Blaze of Love

Celtics Dancers - Making Kilts Even Naughtier

2009-11-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

Now if only these ladies had dropped these outfits before we released our NBA Dancer Rankings, they might have cracked the top 5. Especially with Ms. Ashley up above. Anyone else speechless? Someone give her an award for...well anything.

The Pre-Funk: Timberwolves vs. Blazers 11/8

2009-11-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest. We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

Let's be blunt here; the Minnesota Timberwolves are awful. They drafted 18 point guards this offseason, signed another overrated one, and appear to be worse than the New Jersey Nets whom they somehow managed to beat on opening night.

Portland's new starting lineup should have a hell of a night against those 18 inexperienced guards and an Al Jefferson looking all sorts of sloppy. I'm actually excited to see Johnny Flynn play as we appears to be the real deal. However, I'm not looking forward to seeing the Blazers play down to their competition which they seem to do so frequently.

On Tap...

A quick Q and A with Mr. Greg Oden. [NewsOK]
Keep an eye on Brandon Roy. [SLAM Online]
McMillan comfortable with Miller running the show. [Joe Freeman]
Results from the new starting lineup appear to be good. [Brian T Smith]
Game preview from Dave. [Blazers Edge]
Enemy coverage #1. [TWolves Blog]
Enemy coverage #2. [Canis Hoopus]

Cheap Shots...

The Afterparty: Spurs/Blazers Game 6

2009-11-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Can the Trail Blazers wear the "Rip City" Jerseys every night? There was ball movement on offense. There were fewer blown defensive assignments. We actually saw proper defensive rotations. There was energy for 3.5 quarters. Roy was his usual self. Outlaw was his usual self. Andre Miller finally looked comfortable. Blake shot well. And did I mention that Greg Oden got the best of Tim Duncan?

Do we credit this type of performance to Nate McMillan's unconventional starting lineup change which featured both Blake and Miller? Maybe. It definitely helped. It got this team off to a quick start and into a rhythm we had yet to see through the first 5 games. And from Nate's post game comments, it sounds like he plans on sticking with this new starting 5 for the next few games at least. The Blazers take on teams that are not necessarily impressive at the off guard and small forward positions so this lineup should continue to work. For now that is. I'm not ready to anoint this move as the genius moment of the century yet. Just one game people, just one game.

A couple of downers last night: LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Fernandez are becoming forgotten soldiers. Aldridge was decent against the Hawks but has been a non-factor the rest of the time. And Rudy, far worse. Last night he saw a measly 11 minutes and really did nothing but throw one nice bounce pass to Aldridge and missed a buzzer beater that Martell cleaned up to end the 1st. Not sure what it'll take to get these two back on track, but I hope something clicks soon as they are too important to this team to fizzle away.

The media row report. [Blazers Edge]
Props to the new starting lineup. [Mike Barrett]
And the RG started getting nervous. [Jason Quick]
"Spark" sounds just about right for last night. [Brian T Smith]
Recap from the enemy side. [Pounding the Rock]

Recap. Box Score...

Highlights...

Tweet of the Game...

Rip City Jerseys Blow Up Google

2009-11-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

The Blazers rocked out their "Rip City" jerseys tonight on a nationally televised game against the San Antonio Spurs and Google was officially dominated.

(click for big boy version)

It's nice to know that the phrase which has been with this city and franchise from the beginning is now recognized nationally. Hats off to the person in the Blazers marketing department who made this call. And somewhere Rip Hamilton weeps.

LaMarcus Aldridge New Contract Details

2009-11-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

HoopsHype and ShamSports.com have provided us with the numbers for LaMarcus Aldridge's new contract...

2010/11 - $10,700,000
2011/12 - $11,800,000
2012/13 - $13,000,000
2013/14 - $14,100,000
2014/15 - $15,200,000

Damn that's a lot of money.

Speaking of contracts, we've finally updated our roster page which includes everyone's salary for the 2009-10 season.

4 Reasons to be Concerned About the Blazers

2009-11-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

Time for the supposed "experts" to stop berating anyone that shows concern for the current status of the Portland Trail Blazers. Why shouldn't people be worried about a 2-3 team looking completely lost and on the verge of fulfilling a Bill Simmons' prophecy? The people closest to the situation sure seem to be...

1. Nate McMillan is. Practice reports from this week suggest that McMillan is sick of the laughing, the excess talking, the secret meetings and the lacksadaisical performances. It sounds like he put the entire team through the wind sprint ringer on Thursday to make sure they understood that changes are on the horizon. Running your team to death the day before a game as huge as tonight's is not common practice, but Nate realizes it's time to take back control.

2. Brandon Roy is. Not only has Brandon Roy been noticeably troubled by the feel and look of this team, he's also admitted publicly that they need to "start all over" again. Not exactly the words you want to hear from your superstar's mouth. He did finally come out and admit that he doesn't care who he plays with in the starting lineup and that's exactly what this team needed.

3. Greg Oden is. The guy went on an expletive laced tirade yesterday to the media. Have you ever heard big GO go off like that in public? There has also been a ton of chatter surrounding his newly found voicebox on the court. Calling out players, bringing together meetings, and working his best Jordan-esque fist pumps all show his understanding of the team's urgency to corral this funk.

4. The city is. The entire city of Portland can't stop talking about their one and only professional sports lovechild. You can't tell me that the hundreds of thousands of fans showing concern is unwarranted. That many people collectively can't all be confused by the second rate product they are seeing on the court each night.

Sure it's incredibly early in the year. And there are new pieces. And we all know how much talent this team has. And we'll continue to assume that in the end, everything will work out. Until then, we'll keep asking questions.

The Pre-Funk: Spurs/Blazers 11/6

2009-11-06T09:29:00.000-08:00

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest. We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

The Discovery Channel needs to call Manu Ginobili stat. Why? Because we've finally found someone that can give Bear Grylls a run for his money. If you have been living in seclusion and have no idea what I'm talking about, check out the gif. And I don't want anyone to even try bringing up that Les Stroud "Survivorman" guy. His panties are on tighter than Aldridge's.

This obviously poses quite the threat to "your" Portland Trail Blazers who appear to be softer than a vegan arena bat. Fortunately, the Spurs are coming off a bondage-esque beating from the Utah Jazz last night, followed by a late night flight into the semi-hurricane which almost ruined a good night of bar hopping for the Blaze of Love crew.

Did the Blazers fix anything over the last 2.5 days? We'll find out tonight. Did Nate McMillan run them into a sloppy melting mess to set a new tone in hopes of fixing it all? You damn right he did.

On Tap...

Yesterday's practice report from Ben. [Blazers Edge]
And Greg Oden is starting to use expletives. Love it. [Jason Quick]
Blazers "starting over" is a scary thought. [Brian T Smith]
Offense also needs to be more than just Roy/Aldridge. [Brian T Smith]
Canzano 3 days late with his take on Miller/Roy. [John Canzano]
Fantastic enemy coverage plus a simulation. [Pounding the Rock]
More enemy coverage. [Project Spurs]

Cheap Shots...

The day all basketball fans rejoiced.

Blazers Rockin' Rip City Jerseys Tomorrow

2009-11-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

"Your" Portland Trail Blazers will wear the white "Rip City" jerseys for tomorrow night's game against the San Antonio Spurs to show some love to the past. This will be the first opportunity to see the special editions jerseys for those of you who didn't make it to the exhibition at Memorial Coliseum.

COMMEMORATIVE JERSEYS PAY NOD TO FOUR DECADES OF SUPPORT

Trail Blazers to make first of two regular-season appearances in ‘Rip City’ gear

przy_ripcityPortland, Ore. – Tomorrow night, in front of a sold out crowd and a national television audience, the Portland Trail Blazers will wear commemorative “Rip City” jerseys, paying homage to the enduring 40-year bond between the team and its fans.

The jersey, designed in conjunction with the team’s 40th anniversary season, unofficially debuted during the October 14 preseason game vs. Phoenix. It will be worn twice during the regular season – Friday night vs. San Antonio and on Fan Appreciation Night, April 14 vs. Golden State.

“Since the day that Bill Schonely first uttered the words in 1971, ‘Rip City’ has become synonymous with Portland and Blazermania,” Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Mensah said. “These jerseys were our way of using the 40th anniversary platform to celebrate and recognize the role our fans have played in the success the Trail Blazers franchise.”

On February 18, 1971, Schonely yelled the first ‘Rip City!’ cry in response to a long-distance field goal by Trail Blazer Jim Barnett. The rest, as they say, is history.

The most famous of many terms coined by the former Trail Blazers voice, Rip City grew to become synonymous with the basketball fervor that enveloped the city when the team won the 1977 NBA Championship and make 26 playoff appearances in a 27-year stretch from 1977-2003.

The return of Rip City, marked by 74 consecutive sellouts and last spring’s Rip City Uprise rally for an estimated 15,000 fans, has been evident throughout the team’s resurgence.

As a result, Rip City merchandise – including jerseys and T-shirts – has been some of the hottest selling merchandise in the Trail Blazers Fan Shop, accounting for more than 20 percent of the store’s sales this season.

As a response to the unprecedented demand for Trail Blazers merchandise, the team opened a retail kiosk at Washington Square to aid holiday shoppers through the end of December.

Additionally, the Fan Shop is open to the public from 11-3 every weekday.

Blazer Dancers Work the New Silver Boy Shorts

2009-11-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Blazer Dancers, as they do every year, dropped some fantastic new outfits that have the boys' hearts pumpin'. In fact, these new outfits are so on point, that I'm really starting to regret the ranking I gave them just a week or so ago.

For those of you not able to catch a game in person, here is a glimpse at what I'm talking about...

On another note, there are zero pictures of these silver boy shorts or the new black shorts outfits anywhere. If someone brings me some in decent quality, I'll buy you a Blazers t-shirt/hat/trinket, you name it(hah trinket). Seriously.

Blazers In the Playoff Hunt. Hooray!

2009-11-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, we can all sit back and breath now. Through 5 games, the Blazers are still in the Playoff hunt. Go team!

Obviously take that as complete sarcasm, but I find it interesting that these are the teams many projected to make the Playoffs. Some were skeptical on Phoenix and Oklahoma City, but neither would completely surprise us if they were to sneak in. Are we starting to see the decline of the Western Conference? Power shift back to the East?

The Afterparty: Hawks/Blazers Game 5

2009-11-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

I already vented about Nate McMillan last night, so I'll spare you a second one on the disappointing performance. You can only complain about a lack of on-ball defense, too many jump shots, and Travis Outlaw so many times.

And to all the Outlaw supporters out there, I could care less that the guy had 9 points down the stretch to keep the game close. Close isn't a win. His plus/minus on the game was -8 and he was out of position at least a half dozen times in the second half which turned into uncontested layups for Atlanta. Obviously, he's not the only guy at fault, but you could put him at the top of the list.

The media row report. [Blazers Edge]
McMillan looking for Miller to start taking over. [Blazer Banter]
And a ton of quotes from Roy and Blake. [Blazer Banter]
Atlanta does more than break through MB. [Mike Barrett]
Blazers going in the wrong direction? [Jason Quick]
Also not fairing well in chemistry. [Bust a Bucket]
That enemy recap which stings. [Peachtree Hoops]

Recap. Box Score...

Tweet of the Game...

Frustration. Setting. In. Nate McMillan.

2009-11-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

The Atlanta Hawks put on an absolute offensive clinic tonight at the expense of the Portland Trail Blazers. A complete embarrassment to the city of Portland. It's been years since I've seen a team do just about whatever they set out to do on every single offensive possession. Their offense was in such a rhythm, that the Blazers looked like a JV Division II squad on their way to a second home loss in just 3 home games. Can we start pointing fingers yet? I'm about to, Nate McMillan.

I'm sick of the talking with no results, the lack of emotion from the bench and your apparent confusion in the middle of games. I'm sick of seeing zero growth. I'm sick of seeing zero toughness, one-on-one isolations for Roy, and the pick and roll. I'm sick of seeing zero pick and roll defense, missing defensive assignments and rotations. I'm sick of seeing your players looking completely lost in an offensive set, in a defensive set, and in their general role with this team. You are not getting through to them.

You get a semi-pass for an injury plagued preseason which was supposed to be your time to work out kinks, mix in new players and see how much your superstars had grown in the offseason. Instead you dealt with nagging injury after nagging injury, traveled to random exhibitions in Canada and had the LaMarcus Aldridge contract negotiations in the back of your mind. Well "Sarge," we're 5 games deep and you no longer have any excuses.

For 3 years now we've been talking about a lack of toughness, frustrations on defense and mediocre point guard play. When are you going to start addressing these things? When will we start seeing improvements? I understand it's only been 5 games, but I can't take this for another 77.

Blazer Dancer Melissa Snags Free Ford Fusion?

2009-11-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Damn. That's all I have to say after seeing this video of Blazer Dancer Melissa rolling up in her brand new Ford Fusion. I'm still deciding if I believe that Ford actually gave this to her or if it is a part of her job as a Blazer Dancer. As you'll see from her Ford Dancer Tour, she was set up to promote the Fusion. Either way, it sure pays to be a BD.

And if they did give her a new ride for promoting the Ford, I feel bad for Cristi, who got stuck with the Ford Focus while the other girls landed a Ford Edge and a big ol' Truck.

The Pre-Funk: Hawks vs. Blazers 11/3

2009-11-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest. We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

Do the Atlanta Hawks have the most overrated roster in the entire NBA? They are the poor man's east coast version of the Denver Nuggets. They come with a ton of swagger, but fail to back just about any of it up. Joe Johnson gets east coast press. Josh Smith is the amateur version of LaMarcus Aldridge. Jamal Crawford...wait he still plays? Mike Bibby's brain melted back in the 2002 Playoffs. They play less defense than Memphis yet can't score like the Suns. And that should be just about enough to get Hawks fans fired up I'd say.

On Tap...

Brandon Roy as the next unstoppable force. [HoopWorld]
Blazers "defense" vs. Hawks offense. [Blazer Banter]
Game day preview from Dave. [Blazers Edge]
Sheed's Shakedown goin' Blazers. [Bust a Bucket]
Nice to see some enemy coverage this early. [Peachtree Hoops]
Rose Quarter vision takes off. [JumpTown]

Non-Cheap Shots...

The Hawks are so boring, I couldn't even find any dirt on them. So check out the A-Town dancers who pulled off this fantastic Thriller tribute.

Nuggets Dancers Go White After Labor Day

2009-11-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

In a recent trip to China and Taiwan, the Denver Nuggets Dancers put on a little show during exhibitions featuring their Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, and the Utah Jazz. And look, even Larry Bird approves! Of course, we are having trouble acknowledging the hotness since we NBA bloggers adhere to all fashion rules and understand that you just don't wear white after Labor Day. Come on girlfriends...

Fitting that Larry Bird would find Bridget, whom you all know from this festive evening.

Andre Miller Meet and Greet at Dick's Sporting Goods

2009-11-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

See people, he's all about the fans!

Portland basketball fans are invited to meet Trail Blazers’ guard Andre Miller this weekend at the grand opening celebration of the new DICK’s Sporting Goods at Lake Oswego’s Meridian Square.

The newest member of the Blazers will sign autographs, meet and greet fans and take photographs. Fans can win prizes including signed Trail Blazers adidas jerseys and game tickets by trying on and testing out the new adidas Commander TS basketball shoe.

We thought your readers would be very interested attending this event and winning Blazers prizes. Please see below for full details.

WHAT:
Meet and greet with Andre Miller
Trail Blazers tickets giveaway
Hourly raffle prizes

WHEN:
Saturday, November 7
2 pm – Andre Miller autograph session
4 pm – Trail Blazers ticket giveaway

WHERE:
DICK’s Sporting Goods
Meridian Square
17799 Lower Boones Ferry Road
Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Aldridge Got Paid, Went Soft...er?

2009-11-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Putting $65 million franchise type players on blast is not necessarily my favorite thing to do. In fact, the last thing I want do is write something negative about one of the cornerstones of this franchise, but through 4 games of uninspired performances, I just can't help myself. With the ink yet to dry on LaMarcus Aldridge's shiny new contract, and even though it seems a little premature, why not start questioning whether or not he's worth it?

For years, players have been known to get paid and then slide down into some lower level of performance. I'd hate to assume that a guy who seems to genuinely love this game and play it with passion would travel down that road, but nothing should surprise any of us. In fact, after last night's battle in Oklahoma City, I'd almost start to question it all.

It was late in the 1st quarter when a limping Aldridge came out of the game after banging knees with an OKC player. His knee was wrapped, given the "OK" to test it, and we never saw him again. Just 24 hours prior, we saw the exact same incident happen with Steve Blake. The difference? Blake returned in the 4th quarter to finish what he and his teammates started.

For a guy who seems to get visibly angry when the words "lack of toughness" are tossed into a sentence with his name, he continues to fail to prove anything different. And to make it all worse, he plays alongside one of the toughest guys in the league in Brandon Roy. Through 3 years now, we've seen Roy play through it all and never once has his lack of toughness been a talking point, yet with Aldridge, it seems to be a weekly occurrence.

Like I said previously, 4 games isn't much of a sample size, but the numbers surrounding LA aren't all that satisfying. In fact, after just glancing at them, they are a little alarming.

He has 22 total rebounds which is 3 more than Roy and just 1 more than Travis Outlaw who as we all know has never been known as a rebounder.
Joel Przybilla, with half the minutes played, has out rebounded him.
Last year, he actually had a decrease in production. While playing a full 2 minutes more per game, his numbers either stayed exactly the same or dropped.
Andrea Bargnani, whose $50 million contract was the apparent starting point for Aldridge's looks like a potential All-Star in his 4th year.
I don't even want to start on the inconsistencies of his college years.

Do the experts that claim Aldridge will be better in the long run than Roy actually know what they are talking about? I sure hope so for this team's sake. When you look at his build, athleticism, and style of play, his ceiling would appear to be higher, I'm just not so sure he'll ever come close to it.

Is it too early to be concerned? Probably. Was a $65 million contract justified? Only time will tell.

The Afterparty: Blazers/Rockets/Thunder Game 3 and 4

2009-11-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Quite a weekend I'd say. I'll admit upfront that I was extremely nervous about last night's game with the Thunder after watching one of the worst defensive performances ever against the Rockets on Saturday. (The team had dressed early for Halloween as Kyle Korver.) It sounds like Greg Oden stepped up in the "Rah! Rah!" category. Aldridge banged knees and could not return when the night before Blake found a way to. Roy went off in Houston, then couldn't buy a bucket in OKC. Travis Outlaw remains the worst player on this team. Dre Miller is struggling, really struggling. Martell Webster got torched and then was fortunate to find the coldest Kevin Durant in history. Rudy Fernandez has been non-existent. And now back home to take on the wildcard Hawks!

A vocal Oden is a great sign. [Jason Quick]
Good to grab an early road win. [Mike Barrett]
Blazers exhale after this one. [Joe Freeman]
Houston recap from Dave. [Blazers Edge]
Oklahoma City recap from Dave. [Blazers Edge]
Enemy Houston recap. [The Dream Shake]
Look for enemy Thunder coverage in a bit. [Welcome to Loud City]
An odd night indeed for Durant. [News OK]
Average tickets prices fall...everywhere else. [Reuters]

Houston Recap. Box Score...

Thunder Recap. Box Score...

Highlights...

Tweets of the Game...

vs. Rockets

vs. Thunder

Martell Webster - Dunks on Etan Thomas

2009-11-01T20:23:00.001-08:00

2009-10 NBA Preview Series: Pacific Division

2009-11-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Each season the NBA blog-o-sphere comes together to run the greatest season preview series of any sport. This is the time when all you basketball junkies get truly unique information from some of the most passionate and knowledgeable writers on the planet. As each division is released, we'll have them for you in one big blast. Please enjoy!

Pacific Division Previews:

Golden State Warriors: Golden State of Mind
Los Angeles Clippers: Clips Nation
Los Angeles Lakers: Silver Screen and Roll | With Malice | NBAtipoff | Hoops Addict
Forum Blue and Gold
Phoenix Suns: Bright Side of the Sun | Binary Basketball
Sacramento Kings: Sactown Royalty | Basketball Fiend | Cowbell Kingdom

Bonus Links: See full schedule here | Also see SBNation preview storystream

The Pre-Funk: Blazers at Rockets 10/31

2009-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest. We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

This is the rematch we've been waiting for. No, we don't mean from Tuesday night. No, we don't mean from the Playoffs. And no, we don't mean from the 1994 Playoffs. We're talking about the 1st round loss in the 2009 NBA Dance Bracket people. (It must have been the school girl outfits?) And yeah, somehow those 2008-09 Power Dancers took it all the way to the championship where they were easily dismantled by the Miami Heat Dancers who will make a man out of any boy. If you go back and look at our 2009-10 NBA Dance Team rankings, you'll see that the Blazer Dancers came back strong this year and will surely be a force come this year's tourney.

And on to the actual game...

On Wednesday, the Rockets squeaked one out on the road against the Warriors in a game that saw the Trevor Ariza Houston was hoping for. It also featured the Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola that had the Blazers looking silly in last year's Playoff matchup. Since this is the home opener for Houston, I would expect a tough battle whether you feel the Rockets are a bottom feeder or not. Let's also not forget that Portland has lost 7 in a row in Houston and will be coming off a loss at home to the Nuggets which we would like to forget forever. (Except for Martell's baseline hammer followed by the clowning of Carmelo's dunk attempt in back-to-back possessions was fantastic!)

Look for one thing to happen tonight: LaMarcus Aldridge to finally have a $65 million game. (He loves him some Texas where everything is as big as his contract.)

On Tap...

Love hearing that the Blazers have "size." [Houston Chronicle]
Also love seeing Aaron Brooks succeeding. [khou.com]
Jarrett Jack a better backup than Dre Miller? [Hoopsvibe]
Blazers point guards are all struggling. [Blazer Banter]
Plenty of support coming from teammates to Oden. [Jason Quick]
Dave pumps out another game preview. [Blazers Edge]
Enemy coverage of the finest sort. [The Dream Shake]
No All-Star bid for Aldridge this year? [DIME]

Cheap Shots...

Make it Official: Batum Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

2009-10-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

First via Twitter from the team:

@BlazerFlack: Nic Batum underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is expected to be sidelined for up to 5 months.

And then via press release:

BATUM UNDERGOES SHOULDER SURGERY

PORTLAND, Ore. – Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the Portland Trail Blazers announced today.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the surgery at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

Batum is expected to be sidelined for up to five months.

I'm glad that the surgery is over, but it also sets in the realization that we'll be witnessing Carmelo-esque performances like last night's for the next 5 months. Swallow that.

The Afterparty: Nuggets/Blazers Game 2

2009-10-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

A party full of post-game links and coverage to give you every over-analyzed angle in hopes of making your Blazers IQ that much greater.

Where do we begin with this one? It was tough to not be disappointed and frustrated while walking out of the Rose Garden last night, but at the same time, the final result was probably the right result. By no means did the Blazers deserve to win that game. Sure they had chances, but when it's all said and done, this team might still be too young to live up to everyone's expectations.

The 60 win team that you all dreamt about is not here. Yet. As much as I hate to say this, we all have to continue to be patient. This team is the 1000 piece puzzle of a snowy field. It frustrates the hell out of you because a ton of the pieces look similar yet you know it all fits together somehow, someway. You spend countless hours plugging them in only to find out it's not the perfect fit. Many nights leave you wanting to quit but you've put in so much time and effort that you keep working at it. You are waiting for that one piece that will push you through and in time, you'll find it.

Mr. Oden

What happened to Greg Oden last night might be one of the greatest things that could have happened to the young lad. He has now been in the situation that all the greats ones feast upon. His failure to flurrish in that moment is part of the growings pains of becoming an elite NBA player. Keep your head up big guy. Had your teammates made their free throws leading up to yours, you never would have been in this position. It's a team sport and I'm not about to put this game on you.

Mr. Aldridge

Where you at buddy? $65 million later and we're still waiting. I understand that we're only two games deep, but you haven't stood out in either of them. I really can't think of a possession where you did something that made me say, "Wow! Glad we paid you all that cash!" It's time to make a statement. It's time to show some emotion.

Mr. Bandwagon Fan

Please go away now. Blowing up Twitter with "#EPICFAIL GREG ODEN" in game 2 of the season is f-ing ridiculous. You know absolutely nothing about basketball. Your source for information is the OregonLive Blazers forum where you are currently spamming off ESPN Trade Machine requests and claiming emphatically that Dre Miller is "out of shape." You can't pronounce Batum. You're still pissed that the team cut Ime Udoka because he's a "Portland guy." You refer to LaMarcus as "LMA." You booed a woman in the stands last year for wearing a Brandon Roy Huskies jersey. You left the arena last night with 1.9 seconds still on the clock because you didn't realize a three pointer would have tied it. And to top it all off, you are the main reason we are now paying almost triple to see any of the upper echelon teams.

Denver makes a statement. [Mike Barrett]
And it definitely hurt. [Joe Freeman]
The media row report from Ben. [Blazers Edge]
Re-thoughts! [Rip City Project]
An enemy recap. [Denver Stiffs]
Recap. Box score...

Tweet of the Game...

Nuggets Dancers...Amusing Sweaty 13 Year Olds Daily

2009-10-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Pre-Funk: Nuggets vs. Blazers 10/29

2009-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

The all day coverage you need to go into tonight's contest. We're just making sure you're prepared to drop that extra knowledge on the brosephs to get you another smidgen of respect.

Party Attendees...

Last year we called the Denver Nuggets the most entertaining team in sports. No idea what the hell we were drinking that night, but most of it had to do with that fantastic picture up above. It's too bad the young chap is still suspended because there was a 25% chance we'd get another crip walk down 1 Center Court.

So the ~~Thuggets~~ Nuggets fought with another Northwest Division rival last night at home, hopped on a plane, and flew straight through a winter wonderland into the soggy bowels of Portland. Tossing in a late night flight between back-to-backs is never a good thing for the roadies and "your" Trail Blazers should come away tonight with a 2-1 record. Meaning, 2 wins and possibly 1 sucker punch via Carmelo Anthony.

People keep talking about "true tests" for Oden, so we're not about to go down that road. What I will say, is that Nene will be Greg's nemesis for the foreseeable future and if he wants to establish himself as an elite Western Conference center, then he gets his first chance tonight.

See many of you at the game. As always, hit us up via Twitter for pints.

On Tap...

Outlaw plus defense? Wait a minute. [Joe Freeman]
Dave has your game 2 preview ready. [Blazers Edge]
Sheed's Shakedown is back in full effect. [Bust a Bucket]
Pre-thoughts! [Rip City Project]
Enemy coverage #1. [Denver Stiffs]
Enemy coverage #2. [Nugg Doctor]
Enemy coverage #3. [Roundball Mining Co]
Rose Garden is the 5th largest NBA arena. [Sportige]

Cheap Shots...