The Pre-Funk: Blazers at Rockets 1/29

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect. 

Party Attendees...

The Rockets have come down to Earth after surprising the hell out of everyone at the beginning of the season.  Trevor Ariza has shrunken back into his role playing self, the team wins every other game, and they are plagued as the Blazers are right now, without a superstar.  Essentially, this should be your basic NBA matchup then, right?  Well, aside from the fact that this is the team that knocked Portland out of the playoffs on their Cinderella run last year, then yeah maybe.

Since it's late on a Friday, how about some quick hitters...

-If someone would have told me 3 years ago that Aaron Brooks would be the leading scorer on an NBA team with an above .500 record, I'd have laughed in there face.  Congrats little guy.

-Without Yao and Battier, everyone predicted Battier to have a career year.  Sooooooo wrong my friends.

-Aldridge is the worst perimeter defensive player in the league, and Scola loves to rain the 16 footer.  Long night for LA.

-Nice to see Batum back, but disappearing for an entire half after having a career one is not OK.

-Back to Brooks.  How many layups does he get tonight?  10+?

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Make it Official: Roy is 4th Three Time All-Star in Blazers History

Look!  A team release that we actually feel good about posting...

BRANDON ROY NAMED WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STAR

Roy becomes only the fourth three-time All-Star in Trail Blazers history

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy was named a 2010 NBA All-Star reserve by a vote of Western Conference head coaches, the NBA announced today.

“With this his third straight selection, Brandon Roy joins an elite group of Trail Blazers to represent Portland in the NBA All-Star Game,” said Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard. “Brandon is as much a winner off the court as he is on the court, and we are honored and appreciative of the NBA coaches for selecting him to represent the Western Conference.”

The three-time NBA All-Star has led the Trail Blazers to a 27-20 record, posting averages of 23.1 points (48.4% FG), 4.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.03 steals and 38.3 minutes in 40 games (all starts).

Roy, 25, becomes only the fourth Trail Blazer to garner three All-Star selections, joining Clyde Drexler (eight), Sidney Wicks (four) and Maurice Lucas (three). Roy’s 16.0 points per game (15-18 FG) in two previous appearances is the highest scoring average by a Trail Blazer in the All-Star Game. He has added 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 30.0 minutes.

Roy has scored 20 or more points in 27 games this season, including a 15-game streak of scoring 23-plus points from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 that stands as the longest such run in franchise history. The Seattle native ranks ninth in the NBA with a 23.1 scoring average and is one of just three players in the league averaging at least 23.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

The starting five in the Western Conference, decided by fan balloting, consists of Carmelo Anthony (Denver), Tim Duncan (San Antonio), Amar’e Stoudemire (Phoenix), Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers) and Steve Nash (Phoenix). Rounding out the squad from the head coaches’ vote are Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), Pau Gasol (L.A. Lakers), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), Chris Paul (New Orleans), Zach Randolph (Memphis) and Deron Williams (Utah).

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game tips off at 5 p.m. (Pacific) on Sunday, Feb. 14, from Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The event will be televised live on TNT.

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The Afterparty: Jazz/Blazers Game 47

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

If it weren't for the return of Nicolas Batum, I'd be having an incredibly hard time watching Blazers games right now.  Without Brandon Roy, this team completely lacks an ability to close or make any sort of significant run to put away anyone.  Even more frustrating, is the fact that he's been gone during one of the tougher stretches of the season and apparently will now miss the next road trip down in Texas.

Speaking of schedules, let's take a look at the next 6 games.  At Houston and Dallas.  Loss.  Loss.  Home vs. Charlotte.  Win.  At Utah.  Loss.  Home vs. San Antonio.  Loss.  Home vs. Lakers.  End of streak?

Save me now.  Like I said earlier, at least we have Batum back and dunking on white folk.

Recap. Box Score...

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Brandon Roy Makes his 3rd All-Star Game

AWoj over at Yahoo Sports just dropped some wonderful news on us...

Point guards Deron Williams(notes) of Utah, Chicago's Derrick Rose(notes) and Boston's Rajon Rondo(notes) will make their All-Star Game debuts next month in Dallas, sources said Thursday.

Williams, Rondo and Rose top the list of reserves chosen by the league's coaches to participate in the Feb. 14 game at Cowboys Stadium. The names won't be made official until Thursday night, but Yahoo! Sports has obtained the list of reserves.

Besides Rondo and Rose, the East roster includes Boston's Paul Pierce(notes), Toronto's Chris Bosh(notes), Charlotte's Gerald Wallace(notes) and Atlanta's Joe Johnson(notes) and Al Horford(notes).

The West includes the New Orleans' Chris Paul(notes), the Lakers' Pau Gasol(notes), Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant(notes), Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki(notes), Memphis' Zach Randolph(notes) and Portland's Brandon Roy(notes).

Happy time!

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The Pre-Funk: Jazz vs. Blazers 1/27

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect. 

Party Attendees...

Right now the Blazers and Jazz sit 4 games behind Denver for the Northwest lead and a loss tonight drops them another half game back.  I know it's still fairly early in a long season, but you fall back 5, 6 or 7 games into 3rd of 4th in the division and it might be difficult to come back.  The Blazers haven't necessarily been the "comeback kids" over the last few years, so is it fair to say that tonight's matchup carries some extra weight?

Utah is 8-2 over its last 10 and during that stretch, they've had sporadic hot play from just about everyone on the roster.  In fact, Deron Williams numbers are down for the month of January and Boozer isn't doing anything extraordinary.  Can I get KiriMilOkur?

"Your" Blazers on the other hand...s.t.r.u.g.g.l.i.n.g.  When is Brandon Roy coming back from his Total Recall-esque plasma voodoo-ness? Update coming on that tomorrow.  Random thought...how is that not performance enhancing?

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Trail Blazers Earn 1st LEED Gold Certification

Positive news!

Portland Trail Blazers Earn First LEED Gold Certification for a Major League Venue

Rose Garden Arena Operations and Maintenance Called a Milestone in the Greening of Sports

Portland, OR — The Portland Trail Blazers today became the first major sports team to earn LEED Gold status for a major league sports facility, a milestone in the greening of sports.

“The Trail Blazers are proud to play a role in Portland’s drive to be the greenest city in the country,” said Larry Miller, President of the Portland Trail Blazers. “Today’s announcement is a result of the local expertise and innovation helping Portland foster a stronger, more sustainable economy. We don’t view this as a one-time achievement, but as an important step toward our long-term goals.”

This certification, awarded to the Rose Garden by the U.S. Green Building Council under their Leadership in Energy and Environmental program (LEED EB-O&M v.3 2009), identifies and rewards best practices for a building’s energy, water and natural resource performance.

Miller said that the team’s fans and Portland community are an important part of the effort to reach its sustainability targets.

“Our Portland fan base cares deeply about their impact on our natural heritage,” said Miller. “Oregon is one of the most beautiful, livable places on the planet, and commitment to being good environmental stewards is part of what defines our region. This is a team effort, involving all of us - working together.”

A partial list of the Trail Blazers’ sustainability initiatives includes:

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The Afterparty: Hornets/Blazers Game 46

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

I was all prepared to write about how this game didn't completely feel like a loss since Nicolas Batum had returned and for a few minutes in the first half was spectacular...and then I caught wind of this new Greg Oden situation.  I'm not linking to any of as you can easily Google that ish and have a blast with yourself.  I'm just too damn speechless/laughing hysterically to really concentrate on what I watched last night having seen what I just saw 2 minutes ago.  (Hope that made sense.)

Basically, the Blazers didn't put anything together in the final 2.5 minutes and were defeated singlehandedly by Chris Paul.  Bad Blazers.  Bad bad Blazers!

Oh and "Tweet of the Game" decided to be "Greg Oden Tweet of the Day."

Recap. Game Recap...

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The Pre-Funk: Hornets vs. Blazers 1/25

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect. 

Party Attendees...

Could anything feel better than crushing a team coming from a city who just sent their baby to a Super Bowl?  Fresh off an OT loss in Denver, the Hornets swing into Portland doing what they've been doing pretty much all year.  A few wins here, a few losses there.  A huge Chris Paul game here, a bunch of of nothing from his teammates everywhere.  (And thanks for damaging the hell out of Melo for us!)

The Blazers will once again trot out a bunch of random bodies, toss them on the court and hope for the best.  Will we see the return of Nicolas Batum?  I seriously hope so.  Rudy's back OK?  No idea.  Dre Miller is the man?  You betcha.  LaMarcus Aldridge has a new nickname?  The "Pillow."  Travis Outlaw on stage bouncing at hip hop shows this past weekend?  Guaranteed.

It's hard to predict or write about games with much fury these days since we have no idea what we'll ever get.  One thing we know is guaranteed though...Chalupa chant down the stretch!  Save me.  See you all there.

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February 3rd Game vs. Utah Moved to 6:00PM

ESPN is officially pissed off at "your" Portland Trail Blazers...

FEBRUARY 3 GAME AT UTAH MOVED TO 6 P.M. PST DUE TO NETWORK SCHEDULE CHANGE

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers’ game at Utah on February 3 will now be broadcast on KGW NewsChannel 8 at 6:00 p.m. PST, following ESPN’s removal of the game from its scheduled programming.

Maybe if Roy came out with 2 different colored hamstring wraps this game would still be on?

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The Pre-Funk: Blazers at Celtics 1/22

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

The guy that tops our "Most Hated Player in the NBA" list returns tonight to face "your" Portland Trail Blazers.  In fact, he returns the day after learning that he'll be an All-Star starter which is as insulting as Tracy McGrady (thank you Steve Nash) and Allen Iverson getting nods.  To put this into perspective, his numbers are worse than LaMarcus Aldridge's who is by all means having half the season we all predicted of him and is years from seeing an All-Star bid.  If you are looking purely at flashy stats, he would rank 56th in points per game and 37th in rebounding.  I should also point out that he doesn't qualify for statistical rankings because of a lack of games played.  That's right. he's played just 29 games meaning he's missed a quarter of the first half of the year.  Oh, but he has lots of Gatorade commercials.  That's right, we're talking about Kevin Garnett.  Nice work fans, nice work.

Definitely not looking forward to this game.  My hot air balloon has lost so much air that I'm struggling to stay afloat right now.  I can take losing Greg, Joel, Outlaw and the others, but I can't handle Brandon Roy dropping for 2-4 games or possibly longer.  The guy is so good, he can play with 3rd stringers from the D-League and still propel this team to wins.  And with him out, it just doesn't feel the same.

Go...Blazers.

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The Pre-Funk: Blazers at Sixers 1/20

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

If Portland loses tonight in Philadelphia, it will mark the 4th straight for the Sixers.  Not something to brag to Momma about if you run in NBA circles.  Even with Iverson in the lineup, the Sixers are slightly better, but still considered to be one of the East's worst.  So why can't the Blazers dig deep and beat AI #1 and AI #2?  I'd say because they struggle defending wreckless offensive gameplanning.  What the hell do I mean by that?  Let me attempt to explain.

This Portland squad comes off as completely calculated.  Every move has a purpose, every play, every defensive set, every possession and every lineup.  That's just the way Nate McMillan rolls.  However, when a team like the Sixers, Warriors, Clippers, Grizzlies, Nuggets or Hawks are the opponent, the Blazers can't control the game and are forced into uncomfortable situations.  When you have no idea what the hell your opponent is going to throw at you, it's pretty hard to prepare and for someone like McMillan who is a preparation addict, you can see where the trouble comes in.

So tonight comes down to control.  The Blazers set a tone, slow down the game and force Philly do play methodically, this could be fun.  And if Portland lets the AI's run wild, jack up from anywhere, and flaunt around like Johnny Weir, then this might not be so fun.

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Rudy Fernandez Goes A.W.O.L on Gameday?

According to Rudy's Twitter account, he decided that finding the sun in Phoenix and hanging out with former teammate Channing Frye would be more entertaining than preparing for his game today in Philadelphia...

No idea what to say to that.  Goofy ass Spaniard.

And yes, this Twitter account has been verified...

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The Afterparty: Blazers/Wizards Game 42

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

No that's not the sound of balloon's emptying after Martin Luther King Jr. parades or the wheezing you imagine Gilbert Arenas making in a 5x5 jail cell shower.  That would be the fizzling noise "your" Portland Trail Blazers made in the 4th quarter of a 10:00AM holiday basketball game without their star player for a second straight game. 

So what happened?  Well the 28 to 16 free throw attempt differential is pretty significant.  Portland also went 3 of 17 from deep which is a sign that they missed Brandon Roy dearly.  That is way too many damn 3's, peeps.  These stats are also very telling of the gameplan from each team yesterday morning.  The Wizards were aggressive as hell while the Blazers settled for jumper after jumper.  Show me the last time a team as passive as the Blazers made any sort of significant run towards a championship in any sport.

This was a game that Portland should have stolen and now, you've got the Sixers, Celtics and Pistons to finish out a road trip which could really set a tone for the second half of the season.

Recap. Box Score...

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Early as Hell Pre-Funk: Blazers at Wizards 1/18

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

10:00AM game?  Damn.  I'm still wiping the fuzzies out of my eyes at this time of the day and now I've got to get ready for another Blazers game sans Brandon Roy?  Wait...and I'm actually in the office without a TV and blocked streams of anything on the internet?  Bad day.  Very bad day.

Is it possible for someone to take over the biggest jackass in the NBA award from Ron Artest?  Gilbert Arenas has definitely made the race close.  Guns in the arena compared to Hennessy at halftime?  Toss up.  OK, not toss up.  The dude needs to be locked up for a few months.  Who points a damn gun at a teammate?  Seriously, W.T.F.? 

The Blazers on the other hand will look for another inspired performance.  This would be the 35th "inspired" game of the year already.  Nothing like riding an emotional high for 77 of 82 games eh?  Let's just say this, if LaMarcus Aldridge dives for a ball in a 2nd straight game, you can expect a win.  Just remember, the chances of that happening are about as good as Oden returning for the Playoffs this year.

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Steve Blake vs. "Superman" Dwight Howard - Doesn't Back Down

Yeah, Steve Blake and Dwight Howard had a few words to end the 2nd half tonight.  Big "Superman" even got a solid push in.  And of course, the MMA-trained Blake didn't back down.

The best part might be Vince Carter coming in 10 minutes later to toss in a couple of comments and then stand with Howard at center court to complain to the refs.  Laughable.

And Mike Rice, "Get Pendergraph in there!"

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The Pre-Funk: Magic vs. Blazers 1/15

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

I guess I need to start by apologizing to everyone for including a picture of JJ Redick at the top of the post, but seeing him in full on pouting form like the Dukie child that he is, I couldn't help myself.  And now that I've done that, he'll likely torch the Blazers tonight...moving on!

Do we think Brandon Roy will play tonight?  He's still listed as questionable which means absolutely nothing.  I'm actually thinking he's going to sit this one out.  I know it's against the Magic, but in the big ol' scheme of things, this game doesn't matter all that much.  And after he mentioned to writers that this felt similar to his hamstring injury of last year, I doubt he'll throw on those ugly as hell, all-white, Nike Zoom Phenoms tonight.  (Please prove me wrong Brandon and at least go back to the Air Max Rises.)

So with Roy likely out tonight, and Dwight Howard in town, are we being fair by penciling in LaMarcus Aldridge for 11 points and 5 boards (defensive that is)? 

Back to Redick for a second.  If he hits a fadeaway, banked, buzzer beater, game winning three tonight I'm storming the court.

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The Afterparty: Bucks/Blazers Game 40

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Last night was pretty fun to watch for 3 quarters.  The Trail Blazers were on fire, Brandon Roy was looking as his unstoppable self, Aldridge actually made a couple fade-aways, Blake was dropping 3s, Miller was getting to the line, Martell was hitting open jumpers, Pendergraph was beasting, Rudy was flailing, and the team was actually running.  The 4th quarter on the other hand...not so pretty.  Who really cares though right?  The team was up by 30+ at one point and the game was never really in jeopardy.

What we really should be concerned about is Brandon Roy's "tight right hamstring."  He had an MRI on it today and is now listed as questionable for Friday's match-up with Orlando.  Somehow, Portland pulled off a miracle against the Spurs without Roy earlier this year, but aren't the Magic a whole other monster?  Stay glued to Twitter for updates on that situation.

On a closing note, anyone else notice Brandon Jennings' hot seat on the bench last night for the entire 4th quarter?  The kid left in the 3rd with 59 seconds left and never returned.  Was it all those ill-advised 3s?  Ill-advised hairdo?  Ill-advised Under Armour contract?  Ill-advised "Young Money" tattoo?  Maybe they were ending his game early to give him extra cushioning on the NBA's post-game Twitter rules?  Oh that's right, he deleted his account. Again.

Recap. Box Score...

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Video: Rudy Fernandez Block on Andrew Bogut

Not a bad return to the Blazers after missing some time with a back injury, eh?  Andrew Bogut...please try again.

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Fernandez Cleared to Play - Patty Mills Back to D-League

Brian T. Smith doing his usual sweaty coverage full of notes and awesomeness...

Good news for fans of Rudy Fernandez...

In addition, Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez said he felt fine after a Wednesday morning shootaround at the team's practice facility, and expects to play tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Rose Garden. As a result, the Blazers upgraded Fernandez to probable.

Patty Mills headed back to bombing 3's and dominating the minors...

The Portland Trail Blazers assigned rookie guard Patty Mills today to the team's NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, the team announced.

Mills had played just five minutes in four games since being called up by the Blazers on Jan. 3.

The 6-foot, 185-pound guard out of St. Mary’s was added to Portland’s roster to fill in for guard Steve Blake, who missed four games due to pneumonia. But Blake returned to action last Sunday, and his minutes are expected to increase in future games.

Update 1:  Team makes it official for Patty Mills...

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers reassigned guard Patty Mills to the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

Mills appeared in one game for the Trail Blazers, recording two assists in five minutes Jan. 4 at the L.A. Clippers.

In two games during his first stint with the Stampede from Jan. 1-3, Mills posted averages of 30.0 points (21-37 FG, 11-15 3-PT) and 7.5 assists in 34.0 minutes off the bench.

Mills, selected by the Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, will join the Stampede for Friday’s game vs. Reno.

And we'll sit back waiting impatiently for the real savior, Nicolas Batum.  :)

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The Pre-Funk: Bucks vs. Blazers 1/13

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

Once standing as the most surprising team in the NBA with an 8-3 record, the Milwaukee Bucks have since gone 7-17, lost Michael Redd (again), and fallen to the bottom of the east playoff picture.  If the Eastern Conference weren't such a train wreck, their season would likely be over after going 3-11 in the month of December.  (And just when people started talking about a balance in the NBA.  Pfft.)

Really though, the story of the Bucks season has been Brandon Jennings.  He was the hot item back in November after a 55 point showing against the Warriors surrounded by a few 25+ point efforts.  Was fined on Twitter.  Went Kid 'n Play for the second time in his public life.  Then returned to Twitter for a battle with a fake Jordan Farmar.  Maybe the young chap should put the focus back on basketball?  Through 5 games in January he stands at 10.2 pts/game, 5.4 assists, and 4 boards. What's that "Young Money?"  Oh, that's just you waving good bye to the R.O.Y.

The Blazers on the other hand are showing enough positives to keep the fans coming back for more flexibly-priced tickets.  Rudy might be back tonight, Batum is days away, and Brandon Roy keeps looking MVPuppet worthy.  (Seriously, how long before some creative fanboy makes one?)

On a side note...Jason Quick tiptoeing around calling LaMarcus Aldridge "soft" again in his article post-Cavs game was brilliant.

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Kobe is One Thing. LeBron is Something Else.

What a treat, right?  The weekend that many Portland Trail Blazers fans had marked on their calendars the minute the 2009-10 schedule was released had finally arrived.  A weekend with ticket packages built around it.  A weekend where fans were able to witness 2 of the greatest players in NBA history in just a 3 day span.  A weekend which fulfilled 2 separate but expected outcomes.  A weekend where really, we learned nothing, but enjoyed the hell out of it.

The First Expectation...

Friday night was absolutely amazing.  As a fan, the Blazers did everything you could have asked for.  You had role players filling voids, whining from the Lakers, and one of the most efficient games from an NBA player you'll probably ever see.  As a basketball enthusiast, you should also be grinning.  It was essentially a perfectly played game by Portland.  Did they need one to have a chance?  Of course they did.

As expectations go, this one brings a little light through the clouds each winter.  Make that 9 in a row in the Rose Garden against the team that this city dislikes more than any other.  It is a rivalry.  No matter what the Lakers' Portland base will have you believe, this game hurts.  Those proudly presented gold and purple jerseys have quietly scurried out of tunnels long enough for Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant to acknowledge the importance.

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The Afterparty: Lakers/Blazers Game 38

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Welcome to a Saturday special edition of the "Afterparty!"  We usually take weekends off, but after another phenomenal win at home against the Lakers, we had to put something together.  Enjoy...

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Blazers Sign Shavlik Randolph to 10 Day Contract

Just so you know...

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Shavlik Randolph to a 10-day contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

Randolph, 26, has appeared in two games for the Trail Blazers this season, totaling four points, a rebound and an assist in five minutes before being waived Jan. 6. He was originally signed on Dec. 30.

Portland’s roster now stands at 16 players.

(via iamatrailblazersfan.com)

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The Pre-Funk: Lakers vs. Blazers 1/8

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

Pretty sure that the "BEAT! LA!" chants started, ohhhhhh, 3 days ago?  Unfortunately for Portland, the "BEAT DOWN! DRE!" chants started during yesterday morning's practice.  Once again, the Blazers have another chance to come out and prove to the world that they can overcome all adversity!  (Insert high pitched sarcastic voice!)  Not that anyone needs motivation for a game with the Fakers, right?

So tonight we've got zero Gasol, a stumbling half Hennessy'd Ron Artest, and a broken fingered Kobe.  That gives the Blazers somewhat of a shot doesn't it?  Maybe.  We also have another Oden-Bynum epic battle!  Err...or another facial from Batum on Pau!  Err...or another flagrant mid-air attack on Rudy!  Err...moving on.

What else can we really say about this game that you don't already know?

I am saddened that I won't be attending this game.  There is nothing more entertaining than witnessing the town of Hillsboro arriving in camouflage #8 Kobe jerseys.  Even better, watching them vacate the RG with 8 minutes on the clock, down 15, yelling out "We'll still win a championship!" 

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Andre Miller has Heated Conversation with McMillan

Reports coming in that Andre Miller and Nate McMillan had quite the exchange at practice this morning.  It sounds like Miller has finally cracked after repeatedly being sent to the bench in the 4th quarter during a recent stretch of games.

Brian T. Smith first broke the news...

At 11 a.m., a heated, expletive-filled exchange occurred between Blazers coach Nate McMillan and guard Andre Miller. The tirade lasted until 11:25 a.m.

Miller was not on the court when the media was allowed into practice.

Miller loudly disagreed with McMillan, at one point stating, "I ain't going to take this (stuff)."

McMillan later fired back: "You don't play the way we want to play."

Jason Quick has chimed in, relating the confrontation to the game ending situation in Tuesday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies...

One of the topics discussed was an incident late in Tuesday's game with Memphis, when Miller told Jerryd Bayless to make his second free throw with 4.3 seconds left and the Blazers trailing by two. The coaching staff and team captain Brandon Roy told Bayless to miss the free throw so the Blazers could attempt to rebound and make a tying basket.

Quick now with quotes from Pritchard...

 Pritchard said the exchange was "normal".

"On every team I have ever been on ... guys have opportunity to speak what they feel. That's OK. The question is, can we become better because of it. Either you can or you can't. I'm hoping we can.''

Pritchard and McMillan both said there would be no punishment forthcoming.

"Absolutely not,'' Pritchard said. "We don't muzzle people. It's like being in a marriage. If you don't say something it builds and builds, then it's said, and when it is and it is honest and open, you can get better from it.''

The conversation between Miller and McMillan is said to have taken place during at open forum with the entire team.  Miller wasn't practicing due to a sore back, but was definitely around for the team chat. These kinds of open talks should take place in every organization no matter what the industry.  If it got heated, who cares.  It's not always daisies and cupcakes between employees and their supervisors is it?  Maybe this is the conversation that this team really needed.  Neither McMillan or Miller has ever really opened up to each other from what we've read and maybe now they've spoken truthfully and directly.

And as you may have guessed, the Dre Miller haters have already flooded Twitter and will likely take over the rest of the media outlets within the hour.  Expect to hear complete ignorant garbage regarding the situation for the next couple of days including some bullshit lengthy post from John Canzano.

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2010 NBA All-Star Rosters - Final Balloting Update

Update 1/28:   2010 NBA All-Star Reserves Picked!

The final balloting update was just released and is the last update before we hear the official announcement as to who was voted in by fans to start the 2010 NBA All-Star game.  Or maybe we should just call this the race against Tracy McGrady?

Western Conference

Guards:
1.  Kobe Bryant (1,793,782)
2.  Tracy McGrady (746,625)
3.  Steve Nash (744,250)
4.  Chris Paul (701,417)
5.  Aaron Brooks (443,369)
10.  Brandon Roy (257,231)

Forwards:
1.  Carmelo Anthony (1,568,259)
2.  Dirk Nowitzki (826,130)
3.  Tim Duncan (776,225)
4.  Pau Gasol (754,070)
5.  Kevin Durant (556,847)
11.  LaMarcus Aldridge (177,663)

Centers:
1.  Amare Stoudemire (1,304,470)
2.  Andrew Bynum (743,182)
3.  Nene (261,295)
4.  Marc Gasol (217,675)
5.  Antonio McDyess (157,346)
7.  Greg Oden (136,388)

Eastern Conference tops 5's after the break.

Continue Reading...>>

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Trail Blazers Waive Shavlik Randolph

That was quick and completely expected. Anyone else starting to drool over the returns of Rudy and Batum in the coming weeks?

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers have waived forward Shavlik Randolph, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

Signed by Portland on Dec. 30, Randolph appeared in two games for the Trail Blazers this season, totaling four points, a rebound and an assist in five minutes.

Portland’s roster now stands at 15 players.

(via iamatrailblazersfan.com)

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The Afterparty: Grizzlies/Blazers Game 37

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Everyone shut the hell up.  I've heard so much garbage this morning about last night's game that I've finally cracked.  Seriously, what the hell do you all expect?  This team is scraping by, fighting on every possession and doing everything possible to salvage a season that had pretty lofty expectations.  And for some reason, to everyone around here, those expectations seem to not be changing.  You can't lose 5 of your key players at the beginning of an 82 game season and continue to bitch and moan after every single loss.

Let's just address some of the shit we've been hearing this morning...

"Give Patty Mills a chance!"  - So you want the guy who was added at the end of training camp as the 15th roster spot to start logging meaningful minutes?  Oh, because he had 2 solid games in...the D-League?  I understood when everyone wanted Bayless to get his shot since, well, he was a lottery pick and all, but the 55th overall pick that wouldn't have been drafted had the Blazers not snagged him? They brought him back to fill roster spots, act as a body in practice and come in during blowouts.

"Brandon Roy is playing too many minutes!" - You got a better option?  When your backup scoring options are ALL sidelined, what else you going to do?  If he was only playing 35 minutes a night, you'd all be complaining that he's not playing enough.  Or better yet, I encourage Nate to shorten Brandon's night so then we can be treated to 25 point losses each night.  That make you happy?

"Give Shavlik a shot!" - Seriously, go away.

"The refs suck!" - Or they made a ballsy call in favor of an aggressive play during the most important possession of the game.  Was it questionnable?  Sure was.  Should Brandon Roy have taken care of the f-ing ball?  You damn right.  A game clinching situation and you go pussy-fingered on the ball at mid-court?  And did they miss the call on Webster's flop three in the corner?  Maybe.  Since when do 3rd rate players get game ending calls?  Contact on that shot was instigated by an extended leg from the shooter.  Focusing on actually knocking down that three might have worked too.

"Play Miller in the 4th!" - OK, I agree with this one.  The guy dominated Memphis all night and come the 4th quarter, he disappears to the end of the bench.  Sometimes, in-game adjustments are needed Nate.

We all love passion, but mixing it with ignorance is scary.

Recap. Box Score...

Continue Reading...>>

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Phoenix Suns Dancers - 2010 Swimsuit Calendar Shoot

And some people asked why we ranked them 1st...


What's that? You want pictures too? Sure thing...

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The Pre-Funk: Grizzlies vs. Blazers 1/5

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

Memphis cruised into town last night to take down the Acropolis while the Blazers were down in L.A. taking a nap on a basketball court.  Weren't the Grizzlies just in town?  We're seriously not even half way through the season and it's already starting to feel like Portland is playing the same teams over and over again.  We either get the Clippers, T-Wolves, Grizzlies or Rockets.  Hooray for balanced scheduling!

The last time Zach and his posse rolled in, Memphis had their way with Portland.  In fact, the Blazers failed to slow down every single decent player on their roster.  Effort!  And now that Sir Randolph is getting all sorts of national approvals, he'll be ready to drop 40 on his former lover.  Speaking of his newly found fame...does anyone realize that the Grizzlies still suck?  How about the fact that they started out 1-8?  Hot streaks or not, their jerseys still say "Memphis" across the chest.

They have just 2 wins when scoring less than 100 points with both coming against...wait for it...Minnesota.  So with Portland's specialty of holding opponents under that number, you might be able to lean to a certain local side tonight.

On a semi-side note, can someone finally explain where the nickname "Z-Bo" comes from?  I understand "A-Rod," "K-Rod," and "B-Roy," but where the hell does the "Bo" come from?  In my mind, he'll always be "Z-Ra!"

Continue Reading...>>

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The Afterparty: Blazers/Clippers Game 36

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Our "Tweet of the Game" should give you a pretty good idea of how this thing ended up.  In fact, it's so spot on that I just saved you 5 minutes of reading and 15 minutes of me typing.  Cheers @milljame. 

OK, I can't go without saying anything.  How about a few quick hitters?

Patty Mills attempted to break the world record for bricks in one possession.  Ricky Davis was featured in his first AP photo in 10 years.  Baron Davis' Li Ning shoes are...(speechless).  Brandon Roy finally hit his hangover after his Agency New Year's bash.  Pendergraph has been kneeling at the alter of annoying Oden-esque dunks.  Dre Miller's best game as a Blazer appears worthless.  Bayless, where you at?  Craig Smith is so fat.  And yeah, Juwan Howard did the unimaginable.

Recap. Box Score...

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Juwan Howard Dunks on Chris Kaman

There's just something magical about a 36 year old throwing dunk on a caveman...

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The Pre-Funk: Blazers at Clippers 1/4

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest.  We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

At the beginning of the year, calling this the "Season of Miracles" or something to that nature referred to the Blazers attempt at making history with a Championship run.  That line has now taken on a different form and one that has Portlanders glowing.  As players continue to fall almost daily, the team keeps rising, winning and wowing basketball fans across the country.  We can credit Roy, the coaching staff, the bench, management, or fans, but the efforts from everyone involved bring to mind every "No I in team" reference ever made.  We're just 4 days into 2010 and it's our first feel good story of the year.

Oh...and they play the Clippers again tonight.  No Blake, no LA and a call up of Patty Mills should provide as much excitement as ever. (Sarcasm!)  The red-headed stepchild of Los Angeles still ranks among the worst in the NBA in just about every category, so the story tonight depends on whether or not they play out of some averages.  If I were gameplanning, I'd say "Let 'em jack up long balls!"  But that's just me.

Continue Reading...>>

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Patty Mills Recalled From D-League

I know it's just the D-League, but Mr. Mills had quite the start to his professional career. And seriously, 11 of 15 from deep?

PATTY MILLS RECALLED FROM IDAHO STAMPEDE

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers recalled guard Patty Mills from the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard.

In two games since being assigned to the Stampede on Dec. 29, Mills posted averages of 30.0 points (21-37 FG, 11-15 3-PT) and 7.5 assists in 34.0 minutes off the bench.

In his first professional game, Mills led all players with 38 points and 12 assists on Jan. 1. The 6-0 guard’s put-back with 1.2 seconds remaining gave the Stampede a one-point win on Jan. 3.

Mills, selected by the Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, will join the Trail Blazers for Monday’s game at the L.A. Clippers.

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Steve Blake Out Indefinitely with Pneumonia

Ummm, what?  Since when do 29 year old's in the best shape of their lives get an illness meant for 80 year old's?  CURSED.

STEVE BLAKE HOSPITALIZED WITH PNEUMONIA

PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake has been admitted to a local-area hospital where he is being treated for pneumonia.

Blake is expected to remain hospitalized for a few days and is out indefinitely.

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