NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Bryant Knox is back today to weigh in on the legacy of ex-Rip City coach and former Seattle Supersonics legend Nate McMillan in another episode of our Moments In Time series. McMillan was fired last season, and while his departure wasn’t the way most envisioned it, he has earned himself a permanent spot in Rip City’s history, alongside Brandon Roy.
NWSB Writer Jonathan Irwin gives you his take on who can fill the role at center for the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s been a whirlwind week for the Portland Trail Blazers. Desperately trying to fill the void at center, it was announced Monday the team’s offer to RFA Roy Hibbert is going to be matched by Indiana. Then comes Wednesday, when it was announced that Euro league big man Joel Freeland will officially be making his way to Portland on a three-year deal.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trailblazers blogger Blair Thomas breaks down the 1st and 2nd rounds of the 2012 NBA Draft for the Rip City faithful. What a day. One of the best days of the year. Fun day to be a Blazers fan. There were no first round trades in Neil Olshey’s first draft in the Rose City. The team took away 3 players in the 2 rounds, 2 in the first with Damian Liliard and Meyers Leonard as well as 1 in the second with Will Barton.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trailblazers blogger Steve Lee weighs in today with a piece on the 2012/13 roster spots that are open for RIP City. He talks about J.J. Hickson, Joel Przybilla, Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith, and Nic Batum. The future for these five gentlemen is up in the air. Hickson and Felton have the opportunity to resign.
NWSB insider Rick Stella brings us a good one on recently departed Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan. A black cloud surrounded the team when McMillan took over in 2005, but he cleaned the team up quickly. After finally getting rid of the Jail Blazers nickname, McMillan moved on to lead the team to 2 50-win seasons and back to back playoff appearances.
Another North West Coach in the spotlight today. Current Portland Trailblazers interim head coach Kaleb Canales. Blair Thomas one of our Portland sports area bloggers points out the rise of Caneles to NBA head coach has been propelled and complimented with testimonies from former Blazers personnel that support both of Canales’ best qualities: Brandon Roy, and Dante Cunningham for starters.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trailblazers blogger Rick Stella examines the week that was in Rip City. After a weekend spent drowning away my sorrows for the loss of Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby, its time to try to figure out what the new guys actually bring to the team. Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and Mehmet Okur (Sort of), and Shawne Williams (Sort of) welcome to the Northwest.
NWSB insider Steve Lee brings us news of deadline day trade between the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets. The Blazers receive Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and the Nets first round pick. The Blazers gave up Gerald Wallace for that, uh, haul. The first rounder is projected to be a lottery pick, does that count for anything?
NWSB managing editor Q brings us his Love Em & Hate Em recap from last night’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Portland Trail Blazers.
NWSB managing editor Q brings us his Love Em & Hate Em recap from last night’s game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Miami Heat. Nicholas Batum and Joel Przybilla both played well for the Blazers but Jamal Crawford, Gerald Wallace and Wesley Matthews couldn’t keep a handle on the ball or stop LeBron James and Dwyane Wade from scoring a combined 71 points against the team.
NWSB insider and Trail Blazers blogger Blair Thomas brings us his 2011-2012 Portland Blazers report card. He looks at positives like being on the Clippers heels at the top of the West and the re-emergence Jamal Crawford. He looks at concerns like the team’s inconsistency and Raymond Felton’s poor performance as of late. He also hands out his mid-season awards.
NWSB Insider and Portland Trail Blazers blogger Blair Thomas isn’t exactly happy over the signing this week of Joel Przybilla. If Trail Blazers acting general manager Chad Buchanan does not want to address the Felton situation yet, that’s his prerogative. If Przybilla was playing like he did in his prime six years ago the move wouldn’t have made them a contender, so one can imagine what it means now.
