PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

Portland trades Rasheed. The Blazers proved they were serious about changing the organization on that day. There is no doubt he is an extremely talented player and an unselfish team player in many ways. But he was the lightning rod and the face of the Jail Blazers. To this day he does not understand how his "me against the NBA and their officials" attitude affects his teammates in a negative way. With Ben Wallace a distant memory in the Detroit locker room, I find it extremely improbable that the Pistons will taste victory in a championship series with Rasheed Wallace as their leader.

Thus 2/10/04 stands out as the day the Portland Trailblazer organization proved it was willing to part with talent if it did not fit the purpose of winning a championship.