wow, you're quick.

At least the Ducks won the Pac 10 this year.

It's going to be a long winter.

Noooooooooooooooooo-den!

We have no choice but to carry on.

To sing the blues you've got to live the dues.

Well, Tyrus Thomas is looking a lot better now.

If they trade Miller, they'll really be toast. He was essential tonight.

Only 10 weeks until pitchers and catchers report!!!

Kevin Durant put up 36 points against the Celtics last night.

Yeah, Durant's team lost, but I am just saying that...Well, Portland had the choice.

I shouldn't write when I'm upset but here goes:
The battle with Andre was not about Andre. It was between Greg and Brandon. Andre was involved because he would feed Greg the ball.
As soon as Greg was out, Brandon reappeared as the player of old. He worked effortlessly with Andre. He flipped the switch back on.

He could have shown the same desire and hustle in the first 20 games, but I believe he was deliberately sabotaging the experiment of Greg as an alpha wolf rival.

In fact, we know he was by his reluctance to play with Andre.

That's why it wouldn't have mattered if Greg, Brandon and Andre had started together. Brandon was not into it. He wasn't going to be himself, because he wanted the experiment to fail.

Tonight Brandon came alive. It's his show again. Didn't he look completely different once Greg was gone? 28 points. Heroic shots at the end. There is no reason he couldn't have played like that earlier except for one: He didn't want it to succeed - he wasn't happy so he wasn't going to let it work. He didn't want the ball working inside out.

We will never know if at some point this season, they could have worked out this rivalry and started to play together, but I thought it was a little sickening the way Brandon returned to last year's heroic form, the minute his rival went down. It all happened too quickly for me.

The potential of this season was not lost with Greg's injury. The potential was lost in preseason, the minute Brandon decided not to go along. And it was never about Brandon and Andre. It was about Brandon and Greg.

So now it's back to last year, with Miller and Webster added but Batum and Outlaw subtracted. Suddenly we're back to marginal playoff status.

But hey, let's put this in perspective. Luke's cancer is back. Allen's got lymphoma, and he's already used his bone marrow transplant card. Nate's looking at a month or two on crutches. Rudy's questionable. LaMarcus is questionable. I'm not sure Webster's entirely healthy. Maybe it's time to suspend judgment on the Blazers and just let them play with what they've got for the next month or two. Bring a pennant and yell "rah rah." Be a faithful fan and forget about the basketball IQ stuff while the disasters get sorted out.

Pritchard doesn't usually make trades in the middle of the season. He'll be tempted to do it this year, but he'd better be careful. This season probably isn't going to amount to much no matter what he does, and now you've got to be thinking that Oden is a permanent bust. Forget about the small forward for the short term -- we need a center again, for the long term.

Bill,

If what you are saying about Brandon Roy is true, then without a consistent post game where you have at least 2 players taking it to the post first, then Portland along with Coach Nate at the end of the season may as write off a championship run this year and 5 years out.

The Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Miami and the NBA champions going back to the Bulls have had an "inside out" offensive game where you space the floor with shooters to open up the post. The Lakers did it with the outside shooting of Ariza, Fisher, Rick Fox (in earlier days), Kobe and others. Boston did it with Eddie House and Ray Allen being automatic from the trey. Miami did it with Jason "White Chocolate" Williams on fire when D Wade single-handedly beat Dallas by getting phantom calls every time he drove into the lane. Finally, San Antonio had Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen's 3 point prowess during their three title runs.

It just irks the hell out of me when 6'8"+ players play as if they are 5'9". Rasheed Wallace is the best example of a big man who has the talent and skills in post, but would rather jack up a trey. Aldridge and Outlaw are prime examples on the current Portland team of big men who SHOULD be going to the post, but have married a lower percentage jump shot style game.

Portland will make a playoff run. I just don't see them challenging with talented young bigs who don't have the wherewithal to develop a post game reminiscent of the great Hakeem Olajuwon.

I think guys like Rasheed and Aldridge have figured out that you play longer, make more money in the long run, and stay off the stretcher if you shoot jump shots. You won't win a ring, but hey, it's all about "CTC."

RyanLeo,
I wouldn't go that far into the future. My hope was that Brandon was just going through a "young Kobe" phase. He could have come around after a suitable pouting period.
I would have proceeded with the Oden alpha wolf plan until Brandon joined in. I really wanted to see Andre, Brandon and Greg starting with everyone buying in.
What I realized was that even if the lineup happened, we wouldn't be getting Brandon's all.
I think what we're seeing with Brandon is basically a good person overwhelmed by a situation. It's not surprising that his ego hasn't learned to handle the big money and glory yet. I don't fault him for that. He's young and who among us is sure they could have handled this sort of life any better?
I tell you what, if you gave me millions of dollars when I was in my early 20s, I'd have been dead in a week.
So I don't fault Brandon for dogging it a little, then suddenly showing up after the injury.
You know, there was a very interesting moment in his interview when he talked about how we weren't close enough these last few games for heroic playing like he had tonight to matter.
I think he realized it was too obvious that he had suddenly started caring a lot more - as much as last year - after Greg went out, and that was a weak attempt to explain why we hadn't been doing this earlier in the year.
Oh well. It's a damn shame but the Blazers will always be a plus for me.

I was under the impression that the Oden Alpha wolf plan was dead on arrival during Oden's first season (2007-2008). Micro fracture surgery after ONE and I repeat ONE full season of college ball, man the signs were there! How much confidence can you put in an alpha wolf whose body always finds a different part to break down every season? Right knee first season, foot second season, and left knee currently.

Let go of your hopes for Oden in being the next Shaq, give him another season like the Nuggets gave Nene, and if he cannot play a full season, then waive him and tell all his suitors that he is a walking ambulance.

Portland is Roy's team. I am sorry that it has come down to Brandon Roy feeling threatened by a teammate who can score consistently in an area of the court where the field goal percentage is higher. Yet, Roy is an athlete and we all know how coddled they are in small market towns. LeBron is the same way in Cleveland where he is the team and if he goes, so goes the Cavaliers.

Jack,

I was wrong. The main problem with the Trailblazers is Coach Nate and the offensive and defensive philosophy that he instills in this team.

The Trailblazers need a coach who is not going to treat Brandon Roy like a chiffon scarf apart from the other starting 4, instill hard work and rebounding as the key to winning, and develop Rudy Fernandez as the go-to guy off the bench to sink daggers from the three point line.

If anyone thinks that my criticism of Greg Oden is too harsh, then remember this:

Greg Oden is making millions to ride the pine pony while you are making "insert number/year" in an economy where everyone is replaceable and if you think you are irreplaceable, then you have not met the newly employed H1B1 Visa co-worker from India.

I have tissues to wipe away tears; Oden has hundred dollar bills courteous of Paul Allen.

Actually, like Brandon, Nate should be happy, too. His job is secure once again. He's a great coach for a thin team, which Portland is quickly getting back to.

I blame myself for the Blazers' swoon. I never should have relaxed in my questioning of their future.

Thank God I never got back on the "Blazer Bandwagon."
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JdFs87ua_1s/R5Jdmmh_0II/AAAAAAAADSM/HXFFCjJBswM/s400/cliff.bmp