The New Red & Black

DaTruRochin - I see by your last post in the Sonics to OKC thread, that you sound like a big time Trail Blazers fan. WooHoo!!!! (Take that, geezer!) I was young, (can you believe that?), when Harry Glickman announced that Portland had its first major league franchise. Little did I realize that 38 years later, we would still only have one major league franchise. (Oh well...)

I will post more on this thread later today. Any Blazer fan, (fairweather or fanatic), is welcome to join this discussion. Let's use this thread to discuss any and all things Red & Black!

Oh FANatic, you know how to play with my heart strings....

I, needless to say, am pretty gosh darn stoked at the upcoming season... The draft was simply brilliant, somehow KP managed to get all the players he targeted plus throw in ex Pac 10 beast Ike Diogu and turning 3 2nd round picks into 4 future ones??? How does the man do it??

Anyway the starting lineup of: Blake, Roy, Webster, Aldridge and Oden... Yikes... that team just screams with desire and a nasty little swagger all of them were able to develop over the course of last year...

Now throw in the potential 2nd group: Bayless/Rodriguez/Kopponen???, Fernandez, Outlaw, Frye/Diogu, Pryzbilla/LaFrentz (although I see him and his monster expiring contract being traded as we make a push for the playoffs.... )

First off you have 3 potential rookies of the year in Oden Bayless and Fernandez, not to mention the very raw but talented Batum.... (and potentially Kopponen, who has the Summer League to prove himself worthy of the 15th roster spot and a potential contract)

Secondly Roy, enough said, and a steadily improving LaMarcus, who along with Frye just seemed to get bigger, stronger and better as the year progressed last year....

My biggest question of the year comes at the 3.... Will Martell ever grow into his role, or better yet be given the time on the court to showcase it?? Is Outlaw peaked??? Are we going to target someone new at this position??

That said I am pretty excited about our front court, Oden and Pryzbilla are probably the best 1-2 center combo in the league.... I think Diogu's tough scrappy style could play a nice foil to the jump shooting of Frye and LaMarcus (who conversely have both been working on extending their range out beyond the arc this summer, in addition to improving their inside game.... YIKES) And being able to bring the explosive attacking mentality of Bayless off the bench behind the calm, cool and collected Blake will be a pretty tough combo as well....

Ok I could type about this forever, I'll let someone else take the reins for a while....

Man, Rochin, you sound as passionate about the Blazers as I am about the women's soccer team!!! And that is saying something.

A quick history on the Blazers and me: I was at the first Blazer Rookie Training Camp. Fell in love with the bomb shooting Geoff Petrie and he became my sports idol for a long time. I'm telling you, if they had the 3 point shot when he played, he would not only have the single game, season and career records, but I don't think anyone would be even close to him. Sure, some of those records probably would have fallen, like almost all records eventually do, but in his time, Geoff would have stood alone as the elite 3 point man of his generation. I swear, he preferred a 25 foot jumper to a lay-up!!! He probably would have shot 50% or better for his career. I think he shot about 45% overall, but he missed more shorter shots and lay-ups than long bombs. I have stories that I could tell all night about him. But that is enough, I think, for this group. (Sounds like a fish tale anyway. But it's not!)

I was a fanatical, maniacal Blazer fan for about 30 years. I finally got fed up with Paul Allen and Bob Whitsett's bringing in bad dudes. I lost interest until KP, with Allen's resources, finally resurrected this once-proud franchise to where it is now.

Rochin, your post has pretty much saved me a lot of writing, because you wrote pretty much everything I am thinking!!!

I agree with pretty much everything you said. I am once again excited about the Blazers. The people of Portland, and other cities far and wide, are finally coming back to this great franchise and are ready to reignite Blazermania to a level unheard of in a very long time.

I'm getting a little tired, so the discussion will continue indefinitely, as long as people want to discuss The New Red & Black...

G.O. is the central figure in this team's ascent in future years. Don't get me wrong, it's always a team dynamic and Brandon Roy is my favorite Blazer since Brian Grant. But if Greg is the player that I think he is, he will lead us to the promised land by locking down the paint on defense, and by dominant rebounding and shot-blocking not seen in this area since Big Red, (Bill Walton), and the franchise's one NBA title (1977).

I am as excited as DaTruRochin as far as the talent KP, (a genius), has assembled to start the 2008-2009 season. My excitement, however, is tempered by one thing and one thing only: G.O.'s recovering knee and his ability to play at least decent minutes in his first season. That's a very serious knee surgery to recover from and I don't believe he is scrimmaging yet. All the talk is positive but it's still just talk. I really believe we are going to challenge for a play-off spot next season even if Oden is not back 100%, or even 50%.

We are going to be good. Period. But a healthy Oden playing up to his hype, would put us in a much higher stratosphere.

From everything I've heard, the microfracture damage and surgery required was extremely minor, even relative to Amare Stoudamire... And we've seen how well Amare recovered.... As far as Greg goes, it should be noted that in college he was only playing with one good hand and was still dominant... That said, I think the team is good enough to that Oden doesn't necessarily need to come in and dominate, he just needs to play good defense (although I am sure we are going to have to endure a few months of 5 fouls in 20 minutes until he learns the nuances of NBA shot blocking), grab rebounds and let the offensive game gradually come to him. Fortunately I think the team has enough firepower with an every improving Aldridge and of course Roy. As exciting as it is to run and score, a la the Lakers, Suns, Mavs, etc... the old adage for any sport still applies "defense wins championships".... I definitely think Oden has the potential to be the cornerstone of that rock solid defense.

Again I too have an air of caution with regard to Oden's injury, but from what I've heard from all of my "sources close to the organization" (tee hee), the Kid is willing to do what it takes to get back and take the league by force... I just can't wait to see what happens to the first guy that decides its a good idea to drive down the lane and posterize Greg... hopefully that guy doesn't leave too big a divot on the floor....

I can't believe how much we think alike, Rochin. "Defense wins championships" has been my mantra forever. We won our lone championship, (1977), anchored by one of the greatest defensive, rebouding, shot-blocking and outlet passing centers of all time. (Bill Walton.) During his prime, before he got injured, I thought he was the greatest "team" center since the lengendary Bill Russell and his ridiculous 11 titles in 13 years!

I'm happy to hear your positive assessment of Oden's knee injury. But, I'd rather see the team hold him back next season if there is any future risk involved. A healthy Oden over the next 10 to 15 years equals a potential dynasty, especially with the young talent KP has assembled around him. Multiple titles are not an unrealistic dream. However, we've got to prove it on the court, and continue to build and work hard!!!

I agree that Brandon is the straw that stirs the drink. I just love that guy!!! He is Mr. Clutch and I love the way he takes over in the fourth quarter. Only superstars can do that. However, I do believe Brandon is capable of scoring 23 - 25 points a game. His coaches and teammates have been telling him to shoot more.

Also, the way he can penetrate, I see his free throws climbing in years to come. Great scorers usually get fouled alot; thus, they can have an off shooting night and still score 25 - 30 points. I just believe with more awareness of how darn good he is offensively, and how much his team needs him to score points, Brandon's numbers will only climb in the next few years.

Agreed on your assessment of B-Roy... The man is more of a playmaker than a scorer, and as we saw in last season (and it will continue this year) the 4th quarter, Roy will handle the PG duties, partially because he is the best creator on the team, but also because it allows him to save up energy the rest of the game working off the ball...

I think Bayless has the potential to be that off the ball scorer, he proved he can do that in college, but at the same time he could share clutch time ball handling with Brandon some stage down the road. And again, as you mentioned Rudy is a bona fide scorer, he would have been a top five pick this year no doubt... That said, I think Brandon CAN score in the 24 ppg range, but he would best serve the team averaging 18 ppg and then utilizing his frontcourt weapons on the drive and dish and eventually his backcourt mates once they develop.

I agree with both of you on Brandon's role. I know he's not a pure shooter like a Kobe, but he sure can make it happen when the game is on the line! That quality is a hallmark of a champion.

The cool thing about Brandon is, he truly doesn't care about his stats. He only wants to win, and will pull out all the stops to do so. (Another quality of a champion.) The Blazers have had for so many years guys who just gotta get their points or they pout. You don't win league titles with immature, selfish babies leading your team!!!

That is why I am so pumped about Brandon. He is the unquestioned leader of the team after only two seasons. Put him with Oden, Aldridge and the other pieces of the puzzle, and how can you not be psyched about this team? I'm really happy for Blazer fans who had to weather all those crappy seasons with selfish players and a GM/President you didn't have a clue about chemistry. If the guy putting the team together doesn't have a clue, there isn't much sense in taking the team seriously.

It's amazing how fans have embraced the wonder that is KP. He is by far the most popular and most trusted GM in franchise history. The team is really a reflection of two real winners: Brandon and KP!

KPs hard work was summed up best in a quote I read from Steve Kerr:
"I talk to Kevin Pritchard more than any other exec in this league, and the thing is, I'm sure every other GM will say the same thing." (Ok not a direct quote, but it was the gist)
The guy is an absolute workaholic dedicated to making the Blazers the best... I can't think of a better guy to turn around this storied franchise...

I'll take the win for the first summer league appearance...

A few thoughts:

23 FT for Bayless!!! Wow! I'd take it the man can get to the rim, seeing him and Brandon both attacking like that could be very nice, especially come playoff time when fouls and FT often make a huge difference in tight games..

7-13 for Koponen, solid shooting... not to mention 4-6 from 3, the kid could earn a spot yet...

4 Assists... for the whole team to go with 21 TOs... ugh... but its expected for a relatively rag tag group with very little on court time together, but I'd still obviously like to see that assist tally quite a bit higher...

Batum 1-6... 4 TO I know he is considered a work in progress, especially on offense but.... In all I would like to fully withhold judgment until I can actually see the kid play, but against Summer League competition (which is pretty much a very rough trial for players, coaches and even referees) I would like to see a bit better...

Anyway its kind of fun that all these guys are pretty much role players at this point on the squad... Although I do wish Rudy was on the roster, I can't wait to see what he can do.

I caught the first quarter of the game last night. (All games are on Comcast 37, but I doubt you get that, Rochin.)

Bayless was impressive attacking the basket. That's HUGE!!! I can never understand it when the best ballers in the world are afraid to penetrate. Granted, against an elite defense it can be tough. But against most teams you should be able to try and penetrate from time to time, if only to be stopped and dish, which can sometimes result in an easy two for the "dishee".

Maybe that's the difference between the loser players and the winners we now have on our season roster. Brandon's penetrating has been a refreshing sight. It's sooo obvious to me. You penetrate and you automatically have three options: shoot, dish or push to the bucket, which often will lead to free throws. (That's free points, guys!)

Sure, you always want 3 point specialists to spread the defense and keep them honest. (James Jones and Martell last year come to mind.) And perimeter shooting is a big part of any team's offense. But the majority of perimeter shooters on your club should be consistent in making their shots. If you don't have that outside shooting ability, you have no business throwing up bombs. (Some former Blazers come to mind here, even a very, very popular one, but I'll keep that to myself. You all probably have guys you remember yelling at the tv screen to STOP throwing up shots. Baby, you ain't got that skill. Try something else or pass!)

Petteri looked real quick and active to me. Looked like a true point guard. Nailed three 3's in a row during 4th quarter crunch time. I would't mind him getting that 15th roster spot.

Should we dump Sergio? What do you guys/gals think? We seem to have plenty of point guards and Brandon is always going to take over the point any time he wants to.

I, too, can't wait to see Rudy!!! Suppose to be a fiery leader like Bayless, who isn't afraid to attack the basket. Can shoot with range also. Wow, what a backcourt we are going to have. And not to bad of a frontcourt either, especially if G.O. is the "giant praying mantis" monster I heard he was revealing last summer until he got hurt.

Batum was probably a little nervous last night. He's a project, but when KP is intrigued by a player like he is Nicolas, I'm not going to be writing this guy off for a couple years, at least. KP just has the "magic gut" evaluated talent, I think Paul Allen said of his GM.

Oh Sergio.... So brilliant and then so flaky....

The only reason this guy is still on the team is so Rudy will come over. Period. I really don't see him in the long term plans here, he definitely has the potential to be a Steve Nash type point guard, but he plays more like a really sloppy Jason Williams. His shot is inconsistent, his passing erratic and even when he does make mistakes Nate gives him such a quick hook his confidence is basically nil.

I honestly think this guy would be best served with a new situation, new coach and a basic "reboot" on his career. If they decide to keep Koponen on the roster I would have to say Sergio's days are definitely numbered.