Official Portland Trailblazers Thread - 100% Hedo Free!!

I admire your optimism but I don't think the Blazers have a chance this year. They need to make up six games with ten games left on their schedule and they'd also need both at least two out of the three teams immediately ahead of them to falter to leave the door open. It's still mathematically possible but I think it's only a matter of time.

That's how competitive the West is this year. A short slump in January or February is the difference between the top eight and the teams in ninth and tenth place.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazer ... 24hou.html
http://www.basketballforum.com/portland ... -game.html

Seems Oden is coming along well. We should be seeing a different blazers next season. I'm really excited to watch this guy play. The coming season would feel a lot like before, when the NBA was loaded with talented centers. I sometimes think that the microfracture surgery might have been a big factor here, instead of being the next pervis ellison, oden has a very bright future. Young big guys really benefit here, otherwise, oden and stoudamire might have been lost ot injury. well, of course the surgery is not a the perfect solution to all knee problems, as with the case of darius miles, whose career might possibly end pretty soon.

Scary though that the portland would most probably be in the lottery. If they play their cards right, they could be a real contender very soon. Portland really is a good example of how to rebuild, fascinating how quickly they were able to shed the jailblazer image, by making the right moves.

i'd be worried if Oden couldn't dominate a game on a gimpy knee at his local rec centre

Injured Oden reprimanded by Blazers for playing in pickup game

Nothing bad came of it and you can't blame Oden for wanting to play but it's something he needs to clear with the Blazers first.

Oden should get a "for love of the game" clause like Michael Jordan.

They might not add such clauses anymore. I'd think that clearing such workouts with the Blazers would be sufficient.

The Blazers got their 40th win last night, over the Mavericks, no less. On a side note, it makes me wonder how Jason Kidd feels after nixing the trade to the Blazers (I suppose that could have just been a rumor, but it seemed legit) who have a definite bright near-future. Obviously the Mavericks are a very good team, but I don't really think they've clicked as well as they had hoped.

I feel this (reaching 40 wins) is really important for the confidence of the team heading into next year adding Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and probably one more above-decent quality player (either through the use of their draft pick or by trading it, which Kevin Pritchard has hinted at doing). Equally important for the fans.

Barring some horribly unlucky injury (which I see as a sad possibility in the wannabe-psychic part of myself), next year is going to be fun.

Yep, the Blazers should be playoff-bound next year!
That is.. if they fill the void at the PG spot.
I got respect for ya, (Jarret Jack and Steve Blake) but the Blazers need a more high-caliber player at this position.

heading into next year adding Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez

Yep, the Blazers should be playoff-bound next year!
That is.. if they fill the void at the PG spot.
I got respect for ya, (Jarret Jack and Steve Blake) but the Blazers need a more high-caliber player at this position.

Haha, I think Rudy Fernandez will be good.
But I don't think he'll be able to get the starting spot.

Portland should trade for Jason Kidd.
Kidd's mere presence will automatically make the Blazers better.

The trail blazers announced today that they had waived Darius Miles.
Too bad, hi was one of my favourite players



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

Finally. What a bust.

On another note, the Atlanta Hawks have just clinched a playoff spot, meaning that the record for longest current playoff drought goes to... *drumroll* The Portland Trailblazers!

I wouldn't call Darius Miles a complete draft bust, he was doing well before the career ending injury. This though would save the Blazers some $$$ and could be a good free agent player for summer '09.

I wouldn't call Darius Miles a complete draft bust, he was doing well before the career ending injury. This though would save the Blazers some $$$ and could be a good free agent player for summer '09.

lol. Career ending injury and then a good free agent??

^ Lol at above

Bruce was saying the Trailblazers could be a good free agent player, as in now they will have a lot of cap room to work with. He wasn't saying Miles would be a good free agent, hahahaha.

Sorry what I meant was, the blazers free up some $$$ from their cap space, and the blazer team could be a major player in the '09 free agency. Darius Miles can go play with todd mculloch, jonathan bender, michael dickerson and shaun livingston.

I think Shaun Livingston is little early to say. Well he has been very injury prone entire career, but that doesn´t mean that he won´t have good career.

It depends on his recovery. Hopefully he'll be back as you hate to see a player's career over before it's really begun but Livingston's injury was brutal.

Sorry what I meant was, the blazers free up some $$$ from their cap space, and the blazer team could be a major player in the '09 free agency. Darius Miles can go play with todd mculloch, jonathan bender, michael dickerson and shaun livingston.

oh, hahaha. That makes a lot more sense! Sorry, read it fairly wrong!

Finally, that some-what bloated contract is gone.
Too bad for Miles though. Maybe New York will sign him and Q-Rich will get his golf buddy back.

Probably not, now that Isiah's on his way out and Walsh is calling the shots.

Lol, forgot Isiah's days in New York are over..

Bad news for miles, hope he could end up in another team soon-.

You know, when someone posts a link, it is often a good idea to follow it before commenting on it. Then you could see things like this:

Pursuant to NBA procedures with regard to career-ending injuries, the Portland Trail Blazers have requested waivers on forward Darius Miles, General Manager Kevin Pritchard announced today.

An independent medical examiner jointly appointed by the NBA and the NBA Players Association examined Miles and determined that the damage to Miles’ right knee is severe enough to qualify as a career-ending injury.

Reading other posts in the thread will also help in this regard.