15 Thoughts vs. San Antonio 10/31

Tonight we continue on with our 15 Thoughts segment, which you should expect before every single game!  (Wow, that’s a big expectation to live up to.)  Tonight we will also start our point system which is extremely difficult to explain or understand to us even, so we won’t try it on you.  But please try to follow along.

The Spurs have come to town to face a “red-out” in the Rose Garden and even without Oden, the city is still on fire.  The “excitement is in the air”!   (God I hate that quote.)  Let’s hope the team forgets about Tuesday night and feeds off the crowd and Blazer Dancers, err…Anyway, this is sort of a convoluted way to look at tonight’s contest but it should help decide who will prevail/triumph/overcome/surmount/rise above/conquer.  (Those were all the synonyms Word would give out before they found a reason to charge me.)

The 15!

1.  The fluidity we were so used to from last year will be back now that Joel is starting.  +1 Blazers
2.  You will come away 110% less frustrated about life with Ginobili out of the game.  +1 Blazers
3.  If 32 points from both Duncan and Parker can equal a loss, then the Blazers have a chance.  +1 Blazers
4.  We are so comfortable with Greg in street clothes that we will all be much more relaxed.  +1 Spurs
5.  Shedding a tear for Ime is still acceptable.  +1 Spurs
6.  If Duncan performs his stare of death to some Joey Crawford look-a-like more than 15 times, the game is ours.  +1 Blazers
7.  A sea of red could be intimidating.  +1 Blazers
8.  Asking the Blazer Dancers to perform a record number of routines does not seem extraneous.  +1 Kellex
9.  The average age difference between the teams is almost 6 full years, oof.  +0.5 Blazers
10.  The average number of nobodies on the Spurs is 12.  +1 Blazers
11.  Greg Oden’s beard will likely grace the jumb-o-tron 15+ times.  +1 Spurs
12.  If one of Mike Rice’s “keys to the game” is “points in the paint” you must chug a beer.  +1 Schonely’s
13.  Earth, Wind and Fire is opening with a lip-syncing performance for the ages. +1 Spurs
14.  Rudy could create his first poster tonight.  Bounties next?  +1 Blazers
15.  When the 10,000 seat bandwagon pulls up, try to be gentle.  +1 Blazers

Totals:  Blazers 8.5    Spurs 4    Kellex 1    Schonely’s 1

Predicted Winner:  Blazers

5 Ways for Greg Oden to Pass the Time

We all know Greg Oden is on the shelf again for 2-4 weeks with some random foot injury that only 7 footers magically stumble upon while mysteriously NOT stepping on anyone's foot although they keep telling the media they did.

So with Sir GO-hawk just chillin' for the next couple of weeks, we figured he'd be bored seeing as he just spent the last year with too much time off naming dogs and doing bad karaoke.  How about some ideas for him to pass the time?

1.  He could start dominating at the local skatepark?  (Burnside!)

2.  He could take up DDR again to confirm to us all that he really didn't need micro-fracture from a video game!

3.  He could find himself a very nice pedicure shop and have that sore foot worked on.

4.  He could take over the local soap box derby race and use his inner chameleon?

5.  For the sake of the franchise, he can step away from the path we hope he isn't headed down...

Blaze of Glory - 10/30/08

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

• So how are you feeling now Portland fans?  [Willamette Week]
• Three ways Portland can survive without Oden.  [Hoops Vide]
• Is Steve Blake the guy to take Portland to the promised land?  [Bleacher Report]
• Starting to feel bad for Sonics fans yet?  [Seattle Pi]
• Some of us actually think the "sky is falling" my friend.  [Basketball Fiend]
• Is Greg Oden a klutz?  [Our PDX Network]
• The Super Overeactionizer on Oden.  [Hardwood Paroxysm]
• Oden regrets not actually purchasing his personal MRI machine.  [Your Face is a Sports Blog]
• Kevin Pritchard always says it best.  [Beyond the Beat]
• This makes the list because it uses the terms "Blaze of Glory."  [Fanhouse]
• Top 10 rookie debuts, including Rudy.  [RC360]
  

Greg Oden's Latest Role - Movie Star?

 

(Big thanks to my buddy Cuzzy for throwing this together for us.)

5% Off of Already Discounted Blazer Tickets

I received an email the other day from a ticketing agency called Discount Sports Tickets who gave me a coupon to offer all readers a 5% discount on ticket purchases.  Not a bad deal actually and there seems to be a ton of Blazer tickets listed.

We all know how hard tickets are to come by these days, so this may be worth a look.  I just checked out tickets to the Suns game and someone is selling their seats right behind the Suns bench.  Pretty solid!

Coupon code for 5% discount is:  THR374

Give it a whirl!

And...Greg Oden is Out for 2-4 Weeks

That may sound bad, but at least it isn't 2-4 months which is what I was expecting.  And if he comes back after this rinky-dink foot injury and gets hurt again, I will officially have given up on him.  Here is the press release from the team, about 6 hours after the damn MRI:

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan today confirmed Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden has a mid-lateral right foot sprain.

The MRI revealed a couple of avulsions that are not believed serious and do not require surgery.

Oden is expected to be out 2-4 weeks.

The injury occurred during the first quarter of Portland's Tuesday night game at the Los Angeles Lakers.

The word avulsion just makes your nose crinkle to say.  My avulsion hurts right now, and that's definitely not a good thing.  See you in a month Greg!  And who knows, maybe this is a Blazer conspiracy to keep GO away from Duncan, Shaq, and Yao...

Blazer Practice Footage: McMillan, Roy and Channing Weigh In

Here is a 13 minute clip from practice today.  It includes interviews with Nate, Brandon and Channing.  Can I just say, how impressive of a guy is Channing Frye?  The guy is just smooth as hell every time he talks.

Blaze of Glory - 10/29/08

There may be a slight abundance (that makes no sense) of Oden links here, but stick with me.

• The post game interview with Greg.  [Oregon Live]
• Post game reactions.  [Rip City Projects]
• All kinds of updates and info on "midfoot" sprains.  [Blazers Edge]
• After a convincing win, the Lakers will go 82-0?  [LA Times Blog]
• I agree here, Greg Oden's body does hate him.  [Deadspin]
• Game recap from some good buddies.  [Slam Dunk Central]
• Here come the Sam Bowie comparisons again.  [Girls Dig Sports]
• Or is he the next Ralph Sampson?  [Walker Sports]
  
• Oden aging at the rate of John McSame?  [Sons of Bill Simmons]
• His block on Bynum.  [FanIQ]
• Is Greg Oden Mr. Glass?  [Josh Q Public]
• Here is someone that feels bad for big Greg.  [Jalen's Draft Suit]
• And the nicknames just continue to fly around.  [B-Ball Commish]

Ok, this list could possibly go on for hours.  That should be enough Oden-ness.

Greg Oden and the Magical Mystery Foot

I'm sure many of you are aware that our friend, our irritation, Greg Oden, was injured again last night.  He basically took the weight of future rival Andrew Bynum completely on his right foot while turning it while sucking.

Here is a nice photo spread of the deal:

So as you can see, that pretty much sucks.  Anytime someone walks out of an arena with a boot on, your stomach turns, but when it's Greg Oden, you vomit.

Not that my expectations for GO were all that high anyway, this still puts a huge damper into the hype leading up to last night.  The nice thing is, Joel played decent last night and we all know his successes last year in the starting lineup.  Just get better Greg...

Highlights from the Blazer Dancer Selection Party...Oof

The 2008-09 Blazer Dancer squad was finalized recently and I thought this was some news that no Portland man should be without.  There is a big ol' slide show at the Trail Blazers website, but a lot of it was junk.

Here are the highlights, or, err...just take a look.

  

  

 

 

 

See, now wasn't that fun?  We spared you all of the boring stuff, like the actually selection process.  More to come, including the final tryout session in super skimpy outfits.  Grr.

NBA Top Team Blog Contest Results!

Our buddy Daniel of LA Ball Talk put together a contest where bloggers or fans could vote for their favorite team blogs.  He was kind enough to drop us onto the list even though this blog had been up for a whoppin' 3 days or something!  And we came in 3rd!  Out of 4...

Oh well, still good exposure and glad to see that we at least received a few votes!  Make sure to check out the rest of the winners and blogs to find the top team blogs around the NBA.

Club Blazers - A Community for Fans!

Need a place to chat about games and other Blazer happenings?  Club Blazers is a fairly new Blazer site that has just about anything you could ask for in a fan site!  You can create your own Blazer blog, chat in forums, make predictions, get discounts on fan gear, and even win jerseys!

The site has quickly become the hang out for me while I'm lounging at home or work (oops!) and in need of some Blazer juice.  The forums are active and the administrators are fully involved and really seem knowledgeable about past, future and present team happenings.

You should expect big things out of Club Blazers during this "Season of Miracles" (yes I'm still coining that phrase) and you may even have a chance to take home some great prizes.  Go check them out and say "what up!" to the boys over there!

The Official Countdown has Begun...

In exactly 1 hour and 26 minutes, the journey begins.  Now here are some Blazer Dancers to dream about until Friday.

15 Thoughts for Blazers Opening Night

During the pre-season, I sort of became annoyed overwhelmed with Blazer previews and speculation and could not bring myself to write another post, looking at what the team's key losses, gains and goals are for the season.  Well, I've sort of broken down now that I've realized the "Season of Miracles" is about to start (That's what I'm going to refer to it as.) and life in Rip City will officially be back! 

1.  Brandon Roy will impress the nation.
2.  No bounties will be met.
3.  Rudy Fernandez will make jaws drop, a few times.
4.  He will also be exposed.
5.  Travis Outlaw will shine bright down the stretch.
6.  Bayless will play less than 10 minutes.
7.  It could get ugly between Odom and Aldridge.
8.  Nate McMillan will still be looking for answers at the end of the game.
9.  Oden may embarrass Bynum in the battle of gimpy knees.
10.  Mamba might just score 40+.
11.  The Lakers will prove they are the best team in the NBA tonight.
12.  They will also make Portland look as young as they are.
13.  Will Martell actually be missed?
14.  We will say, "Cheers to no Jarrett Jack!"
15.  No matter what the outcome, we will all breath and smile.

Get ready for an incredible season people!

Blaze of Glory - 10/27/08

• You know that Nicolas Batum's father played professionally in France?  [HoopsWorld]
• Batum is also getting the starting nod over Travis Outlaw.  [Oregonian]
• The "Oregon Trail of Expectations" from Henry.  [TrueHoop]
• A long look at Greg Oden's road to tomorrow night.  [USA Today]
• What if Darius needs a letter of recommendation?  [SLAM Online]
• 10 rookies to watch out for.  [FanIQ]
• A very excited local fan!  [Triathlon Station]
• Are the Blazers really worth the wait?  We hope so damnit.  [Portland Tribune]
• A Blazer preview many have been waiting for.  [Dwight Jaynes]
• Steve Blake has his own signature shoe?  Who know!  [SneakerFiles]
• Big GO welcomes a little bounty from his competition.  [Both Teams Played Hard]
• An interview with Indy Cornrows.  [Rip City Project]

Preview of Tomorrow Night Courtesy of B-Roy, GO, and Nate

2008-09 NBA Power Rankings: Week 1

Rankings are sort of the my "thing" and I tend to rank just about anything I can think of.  I've had a ton of fun at my other blog running NFL Power Rankings each week, so putting together weekly rankings of NBA teams just seemed like a "no brainer."

I tend to do these in a simple enough format to spark some conversation from readers.  Bantering back and forth about players, rankings and teams is something that truly shows your passion towards a sport.  Enjoy!

1. Los Angeles Lakers
Bynum is back and Mamba is pissed the hell off from last year and riding ridiculously high from Beijing.

2. Boston Celtics
Returning champs that return just about everyone except for Posey; still the Lakers have Kobe.

3. New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul may just walk away with the MVP this year; watch out for some real magic.

4. Utah Jazz 
Once Deron Williams is healed, expect this team to really wreak some havoc on the old guard

5. San Antonio Spurs 
It pains me to place them this high but you can't deny the past.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers 
Can LeBron finally break through with a quality point guard by his side?

7. Detroit Pistons
New coach and a new outlook, plus he can dunk!

8. Houston Rockets 
Injuries scare the hell out of me with this squad, but maybe "Scary" Ron will bring a healing touch.

9. Phoenix Suns 
They may be just a little too old to really make a push, but with a determined Nash and Diesel looming, beware.

10. Portland Trail Blazers 
I'm not sure I really need to explain this one.

11. Dallas Mavericks 
Jason Kidd is old, Howard is a tool, and Dirk can't win anything big.

12. Toronto Raptors 
So interested to see how these Raptors turn out with some big moves in the off-season.

13. Philadelphia 76ers 
Their success all depends on if Brand is actually healthy again and stops making f-ing movies.

14. Orlando Magic 
Dwight Howard scares me, but they made zero meaningful moves in the off-season.

15. Washington Wizards 
Is Gilbert Arenas ever going to play again?

16. Denver Nuggets 
I saw someone call them the "Thuggets" and I about died laughing.

17. Chicago Bulls 
Is Vinny Del Negro actually worth of coaching an NBA franchise?

18. Atlanta Hawks 
A lot of young talent is running through "Hot"-lanta these days; I'm expecting surprises.

19. Miami Heat 
Hopefully Wade returns to MVP form and Beasley shuts the f*%k up.

20. New Jersey Nets 
Hahaha...oh the Nets.

21. Milwaukee Bucks 
They may have talent, but it's freakin' cold in Milwaukee people.

22. New York Knicks 
Stellar coach, but still, not-so-stellar players.

23. Los Angeles Clippers 
A 23 ranking could be considered a gift.

24. Sacramento Kings 
I have a man-crush on Kevin Martin but he's about all the Kings have going on.

25. Charlotte Bobcats 
This could turn real ugly, real fast with LB at the helm.

26. Golden State Warriors 
What a mess they turned out to be, but look for Maggette to be huge in fantasy hoops.

27. Indiana Pacers 
Hey, Josh McRoberts is on the squad!

28. Minnesota Timberwolves 
Miller and Foye could be a nice 1-2 punch, but they still have Kevin Love.

29. Memphis Grizzlies 
OJ Mayo might sneak in and grab the ROY honors, OK that was a bad joke.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder 
Love ya KD, but it'll be another 20 win season.


Check out Cuzoogle for a cheerleader infused version of the NBA Power Rankings.

Let me know your thoughts!

Regular Season NBA MVP Odds

Cuzoogle (our favorite!) just posted the odds for regular season NBA MVP and it actually included 2 Trail Blazers.

Brandon Roy is 40-1 while Greg "I'm Tall" Oden rolls in at 100-1.  MVP talk had never crossed my mind for either of these players even though Roy looks to be on a completely new level compared to last year's All-Star season.  He still is not a big stat guy like Kobe, LeBron, Wade, or CP3, so in order for him to ever win the award, he would have to become a selfish goober and try to really stack up some numbers.

Kobe and LeBron top the list, coming in at 4-1.

Blaze of Glory - 10/27/08

• Video preview for the upcoming season.  [NBA.com]
  
• Young Blazers off on new trail.  [Boston.com]
• Is the Blazer front office really "bad-mouthing" Darius?  [Fanhouse]
• A season preview from a betting website, which are always entertaining.  [Bet Firms]
• Another Sonic fan joins us!  [Bleacher Report]
• Can't stand Hollinger, but here is a quick look from him.  [ESPN]
• For those non-Portland locals, this publication is our favorite.  [Portland Mercury]
• A pretty well made Roy video that you may not have seen...
  

BoL's Fantasy Basketball Squad

My life as a fantasy basketball pro continued today!  This marks my 6th season and I've got a lot to live up to seeing as I'm the reigning champ of one of the most competitive leagues you can find.

So I spent a full hour drooling over the thought of how great my team was becoming as each round progressed and then, I told a friend how "elite" my team was and his first response was, "Wow, a bunch of injury prone guys."  DAMNIT!  He was so right, but they'll still be damn good!  (As long as they are playing that is.)

You'll notice 2 bright spots that gave me a little extra zing while working through the marathon that is NBA fantasy drafting.  It always feels good to grab a couple of Blazers, especially knowing they'll be filling up the stat sheet night in and night out.

Without further ado...

My initial thoughts are that scoring, assists, field goal %, free throw %, steals, minutes, and turn-overs should be all solid categories.  I'm a little worried about rebounding and of course the thought that my entire starting line-up could be injured within the first week, but other than that, it's definitely solid.

Don't worry about some of the shotty role players as I rotate players in and out of the free agent and waiver wires almost daily.  So guys like Stevenson and Wallace and Scola will likely be dropped by next Saturday anyway.  It's a ton of fun and I'll try to keep you all posted on fantasy hoops tips and news!

Blazers Exercise Options on the Future! Roy, Aldridge, Oden and Serg here to Stay.

Oregon Live just reported that Kevin Pritchard and the Blazers have exercised their 4th year options on Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Sergio Rodriguez as well as the 3rd year on Greg Oden's deal.

If you're excited about the core of the team this year, get used to it through at least the 2008-09 NBA season. On Saturday, Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard picked up the fourth-year options on Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Sergio Rodriguez as well the third-year option on Greg Oden.

These next two years are sure to be exciting.

Pretty hard not to agree with that last statement, eh?  What would Portland have done without Kevin Pritchard?  Wait, did he mean the 2009-10 season?

Blaze of Glory - 10/25/08

• A ton of Blazers on this ESPN rookie list, which is always a good thing.  [ESPN Rookie Watch]
• Top 25 players under 25, with Brandon Roy at #9.  [Davis Sports Deli]
• From a Blazer fan, reflecting on the bad years all the way through to the present.  A must read.  [Blog Critics Magazine]
• They better have a good chance damnit!  [Swamigp's]
• Who wants on the Trail Blazer bandwagon?  [Bleacher Report]
• NBA players are definitely involved in this year's election.  [Times Union]
• Another Blazer preview, this time from a big dog.  [Deadspin]
• Fan recap of the Jazz game including pictures and a little video.  [The Winters]
• NBA scouts confusing people, on Greg Oden?  [Intentional Foul]
• This is just the first of many I'm sure.  [Ain't Got Nothin']

Past Blazer Game Photos!

Here is a quick look at some photos from last year.  We always have a great time at games and can't wait for this season to really get rolling.

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

(OK, so the last one is from 2 years ago, but still, needed to show off my "Ratler"/JJ pic.)

Blaze of Glory - 10/24/08

• A little rant on Mr. Greg Oden and what we should expect.  [Josh Q Public]
• A Trail Blazers beer pong table?  [Online Beer Pong]
• The final part of a 5 part season preview.  [Blazers Edge]
• Some VERY early 2009 NBA All-Star picks, including B-Roy.  [Scenes]
• Rudy "Da Boy" Fernandez.  [Strange Transmissions]
• A Raptors mailbag done with some Blazer love thrown in.  [Doug Smith]
• Blazers embark on Oden era.  [USA Today]

Blazers Lose to Utah 100-89 and No One Cares...

"Your" Portland Trail Blazers finished up their pre-season last night with a loss at Utah in what looked to be quite the sleeper.  Well, maybe sleeper is too strong of a term, but when Roy, Oden and Aldridge are all in Gucci instead of Adidas, what's the point in watching right?

Since once again the game was not televised, I was forced into ESPN's Gamecast which is painful to say the least.  The Blazers third stringers actually started the game off pretty hot with 8 of 11 from deep giving them a solid first half lead.  Then Randolph hit the floor and his Duke-ness brought the Blazers run to a complete hault which in turn, created a 100-89 loss.  That's all the recap you are getting!

Can we please start the regular season now?  I've read enough speculation and cockamamie preview posts to make my eyes AND groin burn.

Here is the box score in case you are extemely bored.

Sneak Peek at the O-Fon! The Greg Oden Special Edition Cricket Phone

Our boy GO announced today that he'd be releasing a special edition phone through Cricket Wireless titled the "O-Fon" that should hit stores on November 7th.  Obviously this thing will be a huge hit here in Portland, but what about the rest of the country?  Wait, who the hell uses Cricket Wireless?

Anyway, how about a couple of ideas for what the phone may look like!  (And what he may be doing with it...)

(Prepping for karaoke)

(Dressing up for halloween)

(Texting while dancing with 16 year old strippers)

(Snapping booty shots at awards shows)

10 Fun Facts about the Blazers

ESPN the Magazine ran an NBA preview in its most recent issue.  Included in the magazine was a quick look at 10 fun facts about each NBA team.  Here is half the list on the Blazers:

1. The reason LaMarcus Aldridge went to Texas at all, rather than coming right out for the NBA Draft, was because of advice given to him by Shaquille O'Neal.

2. Here's one clip that explains excitement about the Blazers.

3. Joel Przybilla nickname time: "The Vanilla Gorilla" / "Joel Dolla-Dolla-Billa" / "Joel Przybilla The Thrilla" / "Joel Daddy" / "White Kong" / "Ghostface Przybilla." We'll go with this too: "Oden's backup."

4. People in Portland are so excited about this team, they are centering their weddings around it.

5. Blog squad: Channing Frye and Greg Oden.

Make sure to check out the rest of the list at the ESPN the Magazine site.

Roster is Finalized - Shavlik in? Jackson and Hill Out?

Say it ain't so KP!  I feel myself weeping a little bit inside as Pritchard actually decided to keep a Dukie around instead of the bearded grizzly.

Today the roster was finalized at 15 spots with Shavlik Randolph grabbing the final spot which in turn left Steven Hill and Luke "Love my Jheri Curl" Jackson on the outs.  Not sure the reasoning behind this except that Randolph was once touted as a pretty exceptional talent when he sold his soul to the devil Duke.  Of course he underachieved there, left school early and struggled to find playing with a team like the Sixers.

Hill on the other hand seemed to be a work-a-holic that would have been an excellent punching bag to Oden all season long as they battled it out for best Blazer beard.  He also fit the part of any documentary you may see on the Discovery Channel as the stunt man for Timothy Treadwell which gives him instant credibility in the wonderfully outdoorsy state of Oregon.

And finally Luke Jackson...enough said.

Good luck Shavlik!

Blaze of Glory - 10/23/08

• A quick interview with Blazer Dancer Brittany.  [Portland Trail Bloggers]
• The nicknames of your own Joel "Ghostface" Przybilla.  [Oregon Live Blog]
• Mike Barrett's reaction to the win last night in Los Angeles.  [Mike Barrett's Blog]
• A new preview from a Utah Jazz perspective.  [The Cowhide Globe]
• Greg Oden now has his own phone?  [Dwight Jaynes]
• A Frog preview.  [Sports Frog]
• Blazers Edge goes Part 4 of their season preview.  [Blazers Edge]
• Greg Oden is not Hines Ward?  [Beyond the Beat]
• Ricky Davis is now offering up casholla for Oden posters.  [Deceptively Quick]
• A mini-argument that Oden is overrated.  [LEO Weekly]\
• A Brandon Roy preview, similar to ours.  [Trail Post]
  

Blazers Take Down Clippers 87-75

There isn't a whole lot you can take away from this game, partly since none of us could watch the damn thing, but the other reason being the lack of talent actually playing for the Clippers in the pre-season.  Baron Davis and Marcus Camby have been catching plenty of splinters these 7 games, Tim Thomas has been nonexistent (not surprising!), and even Ricky Davis has taken some time off, including tonight.

So when we look for positives, you can't necessarily say the win is big, but you can say that some of the performances of some of the young guns on the team were.  Oden dropped his first double-double, Bayless seemed to finally wake the hell up, Rudy had another solid all-around game, and Outlaw pulled out some late 4th quarter magic once again.

There is just one pre-season game left in Utah, and I couldn't be happier.  Let's get this season really rolling.

Here is the box score from last night.

BoL's Player Previews: LaMarcus Aldridge

LMA!  LMA!  LMA!  If you are looking for one player on the team to really show extreme growth this year, you should look no further than LaMarcus Aldridge.  Going from 9 PPG and 5 RPG in his rookie campaign to almost 18 and 8 in his sophomore year should have guaranteed his spot atop of the MIP list, but once again we found no love up northwest in Portland. 

We touched on Brandon Roy reaping the benefits of Oden, well LaMarcus could see an even greater positive to the addition of the big guy.  That wing and elbow jumper he loves so much will become even more of an option.  Assuming he continues to knock down those outside shots with regularity, we may just see his scoring numbers skyrocket even more-so than they did last year.  And we all know the guy is a freakin’ gazelle and should catch even more buckets with the way the team new found ability to run now with Oden holding down the middle defensively. 

However, even with the positives surrounding his role this year, you should still be a little worried that if things aren’t going as initially planned, LMA could be the first Blazer to show some frustrations.  You have to think as Oden progresses, and Roy solidifies himself as a top tier player and ultimate #1 option, that Aldridge could become antsy.  Contracts are coming due within the next year and it could be difficult to keep Roy, Oden, Fernandez, Bayless, and Aldridge all around.  I’m just hoping LMA isn’t the last man out as his upside seems to be off the charts.

Last season stats:  17.8 PPG  7.6 RBD  1.6 ASST  1.2 BLK  34:53 MIN

BoL's Player Previews: Greg Oden

Are you excited?  Annoyed?  Un-interested?  Anxious?  Delirious? Stupified?  Grounded?  Exhausted?  Odenized?

You’ve waited an entire year for him to finally take flight at 1 Center Court and become the immediate championship provider.  The bag of mixed emotions Blazer fans have endured over the past 12 months can mean only one thing, the beer industry in Portland is at an all time high!  What a wild year it has been, my friends.  (Eww that sounded like a McCain ad.)

So are you now expecting instant greatness?  I hope not.  GO may be able to provide an “instant” presence on the court, but if you expect a championship version of Shaq wearing number 52, then you will be greatly disappointed.  Don’t forget that this kid had to take an entire year off from playing organized basketball, plus had to listen to constant media scrutiny over the possibility of the Blazers drafting the biggest flop in NBA history, again.

What you should expect is the GO-effect on his teammates and the city of Portland.  Once Oden gets his groove back, the smile will return, the dunking will resume, the GO-hawk will fly, and the Blazers will be the talk of the country.  (Not that they aren’t already) 

Last season stats:  Led the league in bench camera shots.

BoL's Player Previews: Brandon Roy

Marked as the “Savior”, Brandon Roy makes sense as the lead into our series of player previews to start the 2008-09 NBA season.  Roy absolutely defines the Kevin Pritchard version of the Portland Trail Blazers with his work ethic, mindset, and personality.  The new Blazers are young, fun and full of energy that stems straight from number 7.

Entering his third season in the NBA, Brandon Roy has begun to exude the confidence and aura of a seasoned vet.  It could be somewhat due to his age and the years of experience he has as a leader through college and now into the NBA, but a ton has to do with his character.  The guy just gets; always has. 

Throughout the preseason, Roy has continued his silent assassin role, but with more emphasis than ever.  The idea of him being extremely hard to guard should now be elevated to impossible to guard.  He’s even mentioned to others that with Oden on the floor, his love and excitement for the game has heightened tremendously.  With the big man in the middle, Roy hasn’t seen this many open shots since high school.

Not to jump into ridiculous predictions or anything, but I just get a feeling about him this year, that we are about to see some real magic.  The early focus of the season will be about his sort-of-rookie-teammate-7-footer while he will quietly be leading the Blazers into a season we’ll probably never forget.  This season will officially mark the return of Rip City and you can thank Brandon Roy, not Greg Oden for that.

Last season stats:  19.1 PPG  4.6 RBD  5.0 ASST  1.1 STL  36:42 MIN

Blaze of Glory - 10/22/08

• Greg Oden's brother is a beast!  On the football field... [Scout.com] 
  
• Ben from Blazers Edge takes a tour of the Oregonian.  A pretty entertaining piece to say the least.  [Blazers Edge]
• And since we were MIA for the game the other night against the Kings, here is a link to a hefty list of recaps from all walks of blogging life.  [Oregonian Blazer Blog]
• A look at the Northwest Division from some pals of ours.  [FanIQ]
• Another Blazer blogger preview.  [Darth Weasel]
• Give it up Danny Ainge, he'll never play again.  [USA Today]
• And if you haven't heard, Kevin Martin made an extra grand by dunking on GO.  [Fanhouse]

Tickets Baby!

My tickets arrived today and damn am I excited!  So far this season, I plan on being at the following games:

• November 26th - Miami Heat
• December 9th - Orlando Magic
• January 2nd - New Orleans Hornets
• January 24th - Washington Wizards
• March 9th - LA Lakers

I'm sure I'll be adding to this list as the season progresses.  I can imagine how electric the Rose Garden will be this year for each game and I know once I see that in person, I'll be buying up way too many more seats.

You know it's going to be a great year when the sales guy says, "Yeah we were pretty surprised when the T-Wolves game became a hard-to-get ticket."

A Trip Around the NBA - 10/20/08

• What's wrong with this picture?  [The Sports Culture]
• The well documented release of Darius Miles by the Celtics.  [My Sports Rumors]
• At least he realized he will forever be a role player.  [Inside Hoops]
  
• Seriously, Steve Nash rolled his ankle twice.  [Ben's Phoenix Suns Blog]
• Remember the 1-on-1 pay-per-view event between Magic and MJ?  [Jones on the NBA]
• A team blog contest and we're mentioned!  [LA Ball Talk]
• Nike Air Penny II's, such hotness.  [Hoop Doctors]
• Celtics Blog joining the SBNation?  [Celtics Blog]
• A look at TicketMaster ruining professional sports. Hard to disagree.  [The Good Point]
• Rajon Rondo at the GQ Gentlemen's Ball.  [Red's Army]
• Want to win Euroleague Final 4 tickets?  [Ball in Europe]
• Farmar to Ariza...

Welcome to Blaze of Love!

What’s goin’ on everyone!?  I’d like to welcome Blazer fans and bloggers to the newest Trail Blazer blog on the block!  My name is Kellex and I’m the sole owner and writer here at the BoL, but from time to time will definitely have some of my close friends and writers jump on board to spread their wealth of knowledge in hopes of entertaining the hell out of you!

Quick Intro

I’m a supercharged sports fan with my true love having always been the NBA.  In fact, you may be aware of some of my previous projects such as Le Basketbawl and the Sports Dollar (still running the SD actually).  So, I may be new to writing about my favorite NBA team, but I’m definitely not new to the blogging game and won’t be asking for your patience as I jump right in with this; I plan on going full force with the season only a week away!

I’m a Portland transplant that has fallen madly in love with “Rose City” and “Rip City” and have found myself smiling from ear to ear once the decision was made to start a Blazer blog.

What to Expect

While blogging, I tend to try to have fun more than anything.  I’m definitely not a guy that’s going to break down X’s and O’s for you and talk about game planning and rotations in any detail because frankly, that sh*t bores the hell out of most people.  I tend to lean more towards entertainment pieces including lists, but you’ll definitely also be seeing some controversial entries just to get the fans and opponents really fired up.  There is nothing I love more than some good conversation on my blogs!

I’ll be talking trades, rumors, news, personal Blazer experiences, and anything else your average fan would enjoy.  Expect contests, giveaways and a lot of love!

This should be a fun journey and I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of the Blazer blog nation as well as all you fans out there.  The best part?  THE GAMES ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN.  See you at Schonely’s for a pint!

Darius Miles...Waived!

Our pal, our friend, our comrade, Sir Dariusness, was cut today by the Boston Celtics.  Danny Ainge, you aren't getting your revenge on the Blazers this year sucka!  The following was reported by the Boston Herald:

The longshot free-agent signee, who missed two full seasons after microfracture surgery on his knee, was waived today by the Celtics, bringing the Green’s roster down to the league maximum of 15.

“Darius was a model citizen during his time here in Boston,” said GM Danny Ainge. ”He showed that he still has a lot of basketball left in him.”

I can't say that I am at all surprised by this and I'm guessing that most Blazer fans aren't either.  The guy was a complete train wreck while in Portland and after a couple of unsuccessful surgeries and unsuccessful attempts at rehabbing, you had to be a fool to think this guy would be ready to play.

So today, we "cheers" to all those Boston Celtics bloggers that wrote those heart-felt posts documenting Darius Miles and the thought of "Mr. Strip Club" himself becoming the next James Posey.  Cheers!

Przybilla's Eye is Still Lovely

It has been widely published already that Joel's eye was trounced by Oden at the Blazers scrimmage at Cleveland High last week, but it appears to still be nasty, although the swelling has come down.  Joel had actually warned Greg before the scrimmage:

"I said, 'Greg, let's just get through this without anyone getting hurt," Przybilla said.

After the injury, Przybilla said Oden was so apologetic of the incident that, in a joking manner, he said Oden seemed to be nearly on the verge of tears.

"That just shows the kind of heart he has," Przybilla said.

Let us all just hope this string of random injuries and ankle turns stops in the next week.  The season is within spitting distance and we need a full strength team to get this season rolling immediately in the right direction.

Blaze of Glory Special - Trail Blazer Season Previews 2008-09

This is a special listing of the various Portland Trail Blazer blogs' perspective on the upcoming season. As this list continues to grow (and I'm imagining it will), then I'll just keep on updating it!

Blazers Edge

In short, the notable statistics aren’t good, but they’re not crippling either.  They indicate what’s holding the Blazers back from being legitimately good, not what’s dooming them.

Baller Blogger

If you’ve read any of my writing over the past year (The two of you can put your hands down now. Yes, that includes you, mom), you know that I absolutely love this team and have a super-geeky sports fan man-crush on Kevin Pritchard.

Rip City Project

I would have said 48-50 before the Webster injury, but I think that, combined with the brutal nature of our early schedule, will knock us back a couple wins in November and December.

Daily Barometer

After watching the preseason game, I came away most impressed with Fernandez. I've heard NBA analysts compare his play to Manu Ginobli of the San Antonio Spurs, but I think Fernandez will be better.

A Stern Warning

Outside of winning and losing, the Blazers will be looking to see how Oden integrates with frontcourt running mate Aldridge and no doubt will be focussing on getting his offense to a level where he becomes a threat down low with more than dunks.

Hardwood Paroxysm

I kinda want the Blazers to be bad. Mostly because I’m bitter. I know they’ve had a bad run, some bad luck, and some general misfortune, but it’s like every person in that front office is collecting their karma checks all at once. The surprise team of the league last year wasn’t good enough, so you give them Oden and Bayless. THAT makes sense.

The Big Lead

If there’s a more titillating young starting five in the league, please notifty us: Oden (20), Aldridge (23), Outlaw (24), Roy (24), and Blake (28).

NBADraft.net

Through thick and thin, Portland loves their Blazers. Since their epic 2001 game seven collapse against the Lakers, Blazers fans have had to endure the JailBlazers era and the ensuing rebuilding process that followed. Now, the Blazers are back in the playoff hunt with a team of likeable and talented young players. The Blazers will have a big homecourt advantage from the start, and the Rose Garden will once again be a place that nobody wants to step into.

Blaze of Glory - 10/18/08

• Brandon Roy to have his jersey retired at Washington? [Hotdog and Friends]
  
• Jamal Tatum was cut from the Blazers on Friday.  Not really surprised are we?  [Blazers Edge]
• Brandon Roy definitely OK with Batum starting.  [Rip City Project]
• The end of Darius Miles appears to be soon.  [Portland Trail Bloggers]
•  Darius starring in a movie?  [Random Blog]
  
• Footage of the scrimmage held at Cleveland High [Oregon Live Blazers Blog] 
• And another opinion on Darius Miles looking horrible [Celtics Blog]
  
• Oden get a little sqwuirvy...
  

Brandon Roy Nike Blue Chip Exclusive

You know your game is officially hot when Nike starts releasing picks of your newest kicks for the upcoming season.

Check out the rest of the set at Sneaker Files which includes the Deron Williams version.

Oden as ROY and McMillan as COY?

All sorts of predictions are flying around right now with the start of the 2008-09 NBA season just 2 weeks away, and some bold ones were made toward the Portland Trail Blazers.  Maurice Brooks of ESPN.com is heading up the NBA Awards Watch this year and is really loving "your" Blazer team.

In his Rookie Watch, he bascially lists Oden's only competition as Michael Beasley out of Miami.  Here is the tidbit given towards GO:

As a defensive force, he will do a lot of impressive things that will help Portland win but won't show up in the box score (singing isn't one of them). Portland has enough players who can score, so it is counting on Oden to rebound and anchor the defense. 

I'm not necessarily seeing this as a shoe in award for big GO.  In fact, I would put Beasley, OJ Mayo and (gag me on this one) Kevin Love ahead of him.  The Blazers have way too much talent and way to many players to spread the ball around too for Oden to take this award.  Just look at last year with Kevin Durant; he put up stats as the only option Seattle had while many would argue that Al Horford had a much more productive year.  We'll see with this one!

Now, Brooks also takes a look at coach of the year in his Coach Watch by giving the early nod to Nate McMillan.  Here is his tidbit:

Although the West is loaded, Portland will find a way to squeeze into the playoffs. McMillan has a problem most coaches would love to have -- finding enough minutes for his roster stacked with young, talented players. 

Handing out coaching awards before the season starts is like predicting the BCS, it's absolutely impossible.  I love Nate and the Blazers, but I'm not getting my hopes up with this one.  The guy probably deserved it last year with the huge turn around of this franchise, but that didn't seem to be enough.  And now this year, the expectations are even higher and only time will tell if these boys can live up to the hype.

It's always exciting to see our local boys brought up in the award talk, but we've got a long season ahead before any of this stuff can really be taken seriously.

Blaze of Glory - 10/16/08

• A solid season preview coming out of Sports Illustrated [SI Inside the NBA]
• Is Greg Oden ready to shine?  We all hope so!  [The Sports Lounge]
• A Q&A with Coup from Rip City Project [Pickaxe and Roll]
• More love with Rip City Project [SLC Dunk]
• The Blazers ready to rise!  Finally.  [Portland Tribune]
• Channing Frye is back!  [Channing Frye's Blog]
• Blazers as the Rice Krispies of the NBA.  [SportsSnipe] 

Have Blazer tips or news?  Make sure you shout us anything you have to say!

Oden Graces the Cover of Slam

SLAM introduce a series of 5 collectible covers to kick off the 2008-09 NBA season. Our friendly 7-footer, GO, was cover 2 of 5.

Check out the rest of the covers from Ice Dot Com.  Other covers include Kobe, KG, LeBron, andd D-Wade.

Greg Oden, Thrilled.

Is that first class at least?  Look at the guy over his left shoulder and imagine what he's saying to his trophy wife about old red beard here.

An Old Top 10 Brandon Roy Clip

A lot of lay-ups!  And it doesn't include the switch had reverse against Mr. Bosh.

Greg Oden Speaks at the Topps Basketball Camp

What the hell is with the music?  I'd say thanks to Yardbarker for the video, but who the hell put that music in the background?

About Blaze of Love

This Portland Trail Blazers blog definitely isn't your basic "recap/report the news" kind of blog. We tend to lean a little to the sporadic and unsystematic side of this young and sexy basketball team.  Digging up dirt is one of our finest qualities. (How could we have missed the Rasheed/Damon era?)  Oh, and you'll definitely see a lot of Blazer Dancer action around here, so bring your bucket of ice!

Owner:  Kellex Barr

A veteran NBA blogger who has a deepened yet un-homer-istic analysis as a Portland Trail Blazers fan.  I'm a transplant to the wonderfully depressing city of Portland, but definitely understand the bright side of living here.  I'm opinionated and open minded, so please, bring something better than a Lakers fan would.

(From the Fox Sports box.)

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2008-09 Portland Trail Blazers Roster

No.	Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	College
12	Aldridge, LaMarcus	FC	6-11	240	2	Texas
88	Batum, Nicolas	GF	6-8	190	R	None
4	Bayless, Jerryd	PG	6-3	199	R	Arizona
2	Blake, Steve	PG	6-3	172	5	Maryland
51	Ruffin, Michael	F	6-8	248	8	Tulsa
5	Fernandez, Rudy	G	6-5	185	R	None
44	Frye, Channing	FC	6-11	245	3	Arizona
9	LaFrentz, Raef	FC	6-11	245	10	Kansas
52	Oden, Greg	C	7-0	250	1	Ohio State
25	Outlaw, Travis	F	6-9	215	5	None
10	Pryzbilla, Joel	C	7-1	255	8	Minnesota
41	Randolph, Shavlik	F	6-10	240	3	Duke
11	Rodriguez, Sergio	G	6-3	168	2	None
7	Roy, Brandon	G	6-6	229	2	Washington
8	Webster, Martell	GF	6-7	229	3	None

2008-09 Portland Trail Blazers Schedule

Blazers Schedule

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