SB Nation User Blog: bfan

Looking ahead ... December will be brutal.

bfan — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:41:28 -0000

No question we have had a tough schedule so far, and we are fortunate to be at 10-6. But check out our December schedule. If we come out of December still above .500, I'll be happy. 14 games in December:

2 against Boston
2 against Denver
2 against Toronto
1 each against Utah, Phoenix, Dallas, and Orlando
@NY is no gimmee here since we struggle with potent offensive teams who push the tempo

Looking at our schedule, I see only 3 games in 14 that we ABSOLUTELY should win, against Washington, LAC, and Sacramento. Ouch. Somebody help me feel a little more optimistic about this.

Also, will be home to Portland for Christmas, and we're looking forward to seeing 2 games in person, against the Nuggets and then the Raptors for Edge Night at the Garden. Can't wait!!!

Target Center Report ...

bfan — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:59:25 -0000

So I went to the game tonight with a couple of good friends and had an excellent time. We had great seats, and from the replays it looks like we would have been sitting just above the camera's view, so no props there.

Unfortunately I don't have a ton to report. Honestly, I think this might be one of the worst venues in the NBA to watch a game. The place was dead silent for most of the game until Al Jefferson swiped the ball from Oden and hit a jumper on the other end in the last few minutes. The lower level was half-empty for most of the game, which was embarrassing for a saturday night. Minneapolis should be ashamed.

As far as the game goes, I walked away to get more beers toward the first half and came back to find us down by more than 10, which was disappointing. But here's the thing, I never really felt this game was out of reach. It would have nice to start playing from the start of the game, but the whole time I just kept thinking "just keep it close until the 4th quarter, and then Roy can take over." And he did. They simply couldn't stop him from getting into the lane, and that is a nice thing to have. Sure enough, once again Roy was money down the stretch. Boy, I bet Minnesota sure wished they would have drafted him. Oh wait, they did.

As for Oden, I left being very impressed and excited about his future. He didn't do too much, but he was active in the lane on defense and definitely altered plenty of shots. He's even bigger than I expected in person, and he's just so darn quick. It's easy to see what he could become if he has a full offseason to train while NOT coming off microfracture surgery.

Finally, let me just tell you why the Timberwolves have the worst fans in the NBA. In the first half after a made basket, the fans would literally give a golf clap for their team. It was ridiculous. Absolutely no energy in that arena whatsoever. But even beyond that, they're just downright rude. I came to the game with a couple friends to have a good time and cheer for my team. So literally after every made basket I would stand up in my Roy jersey and wave my red towel, and then I would immediately sit back down. I wasn't saying anything to anybody else. I was simply waving my towel and having a good time. But, some [jerks] sitting a few rows behind us decided they would try to ruin our good time by throwing napkins with ketchup at us. Seriously? Ketchup? How on earth do people think that's okay? The Target Center: Where Stupidity Happens. So I stood up and had a few choice words with those fans and eventually had to get security involved. The best part, though, was the whole game (because we were behind), when I would stand up and cheer, one of the [jerks] behind me kept yelling "LOOK AT THE SCOREBOARD!" So I looked, and we were still behind, and that was too bad, but not really because I was having a ton of fun cheering for our team. But oh how nice it was to stand up and yell after Oden's big dunk toward the end, and then to turn around and tell the [jerk] behind us who was throwing stuff to "LOOK AT THE SCOREBOARD NOW A##HOLE!!!" Oh man I loved it. What a great night to be a Blazer fan.

Attending game in Minneapolis ... sign suggestions?

bfan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:23:45 -0000

Hey all. I just flew into the Twin Cities to attend tomorrows game with a good friend. I'll be sitting about 17 rows up, sporting a bear and my new Roy jersey--the red one. I'll also be making some signs, as I enjoy riling the home crowd. So, here's your opportunity ... Any sign suggestions? I'm all ears, and the best ones might very well make it into the Target Center. Fire away ...

(Also, if anyone is in the habit of TiVoing/taping the games, I'd love to see a clip if I actually make it onto the broadcast. That would be sweet.)

HoopsHype Article

bfan — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:15:49 -0000

Am I first? I haven't been first in anything around here for awhile ... ever since I got laid off from my job I just haven't had the time to surf the net. If that isn't irony then I don't know what is ...

http://hoopshype.com/articles/blazers_narducci.htm

I haven't had a chance to read it, but it looks pretty flattering. If I'm wrong, then I'm sure you all will let me know.

Cheers,

bfan

So are we done?

bfan — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:08:07 -0000

Our new lineup looks like this:

Oden/Prz/RLEC

LMA/Frye/Diogu

Martell/Outlaw/Batum

Roy/Rudy

Blake/Bayless/Sergio/(Koponen)

That's a pretty balanced team right there. But I can't help but notice that RLEC staring me right in the face. Depending on Martell's production this next season, I could see the team saying this is it, this is who we go forward with.

Or maybe they still want to go get that "closer" that KP has talked about so often in the past. At this point I think such a player HAS to come at the SF position. The trade assets we have left amount to RLEC, Frye, Diogu, Martell, Blake, Sergio, Koponen, Freeland, and future picks. Does a combination of these assets net us a big name at the SF position?

Listening to KP on courtside last night, he said that he really likes what we have, but that there are still a couple other things they could do. Personally, I think they'll see what they have AT LEAST until the trade deadline, and then see what bubbles up for RLEC + a couple pieces. If Houston is struggling, does McGrady become available? Or would Battier make more sense? How about Stephen Jackson or Andre Iguodala or Tayshawn Prince if GS/Philly/Detroit get off to bad starts.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy just seeing what we have. I like Martell and think he could be the starting SF for the next 10 years provided he gets a little better. But you can't help but think we need to make just one more move to seriously compete for a title as soon as two seasons from now. What do you guys think?

The Clippers

bfan — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:32:28 -0000

Lots of talk about possible trades leading up to the draft. I get the feeling that Pritchard will definitely be trying to move up in this draft to get the player of his choosing, whether that be Westbrook or Alexander or Augustin or someone else entirely. There's already been enough speculation on who that player actually is, so rather than beat that dead horse I thought it would be interesting to take a look at possible trading partners and their needs.

When you look at the teams filling up the 6-10 range in the draft, which is what it will probably take to get at least one of the players mentioned above, the one team that really sticks out to me is the Clippers. Here are a few reasons why:

1. They simply need bodies. They officially have only 8 players under contract for next season, plus some dead weight, and of those Brand, Maggette, and Livingston are huge question marks. I just don't see how they can expect to improve much next season by adding only one player through the draft.

2. Some of the players they do have qualify as pretty good starters in the league: Brand, Kaman, Thornton, Livingston when healthy, Maggette, so they are not necessarily in the market for more starters. But they are sorely lacking in depth behind their quality players, and this is where we can help. We have a good crop of young, talented players who could do wonders to improve the bench play of a team like the Clippers.

3. The holes that the Clippers do have in the starting lineup and on the bench seem to match up nicely with what we have available. Brevin Knight needs help and Livingston is questionable, so they might be interested in Jack. There's nobody behind Kaman and Brand, so they might be interested in Frye. Maggette might opt out and Thomas can never really be counted on, so maybe Martell or Outlaw appeals to them as well. Clearly we have some answers to their questions.

4. Their competitive window is still open. With the two most important players on their roster, Brand and Kaman, at 29 and 26 years old respectively, they are in a position to still be pretty good if they can just infuse some young talent into their team. No reason to blow it up just yet.

5. Finally, Pritchard rarely leaves anything to chance when it comes to the draft, giving up whatever he needs to to get the player he wants. At #7, it's likely that he would have his choice between Westbrook, Alexander, and Augustin, the three most likely targets for us in this draft based on team needs, workouts, and media reports.

I obviously have no idea what a trade with the Clippers might look like ... Jack, Frye, and the #13 for Thomas and the #7 would work. So would Jack, Frye, a re-signed Wafer, the #13, and the #33 for Mobley and the #7 (I personally like that idea the best). Needless to say, I'll be looking for Pritchard to make a deal with the Clippers come Thursday. Thoughts?

[OT] Road Trip Reprise

bfan — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:23:53 -0000

Awhile ago I mentioned that my wife and I are roadtripping the West Coast this summer and asked for suggestions . MANY of you responded with some awesome tips. Thanks to all. As a show of appreciation, I thought I would update you all on what we've decided. Here is our itinerary so far:

7/14: Arrive (noonish) at Oakland International Airport. Spending the evening and the following morning/early afternoon exploring San Francisco. Definitely having sushi as many times as possible. Leaving early afternoon on the 16th.

7/15: Arrive (late afternoon) in Napa Valley to enjoy a couple days of relaxation in wine country. Hoping to explore as many wineries as possible (still taking suggestions here), but Gundlach Bundschu is definitely on the list. You simply must try their Red Zin and their Cab. Leaving mid-afternoon on the 17th to head to the coast.

7/17: Arrive (early evening) at our campsite for the night at Wright's Beach on the Sonoma Coast State Beach.

7/18: Rising early to eat and hit the 1 up the coast. Totally pumped about this. Will stop somewhere for lunch on the way (suggestions?) before arriving at our campsite at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park . We hope to do a small hike before kicking back and drinking some of the wine we bought in Napa.

7/19: Rise early and hike a little more. Drive around and admire the beauty this place before we head toward Ashland, OR. Arrive in Ashland (late afternoon), grab some dinner (suggestions?) and then catch Othello at 8:30. Staying at the Ashland Mountain House Bed and Breakfast for two nights.

7/20: Wanted to catch A Midsummer Night's Dream this afternoon, but it's already sold out, so we might just be relaxing at the B&B or wandering around town. Taking suggestions here too!

7/21: Leaving early for Coos Bay (the place of my birth) and heading up the coast once again. Haven't decided if we should stop at the Wildlife Safari on the way or not. My family went when I was a kid, so it's quite nostalgic, but I have a feeling it'll be one of those things that just isn't as cool as I remember it. Like Disneyland. Hoping to catch the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport and then likely staying somewhere along the coast between here and Astoria. Suggestions? Hoping to visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory sometime today or early on the 22nd.

7/22: Arrive in Olympia, WA (late morning) to visit my best friend, his wife, and their new baby girl, Claire Marie.

7/23: Arrive in Gladstone (late morning) to stay with my grandmother (Nene) until we leave on Sunday the 27th. Things we hope to do while in Portland: Oregon Zoo with my nieces and nephew, the Chamber Music Northwest summer festival (options here include The Intimate World of Claude Debussy and the Grand Finale: French Favorites ), and the Oregon Brewer's Festival , and perhaps wandering out to Willamette Valley wine country (if our Napa supply runs low). Other than that we'll probably just be visiting family and collecting Blazer paraphernalia while we're in town. Speaking of which, does anyone know if you can hang outside the Blazer's practice facility and get autographs?

Man, this sounds like a heck of a trip. If anyone wants to throw out more recommendations for restaurants or other stops, particularly in Ashland and on the Oregon Coast, I'm all ears. I recall someone mentioning a good Mexican stop in Newport. This is the part of the trip that we haven't focussed on just yet. I also know there are a lot of new members to the site, so if anyone missed the previous diary and wants to contribute ideas to make this an awesome trip, I would very much appreciate it.

Also on a big side note: My wife has officially agreed to move to Portland next summer while I pursue graduate school at George Fox, so one wayward Blazer fan is coming home to roost!!!

Cheers

-bfan

Spurs last gasp?

bfan — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:14:35 -0000

I know, I know, I feel like we say this every year. But I was just looking at the ages of the Spurs' players, and it's not looking good for them. Here's how old some of their players will be when next season rolls around:

Tim Duncan - 32

Manu - 31

Kurt Thomas - 36

Bruce Bowen - 37

Horry - 38

Oberto - 33

Jacque Vaughn - 33

Ime - 31

Stoudamire - 35

Brent Barry - 37

I knew Bowen was old, but 37? That's ancient! Thomas, Bowen, Horry, and Barry really stick out to me here. The Spurs got key contributions from these guys down the stretch this year, which helped propel them to the top half of the Western Conference. How much longer can these guys contribute?

The Spurs are renowned for their ability to reload with roll players every year, but I just don't see how it can happen when they have over $50 million tied up in Duncan, Parker, Ginobli, Bowen, Udoka, Bonner, Barry, and Vaughn. They'll be nestled right up to the salary cap with only the mid-level to use, and trade assets are sparse with most of their small contracts expiring this year and the likely retirement of Horry and Thomas. They might add Tiago Splitter in the offseason, but I don't know how much help he'll be.

Couple all of this with the fact that some other veteran teams will be vying for experienced vets to fill out their roster in the offseason (Boston, Miami, Cleveland, Houston, New Orleans), and the Spurs may not find the same bang for their buck that they usually do in the offseason.

Could we be looking at the Spurs' last hoorah as a title contender? Or even further, there has been some recent discussion on who we'll have to knock out of the top 8 in the West to reach the playoffs, but nobody has mentioned the Spurs. We witnessed them struggle more than ever through the first few months of the season--well into January--and with most of the teams in the West getting better, is it possible that early-season slump lasts even longer and causes them to miss the playoffs? It will certainly be interesting to see who jumps out in front in the West next year, and who gets left behind.

"Road to the NBA Finals": 1992

bfan — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:56:13 -0000

Was just home for lunch to take the dogs out and low and behold, "Road to the NBA Finals" was showcasing our favorite 1992 sons against the Bulls on ESPN2. A few thoughts:

1. The Portland fans were all wearing florescent pink hats in the Memorial Coliseum. What were we thinking? Ugh.

2. Boy, I wasn't very impressed with our defense as a team and Clyde's defense especially. Gave Jordan WAY too much room to operate on the perimeter. Does anyone else remember being that shoddy at defense?

3. Danny Ainge was INTENSE. He was out there gritting his teeth and making faces. He was even making faces on the sidelines! Man, we need a player like him right now. Which of our current players needs to fill that roll of getting everyone fired up? After watching our 1992 squad again, everybody on our current team seems so docile comparatively. Rudy might bring some fire, but we need to find a firecracker or two to come off the bench. I don't just mean energy here, people. I'm looking for someone to flat out piss the other team off with his antics. I want to stick in their craw.

4. Man I wish we had Jordan. What were we thinking taking Bowie? Idiots!

5. Here's the biggie: JORDAN RAN THE POINT FOR THE BULLS!!! I was too young to recognize this at the time, but after watching the film it's clear that Jordan often initiated the offense. I didn't realize this. Did anyone else? This makes me feel better about Roy eventually becoming a full-time offense-initiator. I don't know why this makes me feel better--it just does.

BREAKING NEWS: Josh Howard is an idiot.

bfan — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:57:32 -0000

I used to think that Josh Howard would be the perfect small forward for what we've got going on here. He can score, defend, shoot, and rebound. Furthermore, with Dallas in a bit of dire straights with their window closing, I was hopeful one of the possible trades this summer or next might involve him.

All that is gone now with his recent interview admitting that he smokes pot in the offseason. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3368139

Pot smoking aside, what a terrible move to make these comments before a playoff game in which his team is down 0-2. He put himself ahead of his team. Futhermore, he now risks future suspension and/or legal problems as the league will surely pay more attention to his offseason activities. Suffice it to say, thankfully Kevin Pritchard is not in the business of stocking our team with idiots anymore, and I will turn my attention elsewhere as I try to guess which players the Blazers will try to acquire in the next couple years.