NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
Good signs for Rip City In case you haven’t noticed, the Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of a significant rebuild. The 2012-13 season came and went without a trip to the playoffs, but if there was one positive takeaway, it was the performance of rookie Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard did it on the court, but [...]
Bryant Knox grades the job that Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey did during the 2012-13 season. The good is highlighted by Damian Lillard, JJ Hickson, Eric Maynor and even Roy Hibbert. The bad is reserved for the depth, or lack thereof, that the team was depth. The Nicolas Batum contract and the drafting of Meyers Leonard look good, but are still up for debate.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers writer Rick Stella previews the 2012-13 season. If Portland has any shot at earning one of the eight playoff spots, they have a lot of work ahead of them. Stella predicts that patience will be required with Terry Stott’s team, and that Rip City’s final record will be 35-47. He also projects the season’s stats for LaMarcus Alddridge, J.J. Hickson, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and Damian Lillard.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trailblazers blogger Bryant Knox weighs in on the NBA’s best power forwards today and asks the question is LaMarcus Aldridge among the best? When Brandon Roy was still in Portland, he was the man and Aldridge was his sidekick. Not any more. Aldridge’s career-high 21.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in 2011 came in a season where the Blazers ran the slowest pace in the NBA. Watch out 2012.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Bryant Knox weighs in with his predictions for the 2012 PDX Blazers. Without sounding too cliché, the most realistic prediction has to come somewhere in-between the best and worst-case scenarios. He says Meyers Leonard and Nicolas Batum could also be pleasant surprises in Rip City next season.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Bryant Knox weighs in with his top 5 matchups to watch out for this NBA season for the Canucks. The schedule came out Thursday. With so many new faces on the team’s current roster, anticipation is high. The Nov. 8 game vs. the Clippers will be the first time that national audience gets a look at Damian Lillard. Watch for a Brandon Roy in the Rose Garden in 2012 again too.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trailblazers blogger Bryant Knox weighs in on the chances for Damian Lillard to win the 2012-2013 NBA rookie of the year award. Following his MVP performance in the Vegas Summer League, it’s easy to see how he can make a case for the award. What also makes Lillard special is that he ability to find teammates and run the offense. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, and Anthony Davis are competition.
NWSB Insider Bryant Knox brings us an excellent look at the newest additions to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason. Damian Lillard, Dan Gadzuric, Jared Jeffries, Joel Freeland, Ronnie Price, Sasha Pavlovic and Victor Claver all bring different talents to the team. With these new additions, the Blazers will address their shooting and size issues.
NWSB Insider Bryant Knox brings us a summary of how the Portland Trail Blazers did in the Summer League that just wrapped up. Damian Lillard was outstanding, earning co-MVP and owning one of the best moments of the tournament – a monstrous slam dunk. Second year player Nolan Smith was doing well until an injury sidelined him. And Kaleb Canales is showing why he was chosen as the replacement at the helm of the Blazers.
