Making the Introductions
posted: 6/30/2006 at 10:44 PM
Yes, it's a bit cheesy for me to post a photo of myself with Brandon Roy today. A good friend of mine in the organization even sent me back a two word e-mail after I sent him the photo today- "jock sniff" he called me. I know. But, I couldn't help it. You don't just want the run-of-the-mill photos you see everywhere else do you? I told him, "get your own fricken blog and then you can post pictures of yourself, your son, your dog, and anything else you want." As for me and my blog, today, we run this photo.
To put this in some kind of context, yesterday morning we were actually shooting some stuff for the web site, and for the future, with the new guys. I spent some time interviewing LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Freeland, and, yes, Roy. They were all as cooperative and enjoyable as we expected. Freeland, from England as you know, started me in talking about the World Cup. I tried to act like I knew what I was talking about but he saw right through me. I did learn that Aldridge does have a nickname. He's the "L-Train," just so you know. Roy is "B-Roy." Freeland told me he doesn't have one, and I told him we'd take care of that for him. That just generated a puzzled look from him. One of the questions I was told to ask all three was if they minded the rain. Freeland is from England, and Roy is from Seattle, so I scrapped that question. I then told Aldridge the 85-degree day we experienced yesterday is pretty much what it's like year round in Portland. I think he bought it.
You fans from Spain who have been checking out the blog, I love ya. I can't tell you how many messages I've received from Sergio Rodriguez fans in the last two days. Some of them are posted below yesterday's blog. I'm sorry if I've neglected him from a lot of this talk. But, you're right. I don't know a lot about him. I will tell you that I'm trying to educate myself. I do know that Kevin Pritchard loves him, and knew him well, and that's good enough for me. I have watched all the video that's floating around on him, and I agree he's impressive. To answer a question a lot of you have sent me, no, Sergio won't be on the summer league team. He's playing for his national team, as many of you in Spain already know.
The Trail Blazers did sign an additional guy for summer league today. Nikoloz Tskitshvili cleared waivers and the Blazers grabbed him. For whatever reason, and there are probably more than a few, he's failed to live up to being the 5th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. He's been with Denver, Golden State, Minnesota, and Phoenix. But, he's only 23 years old, has great shooting range, and it doesn't hurt to take a look at him. It's not a guaranteed deal or anything, and if all goes well, he may get an invitation to training camp.
The team is now in Lake Tahoe to get ready for the Las Vegas Summer League. Brian Wheeler flew there today and will join me in tomorrow's blog and will let us know what's going on, and how the guys looked in their first practice. Talk to you tomorrow.
The Calm After the Storm
posted: 6/29/2006 at 10:25 PM
It was a great morning at Trail Blazer headquarters on Thursday. As you can imagine, there was this buzz around the office, and everyone seemed to have a little extra hop to their step. There were also a lot of smiles. Things went even better than expected during Wednesday night's draft, and it was time to breathe a sigh of relief.
I was asked this by several e-mailers today, so I'll get it out of the way early. LaMarcus Aldridge will be wearing number 12 for the Trail Blazers. He wore 23 at Texas, but says 12 was his original number growing up, and would like to wear it in Portland. Sergei Monia wore it last season before he was traded, and Aldridge will have it now. Brandon Roy wore number 3 as a Washington Husky, but 3 belongs to Juan Dixon on this team. Roy says he'll wear number 7. Joel Freeland, the final pick of the first round, will wear number 14. Raef LaFrentz will wear number 9, and Dan Dickau will wear 21. I know you wanted to that information. I also heard today they are working on the Aldridge and Roy Blazer jerseys, that you can buy, as we speak.
The Oregonian's Jason Quick had some nice information in his blog last night about Brandon Roy. Jason was in New York for the draft, and said he ran into Roy at LaGuardia before their respective flights back to the west coast. The most charming item to me was that Quick mentioned Roy was still wearing his Trail Blazers cap, he received at the draft, yesterday morning as he was getting ready to board his flight. That perhaps sounds like an insignificant thing, but I love that kind of stuff- Roy, very excited to be a Blazer, still proudly wearing his Portland gear for all the world to see.
We had an early-morning broadcasting meeting at headquarters today, and during the meeting president Steve Patterson stuck his head in the door. We gave him a round of applause and he stepped in and smiled. We all fired questions, wanting to know details from the war room. Patterson told us how tense the early moments of the draft were, and how all the moves the Blazers made were absolutely necessary to acquire the guys they had targeted. He also told us the trade the Blazers made with Minnesota to land Roy at number six was in doubt until the very last moment. The Houston Rockets badly wanted Roy and were also negotiating with Minnesota to get the pick. The clock was ticking. Owner Paul Allen stepped up, as he did all day, and provided the necessary ammo to push the deal Portland's way. It was amazing to me how some of these national "experts" ripped into the Blazers during the draft for making these moves. I'm fine with legitimate analysis, but do your homework.
The Chicago Bulls were negotiating with other teams for their number-two pick. Some questioned why the Blazers were forced to part with Viktor Khryapa to push that deal over the top. As Kevin Pritchard stated, simply, in the post-draft news conference, "You figure out who you want, then you go get him." That was not only my favorite quote of the day, but became a theme to live by on draft day for the Blazers, obviously.
Aldridge, Roy, and Freeland are in Portland now, and will be introduced to the city and fans later today. You got to hear from Aldridge and Roy on our draft radio show, and I'm looking forward to hearing from Freeland as well. I had a chance to spend some time with him after his workout in Portland last week and you are going to love this guy. As I told you last week, he has only been playing basketball for three years, and was bagging groceries for $5 bucks an hour before he decided to go to Spain to pursue a basketball career. He's only 19 and has tremendous potential.
After meeting the city, the players will head for Lake Tahoe to join the rest of the summer league team. Nate McMillan wanted to get away for a few days before heading to Las Vegas, and this is going to be a little pre-summer league training camp.
The broadcasting crew is heading for Las Vegas, of course, but Brian Wheeler is getting a jump on the rest of us. He's actually going to Lake Tahoe as well. Wheels will be joining me in this blog over the weekend and he's going to tell us exactly what's going on as the team gets ready for Vegas. So, check back late Saturday night, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday for his reports. Wednesday we'll join him, and the rest of the team in Las Vegas.
I've mentioned this before, but our coverage of summer league this year will be better than ever. A lot of it will be available right here on this web site. There will be a special "Summer League Central" page for you to visit every day. I'll have a daily report, we'll have exclusive video highlights, interviews, photos, and tons of information. What happens in Vegas, at least on this trip, will not stay in Vegas. You'll get it all (almost all anyway. You've got to give me some privacy. It is Vegas afterall). To answer the most-frequently-asked question from my friends, no, I'm not taking my clubs. Rice will, but he's not as dedicated as I am. Plus, he enjoys playing golf when it's 137 degrees. I'll use what little down time I have to give you reports from the pool. I suppose you'll want photos from there as well, huh?
A Draft for the Ages
posted: 6/28/2006 at 10:24 PM
Have you ever seen a crazier draft in your life?
If there were any questions in your mind about whether or not the Trail Blazers are serious about changing things, serious about agressively pursuing becoming better, or more committed to making things happen their way, I hope last night answered those. Undoubtedly, the future is bright, and just got a whole lot brighter.
The broadcasting team met yesterday afternoon, before the draft, with president Steve Patterson. He told us what a dream scenario would be, what they were working on, and where they saw this draft going. I'm not sure any of us actually saw
all the dominos falling Portland's way. It's not that we weren't confident, but it almost didn't even sound realistic. We expected a lot, but I don't think ever really thought all of this would happen exactly like this.
To give credit where credit is most certainly due, you have to start with owner Paul Allen. He joined our radio show last night on two different occasions, and each time sounded enthusiastic, engaged, and very positive. He was sold on what could happen, and then supplied the means and vision to make it work.
Give a lot of credit to Patterson and player personnel director Kevin Pritchard, who maybe now can finally get a little sleep. I asked Kevin after the draft party ended last night if he was going straight to bed. He told me, "heck no, I've got to go back to the office right now and put together a summer league team." What a summer league team it'll be.
The biggest thing to come out of the draft, in my mind, was the fact that rather than waiting to see where the draft would take them, and then reacting to what other teams did, the Trail Blazers boldly powered their way to a winning day. The scouting team was unified in what it wanted and grabbed the wheel early in the day. I honestly don't think it can be overstated what a huge and historic day this was for the franchise. I would think even the most pessimistic fans will find it hard to complain after this.
LaMarcus Aldridge, the player the team has wanted since the beginning, is now a Blazer. Brandon Roy, who could have gone as high as number two, and has been called the most complete and NBA-ready player available, is now a Blazer. Both of them called into our radio show and sounded almost giddy that things turned out so well for them. Martell Webster, who has known Roy for nine years, even got on the radio and helped us interview his old friend from Seattle.
The players sacrificed on draft day included Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and Viktor Khryapa. The Blazers also spent some serious resources to make all of this happen. Telfair and Ratliff were sent to Boston, in exchange for the 7th pick, Raef LaFrentz (maybe the most underrated addition of the day), and Dan Dickau. Khryapa was sent to Chicago, to ensure that Aldridge became a Blazer. And, Minnesota was paid to swap picks with Portland so that Roy would be on his way to Portland. The team wasn't done there. They paid for Phoenix's 27th pick, and ended up taking Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez, who no one expected to fall so far. With the final pick of the first round the Blazers added British star Joel Freeland, who's young, talented, and full of potential. Maybe the best part of all of these players? They are terrific young men and all are thrilled to be coming to Portland.
A summer league team consisting of Roy, Aldridge, Webster, Rodriguez, and Freeland, are you kidding me? I can't wait to watch them. We'll be heading to Vegas next week, and I'll be giving you daily reports, interviews, and photos. Aldridge and Roy will be in Portland on Friday, and will be introduced to the city.
Lastly, thanks to Outback Steakhouse in Tualatin, and all the people who made this draft party such a success. I expected it to be big, but nothing like it actually was. Mike Rice and Antonio Harvey did a great job hosting the show with me, and Brian Wheeler broke about five stories from the practice facility, plus got exclusive interviews with Patterson, Allen, and Nate McMillan, who couldn't wipe the smile off his face at the post-draft press conference. I think that's a sign of things to come.
Check out some of the great interviews by downloading the podcast (free from iTunes), or clicking on each audio file below:
LaMarcus AldridgeBrandon RoyBarrett, Rice, and Antonio talk about LaMarcus AldridgeOwner Paul Allen before the draftMartell Webster talks about the draft.Steve Blake with the guys from Courtside about the trades and the draft.Coach Nate McMillan in regards to the how the draft went down.Trail Blazesr President/Acting GM Steve Patterson on the draftOwner Paul Allen's reactions and analysis of the draftThe guys from Courtside Monday night recap the draft
Who is it Going to Be?
posted: 6/27/2006 at 10:28 PM
This is the big day. We've all said that before to describe NBA Draft Day, but when you're picking in the top five it really applies.
I drove by Outback Steakhouse today in Tualatin, and saw the crews putting up huge tents, preparing for the Trail Blazers Draft Party, and I started to get a nervous feeling in my stomach. I can't imagine how the players, and executives are feeling.
We take the air tonight at 4:05 from Outback tonight, and our draft show will go at least three hours. If you can't join us at the party, listen to the show on KXL in the Portland area, and kxl.com if you're outside the listening area. We'll be giving you coverage you truly can't get anywhere else. If you listened last year, you know what I'm talking about. We'll have Martell Webster and Steve Blake with us on site, and will get their reaction to everything that happens. Brian Wheeler will be sitting outside the door to the war room at the Blazers practice facility, and will have the green light to jump in at any moment with breaking news. He'll also have interviews with Steve Patterson, Kevin Pritchard, and owner Paul Allen, the moment they set foot outside the hot box. We'll also have the first interviews with the Blazers draft selections live from New York City. You'll want to be part of this.
Over the past several months I've tried to give you some idea of what goes into scouting in the NBA. Teams invest big-time resources in scouting, and the Trail Blazers are no exception. We're not talking about just money here, but also time. As you know, in today's NBA, you've got to be ready to scour the globe in search of talent. In the end you use everything at your disposal to determine who to select. It's an extremely complicated formula and it's a very inexact science. History has shown us that.
Trail Blazers player personnel director Kevin Pritchard, and his team of scouts, have putting working practically around the clock in this effort. Pritchard told me recently he's personally seen all of the top players in this draft many times. He's seen them play in games, either in Europe or college, and he's seen their pre-draft workouts. They have intellegence reports on the players, have talked to their high school and college coaches, and have investigated every possible positive and negative about these individuals. In short, take the time that you have researched the draft, times it by 1,000 and you're probably getting close to what these guys have invested.
It's amazing to me that here we are, on the day of the draft, and no one really knows what the top five is going to look like. NBA historians have all agreed that this is a very unique draft, one they haven't seen the likes of before. Not only is there no clear-cut number one, we're not even sure what teams will be drafting for themselves, and what teams have selecting for trade partners. I have a feeling that most of the excitment will come
after the draft tonight, when it'll start to be revealed who's trading with who.
Is it possible, with so many teams trying to move up and down, and with so many different scenarios and opportunities out there, we'll actually see fewer trades? It could happen. I've heard it described that there are "too many cars on the road" and this has the makings of one huge traffic jam. That at the end of the day it'll be a lot more uneventful than expected. Anything is possible, but I still think we'll see a major shakeup, a draft day for the ages.
If you're the Trail Blazers you have to be ready for every possible scenario. You can usually put out feelers, or just plain call teams and ask them who they'll be taking. None of this applies this year, because I don't think teams know. Between all the smoke screens and agents using the media to market the best opportunities for their players, we've got information overload. I just can't wait until it's over and we can start to sort it all out.
I do know the Blazers have explored every player, every situation, and every opportunity. Those trades ideas you fans always e-mail to me late at night? Yes, the team has thought of them. I would love to be able to hear, after the draft, all the moves that almost happened, or could have happened. But, in most cases, we'll never know. I just trust that these guys know what they're doing, and they've got their reasons, in all cases.
This could be a wild ride. Talk to you tonight on the radio.
Draft Week off to a Good Start
posted: 6/26/2006 at 10:18 PM
I'm sure you're having trouble connecting the two here, but I think you know what I'm saying. Brian Wheeler was over at my house watching the College World Series last night and we were talking about a team's fortunes changing, and how positive energy is so contagious. Soon after we said that we were pounding around my family room, pumping our fists, and celebrating Oregon State's monumental win over North Carolina that gave the Beavers their first-ever national championship in baseball.
So, first things first, congratulations to the Beavs. I've been proudly waiving my Oregon State flag outside my house since the NCAA Tournament started, and I'm going to leave it up for a few more days. There are incredible stories that grab you from time to time, and this is one for the ages. By now you know all the interesting tidbits. It's the first baseball national title for a truly-northern team since Ohio State won it back in 1966. It's Oregon State's first national title, in any sport, since the cross country team won it in 1961. And, again, this was done with homegrown talent. This just doesn't happen. When you consider the population of baseball-crazy states like California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida, it gets downright mindboggling. The fact that Pat Casey could assemble a team of players mostly from Oregon and the Northwest, and win the title, makes this feel like a once-in-a-lifetime team. Some of the photos from last night's game made me think of the Miracle on Ice in 1980. I know, I know, only an Oregon State alum would say something like that.
Okay, now to Trail Blazers' news. The NBA Draft is this week, of course, and final preparations are being made by the decision makers. I was at the Blazers practice facility on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and each time I went by there it was the same story. Steve Patterson, Kevin Pritchard, and Nate McMillan were in closed-door meetings with all the scouts and assistant coaches. On Sunday I asked Pritchard how much sleep he had gotten the night before. He smiled and said, "about three hours." He explained that "I woke up at about 3am and started watching video tape." The hours these guys put in is amazing. No matter what happens Wednesday, even if you don't agree with it, don't think it has happened without every single stone being overturned, and every possible scenario explored.
Our draft party will be Outback Steakhouse in Tualatin on Wednesday. Huge tents will be erected, and a big crowd is expected, so get there early. We take the airwaves at 4:05, and will have Wheels reporting live from just outside the war room at the practice facility. He'll have exclusive interviews and all the breaking news. Martell Webster and Steve Blake will be with us at the draft party, and after the draft ends, Patterson, Pritchard, and Nate McMillan will all come over and talk about what happened in the draft. If you're a Blazers fan, this is a must attend. If you're outside the area, log on to kxl.com and you can hear our draft show live. We'll start at 4:05 and will be on the air at least three hours or so, maybe more.
By the way, I was at the practice facility today, and talked to Travis Outlaw, Martell, Blake, and Juan Dixon, who are all in town working out. Joel Przybilla was in town over the weekend, and just returned home to Milwaukee last night.
The Blazers Summer League team will head for Lake Tahoe on Friday, to get ready for the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts for them on July 6th. They take on the Houston Rockets in their first game. All the broadcasters are going to Vegas with the team, and we'll have a sickening amount of coverage. All the summer league games will be on the radio, most on a tape-delayed basis on KXL. Check back to this website for information on that. We'll have exclusive highlights, interviews, and I'll have an extensive daily report on this web site. Also, the radio show,
Courtside Monday Night presented by L.A. Weight Loss, will come to you on Tuesday, July 11th, live from the ESPNZone inside our hotel, New York New York, in Las Vegas. You thought we were going there for a vacation? Get serious.
Boone, Freeland Workout for Blazers
posted: 6/22/2006 at 10:33 PM
The workouts at theTrail Blazers practice facility on Thursday had an international flavor, as England's Joel Freeland, and Israel's Yotam Halperin were given an opportunity to display their talents. The other two players involved Thursday were Connecticut's Josh Boone, and Michigan State's Paul Davis.
Freeland, who's stock has been rising in recent weeks, had a very solid workout for Portland, following his workout in Phoenix on Wednesday. He's projected to be a late first-round selection in Wednesday's draft. Freeland grew up in England, and has only been playing basketball for three years. I had a chance to talk to him about that after his workout. I didn't realize that he was bagging groceries for roughly $5 bucks an hour before deciding to play professionally in Spain. He played last season for Gran Canaria Fedesa of the Spanish EBA League, and impressed enough people he decided to give the NBA a shot. He's only 19 years old, and even though he needs to add weight, is a tremendous athlete. Because of his inexperience, he's a relative unknown, but should be drafted at the end of the first round. Portland currently holds picks number 30 and 31.
Boone is another player projected to be taken late in the first round. He had three solid seasons at UConn, and is known for his athleticism and energy. He told me today's workout was his 12th, and that he's looking forward to this process wrapping up. He's loved the opportunity, but, like a lot of these players, just wants this uncertainty to end. All of these guys have told me this process is tougher mentally than physically, and Boone certainly agreed with that.
We should see Davis go somewhere in the middle of the second round. He's 6-11, 270, and would probably remind you of a younger Joel Przybilla. He's very fundamentally sound and has a polished offensive game around the basket. Davis played four years at Michigan State, and averaged 18 points per game this past season. He was a great interview following his workout, and said he felt he had a good performance for the Blazers.
The other international player in on Thursday was Halperin, from Tel-Aviv. He's got some big-time international experience, having played for Maccabi Tel-Aviv for five seasons, and spent last season with Union Olimpija in Slovenia. Halperin also played for the Israeli National Team in the European Championships last year. He's a 6-5 guard who has a great shooting touch with deep range. He most likely won't be drafted, but could still get an opportunity to make an NBA roster.
As always, head coach Nate McMillan was on hand, running the workouts on Thursday. He was interviewed after the workouts and is keeping his cards very close to his vest, as he should. Reporters constantly ask Nate if he has settled on who he would like to select on Wednesday, and he continues to say "you can't think like that, because we just don't know who will be available when we select."
This draft is not getting any more predictable as we're approaching the big day. It's pretty amazing that we still don't really know who is going number one. The Toronto Raptors continue to say they are not set on who they'll take with the top pick, or even if they'll keep it. However, today they did make it official, and hired one of the top general managers in Europe, Maurizio Gherardini. I shared this with you in this blog well over a month ago. This is leading everyone to speculate that the Raptors will indeed select Andrea Bargnani, who has a history with Gherardini. Gherardini was the general manager of Bennetton Treviso, one of the most successful teams in the Euro League. The Raptors have hired him to be their vice president and assistant general manager.
Some mock drafts around the country are not so convinced the Raptors will take Bargnani number one, and some say they're leaning towards LaMarcus Aldridge, who worked out for the Blazers earlier this week. Aldridge has been extremely impressive in his workouts and has a tremendous upside. And, best of all, he's a terrific guy off the court.
Lastly, moving away from the NBA for a moment, what a tremendous win by Oregon State in the College World Series last night. I can't recall being this into a sporting event, perhaps ever. I haven't missed a single pitch of an Oregon State game. Yes, I went to OSU, but this is just an incredible story. The Beavers now will play North Carolina in a best-of-three series for the national championship. The most amazing part of all of this is that coach Pat Casey is doing this with mostly kids from Oregon and the Northwest. That makes this truly unique.
True, the Beavers and Ducks have had big-time national success in football in the past five or six years, but not with players predominantly from this area. This just doesn't happen. This is one of those special teams that may simply never come along again, and even if it does, there's nothing like the first time. I can't wait for Saturday night. I even have several close friends who are die-hard Ducks fans, and they're into this. They justify the crossover by saying the Ducks don't have a baseball team, and that makes it okay. Hey, whatever works for you. This is a story that has cut through that stuff. Go Beavs!
UCLA's Hollins Back for Another Workout
posted: 6/21/2006 at 10:43 PM
Wednesday the Trail Blazers were busy again at the practice facility in Tualatin, working out more prospects, getting set for the June 28th NBA Draft. This isn't quite 11th hour stuff, but obviously we're getting down to the wire. Coach Nate McMillan was asked after the workout if the Blazers are set on who they want in the number-four spot. His reply, "I don't think you can ever say that until it's actually your turn to pick. You can't get set on just one guy because there's so much that you don't control." As always, Nate wouldn't get into specifics on the individual players, other than to say he thought all the players did their best.
The obvious observation of the day was that, obviously, the team must be seeing something they like in UCLA's Ryan Hollins, as he was making his second appearence in front of McMillan, the scouts, and Blazer executives. Hollins is projected as a mid-second round guy, and is hoping somehow he slips into the first round. I had a chance to speak with him for several minutes following his workout and he said that he's getting exciting even thinking about the opportunity to play in Portland. He's a west coast guy, and to stay out west, and play for a team he'd have a chance to immediately help, would be the ideal scenario for him.
The other players working out Wednesday, included Memphis star Rodney Carney, who is known for his outside shooting. Carney is projected to go in the top 10 next week and has been busy with auditions for prospective teams. He told me this workout wasn't one of his best, but he was fairly satisfied with what he showed.
Arkansas junior Ronnie Brewer was also in town, and would love to be the second member of his family to wear a Blazer uniform. His father, Ron Brewer, played for the Blazers for three seasons, as more veteran fans might remember. Ronnie, Jr. told me his father explained to him the great tradition in Portland, and recalled his fond memories of his days here. Ronnie was actually born in Portland. He's projected to be a first-round pick, and says he got an invitation to be in the green room in New York City for the draft.
Another player with Portland ties was working out Wednesday. Former Jefferson High star Thomas Gardner, who went to Missouri, had a chance to show his stuff. He told me getting to stay at home and be around family and friends was a thrill for him this week. It's likely he won't be drafted, but hopes to catch on with a team after the draft.
The other player working out was Florida State's Alexander Johnson. The Trail Blazers saw him workout at the pre-draft camp in Orlando, and were impressed enough with him that they invited him out for a closer look. Johnson is projected as a mid-second round pick, and at 6-9, is very athletic, and has a great work ethic and intensity that coach McMillan looks for.
All the players that worked out Wednesday were drenched with sweat as they left the floor in their barrowed Blazers gear, and all commented that McMillan and his staff put them through an intense exam. They all said they're looking forward to next Wednesday, and are very excited and nervous about where they'll end up.
There was a trade yesterday in the NBA that might deserve a closer look. The Spurs traded center Rasho Nesterovic to Toronto for Matt Bonner, Eric Williams, and a future second-round draft pick. I always think of all sides of trades like this and it makes me wonder what the Spurs are up to. Nesterovic split time with Nazr Mohammed last season in the middle, and Mohammed becomes a free agent July 1st. If they let him walk, you have to think the Spurs have a plan to acquire a center on the free agent market. Could San Antonio now be a player in the Joel Przybilla sweepstakes? There are several teams out there who are expected to make a strong bid for Przybilla's services, and the Spurs could now be on that list. On the other hand, we saw the Spurs attempt to go with small lineups during the playoffs, rarely using Nesterovic or Mohammed in their series with Dallas. Could they be satisfied that they could get away with starting the 6-10 Bonner at center alongside Tim Duncan? Or, will they be on the market for a big shotblocker like Przybilla. Interesting. The fact that they moved Nesterovic isn't that surprising, the key is what they decide to do with Mohammed. Could they actually sign Przybilla for less than it'll take to get Mohammed? We'll find out soon.
A Conversation With the Owner
posted: 6/19/2006 at 10:07 PM
With the NBA Draft just over a week away, scouts and executives are putting the final touches on preparation. Some pre-draft workouts remain, but teams are closing in on a direction and a plan for June 28th. As many have stated, there is an amazing amount of uncertainty heading into this particular draft, and it'll be exciting and somewhat unpredictable right up until the end.
The Trail Blazers scouting team, led by player personnel director Kevin Pritchard, is putting in long hours going over every possible scenario, and is going over all of its year's work getting set for the big night. Obviously, so much of what will happen is out of their hands, and things will take shape as the draft gets underway. By the time the Trail Blazers select, at the number-four spot, the draft room in Tualatin will be buzzing.
There is so much speculation now, all over the NBA landscape, about how will go where, and who is leaning in what direction. The pre-draft workouts are, of course, huge, and the Trail Blazers have learned a lot in the past week. Last Thursday's workout was telling, but exactly what it told is yet to be seen. Adam Morrison, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, and Hasaan Adams, as you know by now, worked out on that day.
In town for that big workout was the owner of the Trail Blazers, Paul Allen. Near the end of the workout, I was able to sit down with Mr. Allen for an exclusive one-on-one interview. We ran the interview last night on our radio show, Courtside Monday Night presented by L.A. Weight Loss. If you happened to miss it,
click here for the entire interview. As you can tell, Allen is very well versed on this year's crop of players, and how vital this draft is to the Blazers.
Monday morning the Trail Blazers held another important workout. Texas sophomore LaMarcus Aldridge was in town and did a very nice job showing why he is being considered among the top four or five players in this year's draft. I had heard great things about not only his ability on the court, but his charming personality off the floor. Following his workout, I got a chance to talk to Aldridge for a few minutes.
Click here for that interview. He talked about his workout for the Blazers, the fact that one of his defenders during the workout was coach Nate McMillan, and how he is looking forward to the opportunity to contributing right away in the league. He told me Portland is a place he thinks he could do that. We also heard what has become a familiar theme- McMillan's workouts are very intense, and very challenging. Aldridge said it was the toughest workout he's been involved in so far.
The Blazers had planned to have LSU's Tyrus Thomas in for a workout on Tuesday, but that has been cancelled. Thomas' agent has informed everyone that his client is done with his pre-draft workouts. This has led to speculation that he has receieved a guarantee from a team in the top three that he'll be their selection. This may or may not be the case. As we've talked about many times, this is a strategic time for agents, and their plan is to get their clients into the best possible situations. In the past we've seen just about everything, so expect anything. We'll learn the truth very soon.
A reminder that next week's radio show won't be on Monday night, but instead on Wednesday, beginning at 4:05. We'll be live at the Blazers NBA Draft Party, at Outback Steakhouse in Tualatin. Several huge tents will house the party in the parking lot and everyone is invited. We plan to be on the air for at least three hours, possibly longer. This has been an interesting time, but I can't wait for the big night to actually arrive.
A Big Day in Tualatin
posted: 6/15/2006 at 10:15 PM
We've talked so much about this pre-draft workout process, and Thursday was a the biggest day yet for the Trail Blazers, their scouts, and executives. The team hosted Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay, Brandon Roy, and Hasaan Adams in a spirited workout run by head coach Nate McMillan.
Everyone has their opinions on who the Trail Blazers should select in the June 28th draft, and coach McMillan has told us these workouts can be "make or break" moments for prospective Blazers. We won't know for a couple of weeks which players have done the best job of proving themselves in their individual workouts. The highest profile workout day, in my history with the Blazers, was undoubtedly Thursday. There were media members on hand from Seattle, Spokane, and the Portland/Vancouver area. The press was allowed in to watch approximately the last 20 or 30 minutes of the workout.
How important was this particular workout session? Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen was courtside, and wanted to see this one for himself. Allen has attended many of these workouts in the past, and if you recall, he was on hand last summer on the day Martell Webster worked out for the team. Martell put on a superb shooting display and that no doubt had a lot to do with why the Blazers ended up selecting him. Again, time will tell if Thursday's workout will be put in that catagory for one of these players.
Those who watched said all the players performed well, even though in a few of the post-workout interviews, Morrison commented that he didn't shoot as well as he would have liked. Gay was asked about going up against players like Morrison and Roy, and said he was happy to do it, and was confident enough in his abilities that he welcomed the challenge of going head-to-head against a few of the elite players in the draft. As you know, some agents advise their clients not to take part in workouts like this, where the players are pitted against each other. The players involved in today's session seemed to welcome the opportunity.
If you've taken some time to look around our website, you probably realize you can watch exclusive workout video shot by ace Blazers Broadcasting photographer Jeff Curtin, the only photographer allowed into the workouts. He was on hand again Thursday, and you will find highlights of all of the players on the front page of trailblazers.com. This is video you will only find right here.
After the workout on Thursday, I was able to sit down for a one-on-one interview with Paul Allen. The entire interview will air during our radio show
Courtside Monday Night presented by L.A. Weight Loss, this coming Monday, from 6pm to 8 on KXL in the Portland area. I asked Allen for his thoughts about the draft, the possible moves this summer, the importance of re-signing Joel Przybilla, and more. After the interview is aired Monday night, you'll be able to download it from this blog. So, if you miss the radio show Monday, check back here to hear it, and all the interviews from that show.
"Sarge" Drops By the Show
posted: 6/13/2006 at 7:44 AM
I told you yesterday we were supposed to host the radio show last night from PGE Park, during the Portland Beavers game against Tucson. But, due to the afternoon rain, lightning, and wind, we ran for the safe cover of our KXL studio and hosted the show there. We kind of figured that one of the places you didn't want to be during a lightning storm was near a bunch of electronic equipment, that also happens to be connected to your head.
We had several great interviews on
Courtside Monday Night presented by L.A. Weight Loss last night (I know that's a mouthful.. try saying it 20 times a night). Head coach Nate McMillan joined us off the top of the show and you could tell he hadn't been on in a few weeks. He is so good in these settings and it doesn't take many questions to fill a 30-minute interview with him. Talk about giving complete answers.
To listen to any of the interviews from last night's show,
download the interview (mp3) or
subscribe to the podcast to get all the interviews (podcast is free through iTunes).
Nate just returned from the Orlando pre-draft camp and we spent some time talking about that experience, and talked about the pre-draft workouts in general. I think this entire process is pretty interesting, and is so vital to where a team decides to go in the draft. Nate compared it to a job interview, and said he pays attention to every detail about a player. Not only is he talking about the actual workout, but also the interview after, and how the player carries himself.
We also touched on the NBA Finals with McMillan, and the biggest thing he said he's taking out of this is the need for outside shooting. Miami's lack of it has allowed Dallas to double Shaq and dared the Heat to beat them from the perimeter.
At the end of the interview with Nate, I told him we were having Joel Przybilla on the show a little later and he said he wanted to call back into the show and help "triple team" Joel. I wasn't sure if he'd actually do it. Not only did he do it, but he came on the show as "Sarge" from Portland, and disguised his voice for about the first minute. Joel knew he was being set up but didn't know who he was talking to.
McMillan joked with Przybilla several times to just sign the document he was going to send him, and it would all be over. Joel enjoy talking to his coach, and said he isn't enjoying all the uncertainty that comes with being an unrestricted free agent. He said he has no intention of dragging this out past July 12th, the day the signing period begins. Joel says he's told his agent he's going to be ready to make a decision by then.
Click here for the full "triple team" interview (free mp3) or
download the podcast through iTunes (free).
Our final guest last night was draft expert Chris Montor. We went through the big workouts that are coming up, how the final couple of weeks before the draft would shake out, and talked about all the adjustments made to mock drafts in these final weeks. Montor was at the Orlando camp as well, and we spent some time talking about that.
Click here to download the interview with Chris Monter or
download the podcast with all the interviews through iTunes (free).
A reminder.. we're taking the radio show on the road for the NBA Draft, on Wednesday June 28th. Our draft party is set for Outback Steakhouse in Tualatin. It's going to be a huge event, held in a tent in the parking lot. We'll be on the air starting at 4 o'clock, and will basically go as long as we want. Make your plans to join us. We had over 1,000 people at last year's event, and this will likely be even bigger.
Przybilla on Courtside Tonight
posted: 6/11/2006 at 10:43 PM
Last week was a huge week for the Portland Trail Blazers. As you probably know, most of the coaches and decision makers were in Orlando for the big pre-draft camp, and were getting and up-close look at most of the top prospects. This week, the pre-draft workouts will continue at the Blazers practice facility in Tualatin. There have been some good, and informative, workouts so far, but this is the biggest week yet.
It's no secret now, because the players are talking about it, but Thursday will be maybe the biggest and most important workout day for the Blazers. They'll get a look at a few of the players who will likely go in the top five of the June 28th draft. Brandon Roy and Adam Morrison will be among those working out on Thursday, and unlike some of the workouts, in this one the players will go head to head.
During this process the Internet is full of speculation and mock drafts, and one of the best sights out there for you to check out is Draftexpress.com. If you aren't a regular visitor to the site, become one in the next few weeks. They've had people in Orlando interviewing some of the top players, and some of the one-on-one interviews are very informative.
Click here to be taken to one of the good interviews with a couple of the players Portland is said to be heavily considering. Roy, and Tyrus Thomas are two of the players interviewed in this article, and after reading Roy's interview you can see why the Blazers are impressed with him. His answers are very insightful and he mentions the big Thursday workout coming up in Portland.
Tonight we'll have our radio show, Courtside Monday Night Presented by L.A. Weight Loss, from 6pm to 8pm PT, on KXL-AM 750 in the Portland area. If you're outside the area, you can listen to the interview by clicking on kxl.com and hitting the listen live link. Our guests will include head coach Nate McMillan, Joel Przybilla, and draft expert Chris Monter, who's a frequent guest at this time of the year.
I've spoken to Przybilla several times in the past week, and spoke to him again last night. Being an unrestricted free agent, this is obviously a huge next 30 days for him. He has earned himself a big contract and will be rewarded with that, wherever he signs, after July 15th. He has said in the past he feels he owes a lot to the Trail Blazers organization and would love to remain a Blazer. Of course, he owes it to himself, and his family, to listen to any and all offers. I know Joel well, and really don't think he's leaning one way or the other at this point.
Przybilla is relying heavyily on his agent, Bill Duffy, to represent him and get him the best deal he can. Some have speculated that there's no way he'll be in Portland next season. In talking to Joel several times in the past week, I don't get that from him at all. We don't get into that stuff in depth, of course, because that's not my place, but I know he and his wife, Noelle, have loved their time in Portland, and love the organization. I've just simply wished him luck and told him I'll be happy for him whatever he and his agent decide. Joel and Noelle are spending the summer in Milwaukee, and will be making a trip to Portland later this month. We'll be talking to Joel on the radio show tonight, at 7:05. If you miss the interview, check back here Tuesday morning and we'll have it for you.
I should also mention that tonight the show will be on the road. I'll be hosting the show, with Mike Rice, of course, under the scoreboard at PGE Park, during the Portland Beavers game. Last week, as I talked about in the last blog, Mike Rice, Jr., is now an assistant coach at Pitt, after leaving St. Joseph's. There have been some great articles on the move, and one in particular talks about the significance of this move, as far as Mike, Sr. is concerned.
Click here for more on my partner and his history in that city.
Enjoy the radio show tonight, and if you can make down to PGE Park tonight, stop by and say hi.
Morrison's Stock Rising
posted: 6/9/2006 at 7:23 AM
It's back to the real world now, and that means back to the blog. I've been in Phoenix, playing golf, playing golf, and oh, I played a little golf. Eight straight days of golf to be exact. Normally it's not 115 degrees in early June, but it was this year. I will say, however, it wasn't that bad. There was a little breeze, you cool off between shots when riding in the cart, and you always have ice and water in the cart, and you make it through. All for the love of the game, right? And, did you hear about that huge dust storm on Wednesday in Phoenix? We were sitting on the runway when they closed the airport for about an hour. It was very strange as this brown fog rolled in and the wind rocked the plane. Anyway, just about a 9o-minute delay. As I said, back to the real world.
The photo, by the way, is my son, Jack, who has a birthday today. He is one. We've been working on his short game, obviously.
For the first time in a long time I way away from home without my laptop, which was by design. I did however take a cell phone. That means I was able to keep up on everything. I did talk to Kevin Pritchard Wednesday, who was in the middle of watching games in Orlando at the pre-draft camp. I also talked to Joel Przybilla, who is in Milwaukee. Joel said he's been lifting, running, boxing, doing yoga, and pilates. I was going to laugh when I heard "pilates" and then I realized he's also been boxing, so I thought better of it. I got to fly back to Milwaukee last summer and actually watch one of his boxing workouts.
As for Pritchard, he and Steve Patterson are taking it all in, watching everyone and talking to everyone in Orlando. The Blazers have not only Kevin and Steve there, but also have their assistant coaches and scouts. They obviously view this period as very important. It's not only important to watch the potentials, but to have a chance to sit and talk to just about every general manager in the league. Face to face is a much better way to get things done.
Thanks for all the comments you sent me on my mock draft. Some of you agreed, and many of you didn't. The comment I got the most usually had something to do with Adam Morrison. I, honestly, have never really known where to rank Morrison, or what to think. I can't wait to see him work out of the Blazers, which he's doing very soon. Over the weekend Morrison had his first workout for an NBA team, and that was in Charlotte. He worked out against Rodney Carney, and according to reports, scored on Carney easily. The Bobcats came away very impressed, and were particularly impressed with his one-on-one skills. But, we'll have to see for ourselves, as you can't ever trust comments teams float following workouts. A lot of it is politics right now.
By the way, I mentioned Przybilla earlier. I had asked him to come on our radio show,
Courtside Monday Night, about a month ago and he couldn't do it. I talked to him yesterday and he said he'd be happy to join us next Monday. So, hopefully, we'll have Joel on this Monday night. Brian Wheeler filled in for me, by the way, last week, so thanks to Wheels, who is a great talk show host. You all know how good he and Mike Rice are together as well. Monday night's show, is going to be at PGE Park, out under the scoreboard. That's where we'll be hosting from. I think Nate McMillan is going to join us at the game as well, and will be on the show.
Speaking of Rice, his son got some great news a couple of days ago. He is now the assistant coach at Pitt.
Click here for the full story.
RSS FEED
How many possibilities has Sergio of playing here next season??? 50%?90%? He's decided to coming (we all know it, here in Spain) and he is absolutely delighted with the new Blazers. Before the trade with the Suns were official he said he wanted to come to Portland (and he has appeared with "his" 11 jersey of the Trail Blazers in every interview he has done!!!) Please, one more time, give him the opportunity to play here next season, because he is the best point guard you will see in so many years.
Post a Comment
<< Home