Blazers win game three 97-92 behind Matthews playoff career high 25 points

By Kshell

The Portland Trail Blazers just needed some home cooking as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks(lead series 2-1) 97-92 in game three to pull within two games to one. For the Blazers they had balanced scoring which prevailed over the Dallas Mavericks who had just two guys score in double figures. The Blazers were led by Wesley Matthews who scored a playoff career high 25 points including four three pointers. The Blazers also had a big lift off the bench from former all-star Brandon Roy who scored 16 points including nine points in the second quarter. The Mavericks kept the game close due to Jason Terry scoring 29 points off the bench but Dirk Nowitzki didn't have the fourth quarter magic like he has the last two games. For the Blazers they took care of business at home and must win game four at home to tie this series up. So far including the regular season these teams have played seven games which the home team has won every game. The Blazers were feeling great at home behind two players were who were pretty quiet in games one and two.

The Blazers behind the home crowd came out fired up starting the game off going up 10-2. Matthews was huge in the first quarter hitting two three pointers in that 10-2 run. The Mavericks then fought back with Terry scoring off the bench. The Blazers at the end of the first quarter led 28-23 behind Matthews who scored 16 points on six for seven shooting including four for five from three pointers. The Blazers also saw LaMarcus Aldridge score six points on three for seven shooting. The Blazers got a nice contribution from Marcus Camby who scored four points while grabbing four rebounds. The Blazers shot 12-21(57.1%) from the field while making four of six three pointers. For the Mavericks they were kept in the game by Jason Terry who scored 10 points on three for three shooting and was four of five from the foul line. Nowitzki once again had a slow start scoring just two points on one for three shooting. For the Mavericks they shot 9-16(56.3%) from the field but made just one three pointer. The Mavericks also made just four of seven from the free throw line. The Mavericks had weathered the Blazers storm and would storm back in the second quarter.

In the second quarter the Dallas Mavericks pushed back and even had the lead at points during the second quarter. The Mavericks were led in the second quarter by Jason Terry who kept his hot shooting scoring seven points and Nowitzki who scored 11 points on five for seven shooting including a three pointer. For the Blazers to keep pace a familiar face stepped up for them. Roy who played just nine minutes in game two and had scored just two points in two games scored nine points in the quarter. Roy was four for five shooting including a three pointer. Matthews kept up his pace scoring six points in the quarter. The Mavericks had outscored the Blazers in the quarter 29-26 to pull within 54-52 of the Blazers. For The Mavericks they shot 12-19(63.2%) from the field in the quarter and three for eight on three pointers. For the Blazers they shot 11-19(57.9%) from the field in the second quarter. It was a fast pace second quarter and a fast pace half for both teams.

For the Mavericks at halftime they were led by Jason Terry who had scored 17 points on six for seven shooting while making a three pointer. Terry also dished out five assists. Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 points on 6-10 shooting including a three pointer but missed his only free throw attempt. Game two hero Peja Stojakovic scored seven points on three for four shooting including a three pointer. The Mavericks shot 21-35(60.0%) from the field while making 4-11(36.4%) from three point range. The Mavericks had made just 6-10(60.0%) from the free throw line. The Mavericks after the start they had were very content to be down just two points at halftime.

For the Blazers at halftime they were led by Wesley Matthews who scored 22 points on 8-11 shooting including four for six from three point range. Aldridge scored 12 points on 6-12 shooting but had zero rebounds. Then Roy scored nine points on four for five shooting including a three pointer. Andre Miller also scored seven points on three for five shooting including a three pointer with six assists. The Blazers shot 23-40(57.5%) from the field and five of eight from three point range. The Blazers were playing the way they wanted. The problem for the Blazers is they have led at halftime before against this Mavericks team and lost the lead in the fourth quarter. The Blazers would prove in the second half at the Rose Garden is different than in Dallas.

In the third quarter it was a back and forth struggle for both teams. For the Blazers they once again were bailed out by Roy who scored seven points in the quarter to give him 16 points in the game. The Blazers also saw Miller score five points to give him 12 points in the game to that point. The Mavericks were carried by Terry who scored nine points to give him 26 points on 9-10 shooting to that point. For the Blazers they outscored the Mavericks 21-20 to give themselves a slim 75-72 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Blazers had shot 6-17(35.2%) from the field but made eight of nine free throws. The Mavericks had shot 7-16(43.7%) from the field but did make four of seven three pointers. Heading into the fourth the Mavericks were led by Terry who had 26 points and Nowitzki who scored 16 points on 7-14 shooting but had made just one of three free throws. For the Blazers they were led by Matthews scoring 25 points on 8-11 shooting, Aldridge with 16 points on 8-17 shooting, Miller with 12 points and Roy with 16 points. The Blazers unlike the previous two games didn't let Nowitzki kill them in the fourth.

In the fourth quarter where Nowitzki has killed the Blazers in the first two games he was contained. The Blazers took a 75-72 game and stretched it to 87-74 with six minutes to go. The Mavericks would fight back but due to clutch free throws by the Blazers they would hang on to win 97-92. The Blazers won the fourth quarter 22-20 over the Mavericks. The Mavericks missed five of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter while the Blazers made six of seven which proved to be the difference. For the quarter the Blazers shot 7-18(38.8%) but made two of four three pointers. For the Mavericks they shot 7-17(41.1%) from the field but made just one three pointer. Nowitzki who had averaged 16.0 PPG in the fourth quarter scored nine points on three for seven shooting. For the Blazers they hung on in the fourth quarter even though the game got scary towards the end. This was a huge win for the Blazers to win and the way they won in the fourth quarter.

For the Dallas Mavericks they finished the game with just two guys in double figures. The Mavericks shot well making 35-68(51.5%) from the field but 9-22(40.9%) from three point range. The Mavericks also only made 13-23(56.5%) from the free throw line. The Mavericks were led by Jason Terry who scored 29 points off the bench on 10-13 shooting including five of seven from three point range. Terry also dished out seven assists while doing his best to keep the Mavericks in the game. Nowitzki shot better than the first two but didn't get to the free throw line like he did in Dallas. Nowitzki scored 25 points on 10-21 shooting with nine rebounds. Nowitzki made a three pointer but after shooting 28-30(93.3%) from free throws first two games he shot just 4-7(57.1%) from the foul line in game three. Jason Kidd who played out of his mind in the first two games scored just eight points on three for nine shooting including two for eight from three point range. For the Mavericks other than Terry they just seemed a little off.

For the Blazers they held off the Mavericks to win at home in a must win. The Blazers were led by balance today which saw Wesley Matthews score a playoff career high 25 points. Matthews finished the game shooting 8-12 from the field including four of six from three pointers. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points on 9-21 shooting while grabbing just four rebounds. Then Andre Miller had a solid well rounded game scoring 16 points on 6-13 shooting including a three pointer. Miller also dished out seven assists and was perfect in all three free throw attempts. Brandon Roy was a huge spark off the bench scoring 16 points on 6-10 shooting including a three pointer while dishing out four assists. Gerald Wallace was quiet offensively scoring just seven points on two for six shooting but had a huge three in the fourth quarter. Wallace also grabbed a team high 11 rebounds with two steals and a block shot. Marcus Camby continued to do the dirty work scoring six points and grabbing 10 rebounds with a block shot. The Blazers shot 36-75(48.0%) from the field but shot 8-14(57.1%) from three point range. The Blazers also shot 17-21(81.0%) from the free throw line while turning the ball over just nine times. The Blazers fed off the home crowd and will look to do the same in game four on Saturday night.

Overall, the Blazers did what they had to do and work still is far from over. The Blazers must continue this well rounded play where seven guys score at least six points and four scored in double figures. The Blazers like I figured would happen received nice play from their role players and the Mavericks didn't live at the free throw line. Typically the home team the role players step up and the road team won't live on the free throw line. For the Blazers winning game three was nice it really was but winning game four is just as important. The Blazers won a playoff game and in the playoffs momentum is huge. The Blazers ace up their sleeve in Brandon Roy produced big. If Roy can play like today the Blazers can make a deep run in the playoffs. Game four should be a fun game as both teams will play with intensity as they both will want that game. The Mavericks don't want to come home tied at two games while the Blazers don't want to leave Portland down three games to one. If Roy continues this type of play along with Matthews the Blazers will be in good shape.

Observations:

- The Blazers signed Wesley Matthews for games just like today. Matthews set the tone early scoring 16 of his 25 points in the first quarter hitting four three pointers. Matthews who played poorly in game one only scoring two points has bounced back scoring 38 points the last two games. Matthews now for the series is averaging 13.3 points per game on 15-26(57.7%) from the field while making 5-9(55.6%) from three point range.

For the year Matthews averaged 15.9 points per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 40.7% from three point range making an average of 1.9 three pointers a game. Matthews isn't as bad as game one or as good as game three. Look for him to continue to play well as he is a good player. Matthews put the team on his back in the first half scoring 22 of the Blazers 54 points. As long as Matthews is playing that well the Blazers will be a tough team.

- The signs that LaMarcus Aldridge is becoming a good scorer is games like today. Aldridge scored 20 points and appeared to be a quiet 20 points. Signs that Aldridge isn't quite there yet is only four rebounds and being shutout in the first half. Aldridge scored 20 points on 9-21 shooting against the Mavericks in game three while pulling down just four rebounds.

For the series Aldridge is having a breakout series so far. Aldridge is averaging 23.7 points per game while grabbing 6.7 rebounds per game. Aldridge is shooting 30-59(50.9%) from the field. He has made 11-14(78.6%) from the foul line. I think once you accept who Aldridge is which is a power forward who plays small which is okay when you have a Gerald Wallace at small you'll be content with his production. Aldridge scores his points on outside shots but he does score though is the key. Aldridge needs to continue this type of scoring while increasing his rebounds for the Blazers to advance.

- Brandon Roy who had by far his worst season as a Blazer had a great bounce back game in game three. Roy scored 16 points off the bench on 6-10 shooting. Prior to that Roy had scored just two points on one for eight shooting in a combined 34 minutes of play. Today Roy played 23 minutes while showing everyone he isn't ready to call it quits just yet.

Roy who is a three time all-star was huge in the playoffs two years ago against Houston. In that series Roy averaged 26.7 points per game on 56-122(45.9%) shooting from the field including 42 points in game two win over Houston. Roy has struggled this year in fact his 16 points is the most he has scored since coincidently scoring 21 points on March 15th in a win at home against the Dallas Mavericks. The Blazers are built where Roy doesn't need to be an all-star to beat the Mavericks. The Blazers do need something from Roy as he can be their best scorer off the bench. If Roy continues to play well the Blazers are tough to beat.

- Nate McMillan I think handled the Roy situation today perfectly which ultimately won them the game. Instead of getting into a battle with his player who was upset over lack of playing time McMillan trusted Roy. Roy rewarded his trust with the big game. McMillan also made some adjustsments on Stojakovic and Kidd who combined scored 15 points and made just three three's a far cry from what happened down in Dallas. McMillan has never won a playoff series when the other team has won at least two games so if the Blazers were to win that would end that streak. To McMillan's credit history shows the Blazers should take this game as he is 3-1 all-time in game four when his team is down two games to one. In fact McMillan is 4-1 all-time in game four's in general. Blazers fans hope that streak continues for McMillan in game four as they look to even the series up.

In conclusion, the Blazers showed everyone why people thought they could win this series. The Blazers showed great depth today while the Mavericks had just two guys who played well. When the Mavericks aren't shooting over 30 free throws a game they have problems scoring having scored just 40 points in the second half. The Blazers know that game four will be a war with both teams. The Blazers hope the play of Aldridge and Miller can continue like it has the rest of the series. The Blazers are hoping Roy and Matthews can play games like today instead of games like game one. The Mavericks will be hoping that Nowitzki can have a game where he shoots his season average of 52% and finally go off for over 40 points. This should be a fun series with the Blazers winning the game they had to win. The Blazers now set themselves up nicely to make this a series again in game four. While the Mavericks are hoping to get their split and really put the Blazers playoff hopes on life support. The Blazers responded nicely in game three now it's on to game four to see if they can even the series back up.

Kidd hits career high six three pointers as Mavs win game one over Blazers 89-81

By Kshell

The Dallas Mavericks(57-25) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers(48-34) in game one of the 2011 NBA playoffs first round behind a career high six three pointers by Jason Kidd. The Mavericks also saw perrenial all-star Dirk Nowitzki score 18 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks rallied from six points down to take game one. The Blazers overcame a halftime deficit of 10 points due to LaMarcus Aldridge scoring 27 points along with Andre Miller scoring 18 points. For the Blazers looking to win their first playoff series since 2000 they let a game slip away against a team who at times they looked better than. The Mavericks who have had 11 straight seasons over 50 wins or more haven't played well in the playoffs. Lately the Mavericks since blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 finals have had a tough time getting past the first round losing three of the last four years in the first round. The Mavericks survived game one at home but like last year are hoping to avoid losing game two at home.

In the first quarter it was the LaMarcus Aldridge show for the Blazers. Aldridge in the first quarter led all scorers with 11 points on five for six shooting giving the Blazers a 22-21 lead after one. Marcus Camby was big for the Blazers scoring two points but pulling down six rebounds while dishing out three assists and blocking a shot. The Blazers shot well 9-16(56.2%) from the field in the first quarter as well. For the Mavericks to keep in it they were led by veteran point guard Jason Kidd who scored eight points on three for five shooting including two three's. Nowitzki scored six points on three for seven shooting. The Mavericks in the first quarter shot 9-20(45.0%) while making three for seven(42.9%) from three point range. The Mavericks also outrebounded the Blazers 11-8 in the first quarter. The Blazers had the early lead but the Mavericks would make the first big run of the game in the second quarter.

In the second quarter the Mavericks defense tighten up on the Blazers. The Mavericks outscored the Blazers 26-15 as the Mavericks shot 9-17(52.9%) from the field and were perfect on all three three point attempts. The Mavericks also made five of six free throws. The defense held the Blazers to 6-16(37.5%) shooting from the field. The Blazers for the half were just one for six from three point range while the Mavericks were a ridiculous 6-10(60.0%). The Blazers found themselves trailing 47-37 at halftime which wasn't the fault of Aldridge who led all scorers with 13 points on 6-10 shooting but had just one rebound. The Blazers also were led by Andre Miller scoring 12 points on four for six shooting while knocking down four of five free throws. The Blazers had a great boost from Marcus Camby scoring four points but grabbed nine rebounds with two blocks. The Mavericks were led by Kidd who scored 11 points on four for six shooting and hit three three's while dishing out three assists and grabbing three rebounds. Nowitzki scored eight points on 4-11 shooting with five rebounds. Peja Stojakovic drilled two three pointers in the second to score six points as it appeared the Mavericks were going to turn this game into a blowout. The Blazers had different plans in the third quarter.

In the third quarter Aldridge put the Blazers on his back with the scoring and Camby dominated defensively. The Blazers outscored the Mavericks 20-14 in the third quarter to pull within 61-57. The Blazers got a nice boost from Gerald Wallace who was held scoreless in the first half scored six points in the quarter. Aldridge scored eight points in the quarter giving him 21 points on 9-16 shooting to that point in the game. Camby also grabbed eight rebounds that quarter. The Blazers shot 9-21(42.9%) from the field while outrebounding the Mavericks 16-8. The Mavericks shot just 5-19(26.3%)from the field and had just eight rebounds. The Mavericks only made two of six three pointers as well. The Blazers had stopped Nowitzki who scored just two points on one for five shooting in the fourth quarter. It had appeared the Blazers were going to win this game as Nowitzki was struggling scoring just 10 points on 5-16 shooting with six turnovers after three quarters. Nowitzki showed why he is a perrenial all-star as he rose to the occasion.

In the fourth quarter you saw Nowitzki put the team on his back and take it to the foul line the whole quarter. The Mavericks found themselves trailing 72-66 with over six minutes to go in the game. That is when Nowitzki took over including hitting a three pointer to give the Mavericks the lead at 75-74. Nowitzki in the fourt quarter scored 18 points and was perfect 13-13 at the foul line. Then with Mavericks up 82-78 Kidd hit the dagger of a three pointer to put the Mavericks up seven and most importantly wrapped up game one. When it was all said and done the Mavericks outscored the Blazers 23-9 to finish the game. The Mavericks made 18-19(94.7%) from the foul line in the fourth quarter while the Blazers attempted just two free throw's despite outscoring the Mavericks 46-18 in the paint. This was a big win for the Mavericks and a good building experience game for the Blazers who saw several key players including Brandon Roy struggle today.

The Blazers didn't play a bad game at all shooting 35-76(46.1%) from the field but struggled to knock down that outside shot hitting just 2-16(12.5%) from three point range. The Blazers were led by Aldridge who threw down several alley-oops on the game scoring 27 points on 12-20(60.0%) from the field while grabbing six rebounds. Miller scored 18 points on 7-13 shooting while dishing out six assists and grabbing four rebounds. Nicolas Batum scored 14 points on 6-14 shooting but made just one of seven three point attempts. Camby finished with four points while pulling down 18 rebounds with five assists and two blocks. The Blazers also had three key players struggle for them including former All-Star Brandon Roy who scored just two points on one for seven shooting. Another Blazer who struggled was Wesley Matthews who scored just two points with three turnovers. Then Gerald Wallace who was shutout in the first half scored just eight points on 4-13(30.7%) shooting from the field while grabbing just five rebounds. The Blazers played pretty well considering none of their role players who are all capable of having big nights played so poorly.

For the Mavericks they can breathe a little better knowing they won game one at home. For a team who has struggled so much in the playoffs to find themselves trailing in game one by six points in the fourth quarter at home had to feel uneasy. The Mavericks were led by Nowitzki who didn't shoot well but still found a way to score 28 points while pulling down 10 rebounds. Kidd scored 24 points on 9-14(64.2%) from the field and made 6-10(60.0%) from three point range. Kidd also had five rebounds and four assists. The only other Maverick to do anything was Jason Terry who scored 10 points on two for five shooting. The Mavericks won the game with the three point shot making 10-19(52.6%) and at the foul line making 25-29(86.2%). For the Mavericks this win was big but it was more of a sigh of relief if anything. Now the Mavericks look to go up 2-0 in the series on tuesday.

Overall, the Blazers won't be discouraged by this performance. If anything this game proves to the Blazers they can play with the Mavericks. The Blazers went toe to toe with the Mavericks watching them shoot 19-2 in free throws in the fourth quarter. The Blazers saw Jason Kidd hit a career high six three pointers while their former all-star Brandon Roy struggled to put the ball in the hoop. At the end of the day the Mavericks won game one and have a one game to none lead. For the Blazers they are just looking for a split then come home to Rose Garden with the series 1-1. The Blazers have some work to do but there was some positives today mainly the play of Aldridge who is really becoming a star in this league. Now the Blazers don't have time for moral victories they must get that game two in Dallas to have a realistic chance in this series. Should be fun to see how game two turns out. Either way one team will feel great about themselves while the losing team will feel like it's the end of the world for them.

Observations:

- Aldridge is starting to show why he is such a great offensive player. Aldridge still is inconsistent as a rebounder having just two rebounds in the game after three quarters. On offense he was pretty incredible with those dunks making 12-20(60.0%) from the field. Aldridge is a go to guy in this league and in the past has had solid playoffs. Now Aldridge needs to get a few calls as he shot just four free throws despite his 20 field goal attempts.

I felt like Aldridge was letting the lack of calls and the Mavericks frustrate him in the second quarter. Aldridge scored just two points that quarter had one rebound and shot one for four. I also felt Aldridge showed maturity to quickly bounce back in the third quarter and score eight points. The Blazers have had to completely change their franchise with Roy and Greg Oden going down to injuries. Aldridge has helped with that transition some. People forget Aldridge was the number two pick in the same draft that Roy was the seventh pick in the draft. The Aldridge-Nowitzki matchup this playoffs has to be one of the better matchups in the first round.

- Now the worst topic I didn't want to talk about but I feel I have to. Brandon Roy looks injured and obviously isn't anywhere close to his old self. I question why Nate McMillan went with him down the stretch when Roy was playing so ineffective. Roy in 26 minutes scored just two points on one for seven shooting. Even worst Roy had the worst +/- on the team at negative 10 points. It is sad to see Roy be so injured especially when you look at this Blazers roster. If they just had the Roy of two years ago the Blazers could be the second or third best team in the Western Conference and very much a championship contender. Then when you throw in Oden this will be one of those what if's Blazers fans will always think about.

- Dirk Nowitzki showed why he lives on the All-NBA teams today. In a game where he didn't shoot well 7-20(35.0%) he still found a way to score 28 points. Nowitzki scored 18 points in the fourth quarter when he nailed all 13 free throws he attempted in the fourth. Now some may say he got superstar calls while others say he was attacking the hoop. There is a reason why superstars get calls because they are good at what they do. They know how to get to the foul line which sadly is a skill.

Nowitzki also grabbed 10 rebounds and had the best +/- out of anyone as he was a plus 17. For those who don't know that means the Mavericks outscored the Blazers by 17 points when he was on the court for 39 minutes. Nowitzki who is playing in his 11th straight playoffs is hoping this year is different that the Mavericks can finally win a championship.

- Remember when Gary Payton once said you should call Jason Kidd "Ason Kidd" because he has no "J". Well those days are long over now. Believe it or not Kidd is third all-time in NBA history in three pointers made. Kidd who is a career 34.8% three point shooter made a career high six three pointers today making 60.0% of his three pointers.

Kidd carried the Mavericks when Nowitzki was slow to get going. Then Kidd nailed the dagger to put the game away. Kidd who had his worst season of his career averaging just 7.9 PPG while 36.1% from the field and 34.0% from three point range stepped up today. Kidd scored 24 points which is the most he has scored since he scored points last season on April 3rd against hijack city(Oklahoma City). To say Kidd played huge today would be a huge understatement. Kidd showed at least for today that he still has some game left.

- This loss drops Nate McMillan's playoff record to 12-17(.413) for his career. In fact McMillan has won just one playoff series in his coaching career now. McMillan had some puzzling moves in the fourth quarter which included not playing Camby who was dominating on defense especially when Nowitzki was getting so many free throw attempts. Another questionable move was playing Roy so many minutes especially playing him so many at point guard.

McMillan I think is a good coach but I also think he can't take a team very far. He is great at getting teams to overachieve but I'm not sure if he can take a team deep into the playoffs which ultimately is the goal. I like Mr. Sonic and hope he can produce a playoff series win this year. The Blazers right now have the longest active playoff losing streak losing six series in a row dating back to my eighth grade year in 2000. Is McMillan the guy to break that streak? Well that is yet to be seen to date.

In conclusion, the Blazers were playing with house money in game one. Nobody expects a road team to get a sweep and all you can hope for is a split. Now game two will be different the Blazers don't want to come home down 2-0 to an experience Dallas Mavericks team. The Mavericks showed their veteran leadership in today's playoff win. Despite not winning a championship Nowitzki and Kidd have played in NBA finals and know how to win in the playoffs. The Blazers are hoping to get to that level where they know how to win in the playoffs. With some better play from their role players the Blazers can get the split. One would think Kidd won't shoot 60.0% from three point range the rest of the series. Now it comes down to game two to see where this series goes from here. If Aldridge has anything to say about it the Blazers will be coming home with the split. Just don't forget the Mavericks may have had plenty of failures in the postseason but they have had some success as well. The Mavericks take game one now we'll find out what this resilient Blazers team is made of once again. Knowing the Blazers they'll fight back and make game two a great war. Should be interesting to see game two I can't wait.

Blazers beat Raptors 97-84; my game experience

By Kshell

Growing up a kid I was a Seattle Supersonics fan despite living less than an hour from Portland. The Sonics were my team and growing up it easy to like the Sonics as they won 55 games or from 1993-1998 so when I was in first grade through sixth grade. The Blazers were in a transition my age group had just missed the Drexler run and they were a rival. I hated the Blazers growing up because it was fun tossing their fans crap growing up just like with Cougar fans(Back then Beaver and Duck bandwagoners hadn't exist yet). The Blazers themselves well were a rival to the Sonics but not really. Both teams were only good one season at the same time back in 1978 so seven years before my existence. When the Sonics had their run the Blazers were barely making the playoffs.

Just like all rivalries things change and in the late 90's the Sonics fired George Karl and the Blazers came out of nowhere during the strike season. I found myself pulling for the Blazers that playoff run as they made the Western Conference Finals. When they choked to the Spurs in game two blowing an 18 point lead I was sad for the Blazer fans. At school that's all everyone talked about. The following year the Blazers were a great team in fact everyone knew the championship was going to come down to the Lakers and Blazers. Although I was a Sonics fan I was so upset during that game seven collapse to the Lakers. I realized then it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Blazers were to have success.

Flash forward to a few years later and Sonics after winning a division title had some horrible news. Nate McMillan would leave the Sonics an organization he had been a part of since 1987 would leave after the 2005 season. He left to the "rival" Trail Blazers who were owned by Seahawks owner Paul Allen. The Blazers then selected Martell Webster from Seattle Prep high school. The following year the Sonics were sold to Clay Bennett and drafted some player named Sene. That same draft the Blazers selected Brandon Roy from the University of Washington and Garfield High School. Then as we all know the NBA left Seattle. The Sonics moved to hijack city. I was left without a team and was very hurt that my first favorite sport growing had left me. Last year I went to a Blazers game with my mom(can't turn down free tickets) and the atmosphere sucked me in. I even bought a Brandon Roy RIP City jersey and a blazers hat. I had a fun time and the Blazers destroyed the Timberwolves.

Well again I got free Blazers tickets and decided to go to the game. This time I brought a friend who might be the biggest Blazers fan I know. He is such a huge Blazers fan he currently has four Blazers on his fantasy team and not one of them is Brandon Roy. I was excited to go to the game although I couldn't name three players on the Raptors heading into the game. Before the game we stopped by the team shop and looked around as he was telling me that every game he goes to if you walk around the arena you'll find Blazers president Larry Miller walking around.

So before the game me and my friend are walking around the arena and standing by the concession line my friend goes "Hey its Wheels!". I look over and it was Mike Wheeler the play by play man for the Blazers on the radio. Strange seeing a Blazers employee getting food at some concession stand that some normal person can get food. So we were walking around and stopped to get a beer while watching the Arizona-Stanford game. Notice Larry Miller walking around and I chuckled as my friend was right about him.

Then it's game time so we walk down the section but it was the wrong section(we were 108, this was 110) and standing behind us was you guessed it Larry Miller. My friend goes hey Larry and then Larry despite being the team president extended his hand to shake my friends hand. Well we go down our right section this time and there playing the national anthem I look in front of me and it's Larry Miller. So after the anthem I go to shake his hand and he shook my hand and said "Hey Larry". Talked a bit with him which was nice. The Mariners preach family friendly at the games but I never see Mariners brass do stuff like that probably because everyone hates them. I thought that was awesome because he was the president of an NBA team and easily could have big leagued me but chose not to.

The game was ready to begin but first the starting lineups. I'm starting to finally like the Blazers warm up song. The video on the big screen gets you pumped up and they did the starting introductions where Brandon Roy of course got the loudest ovation. The game then began and it was kind of a boring first quarter. The Blazers led only 18-17, would go up 6 then fall back. The Blazers starters were outplaying the Raptors starters but the bench wasn't very good.

The second quarter towards the end of the quarter the starters for the Blazers started to take over led by Brandon Roy. The Blazers led at halftime 45-34 over the Raptors. The Blazers starters looked great in the first half like I said. While the recently acquired Sean Marks was horrible. As were the fans sitting behind me saying such stupid statements like "I think Wesley Matthews is from either Utah or Denver but he's been in the league for six to seven years", "Where is Sean Marks at? Why isn't McMillan playing him?". I can't think of any more off the top of my head but it was ridiculous. At halftime grabbed another beer with my friend and went back to watch the second half.

In the second half the Blazers did like they did in the first half pretty much coasted to a win. At one time the Blazers starters had outscored the Raptors 67-29 but the bench was outscored 24-5. The Blazers had a 20 point lead throughout the fourth quarter and the only drama was would the Blazers get the fans free Chalupa's. The Blazers did not winning 97-84 as McMillan emptied the bench. Without Rudy Fernandez and with Wesley Matthews in foul trouble the Blazers bench wasn't very good. The starters were terrific though.

Let's start with Brandon Roy who took over scoring when the team would go through their offensive woes. Roy added 26 points on 9 for 19 shooting and had a +/- of +29 in his 37 minutes. His other guard Andre Miller struggled scoring having made just one bucket and scoring just six points. He did however dish out 13 assists and grab six rebounds. Marcus Camby was fun to watch. I love watching big men battle for boards and he was battling former Sonic Reggie Evans all game long. Evans would end up with 9 rebounds in just 21 minutes but Camby was a beast posting 8 points but 16 rebounds. Nicholas Batum has improved a lot on his scoring shooting 7 for 14 including 3 of 6 from three point range scoring 20 points. LaMarcus Aldridge had a nice 20/10 game scoring 22 points and having 10 rebounds including 6 offensive. Aldridge shot 9 for 18 and I'd like to see him shoot in the 16-20 shots a game range.

Overall I had a really fun time at the Blazers game. I might break my streak and actually pay for an NBA game when they play a decent opponent. For a lame opponent on a Saturday night that saw their team(Oregon Ducks) play the same day to sell out the place was pretty fun. The crowd like Qwest Field was very electric and I'll go to some more Blazers games. I'm still am and always will be a Sonics fan at heart. Until the NBA returns to Seattle I will slowly adopt the Blazers. I hope most Seattle fans can make it to one Rose Garden game because it truly is a great experience.

2010-11 Portland Trail Blazers season preview

By Kshell

The Portland Trail Blazers began the 2010-11 NBA season hoping to take the next step. The Blazers despite a crazy offseason that saw general manager Kevin Pritchard get fired and bringing in three new assistent coaches there isn't as much optimism as there was this time last year. Don't let all the turmoil fool you though the Blazers still have a very good roster. The Blazers have won 50 games or more the last two seasons and still feature former University of Washington star three time NBA all-star Brandon Roy. The Blazers appear to finally have the right mix of veterans and young players. Some of the youngsters like Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge are just hitting their prime years. Once again the Blazers season will be about if they can stay healthy and in particular Greg Oden.

Portland despite having no buzz surrounding the team could be better than the team that won 54 games two years ago. All the buzz in the west this year appears to be with the Oklahoma City Zombies despite being only the eighth seed. The Zombies also had the fewest injuries amongst every team in the west while the Blazers had the most injuries. The other teams in the division appear to have gotton weaker as well. The Nuggets at some point during the year could trade away Carmello Anthony which would make them go from a threat to a non playoff team pretty quickly. The Utah Jazz lost Carlos Boozer, Wesley Matthews to Portland and Kyle Korver. The Jazz did steal Al Jefferson from Minnesota but the Blazers can very much win this division title especially if they stay healthy.

In this upcoming preview I'll break down each position of the Blazers and try to describe each player in the rotation.

Guards:



Brandon Roy: The team goes where he goes. Roy is the Blazers face of the franchise and best player. The former Pac-10 player of the year with the Huskies has achieved great success in Portland going to the All-Star game three times already in just four seasons.

Roy is also a big time player in big situations. He has hit several big game winning shots and in his only playoff appearance when healthy shined. Roy averaged 26.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.8 APG while averaging over a block and a steal a game. He was terrific in the Blazers playoff loss to the Rockets in six games back in 2008-09.

Unfortunetly for Roy and the Blazers Roy was hurt in last years first round loss to the Phoenix Suns in six games. Roy missed the first three games and Roy came back to play the teams last three games. It was obvious Roy was hurt as he shot just 10 for 33 in the three games. He was a huge inspriration to the team in game four and the atmosphere that day in the Rose Garden was incredible. Utlimately with Roy hurt they Blazers again lost in the first round to the Suns in six games. I don't know of to many teams who can win a playoff series without their best player.

The big issue for coach Nate McMillan is what do with Roy and the offense. Roy said he wants the ball to be in his hands more often. Roy wants to go back to the 2008-09 mode when the Blazers won 54 games and were the fourth seed in the Western Conference but ultimately lost in the playoffs. While Roy's other guard mate who I'll touch on pretty soon would rather have the ball in his hands and play more up tempo offense. Keep an eye on that situation.



Andre Miller: Andre Miller was the big free agent signing last summer for the Blazers and right off the bat the marriage didn't seem like it would last very long. Miller appeared to be a bad fit with the Blazers as his style of play doesn't work well with super star Brandon Roy style of play. Miller began the year briefly coming off the bench as Portland stuck with incumbant starter Steve Blake.

Miller finally found a role with the Blazers once they traded Blake along with Travis Outlaw for Marcus Camby. Miller against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on January 30th scored 52 points in the Blazers 114-112 win. He shot 22 of 31 that day from the field. When Roy went down Miller became the teams best player and you started to notice that LaMarcus Aldridge starting to shine in the up tempo offense. Miller also had a strong season when the dust settled averaging 14.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 5.4 APG. Miller is the Blazers best low post presence which tells a lot about him and the team.

Miller also had a pretty good playoff against Steve Nash and the Suns. In the game one upset at Phoenix Miller was a star. In the Blazers 105-100 win Miller had 31 points, five rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Miller was averaging 18 points a game in the teams first five playoff games then had a poor game six. Miller was just 2 for 10 shooting with 4 points in game six. That was also the game where Brandon Roy played the most minutes of the series. Miller must find a way to still play effective with Roy or he won't be in Portland very long. That would be a shame because Miller is Portland's second or third best player.



Wesley Matthews: Wesley Matthews is this years big free agent signing. The Blazers gave Matthews a 6 year/34 million dollar deal in a move that made you throw your hands in the air and go what?! Matthews this time last year was an undrafted rookie just hoping to make the team. Now he is making more money that #1 pick overall Blake Griffin. Don't let his high salary fool you Matthews can play and is a good team player.

Matthews was originally brought in to be Brandon Roy's backup shooting guard but with the Jerrad Bayless trade that will open up more minutes. At times the Blazers will run Roy at point guard and have Matthews at shooting guard. Have fun scoring on a lineup that features Roy, Matthews, Batum, Camby and Oden. Matthews last year for division rival Utah averaged 9.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.3 APG. In the playoffs though he averaged over 37 minutes a game, 13.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 1.8 steals a game. When you look at those playoff numbers plus add the fact he was just a rookie you can see why Portland stole him from their division rival.

Rudy Fernandez: When Rudy came to Portland two years ago there was a buzz surrounding him. He was a youtube sensation and played great for Spain in the 2008 Olympics helping them take second to the Americans. Rudy has always been a fan favorite in Portland because of his style on and off the court. He is like Ichiro in the sense he is known by just Rudy. Now with this past summer it will be interesting how Portland reacts to him.

In the offseason Rudy who is averaging just 24 minutes a game in his two years was frustrated and demanded a trade from Portland. Rudy isn't a good fit for Portland and especially coach McMillan. Rudy is best suited for a team like the Phoenix Suns who are an up tempo team where defense isn't stressed at all. Rudy when he is on fire is a very streaky scorer and shooter. At one point during the preseason Rudy was shooting close to 60% from three point range playing himself into the rotation possibly. Rudy is an outside threat for the team and averages close to two full threes a game. Another problem facing McMillan is finding minutes for Rudy and if he does it will most likely come at the expense of Andre Miller. However you shake it there will be some good players sitting on the bench unhappy for Portland as they are loaded at the guard position.

Forwards:



Nicolas Batum: This is a player that Blazer fans are absolutely in love with. Batum was a surprise starter two years ago beating highly touted Travis Outlaw. Batum started 79 games on a team that won 54 games as a rookie. He only averaged 5.4 points his rookie year but played good defense and developed into a three point threat. Then last year Batum began the year hurt and played just 37 games. Batum when he came back improved a ton as he averaged 10.1 PPG, making 1.5 threes a game then almost four rebounds a game. Batum will also be turning just 22 years old this December.

The potential in Batum everyone can agree on is pretty big. Where fans get in disagreements is where he is going. Some Blazer fans will have you thinking he is the next Scottie Pippen which just ludacris, while others scoff at the notion that he is compared to Tayshawn Prince who is a good player on his own. If they Blazers are to make a big trade it will most likely involve Batum. Whatever you think of Batum one thing is for sure he has tons of talent and has plenty of room to improve.



LaMarcus Aldridge: If it is possible for a player to be overated and underated at the same time Aldridge fits that. Talk to some Blazer fans and they are convince he is a top five power forward in the game and can be a perenial all-star. Talk to people who aren't fans of the Blazers and they bash on Aldridge so much you forget he averaged 18 points and almost 8 rebounds a game for the past three seasons.

Aldridge has a soft reputation which started from Blazers beat writer Jason Quick. Aldridge fits the model of players today where is a great shooter. Aldridge has a jumpshot that reminds fans of Kevin Garnett in his prime years. Aldridge when Roy went down stepped up his game. In the playoffs Aldridge against perenial all-star Amare Stoudamire he averaged 19.0 PPG,6.0 RPG and almost two blocks a game. Aldridge the previous year while facing Houston who had tons of bigs averaged 19.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and almost 1.5 blocks per game.

Say what you will about Aldridge but he is a natural scorer. For him and the Blazers to take that next step though he must improve his rebounding. Last year in game five of the playoffs he had just two rebounds in over 40 minutes. To get to that All-Star level he has to improve on the inside and on defense. Offensively he is there with his shooting but defensively he still has a ways to go. Aldridge looking at his stats has appeared to have each his plateau which isn't necesarily a bad thing given he has averaged 18 and 8.

Luke Babbitt: Luke Babbitt is a talented 6'9" forward who can shoot the outside shot. While at Nevada last year he averaged 21.9 PPG and grabbed 8.9 rebounds while making over a three pointer a game. Babbitt the Blazers were so high on is why they traded away three point specialist and former draft lottery pick Martell Webster away.

Look for Babbitt to be a nice spark off the bench this year for the Blazers. He is a tall small forward who can rebound and shoots the ball really well. If the Blazers can trade Rudy Fernandez look for Babbitt to steal his minutes. He will contribute some this year but down the road he could be a nice 6th man off the bench for the Blazers.

Center:



Marcus Camby: The Blazers were 17-6 in the 23 games that Marcus Camby played for them. Portland traded the popular Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw to get Camby and it appeared Camby would leave at the end of the season. Camby fell in love with Portland and decided to resign with them. Given Oden and Przybilla injury status having Camby around will prove to be huge.

The knock on the Blazers is they aren't tough enough inside but with Camby that simply isn't the case. In fact when healthy I dare someone to name me a team who has a better set of centers in the NBA. All Camby did in Portland was do what he always does which is play great defense and rebound the ball. Last year for the Blazers Camby averaged 7.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, a steal and two blocks a game. In the playoffs against the Suns Camby was a monster in the first five games. In the first five games Camby added 56 rebounds, 31 points and 7 block shots. He had a rough game six though. Camby will be asked to be the starter regardless of Greg Oden's health. When healthy look for Oden and Camby at times to be on the floor at the same time making it virtually impossible for teams to score inside on them.



Greg Oden: When you google search Greg Odens name what often comes up is "Sam Bowie", "Taken over Kevin Durant" and "Horse". The first two I"ll talk about and the last one well I'll just leave it alone.

Greg Oden fair or not fair will always be linked to Kevin Durant much like Sam Bowie was to Michael Jordan. The good news for Oden is he still has plenty of time to make people forget that he is a bust. There was once a time people mocked the Houston Texans for taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush, the Twins for taking Joe Mauer over Mark Prior and the Rockets for taking Yao Ming over Jay Williams(the Duke point not White Chocalate). When you look at Oden's numbers the stat that sticks out the most is 82 games played in three seasons. His injuries have been true injuries two of which have ended his season.

To be fair to Oden injuries are a part of the game but to call someone a bust because of such injuries is unfair. A bust in my mind is someone like Kwayme Brown who is just plain garbage. Oden is far from garbage in fact when healthy last year all be it just 21 games he ranked as the 8th most valuable player in the entire NBA according to Jon Hollingers sabermetrics esque rankings. I'll break down Greg Oden's numbers from last year he averaged 11.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.3 BPG. He also shot 60% from the field and 76% from free throws proving he isn't a Shaq, he also played in just 24 minutes a game. Now those stats are fair but for a #1 pick overall they aren't what you'd expect. Here is what Oden's numbers would be if he played 35 minutes a game which isn't unreasonable he would average 16.2 PPG,12.4 RPG and 3.4 blocks per game. To me that looks like a game changer, those numbers are exactly what Portland thought they would get out of him when they drafted him.

No player in the NBA is as big of an X-factor as Greg Oden is. Oden if he is healthy and can give the team 25-35 minutes a game is a huge addition. If they Blazers can somehow get Oden for 50 games at 25 minutes a night and most importantly get him for the Blazers it's the equivalent of them signing an all-star calibar center. The Blazers with a healthy Oden can feature two of the top five best defensive centers in basketball. The Blazers can be an extremely hard team to score on with Roy, Batum and their centers.

As a fan of basketball I want to see Greg Oden healthy. I think he has got an unfair rap and I loved watching him at Ohio State. Oden will begin the year injured but when he comes back and especially if he plays like he did last year that is at least five extra wins if not ten.

Joel Przybilla: Joel Przybilla is the only guy on the Blazers roster who was there during Nate McMillans first season with the Blazers just five years ago. Przybilla is another defensive minded center who won't score much but he sure can rebound and block shots. Last year Przybilla averaged 7.9 RPG and 1.4 blocks in just 22 minutes. He is also recovery from an injury and played in just 30 games last year.

Last year I went to a Blazers game against Minnesota and in a game where the Blazers scored 116 points the player I came away from most impressed with was Przybilla who scored just 7 points. Przybilla ability to box out defenders was amazing. He had 13 rebounds that game in just 25 minutes. I've seen Shawn Kemp, David Robinson, Dennis Rodman, Rasheed Wallace, Greg Oden, Arvydis Sabonis and Vin Baker back when he cared all play in person and other than Rodman, Przybilla was the best at getting rebounds I had seen in person. In fact last year he started 9 games and excluding the game he got hurt in early he averaged 9.9 RPG in those starts. With Przybilla healthy along with Oden and Camby the Blazers have a good rotation at center. If you are a big man playing the Blazers you know you are going to have to work because three guys will be hammering you all game long.

Coaches:



Nate McMillan: This will be Mr. Sonics 11th season as head coach of the NBA. This will be his sixth season in Portland. McMillan has a 410-395 record and a 12-16 playoff record. Now McMillan's record is a bit off because he inherited a crappy Portland team and went 21-61 his first season and his Seattle teams were always very average.

McMillan enters this year as a possible lame duck coach. You'll hear how that will distract the players which I don't believe to be true. In fact his best season to date was when he was in this same position as head coach back in the 2004-05 season with the Sonics. He led the Sonics that year to a 52-30 season and won the first ever Northwest Division title. He also won the teams first playoff series since 1998 when he was on that team as a player. If players have big years in contract years why can't coaches?

I feel regardless of what happens this year McMillan won't be back next year. I feel like McMillan is frustrated with how things went this summer in particular the firing of Kevin Pritchard. Both McMillan and Pritchard helped turn the franchise around from the Jail Blazers to the guys that the city has embraced. This group is a talented young group that isn't going away. I feel like McMillan is a good coach to take crappy teams and make them good just don't know if he can take a team to the next level. NBA players especially established guys don't want to practice for three hours and have basically a drill sargent as head coach which McMillan basically is. So Portland fans appreciate McMillan while you have him because he is a good coach.

Final Thoughts:

Just like last year the Blazers fan base and Paul Allen are tired of just making it to the playoffs. The expectations is to win a playoff series or else heads will roll. You already saw that with the entire coaching staff being replaced, both the general manager and assistent general manager were also replaced. The Blazers have advanced past the first round just two years since 1993. The Blazers have only been a top four seed just three years since 1993. In the NBA it is hard to take that next jump just ask the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves when they had Garnett, Houston Rockets, etc. The Blazers are trying to take the hardest step there is in sports which is go from good to great.

When healthy the Blazers match up the best with the L.A.Lakers amongst the Western Conference teams. The Blazers have three quality centers and are deep at guard. The Blazers have plenty of shooters and an all-star who has the ball in his hands late in games. Sounds like a recipe for succeess. The Blazers also have an owner who is willing to spend money, expiring contracts(Przybilla and Miller), young cheap talent(Batum), draft picks(they have bought a ton and recently acquired the Hornets first rounder) and a possible franchise building piece(Oden) to swing a huge trade. The Blazers have as much amo as anyone to make a blockbuster trade. The question is can Rich Cho do something that Pritchard was unable to do which is take a major risk that the fans won't like but help the team. Stars win in this league not depth the Blazers have depth they just need another star.

All in all, I like this team but I just don't love this team. I look for the Blazers to continue to win 50 games in fact I'll say 55 wins which is good enough to be the fourth seed in the west behind the Lakers, Zombies and Mavericks. I think the west is so tight it will come down to matchups far as who wins in the first round. This team is way better off than they were last year. Since last year the team has added Matthews, Camby, and Babbitt while losing Blake, Outlaw and Webster. The west is tough but it's time for the Blazers to finally grow up and stop using the dread "P" word and creating results. Look for the Blazers to finally win a postseason series for the first time since 2000.

I hoped you liked my Blazers season preview. I will make sure to attend a few games at Rose Garden. The Blazers crowd is at times like an overprotecting parent but the fans and the atmosphere is great especially for an NBA crowd. Well that wraps up my preview of the Portland Trail Blazers.