He’s back. The great mythical beast called Oden is out. They took the chains off of him and let him out of his cage. His first victim…… Channing Frye. Poor, poor, Channing Frye.

So once again the anticipation is at another all time high. Great article by the Blazers beat writer Jason Quick.

Here are some blurbs from the article.

For moments, it was awe-inspiring. Early in the workout, Oden took a long stride and ripped at the rim with such ferocity that the shot clock mounted on the backboard shook for more than five seconds punctuating one of his dunks.

“I’ve got tingles,” assistant general manager Tom Penn said from his courtside seat.

Penn, for one, said Oden looked good Monday.

“The important thing is he’s moving well and he has the same explosiveness and athleticism as he did before the surgery,” Penn said.

“Everything is a dunk, Greg!” Demopoulos shouted. “Everything is a dunk!”

Oden obliged, catching the passes in midair and finishing with mostly soft one-handed dunks. Occasionally, however, he unleashed a violent two-handed dunk, which raised the eyebrows of Demopoulos, Frye and Penn.

“That’s some nasty stuff,” Penn said. “And we’re not even going full speed.”

Please parents this is a warning, do not bring your children to any games this year. Something nasty, brutal, and violent will be going on, and children under the age of 13 should not witness such acts.

Catch the full article at the link below.

Here is the whole story.

So yeah, did your team pick Kevin Love, DJ Augustin, Derrick Rose, Brooke Lopez? Really, that sucks. Because we picked Brandon Rush, then traded him for Jerryd Bayless,  and guess what? He was just awarded Summer League 08′ MVP.

Yeah he has been slicing teams up left and right this summer. I am venturing to say that this guy is going to be one of the best players on the Blazers. Do I dare say this guy is going to be better then everyone else at the 2 other then BRoy? I think we will have three rookies fighting for Rookie of the Year. Oden, Fernandez, Bayless. Honestly, think about that one.

Bayless does not seem like a point guard and to me seems more of a Monta Ellis type player, he is so fast it hurts my eyes.He is a true 2 guard. It does not bother me at all that he is either. I could care less who runs the point at this point. BRoy can easily run the point, Sergio will have a break out season, and we still have good ole’ reliable Steve Blake.

I honestly cannot wait until the pre-season and season. I think the Blazers need to start investing more PR and marketing into Bayless. We are over flowing with 2-3’s now, so I think signing PKopenen is a must. He really seems like a good substitute for Blake. I honestly see Bayless starting this year. He is going to shock a lot of people.

My lineup has changed once again.

BRoy - Point on Offense

JBayless - 2 Guard on Offense, will guard point on Defense

TOutlaw - SF

LAldridge -PF

GOden - C

So what are your thoughts on Bayless averaging 30 points and 5 rebounds this summer league? Do you think I am over hyping him?

So with all the drama going on today I had epiphany.  Join us! Hop on to the “Portland Bandwagon”! Its never too late, we are not like LA fans, we love our team and our fans, and support them all. Our owners and GM’s nurture our players, and pay our players what they are worth. Our players love our city, and they love the fans.

Our star players, don’t “opt-out”, they “opt-in”(James Jones does not count). With so much talent, and great personalities how can you not love this team, and this city. It is the new Western Mecca of a Basketball Dynasty.

Let me break this down for you all that are thinking of hopping on our bandwagon.

Our list of Talented basketball assassins:

Greg “Babyface Beast” Oden, the guy has not even stepped onto the Gardens floor and he is already a legend in the city. This dude is prepared to tear heads off, and dunk on everyone including your mom. He dunks so hard he impregnates all the women in the stands.

Brandon “The Natural” Roy, how high does this guys ceiling go? Their is none, sky’s the limit. He cures prostate cancer with his crossover.

Travis “Trout, Trout Law” Outlaw, well bread, well fed, native of Mississippi, this guys un-orthodox jumper makes the Pope’s eye bleed. He could easily be the highest scorer on this team. Will see another break out season from this dude. Loves his BBQ, I think that is all that needs to be said about Troutlaw. His jumper cures glaucoma.

Rudy “The Matador” Fernandez, people call him the next Ginobili, I don’t know why? This dude is straight finesse, slick as the country he comes from. Expect big things from the two time MVP.

Jerryd “Pay up” Bayless, our new point guard is going to shake coma patients out of their comas. He is on the floor to kill the other guards that guard him. Straight fire.

Martell “The Prophet” Webster, he does not even have to step on the floor, but when he does all the girls break up with their boyfriends because they are all now dating “The Prophet” now.  He is the ladies favorite of the team. So all you GSW Boom fans, we have something for you as well!

Lamarcus “Horseface” Aldridge, okay that was mean. His nickname is not “Horseface” but it sure in hell should be. Next Timmy D here folks. Just quicker, bigger, and meaner. “Why long in the face LA ?” Thats just the way he looks.

Joel “The Vanilla Gorilla” Pryzibilla, a beast. That’s the only way to put it. You better whip out some weapons when JPryz and Oden step on the floor together, or get Andre the Giant, because these fools are the “Garbage men”. And when I say”Garbage men” I don’t mean they guard the crap centers, these guy will murder your players, then dig a hole under your stadium and bury your whole team! (Ill bring the lime)

Sergio “Spanish Chocolate” Rodriguez, do you hear that? Didn’t think so. That’s Sergio giving your whole team a heart attack. They simply cant keep up with him. Break out season for this guy.

No need to submit applications, were already prepared for you guys, hop on. The Portland TrailBlazers Bandwagon has room for all of you.

Sick of your GM’s and owners making head scratching decisions? We don’t do that in Portland anymore, Kevin Pritchard is almost more popular then the players. I say he should run for Mayor, maybe even Governor, maybe even Pope.

Paul Allen, billionaire god. Thats it. Nothing more to be said about the generosity of this guy.

So how about it ? GSW fans are being thrown to the side, Seattle fans, Dallas fans, Phoenix fans, anyone! Come hop on board, we would love to have you. Why not be part of something that will blossom into something wonderful.

Its on now, other teams should be ready for the Pritchslap. He is ready to fleece your team.

Did I mention its DRAFT NIGHT!!! The most exciting time of the year for me, especially since we have the best GM in the game. I have never seen more rumors surrounding one team, and that means Kevin Pritchard’s mind games have begun.

Their are about 12 different trade rumors going on right now that some how factor in the Blazers. Its ridiculous to even try to keep up. I expect to be “Shocked & Awed” by what happens tonight with the Blazers.

The newest rumor has been surrounding New Jersey giving up their number 10 spot to the Blazers. Here is a quote from this mornings podcast from the Blazers beat writer Jason Quick.

“The Portland Trail Blazers have intensified discussions with the New Jersey Nets about moving up into the 10th pick of the NBA draft with intentions of taking Texas point guard D.J. Augustin.

The Blazers would send the 13th and 33rd picks in Thursday’s draft, along with guard Jarrett Jack, to the Nets. New Jersey also would send guard Trenton Hassell to the Blazers.”

Now thats big stuff happening their. I think we might trade the pick, but it’s crazy to think about. We are trading our 13 pick, plus 33rd, and we are dropping Jack. We all want him gone, but then we will have the 10th pick, and the 27th from New Orleans. How the f*ck does KP do that ?

I honestly think we wont pick D.J. Augustin, we will trade all of our picks away for either a higher pick, or trade for some real serious.

I was glancing over at Hoophype.com and almost every other rumor surrounds the Blazers. It’s insane. The David Lee trade has me excited as well.

“According to executives with two teams, the Knicks are discussing a swap of first-round picks with Portland. The Knicks would send the No. 6 pick, forward David Lee and another player to the Trail Blazers for the 13th and 27th picks and a player, possibly Steve Blake or Jarrett Jack. (Portland is acquiring the 27th pick from New Orleans.)”

I love David Lee’s style of play, he is a furious slasher and likes to play the up tempo game, thats why I dont see it happening since D’Antoni is their now.

Other trades are surrounding Jermaine Oneal, TJ Ford, and a slue of other trades.

Kevin Pritchard is a god. He pisses off all the old school GM’s but he gets the job done. He is aggressive and wants a championship probably more then some of the players.

Kevin Pritchars is hands down the best GM in the game. (If we exclude Danny Ainge)

I have never seen anything like it. I am betting we see another draft trade record this year with the Blazers.

Every player in the league should just start packing their bags around draft time, because KP signed a deal with the devil and he is coming for you!

The end of an era of head bops, strip clubs, underage sexual allegations, drugs, weapons,  and 28’s on Monte Carlo’s are over. Its to late for us to get our money back, but it is not to late to save some dignity.

Darius Miles is now gone, and for now off the books.

Rejoice to the heavens!!

Read it here

http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2008/04/miles_knee_injury_deemed_caree.html

So now we know their is no chance for our guys to make the Playoffs, but the excitement does not have to stop their for us. Lets all slap on that yellow and navy, and start reping for our brothers in the Bay!

The Warriors are bitter rivals during the season, but I think every Blazer fan can enjoy and respect how he Warriors play. They play with straight fire, and it is so exciting as a fan to watch.

So to all you Blazer fans, and to fans that don’t have a team going to the big show this year, lets all start cheering for these guys. They come from a smaller market like Portland, Sac-Town, so lets break out the colors and start running with these guys. But still don’t forget about the Blazers, lets hope they can break .500 for the season.

Boom and company need to bring the thunder. And to all you YAY fans, you now have Rip City behind you.

Przybilla grabbed a career-high 25 rebounds and added 14 points, while Aldridge notched his second straight double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Say what??? 25 boards! The Vanilla Gorilla is dubbed Godzilla for the day. Great article here about JPryz.

Or here.

http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Trail_Blazers_sweep_Clippers_i-264006-1218.html

With the Playoffs on the horizon, and the off season looming in its midst, what is a free agent to do? The Mississippi Bullet is up at the end of this season, and is looking to break someone’s bank. What does it all mean for Monta? No more minimum pay, and finally it is time for some people to show him some respect. We the fans do, and we cheer for him when he does well, that’s all we can give him. But it is time for the league to show him respect, and in the back of his mind he is saying, “It’s PAYDAY and Montay wants his money!” I hope this guy gets whatever he wants, he deserves it more then anyone.

You can some up Monta as a person and a player in so many words, but I choose only one, “Humble”. That word says it all, a lot of young players run their mouth, especially ones that exhume the amount of talent he has, but after wins and after losses he stays humble. All the success he has on the court is trumped by his attitude off the court. He is polite, and attune to his surroundings, he is everything and more that you would want from young gifted talent.

So the riddle to our question above is long and drawn out, but we will try to keep it simple, but as we go along other questions will arise. It’s only the nature of the beast.

But is Monta Ellis ready or capable to be “The Guy”? “The Guy”, is the primary, the go to, the number one on his team. Is he ready to leave his role as Robin to Baron Davis’s Batman? Or is Monta ready to create a new role for himself, a new superhero for a new team?

As I analyze certain teams I look to see where Monta might fit best. Obviously the chemistry of Monta and Baron is phenomenal. Uncanny some might say. Can it get better, or has he hit his peak? In my opinion it only gets better. I think he has only shown us a glimmer of what he can do. Golden State fans are going to hate me for saying this but I think Monta is ready to takeover a team, and Golden State is not that team. Golden State will always be home, and Baron and the Warriors franchise have molded this young man into a star, but for him to overcome it all he needs to be on another team of young gunners.

So let’s break it down, where could he go?

Golden State - GS is where this all started, for a young player it would be hard to leave this atmosphere. The Warriors franchise gave him a lot of respect, with trusting him with playing time, and trusting him to takeover down the stretch. They play the type of ball he likes, and everyone loves him. But it is payday folks and Monta wants to see solid money come in. It is very likely he will stay in GS. But this is a job to these guys; if you are going to get more somewhere else then you are going to go. 

Memphis - Great starting block, but does Monta want to go back to losing again. In 3-4 years I could see Memphis making the Playoffs, but certainly not anytime soon. They have a great foundation in Gay, Conley, and Warrick. Monta would really add to the excitement. They have the money; they have the cap room, so this is a definite secondary.

LA Clippers - Are looking for an exciting two guard, but they need someone with a great shot, and that is the one fault for Monta. His jumper just has not come around quite yet. Still one of the top shooters in the league, but not quite Agent Zero status on the jumper.  So it is a possibility, but I know the Clips are looking to try to pick up Arenas in the off season. I think if they are unable to do so they might make a run at Monta.

Blazers - I am actually surprised with all the rumors that are buzzing that the Blazers name has not came up. With Kevin Pritchard crossing his fingers on the whole Darius Miles retirement clause, they could really have some cap room. Steve Francis will be coming off the books, so that’s $17.1M, and Darius off that would free up another $9M. Steve Blake will be off the books, so will Von Wafer, Josh McRoberts. Granted the Blazers will most likely resign Blake, and McRoberts. The Blazers have the money, and as of late Rudy Fernandez is whining over in Spain about coming to the NBA and being coached by “The General”. So that two spot could easily open up if Rudy stays in Spain. But we never know what Pritch is thinking, we have also heard the Blazers are trying to free up a lot of cash for the 09/10 off season when CP3 becomes available. All gossip, but that’s how it all starts. Pritch is a wizard so getting Monta is not that crazy of an idea. .

Move Roy to the point, which has been talked about quite a bit lately, and Monta at the two. Roy, Monta, Outlaw, LA, Oden…….. The Garden would just fall down. Can you imagine how good Trout and Monta would  get along, BBQ  for days.

Now this is all speculation, Monta is not saying anything. His only comments are “I am just focusing on the Playoffs, and playing good basketball”. That’s how a future free agent should talk. Gilbert Arenas should drink whatever kool-aid Monta is drinking, because it sure is working.  We wish him the best in  anything  he does.

Another video of the precut hawk. Good stuff from GO.

On another note the Blazers are not quite out of it yet. It is funny but it could happen. If the Blazers win the next 14 and the Warriors go .500 the Blazers could get the 8th seed. Granted this equation does not factor in Denver.Go Blazers!

This year has had it highs and its lows. We all expected lows, but these guys proved us wrong. Right now we are in a low point, but that does not mean we cannot go without a fight. Lets not play for the lottery, lets not play for business, lets play for the love of this game, and the only thing that matters in this game is WINNING!

Its always easy for a fan to talk this way. None of us really know what are in players hearts and minds, we speculate, we judge, but we never really actually know. People like myself never really know what these guys are like when the cameras are off. I can personally name many players that put on that smiling face just for the camera, and when I have met them in person when a camera is not around they snub me. But it is understandable. They don’t know who I am , I could be some crazy deranged fan looking to stalk them.

But these young players have shown a city hope. A new life, a new breath, everything we have wanted and more, and trust me more good things are to come. Everyone reading this that has a team that are above .600 and are playoff bound are wondering what the hell I am talking about. Everyone looks at our record of 33-31, and they say “what is all the excitement for ?” Well about this time last year we were at about 21 wins.  We are now at 33 and we have now surpassed last years record for wins. If the Blazers can pull off 40 wins without the “Franchise Beast” then I will consider this season a great success.

The 08-09 Season will be a strange season. I still anticipate losses, mainly because none of these guys have played with “The Dude” yet. I also anticipate a lot of movement in the guard positions in the off season. We might drop some folk, and we might pick some up as well. I think Pritch and company will deal their draft pick out with a trade for maybe a veteran guard. I love Jarrett Jack and Blake but we need consistency at that spot. There has been rumors of Brandon Roy moving over to the point when Rudy Fernandez comes along, but no one has staked a claim that “The Natural” will be a PG full time. It makes sense for BRoy to play the point, but with his addiction to injuries I would not think it would be the best place for him. The round mound would be happy as well, because we would no longer have “Midgets” in the back court.

So the lineup of the future is bright. But the big question that I have is the 3 spot. Martell Webster has got to be one of the most streakiest players I have ever witnessed. This guy is so damn good, I just don’t understand why he is so inconsistent. This year he really showed us a lot, but has he shown the Execs enough to hold on to him. Trout is turning into a full fledged baller. This guys game really reminds of Shawn Marion’s game, just a lot more exciting. But I think Pritch sees him as a huge bargaining chip, and that is something I don’t like. This guy could easily be the highest scorer on this team, and their is not doubt in my mind that he should be a starter. The only people I would like to see the Blazers try to pick up in the off season, is a PG, or another 3 guard. Possibly Andre Iguodala who is up for a qualifying offer from the 76ers at the end of this season, which I don’t think he will take. He will shop free agency and see who bites. But my suggestion to Pritch is deal Jack, and find a vet backup for BRoy at the point, and save the cash for the end of 08-09 season and either deal for Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

On that note here is my starting lineup for  the 08-09 season.

P Guard - Brandon Roy

2 Guard - Rudy Fernandez
3  Guard -  Travis Outlaw
PF - Lamarcus Aldridge
C - Greg Oden
So what are your opinions on next year?