My Thoughts On The Blazers' Moves At The Trade Deadline, And What Has Happened Since

I haven't had the pleasure of posting here in quite some time, so I feel the need to reflect on what has happened to the Blazers in the last month or so.

Personally, I'm not sure what to make of what the Trail Blazers did at the trading deadline yet, but at least it was interesting, right?

On March 15, 2012, the Blazers dramatically and definitively changed the course of the entire franchise.  They shipped Gerald Wallace to New Jersey.  Not long after that, they sent Marcus Camby to Houston.  Then, if you had any question about how serious the Blazers were about shaking things up, head coach Nate McMillan was canned.

For Wallace, the Nets sent Portland their 2012 first round draft pick, Mehmet Okur, and Shawne Williams.  And for Camby, the Blazers became the proud owners of Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet.  By design, none of the players they got back seemed to be part of the future in Portland.  All except that nice little first round pick in 2012.  That pick was most likely what the Blazers brass started out the day targeting.

Oh and in what seemed like a cherry on top of the dismantling-of-the-team sundae, Portland released Greg Oden to make room for the players that were sent back in the trades.

Beating A Dead Horse: The Steve Nash Trade Rumors

As we get into the last couple of weeks before the March 15 trade deadline in the NBA, it's going to get pretty crazy for the Blazers.  If you're already growing tired of hearing about all the potential moves Portland is going to make, then hold on.  It's only a couple of weeks before it's all over, but it's going to get worse for you, before it gets better.

Personally, I don't mind the trade deadline.  It's nothing, if not entertaining.  Even when Portland doesn't pull the trigger and do anything, it's still fun to talk about.

As far as Portland is concerned, all the talk is still focused on Steve Nash.  I've written about the Nash rumors previously here and here, and have said that I would be in favor of Portland going and getting Nash, no matter what the cost, even if he is a "rental" for the rest of this season only. 

ESPN's Marc Stein posted an article on Wednesday about Nash's current situation and mentioned that the Blazers are one of the teams still interested in acquiring the point guard from the Suns.  The other team that has been mentioned recently is Orlando. 

In response to Stein's article mentioning Portland's desire to get Nash, a couple dudes over at Bleacher Report posted their thoughts on the matter.  In the first article, the guy argues that Steve Nash-to-Portland makes absolutely no sense for the Suns or the Blazers to pursue.  (Let me just interject here and say the thing that makes even less sense than a Nash to Portland trade is the Blazers' current point guard situation.)

He points out that unless the Suns get Batum back from Portland, it wouldn't help them at all.  He then points out that even with acquiring Nash, the Blazers are still "a player away from being a true contender."  Both of those points are valid, and I don't completely disagree with them.

OregonSportsNews.com Had A Roundtable Discussion On The Blazers, And I Was There

I've been contributing to Oregon Sports News for a few weeks now and have really enjoyed doing so.  Last week, one of my fellow writers had the idea to do a "roundtable discussion" post about the Blazers and all the hot topics surrounding the team right now.  Things like, why they suck so bad, why they aren't playing very good right now, and last, but not least, why the suck so bad. 

That article was posted today and you can find it here.  There were 5 questions posed to those who took part.  Here are my answers to those questions.

Question 1:  Who should the Trail Blazers ship out before the March 15 trade deadline?

Answer:  When I first think of this question the first two players that come to mind are Nic Batum and Raymond Felton.  But if teams started asking for Gerald Wallace instead of Batum, I wouldn’t even think twice about it.  This team needs a change, and if you ask me, it’s pick a player, any player.  But if you’re talking about who they should be shopping, I’d say Batum and Felton.

Can This Thing Get Any Worse For The Blazers?

Well, the short answer is yes.  Of course things could get worse.  Things can always get worse.

Last night, I didn't watch a minute of the game (if you want to refer to it as that) between Portland and the "woeful" Washington Wizards (not that bad, are they now Blazer fans?!).  I switched cable companies a few months back, so I don't have Comcast SportsNet at home.  The only thing I miss about not having Comcast, is not having Comcast SportsNet.  But last night, I was actually thankful that I had no access to watch the horror that unfolded last night at the Rose Garden.

I checked the score on my phone, and was just disgusted by what I saw.  If two days off, followed by a home game with a team with one of the worst records in the NBA can't get a little bit of the team's mojo and confidence back, then sadly, you're running out of options of things that can help get the mojo back.

I don't know what it is, but there is definitely a problem with this team.  Something isn't clicking.  I don't know specifically who is to blame.  Honestly, the only person I would say is holding up their end of the bargain is Aldridge.  That last sentence also includes the coaches, as well as the players.  No one is free from blame, except maybe Aldridge.

Bill Simmons And ESPN's Trade Machine: The Steve Nash Trade Speculation

My favorite website right now is Grantland.  I cannot get enough of it, and if there is an article posted on it that I remotely think I'll be interested in, I will read it.  It may be just a phase, but I really like what they have going on down there in LA.

I'm not sure, but I think that Bill Simmons may have been one of the first people I heard talk about Portland trading for Steve Nash.  And that was a couple of years ago now.  He's definitely been driving the bandwagon of the idea.  But now that Steve Nash is in the last year of his contract (a contract that is not extension-eligible), I don't think the trade rumors involving Portland and Nash are not going to quiet down any time soon.  Not with ESPN's Hollinger, Marc Stein and Simmons already bantering about it.

This morning, as Bill Simmons loves to do, he played around with the ESPN trade machine and nearly blew my mind with one of the fake trades he came up with.

Is It Time To Trade Nicolas Batum?

"I wanna play for YOU, Charlotte Bobcats."

Before we get started, a little background for you all.  If you were to go out with me to a local sports bar and sit with me while watching one of my favorite teams play, you would probably see glimpses of two distinct versions of my 'fanhood'. 

On the one hand, you would see the logical side of my fanhood, based in reason and in touch with the reality of the sports world.  This is the part of my fanhood that I call the "GM side", if you will.  On the other hand, you would see the 10 year old version of me that is not-so-based in logic and reason, and can be a bit of a poor sport too.  Because I can't think of anything better to call it, I call this side the "10 year old side".

When I was 9 years old, I cried (I'm not sure how much) after watching Magic Johnson and company come to town and beat the Blazers in game one of the 1991 Western Conference Finals.  With a simple steal and rolling of the ball down the court, Magic and the Lakers beat the Blazers and seemingly stunned "my team" so badly that they lost the series four games to two.  It crushed me.  Portland was supposed to win, in my mind.

Gerald Wallace or Nicolas Batum? Blazers Probably Can't Keep Both

Isn't It a Thing Of Beauty?

The current NBA season for your Portland Trailblazers has been quite the pleasant surprise.  I thought that losing Brandon Roy was going to hurt the team more than it has so far.  And although I think I gave up on the idea of Greg Oden ever suiting up for the Blazers again after last season's setback, it still really sucks that we're not going to be seeing him on the court yet again this year.

But the Blazers also made some moves this offseason that seem to be working out pretty well so far this season. To me, trading Andre Miller for Raymond Felton was more or less a lateral move (except that Miller was not getting any younger).  Adding Kurt Thomas as that veteran backup role player that every team needs was very smart and a couple years overdue.  And coaxing Jamal Crawford to sign here with Portland instead of Sacramento (Really, Jamal?  Sacramento was one of your final two choices??) may not have made a splash across the league, but was practically a steal at 2 years and $10 million (although he will probably opt out after this season, and the Blazers will only have to pay him $5 million for the one year).

Blazers Ranked As The 31st Best Franchise Of Them All

ESPN just came out with their annual "Ultimate Team Rankings", where they use a formula to rank franchise on various factors about the team.

The ranking system is quite detailed, and whoever worked on this project put a buttload of time into it.  The categories they ranked teams on were "bang for the buck", fan relations, ownership, affordability, stadium experience, players, coaching and something called "title track".  Each of those categories even has sub-categories.   

Your Portland Trail Blazers come in at number 31 overall.  If you're just talking about NBA franchises, the Blazers are ranked 7th on the list.  The 3 categories that they ranked highest in are fan relations, stadium experience, and players.  Those things are definitely what the Blazers are good at, especially with the current roster.  The two weakest categories for Portland were "bang for the buck", and obviously the "title track" one.  No surprise there.

Many of the franchises at the top of this list have one thing in common and it's this: they tend to be in smaller markets, which seems to increase fan access and usually decreases the costs of actually going to watch a game.  If you're wondering, the top five are the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Angels, and San Antonio Spurs.

[ ESPN.com ]

Blazersedge Asks: Would You Prefer A Healthy Greg Oden or Healthy Brandon Roy?

I was sitting here at my desk at work this morning, minding my own business, trying to look busy as usual and having a good morning by most standards.  And then I saw this post over at Blazersedge.com  And it practically blew my mind.  My mind nearly went into overload.

Dave presented the following scenario.  If a magical basketball fairy came up to you and asked you to choose between a healthy Brandon Roy or a healthy Greg Oden for the rest of their natural careers, which one would you choose?

Actually, it's a little more specific than that.  Here's what Dave says are the conditions of the deal.  "Brandon Roy playing at his 2008-09 peak-production level and continuing his career as normal, without devastating injury until age took its toll.  OR... Greg Oden injury-free and ready to go, playing at his current level but also guaranteed to be without injury through his prime, able to give the Blazers whatever he's capable of as he gains experience."

(pause here, just to make sure your brain doesn't completely implode...)

I sort of feel that asking this question to a Blazer fan is like asking a 16 year old boy, "Hey, who would you rather play 7 minutes in Heaven with?  Kate Upton or Irina Shayk?  Nevermind a 16 year old boy, go ahead and ask any man that!  It's like the ultimate tease of a question to ask.  We know that neither option is ever going to happen, but it's still fun to dream about.  It's a great debate for the bar with your buddies.

If I Were The GM Of The Portland Trail Blazers...

The Oregonian has completed it's yearly feature "You Be The GM", where Blazer fans get to have a say in who they would like to see stay and go from the team.  It's not always breaking news kind of stuff, but it can be interesting to see what the Blazer fans as a whole think of certain players on the team.

Here's the rundown of what I think should happen to this current Blazers roster, just for kicks.

Luke Babbitt -- On draft day 2010, Minnesota traded the rights to Luke Babbitt to Portland for Martell Webster.  I feel that this move was Kevin Pritchard's way of sticking it to Paul Allen, Larry Miller and the rest of the guys who forced him out and fired him as GM on draft day.  If that was his intent, it was a huge success for KP.

Watching Babbitt ride the bench really makes me really miss Martell Webster, folks.  Sadly, Babbitt is not going anywhere.  He makes a lot of money (more than Nic Batum this past year!) and we probably can't trade him.  So the Blazers are pretty much stuck with him for the moment.  Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Go 66%-34%

Chris Johnson -- I mentioned on Twitter a while back that because he roughed up Dirk Nowitzki and took it to him a couple of times in the first round of the playoffs, Johnson deserves an automatic 3 year guaranteed contract with the team.  And I still stand by that whole-heartedly.  Johnson is exactly what Portland needs right now...a young, athletic, non-injured big man that only cares about rebounding, blocking shots and roughing up Dirk Nowitzki.  Verdict: Stay ... Poll results: Stay 92-8

Friday Wrap Up: Rich Cho Aftermath, NBA Finals Are Set, And Ohio State is Dirtier Than We Thought

Happy Friday, folks.  My last post was a review of Maxim's 2011 Hot 100 list that I took way too seriously.  But hey it was fun, okay?  The lovely Sarah Shahi came in at #24 on the list.  I didn't mention her in my overrated/underrated post because I thought 24th was a good place for Shahi to be at on the list.

The Aftermath: So we've had a few days to recover from the madness that we call "Paul Allen's management style".  Rich Cho is long gone, and Allen stated that it was a "chemistry" issue that sent Cho packing.  I still think it's nonsense.  I mean, if Paul Allen wants to have chemistry with someone, he needs to go out and join eHarmony.  Paul Allen is kind of a weird guy, and can be socially awkward.  Guess what?  Rich Cho is the same guy, who is quiet and keeps to himself.  So when Allen and Cho aren't BFFs right away, it shouldn't surprise anyone.  Allen obviously has a different opinion.

Since Cho was fired, all Blazers fans have been getting is a steady dose of "hey, it's Paul Allen's team and he can do what he wants with it, so shut the hell up".  I'm still of the opinion that this change of direction at the top for Portland is troubling and shows a clear lack of direction.  Some Blazer fans have sort of bought into the change, convincing themselves that it was a positive move.  But I'm not so sure about that.  Regardless of all the craziness, Joel Freeman says that the Portland GM position is still an attractive job. 

I guess we'll see in the next few weeks.  I think Paul Allen should just go ahead and hire himself as the GM and save himself the trouble of firing about 3 or 4 more GMs in the coming years.  It would probably save him some time as well, and definitely save him some cash.  Whoever the Blazers hire as the next GM is going to be even more of a puppet than Rich Cho was anyway.

Wow, That Was Fast: Blazers Have Fired GM Rich Cho

According to a mass text message to local reporters, the Blazers have relieved general manager Rich Cho of his duties, effectively immediately.  Cho was hired July 19, 2010, making his tenure with the Blazers at just about 10 short months.  I just heard the announcement on 1080 The Fan as The Dan Patrick Show was just wrapping up.  No word yet on what the hell is going on with the Blazers, but director of college scouting Chad Buchanon will assume GM duties until a replacement is found.

From the official press release:

"The fit between Rich and our team simply wasn't right," said Trail Blazers President Larry Miller. "This was a tough move because I respect Rich and he's a good person with many strong skills. But it simply wasn't a good match."

Obviously, there aren't any facts to report right now.  I'm glued to the radio, as I'm sure lots of Blazers fans are at the moment.  But rest assured, something is really jacked up in the Blazers' front office.  I'm sure many more details will be pouring out as the day progresses.  Umm, to say this was unexpected would be selling it a little bit short, I think.  This is not a good sign for Portland fans.  Who knows, Paul Allen may have finally went nuts, fired everyone in the front office, and may even have hired himself as the f#$%ing coach by now.  Geez, that guy is annoying sometimes.

Sometimes, change in the front office can be a good thing for an NBA basketball team.  But not like this.  I have a feeling this will be affecting the Blazers for longer than the next couple months. 

Rant Of The Day: Isaac And Suke Love Zach Randolph And Think The Blazers Made A Mistake By Trading Him Away

Yesterday, on Primetime, Isaac & Suke had an interesting take on Zach Randolph.  I was sitting, listening to the show at work, and I have to admit, it got me a little fired up.  I texted the show a couple of times, but my texts were never addressed or read.  So I decided to post my opinion on the topic here, since I have that luxury.

I'm not quite sure what brought about the topic of Zach Randolph on yesterday's show, but I'm assuming it has something to do with the magical playoff run that Randolph is currently having with the Memphis Grizzlies.  On their website yesterday, they also had a poll question asking "Would you welcome Zach Randolph back to the Blazers?"  Contrary to what you might be thinking right now, no, this was not some sort of fake poll question or April Fool's Day joke.  It was a real poll question that someone actually came up with.  And I guess the poll question was of the theorhetical variety too, because it's not like Randolph is going to be a free agent any time soon.  In fact, he just signed a contract extension with Memphis.       

I can't find the actual audio anywhere, so I can't put the direct quotes up here.  But here are some of the points they were making, paraphrased of course.  If anyone has a better recollection or direct quotes, feel free to correct me.

Can The Blazers Force A Game 7 With The Mavs Tonight?

That is the question of the day, isn't it?  Especially this day, seeing as game six is tonight.  If you ask the panel of "experts" at ESPN.com, they don't see Portland as having much of a chance.  And the reason they all give is pretty much the same thing...that the game four version of Brandon Roy ain't walking onto that court again.

LZ Granderson of ESPN The Magazine says, "It's a four-point-play miracle there is even a Game 6. I think Nate McMillian has done a great job, once again, keeping his injured squad competitive. But you can't depend on Brandon Roy to come close to his Game 4 heroics, and the Blazers just don't have the consistent firepower outside of LaMarcus Aldridge right now to keep pace."

Granderson makes a fair enough point.  Jordan Heimer of ClipperBlog, is the only "expert" of the five that thinks Portland wins game six.  "Portland is a really tough place for visitors to clinch a tight series. In elimination games occurring in Game 5 or later (so, sweeps excluded), the Blazers are 6-2 since 1980. Factor in the collective buzz of the Blazer faithful coming off the Brandon Roy Miracle Game and Monday's Patty Mills body-check, and the Rose Garden should feel like Thunderdome."

So The Blazers Are Down 2-0 In The Series And I Don't Know Whether To Panic Or Not

First of all, part of this post will be fairly objective and part of it will be anything but objective.  Most of the time, I can look at the Blazers pretty objectively when writing about the team.  But talk to me in the middle of a game, and I am anything but reasonable.  I bet it actually gets pretty entertaining sometimes.  But I digress. 

First, the objective, reasonable part of this post. 

So it looks like the Blazers are in a bit of trouble.  After listening to everyone of their mom (including yours truly) talk about how Dallas had no shot in the first round and the Blazers were going to pretty much beat them up and take their lunch money, it looks like so far, Dallas is the team that is getting it done and coming up clutch when they need to.

That doesn't mean that the first two games have been runaway Dallas victories, though.  Far from it.  Both games were very close for 3 quarters, and then saw the Mavericks pull away in the 4th quarter.  Nowitzki has been damn good.  Jason Kidd has been damn good too.  For Portland, Gerald Wallace has been pretty good and LaMarcus Aldridge has been decent, but Aldridge hasn't been great in down the stretch and in the 4th quarter.  And there's your difference in the series thus far.

Grading The NBA Season: Portland Gets An A-Minus

Now that the playoffs are upon us, Sports Illustrated's Britt Robson has put out his yearly regular season grades for each team.  The teams with the best grades are Chicago (A+), Oklahoma City (A), San Antonio (A), Memphis (A) and Portland (A-).  The teams with the lowest grades are Utah (D+), Minnesota (D-), and the lowly Detroit Pistons (F).

His take on the Blazers:

The Blazers remain remarkably competitive, persistent and resourceful in the face of adversity. Coach Nate McMillan compensated for center Greg Oden's season-long absence and guard Brandon Roy's long break and current part-time status by mixing and matching personnel. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has had a career year by concentrating his scoring in the low post, where Oden was meant to be. Free-agent signee Wesley Matthews has expanded his role as a versatile, above-average wing defender in Roy's stead. Meanwhile, for the second straight year, the front office picked up an invaluable rotation player at the trade deadline, with forward Gerald Wallace following last season's addition of center Marcus Camby. The result is a roster brimming with diverse talent, making Portland a dangerous playoff foe. 

Bill Simmons: Blazers "Could Absolutely Beat" Dallas In Round One Of The NBA Playoffs

ESPN's Bill Simmons recently divided all the NBA teams into "contenders" and "non-contenders" in his pre-playoffs power rankings.

Now the last time I wrote a post about the Blazers and the playoffs (like, only two days ago), it was pretty clear that Dallas would be Portland's first round opponent.  At the time I'm writing this post, that scenario is no sure thing.  In fact, nothing is sure at this point really, except San Antonio finishing first.  Right now, both Dallas and the Lakers have the same exact record (55-25), and Oklahoma City is only one game back of both of them.  Pretty confusing for a Blazer fan trying to predict the first round matchup.

Where Will The Blazers Finish In The West And What Are Their Chances In The Playoffs?

A week ago, prior to Portland losing a heart breaker in New Orleans, the prevailing thought around the league was that Portland would finish 6th in the Western Conference and face the Dallas Mavericks.  After Sunday's win over the Mavericks at home, it seemed like a lock.

Right now though, it's anything but a lock.  In fact, right now the Blazers are currently the 7th seed in the West and just dropped a gimmie game at home against the uninspired Warriors.  But I still think the Blazers finish 6th in the conference, based on their remaining games and the remaining games of Memphis and New Orleans.  I think Portland beats Utah, Memphis and Golden State and then loses to the Lakers.  I think the Hornets beat the Suns and Utah, and then lose on the road to Memphis and Dallas.  And then I think the Grizzlies beat Sacramento, the Hornets and the Clippers, and lose when they visit Portland.

Dallas Columnist On The Mavs And The Playoffs: "The Done And Done Boys."

Saw this post up at Blazersedge.com yesterday.  Jennifer Floyd Engel, a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, writes that she doesn't see the Mavericks getting past the first round, no matter who they play.  And especially if their first round opponent is Portland.

"...Mavs basketball has come to epitomize amazing regular season, disappointing postseason....I know stats say this is the third-best team in the West, has been all year. What the No. 3 seed does not mean is that the Mavs will be the team most likely to challenge either the Spurs or Lakers this season -- or going forward. Because unlike OKC or Portland, who are young and hungry and generally assumed to be up-and-coming, the Mavs are not a team on the rise. This is an aging team trying to slap together one last miracle run for Dirk Nowitzki -- except road trips like this latest seem to illustrate just how unlikely that actually would be."

The Trade For Gerald Wallace Seems To Be Working Out Quite Well For The Blazers

Back on February 24th, when the Blazers traded for Gerald Wallace, it was very apparent that Portland got the better end of the deal.  It's relatively easy to get the "better end" of the deal when one of the teams involved (in this case, the Bobcats) have pretty much given up on their season and/or team for the remainder of the season.

So now, with the playoffs only seven games away, it seems as though Gerald Wallace is exactly what a team like Portland needed to finally, possibly make it out of the first round of the playoffs.  Looking back at all the trade deadline deals that the Blazers were rumored to be involved with, the deal they made for Wallace seems to be the absolute best deal they could have pulled off.  Nothing against Devin Harris or JJ Redick or any other player that was on the Blazers' wish list.  I don't think Harris or Redick would have had anywhere close to the impact that Wallace has brought to the team.

The acquisition of Wallace has certainly gotten the attention of the rest of the league.  I think it's pretty safe to say that Portland tops the list of teams that the Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs and Thunder do not want to see in the first round of the playoffs.

Rob Mahoney, who runs the Off The Dribble blog for the New York Times, has noticed a rejuvenation in Wallace's game since his arrival in Portland.

A change of scenery has made all the difference. The deadline deal that sent Wallace from the water-treading Bobcats to a legitimate playoff club has seemingly re-energized him, as he has been spectacularly productive and efficient as a Portland Trail Blazer. But Wallace’s stylistic return to form has been just as palpable.