vin
12.  OK, Nocioni’s is close.  Toss Up
13.  There is still a statue of “His Airness” out front though.  +1 Bulls
14.  And Benny the Bull is fantastic.  Blaze, please take note.  -1 Blaze
15.  Game possibly interrupting Monday’s Gossip Girl get-together?  +1 Embarrassing

Totals:  Blazers 4   Bulls 0   Vin 1   Blaze -1   Embarrassing 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Enemy coverage from Blog a Bull.
  

Rudy Fernandez - Ball Don't Lie (video)

Big props to Gavin from 95.5 the Game's Morning Sports Page with this nice little spoof song of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie".  Nicely titled "Ball Don't Lie", give it up to this Rudy Fernandez highlight reel.

Blaze of Glory - 1/12/09

(Photo- Ben of Blazers Edge)

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!)

• Katie Shearer passed away last night.  Please read this.  [John Canzano]
• How special is the Roy-Fernandez duo?  [Hoop Doctors]
• A deeper look at the Blazers and their road sleeping patterns.  [Jason Quick]
• David Aldridge questions the Blazers on this Miles dilemma.  [NBA.com]
• Darius Miles is enjoying not being the bad guy.  [NBA.com]
• The story behind Brandon's new Nikes.  [Sneaker Demon]
• This Flickr video of Outlaw's game winner is just damn cool.

Portland Avoids Oakland Drive-by. Blazers Gun Down Warriors. 113-100

I'm going to have to leave this recap up to the other 1300 Blazer blogs as I was not in attendance nor was I able to catch the game at a local pub.  In fact, I took a night off from the Trail Blazers to watch the greatest actor of our time make a comeback while practically spoofing himself.  Yes, you guessed it, Jean Claude Van Damme.  (Find your way to the Laurelhurst to catch JCVD.)

Quick Recap from a Blackberry:

I tried to keep as much track of the game as I could and from the refresh action on my Crackberry, all I could tell was the the game was ugly early for Portland and turned out great in the end.  Roy was expected to play 20-25 minutes and wound up playing more than 30.  LaMarcus carried much of the load and half the team came out of this contest in double figures scoring.  Nice well rounded game, with the Warriors definitely missing Jack-O.

Highlights for those of you Silver Dollar-ing:

• Brandon's hamstring looks just fine here...
  

• Game coverage...
  

Box score.

15 Thoughts vs. Golden State 1/10

The Golden State Warriors head into Portland tonight sporting one of the most pathetic records in the entire league.  Unfortunately, the Blazers tend to play down to much of their competition and if G-State gets hot, this will likely be quite the battle.  Plus, the Rose Garden crowd is used to epic battles with the Warriors and even with Brandon back, you can expect a tight one.

1.  Obviously Portland will be heavily favored via Accuscore.  +1 Blazers
2.  Roy in.  +1 Blazers
3.  Rudy out.  Toss Up
4.  Golden State is 4-19 on the road.  +1 Haha
5.  Portland is 13-4 at home.  +1 Blazers
6.  Looking at G-State's roster...I'm curious why they are so bad.  -1 Don Nelson
7.  Remember Anthony Morrow?  Yeah he sucks as predicted.  -1 Early Hype
8.  Golden State has taken 11 of 14 from Portland since 2005.  +1 Warriors
9.  But Portland has taken 3 of the last 4.  +1 Blazers
10.  No Stephen Jackson?  +1 Blazers
11.  Possible fight tonight?  Toss Up
12.  Biedrins vs. Aldridge.  Toss Up
13.  Battle of the Seattle boys:  Crawford vs. Roy.  Toss Up
14.  Portland entering the first part of a much needed weak schedule.  +1 Blazers
15.  Not talking about Darius Miles.  +1 Me

Totals:  Blazers 6   Warriors 1   Haha 1   Don Nelson -1   Early Hype -1   Me 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Some of the best enemy coverage from Golden State of Mind.
  

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What happens if the weather screws up a game you've bet on?  Better know the Sports Betting Rules that involve your NBA Picks and their NBA Odds.

Grizzlies Re-sign Darius Miles to 10 Day Contract.

We all knew it was coming.

Larry Miller, team President, finally spoke with the media and confirmed the reasoning behind the now famously infamous email.

“We were hearing a lot of rumblings and rumors that there were teams out there planning to sign Darius Miles specifically and maliciously to hurt our organization,” Miller said. “This was our way of responding to that and letting folks know that we were not going to take it sitting down.”

What I'm still trying to figure out, is why no one in the entire NBA or media realized that those pre-season games with Boston counted toward the 10?  I mean seriously...don't the Trail Blazers have some intern that can read a damn collective bargaining agreement for a couple hours a day?  The organization's reputation took a huge hit when it found out like everyone else did through Yahoo Sports.

Union goes Grievance on Portland over Miles

Oregon Live is all over the Darius Miles saga and has word that the union will file a grievance against the Trail Blazers claiming they are "shocked" at this move.

"We are shocked at the brazen attempt by the Portland Trail Blazers to try to prevent Darius Miles from continuing his NBA career," players' association director Billy Hunter said in a statement.

And Sean Meagher, the mastermind behind the OL Blazers' Blog has some gripping audio coverage of Kevin Pritchard during practice today.  This is definitely worth a listen.  KP doesn't sound like a guy that just ate prime rib does he?

New Idea, Why Doesn't Portland sign Darius?

This has probably been touched on already, but what if the Blazers signed him again?  Couldn't they sign him for the year at some league minimum this year and keep him in street clothes or at strip clubs for the remaining 2 years?  Although, I'm sure there is some deal in the CBA or from the union that would stop this from happening.  I guess he'd also have to want to sign with Portland...

Dammit!  Go away Darius!

Stop Fighting it! Moving on from Darius.

Can we move on from this unfortunate situation yet?  We all need to come to terms with the fact that Darius Miles is going to sign with a team ( for who knows what reason), play 2 games, and drill Portland on their salary cap.

Why are we all so worried about this anyway?  The team has 2 rising stars, 2-3 solid rising role players, a very respectable coach, and a perennial All-Star/MVP candidate.  Unless Kevin Pritchard thought he was buying a ticket to the LeBron James sweepstakes, why are we all so worried about this?  I know there are others to pursue such as Chris Bosh or Wade, but would either of those guys fit in here?  And the team would have to get rid of large group of players to actually land the contract for one of those stars.  Do you really want LaMarcus, Bayless, or Rudy to leave town?

Just give me a veteran glue guy like Raja Bell, Hedo Turkoglu, or whoever might be the next Robert Horry and things will be just fine.

Now I know this all makes for great blogging and pint sipping chatter, but we're fighting the inevitable.

And to finish off the topic, how about another look at that ridiculous car, Darius used to tool around in.  (Yes I said "tool".)

Portland Lays Down the Law on Darius Miles

As our friend TO would say, "Get yo popcorn ready!"

The Portland Trail Blazers released a statement this morning warning other NBA franchises not to sign Darius Miles.  My jaw has basically been on the floor for the last hour as I somehow figure out if this is real or not.  Are they kidding?

Obviously I love the Blazers, but threatening the entire league doesn't sound like an incredibly smart move does it?  You are tempting almost all of them to go ahead and sign him and say, "Hey KP, suck on this" and drop a Dwight Howard-esque wrestling taunt.

Plus!  Isn't this like handing  Darius over the keys to a brand new 2009 Mercedes Benz-me-over-and-sue-the-hell-out-of-me?

Here is a piece from the statement:

"The Portland Trail Blazers will take all necessary steps to safeguard its rights, including, without limitation, litigation,'' Blazers president Larry Miller stated in an e-mail Thursday to all NBA front offices, SI.com reported after getting access to the memo from an NBA team executive.

And maybe this didn't really happen and we can all just wake up from this odd little nightmare that Darius Miles won't seem to disappear from?

The Return of the Natural

Good news just keeps smacking Blazer fans in the face...A big win last night over the Pistons and now clearance for Brandon Roy to resume practicing tomorrow in hopes of playing Saturday against Golden State.

Joe Freeman working the pen:

Roy, who has missed the last four Blazers games with an injured right hamstring, was examined Wednesday night by athletic trainer Jay Jensen and team doctors, and ultimately given the go-ahead to practice on Friday.

"They said it was cool as long as I felt OK," Roy said after the Blazers' victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Good to have you back B.  (Like that Gossip Girl reference?)

A Trip Around the NBA - 1/8/09

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.

• A drunk Sabonis on his knees?  Classic.  [Both Teams Played Hard]
• Brandon welcomes his second child!  [Loaded Orygun]
• Some interesting news regarding the Darius Miles saga.  [Yahoo Sports]
  
• Want to win a Kobe jersey and do evil things to it Blazer fans?  [Hoop Doctors]
• How about a Jose Calderon one?  [Cuzoogle]
• Remember Von Wafer?  The NBA block of the night.  [NBA.com]
• The 10 fantasy hoops surprises of the year.  [Empty the Bench]
• And the 10 flops of the year.  [Empty the Bench]
• Ms. Candace Parker is pregnant?  [Fanhouse]

Trade Outlaw. Now.

Can you think of a better time to trade Travis Outlaw than now?  Fresh off of a game clinching shot against the Detroit Pistons and just in time to raise that stock back up after it seemed to be plummeting into the gutter?  Hear me now Sir Kevin Pritchard!  Though shalt pursue the trade of young squire Travis Outlaw.

Oh, and our readers agree.

Thanks for  voting!

Iverson Still has No Answer. Blazers End Detroit's Streak. 84-83

Watching Allen Iverson clank two short floaters down the stretch of last night's game brought a tear of joy to my eye.  His career is finally swirling downward and in the near future, I won't have to watch those annoying "practice" soundbites any longer.  And an added bonus, is the fact that he has been garbage all season long against the Portland Trail Blazers!

Quick Recap:

I missed most of the first half due to my latest workout download, the P90X series (which kicks ass!).  From the commentary in the beginning of the third quarter though, it sounds like the first half was worth missing.  The second half was basically back-and-forth basketball with the Blazers stealing a possession here or there.  The 4th quarter was as exciting as it gets with the Blazers jumping up 4 after a huge Blake three, followed by a couple of bonehead defensive plays bringing the Pistons right back into it.  In fact, the Pistons had the lead with a minute to play, missed a shot, rebounded it, and ran through another shot clock.  And then some how, miraculously, they just made it happen.  Doubtlaw came through with the game winner.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Should we start calling LaMarcus the "Detroit Killer"?
• Bayless!  That's the fire we've been talking about!
• Blake with a sneaky little double-double.
• Iverson, you do not fit in with this team.
• Stuckey, after being on fire for a week, was a complete non-factor.
• I'm still trying to figure out how they won 7 straight without Rip and Sheed.
• Oh, because they played the gutter of the NBA (except for Orlando).
• Maxiell is usually such a force against Portland, where was he?
• Kwame mouthing at Joel was hilarious.
• Walter Herrmann's blonde highlights are tremendous.
• Next up, the much hated Golden State Criminals.
  

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Box score.

Kevin Pritchard is Ready to Trade!

OK, not really, but he sounds a lot more open to trading now than he ever has.  He's happy where the team is (and who wouldn't be), but as I sneakily dig deep into his mind, I can feel some moves coming on.  And he keeps saying "If trades will make the team better, then we'll consider them," which I like.

And we'll also correct him for a minute by reminding him that Portland is only the SECOND youngest team.  (Please slap me now.)

And thanks for the video Meags!

Darius Miles, You're Waived.

I knew there wasn't much for Blazer fans to worry about at this point.  And hey, I was actually right for once!

Sir Darius has been waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.  Two games and a whopping 9 minutes later...

This only makes sense; they would have had to sign him for the entire season if they didn't cut him today.  Nice try D!

15 Thoughts vs. Detroit 1/7

What is there really to say?  After watching the last two games, I find it hard to be completely optimistic about tonight's match-up with the Detroit Pistons.  If somehow, "your" Portland Trail Blazers can bring that magical fire they found last Tuesday against Boston, this could be something to watch.  Can Nate bring it out?  Can the Rose Garden crowd bring it out?  Can Blaze actually finish a dunk?  Can Darth Blazer use the force?

1.  ESPN Accuscore is playing it safe going 51% to Portland.  +1 Blazers
2.  A Rasheed homecoming!  +1 Rose Garden
3.  No Rip Hamilton.  +1 Blazers
4.  How the hell has Detroit rattled off 7 straight without those two?  +1 Pistons
5.  Rodney Stuckey has turned into the poor man's Brandon?  +1 Pistons
6.  Still no Roy.  +1 Pistons
7.  Baby Rasheed...err LaMarcus tore up Detroit in the last meeting.  +1 Blazers
8.  Line-up shake-up?  Toss Up
9.  The abundance of mainstream articles written on the Blazers hurts?  -1 Media
10.  Iverson was no "answer" in the last meeting.  +1 Blazers
11.  Which Greg Oden shows up tonight?  Pouty-face or Bruiser?  Toss Up
12.  Which Batum shows up?  Laker-esque or Disappear-esque?  Toss Up
13.  Which Blakey shows up?  Mr. Clank or Mr. Clutch?  Toss Up
14.  My Mom not in attendance (0-2 with her there) (Sorry Mom!).  +1 Blazers
15.  My know-it-all-idiot co-worker's pick?  +1 Pistons

Totals:  Blazers 5  Pistons 4  RG 1  Media -1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Evil Previews:

• Pistons Nation with some enemy coverage.
• Need 4 Sheed with more!
• And don't forget abotu Detroit Bad Boys.
  

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Still need a place to make your Basketball Picks?  How about finding the latest NBA power rankings?  What about the Blazers options for 2009 through an NBA Mock Draft?

Blaze of Glory - 1/6/09

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!)

• Greg Oden throwing penthouse parties!  [The End]
  
• This would be a link to another link dump.  David Lee style.  [OL Blazers Blog]
• Shooting down the Blazers chances this year?  [LA Times]
• Nate McMillan needs to find his inner-Jedi?  [Bleacher Report]
• Devon Harris compared to Brandon Roy.  Maybe.  [Basketball Prospetus]
• Oh Jaynes...yes, they probably are too "Roy-centric".  [Dwight Jaynes]
• These All-Star numbers are still pretty pathetic, people.  [About.com]
• A little MVP odds chatter.  [121 Sports]

If David Lee is on the Move to Portland, Why are Blazer Blogs Ignoring it?

Incase you missed it, the rumors of David Lee on his way to Portland were swirling over the interwebs throughout much of the weekend.  The thing I find puzzling about it though, is that ZERO Blazer blogs were talking about it until today and ZERO main-stream media sites have touched it, even in their rumor sections.  And usually Pritchard has shut the talk down by now, and Oregon Live has said something, and then Blazers Edge has weighed in.  But all we got was a quick quote at Blazers Edge from another site and not much else has been said.

At first, I thought this would never happen due to the lack of chatter surrounding it here in Portland, but now I'm thinking it could actually happen unless KP shows up in the next 3 hours to squash it.

David Lee links:

• DIME is all over it and also realizing how ridiculous it is.
• Real Cavs Fans forum chatter. (Not sure why they care.)
• Ziller at Fanhouse weighs in.
• The Knicks Blog was the first place I saw this.

Your thoughts on D-Lee?  At least he brings some damn toughness.

Portland Just can't Handle Los Angeles. Lakers Overwhelm Blazers. 86-100

Aside from the incredible game put together from Nicolas Batum, there aren't too many positive notes that can be brought up after this loss to the Lakers.  It's becoming increasingly difficult to write recaps with Roy out because it's becoming increasingly difficult to actually think this team can win without him.  Think about the Cavs losing LeBron, would anyone expect them to win?

Instead of the normal recap, we're going straight to the bullets and plus/minus on this one.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Is anyone surprised by this outcome?
• Aldridge was hot early, but what happened in the second half?
• Nicolas Batum!
• Blake...not a good night for you my friend.
• Travis "Doubtlaw" was his normal self again.
• The Blazers have no answer for Kobe, even with Roy.
• How bad is Bynum?
• Pretty solid effort from Oden tonight.  Nice work big guy!
• Gasol got dunked on 4 times in the first half.
• Then took over in the second half.
• Not looking forward to Tuesday night.

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Box Score.

Nicolas Batum goes Facial on Pau Gasol

This was the third time in the 1st quarter that Gasol got posterized by a Blazer. He may just want to check out for the night now...

Darius Miles is the Itch the Blazers Can't Scratch

Darius "I Pay Strippers for" Miles has officially played in an NBA game after almost 2 full years of recovery time after having microfracture surgery on his knee.  He logged an annoying 1 minute and 46 seconds while his team ended a losing streak to the Dallas Mavericks.

So what does this mean for Portland?  At this point, not much.  Jumping in the game for less than 2 minutes isn't something the team should be completely worried about unless this continues over the next few games.  My prediction is that Darius will jump in for another 2-3 games under the same circumstances as today and then be cut.

Let's just say the Blazers have 9 games left before they are seriously hurt by this Miles saga.  I'm staying positive.

What about you?

15 Thoughts vs. Los Angeles (Lakers) 1/4

Oh how things have changed since that opening night disaster!  Although, they could be just as ugly with Brandon Roy sitting comfortably on his own couch back in Portland.  When the Trail Blazers take on the Los Angeles Lakers this evening, just think about the future.  This will not be a time to think about another upset like we saw on Tuesday night, but likely a performance equal to that of Friday's.  I apologize for the Debbie Downer attitude, but with the way things have gone over the past couple of weeks, and now with Brandon out for at least a week, it's pretty hard to stay positive.

1.  ESPN Accuscore is still running, but I think we know.  +1 Lakers
2.  Kobe Bryant.  +1 Lakers
3.  Pau Gasol.  +1 Lakers
4.  Bynum vs. Oden version 2.  Toss Up
5.  Rudy vs. the Machine.  Toss Up
6.  Laker Girls as one of the least attractive dance teams?  +1 Surprised
7.  Chances of Oden getting hurt again?  Toss Up
8.  Chances of Outlaw firing up 10 ill-advised shots?  +1 Guaranteed
9.  Hoping for more Bayless!  Toss Up
10.  Hoping to not get blown out.  Toss Up
11.  Hoping to not allow Kobe 50+?  Toss Up
12.  Desparately wanting LaMarcus to show up DEFENSIVELY.  Toss Up
13.  Phil vs. Nate  +1 Lakers
14.  Los Angeles with 15 straight home wins.  +1 Lakers
15.  Just wait until March 9th, Los Angeles.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 1   Lakers 5   Surprised 1   Guaranteed 1  

Predicted Winner:  Lakers

Other Previews:

• Enemy coverage with Forum Blue and Gold.
• Q&A from LA Ball Talk with Blazers Edge.
• And Lakers Nation has even more evil.
  

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The new Sports Betting Champ System is available for your Sports Blog to use to grab the latest basketball odds.

Bad News Blazers. Brandon Roy out 7-10 Days

It's official, Brandon Roy is out for a little while.  In fact, he didn't even travel to Los Angeles for tomorrow's game.  Bad news during what could be considered the toughest stretch of the season...at least competition-wise.  Good luck boys!

Joe Freeman has the word:

But the Blazers' All-Star guard still will miss some significant time -- seven to 10 days -- because of his tender hamstring. He did not travel with the team to Los Angeles for its Sunday matchup against the Lakers and likely miss at least three more games because of his ailment.

Everyone take a deep breath now; we still have 50 games to go.

Przybilla Fined, Chandler Suspended.

After the little skirmish between Joel Przybilla and thug-boy extraordinaire Tyson Chandler, the NBA has laid down the law!  Joel has received a tiny little fine of $7,500 while Chandler will miss tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets.

An annoying blurb from the NBA's statement:

Przybilla was also fined $7,500 for his role in the incident, the NBA said. He struck Chandler in the chest with his forearm before Chandler retaliated.

Did we not see the initial moment in the replay where Chandler deliberately hacks at Joel's injured hand prompting Joel to give Tyson a little push?  Come on NBA, get it together.

Blaze of Glory - 1/3/09

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!)

• Brandon's hammie is not getting better...had an MRI today.  [Jason Quick]
• Portland definitely went flat last night after Chandler went punk.  [DIME]
• And a re-print article on LaMarcus.  [DIME]
  
• Blazer fans are loving life again!  [NBA.com]
• The Blazers are sneaking into Sonics territory.  [Seattle PI]
• Stop whining Celtics. You should have blown Portland out.  [Boston Herald]
• It's time for the team to actually look into trading Outlaw.  [Hoops World]
• Fantasy Rookie look.  Oden at 10?  [ESPN]
  
• Eggers wonders what game plan Nate is going for?  [Portland Tribune]
• The Curious Case of Gregory Oden.  [Bleacher Report]
  

Portland Misses Roy. Hornets Out-Everything Blazers. 77-92

The outcome of last night's game shouldn't come as a huge surprise to any of us.  After the effort and heart put into the game on Tuesday against Boston, there was no where for this team to go but down.  When you hit a peak of emotion with your star playing missing, it is almost impossible for you to repeat it.  Brandon just needs to get healthy in a hurry.

Quick Recap:

There was plenty of effort throughout the entire game and during the first few minutes, the Blazers looked like the better team.  However, as the game trekked on, it became apparent that they were out-manned at many positions.  When Aldridge has disappeared, and Roy is out with an injury, there is no legitimate third option to take over the game.  Rudy was hot for 2.5 quarters, Outlaw showed some spark, but that was about it.  Chris Paul laid back resting for 3 quarters and then decided in the fourth to completely take over and end everything.  Three's were falling for New Orleans while the Blazers (aside from Rudy) couldn't find anything outside of 18 feet.  Down the stretch there was just too much CP3 and too little of anything from Portland.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Aldridge proving again how big of a defensive liability he can be.
• Oden proving again how young and unpolished his game is.
• Joel proving to be the only thing close to an enforcer.
• Chris Paul proving to be well ahead of the the point guard class.
• Tyson Chandler proving to be as big of a tool as we all imagined.
• Posey proving to be as annoying as ever.
• I swear Byron Scott and Nate could be brothers.
• What was with the new Blazer Dunkers?  Weak.
• It's going to be a long two weeks.
• Oh, and Outlaw -22?  Explain why you people like him again?
  

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you watching Utah dominate the Saban:

• The Chandler v. Przybilla Debacle
  

15 Thoughts vs. New Orleans 1/2/09

The third meeting between the New Orleans Hornets and "your" Portland Trail Blazers will be "must see" TV.  Luckily, I won't have to watch it on TV as the BoL crew will be live and rowdy at the game.  The Hornets are hot, the Blazers just defeated the champs without Roy, and both teams are fighting for the top spot in their own divisions.  Chris Paul hasn't had much success in their previous meetings, so expect to see him really get down tonight.  Let's just hope Roy's hammie is OK.

(After two previous meetings, we pretty much know what to expect, so you are getting the shortened version of 15 Thoughts.)

1.  ESPN Accuscore really went toss up?  Toss Up
2.  Portland has taken 5 straight at home vs. New Orleans.  +1 Blazers
3.  Roy is still saying "questionable".  Toss Up
4.  Blazers awful January schedule.  -1 Blazers
5.  Hornets with just as awful of one.  -1 Hornets
6.  Shutting down CP3 again?  Toss Up
7.  Joel's effectiveness with the wrist?  Toss Up
8.  Greg brings the same intensity he had in the Boston game.  Toss Up
9.  Time for LaMarcus to put it to David West.  Toss Up
10.  See you there!  +1 Schonley's

Totals:  Blazers 1   Hornets 0   Schonely's 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• 15 Thoughts vs. New Orleans from 11/14 and 11/28.
• Shakedown from Bust a Bucket.
• An extended look from Blazers Edge.
• Enemy coverage from Hornets 247.
• At the Hive has the rest of it.
  

Greg Oden waits for his Green Card?

At a bar the other night, while releasing a few pints from my system, I found this nice little advertisement above the not-so-fresh porcelain Allah.

At first glance, if you had no idea that Greg had his own cell phone coming out, you'd have said, "WTF? Greg Oden's not American?!?!?"  I about died laughing at the thought of Greg Oden in an advertisement holding a green card and then realized I needed to concentrate as to not leave a lasting impression for the next pint releaser and to also keep my Nikes dry.