Uprise [15-3] :: Most successful? Scrap it

Name: Julian Martin
Age: 19
Primary position: SG
Secondary position: PG
Country: Philippines
Height: 6'5
Weight: 190
Body type/tone: Monta/skin tone white
Strengths: Stealing,3 point shooting, def awareness, jumpshots
Weaknesses: blocking, inside scoring, dunks,strength,stamina
Playing style: defensive minded with a pass first attitude
Background story: Had an injury because of an assault
Shooting style: Bibby
Other: left arm band, right knee pad, number 10

Name: Chikichaka Gilgamesh Kefilwe Vomitta Tom Dwarf Xochipilli Ochieng Joey Chandler Leokul Thunder Mugabe(my real name)

As Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, I'm gonna need you to give me a first and a last name... maybe Tom Chandler? Just kidding bro. But yeah, a first and a last name

Then perhaps the first and the last name, just like with Mutombo, so Chikichaka Mugabe.

Name: Chris Hova
Age: 21
Primary position: PG
Secondary position: SG
Country: Germany for sure
Height: 1,93 -> 6-3? (not sure)
Weight: 172
Body type/tone: the 2nd white tone, not that muscular
Strengths: some examples: passing, rebounding, layup
Weaknesses: 3pt shot, other hand, cannot dunk
Playing style: pass first, if scoring, than slashing, flashy passes
Background story: hm dunno, just what Sit wrote. From Alba Berlin, some Euroleague experience, played soccer earlier, broke my arm two month ago (that happened in real life goddam)
Shooting style: the shot is called "buckets" I guess, not sure. High hands on turnarounds. Rip Hamilton freethrow
Other: Long wrist armband on the right and a small one on the left. low socks (not ankle socks). Number 33 (Scottieeeee) Ah and maybe some fingertaps
And just for some realism, my hair is dark brown. Don't wanna have you a blond german in there

Name: Will Sit
Age: 21
Primary position: SG
Secondary position: PG
Country: UNC
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 220
Body type/tone: I'm toned and muscular
Strengths: FG shooting, shooting in traffic, dribbling, passing, offensive awareness, man-on-man defence
Weaknesses: blocking, rebounding, stealing
Playing style: I'm an all-around player, great defensive player but more focussed on offence.
Background story: Make it up
Shooting style: Kobe - unless The X can suggest a better one which I'm sure he can!
Other: jersey number HAS TO BE 8... no accessories, give me purple and yellow kobe shoes or similar and i am asian but i dont mind if u make me a black man

Name: Liam Washburn
Age: 22
Primary position: Point Guard
Secondary position: Shooting Guard
Country: University of Washington
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 205
Body type/tone: Muscular build like Deron Williams, skin as pale as possible (Manu I guess)
Strengths: Offensive Awareness, 3pt shooting, passing, NBA ready (college senior)
Weaknesses: Below average athleticism, limited potential (college senior)
Playing style: White pass-first point guard a la Steve Nash
Background story: Played at UW for four years as starting point guard. Touted as a potential second round pick and overshadowed by NBA-bound Jon Brockman and Spencer Hawes, Washburn stood out during his senior season, leading the team in scoring and assists, and dominating during the NCAA tournament.
Shooting style: Brandon Roy shooting stroke, Steve Nash free throw stroke
Other: Jersey #7, short, messy dark brown hair

Maybe me and lamrock can play on the same team. We'd compliment eachother well

Name: Todd Cooper
Age: 19
Primary position: PG
Secondary position: SG
Country: UCLA
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 140
Body type/tone: Buff - White tone (jason williams, steve nash etc.)
Strengths: 3pt, mid-range, passing, free throws, offensive awareness, ball handling
Weaknesses: steals, man-on-man defense, defensive awareness, dunks
Playing style: Shoot first PG
Background story: Played at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) from the age of 16-18, and was offered a college scholarship by a number of teams (SMC, UNC, Oregon, Cal), but went to UCLA. Cooper revealed that he was going to declare for the up-coming 2010 NBA draft before the current season even began. Very risky pick, with his height being a major factor and also his lack of defense. Otherwise he is an absolute beast on the offensive end and could be a steal in the draft.
Shooting style: Quick release (Rudy Fernandez)
Other: Left arm sleeve (white), right arm wrist band (white), left knee brace (white), right knee strap (black), Any Nike shoes, Jersey Number 21

Name: Don Elliot
Age: 19
Primary position: PF
Secondary position: SF or C
Country: Australia
Height: 6-9
Weight: from 240 lbs.
Body type/tone: Ramon Sessions Tone
Strengths: Athletiscim, Post Defense, Rebounding, Inside Scoring,
Weaknesses: Playmaker ability, Outside Scoring, Perimeter D
Playing style: Athletic PF who tends to shoot inside and attempts alot of block shots
Background story: Im not sure, can u make one? if not how bout no story lol
Shooting style: Harden
Other : left Arm long black sleeve, right team double rubberband, and Left and Right Leg Black Calf Sleeves

Name: Mark Moore
Age: 23
Primary position: PG
Secondary position: SG
Country: New Zealand
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200
Body type/tone: 1
Strengths: Speed, Endurance, Defensive Aware, Perim D, Hands
Weaknesses: blocking, 3point, consistancy
Playing style: Defensive (Lock down)/Pass First
Background story: You can make this up
Shooting style: T Mac
Other: Number 6, Headband, knee straps

Name: Leo Lai
Age: 19
Primary position: SG
Secondary position: SF
Country: Hong Kong
Height: 6-6
Weight: 195
Body type/tone: Asian looking, looks more like Yi/Sun then Yao
Strengths: Outside Scoring, Perimeter Defense, Athletic Ability, Finishing Ability, Potential
Weaknesses: Strength, Passing, Rebounding, Free Throws, Low-post defense
Playing style: All-Rounder who slashes on offense and shoots mid-range jumpers, Plays lock-down defense on the other end
Background story: Be Creative
Shooting style: Kobe
Other: Adidas Lightning Creators, Black Knee Pads (both Knees), Left Forearm Black Armband, Left hand finger straps, Number 24 (if not available, #3 or #1), Medium Messy Dark brown Hair

Thanks to everyone for the applications... only 3 tests to go... this will be back on full on Wednesday... Might do a small blog update on the weekend.

Webster looking back with no anger
TrailBlazers.com | November 11th, 2009

PORTLAND - Martell Webster is talking about anger. He's talking about the anger he bottled like nitroglycerin when he was growing up. He's talking about the rage that grew inside of him until it had nowhere else to go and somehow had to be released. He is standing in front of about 40 third-grade students at The New School, and it is a rapt audience, listening intently as if Martell was giving each student the keys to a long and happy life. Growing up in Seattle, he had every right to be angry. His mother had disappeared and there wasn't anybody, anywhere who could give him a reason why she wasn't with him. It wasn't fair and he knew it, and the pain he felt from her absence was corrosive. Finally his anger became such a problem that he had to be taken out of regular classes at Stevens Elementary and placed in a special-education class, where he was taught how to manage the anger.

“He was struggling with his own internal demons,” said Laurie Kazanjian, one of his teachers at Stevens. “But he didn't throw it out on other people that much. Most of the time he was struggling within.” Kazanjian helped teach Martell patience. That helped show him how to control his temper, that helped lead him out of the darkness that had enveloped his childhood. And Martell never has forgotten her. In fifth grade she gave him a gift: the gift to be somebody. And it was her school he visited early today. Those were her students who hung on his every word, took notes and shared their own stories about their own anger with him. This is the way it's supposed to work. Martell was there repaying a debt, giving back to his community, doing what every athlete as fortunate as he should be doing. He wasn't looking for publicity: no press release was issued about this visit. He didn't come to The New School because the Blazers mandated it. His agent didn't ring up the TV stations.

He spent more than an hour in class talking about sportsmanship and anger and spent more time on the playground shooting hoops. You got the impression he would have stayed even longer and that he will return often. It was in a class taught by Kazanjian and lead teacher Mike Oliver, during the 1997-98 school year, that Martell learned how to deal with his tragedy and manage his rage. “I remember this kid who had this horrible, hard life and who was heartful and had the capacity to listen to others and treat people beyond his own pale,” said Kazanjian, fighting back tears after Martell had gone. “He was someone who could display generosity and good heartedness at a young age.” At Stevens, Oliver and Kazanjian developed a five-step program that rewarded progress. Once the students got to the fifth step they could be returned to regular classes.

“If it wasn't for that program I think I'd be struggling a lot,” said Martell. “That actually gave me a chance to control situations and problems. I got rewarded for the good things I did. When you get rewards, you want more rewards. I wanted more rewards and I started doing better and better and better. I got to that fifth step, which I thought was virtually impossible. It just made me want to keep getting success and keep getting the rewards that life gives from doing good things.” Martell and three of his Stevens classmates are the subjects of a remarkable documentary, “Stormy Lessons”, co-produced and co-directed by Kazanjian and Karen Hirsch, that has been almost eight years in the making before it got released in 2006. The documentary included scenes of him as a fifth-grader playing basketball. It is clear, even then, that he had an abundant capacity for leadership.


In one scene, he tells another student, “You can't have your way all the time. That's why it is a special-ed class.” Hirsch said: “He had this presence, this shining presence. You saw that as a fifth-grader. I knew he was very special, but I didn't know where it would lead him.” Martell was reluctant to look at a few scenes from the movie. That was a painful time in his life and he wasn't sure he wanted to spend part of his day returning to it. Finally he agreed and sat smiling, almost mesmerized, in front of the television in a large, open class area. He is an American success story. The sixth pick in the 2005 NBA draft. A millionaire by the time he was 18. A rookie with an unquenchable thirst to get better. A kid who overcame so much.

“Lauren and Mike taught me that life's hard, but you've got to keep pushing. You've got to keep fighting. When I was a young kid I was thinking that I knew everything, so I was thinking, 'What do they know? They don't know nothing. I don't listen to them.' But the taste of reality hit me when I saw that I wasn't in the classes that all of my other friends were in.” Martell reacted to his placement in the special-education classes with an athlete's resolve. He looked at his time there as a challenge and, for as long as he can remember, he has thrived on challenges. It was game time. “Finally I realized that the difference was, those people in the other classes know how to control themselves. That was something new for me. I thought, 'This is a new test. Can I control my behavior? If I can, I can be in those same classes with my friends.”

“I love a challenge and this was something I wanted to take on. I wanted to show everybody I could do what they were saying I couldn't do. It was like I had to open a door and when I did, there was something good waiting for me on the other side. From that day, since I got to Step 5, that's how I've approached life.” Martell had a choice. He could have wallowed in his family tragedy. He could have used it as an excuse for the rest of his life. Or he could listen to his teachers, take advantage of the opportunity they were giving him and break loose from his rage. “It was kind of like I broke out of my immature shell at a very young age,” he said. “I just got tired. It was like, 'OK, I'm acting up. I'm acting the damn fool. But I'm not going anywhere.' I was constantly in trouble. I couldn't go outside.”

“What was the fun in that? Just to prove that, 'I don't care what you say. I'm going to do it my way?' I didn't like feeling like that at all, so I changed. I totally went 180 degrees.” He listened to his teachers. He overcame his anger. And today, in front of the teacher who helped him through some of the darkest days of his life, he gave hope to a classroom that listened as if he were the answer.

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Great article. I always liked Webster. How's Bayless doing? He's my favorite Blazer as of late. Since you didn't get Miller, it seems like he would get playing time.

Very nice written! Webster is a cool guy and on the court he has more to offer than just being a role player. Actually if you develop him the right way he could be a star with seasons to come.

great to see a Martell feature and really nice one too

Name: Carl Cruz
Age: 20
Primary position:PG
Secondary position:SG
Country: Philippines
Height: 6-1
Weight: 170
Body type/tone: Brandon Roy
Strengths: Speed,Mid Range,On Ball D.,Ballhandling,Layups
Weaknesses: Blocking,Off Rebounding,Def Rebounding,Low Post Off,Low Post D.
Playing style:Athletic and super fast and likes to pullup for mid range jumpers
Background story: Led the PBA (Philippine Basketball Associtation) In Points and Assists
Shooting style: T.Evans,Free Throws: Generic
Other: Jersey Number 8 (if not avaialable then 13,15 or 1) ,Shoes: Nike Hyperize,Right Arm Sleeve,Hair: Dreads Short

Nice of you to show some love to Webster. He's definitely the X-Factor for the Blazers when he starts hitting his shots because he can open things up in the paint for Aldridge and Roy.

Great read. Always liked Webster.

Great article. I always liked Webster. How's Bayless doing? He's my favorite Blazer as of late. Since you didn't get Miller, it seems like he would get playing time.

Bayless will start the next game in place of Blake. Webster will slowly get more minutes and be the new sixth man. I like him, he just needs coach Tirieux's trust.

Very nice written! Webster is a cool guy and on the court he has more to offer than just being a role player. Actually if you develop him the right way he could be a star with seasons to come.

That's the idea, him to be a star in the future!

great to see a Martell feature and really nice one too

Thanks man, the idea is to post a feature of all the players in the roster as time comes by.

Nice of you to show some love to Webster. He's definitely the X-Factor for the Blazers when he starts hitting his shots because he can open things up in the paint for Aldridge and Roy.

As I said to Hova, that's the idea. Don't you want to join the draft class?

Great read. Always liked Webster.

Thanks bro.

Might post a game today if I have some free time, keep an eye here.

Thierry's Blog: Fantastic Four overpower Timberwolves
TrailBlazers.com | November 12th, 2009

Welcome back to my blog, Blazers fans. Wanna talk about Juwan Howard this time... word has come to me that GM Nate McMillan is negotiating a buyout with him, and he will be waived by the the Blazers, possibly as soon as today, as Nate continues its youth movement of the squad. “We’re close to reaching an agreement, and my expectation is it could be done as early as tomorrow,” Howard said last night. Terms of the buyout are not known. The truth is that we have a glut of centers (Greg and Joel cover that position) and power forwards (LaMarcus and Jeff) and Juwan clearly did not fit into our plans. He didn't play yet this season. Juwan, signed in the offseason, was the oldest player on the roster. I must admit that I have younger, better options. Waiving Juwan will leave us with 13 players under contract and two spots in the roster for any trade or 10-day contract. On to the game against the Wolves:

(8-1)
(3-6)

(SIMULATED)





Jerryd and LaMarcus had 18 points apiece and lead the us to a 101-74 win over the reeling Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, with an aggressive defense that allowed us to still lead the West, and in a big way. “Jerryd was definitely the one who made us go tonight,” said LaMarcus, who added 15 rebounds. “He found me for layups and dunks when I got out and run. He made it easy.” Minnesota allowed Jerryd to drive the lane as he made 7-of-11 shots and had four assists, starting in place of Steve, ejected against Memphis. To round the Fantastic Four, as I said in the title, Brandon and Martell (who had deserved minutes tonight) scored 17 apiece, to help Portland improve to 8-1. Travis added 14 points. “We forgot that this was a game on the road, and that's one of the good things about this team. We have a good sense of being able to forget our bad games and move forward, I'm talking about that loss against the Nuggets, man,” Brandon said. Jonny Flynn had 17 points and Al Jefferson scored 15 for the Wolves, who are now 3-6, as they lost their third straight game after being 3-3. Jerryd sparked Portland to a quick lead and they coasted much of the way.

Kevin Love missed the past five games with a sprained right ankle and his timetable to return was tonight: he had a good return with 13 points and 14 rebounds. “This was an unacceptable performance and I take responsibility. I'm in charge of the product out there and this is not gonna work. We didn't have any defensive energy but you gotta give Portland credit. I can say they're the best system team in the league right now and they carved us up tonight,” Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said. We had an early lead and led by 17 points on a Greg's dunk midway through the second quarter. Flynn then scored seven straight points to bring Minny within ten 4 minutes later; we led 49-35 at halftime. “We're struggling right now and it is unfortunate because we have a good team,” said Flynn. Brandon, who also added 10 assists, scored on the first possession of the fourth quarter to stake us to our largest lead, at 87-60. Corey Brewer had not scored last game of the Wolves against Golden State, but he had all of his 6 points in a row in the fourth quarter. His layup cut the deficit to 88-69, but most of the Blazers starters returned to the court and LaMarcus led a 7-0 run to secure the victory. Winners of the last nine meetings against the Timberwolves (the lowest-scoring team in the league with the highest rate of turnovers), they were no match for our aggressive defense.

Ramon Sessions, who has been battling a cold, missed five of eight field-goal attempts and finished with six points and four assists, but three turnovers. “It was a great defensive effort for us tonight. We helped each other out, we got stops when we needed to and we forced them into tough shots,” LaMarcus said. The Wolves shot .358% from the field (29-of-81). We also had 36 bench points, which led to several easy baskets (as I said, 17 by Martell and 14 by Travis lead the stat). We shot 56 percent from the field and outscored Minnesota 30-28 in the paint. I just hope the guys realize that this night is what we have to have every game we step out there, because I saw different energy than I saw the past two games, independently they were wins, and I think I have the right to expect that every night.

Next game: Friday... tomorrow... at New Orleans (4-5, 3rd Southwest, 9th West) against Chris Paul and his squad, broadcasted by ESPN. Remember, all our 82 games will be broadcast on the Trail Blazers Broadcasting flagship station, 95.5 FM The Game. Brian Wheeler, in his 12th season calling the play-by-play, and analyst Antonio Harvey, in his fifth season, will call the games, home and away. On television, KGW-TV and Comcast SportsNet will air a total of 75 Trail Blazers games with veteran analyst Mike Rice, in his fifth full season on television after spending the previous 15 years on the radio, and Mike Barrett, in his seventh, calling the action. Between KGW, Comcast SportsNet, TNT, ESPN and ABC, all 82 games will be televised for the third year in a row, and the third time in franchise history. In addition, all games will be available in High-Definition. Some key facts against the Hornets:

• We are 31-20 all-time against New Orleans, 17-8 at home and 14-12 at New Orleans Arena;
• Hornets and Blazers split the season series, 2-2, for the second straight year in 2008-09, with all four games played before the All-Star break;
• The Hornets have won 11 of their last 19 meetings with the Blazers after losing seven of eight going into the 2004-05 season;
• We had defeated the Hornets in five straight contests at the Rose Garden before New Orleans’ 92-77 win on Jan. 2, a game we played without Brandon, injured at the time;
• Talking about Brandon. He led Portland with 17.3 points and 7.0 assists in three games last season against the Hornets, as LaMarcus added 16.3 points and a series-high 9.0 rebounds in four games. David West led New Orleans with 19.5 points in four contests against us last year, while Paul tallied 15.5 points to go with team highs of 5.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.25 steals in four matchups.
• Coincidences: New Orleans’ Ike Diogu spent the first part of the 2008-09 season with the Trail Blazers, posting averages of 1.4 points, 0.9 rebounds and 3.8 minutes in 19 games... Diogu and our drafted forward Jeff Pendergraph both attended Arizona State University; first-year Hornets assistant coach Robert Pack spent the 1991-92 season with Portland, averaging 4.6 points in 72 contests; Paul and Team USA defeated our Spaniard Rudy and the Spanish National team in the Gold Medal game at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

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Looks like fantastic five to me

Looks like fantastic five to me

I second that ,and why isn't Outlaw injured?

Well we all saw how well Portland's "glut of big men" is doing right now. Thank god for Juwan Howard irl. Nice win. Glad to see Bayless with the big game in place of Blake. You should give him helf of the PG minutes,

Looks like fantastic five to me

Yeah but Outlaw has been posting at least 10 points in a couple of games already.

why isn't Outlaw injured?

Lol, why?

Well we all saw how well Portland's "glut of big men" is doing right now. Thank god for Juwan Howard irl. Nice win. Glad to see Bayless with the big game in place of Blake. You should give him helf of the PG minutes,

Yep, no glut at all in real life Bayless is doing great as of lately, I'm actually thinking in trading Blake... well, it was one of the ideas from the start.

As I said in the Letting Off Steam thread, I'm done with school until March... so expect this one to go really fast... maybe 1 game per day.

I'm loving the Hardwood Classics night. Your team is playing great basketball.