I watched some highlights of the Bad Boys with my son and thought a  good idea for the NBA to increase viewers would be have cage basketball.  Cage all around the court. Only one ref who usually only stops play to have a doctor take a look at a player to see if he can continue.  A break between each of four quarters and no timeouts.  I know some of you will have thoughts on how to improve cage basketball, please feel free to opine.  

Watching Joel run down court is painful.  His legs stiff and slow don't inspire much confidence.  Late in the third Joel comes in for Donte and the lady next to me says she doesn't like that move.  But for the next bunch possessions Joel, by inspired defensive play and sheer will of purpose put the Trailblazers in a position to win the game.  He would not allow the Pacers to score.  Wow.  He was taking hits, (he didn't want to get up from one...but did and ran down court) defending the pick and roll,  and stopping their bigs in their tracks.  He was the turning point in the game.  Its was his defense.  It was heroic.  

I just watched the altercations between Blake and Andre.  Blake pushed Andre on two consecutive possessions then Andre came down and bowled him over to send him a message.  Stop doing that.  Blake stopped.  I think the officials saw everything and let them play.  We may have lost if Blake kept pushing everybody.  I have a new respect for Andre.  The officials respect players for standing up for themselves.  I hope the coach and the players will learn this lesson.  You are a great team.  Don't let anyone push you around.  You can win every game from here out.  The score doesn't matter.  Win the game, and the score will take care of itself.  Thank you Andre.  You are a hero.

The new technical foul policy seems to be having a beneficial effect.  I believe the reffing in the four or five games I have watched has been superior to the past.  The home town seems to have less of an effect.  The stars do not seem to be getting the "star treatment."  This may be because there are fewer regular fouls called.  Especially by big men under the basket.  I remember when Joel and Theo were called on most blocks clean or not.  Maybe the officials are happier.  I would be.  It would wear on me to listen to constant complaining.  I enjoy the games more now.  The games seem to have a better flow even though more technicals are called.  

After watching Spain vs. France and listening to Dave and Casey on the podcast, I started having crazy position thoughts.  Brandon and Andre at point guard, Blake and Bayless at shooting guard, and Nic and Rudy at small forward seems right to me somehow.  So how crazy is this?  Brandon and Andre are both great decision makers.  Blake and Bayless are both great shooters, and Nic and Rudy played small forward against each other today and both looked great to me.  I know there is a problem somewhere but I just don't see it.  Defense?  What do you think?

We have seen some amazing off season improvement in the past.  I am thinking specifically about Joel two years ago.  He came back in great shape and hitting his free throws.  Blake's off season improvement has always been very good.  I watched Nic a few days ago running the french team in the forth quarter and I was astounded.  On the other hand, Travis seems to enjoy his off season a bit too much.    Who do you think will come to camp most improved?

I injured my knee in College.  It was put back together and has served me well these last 35 years.  Something is definitely wrong with it at the moment.  I normally jog for one to two hours every day.  I have rested it for 2 months, but there is some problem.  I live at the coast where there is a definite late of qualified medical assistance.  I need some help in finding a very good orthopedic doctor.  Your assistance in this matter would be very appreciated.

Kampeska

I was thinking of last nights game against the L*kers and I believe there was a significant lack of punishing fouls and bullying tactics, in comparison to other games against the same opponent, delivered upon the Blazers.  No uncouth or disrespectful comparisons.  Just good hard basketball.  Of course there were some flops.  Some called, some not.  But that is to be expected, and is of a different mindset.  The Blazers have made great strides this year in standing up for themselves, and the crowd would be intimidating.  Is this a change out of respect, fear, or just not wanting to look bad amid the backdrop of high character and dogged pursuit of a goal? 

I am watching the Clipper and though I have never been a fan of the Clippers they are fun to watch.  They have some new big time runners.  Snapper Jones is calling the game.  His voice sounds weak and he looks very puffy.  I have always liked him.  When he did the Blazers broadcast with Walton it was always a riot.  Neither of them could ever let anything go or admit they might have been wrong on a point.  Does anyone know if there is a problem?

This sounds promising.  http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2008/05/16/5584746-sun.html  How does the starting five of, Calderon, Roy, Fernandez, Alderidge and Oden sound?  Is there an NBA small forward in that mix?  Who has the ball?  I think that lineup and play fast or slow, inside or outside, and defend.  The second team of Blake, Martel, Outlaw, Frye, and Prizbilla could be pretty good too.  JJ/JJ and McBob round out the team.  I think they could be fun to watch.

Sorry if this posts twice, I hit preview and it disappeared.  Anyway, This is an article about what Jose said on his web site.  It sounds to me like he wants to come to Portland but that could be wishful thinking.  If I were in his place though and Rudy and Greg were coming to the Blazers I might think the same thing.  Anyone have any thoughts?  http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=501801

Charles Barkley said the Blazers were not going to the playoffs because we don't get any easy baskets.  Some here have even said he looks like a genius because he said it.  Ok, what is an easy basket?  It doesn't look that easy under the basket.  Fast break points?  What do you think an "easy basket" is?  

That we are not that far out of the playoffs.  6 games?  We could do that.  There are lots of games left and we don't seem to be playing that bad.  We seem to be able to turn it up a notch to where it needs to be to win, but we have a hard time sustaining that level of play.  I know it is optimistic but what are the chances that we have one more little spurt in us to get us to the playoffs?

"If (insert player's name) played against Portland every game he would be an all star."

I think Wheels has lurched uncontrollably into something resembling the truth.  It happens with the Blazers.  I remember Martel lighting up the same team a few times.  The reason why I was never concerned about losing Jermaine O'Neal was because he didn't seem to be able to play well in Portland...even when he came back.  Whether it is a couch a player wants to impress, or a girl, or family, or food, or climate, some players just play better in certain places or against certain teems.  

How is this relative to the present?  Well I saw that Denver was considering trading Klieza.  I don't think they will.  And the article said as much, but he really plays well in Portland.  Perhaps we have a player that plays well in Denver.  That trade might make sense.   Or maybe it doesn't.  

Who are the players that play well in Portland and which of our players play unusually well in other cities.  

Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace has been making the rounds, explaining Friday's major trade of Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers. Yesterday, he took time to field a bunch of  questions about the trade and the future direction of the franchise. A full transcript: http://www.cmimemphis.com/grizblog/ Thank you lord for KP.

several separate threads last year about giving Travis a suitable nickname.  In the last few weeks his dunks have taken on a certain look.  Brain Wheeler described at least one as a sledgehammer and I think I heard another teams announcer call one of Travis's dunks a sledgehammer.  BlazerBandit here at BE quotes a sledgehammer comment on his signature.  Travis is as slim and as hard as a sledgehammer.  Sledgehammer...The Sledge...The Hammer...what do you think.

I found this on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgc-R62RQ_g&feature=related

It was amazing to see those Blazers looking so young.  And the great Pistons team, The Bad Boys.  We went to the finals with them around this time.  I thought a few of the old timers might want to check this out.

just said Brandon Roy was the third best player in the NBA on the Alltell Half Time Report during the Rockets and Nuggets game.  Wow, Magic was one of the three best players I ever saw play.  He could make everyone on his team better.  If he thinks that highly of Roy, he must be something really special.  I mean Magic must be special as a commentater...I already knew Roy was special.

I need some help with the jargon used here in Blazersedge.  It all started with an article on Joel and the work he had been doing in the spring and summer to get into shape.  He said he had to "but the tail."  I read past it to the end of the article and then went back to it.  I examined the possibilities.  Put the ball in the basket?  Block a shot by the trailer?  Freudian slip? No, only one t.

A short time later Dave made the statement, "jumped the shark."  Pick and roll defense?  Defending a much larger or better opponent?  Went against the coaches wishes?

I was talking about these two to a friend when he brought up "over kicking the sheets."  I don't think this is basketball related but I thought it might be of interest.

Now Channing says he does not need to be "cupcaked."  Yikes!  Frosted?

If anyone can but the tail on some of these cupcakes I might just over kick the sheets and jump the shark.  

There is a potential problem at center that has not been discussed.  That is, that niether GO or Joel will be 100% early in the season.  That means that someone is going to fill in.  We have some great talent who might be able to carry the position, but at what cost.  Center is the most physical position.  Rasheed was a great center, and Uncle Cliffy was pretty good, but we rarely played them there.  They did not like to play center because the job is a career shortener from the hits he has to take night in and night out.  LMA and Channing have the talent and size, but do we risk him getting beaten up early?  Raef won't last very long there, and he could be a big help later.  J'Mac can play low and pass but can he defend?  Fatty, what am I missing here.  Even if Oden is ok, this looks like a disaster.

I expected the Blazers to be in the playoffs this year without the great draft we had.  I expected the Blazers to be in the playoffs this year before Outlaw found his game at the end of the season.  I expected the Blazers to be in the playoffs this year before we acquired Steve Blake.  The Blazers should make the playoffs.

Once in the playoffs anything can happen.  Most teams in the playoffs have other teams in the playoffs that have their number.  Drexler and company went to the finals because Phoenix beat the Lakers.  Juxtaposition can mean everything.  Injuries can take any team out of the playoffs.  Confidence can blow talent off the court.  

Luck is needed to win it all.  This Blazer team seems like a lucky bunch to me.  This talk about 3 years, or 5 years, or 10 years, seems superfluous. The Blazers should be in the playoffs every year that Nate and Ken are at the helm.  A little luck and a little confidence might take them deep into the playoffs.  A belief by the team members that they deserve to win, partially because of their good character, might just take them over the top.  
 

Petteri Koponen was the best player on the floor when they let him play point.  He can shoot, pass, run, and play defense.  Watch the second quarter of the third game.  It gave me the chills.  He made a scorer of Chris Ellis.  He made every player on the floor with him a better player.  He made T. Green look like a very good 2.  Don't let him go anywhere but to Portland.