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.

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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.

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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.
  

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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?

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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.

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

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

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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.
  

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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!

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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.

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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.

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