- The half ends with the scoreline Wizards 37, Blazers 36. Bayless leads all scorers with 17 points. He also has 3 boards.
Not much else out of anyone else. Koponen has 6 points and the team's only assist. Batum has 3 points and 3 assists. Josh Davis has 4 points and 6 rebounds.
- Josh Davis picks up his fourth personal foul of the half. Use 'em if you got 'em. Chris Ellis picks up his fourth as well. Nice work fellas.
Bayless takes the inbound, dribbles, drives and goes up with a baseline shot that finds the mark while drawing a foul. Bayless makes the And1, for his 17th point of the half.
- Bayless seems a little reluctant to pass the ball unless absolutely necessary. He finds Batum around the three point line. Batum, who as far as I can tell isn't the least bit shy about putting it up, misses the three.
Blazers get called for an illegal defense, which seems a tad unnecessary given the nature of the summer league. Then again, it's summer league for the new refs too.
- Dee Brown does a header into the television analyst table. Nice hustle, though the Blazers did end up with the ball.
Nic Batum makes his first jumper of the game, which is a good sign. If Batum can get just a bit closer to the rim before shooting, he's be doing himself a favor.
Bayless gets another trip to the free throw line. He's got 14 points, with 8 of those coming from the line.
- Bernard Robinson makes a mid-range jumper as the shot clock expires. Like I previously mentioned, the movement on offense just isn't producing. Bayless and Batum are back in with Hill, Robinson and Pinnock.
Illegal screen. Blazers turnover. Score Wizards 24, Blazers 23. Blazers shooting 35% with 8 turnovers.
- The second unit is in to start the second quarter. JR Pinnock, Steven Hill, Morris Finley and Josh Davis are on the floor. The Wizards look like they're also playing the second string.
Josh Davis makes his first two of the summer league, extending the Blazers lead to 21-17.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wizards vs. Trail Blazers: First Quarter
- Quarter comes to a close with the Blazers leading 16-14. Jerryd Bayless has shot has shot 8 free throws, making 6. That's pretty much the highlight so far. There are worse things than earning trips to the line.
Not a whole lot of purposeful motion so far in his one. Lots of guys running around, but nothing seems to be coming of it.
- Bayless not so lucky this time, as his attempt at a charge ends up an And1.
Monty Williams calls Koponen and Bayless over during the free throw attempt, after which Bayless switches to the point. Nothing looks real smooth right now, which is about what you would expect from the first game of summer league.
- Bayless picks up Nick Young on defense, eventually drawing a charge on the second year guard out of USC. And it was a legit charge, not some janky flop.
- According to the Lenovo, the Blazers don't have an assist yet. The Wizards don't either, but that doesn't make it right.
Bayless continues to attack the basket, which is what coach Monty Williams is looking for from the rookie. He earns another trip to the line.
- Bayless with the bucket And1. He's got a knack for elevating quickly near the basket. He's got 7.
- A lazy pass by Bayless turns into a layin for Andre Blatche. No too good. Jerryd also drove the ball deep into the lane, but had a hard time finishing with three Wizards draped all over him. Wizards 8, Blazers 7 with 5:16 to play in the first quarter. Koponen has 5, Bayless has 2 and everyone else sits on a goose egg.
- Blazers offense looking a little shaky until Koponen nabs a steal, goes coast to coast and finishes with the layin. Nice little game so far for the Finnisher.
Jerryd Bayless finishes a nice tear drop in the lane, with Petteri Koponen nailing a three-pointer after screening off Dee Brown. Nice start for the Blazers up and comers.
- Bill Bayno's daughter sang the National Anthem. And that's how we start it out.
Blazers starting with Petteri Koponen, Jerryd Bayless, Nic Batum, Chris Ellis and Bernard Robinson. The Wiz come out with Nick Young, Andre Blatche, Dominic McGuire, JaVale McGee and Dee Brown.
Not a whole lot of purposeful motion so far in his one. Lots of guys running around, but nothing seems to be coming of it.
- Bayless not so lucky this time, as his attempt at a charge ends up an And1.
Monty Williams calls Koponen and Bayless over during the free throw attempt, after which Bayless switches to the point. Nothing looks real smooth right now, which is about what you would expect from the first game of summer league.
- Bayless picks up Nick Young on defense, eventually drawing a charge on the second year guard out of USC. And it was a legit charge, not some janky flop.
- According to the Lenovo, the Blazers don't have an assist yet. The Wizards don't either, but that doesn't make it right.
Bayless continues to attack the basket, which is what coach Monty Williams is looking for from the rookie. He earns another trip to the line.
- Bayless with the bucket And1. He's got a knack for elevating quickly near the basket. He's got 7.
- A lazy pass by Bayless turns into a layin for Andre Blatche. No too good. Jerryd also drove the ball deep into the lane, but had a hard time finishing with three Wizards draped all over him. Wizards 8, Blazers 7 with 5:16 to play in the first quarter. Koponen has 5, Bayless has 2 and everyone else sits on a goose egg.
- Blazers offense looking a little shaky until Koponen nabs a steal, goes coast to coast and finishes with the layin. Nice little game so far for the Finnisher.
Jerryd Bayless finishes a nice tear drop in the lane, with Petteri Koponen nailing a three-pointer after screening off Dee Brown. Nice start for the Blazers up and comers.
- Bill Bayno's daughter sang the National Anthem. And that's how we start it out.
Blazers starting with Petteri Koponen, Jerryd Bayless, Nic Batum, Chris Ellis and Bernard Robinson. The Wiz come out with Nick Young, Andre Blatche, Dominic McGuire, JaVale McGee and Dee Brown.
Wizards vs. Trail Blazers: Pre-game
And so it begins. We're waiting for the Raptors v. Nuggets game to run it's course (Nugs up 84-72 with 2 minutes to play, Taurean Green with 16 points and 4 assists), but after that, it's the Washington Wizards vs. Portland Trail Blazers.
Quite the Trail Blazers media prescense here at the Cox Pavillion on the UNLV Campus. To my direct right sits Dave of Blazer's Edge. Next to him, The Oregonian's Jason Quick. Farther right sits his Oregonian compatriot Joe Freeman. And last but not least, Sean Meagher of Oregonlive.com. That's a mean starting five, if any of us could actually ball.
We're not about 10 minutes away from the tip, so check back in a few minutes from updates of the first Trail Blazers game of Summer League.
Quite the Trail Blazers media prescense here at the Cox Pavillion on the UNLV Campus. To my direct right sits Dave of Blazer's Edge. Next to him, The Oregonian's Jason Quick. Farther right sits his Oregonian compatriot Joe Freeman. And last but not least, Sean Meagher of Oregonlive.com. That's a mean starting five, if any of us could actually ball.
We're not about 10 minutes away from the tip, so check back in a few minutes from updates of the first Trail Blazers game of Summer League.
Summer League 'Big Three'
There's around 14 players, give or take, on the Blazers Summer League Roster, but let's be honest, three of the 14 are the emphasis. Jerryd Bayless, Petteri Koponen and Nicolas Batum are the only guys with a legit chance of making the regular season roster. That's not to say the other players on the roster aren't skilled, but the combination of talent and numbers already residing on the Blazers payroll make it all but impossible at this point for anyone not drafted by Kevin Pritchard to see a regular season contract, guaranteed or otherwise.
So with that cruel fact in mind, here's what assistant coach Monty Williams, who's commanding Portland's Summer League ship, had to say about Bayless, Koponen and Batum.
On playing time for Bayless, Koponen and Batum:
"Our goal is to play those three guys. I think it’s 40 minute games down there, but I can play them 48 minutes down there, that would be great.
"I think the more we can put (Koponen, Bayless and Batum) in situations that they haven’t been in in college and put them in situations where they can look good, it’s going to help their confidence. At the same time, you almost have to put them in a situation where they might fail just so they can understand how tough this game is."
On Jerryd Bayless' strengths:
"He’s as strong as a bull. He’s big like Brandon, compact. Things come easy to him. He’s got to work on getting his shot off quicker or else longer 2’s are going to block that shot. The things that we’ve been impressed with him so far is that he just wants to be in the gym all day. We’re going to have to back him down some because we all know that this thing is too long of a race for him to try to push 150% every day.
"The thing that he does well is he keeps his man on his hip and he can come off screens and catch and get his shot off. Now, he’s going to have to get it off quicker. He’s strong like Brandon in that he can get you on his hip and finish in the hole."
On Koponen's preparation for Summer League and his improvement:
"I had him for a couple of week’s everyday. The thing I like about him is his size, he can shoot it a little bit, he’s quicker than most people give him credit for, and he works. A lot of the guys shy away from my workouts, just because I try to push guys to their limits, and he didn’t back down one bit. That says a lot about him. Travis was like that. The first couple of times that we worked out he wasn’t use to that kind of preparation. Petteri didn’t back down from the start.
"He’s done this and that (at the practice facility), cause this is comfortable. Once we get to Vegas and a guy from overseas or a guy that trying to get into the league punches him in the mouth, we’re going to see what he’s about. That kind of pressure 94 feet in Vegas is a different kind of beast, so we’ll see."
On Nicolas Batum's game:
"I’ve been surprised by Nicolas and his ability to score the ball coming off of screens.
"In this situation, we don’t have a lot of scorers. Lets just be honest. So what he was able to do stands out because he just did the little things. He came off screens. He offensive rebounded the ball. He can push it, but we’re not allowing him to right now.
His shot is not tight enough right now and he’s really narrow, so I don’t think he’s going to have three-point range yet."
So with that cruel fact in mind, here's what assistant coach Monty Williams, who's commanding Portland's Summer League ship, had to say about Bayless, Koponen and Batum.
On playing time for Bayless, Koponen and Batum:
"Our goal is to play those three guys. I think it’s 40 minute games down there, but I can play them 48 minutes down there, that would be great.
"I think the more we can put (Koponen, Bayless and Batum) in situations that they haven’t been in in college and put them in situations where they can look good, it’s going to help their confidence. At the same time, you almost have to put them in a situation where they might fail just so they can understand how tough this game is."
On Jerryd Bayless' strengths:
"He’s as strong as a bull. He’s big like Brandon, compact. Things come easy to him. He’s got to work on getting his shot off quicker or else longer 2’s are going to block that shot. The things that we’ve been impressed with him so far is that he just wants to be in the gym all day. We’re going to have to back him down some because we all know that this thing is too long of a race for him to try to push 150% every day.
"The thing that he does well is he keeps his man on his hip and he can come off screens and catch and get his shot off. Now, he’s going to have to get it off quicker. He’s strong like Brandon in that he can get you on his hip and finish in the hole."
On Koponen's preparation for Summer League and his improvement:
"I had him for a couple of week’s everyday. The thing I like about him is his size, he can shoot it a little bit, he’s quicker than most people give him credit for, and he works. A lot of the guys shy away from my workouts, just because I try to push guys to their limits, and he didn’t back down one bit. That says a lot about him. Travis was like that. The first couple of times that we worked out he wasn’t use to that kind of preparation. Petteri didn’t back down from the start.
"He’s done this and that (at the practice facility), cause this is comfortable. Once we get to Vegas and a guy from overseas or a guy that trying to get into the league punches him in the mouth, we’re going to see what he’s about. That kind of pressure 94 feet in Vegas is a different kind of beast, so we’ll see."
On Nicolas Batum's game:
"I’ve been surprised by Nicolas and his ability to score the ball coming off of screens.
"In this situation, we don’t have a lot of scorers. Lets just be honest. So what he was able to do stands out because he just did the little things. He came off screens. He offensive rebounded the ball. He can push it, but we’re not allowing him to right now.
His shot is not tight enough right now and he’s really narrow, so I don’t think he’s going to have three-point range yet."
Sunday, July 13, 2008
See you at Summer League
Ah, the Las Vegas Summer League. In this bloggers opinion, there's no better way to spend an otherwise uneventful week in mid-July. It's about as close up to the NBA as the average fan can get. Coaches, general managers and players hang out in the stands watching the neophytes of the Association attempt to carve out their spot in the league. Some participants in the Las Vegas Summer League could be the next NBA superstar, others could end up working civilian jobs come August.
If you're planning on attending any Blazers games in Las Vegas, be sure to give me a holler, as I'll be covering the action live in Sin City for trailblazers.com. I, along with a few other members of the Trail Blazers Communications Department, will be cranking out profiles of players on the summer league roster, interviews with said players, coaches and staff, live in-game blogs, videos, pictures, games recaps and practice reports. It should be fun and informative.
The first game is Monday (that's tomorrow) against the Wizards. I heard rumors that Gilbert Arenas was going to play solely for the purpose of fulfilling his promise to drop 50 on the Blazers, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.
After the Wizards on Monday, the Blazers boys of summer take on the Kings on Tuesday, Kevin Love and the Timberwolves on Thursday, the Phoenix Suns on Saturday and the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday. All of the games will be shown live on Comcast Channel 37 and on NBATV. The games will also be replayed twice on Comcast.
If you're planning on attending any Blazers games in Las Vegas, be sure to give me a holler, as I'll be covering the action live in Sin City for trailblazers.com. I, along with a few other members of the Trail Blazers Communications Department, will be cranking out profiles of players on the summer league roster, interviews with said players, coaches and staff, live in-game blogs, videos, pictures, games recaps and practice reports. It should be fun and informative.
The first game is Monday (that's tomorrow) against the Wizards. I heard rumors that Gilbert Arenas was going to play solely for the purpose of fulfilling his promise to drop 50 on the Blazers, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.
After the Wizards on Monday, the Blazers boys of summer take on the Kings on Tuesday, Kevin Love and the Timberwolves on Thursday, the Phoenix Suns on Saturday and the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday. All of the games will be shown live on Comcast Channel 37 and on NBATV. The games will also be replayed twice on Comcast.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Summer League Roster
With all of the NBA Draft particulars put to bed, we're now able to put out the roster for the Trail Blazers Las Vegas Summer League squad.
*Monty Williams is the head coach of the Trail Blazers' 2008 NBA Summer League Team
Some old and new names on the list. Batum, Bayless and Koponen probably end up getting the most playing time. Chris Ellis has some serious post game and is a Blazers Summer League stalwart. Maurice Lucas' boy, David, is cut from the same mold as his dad and is another nice post option.
You have to figure Jon Stefansson will be the only Icelandic playing in Summer League, and we know Petteri Koponen is the only Finnish player whose rights are owned by an NBA team. Much international flavor.
I'll be learning more about these guys as I follow the team to Las Vegas, so be on the lookout for that.
| # | Name | Pos | Ht | Wt | Yrs | Birthdate | From |
| 88 | Nicolas Batum | F/G | 6-8 | 190 | R | 12/14/88 | France |
| 4 | Jerryd Bayless | G | 6-3 | 200 | R | 8/20/88 | Arizona |
| 40 | Josh Davis | F | 6-8 | 235 | 3 | 8/10/80 | Wyoming |
| 0 | Chris Ellis | F | 6-9 | 280 | R | 3/5/84 | Wake Forest |
| 18 | Morris Finley | G | 5-11 | 175 | R | 8/2/81 | Alabama-Birmingham |
| 42 | Eddy Fobbs | C | 6-11 | 240 | R | 9/17/80 | Sam Houston St. |
| 51 | Steven Hill | C | 7-0 | 245 | R | 11/14/85 | Arkansas |
| 28 | Petteri Koponen | G | 6-4 | 195 | R | 4/13/88 | Finland |
| 30 | David Lucas | F | 6-8 | 246 | R | 5/14/82 | OregonSt. |
| 50 | Aleks Maric | F | 6-11 | 275 | R | 10/22/84 | Nebraska |
| 6 | J.R. Pinnock | G | 6-5 | 207 | R | 12/11/83 | George Washington |
| 21 | Bernard Robinson | G/F | 6-6 | 225 | 3 | 12/26/80 | Michigan |
| 31 | Brandon Robinson | F | 6-8 | 215 | R | 4/15/81 | Auburn |
| 17 | Jon Stefansson | G | 6-5 | 200 | R | 9/21/82 | Iceland |
*Monty Williams is the head coach of the Trail Blazers' 2008 NBA Summer League Team
Some old and new names on the list. Batum, Bayless and Koponen probably end up getting the most playing time. Chris Ellis has some serious post game and is a Blazers Summer League stalwart. Maurice Lucas' boy, David, is cut from the same mold as his dad and is another nice post option.
You have to figure Jon Stefansson will be the only Icelandic playing in Summer League, and we know Petteri Koponen is the only Finnish player whose rights are owned by an NBA team. Much international flavor.
I'll be learning more about these guys as I follow the team to Las Vegas, so be on the lookout for that.
Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu are Trail Blazers
It took a while, but it's finally official. Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu have been acquired from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts, the draft rights to Brandon Rush and cash considerations. Bayless and Diogu, along with Nicolas Batum, are in town for a press conference, which I'll be covering here in a little bit.
Between now and then, check out this Jerryd Bayless highlight reel put together ever so quickly by our fine video production folks.
Between now and then, check out this Jerryd Bayless highlight reel put together ever so quickly by our fine video production folks.
Monday, July 7, 2008
On guard
Hopefully we'll have some new players to talk about this week, but until everything is finalized with the NBA, mum is the word. It's not an ideal situation, but such is life working within the constructs of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement. And trust me, we'll have plenty of time during the offseason to discuss any new players who may or may not suit up for the Blazers in '08-'09.
One of those players who we're waiting on is probably a guard, and the Blazers probably had to give up a guard to get him. One in, one out.
But what about the guards, specifically point guards, that the Blazers already have? If you look at the roster, Steve Blake is the only "true" point guard who has seen any meaningful minutes in the NBA. Is he the starter, even with other heralded guards possibly joining the team? I think the answer to that question is a resounding "yes."
Oddly enough, Chris Duhon got me thinking about Steve Blake. Or to be more specific, the Knicks reportedly acquiring Duhon got me thinking about the Knicks reportedly attempting to acquire Blake.
I guess what I'm getting at is this: Steve Blake isn't going to give up his starting point guard duties simply because there may be a new ball handler in town.
One of those players who we're waiting on is probably a guard, and the Blazers probably had to give up a guard to get him. One in, one out.
But what about the guards, specifically point guards, that the Blazers already have? If you look at the roster, Steve Blake is the only "true" point guard who has seen any meaningful minutes in the NBA. Is he the starter, even with other heralded guards possibly joining the team? I think the answer to that question is a resounding "yes."
Oddly enough, Chris Duhon got me thinking about Steve Blake. Or to be more specific, the Knicks reportedly acquiring Duhon got me thinking about the Knicks reportedly attempting to acquire Blake.
But is Duhon enough? Does he make you better? Maybe you can argue that he makes you better because of the addition-by-subtraction rule. Marbury is a perpetual ticking timebomb. No matter how many times you want to believe he means it this time, at this point even his own teammates don't believe it. Stephon says all the right things at the start but he's always a mine buried in the locker room just waiting to be triggered. One false step and kaboom.What I find interesting is the questions New York folks, in this case Alan Hanh of Newsday, have of Duhon are the same many in Portland have of Blake. Can he be the starting point guard for a playoff team? A championship team? Maybe, maybe not, but if the Knicks did ask about Blake and were rebuffed, then one would have to figure those in the Blazers front office value Blake-as-NBA-starter enough to turn down legit offers (and if the Knicks really did offer Duhon the MLE, then you have to figure they were willing to give up something decent).
The players are tired of it. Several of them told me Marbury is mostly a loner in that room at this point. No one takes him seriously, but the distractions he can cause -- and perpetuate with his comments and actions -- are an annoyance.
So if a trade to acquire Steve Blake isn't something Portland is willing to do (I'm told they weren't) and Monta Ellis isn't something Golden State is willing to do (ditto) and just about any other potentially available PG either doesn't quite fit style-wise (Kyle Lowry) or doesn't fit financially (Baron Davis, pre-Clippers), then Duhon might have been the best option that still fit the Bigger Plan.
I guess what I'm getting at is this: Steve Blake isn't going to give up his starting point guard duties simply because there may be a new ball handler in town.
Trail Blazers Homecourt Roundtable
Watch Mike Barrett, Mike Rice, Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey discuss the 2008 NBA Draft, rising expectations for next season, the amount of youth on the Blazers' roster, how Rudy Fernandez fits in and predictions for next season in this clip from Trail Blazers Homecourt Summer Report.
Tom Penn on Sports Business Radio
Welcome back to the internet Blazers fans. I trust everyone had a safe and satisfactory 4th of July weekend. And I'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone in my neighborhood for firing off a seemingly endless string of illegal fireworks on the 4th. No one houses burned down, so hooray for that.
If you were too busy this weekend celebrating and setting things on fire and you forgot to listen to Tom Penn, Blazers' Assistant General Manager, on Sports Business Radio with Brian Berger, I've got you covered. Mr. Penn discusses the draft, his background and why it's such a luxury to have an owner like Paul Allen.
Download the interview (6.0 MB). Audio provided courtesy of 95.5 The Game.
If you were too busy this weekend celebrating and setting things on fire and you forgot to listen to Tom Penn, Blazers' Assistant General Manager, on Sports Business Radio with Brian Berger, I've got you covered. Mr. Penn discusses the draft, his background and why it's such a luxury to have an owner like Paul Allen.
Download the interview (6.0 MB). Audio provided courtesy of 95.5 The Game.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Trail Blazers Homecourt on Rudy Fernandez
Watch Kevin Pritchard, Nate McMillan and Monty Williams discuss what Rudy Fernandez could mean to the Trail Blazers during the summer update edition of Trail Blazers Homecourt.
07.02.08 Edition of the Trailblazer.com podcast
Gavin Dawson had some business to attend to, so Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge and myself, Casey Holdahl, of trailblazers.com held it down for this this week's podcast. Aside from Dave hypothesizing on Davin's whereabouts, we discuss Rudy Fernandez, the quantity and quality of point guards on the roster, how the free agent signing of Baron Davis changes the Western Conference, and much, much more. Give it a listen.
Download the podcast (18.0 MB).
Download the podcast (18.0 MB).
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Fernandez and Pritchard: Together again
If it weren't a Summer Olympics year, we'd be lobbing questions at Rudy Fernandez in person. But thanks to love of country, we had to settle for querying Rudy via conference call. Here's the audio for those of you who would like to hear your favorite members of the local media converse with Rudy.
You can also download the audio here.
I have to take my proverbial cap off to Rudy. Answering questions over the phone in a second language is a tough thing to do. He handled himself pretty well. A lot of guys might have relied solely on their translator. I know I would have.
Kevin Pritchard also spoke a bit before the conference call with some members of the television news media. Here's what he had to say.
On the post-draft events:
You can also download the audio here.
I have to take my proverbial cap off to Rudy. Answering questions over the phone in a second language is a tough thing to do. He handled himself pretty well. A lot of guys might have relied solely on their translator. I know I would have.
Kevin Pritchard also spoke a bit before the conference call with some members of the television news media. Here's what he had to say.
On the post-draft events:
"Obviously there are some things that we still need to get ironed out with the draft, but I felt like we had a great draft. I’m excited about the summer, looking forward to Summer League, seeing some of these guys playing, but obviously the great news today is signing Rudy. It’s been long process involving many people including Mr. Allen, myself, Nate McMillan, our staff. It’s a great day for the organization."On what Fernandez brings to the court:
"First of all, he’s a high energy player. I’m not sure if he’s going to be a starter but he has a chance to be. As we look at our team moving forward, we needed somebody to attack the basket and Rudy is really an attacker. He plays all out all the time. He’s exciting. He dives on balls. And he’s gotten better the last three years. When we got him at pick 25 last year we were so excited because we felt like he was a much better player than that. If you put him in this year’s draft, we think he was a top 10 player.On the perceived notion that European players struggle with defense:
"He’s kind of a wild man out there. He’s willing to make a lot of plays. He takes chances. I call him an ‘X-factor.’ He can so some things that just not a lot of people can do in this league in making plays on both sides of the court. He makes shots and he’s got this really nice skill that he makes everybody around him better. You can never have too many of those."
"... if they don’t play any defense, I’m not sure how Spain is winning World Championships. They’re doing something right. Whether it’s offense or defense, they’re very effective. Rudy will have to improve in some areas, and I don’t want to put too much pressure on him early, but the thing I do know is he’s a talented kid. He’s absolutely what we’re about and this town is going to fall in love with him."On the process of getting Rudy to sign with the Trail Blazers:
"Recruiting is normally though about in college, but it’s become more of an NBA program because a lot of times it’s the same money or the same process, so we’re excited. We did have to recruit Rudy. He had offers all over Europe for much more money. We know that he took a lesser deal to come play here in the NBA and that was his dream. But we still had to work through some things. Today is such a great day because it’s the culmination of a lot of people’s hard work."On when Fernandez might make his first appearance in Portland:
"He’s started with the national team in the next week or so, then he goes to the Olympics to try and get the gold medal. And then I would imagine in early September we’ll see him in our practice facility. We can’t wait."
The Rudy wait is over
It's finally official. It has been alluded to many times that Rudy Fernandez would indeed sign on to play in Portland starting in '08-'09, but until there's a signature on the dotted line, nothing is for guaranteed.
Now it is.
On the first day new players were allowed to sign contracts, Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, the 24th selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, agreed to terms with the Trail Blazers.
“I am so excited about joining the Trail Blazers and the NBA,” said Fernandez. “The whole staff did a tremendous job making me feel like a very important team member to them and made me forget about the economic issues because of the rookie scale.
“My dream has been to play in the NBA and Portland is giving me this opportunity. I was amazed about everything that Mr. Allen, Kevin Pritchard, Coach McMillan and the rest of the guys did to show me how much they wanted me. Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, I can't wait to play with them. We will do nice things!”
Nice things indeed.
Rodolfo, aka Rudy, will be wearing No. 5, the same number he wore with the Spanish National Team and DKV Joventut Badalona. If you're ready to declare your Rudy Ferandez fan-dom, you can already buy his adult jersey here and his youth jersey here. International shipping is available for all of you Spanish Fernandez fans.
Monday, June 30, 2008
The next great 88
What do Michael Irvin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Eric Lindros, Marvin Harrison and Nicolas Batum have in common? The number 88. The double snowman. One of only two jersey numbers that reads the same forwards, backwards, right-side up and up-side down. The atomic number of radium. The number of keys on a piano (thank you Wikipedia). The speed Doc Brown's DeLorean must reach in order to kick the flux capacitor into gear and thus, achieve time travel.
Nicolas Batum will wear No. 88 next season (assuming he makes the roster). It's a bit of a strange number for a basketball player to choose (or to at least have assigned to you). He has worn No. 8 before (though he currently wears No. 5 for Le Mans), so maybe No. 88 is a takeoff of that. It's a common number for a tight end, but for a basketballer? In fact, according to Basketball Reference.com, Antoine Walker is the only NBA player to have ever worn No. 88, and that was only for one season. So if nothing else, Nic Batum will be an original.
And thanks to the scarcity of the number and the French fanbase, Batum will most likely have the best selling No. 88 jersey in the history of the NBA. There's a feather for your cap.
Nicolas Batum will wear No. 88 next season (assuming he makes the roster). It's a bit of a strange number for a basketball player to choose (or to at least have assigned to you). He has worn No. 8 before (though he currently wears No. 5 for Le Mans), so maybe No. 88 is a takeoff of that. It's a common number for a tight end, but for a basketballer? In fact, according to Basketball Reference.com, Antoine Walker is the only NBA player to have ever worn No. 88, and that was only for one season. So if nothing else, Nic Batum will be an original.
And thanks to the scarcity of the number and the French fanbase, Batum will most likely have the best selling No. 88 jersey in the history of the NBA. There's a feather for your cap.
Hair comes Summer League
The official roster for the Trail Blazers Las Vegas Summer League team has yet to be announced, but there are a few players who you can expect to see. Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland are almost guaranteed to play. Nicholas Batum's involvement is still up in the air, but I think there's a fairly good chance that he'll be on the squad. Same goes for any other player who might be a Blazers rookie (aside from those playing in international competition or rehabbing from knee surgery) in '08-'09. The rest of the Summer League roster is filled out with undrafted rookies and veteran free agents.According to the Springfield News-Leader, (that's the Missouri version of Springfield, by the way) one of those undrafted rookies who will be suiting up for the Blazers in Las Vegas is Steven Hill, a 7-0 center out of Arkansas.
Former Branson High School and University of Arkansas center Steven Hill has signed to play for the Portland Trail Blazers in the upcoming NBA summer league, his father Troy Hill said Saturday.Hill averaged a pedestrian 4.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in his senior season, though he did make the SEC All-Defensive Team in his final year. And he was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in his junior season, so there's some talent there.
Despite going undrafted, the 7-foot Hill will have a chance to make the team if he can impress during Portland’s run in the summer league, which begins July 11-20 at the Thomas and Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion, both on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
And as you can see from the picture, he's got one of the meanest heads of hair you're going to find in professional sports.
UPDATE: According to executive producer Scott Zachary, Hill was sans flowing mane during his pre-draft workout in Portland. Bummer.
Friday, June 27, 2008
The new Batum
Upon hearing the Trail Blazers had traded the draft rights to Kansas’ Darrell Arthur and Memphis’ Joey Dorsey to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Nicolas Batum, most assumed it was another case of Portland taking a European player with intentions of stashing him away overseas. After all, letting a player season outside of the ultra-competitive confines of the NBA is a common practice for general manager Kevin Pritchard. Couple that with a nearly full roster and Batum’s relative inexperience and it’s easy to see why so many don’t expect to see the 25th pick wearing red and black come the start of the ’08-’09 season. At this point though, Batum’s return to France and his club team, Le Mans, is hardly a foregone conclusion.
“I don’t think it’s been determined,” Kevin Pritchard said of Batum’s plans for next season, “so we are going to wait and see how it shakes out. I think there’s a chance either way.”
“Whether he’s playing over there in games or playing here, we’re hoping he improves,” said Mike Born, the Trail Blazers’ Director of NBA Scouting. “It’s going to take some time for him, but we really like him as a guy we can bring over this year and start working with him to try to develop his game and see how he fits in with our team.”
Batum is tentatively scheduled to play on the Blazers Summer League team, so the decision regarding whether to add him to the regular season roster could be determined by his performance in Las Vegas.
“He’s becoming a better shooter. He’s working on his defense, and I think he could be a really good NBA defender. That will get him on the floor quicker than later,” says Pritchard. “As our team progresses we’ll need a defensive wing. So if he could become a gritty defender, he’s going to get on the court a lot quicker.”
Batum’s length and athleticism allowed Pritchard and his staff to overlook some of the inexperience and flaws that may have scared off other teams from taking the Frenchman with a first round pick.
“At that part of the draft it’s important for us to take a chance on a kid that has upside,” said Pritchard. “Nicolas has got great length and a great body for a prototypical ‘3’ man. He’s learning the game and we think he could become a nice player in a couple of years.”
There were also questions regarding a potential heart condition, though Pritchard noted team doctors gave Batum’s health a “full clearance.”
Born, who has followed Batum’s progression in Europe for the past three years, said he envisions the 19 year-old crafting his game after another slight-framed small forward.
“When you look at his size, his length -- he’s almost 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan -- when you look at that stuff and start projecting him as a straight small forward,” said Born. “Now granted, he’s still young and he’s still got a long ways to go as far as being a finished product, but you look at guys like Tayshaun Prince and some of those long, kind of versatile small forwards. He could be a really nice fit for our team. He’s always been a pretty good defender in Europe, always been a good team player.”
Some have called into question Batum’s performances in the French and Euro leagues, though Born thinks those concerns might have more to do with the differences in which young players are treated by club teams overseas.
“He’s been considered at some level a passive player at times,” said Born. “I’ve seen it myself. But he is an unselfish player; he doesn’t mind deferring to his teammates. There’s a fine line there.
“But part of it just may be what the coach wants. He’s 19 years old playing in the French league and Euro league. If you track European teams, there are very few young players that get a chance to play at the top level because European coaches, for the most part, don’t play young kids. They’re going to go with the veteran, the guys that have the experience. So just the fact that he got on the floor says something.”
“I don’t think it’s been determined,” Kevin Pritchard said of Batum’s plans for next season, “so we are going to wait and see how it shakes out. I think there’s a chance either way.”
“Whether he’s playing over there in games or playing here, we’re hoping he improves,” said Mike Born, the Trail Blazers’ Director of NBA Scouting. “It’s going to take some time for him, but we really like him as a guy we can bring over this year and start working with him to try to develop his game and see how he fits in with our team.”
Batum is tentatively scheduled to play on the Blazers Summer League team, so the decision regarding whether to add him to the regular season roster could be determined by his performance in Las Vegas.
“He’s becoming a better shooter. He’s working on his defense, and I think he could be a really good NBA defender. That will get him on the floor quicker than later,” says Pritchard. “As our team progresses we’ll need a defensive wing. So if he could become a gritty defender, he’s going to get on the court a lot quicker.”
Batum’s length and athleticism allowed Pritchard and his staff to overlook some of the inexperience and flaws that may have scared off other teams from taking the Frenchman with a first round pick.
“At that part of the draft it’s important for us to take a chance on a kid that has upside,” said Pritchard. “Nicolas has got great length and a great body for a prototypical ‘3’ man. He’s learning the game and we think he could become a nice player in a couple of years.”
There were also questions regarding a potential heart condition, though Pritchard noted team doctors gave Batum’s health a “full clearance.”
Born, who has followed Batum’s progression in Europe for the past three years, said he envisions the 19 year-old crafting his game after another slight-framed small forward.
“When you look at his size, his length -- he’s almost 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan -- when you look at that stuff and start projecting him as a straight small forward,” said Born. “Now granted, he’s still young and he’s still got a long ways to go as far as being a finished product, but you look at guys like Tayshaun Prince and some of those long, kind of versatile small forwards. He could be a really nice fit for our team. He’s always been a pretty good defender in Europe, always been a good team player.”
Some have called into question Batum’s performances in the French and Euro leagues, though Born thinks those concerns might have more to do with the differences in which young players are treated by club teams overseas.
“He’s been considered at some level a passive player at times,” said Born. “I’ve seen it myself. But he is an unselfish player; he doesn’t mind deferring to his teammates. There’s a fine line there.
“But part of it just may be what the coach wants. He’s 19 years old playing in the French league and Euro league. If you track European teams, there are very few young players that get a chance to play at the top level because European coaches, for the most part, don’t play young kids. They’re going to go with the veteran, the guys that have the experience. So just the fact that he got on the floor says something.”
06.27.08 Post-draft Podcast
Another NBA Draft is in the books and another Trailblazers.com Podcast is in the can. Gavin Dawson of 95.5 The Game, Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge and myself, Casey Holdahl, of trailblazers.com discuss all of the events surrounding Thursday's draft, from the picks to the trades to the effect the night had on the rest of the Blazers' "off season."
Download the podcast (16.0 MB).
Download the podcast (16.0 MB).
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
06.25.08 Edition of Trailblazers.com Podcast
No shortage of topics to talk about today. For as busy as the last two drafts have been, tomorrow might even be busier. Gavin Dawson of 95.5 The Game, Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge and myself, Casey Holdahl, of trailblazers.com discuss the latest rumors, the report that the Blazers are acquiring New Orleans' pick and who may or may not be on the roster by the end of the day tomorrow.
Download the podcast (20.7 MB).
Download the podcast (20.7 MB).
NBA Draft pronunciation guide
With the draft just a day away, it's time to start familiarizing yourself with some of the names of players both domestic and foreign who may or may not be new Blazers come Thursday. In an effort to improve your fan-dom, here's the NBA's name pronunciation guide. Be the first kid on your block to correctly pronounce names like "Manuchar Markoishvili" and "Predrag Samardziski."
Alexis Ajinça: ah-LEX-ee A-GIN-za
Darrell Arthur: dur-RELL
Omer Asik: O-mair A-sheek
DJ Augustin: AU-ga-STEEN
Nicolas Batum: Nick-O-las Ba-TOOM
Jerryd Bayless: JE-rid
Ramel Bradley: ra-mel
Tyrone Brazelton: BRAY-zul-ten
Keith Brumbaugh: brom-BAW
Takais Brown: ta-KAY-is
Stanley Burrell: bu-RELL
Pat Calathes: KA-lay-THISS
Mario Chalmers: mar-ee-o chawl-mers
Hakan Demirel: HAK-on
Joey Dorsey: door-see
Goran Dragic: GORE-on DRAG-ich
Frank Elegar: E-le-GAR
Semih Erden: SEM-ee Err-DEN
Gary Forbes: Gary Forbes
Shan Foster: shane
Danilo Gallinari: Don-NEAL-o Gal-IN-naree
James Gist: gist
Vladimir Golubovic: Vla-DEE-meer Go-LOU-bo-vich
Kentrell Gransberry: KEN-trell
Malik Hairston: mah-leek hair-stun
DeVon Hardin: de-Von har-DIN
Rafael Hettsheimeir: Raf-A-el Het-SHY-mer
Jiri Hubalek: yee-ree oo-BAHL-lek
Serge Ibaka: Ee-BAK-a
Nathan Jawai: Nathan JA-why
Davon Jefferson: DAY-von
DeAndre Jordan: DEE-andre
Mantas Kalnietis: MAHN-tahs Kal-NYET-tis
Sasha Kaun: con
Marcelus Kemp: mar–SELL–us
Kosta Koufos: COAST-tah KOO-fuss
Nikita Kurbanov: Ni-KEE-ta Kur-BA-noff
Maarty Leunen: Marty loo-nen
Longar Longar: lawn-gar lawn-gar
Aleks Maric: AL-ex Mar-ICH
Manuchar Markoishvili: Ma-new-HAR Marko-ish-VEAL-ee
O.J. Mayo: OJ May-YO
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: Ba ah MUTE-ay
JaVale McGee: JA-vell
Igor Milosevic: ee-gore milo-sheh-vich
Drew Neitzel: night-zill
DeMarcus Nelson: de-MARK-us
David Padgett: padge-et
Nikola Pekovic: NEE-kola PECK-o-vich
Trent Plaisted: play-sted
Anton Ponkrashov: An-TON Pon-KRASH-off
Quan Prowell: quan PROU-well
Mykal Riley: mick-kale
Richard Roby: robe-ee
Damjan Rudez: Dom-YON RUE-dez
Dusan Sakota: DUSH-on SHOCK-o-tah
Predrag Samardziski: PRAY-drug Sam-are-JIS-key
Nikita Shabalkin: Ni-KEE-ta Sha-BAL-kin
Sean Singletary: single-terry
Marreese Speights: Ma-REESE SPATES
Andrija Stipanovic: An-DREE-ya Stee-PAN-o-vich
Ante Tomic: ON-tay TOE-mich
Uros Tripkovic: YU-rosh TRIP-ko-vich
Giorgi Tsintsadze: Gee-OR-gee Tsin-TSA-zay
Mark Tyndale: tin-DALE
Sam Van Rossom: ross-some
Novica Velickovic: NO-vit-za Va-LEECH-ko-vich
Deron Washington: de-RON
Alexis Ajinça: ah-LEX-ee A-GIN-za
Darrell Arthur: dur-RELL
Omer Asik: O-mair A-sheek
DJ Augustin: AU-ga-STEEN
Nicolas Batum: Nick-O-las Ba-TOOM
Jerryd Bayless: JE-rid
Ramel Bradley: ra-mel
Tyrone Brazelton: BRAY-zul-ten
Keith Brumbaugh: brom-BAW
Takais Brown: ta-KAY-is
Stanley Burrell: bu-RELL
Pat Calathes: KA-lay-THISS
Mario Chalmers: mar-ee-o chawl-mers
Hakan Demirel: HAK-on
Joey Dorsey: door-see
Goran Dragic: GORE-on DRAG-ich
Frank Elegar: E-le-GAR
Semih Erden: SEM-ee Err-DEN
Gary Forbes: Gary Forbes
Shan Foster: shane
Danilo Gallinari: Don-NEAL-o Gal-IN-naree
James Gist: gist
Vladimir Golubovic: Vla-DEE-meer Go-LOU-bo-vich
Kentrell Gransberry: KEN-trell
Malik Hairston: mah-leek hair-stun
DeVon Hardin: de-Von har-DIN
Rafael Hettsheimeir: Raf-A-el Het-SHY-mer
Jiri Hubalek: yee-ree oo-BAHL-lek
Serge Ibaka: Ee-BAK-a
Nathan Jawai: Nathan JA-why
Davon Jefferson: DAY-von
DeAndre Jordan: DEE-andre
Mantas Kalnietis: MAHN-tahs Kal-NYET-tis
Sasha Kaun: con
Marcelus Kemp: mar–SELL–us
Kosta Koufos: COAST-tah KOO-fuss
Nikita Kurbanov: Ni-KEE-ta Kur-BA-noff
Maarty Leunen: Marty loo-nen
Longar Longar: lawn-gar lawn-gar
Aleks Maric: AL-ex Mar-ICH
Manuchar Markoishvili: Ma-new-HAR Marko-ish-VEAL-ee
O.J. Mayo: OJ May-YO
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: Ba ah MUTE-ay
JaVale McGee: JA-vell
Igor Milosevic: ee-gore milo-sheh-vich
Drew Neitzel: night-zill
DeMarcus Nelson: de-MARK-us
David Padgett: padge-et
Nikola Pekovic: NEE-kola PECK-o-vich
Trent Plaisted: play-sted
Anton Ponkrashov: An-TON Pon-KRASH-off
Quan Prowell: quan PROU-well
Mykal Riley: mick-kale
Richard Roby: robe-ee
Damjan Rudez: Dom-YON RUE-dez
Dusan Sakota: DUSH-on SHOCK-o-tah
Predrag Samardziski: PRAY-drug Sam-are-JIS-key
Nikita Shabalkin: Ni-KEE-ta Sha-BAL-kin
Sean Singletary: single-terry
Marreese Speights: Ma-REESE SPATES
Andrija Stipanovic: An-DREE-ya Stee-PAN-o-vich
Ante Tomic: ON-tay TOE-mich
Uros Tripkovic: YU-rosh TRIP-ko-vich
Giorgi Tsintsadze: Gee-OR-gee Tsin-TSA-zay
Mark Tyndale: tin-DALE
Sam Van Rossom: ross-some
Novica Velickovic: NO-vit-za Va-LEECH-ko-vich
Deron Washington: de-RON
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