Archive for January, 2009

“Back to life…Back to reality….Back to life….Back to reality….” Nope, this isn’t the late 80′s and Soul II Soul isn’t making a comeback but the words from their most successful US single ring true for the Blazers. After a Twinkie-like stretch which included the Clippers, Bobcats, Bucks and Wizards the Blazers are back to reality. That reality being having to win games against Western Conference playoff contenders. This conference is officially a 9-team race. Over the next week the Blazers will take on teams that will be in the race until the end. On the year Portland is 5-10 against [...]

This was scary. And what’s even scarier is…it kind of makes sense. I mean, imagine how valuable that diesel contract is going to be this time next year. Imagine the tutelage for Oden. Oh, the horror. I need to go to bed.

Well, Jason Quick went and blew up the Blazernet today in the Oregonlive.com chat. He first mentioned a minor deal with a Western Conference team that he doesn’t think will happen (is Mike Conley minor?) and then dropped the bomb of mystery by saying the Blazers have had talks with an Eastern Conference team about sending Raef — Henry Abbott’s top expiring contract — and two rotation, but non-starting Portland players. One of the guys coming back to Portland is someone the Blazers have been after before (Devin Harris, Luol Deng, Richard Jefferson, Danny Granger are some we know about [...]

The coaches have spoken and Brandon Roy will be making his second consecutive appearance in the All-Star Game. Last year there was suspense, surprise and intrigue. This year it was all gravy as anyone and their mom with a basketball IQ had to put B-Roy in the game. He will join Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, David West, Chauncey Billups and Shaq as reserves. The East reserves are: Jameer Nelson, Joe Johnson, Danny Granger, Rashard Lewis, Devin Harris, Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh. I know there will be some various opinions on this but this is one of the [...]

This game felt like a Corona commercial. It was very low stress, very simple and very relaxing. Just like the Monday night Clippers game, I didn’t feel for a moment that the Blazers were in danger of losing, and for the exact same reason: they were controlling the paint. Other than some sporadic Emeka Okafor jams, Portland protected the key and overwhelmed the Charlotte bigs (Okafor only had five boards). Aldridge had a very nice inside-out offensive showing and ran off about six boards in as many minutes in the second half right after I had this exchange: Brother: “Aldridge [...]

Well, not really thoughts, but I just have a few links for you. First and foremost, Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez were selected to the All-Rookie Team to play in All-Star Weekend. No great surprises there, but it could help dissuade some thinkers out there thinking Oden is still a bust (as illogical as that may sound). It will be a good chance for both Greg and Rudy to strut their stuff on a national stage in front of both people with national opinions and NBA legends. There’s more, and its all from ESPN’s All-Rookie Watcher Dude, David Thorpe — [...]

The title is pretty self-explanatory. Huge shout-out to CA for dropping the news in the comments of my pre-thoughts but Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace is out for tonight's game with a possible collapsed lung and fractured rib. No confirmation on the extent of the injury so far, we hope it's not too serious. I have no links since I'm doing this from my phone in class so feel free to drop one in the comment section for all to see. To the game, the task obviously becomes much easier without Wallace in the lineup. Containing Raymond Felton becomes that much [...]

On the surface tonight’s game should be the last leg of the Blazers ‘Takin’ Care of Business’ Tour 09 as the scheduling gods have giving us a reprieve of late. It’s the Bobcats at home, it’s the game that you skip to watch Lost or whatever TV show is hip or the game that your mom gave away the tickets to your teacher or neighbor. Or the game you skip to go on a date or play video games. That’s on the surface. We have to look beyond the surface people. I think we’ve got to look at ourselves in [...]

What a monumental day in RCP history. First, the grey line is slain and sent back to the shadow from whence it came (amen to good-day rhymes). Then, thanks to the unbelievable kindness of CutTheCheck from ClubBlazers.com, we get a brand spankin’ new banner to replace my kindergarten work from 2006. Thanks again to CTC for doing this for us, and to ClubBlazers for allowing his talents to be used elsewhere. They’ve got some fine people at those forums, and a solid community overall, so add them to your list of Blazers must-clicks.

Today, my friends, is a good day. The dreaded grey line that has permeated this site with its foul stench and evil ways has finally been destroyed. Have you ever had a problem to solve, but however hard you tried to solve it you just couldn’t, only once you walked away and came back to it you had it finished within minutes. That was the grey line dilemma. Naturally, my first inclination was to give Obama all the credit, but I think Brandon Roy Omega-jammed so hard on Cheikh Samb’s head yesterday, it rocked the line right out of the [...]