Vacation Time for Blaze of Love!

Tomorrow at noon I'll be bording a plane and heading off to a remote beach where I'll be sucking down tasty beverages and absorbing as much sun as humanly possible without being mistaken for a lobster.  The rainy weather and gloomy months that this lovely city brings each year always start to really get to me around February.  So this year, we're doing something about it!

While I'm away, I seriously doubt I'll even attempt to find the time to post, but you just never know.  Laptop will be on back, but mainly just to stay in touch with civilization, the bank account and Tiger Woods.  If I had been extra motivated, I would have looked for a guest postee, but that's not the sort of burden I would have liked to place on anyone.

Thoughts for my absence...

• Tomorrow night will prove to be the longest night of the season?
• And how much pressure will be on Portland in Minnesota on Friday?
• Will Greg EVER come back?  What's with the booze and pot stories?
• San Antonio again on Sunday?  Ewww.
• Indiana at home when I return on Wednesday!  

See you all in a week for that final playoff push!

15 Thoughts vs. Houston 2/24

The Houston Rockets are on fire right now without Tracy McGrady.  You can see this team really gelling now that they know exactly what they've got for the rest of the year.  Aaron Brooks, Mr. Local, has also stepped  into a starting role now that Rafer Alston is gone and the Rockets haven't missed a step.  Things may be good now, but let's just think back to November, Houston.

1.  ESPN Accuscore seriously has Houston this heavily favored?  +1 Rockets
2.  Don't they remember Brandon Roy from November 6th?  +1 Blazers
3.  Ron Artest will sure try to prevent that from happening.  Toss Up
4.  As will Shane Battier.  Toss Up
5.  Blake vs. Aaron Brooks?  Toss Up
6.  Can Portland overcome more road troubles?  Toss Up
7.  Not sure that Scola can keep up with LaMarcus.  +1 Blazers
8.  So much for a Yao-Oden battle.  -1 2007 Draft
9.  Games like these are real tests towards the future.  +1 Future
10.  McGrady done forever?  Toss Up
11.  Bench play?  +1 Blazers
12.  Houston just tallied up 7 straight at home.  +1 Rockets
13.  Hello Rockets Dancers intro!  +1 Mardi Gras Costumes
14.  And it's Mardi Gras night at the Toyota Center!  +1 Fat Tuesday
15.  It's not getting easier after this one.  Toss Up

Totals:  Blazers 3   Rockets 2   2007 Draft -1   Mardi Gras 2   Future 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Always entertaining enemy coverage from the Dream Shake.
  

Blazer Dancer Marissa - Christmas Day Action

A little shoutout to one of the most popular faces on the 2008-09 Blazer Dancers squad, Marissa.

Blazers vs. Flickr 2/23/09

Flickr is easily one of my favorite spots to check for the latest and greatest Blazers fan postings.  You get everything from the professional photographers to the casual fan uploading stuff to it.  I've found some real gems on here and today, being an off day, seemed like a great day to share some of the newest with you.

The first bunch are all Valentine's Day related and I'm pretty disappointed in myself for not finding them at that time.  All men should be drooling at this first one...

And she even gave her boyfriend the Aldridge jersey when everything was finished.  Nice girl.  (See another version here.)

Another Flickr user took the Blazers and Valentine's Day even further by making his own set of V-Day cards.  Here are a few of my favorites, but you can check the rest out at his photostream.

 

  

Pretty good, eh?

A couple of DIY Channing shirts.

Unfortunately ladies, if he ever becomes mayor, it likely will be in another city.

Or how about the official Joel "Godzilla" Przybilla photoshop?

 

Nice work.  Love the bloody lip.

And who doesn't love Marissa in action?

How you been M?

Great picture, bad seats. 

I'll admit that I've been up there before though.  Still a blast.

LeBron goes chalk in Portland.

This never gets old.

And finally...someone grabbed Paul Allen's jet prepping for takeoff.

10 Quick Thoughts vs. Los Angeles (Clippers) 2/22

On many weekends, we like to disappear from the blog, but a Sunday game always grabs our attention. It's too bad Zach Randolph won't be in town, the Rose Garden crowd always loves a Z-Bo sighting.  All I can say, is please, just take care of business today boys.

1.  Can you  guess what ESPN Accuscore is saying?  +1 Blazers
2.  An 8 game home win streak could feel really good.  +1 Blazers
3.  No Camby?  Still?  +1 Blazers
4.  Clippers giving up 140 points in back-to-backs with Phoenix?  +1 Blazers
5.  Greg's pouty face?  +1 Guaranteed
6.  The Clippers are awful, but you get the feeling this will be good.  Toss Up
7.  Portland's post-deadline moxy?  +1 Blazers
8.  The Baron Davis factor is still something to worry about.  +1 Clippers
9.  The Natural.  +1 Blazers
10.  This is going to be one long week...  Toss Up

Totals:  Blazers 6   Clippers 1   Pouty Face 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

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

Blazers Weekend BuZzZzzzz - 2/21/09

1.  This article from Examiner.com touches on our friend Greg Oden and whether or not he has been worth it to this point.  

The kid was a force in his first and only season at Ohio State and showed a lot of promise which lead to him being drafted first overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. But since then, he’s been nothing but a disappointment averaging only nine points in his meager 39 (out of a possible 128) game career.

As frustrated as I am, it really isn't fair to judge this kid yet.  Once the season is finished, and we see where his numbers are, and where the Blazers run ends, then we can all sit back and decide how successful Oden's rookie season was.  Until then, stop whining people.  (And that's coming from me, the Kevin Durant supporter.)

2.  Just about everyone on the west coast reported yesterday that Blazers G/F, Martell Webster, could miss the entire regular season.  Why are we so concerned about this?

Blazers trainer Jay Jensen on Friday told the Oregonian that Webster will likely be out through the remainder of the regular season because of a slow-healing fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot that he fractured during the preseason. But Pritchard said Webster has not had the foot scanned since early February, so the team has no new information that would lead them to form that conclusion.

I'm still not sure the Blazers will ever need Martell Webster now, with the addition of Rudy Fernandez and the surprisingly consistent play of rookie, Nicolas Batum.  Your thoughts?

3.  The team has struggled mightily against the higher scoring franchises in the league, and fortunately for us, someone did the research to prove it.

You could explain a team having a lower winning percentage against the top 10 scoring teams as simply a reflection of playing higher quality opponents. That would be true as this group includes the Lakers, Boston, Orlando, and Cleveland. But the group also includes the likes of New York, Golden State, and Indiana. A lower winning percentage would be expected, but one that is 54 percentage points less than when facing teams ranked 11-20 is a bit staggering.

Every time I see a run a gun type of team, I get extra nervous.  In fact, I get more nervous when the Blazers play New York and Golden State than I do when they are playing one of those top 4 teams listed.  You never know when one of the low level teams can get hot, put up 140, and embarrass this young Blazer squad.

Blaze of Glory - 2/20/09

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 better look at Rudy's tribute to Fernando Martin.  [USA Today]
• Greg Oden done for the year?  Nothing would surprise me.  [Hoops World]
• Hendrickson thinks the Blazers played the trade deadline right.  [Columbian]
• And of course Yahoo has a sarcastic look.  [Yahoo Sports]
• And a Blazers fan sounds off.  [Keeping up with the Joneses]
  
• Brandon Roy's custom PS3 all Husky'd out.  [Seattle Times]
• Petteri Koponen battles Brandon Jennings!  [Deceptively Quick]
• Not sure I completely get this...you decide if it's funny.  [Rip City Baby]

2009 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

The 2009 NBA Season’s second half has started and another Trade Deadline has cruised on by.  How about a recap? 

This season’s deadline turned out to be pretty uneventful from a star standpoint, but a ton of low-end role players were delivered around in bunches.  Teams were dumping salaries left and right in these unstable economic times while also looking to free up space for this offseason and of course, continue to position themselves for the 2010 free agent market of dreams.

Here is a breakdown of the 2009 NBA Trade Deadline:

The Brad Miller 3-Way…
Portland gets:  Michael Ruffin
Sacramento gets:  Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Ike Diogu
Chicago gets:  Brad Miller and John Salmons

The Larry Hughes 3-Way…
New York gets:  Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox
Chicago gets:  Tim Thomas, Anthony Roberson and Jerome James
Oklahoma City gets:  Malik Rose

The Rafer Alston 3-Way…
Orlando gets:  Rafer Alston
Houston gets:  Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook
Memphis gets:  Future first-round pick

Kings and Wolves…
Sacramento gets:  Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth
Minnesota gets:  Sheldon Williams and Bobby Brown

Thunder and Hornets...
Oklahoma City gets:  Tyson Chandler
New Orleans gets:  Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith
(Trade rescinded after Tyson failed medical exam.)

Celtics and Kings…
Boston gets:  Conditional second-round pick in 2015
Sacramento gets:  Sam Cassell

Pistons and Clippers…
Los Angeles gets:  Alex Acker
Detroit gets:  Second-round pick in 2011 and conditional second-rounder in 2013

Raptors and Heat…
Miami gets:  Jermaine O’Neal, Jamario Moon and future first-round draft pick
Toronto gets:  Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks and cash considerations

Lakers and Grizzlies…
Memphis gets:  Chris Mihm

Celtics and Raptors…
Toronto gets:  Patrick O’Bryant

If others start to magically roll in, then we’ll continue to update this list for you!

15 Thoughts vs. Atlanta 2/20

After an incredibly uneventful trade deadline has come to pass, we have to actually start thinking about games again.  And tonight’s match-up is just the test the Blazers need after hearing news that their team will remain together throughout the remainder of the season.  We heard talks of extra motivation and cheers of joy following Kevin Pritchard’s announcement yesterday, but the Atlanta Hawks are now in town and ready to roll.  They might not be considered a classic east coast “power” yet, but I think we all understand just how dangerous they can be.

1.  Closer game than ESPN Accuscore is predicting.  +1 Blazers
2.  Josh Smith will likely abuse LaMarcus all night.  +1 Hawks
3.  But Brandon will pimp slap Joe Johnson from baseline to baseline.  +1 Blazers
4.  Blake vs. Bibby?  +1 Hawks
5.  This would have been a game for Oden to make a difference.  +1 Durant
6.  Are the Hawks the east coast version of the Blazers?  Toss Up
7.  Time for Outlaw to prove he was worth keeping.  Toss Up
8.  Hawks have taken 5 of 6 on the road.  +1 Hawks
9.  But they are also in the middle of a loooooooong road trip.  -1 Hawks
10.  And Portland is working towards 7 straight at home.  +1 Blazers
11.  Portland’s bench.  +1 Blazers
12.  Anyone else still feeling a little frustrated over no trades?  Toss Up
13.  Rudy at Washington Square last night.  +1 Autographed Jerseys
14.  The game is in HD!  +1 Me and -1 Golden State’s Gangster Feed
15.  How important is this win?

Totals:  Blazers 4   Hawks 2   Durant 1   Me 1   Gangster Feed -1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Enemy coverage from TrueHoop Network blog, Hoopinion.
• SBNation style from Peach Tree Hoops.
  

No Trades for "Your" Portland Trail Blazers

I guess maybe that title should say no MAJOR trades happened.

Not sure exactly the point of letting Raef's expiring contract go to waste, but Kevin Pritchard must think this team is good enough right now and the chemistry is solid enough that the risk was possibly greater than the reward.

The rumors were flying all day long and even including Shaq at the last minute via Stephen A. Smith...yuck.  Vince Carter seemed to be the closest to making his way to Portland but in the last few hours, we were told that Pritchard upped the anty a little bit and wanted a first round draft pick from the Nets as well.  The Richard Jefferson talks seemed to fizzle yesterday with the Bucks and the Gerald Wallace talks with the Bobcats couldn't move past a Nazr Mohammed package.

Part of me is fine with no major shake-up, but the real fan in me was ready for a blockbuster deal that could have sent this team deep into the playoffs.  Any of those 3 players would have greatly improved this team, but for now, that will remain speculation.

How are you feeling after 3 days of trade garbage?

Trail Blazers Free Agents in 2009 and 2010

ESPN has this really super-duper-neat list put together for every single NBA team and the free agents they'll have come the 2009 and 2010 off seasons.  I made it easy on you all and pulled the Blazers free agents, but I encourage you to take a look at the rest of the list, especially during the finals hours of this year's trade deadline.

(Hat tip to TrueHoop for pointing this out.)

Ike Diogu Out. Michael Ruffin In.

In the first major trade heading into tomorrow's deadline, the Bulls, Kings and Blazers pull off a 7-player deal.  (Well at least that's what ESPN says.)  The only impact to Portland is the swap of Ike Diogu for Michael Ruffin.  Snooze.

The Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings have reached tentative agreement on a trade sending Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons to the Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons, ESPN.com.

One source said the Bulls players were pulled off the team bus Wednesday afternoon and were told they had been traded.

The deal also involved a third team. The Bulls agreed to send Michael Ruffin to Portland, and the Trail Blazers would ship Ike Diogu to the Kings, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

I'm thinking they'll waive Ruffin and tomorrow we'll see the big move we've all been waiting for. Bayless on the outs?

Richard Jefferson and Ridnour on the Move?

I know that the rumors have been flying all week about the possibility of Richard Jefferson and Luke Ridnour becoming Blazers, but the Nets Blog over at the New York Post has them practically condo shopping in the Pearl already.

Sources say Jefferson and Luke Ridnour likely are headed from Milwaukee to Portland for a package including Raef LaFrentz' expiring contract and Travis Outlaw, two components that were part of a proposed Nets deal.

Did talks with the Bucks really pick up that much steam over night?  Anyone else feeling extra heat on this one?

**Update**

Adrian "Holy" Wojnarowski is also confirming that this deal is inching closer to completion.

Greg Oden - The Glass House

Mr. Oden continues to impress us with his uncanny ability to shatter when brushed.  Corey Maggette, as many of you know, is the latest object to slightly graze Greg causing a chunk of his patella to break off.  When will it end?  Who knows, but at least his situations keep giving us chances to take shots at him! 

15 Thoughts vs. Memphis 2/18

Anyone going to the game tonight might want to leave their children at home.  The verbiage used by Blazers fans could climb to a level of class that only Golden State fans are usually capable of reaching.  And what about the signs?  Somebody should hold a contest for the best Darius Miles sign tonight to really get the festivities started off with a bang.  One thing is for sure, don’t go to this game expecting to enjoy a fun filled family atmosphere…it’s going to get grimy. 

1.  I think we know which way ESPN Accuscore is going here.  +1 Blazers
2.  Anticipation of Darius and his 3 minutes of playing time?  +1 Rose Garden
3.  Hopes of this happening again.  +1 Rose Garden
4.  Memphis boasting a stellar 3-20 record on the road.  +1 Blazers
5.  Rest, rest and more rest.  +1 Blazers
6.  Rudy Gay is definitely a “Blazer Killer”.  +1 Grizzlies
7.  Blake is back!  Toss Up
8.  Do I even need to mention Oden at this point?  Toss Up
9.  Roy fresh off a stellar All-Star performance.  +1 Blazers
10.  Joel vs. the fat Gasol.  Toss Up
11.  Darius Miles signs.  +1 Rose Garden
12.  Darius Miles chants.  +1 Rose Garden
13.  Darius Miles boo-meter.  +1 Rose Garden
14.  Possibility of something actually being thrown at Miles .  +1 Rose Garden
15.  Enough looking at the game…all I care about is destroying Miles.

Totals:  Blazers 4   Grizzlies 1   Rose Garden 6

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Excellent enemy coverage from 3 Shades of Blue.

No More 6-man Out of Bounds Plays for Portland?

The play that the Boston Celtics are still b*tching about from a game with the Portland Trail Blazers back in December will soon be something of the past.  Well sort of.  We all know that Boston fans will likely never let it go and if their home court advantage disappears come playoff time, they will surely blame this one play...which took place in the first half of a game...against a team missing it's superstar.  Intelligent fans and players, aren't they?

Here is the proposed fix for that fantastic situation:

As a result, the league's competition committee approved a recommendation to the Board of Governors on Friday that will change the rule in the upcoming weeks.

The revised rule will allow the non-offending team to accept the result of the play and shoot a technical foul or decline the play's outcome and shoot a technical, with the offending team, in essence, creating a "do-over." In other words, the Celtics would have been able to disallow the Trail Blazers' points and shoot a technical, followed by Portland inbounding.

Remember the play that I am talking about?  The 6-man out of bounds play of course!

A Trip Around the NBA - 2/17/09

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.

• Michael Jordan and I are both older today.  [USA Today]
  
• How bad is Steve Kerr looking these days?  [Cuzoogle]
• I still have my Penny Hardaway Magic jersey from back in the day.  [Hoop Doctors]
• Steve Nash the newest chameleon?  [Ben's Suns Blog]
• Now what about Alvin Gentry.  What kind of coach is he?  [A Stern Warning]
• The NBA borrowing $175M?  Eek.  [FanNation]
• The Hornets are broke and giving away key pieces.  Thanks.  [Hornets247]
• I hate all former Dukies, but this article is pretty good.  [NY Times]
• Fantasy ratings for the All-Star game!  Love it.  [Give Me the Rock]
• Jason Richardson is looking like a complete jack ass these days.  [Basketbawful]
• Top 10 "under the radar" players.  [Piston Post]
  

Oden has a Chipped Patella in his Left Knee

In a constant effort to out-injure Lakers' center Andrew Bynum, Greg Oden has found himself with a chipped patella in his left knee.  Awesome!

Oden, 21, underwent an MRI yesterday that revealed the injury. The 7-footer currently is resting in Indiana and will be re-evaluated Tuesday when he returns to Portland.

After experiencing pain in the knee this past week, Oden opted to skip Friday's Rookie Challenge game at the All-Star weekend. The Blazers have listed him as day-to-day.

Let the internets come alive!  Where are Lakers fans?  I figured they would have been here already.

Blaze of Glory - 2/16/09

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!)

• Three dunks Rudy should have performed?  [Willamette Week]
  
• Richard Jefferson and Ridnour on their way to Portland?  [Sporting News]
• Ian Thomsen says "no".  [Sports Illustrated]
• Marc Stein gives his opinion on it as well.  [ESPN]
  
• Casey is completely right about Brandon Roy.  [Trail Blazers Center Court]
  
• Would Portland still take Oden over Durant? (Yes, unfortunately.)  [Idaho Statesman]
• One Blazer fan still thinks it was the right choice.  [Swamigp's Sports blog]
  
• I'm sure you all know that former Blazer Terry Porter, has been fired.  [KVAL]
• Ben thinks the Blazers should hire him!  [Blazers Edge]
  
• Paul Allen sells off his DreamWorks shares! [The T and D]
• A new Brandon Roy inspired Nike.  [Kicks on Fire]
  

2009 NBA All-Star Weekend Recap

The 58th annual NBA All-Star Weekend 2009 in Phoenix has come to a close!

So let me ask, did you enjoy the festivities?  I'm pretty up in the air on my thoughts towards the weekend as a whole.  In fact, I actually feel cheated as a fan.  The dunk contest was completely rigged by the NBA's marketing department to pair tiny Nate Robinson against the reigning champion Dwight Howard.  That whole kryptonite and Superman thing was set up long ago and no matter what Rudy Fernandez or JR Smith pulled off, we were going to see David vs. Goliath. 

And then the actual All-Star game MVP was obviously a PR person's dream.  The chatter before, during and of course after, was all about the Shaq and Kobe reunion.  So don't tell me that the "co-MVP" thing came as a surprise to you.  Cheated.  I feel absolutely cheated.

With that said, let's kick tushie and get right into the recap.

Friday!

• The 2009 Celebrity game took place and was its usual boring self.  Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins headlined as former players, Magic and Dr. J took over as coaches, and clowns like Terrell Owens tried to prove that they are multi-sport athletes and entertainers.  TO took home the MVP trophy after jacking up 20+ shots but won over the crowd while throwing down a couple of dunks.  Bleh.  (Full story here.)
  
• The Rookie-Sophomore Challenge followed up the celeb snoozer and was probably the most entertaining of all the All-Star weekend's contests.  Kevin Durant proved once again why he was the first freshman to ever win the Player of the Year award by dropping an astounding 46 points to rally the sophomores over the rooks.  He truly is something special.  Oh, and our friend Greg Oden sat out with another injury...at his most comfortable spot, the end of the bench.  (Full story here.)
• Friday night also included something called the Dream Factory which featured the D-League's top dunkers and 3-point gunners.  Oh and they also tossed in a H-O-R-S-E competition.  (Full story here.)

Saturday!

• The D-League All-Star game was up first!  No need for a recap...just head here.
• The NBA's H-O-R-S-E competition also took place at some point with Kevin Durant taking home the honors.  He bounced OJ Mayo to win the competition with a deep three from the corner. (Full story here.)
  
• When the major festivities got started, we were treated once again to the Haier Shooting Stars competition which I'm not sure anyone actually watched.  You know what it is; the competition with a former, current and women's player that team up to shoot from marked spots on the court seeing who can gain the most points.  OK, you're right...no one knows what this is.  Go Bill Laimbeer!  (Full story here.)
• And then a slew of top point guards laced 'em up for the Skills Challenge which can be somewhat entertaining if the guys decide to show up and take it serious.  Derrick Rose took out Devin Harris in the finals by putting up a solid 35 second run and finishing it off with a monster, pump, reverse two hander.  Very nice.  (Full story here.)
• The 3-Point Shootout followed and left everyone sort of underwhelmed.  Jason Kapono was back trying to three-peat but failed to show up after the first round getting smoked by Rashard Lewis and Daequan Cook.  Cook and Lewis actually tied during their championship rounds and the winner was eventually decided through a shoot out.  Cook was easily the best shooter on the night and took home the trophy.  (Full story here.)
• Finally, we were left sort of bored and frustrated with the Dunk Contest.  It was going to be tough for any of the competitors to live up to last year's performances, and unfortunately for everyone watching, it failed to come even close.  From the beginning, you could tell people just wanted to see Dwight Howard vs. Nate Robinson in the finals.  For weeks, we've been hearing about Nate and his "kryptonite" and also about Dwight bringing back the Superman cape.  In fact, before all of the first round dunks were completed, Nate walked back to the locker room to change into a new outfit already knowing he'd be advancing.  I will say that his final dunk over Howard was fairly impressive and he deserved to win, but the fact that Fernandez and Smith were an afterthought before the competition even got started was more than frustrating.  (Full story here.)

Sunday!

• Finishing off the entire weekend was the actual All-Star Game!  The game was somewhat entertaining until we all realized how hard Kobe Bryant was pushing to be the MVP.  In the pre-game, all he could talk about was taking a back seat to the young guys like Brandon Roy, and then once the game got started, you quickly realized he was full of sh*t.  As the game wore on, and Shaq became more involved, you could feel the "Shaq-Kobe reunion" cooking into something annoying.  Annoying meaning...co-MVPs.  They of course received the co-MVPs, we were all annoyed and then left wondering why the NBA is now rigging it's entire All-Star weekend?  (Full story here.)
  

Random Highlights!

• LeBron announced his pre-entry into the 2010 dunk contest!  Should be one for the ages...Vince Carter-esque even.
• James also threw down a ridiculous off-the-backboard dunk to end Sunday's game.  Eek.
• Our boy, Brandon Roy, was solid again and even put down a nice tomahawk in the lane and an off-the-backboard oop from CP3.
• Shaq busted out into a classic pre-game routine with the Jabbawockeez.  The guy is just flat out entertaining.
• Rudy's second dunk was top 3 in the dunk contest...overlooked by the fact that he missed it 100 times.
• Allen Iverson chopped off the cornrows!  It's about f-ing time!
• John McCain actually showed up to an event in Arizona which featured zero of his supporters, and proving once again why we are so fortunate to NOT have him as our President.

Videos and Photos!

• So many fantastic photos for you to check out at Yahoo's NBA Gallery.
• NBA.com has a ton of videos of the event as well.
  

Your favorite moment(s) from the entire weekend?

Oden with the Quickest ESPN Chat Ever?

Big GO stepped into the online chatting world of ESPN today for about 5 minutes?  We busted through with a question at the end only to realize he had said, "goodbye".  Oh well...here is a quick excerpt from the chat.

Tyler (Medford, OR): How are you dealing with the pressure of your rookie year? Is it what you expected

SportsNation Greg Oden: I expected to be playing a little bit better. Or more consistently playing better. But it's cool, being out there playing. But I expect more out of myself.

Matt: Greg, what areas of your game do you think you need to work on the most? Thanks

SportsNation Greg Oden: I always say every aspect of my game. But most definitely me improving offensively would help. And defensively, improving there and closing down on the paint.

adam (nm) [via mobile]: Would you like to be on an nba live cover?

SportsNation Greg Oden: It would definitely be an honor. When you're one of the best you get to do that.

Good stuff, but the same stuff we've been hearing all year.  Who asks him about "pressure"?  Chalk up the 10,000th time that question has been asked.

2009 NBA All-Star Game Schedules!

Many of you probably didn't make the trip down to sunny Phoenix and are probably wondering what the TV schedule looks like for this year's NBA All-Star game?  Blaze of Love has it covered!  We wouldn't want you to miss any of the gaggle of Blazers participating would we?

TV Schedule (In Pacific Time):

Friday - 6:00PM - T-Mobile Rooke Challenge and Youth Jam
Friday - 8:00PM - Inside the NBA

Saturday - 2:00PM - Inside the NBA
Saturday - 4:00PM - NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Theatre
Saturday - 5:00PM - NBA Tip-off
Saturday - 5:30PM - All-Star Saturday Night (Dunk/3-Point/Skills/Etc.)

Sunday - 5:00PM - NBA Tip-off
Sunday - 5:30PM - NBA All-Star Game
Sunday - 8:00PM - (Replay) NBA All-Star Game

In Person Schedule:

(All times are Eastern and remember that Phoenix is in the Mountain time zone.)

Also, make sure to check out NBA.com for their full coverage.

Refs in Bed with Maggette. Hand Warriors Win over Portland. 105-98

Flop, f lop, flop...flop, flop, flop...flop, flop, flop!  It's one thing to flop a couple of times a game and steal a call.  It's another thing, when everyone in the building including the referees, knows you are about to flop, and then they still call it with minimal contact.

As many times as the referrees handed the game over to the Golden State Warriors tonight, they just kept proving to us why they are one of the worst teams in the entire NBA.  In fact, with a 32-18 foul difference, they still couldn't manage to pull away from the Blazers who easily played their worst game of the year.

No need for a full recap on this one.  I think we all know the reasons for this loss.

Congrats Golden State!  Mark this one down on your calendars!

Now, can we please get to the All-Star break where the Blazers actually have players participating unlike the bottom feeders they lost to tonight?

TNT NBA All-Star Game Commercial

I've got to admit that this is a pretty solid commercial put together by the folks over at TNT.  It's their preview commercial for this year's All-Star game.  The best part?  They included Roy's buzzer beater against Houston.  Gotta love it...

Clipper Dancer Jacqueline has an Eye for the Camera

This is definitely not the first time this season that a camera crew has found its way onto one of the many lovely NBA Dancers throughout the NBA.  I think we can all recall this video of Nuggets Dancer Bridget?  We didn't quite get a "festive atmosphere" from Jacqueline's performance but it's still worth your time.

And of course we couldn't leave you without a few "action" shots of Ms. J could we?

 

 

And of course, this snuggles right in with the rest of our NBA/Blazer Dancer coverage. (Snuggle, maybe I should have said Snuggie?)

Have a great weekend...

How About Some Reasons to Keep LaFrentz's Contract?

Great work on this list by Wendell Maxey over at Hoops World.  He pokes around some reasons for Portland to keep LaFrentz for now rather than deal for locker room killers like Amare Stoudemire.  Here are the two that I was excited to see:

3. No More "Filler" - Raise your hand if you have read this line before in various trade reports centered around Raef: "with Raef Lafrentz included as trade filler…." Since when did an expiring contract worth $12.7 million become labeled as "filler"? It's not as if Pritchard is just going to give away LaFrentz's expiring contract or use it to help balance out another deal. Enough with the "filler" line already.

4. Summer Time - Portland can get far more mileage out of LaFrentz's contract this coming offseason rather than an immediate return as the trade deadline nears.  The writing is on the wall: the Blazers remain in the market for a scrappy defender to realistically back-up LaMarcus Aldridge, as well as an all-in-one point guard. Chances are it will be tough for Portland to acquire both this offseason, but certainly management will look to get the most bang for their buck come this summer.

As much as I'd like to see some major move happen now, rather than later, I'm not keeping my fingers and toes crossed.  There is nothing like blogging about a major play from a contender, but at the same time, do the Blazers really need to?  They are in fact sitting at 4th aren't they?  I'm down for just riding this out.

In fact, I'd rather ride it out through the playoffs to see what pieces are missing to break through to that championship level that we are all waiting for.

Your thoughts?

15 Thoughts vs. Golden State 2/12

I keep hearing media around the country say that the NBA is now on break with the All-Star break just days away.  Well what about the 6 teams playing tonight people?  One of them being "your" Portland Trail Blazers?  This game could be a huge downer going into the break.  The Blazers have not always been too fortunate when they travel down to thugville Oakland, and this is not exactly what they needed before they take a quick vacation.  Oh, and just 10 thoughts today...I've mentally checked out.

1.  ESPN Accuscore just went "Toss Up" on us.  Toss Up
2.  Anthony Morrow's teeth?  +1 Oakland Oral Surgeons
3.  Four years since the last Blazer win in Oakland.  +1 Warriors
4.  G-State actually put up 144 pts against New York?  +1 Damn
5.  Scary, Stephen Jack-O is on fire this month.  +1 Warriors
6.  As is Oden/Roy/Outlaw.  +1 Blazers
7.  Over/Under on how many free throws Maggette gets handed?  -15 Refs
8.  Time to end another streak.  +1 Blazers
9.  Blazers record when scoring over 100?  +1 Blazers
10.  Mentally...I'm already into the All-Star break.  +1 Me

Totals:  Blazers 3   Warriors 2   Teeth 1   Damn 1   Refs -15   Me 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Only the best Warriors coverage from Golden State of Mind.
  

Thunder Struck! Blazers Redeem Egos against OKC. 106-92

Since the Blazers had to head straight to Golden State following last night's win over Oklahoma City, we'll make this quick so we can get right onto the thoughts for the night.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Russell Westbrook is damn good.
• Way to step up big GO!  Although still extremely awkward, it was a nice performance.
• Aldridge really starting to disappear?  Maybe the trade talks?
• Bench was huge again tonight.  One of the best in the league?
• Durant on an "off" night, was still that good.
• How many bricks did Jeff Green throw up?
• Travis...stop changing my feelings for you...dammit.
• I like Scotty Brooks as a coach.  What a turn around he's made?
• Reffing was awful.
• Onto to "thugville"!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you at the Lompoc:


Box Score.

Fire up the Aldridge for Amare Talk Again?

CBSSports.com is now reporting that the Blazers have offered Aldridge, Bayless and the expiring contract of Raef Lafrentz for Amare Stoudemire. 

A piece from the CBS article:

The Portland Trail Blazers have made a strong play for Amare Stoudemire, discussing a package that includes LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless, and Raef LaFrentz's $12.7 million expiring contract, a person with direct knowledge of the talks told CBSSports.com Tuesday.

The Blazers, among the most active teams in the league as the Feb. 19 trade deadline draws near, have joined Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Toronto, Golden State, and New Jersey among a growing list of teams that have discussed acquiring Stoudemire from the Suns.

Hmmm...I'm actually not sure where I stand on this to tell you the truth.  It was just yesterday that I was reading quotes from McMillan saying that the team would not be forcing a trade to try and make a run at a title this year, yet this potential trade seems to go completely against that rationale. 

I think Amare is a hell of a talent, but if the future is on everyone's mind, hasn't the word from Pritchard been to "stay with what we've got"?  Amare is still young though...and he does posterize people way the hell more than LaMarcus ever will.  And he's not afraid to venture to the phyiscal side of life.  Basically, I'm about to say the word that drives Aldridge completely bonkers and you probably guessed it..."soft".

Your thoughts?

15 Thoughts vs. Oklahoma City 2/11

After that embarrassing loss to the OKC Thunder last Friday, “your” Portland Trail Blazers get a re-match and a second chance to somehow prove that Greg Oden was the “right” pick just 2 years ago.  Tonight will also mark the first chance that Sonics fans will have to head down and see their former team take on their former rival.  Welcome back Seattle!  Anyone else excited to see how rowdy the Seattle folks can get tonight in their special section?  It’ll be like having two cities cheering against one opponent!

1.  Who can step up and guard Mr. Kevin Durant?  Toss Up
2.  Getting caught on your heels is not an option this time around.  -1 Blazers
3.  Trade talk starting to effect this team?  Toss Up
4.  Is Westbrook already better than any Portland PG?  +1 Thunder
5.  Assuming Greg shows up, he should have his way.  +1 Blazers
6.  As should LaMarcus.  +1 Blazers
7.  And of course Roy.  +1 Blazers
8.  ESPN Accuscore really just went 82% on us.  +1 Blazers
9.  Probably because OKC is 3-21 on the road.  Eek.  +1 Blazers
10.  Chances of Durant pulling out a practice H-O-R-S-E shot?  Toss Up
11.  Westbrook proves he’s the better dunker over Rudy?  Toss Up
12.  Nick Collison cannot seriously be a factor.  Toss Up
13.  Solid complete game performance from Portland?  Toss Up
14.  My fiancée rocking the Durant Sonics jersey tonight.  +1 Die Hard
15.  Still imagining Durant in black, red and white.  +1 Championship

Totals:  Blazers 4   Thunder 1   Die Hard Durant Fan 1   Championship 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

Other Previews:

• Daily Thunder has your enemy coverage.
• And the rest from Welcome to Loud City.
  

Poor Russell Westbrook, you just got Abused by Kobe Bryant

Rookies...they just can't learn fast enough can they?  How about a full court pass with a Kobe Bryant seal and hammer to end the 1st quarter? 


Oh, and then he did it again in the second quarter...


Poor Russell. And tomorrow night you get a hyped up Blazers squad. Should be a good week!

H-O-R-S-E Participants Decided for All-Star Weekend!

The NBA finally announced its participants to the much anticipated H-O-R-S-E competition during this weekend's NBA All-Star game festivities.  Last year's competition with NBDL players was such a huge success that the league responded and brought it back!  Only this time with actual basketball players...

Current "Blazers Killer" Kevin Durant leads the 3-man group and is joined by potential Rookie of the Year candidadte O.J.Mayo and All-Star reserve Joe Johnson. 

It sounds like the contest will be held outside of the actual arena which I have mixed feelings about.  Still should be a lot of fun!

And speaking of horse...anyone remember LeBron getting worked by some random kid in a game last summer?  I've got you covered:

Blazer Dancers Site goes Legit in 2009

 (Blaze...what are you doing back there?)

I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't tell you about the recent update to the Blazer Dancers page.  After all, that is half of our schtick isn't it?  Someone has to bring you the loveliest dance team on the planet...and that someone is Blaze of Love.

Updates:

• New, fancy flash action when you hover over each dancer.  One minus is the blurriness that happens...I was lost for a second.
• Each BD now has their own page with multiple life size photos for your viewing pleasure.
• As far as I can tell, each BD also has a bio including some neat little tidbits about them personally including birthday and nicknames.
• A new live action gallery with a few pics you may not have seen yet.
• And even a new video which we have for you below.
  

The New Video with Caitlin and fiery redhead Taren:


(I believe they also made a short commercial out of this.)

And a Few New Photos to Leave You with:

 

 

A Trip Around the NBA - 2/10

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.

• Economy starting to effect trade decisions?  [NBA.com]
• Part 2 in the "Nextology of Michael Jordan" - Grant Hill.  [Hoop Doctors]
  
• Dwyane Wade is not looking like the father of the year any longer.  [Page 2 Live]
• Poor, poor T-Mac...he can't even run full on anymore.  [SLAM]
• Leave it to Steve Nash to do good things with his kicks.  [Kix and the City]
• Competition for Adam Morrison and his mustache?  [National Lampoon]
• Five people you meet at Wizards game.  Solid work.  [Stets Sports]
• Bangkok muay thai for NBA bloggers?  [Empty the Bench]
  

Rihanna and Martell had a Moment?

At times, I'm all about the gossip!  In fact, if this blog could be all about Blazers and Blazer Dancers gossip, things would be great.  Unfortunately, this team is filled with a bunch of great guys who hang out at home most of the time while the Blazer Dancers are just as caught up with steady boy toys.  (That sentence sounded so bad...)

But today, we have a chance to stir up some dirt!  For those of you living in a cave, you may not have known that Chris Brown and Rihanna have been dating for quite some time.  And you also may not be aware that they had a little domestic dispute last night and little CB found himself in jail for his childish actions.

So the point here, is that after reading an article on this little debacle, I noticed a comment from some random internet nobody:

6:14 PM Cammie Says:

Look if this is true i dont know how to feel because if i had been pushed to the point i would probably have smacked the Sh8t out of her myself. Lets face it be shes a HO3. I mean she fu** and Sucked the BbAL PLAY Martel something for the Portland Trail blazers and many other celebs she so damn clingie and shes from the island and they are natural freak's down their they would sleep with anyon. Its very sad but Sh8t happens.........

That true?!?!  Martell had his go with Ms. Rihanna?  I've heard the rumors of her "easiness" but didn't know Martie took his turn.

I think in the world of media, I need to have 3 sources to confirm.  I'm working with 1 random commenter right now, which I'm going to count as "one".  Two more come forward!

Blaze of Glory - 2/9/09

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!)

• Are Blazers fans really tougher than the team?  [Bleacher Report]
• Brandon just won some random Oregon sports award.  [Oregon Live]
• Some insight on the Stoudemire to Portland rumors.  [Hoops World]
• Will Bayless ever become a true point guard?  [Arizona Daily Star]
• In case you didn't know, McMillan's son plays for Arizona State.  [ASU Web Devil]
• I'm with Canzano on this one.  Make a trade now KP.  [John Canzano]
• Mental vacation already for Portland?  [Beyond the Beat]
• 5 areas of concern before this team can be elite.  [Columbian]
  

Frustrations Aside, Blazers Steal one from Knicks. 109-108

After a much needed weekend away from sports, blogging, and computers, I caught most of today's game including the "much needed" comeback, powered by Brandon Roy and Travis Outlaw.  Had this game slipped from the Trail Blazers, some major questions were about to need some answers.  Defensively, Portland is easily one of the worst teams in the NBA.  Offensively, well, let's just say that they are lucky to have Brandon Roy.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Pick and roll...ouch.
• My thoughts on Travis Outlaw are starting to change, in a positive way.
• My thoughts on LaMarcus are also changing, but not in a postive way.
• And for Greg, there are no expectations any longer.
• Portland won this game, but it almost doesn't feel like a win.
• Nate Robinson...quickest guy in the game?
• Mike D'Antoni is doing a fabulous coaching job with the Knicks.
• Portland may be playing some awful basketball, but they are winning.
• And now it's time for a series of gutter match-ups with western opponents.

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you Grammy-ing:

Brandon's buzzer beater...


The rest of the game...



Box Score.

15 Thoughts vs. Kevin Durant 2/6

I could sit here and talk about tonight’s match-up as if it were just another game on the road against another Western Conference opponent, but we all know the truth here.  This game is all about Kevin Durant and Greg Oden; as will next week’s here in Portland.  We’ll all sit back tonight watching Kevin Durant blast Portland for 30+ and 8-9 rebounds, see how far he’s come as a pro, and then start to realize that I was right all along when I said “draft Kevin Durant.”  (And I’m pretty sure another well known Blazers blogger said the same thing.)  Greg will be sitting on the bench after hacking the D-Leaguers from the Thunder while KD proves his perennial All-Star-level play is growing exponentially and those reminders of that “lockdown SF” we need so badly will be laid out in front of our faces.  A line up of Roy, Aldridge and Durant together?  Oh….my…

“15 Thoughts” today are all about the Durant vs. Oden comparison.

1.  Gavin on MSP calling Kevin Durant a future Hall of Famer.  +1 Durant
2.  Watching Durant go for at least 25 and 10 in 4 of his last 7.  +1 Durant
3.  Durant’s 2008-09 stat line:  25.1 PPG 6.7 RPG 2.8 APG.  +1 Durant
4.  Durant’s knees.  +1 Durant
5.  Durant’s wrist.  +1 Durant
6.  Durant’s feet.  +1 Durant
7.  Oden’s pouty face.  -1 Oden
8.  Durant actually loving the game of basketball.  +1 Durant
9.  Oh, and Kevin is only 20 years old.  +1 Durant
10.  Oden fouls on the year = 161.  Durant fouls on the year = 83.  +1 Durant
11.  Kevin NOT swinging his feet out on every dunk.  +1 Durant
12.  Kevin knowing what his left hand looks like.  +1 Durant
13.  Kevin Durant’s game log is seriously mesmerizing.  +1 Durant
14.  Oden’s is not.  +1 Durant
15.  Still having faith in Kevin Pritchard’s decision.  +1 Oden

Totals:  Kevin Durant 13   Greg Oden 0

Predicted Winner:  Kevin Durant

Other Previews (of the actual game):

• Welcome to Loud City is all over it.
• And the TrueHoop network version at Daily Thunder.
  

Aldridge and Stoudemire Swapping?

No one actually believes this do they?  I guess it was some good chatter to fill up the day.  A buddy just sent me an IM wondering what I thought about it..."not going to happen?"

Here are sites spreading Thursday gossip:

• Ben's Suns Blog
• Dallas Basketball
• And Blazers Edge even got in on the shutdown.

I could care less if it happened or not to tell you the truth.  Neither of them play defense so with either one in the lineup, it would basically be the same team.

Dallas Stays Hot, Hangs on to Beat Portland. 99-104

If you couldn't tell already, to me, writing about a loss is about as painful as listening to someone refer to the Blazers as the "Zers" or watching D-Leaguers like Brandon Bass dominate a game.  And sure enough, the latter happened last night.  That would actually be 2 games in a row against the Dallas  Mavericks that a D-Leaguer made the difference.

I don't have all that much to say about the game as it's pretty apparent that LaMarcus Aldridge can't guard anybody...even Brandon Bass.  At this point in the season, you can start marking down the games in which the Blazers play at elite power forward and assume it is going to be a close one.  Until Aldridge realizes that stopping the guy he's guarding is 1,000 times more important than outscoring them, he'll never reach that "elite" level.

And I'm not even going to rag on Oden, because I'm just accepting the fact that he is way too young to be reliable on a nightly basis.  Problems arise when Joel is having an off night along side Greg though.  It is pretty tough to succeed when both of your big men are just as effective sitting next to Shavlik  Randolph as they are actually on the court.

The last thing that needs to be touched on is something the Mikes said last night at the end of the game.  They brought up the slow starts that the Blazers have been struggling with the last few games followed up with the point that Bayless has been a much needed spark at the end of games and really seems to get the team rolling.  Maybe time to forget about Sergio and go full on J-Bay?  My frustrations might just completely boil over if Blake comes back and Bayless is sent back to the bench; he is obviously a major assest to this team while Sergio, in 2.5 years, hasn't proven he is.

On a side note, be careful doing a "brandon bass" image search on Google.

Anyone else have anything they'd like to point out from the game?

Hoops Addict Interviews Darius Miles

One of the most legit NBA blogs out there, Hoops Addict, interviewed our favorite former Blazer, Darius Miles.  (Can we lay on the sarcasm any thicker?)  He's looking to be more entertaining these days when he speaks to come off as some sort of classy guy, which to be honest, gives me that little bit of vomit in the back of my throat, which is now burning.  I'm also challenging someone to count the number of times he says "man".

Interview excerpt:

Rashad: When you heard that Portland had sent a letter out to all the NBA, basically telling teams they would sue them if they signed you, how did you feel, and do you have any feelings of resentment towards them?

Darius: I actually thought it was kind of funny, you know?  I’m confident in my abilities as a person and as a player, so I knew someone would sign me.  I’m not that bad of a person, right? (laughs).  In terms of resentment toward Portland? Nah, I have none. You live and you learn.  I just got signed for the rest of the year, after missing two years, I have no resentment towards anybody.  Now if I hadn’t gotten signed, then hell yeah, I’d have resentment. (laughs again)

Thanks to Hoops Addict for another solid pick up, just too bad it was this clown.

Blaze of Glory - 2/4/09

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!)

• At times, I still think Portland should have taken KD.  [Bleacher Report]
• A Portland point guard on the move to Orlando?  [Les Gehrett]
• An incredibly absurd post on Deron's greatness over Roy.  [Jazzbots]
  
• I'm going to say "yes" he will have a long night.  [Mavs Blog]
• Sonics fans in town for the Oklahoma City match-up!  [Seattle PI]
• What's happening to Petteri Koponen's minutes?  [Deceptively Quick]
• I can't believe Channing actually went to this movie.  [Channing Frye Blog]
• B-a-B interviews Two Man Game.  [Bust a Bucket]

15 Thoughts vs. Dallas 2/4

You’ve got to think that if the Blazers can take down the Mavericks tonight, that they will likely end this quick road trip 3-0 and get over .500 on the road for the season.  I’m not saying Oklahoma City is a complete push-over, but you’ve got to think Portland can overwhelm them.  So tonight becomes huge!  A slip up here in Dallas, and there could be that much more pressure on Friday to even come away 2-1.  All about defense tonight…let’s see who can make the most stops.

1.  You know there will be no answer for Dirk from Aldridge.  +1 Mavericks
2.  And probably no answer for Terry either.  +1 Mavericks
3.  But on the other hand, who’s going to guard Roy? +1 Blazers
4.  And Aldridge?  +1 Blazers
5.  It pains me to say this but, Outlaw has become an X-factor.  Toss Up
6.  Our on-again off-again friend ESPN Accuscore was a bad boy today.  +1 Mavericks
7.  Great choice of picture as you enter the Mavs Dancers’ page.  +1 Mavs Fans
8.  Who needs 2 mascots?  And MavsMan is damn scary.  -1 Mavericks
9.  I no longer look at Jason Kidd as a deciding force.  Toss Up PG battle
10.  Which Bayless will we get?  Toss Up
11.  Chance to take this Blazers’ streak to 6 wins?  Toss Up
12.  Interested to see the Batum vs. Howard match-up.  Toss Up
13.  And even the Dampier vs. Oden battle.  Toss Up
14.  No wins for Portland in Dallas in 6 years?  +1 Mavericks
15.  This team is been ruining streaks all year long.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 3   Mavericks 3   Fans 1

Predicted Winner:  Did I go “Toss Up” 2 games in a row?

Other Previews:

• SBNation style enemy coverage from Mavs Moneyball.
• And more from the Mavs Blog at Dallas Morning News.
• A site that's new to me, Dallas Basketball.
  

Talk About a Comeback. Blazers Sting Hornets. 97-89

A come from behind victory?  When was the last time we saw that happen in favor of Portland?  Especially against a top tier team?  Now, I completely understand that Chris Paul was out for the entire 4th quarter and during that time we all realized how awful Antonio Daniels has always been, but still, this is monumental for "your" Portland Trail Blazers.

Game thoughts in fantastical bulleted format:

• Oden needs to drink some Bayless confidence.
• How good was the bench last night?
• It was obvious why Chris Paul is a perennial MVP candidate.
• How about Joel on David West?  Not bad, not bad.
• And how many clunkers did New Orleans throw up in 4th?
• Will Sergio finally get the axe when Blake returns?
• Stat of the night:  Antonio Daniels -27
• Rasual Butler the new "Roy-stopper"?
• Back to Bayless...how fun is this kid to watch when he's rolling?
• On to Dallas!

Plus/Minus Sheet:

Highlights for those of you joining the Bynum fury:



Box  Score.

So Much for those Historic Bynum vs. Oden Match-ups

Wait!  Shhhhhhhh.  Did you hear that?  Yep, that was Andrew Bynum’s MCL tearing.  Lakers’ fans’ hearts shattering.   Plus his career probably a step closer to ending. 

Anyone else NOT feeling bad for Lakers’ fans right now?  How much garbage was thrown at Greg Oden for hurting his foot after returning from his micro-fracture surgery?  How much hate was poured out from L.A. fans onto Portland about the next Sam Bowie?  How about the comparisons between Bynum and Oden and how much better Bynum would be?

Well look who’s laughing now Hollywood?  Let’s just say I’d rather have a guy coming back full strength from micro-fracture and tweaking his foot a little than the guy that just followed up a dislocated kneecap with a torn MCL. 

Maybe the Lakers should have pushed FOR a suspension following that absurd Gerald Wallace attack?

An Awful Look at the Past

From time to time, I find it extremely entertaining to type in Blazers keywords into Google and see what random garbage images it can come up with.  So today's time wasting exercise brought up some very fun pictures of past Blazers that after the fact left you saying, "Why...did...they...ever?"  Basically a handful of players that either should have never been in the league to begin with or were so washed up by the time they got here that Isiah Thomas might even been left embarrassed.

This first photo was happily titled "new faces" or something to that extent.  While Shareef had his moments, his best years were long behind him by the time he arrived in Portland.  And I'm not sure there is much to say about "Not-so-dunking" Dan Dickau and Theo "Stilts" Ratliff is there?  Man, times were tough when these 3 had their own banner...

This second photo is a classic.  Can anyone name these 2 players?  No?  Some of you?  Sergei Monia and Viktor Khryapa (updated cuz even I was wrong) ring a bell?  The "Russian Connection" before our "Spanish Connection"!  At least Kyrylo grew that damn hair out and looks slightly older than 14.

Photo three is Erick "Living off my last name" Barkley.  He actually started 4 games back in 2001-02.  Any idea where this failed early NBA entree wound up?

And the best of all from today's waste of time Google image session?  A player(ette) who probably could have brought just as much game as the rest of these former clowns.  Please welcome, Blazer Barbie.  Her Drexler-esque shorts are enough to grab her at least 5-6 minutes per aren't they?

15 Thoughts vs. New Orleans 2/2

Road trip!  After a long stay at home, “your” Portland Trail Blazers head out for a quick 3 game road swing which should test their mid-season form.  New Orleans tonight, Dallas Wednesday and a battle with former rival, Seattle Oklahoma City on Friday ought to be fun.  Time to see how good this team has really become on the road.  Fortunately for Portland, they’ve run square into another injury prone Western Conference foe.

1.  ESPN Accuscore is not my friend again.  +1 Hornets
2.  No Tyson Chandler.  +1 Blazers
3.  But the “LaMarcus Killer” David West is back.  +1 Hornets
4.  Luckily LaMarcus seems to be back to early form.  +1 Blazers
5.  Oden, stop REACHING.  Move your damn FEET.  Toss Up
6.  Luckily for Greg, Joel is back!  +1 Oden’s Pouty Face
7.  The HoneyBees page is top notch.  -1 Blazer Dancers Page
8.  I swear Byron Scott and Nate could be brothers.  Toss Up
9.  Hornets coming off 2 nasty losses including 1 at home.  +1 Blazers
10.  That obnoxious James Posey factor.  +1 Hornets
11.  Hornets still have no answer for Roy.  +1 Blazers 
12.  I want more of that aggressive Batum from Saturday!  Toss Up
13.  Which Portland point guard will show up?  Toss Up
14.  Chris Paul.  +1 Hornets
15.  Super Bowl hangovers?  Toss Up

Totals:  Blazers 4   Hornets 4   Oden Face 1   BD’s -1

Predicted Winner:  Did I just go “Toss Up”?

Other Previews:

• TrueHoop network enemy coverage from Hornets247.
• SBNation enemy coverage from At the Hive.