Takin' it to the Streets
posted: 6/11/2007 at 9:47 PM
Kevin Pritchard actually said Monday that he considered sitting out along I-84 to get an accurate measure of where Trail Blazer fans stand. It was after the pre-draft workout session that this billboard came up in discussion. We were all sharing stories of fans stopping us in various places, or yelling out their votes when we have moved around town in recent days.
A voter even chose the Oregon State/Michigan NCAA baseball game on Sunday to get a vote in. There was just one lone sign on the backstop at OSU. It was a small sign, easily seen by the centerfield camera, that said "Oden." I thought that was pretty cool, and a lot of people saw it. I assume Greg Oden and Kevin Durant realize what's going on up here in this corner of the country, but I can't be sure of that. I think they'll figure that out when they drive in from the airport next week for their workouts and see the billboard. Hopefully, they'll both be honking.
The workouts continued at the practice facility in Tualatin on Monday, as UNLV's Kevin Kruger, Brandon Wallace, of South Carolina, and Wright State's DeShaun Wood were on display for Pritchard and his staff. There was supposed to be a fourth, Wilson Chandler, but an ankle injury kept him from making the trip to Portland.
Of the three that did workout, only Wood is projected to be taken in one of the first two rounds. He's a point guard, and had a solid showing for the Blazers. He averaged 20 points per game last season, and has a very nice shooting touch. He's a four-year college guy, and you can always tell who those guys are in workouts.
I had a chance to interview Wood after his workout. To view that interview,
click here.
The workouts will continue on Tuesday, as four more players will be in. Arizona's Mustafa Shakur, Adam Haluska of Iowa, Jamon Gordon of Virginia Tech, and Hofstra's Loren Stokes will be in. Wednesday and Thursday will be off-days for workouts for the Blazers, and then Friday five players will be in, including Oregon's Aaron Brooks.
By the way, I mentioned Oregon State at the top. Congrats to the Beavers for advancing to the College World Series for the third straight season. That's an incredible accomplishment for the defending champs, who lost so much from last year's title team, to return to Omaha to defend their title. I am proudly flying my Oregon State flag on the front of the house.
RSS FEED
GO Beavs! Your making us alumni and all of the state proud.
Hopefully in a couple years we'll have to decide between watching the Blazers in the Finals or the Beavs in the CWS.
Are we going to get a look at Thaddeus Young from GT. He's a three with range and post moves. Worth a look.
I saw how Brandon Roy played against the Oregon Ducks b-ball team,obviously before he got drafted. I knew right away he was the type of player who craved having the ball in his hands during crunch time. He was unstoppable when driving and had that tendency to hit clutch shots. You could tell, he truly didn't believe he could be beaten, no matter the odds stacked against him, no matter who was guarding him, he believed he was better and was going to score. This is why I was so happy the blazers took him in the draft last yr. My advice to the blazers.....Look at Tim Duncan. He doesn't think any one is going to beat him, or is better than him. I truly believe he doesn't even see who's guarding him. He only see's the basket and who ever's in front of him is merely just space in which to maneuver around/through. Does Oden display these traits??? If not, take Durant, because I know he's got those traits. He's got that cocky but not annoying, I'm better than you and going to beat you attitude you want in your stud. If you've got that on your team it develops "swagger" on a team, and that's dangerous. If both display this characteristic, take oden, because he's an absolute beast. Peace.
So, Mike, i was wondering, are we to now look at this so-called process of finding a new president with as much skepticism as we did Patterson's "search" for a new general manager that never happened? If we're satisfied with the people that we have to be handling everything that is going on at this time, is another executive necessary?
I don't know the answer, that is for sure. What i do know, though, is that it is unsettling to constantly have smoke blown up your backside. If this hire isn't going to happen, then why blow it up to begin with? If minds have been changed, then how about updating us with that? What is so difficult about telling the truth?
Maybe it's just me, but i don't believe for a second that Lieweke is still, to steal his line, "waking up every morning" with this task on his mind. That's a load. Something has happened, changed, or we are waiting for something. Whatever it is, i think an update is in order.
Everything is going so well. I just wish the blazers wouldn't feel so compelled to shove BS down our throats on occasion. It's pretty much a dead ringer for BS when there is never an update, like Patterson's "search." It's so odd how the organization will announce things and then be annoyed when people ask them to follow up on it. If the blazer organization doesn't want to be bothered by this, it should have just shut its mouth to begin with and made an announcement at the conclusion of its dealings in this matter.
What is really going on? Will Golub re-enter consideration and fill the job? Are they really still looking for a new president? This just reminds way too much of how things were communicated to the fans during the worst of times in the Patterson era. Either we're being deceived or forgotten about. Either way, i don't think it's good.
MB you are the best at what you, keep up the great work.
GO BEAVS
DRAFT ODEN
Was wondering why the blog I posted five or so days ago never appeared. I realize you edit what goes out and I can appreciate that. You don't want anything obscene, untoward, salacious, etc. on the official Trailblazer site.
I've seen many negative comments about Zach Randolph and in the comment I stated the case arguing it would be a serious mistake in altering the chemistry of a young team that last year looked up to him. He was The Captain. It was long, but no longer than many blogs I've seen and nothing objectionable. So I wondered if there were editorial guidelines I wasn't aware of or something in the Terms of Service statement that I missed other than you are not responsible for postings...posted or not. Or I guess I kinda wondered if the policy wasn't determined corporately and that Zach was, indeed, on his way out and anything moving counter-clockwise to the corporate spin cycle somehow "got lost"? Can you blame me for wondering?
I've been hearing a lot of good things about Ramon Sessions. I hope Portland will roll the dice and give him a shot. Udoka proved to be a good decisions, maybe Sessions will too.
GO BEAVERS!
In response to the Z-Bo comment - You're right he was the glue that held the team together at least in the beginning of the year. (You can't bring in previous years because they didnt have Roy or LaMarcus before last year). However, once Roy developed, he became the leader, he was the one taking the last second shots, he was the one with the ball in his hands as the time wound down.
In all due respect to Z-Bo, (trust, i'm a huge fan of his, in fact my nickname in my school this year was actually Randolph because of my obsession), He's not the leader anymore. On the court, he just scores and rebounds (nothing else) really not making his teamates much better (besides for having a 23 10 guy on the team), and off the court, he just fell apart. He had some previous messups (like when he punched Rueben) but this year when he didn't show up to the game and was spotted at the club, you cant show a lack of leadership anyway greater than that. All the young guys were looking up to him, but after that, they respected his offensive stats but didn't look to him about the team. He had just showed that he didn't care about the team enough.
Z-Bo, I really don't want to be saying bad things about you, I really want you on my team, leader, or offensive producer, but with the young guys the blazers have, and the pick that they're going to get, it doesn't make sense for them to keep you.
I wish you luck wherever you're playing next year. And thank you for all the amazing memories you have given us.
I'm still of your biggest fans!
To be completely honest, I'm a little disappointed with these pre-draft workouts. I don't think that any of the players are much quality, and I feel that it is a slap in the face to some of the current blazer players for management to bring in these scrubs. Most of the talent that has worked out for the Blazers so far are only worthy of 2nd round picks, so that could be what the Blazers are doing. As far as looking for a PG, I believe that PG is one of the weakest spots in the draft this year. I'm not sold on many of the PGs, especially not Javaris Crittenton. I am a GT fan, and I believe that Jarrett has been their best product since Bosh and Marbury. To trade him to a team for a lottery pick, only to draft players like Conley Jr. or Acie Law is a BIG MISTAKE. KP, have faith in your young PGs.
How many Championships have the Blazers won without a great Center? Greg Oden is the next Bill Walton, hopefully with better ankles. Kevin Durant will help Seatle back to the playoffs, but just like the last college season, Greg Oden will lead us to the Championship!
yosef
I hear you and can appreciate it. I'm a new Blazers fan so maybe I see it differently. I don't have the Jailblazers baggage. The real and genuine leader of the Blazers will surface naturally and I think we all already know who he is. The point I'd made in the blog that got lost was: the Zach I saw in '05-'06 was not the Zach who showed up last year. He puts the "power" in power forward. The double-doubles he put up night after night despite being double and triple teamed was incredible. Our longest winning streak last year came without Brandon or LaMarcus on the floor. Z-Bo did that. Coming back for 27-points against the Hornets, that,too. Year end he held a players only meeting saying he didn't want this to end with everyone giving up like the previous year and they won the next game by the biggest point spread of the year.
He's their "veteran" and has the physical and media scars to prove it. And I'm saying don't mess with the mix too much. We've got something good going on here and I think he (and Ime) are a critical part of that mix. And he can hit the threes! Towards the end he was dishing some surgical Sergio-like assists to Travis, Martell and LaMarcus. Team basketball. He can do that, too. Off-court the guys probably worry about that less than what they see from him on-court. He didn't do anything illegal he was on a bereavement leave for his longtime girlfriend's relative and if he had an extra day and wanted to relax I'd say he earned. He played really hard this past year. And the most important thing he proved to me last year was he really WANTED to be here...and I'll take that any day over "the money was good" guy. Oden on the floor, Brandon, LaMarcus, Zach...they can't double team them all...Rip City, seriously.
ITS ODEN!!
Didnt you guys here what Kevin Pritchard said in an interview the day after the nba lottery?!He says durant will win the stats battle and oden will WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS.(exact words and its on the blazers podcast)I assume Kevin Pritchard will choose championships over stats every time.No doubt,ITS ODEN!!
i'm only newman you must be new man! this is a town were fans care about their players on a deeper level than most town. Whn you miss a game because of bereavement leave, you DONT stop by the local strip club to grieve! what is everyone including young fans supposed to think! "Yes son, people need to go to nudie clubs to when someone close to them dies" are you kidding me? other than the offcourt stuff how can you talk such nonesense. Zach is a complete disaster on defense and a stagnating force on offense. no one is growing as a player when he's on the floor. running the clock down while everyone sita there and watches is not what this team should be about. don't be so in love with stats. they are decieving. since when does the guy with the highest double double average in the leage NOT get voted to the allstar game? oh well, he's going to be getting his "stats" elsewhere while we are contending for the nba title. go blazers!
also lets not forget (and everyone is witness) that the best the blazers played all season and we found out who they really were was when z-bo left and we won four straight!
Uncanny timing on Quick's "new president" update.
I find it histerical that fans are so thoroughly invested in the private lives of players. Zach is being criticized because he went to a strip club you gotta be kidding me! Most people(females included) have been to a nude bar at least once in their adult life the difference is your business isnt on blast for the media. Maybe he just needed to take his mind off things even for just a second. It not even uncommon for players to go to a club even after a game. The bottom line is SO WHAT! Theres been a lot worse done by lessor people. Its not like he pulled an Eddie Murphy move from a few years back. Zack's a great player under-valued by most but undoubtedly put the team on his back for most of the season. Roy was definitely a contributor but the season by no means would have gone as well if he were not here. Cut the man some slack.
blazer410. nobody is "thoroughly invested" in people's private lives. we can't help to hear about these things through the media. you obviously have a different set of values that you expect from your "star player". most people don'y feel that way. they feel that they want to support a guy who's solid outside of the arena as well. that was a huge indicator of character. the situation had been publized that someone dear to him had died. when he was spotted at the "gentelmans club" while the young guys were out there battling didn't sit very well with other people specially parent's. can you imagine a parent telling their kid. "it's ok son, people sometimes go see naked ladies when they're grieving, and when you get older you can try it to...it's really no big deal". on a different level, i think he also took some steps in the positive direction last season and i hope he continues to improve on that as well as his defense. i actually like the guy. i'm sure he's pretty cool but i guess i'm not comfortable with some of the things he does. i think he's got potential to have a great future in the league and i sincerely hope that he does.
Sorry, this may be out of context, but still think its a good time to say it. Last year's draft day trading was amazing, and the city was all abuzz. Brandon Roy's poise, over even the first 5 games changed the team's character, and we were abuzz again. This year the buzz is almost deafening. Even before the pick, before the season starts, RipCity is truly back. Kudos to Paul, his management team and the players.
Regardless of how the team does, this has become a team to root for. Sure, hopes are high to make the playoffs. We'll be disappointed if we don't, but we certainly wont be devastated. We'll be engaged! And when the refs dont call it our way, we'll still put forward small market conspiracy theories. But we'll be engaged! And we'll root for RipCity once again.
It was great to root for a team of over-achieving, hard-workers in the 90s. Buck, Kersey, Porter, Duckworth, Drexler, and the young Uncle Cliff. Outside of Blazer fans, wonder if anyone but Drexler (and Porter to some degree) are recognized. Danny Young anyone. Yet that team reached the finals. [Still think that 91 was the year. 62 game season. We'd have beaten the Bulls, if we hadn't stumbled over the Lakers].
It takes a lot of dominos to win the whole thing. In the meantime, we have a team to root for. Looking forward to shouting myself hoarse this season.
Sure, people question Bowie over Jordan. But does anyone question Hakeem over Jordan? Both Durant and Oden will be superb. They will both be difference makers. Dont think the question is which one do you pick, but rather whats the team that surrounds them.
At first, it was really hard to decide. Durant filled the small forward gap. Durant filled the long range shooting needs. So, why was the (Aldridge, Roy, Durant) trio not a clear cut choice?
Defense. The trio of (Aldridge, Roy, Oden) promise clamp down defense. Udoka, if his legs last, is the next Bowen. Throw in Outlaw, and "Reeejected" could be the new mantra. This could be the next Defensive Juggernaut.
But then again, I'm sitting back in an arm chair, reading reports, watching occasional footage, and envisioning...
I trust team management and the strategy that they have for the team. Neither Oden nor Durant is the last piece of the puzzle. Whoever, they pick, I'm sure that they are already thinking of the other pieces they want to (can) bring in.
[Purely dreaming: remember Twin Towers, how about Triple Threat -- Oden, Aldridge, Garnett? Maybe we could have a motion offense, where the front line are the moving parts and the guards set the picks... Oh well.]
Greg Oden = Sam Bowie
Kevin Durant = Michael Jordan
'nuff said!
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