Lamrock's Blazers - Retired

[kibaxx7]

Looking great man. About time the Blazers were back in top.

[Lamrock]

Durant35, Yep. Hans Antonio is 10th on the draft boards.

#thierry, Thanks for checking in, dude!

[Lamrock]

JANUARY 2014 IN REVIEW
Record: 28-18 [6-8] | 2nd in conference, 3rd in division, 8th in Power Rankings



January was by far the worst month of the season thus far for the Trail Blazers, falling out of first place and posting a losing record. A brutal five game losing streak late in the month casts doubt on a team that held the league's best record for the first two months of the season. J.J. Hickson is starting to emerge as a solid starting Center and difference maker again while Aldridge have continued to be the team's leaders. If Aldridge and Lillard want all-star berths, they'll have to make a good impression in the next week and a half.

NBA Standings

Western Conference

1 San Antonio 29-17
2 Denver 29-18
3 Portland 28-18
4 LA Clippers 27-19
5 Oklahoma City 24-18
6 New Orleans 27-21
7 Utah 25-20
8 Golden State 25-22
Houston 23-23
Memphis 23-25
Sacramento 22-25
LA Lakers 21-25
Phoenix 15-31
Minnesota 15-31

Eastern Conference

1 Philadelphia 28-17
2 Indiana 26-18
3 Detroit 27-19
4 Miami 26-19
5 Orlando 23-19
6 Washington 23-21
7 Toronto 23-23
8 Cleveland 23-24
Boston 21-22
Chicago 22-24
Brooklyn 21-25
Atlanta 19-26
New York 19-26
Milwaukee 19-27
Charlotte 16-29

J.R. Young Wins East Rookie Of The Month Award
John Wall Wins East Player Of The Month Award
Cody Zeller Wins West Rookie Of The Month Award
Tony Parker Wins West Player Of The Month Award

Game Recaps

Wall Leads Wizards To Blowout In Rose Garden
1/23/2014 - Wizards 113 @ Trail Blazers 86

Portland's struggles to win at home continue as Damian Lillard is out-dueled by yet another star point guard. In a game that started close but ended up anything but, the backcourt duo of Bradley Beal and John Wall combined for 47 as they dominated Portland en route to a 113-86 victory.

WAS 27 34 26 26 | 113 [22-18] - Wall: 23/3/10; Beal: 24/6/3; Nene: 22/7/2
POR 26 23 20 17 | 86 [27-15] - Lillard: 21/3/6; Carter: 14/1/4; Aldridge: 12/4/1

Blazers Suffer Second Consecutive Blowout In LA
1/25/2014 - Trail Blazers 85 @ Clippers 120

After holding on to the best record in the NBA for most of the season, Portland has fallen off courtesy of it's third straight loss: a 35 point drubbing at the hands of the Clippers. In a game that was never close, the Clippers had a field day, with DeAndre Jordan enjoying his best game of the season. "It's kind of hilarious that this team was in first place for so long", chuckled Chris Paul after the game.

POR 14 21 23 27 | 85 [27-16] - Lillard: 19/5/5; Aldridge: 16/6/2; Carter: 15/7/3
LAC 35 27 26 32 | 120 [26-17] - D. Jordan: 23/13/4 blks; C. Paul: 23/7/11; B. Griffin: 21/16/6

Without Irving, Cavs Defeat Blazers In Portland
1/26/2014 - Cavaliers 109 @ Trail Blazers 105

Portland's slump continues as they lose their fourth straight game, this time to the Cleveland Cavaliers who were without star Kyrie Irving. Damian Lillard managed just 8 points as Portland melted down in the fourth. Dion Waiters led Cleveland with 24 points.

CLE 28 32 23 26 | 109 [22-24] - Waiters: 24/2/1; D. West: 16/9/1; C. Miles: 20/6/1
POR 25 35 28 17 | 105 '[27-17] - Hickson: 17/10/1; Aldridge: 18/8/0; Matthews: 16/3/1

Lillard, Aldridge Can't Prevent Fifth Straight Loss
1/28/2014 - Hornets 106 @ Trail Blazers 94

The Blazers suffer their fifth straight defeat, their fourth consecutive at home. Lillard and Aldridge had big performances, but New Orleans shot a very high percentage from the field and Portland couldn't keep up. The Blazers fall to 4th in the conference with the loss.

NO 25 26 30 25 | 106 [27-20] - Vasquez: 22/6/6; Batum: 15/10/4; E. Gordon: 17/1/4
POR 25 17 26 26 | 94 [27-18] - Lillard: 28/5/6; Aldridge: 19/17/1; Hickson: 10/9/0

Blazers Overcome Parker's 35 To Snap Losing Streak
1/30/2014 - Spurs 94 @ Trail Blazers 99

Tony Parker had one of his best games of the season, but couldn't overcome a hungry Blazers team, who snaps their five game losing streak. Aldridge and Hickson led the way for Portland, outmuscling the Spurs' finesse squad. The Blazers improve to 28-18 and hope this will stop their freefall in the standings.

SA 19 25 16 34 | 94 [29-17] - T. Parker: 35/2/6; Duncan: 11/4/4; D. Green: 10/7/3
POR 20 27 18 34 | 99 [28-18] - Aldridge: 23/8/2; Hickson: 22/5/0, 10-13 FG; Lillard: 21/3/5

[Mark.]

Rough month, but still hanging around at the top there. Good work

[hova-]

Still good enough for third in the West. I am going to copy your short recap style a bit ... want to get to the new season more quickly

[Valor]

Ouch, those were some pretty mediocre teams you lost to as well like Washington and New Orleans, not to mention Charlotte Gotta pick it up before the slump continues man

[Lamrock]

At the halfway point of the season, there have been plenty of surprises around the league. The Bulls and Knicks are currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, while Portland and Detroit are among the league's elite. The Thunder and Heat have been ravaged by injuries and have underachieved thus far. While LeBron, as usual, is the favorite, this award race is wide-open.

1. LeBron James (MIA): 28.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.9 APG (Heat: 26-19)
Don't let the Heat's 26-19 record fool you, LeBron has had another incredible season. With Bosh and Wade both missing most of the season, the Heat have had to rely on the likes of late second rounder Trevor Mbakwe to carry them at times. James is having another elite statistical year and his team would be bottom-feeders without him.
2. Damian Lillard (POR): 24.2 PPG, 7.7 APG, 3.8 RPG (Blazers: 28-18)
Though the Blazers have been slipping as of late, one can't discount the impact of Damian Lillard. The second year player is emerging as one of the best players in the NBA, proving to be unstoppable from distance and an emerging playmaker. If Miami doesn't get it's act together, Lillard could find himself with another piece of hardware in his trophy case.
3. Tony Parker (SA): 24.7 PPG, 8.5 APG (Spurs: 29-17)
Parker would be #1 in these rankings if not for the 11 games he missed earlier in the year. Parker has been unstoppable when he plays, leading the Spurs to the best record in the NBA. The Frenchman vows redemption after the disappointment of last year.
4. Anthony Davis (NO): 17.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.4 BPG (Hornets: 27-21)
The Unibrow has improved just as much, if not more than Damian Lillard in his second season. The front-runner for the defensive player of the year award, Anthony Davis has been the best center in the league this year, and may lead the Hornets back to the post-season sooner than expected.
5. Blake Griffin (LAC): 20.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.8 APG (Clippers: 27-19)
Chris Paul has taken a bit of a backseat this season, but Blake has been the rock for the Clippers. continuing to improve his game on both ends of the floor. Griffin fancies himself as the league's premier power forward now.
6. Jrue Holiday (PHI): 19.0 PPG, 9.2 APG (76ers: 28-17)
It's become increasingly clear that the rest of the Eastern Conference simply can't handle the Jruth. Led by Holiday and a healthy Bynum, Philly holds the best record in the East, and should be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.
7. Andre Iguodala (DEN): 15.6 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.8 RPG (Nuggets: 29-18)
Iggy has emerged as more of a leader for the Nuggets, doing a little bit of everything for the Nuggets, who are having another great regular season.
8. Kevin Durant (OKC): 26.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG (Thunder: 24-18)
He and Russell Westbrook have both missed time with injury and so neither have the same MVP credibility that LeBron does. Still, he could make a run for the All-NBA first team if OKC can catch up to San Antonio in the standings.
9. Kyrie Irving (CLE): 24.9 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.5 RPG (Cavaliers: 23-24)
Cleveland might not make the playoffs, but one can't discount the efforts of Kyrie Irving. The Duke alumnus continues to put up big stats as he hopes his Cavs can make an unlikely post-season run.
10. Kobe Bryant (LAL): 27.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.9 APG (Lakers: 21-25)
The Lakers aren't very good, but once again Kobe is killing himself to keep his team in the hunt. Bryant has not-so-subtly suggested a trade be made before the February deadline.

Outside Looking In: Dwight Howard (ORL); John Wall (WAS); Paul George (IND); James Harden (HOU); Greg Monroe (DET)

[hova-]

The injury bug is really biting the whole league, hell is there any team over 66%? Lillard is top notch. Cool to seem him establishing a position in the R2MVP.

[Lamrock]

The amount of parity in 2K is always a blow to the game's realism. Hopefully they decide to rewrite the sim engine at some point for the next-gen 2K games. Lillard has a real shot at MVP if we win 50 games.

[Durant35]

Maybe you should tweak the settings a bit? I think there's an injury frequency slide in there.

[Kenny]

Your story is looking great once again. It's nice to see a franchise like Portland have some success again. It's also particularly satisfying to see the Lakers do so badly (as they are in my association as well).

It sucks that my Hawks aren't doing too great, but I'm glad I've turned into a decent player

[Martti.]

I see the Magic are 5th in the East, that's good.

I hope Lillard wins MVP!

[Fresh8]

Great to see your story going strong. Lillard for MVP!

[Valor]

Anthony Davis at #4 Lillard is beasting so far

[Lamrock]

LeBron, DeMarcus Cousins Headline All-Star Starters



LeBron James led all players in votes, but Kings Center DeMarcus Cousins is the real shocker, enjoying a breakout season en route to his first all-star appearance. The usual suspects like Kobe, Melo and Durant are present while Brook Lopez and Kyrie Irving make their first starts. Irving however, is not expected to play in the game as he is currently injured.

Western Conference
C - DeMarcus Cousins (SAC) - 1st appearance
F - Blake Griffin (LAC) - 4th appearance
F - Kevin Durant (OKC) - 5th appearance
G - Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 16th appearance
G - Russell Westbrook (OKC) - 4th appearance

Eastern Conference
C - Brook Lopez (BKN) - 2nd appearance
F - Carmelo Anthony (NY) - 7th appearance
F - LeBron James (MIA) - 10th appearance
G - Derrick Rose (CHI) - 4th appearance
G - Kyrie Irving (CLE) - 2nd appearance

Wesley Matthews, Damian Lillard To Compete In Three Point Shootout

The injured Kyrie Irving will not attempt to defend his title. Paul George and Chauncey Billups return to the event, while Melo is a baffling choice, Granger a dark horse and the Blazers backcourt also threats

2014 3-Point Shootout

Wesley Matthews (POR)
Damian Lillard (POR)
Danny Granger (IND)
Paul George (IND)
Carmelo Anthony (NY)
Chauncey Billups (MEM)

Rookies Julian Martin, JR Young, Victor Oladipo to Dunk

Three exciting rookies will join center Andre Drummond in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. These players are all athletic and should make for an exciting contest.

2014 Slam Dunk Contest
Julian Martin (BOS)
JR Young (ATL)
Victor Oladipo (OKC)
Andre Drummond (DET)

Lillard, Anthony Davis Headline Rising Stars Challenge



Team CHUCK
G - Damian Lillard (POR)
G - Marcus Smart (CHA)
F - JR Young (ATL)
F - Anthony Davis (NO)
C - Cody Zeller (MIN)
----------
C/F - Nerlens Noel (CHA)
F - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (CHA)
G - Dion Waiters (CLE)
G - Michael Carter-Williams (UTA)

Team SHAQ
G - Trey Burke (DET)
G - Bradley Beal (WAS)
F - Alex Poythress (POR)
F - Trevor Mbawke (MIA)
C - Andre Drummond (DET)
----------
G - Victor Oladipo (OKC)
C - Jonas Valanciunas (TOR)
F - Kyle Singler (DET)
F - John Henson (MIL)

2013-14 NBA All-Stars

Western Conference

C - DeMarcus Cousins (SAC) - 1st appearance [18.9/13.4/3.4]
F - Blake Griffin (LAC) - 4th appearance [19.9/11.6/3.9]
F - Kevin Durant (OKC) - 5th appearance [27.0/6.5/4.9]
G - Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 16th appearance [27.9/4.8/4.0]
G - Russell Westbrook (OKC) - 4th appearance [25.1/4.9/8.4]
----------
G - Damian Lillard (POR) - 1st appearance [23.5/3.9/7.7]
G - Stephen Curry (GS) - 1st appearance [19.9/4.6/6.2]
G - Mike Conley (MEM) - 1st appearance [16.3/3.1/7.0]
G - Manu Ginobili (SA) - 3rd appearance [17.9/4.6/6.5]
F - Nicolas Batum (NO) - 1st appearance [14.4/5.6/5.3] - INJURED
F - Anthony Davis (NO) - 1st appearance [16.9/10.7/0.9]
C - Marc Gasol (MEM) - 2nd appearance [13.1/9.2/4.3]

Snubs: Tony Parker (SA); LaMarcus Aldridge (POR); Chris Paul (LAC); Ty Lawson (DEN); James Harden (HOU)

Eastern Conference

C - Brook Lopez (BKN) - 2nd appearance
F - Carmelo Anthony (NY) - 7th appearance [26.8/6.7/2.9]
F - LeBron James (MIA) - 10th appearance [29.2/8.3/5.8]
G - Derrick Rose (CHI) - 4th appearance [20.7/4.2/6.4]
G - Kyrie Irving (CLE) - 2nd appearance [24.7/5.3/6.3] - INJURED
----------
G - John Wall (WAS) - 1st appearance [20.0/4.5/8.2]
G - Jrue Holiday (PHI) - 2nd appearance [18.7/3.2/8.9]
G - Kemba Walker (CHA) - 1st appearance [20.3/4.2/7.4]
G - Monta Ellis (MIL) - 1st appearance [19.8/3.3/5.3]
F - Paul George (IND) - 2nd appearance [19.8/7.6/5.0]
F - Greg Monroe (DET) - 1st appearance [17.3/8.2/2.9]
C - Joakim Noah (CHI) - 2nd appearance [10.4/10.1/4.4]

Snubs: Dwight Howard (ORL); Rajon Rondo (BOS); Andrew Bynum (PHI); Bradley Beal (WAS); Kyle Lowry (TOR)

LaMarcus Aldridge, Raymond Felton Selected As All-Star Replacements For Batum, Irving



Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge will replace former teammate Nicolas Batum in the all-star game, while Knicks guard Raymond Felton will replace the injured Kyrie Irving. Jrue Holiday will start in Irving's place. The selection of Felton was criticized because of the Knicks' sub-.500 record.

G - Raymond Felton (NY) - 1st appearance [18.2/3.1/8.4]
F - LaMarcus Aldridge (POR) - 3rd appearance [18.6/9.2/2.5]

----------

2/1/2014 - Jazz 98 @ Trail Blazers 102

After a dominant first quarter, the Blazers controlled most of their game against their division rivals. Led by Most Improved Player candidate Gordon Hayward, Utah close the 3rd quarter on an 8-2 run and made Portland sweat in the fourth. Lillard and Matthews were clutch down the stretch to ice the game, 102-98.

UTA 19 27 23 29 | 98 [25-21] - Hayward: 24/6/3; Favors: 14/10/3 blks; M. Carter-Williams: 10/3/9
POR 34 24 17 27 | 102 [29-18] - Aldridge: 20/8/2; Lillard: 20/4/7; Matthews: 17/2/2

Beaubois Scores Season High 29 As Jazz Beat Blazers
2/2/2014 - Trail Blazers 85 @ Jazz 106

Roddy Beaubois had 29 points on 10-14 shooting as the Jazz got revenge for losing in Portland the night before with a blowout win. Utah took control of the game in the second quarter and lever looked back, getting the crucial win. Portland falls to 29-19 while the Jazz improve to 26-21.

POR 20 28 18 19 | 85 [29-19] - Lillard: 22/7/5; Carter: 13/2/5; Aldridge: 12/7/3
UTA 17 39 20 30 | 106 [26-21] - Beaubois: 29/5/4; A. Jefferson: 14/14/0; Favors: 12/12/1

Blazers Continue To Struggle At Home
2/4/2014 - Warriors 106 @ Trail Blazers 94

The Warriors and Blazers played each other close in the first half, but the Warriors went on a run in the third period, and Portland just couldn't recover. The team's struggles at the Rose Garden continued as good games from Lillard and Aldridge were wasted on poor defense and lacking contributions. The Blazers are now 7-10 since the acquisition of Vince Carter.

GS 28 23 26 29 | 106 [27-23] - Dudley: 22/6/5; Curry: 16/3/7; Lee: 10/7/0
POR 26 18 24 26 | 94 [29-20] - Lillard: 28/2/10; Aldridge: 22/9/3; Matthews: 17/4/4

Blazers Edge Out Pacers With Balanced Attack
2/6/2014 - Pacers 105 @ Trail Blazers 110

Recovering from a double-digit first quarter deficit, Damian Lillard and the Blazers beat Indiana 110-105. It was a pivotal third quarter run that turned the tide as Danny Granger's 24 just wasn't enough. The win improves Portland to 30-20 on the year.

IND 32 28 16 29 | 105 [27-21] - Granger: 24/6/3; Hibbert: 17/10/2; G. Hill: 19/5/3
POR 20 31 28 31 | 110 [30-20] - Lillard: 18/3/11; Aldridge: 16/13/5; Matthews: 18/2/0

Blazers Cool Red Hot Pistons
2/8/2014 - Pistons 89 @ Trail Blazers 114

The Pistons have quietly become one of the best team's in the Eastern Conference, but that meant little to the Blazers, who enjoyed a satisfying 114-89 triumph. It was all over after Wesley Matthews caught fire from beyond the arc in the first period. Brandon Knight led Detroit with 19 points.

DET 26 23 20 20 | 89 [30-20] - B. Knight 19/3/4; Monrow: 13/5/7; Drummond: 12/7/4 blks
POR 27 30 33 24 | 114 [31-20] - Matthews: 26/1/1; Hickson: 17/12/0; Aldridge: 22/6/3

Road Warrior Blazers Get Revenge On Warriors
2/9/2014 - Trail Blazers 110 @ Warriors 102

Just days after losing to Golden State by double digits at home, the Blazers beat the team at the Oracle for its third straight win. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 27 points and 9 rebounds. The win vaults Portland back up to second place in the Western Conference, and if the playoffs started today, they'd face the 7th place Warriors.

POR 28 21 36 25 | 110 [32-20] - Aldridge: 27/9/2; Carter: 15/2/3; Hickson: 12/14/1
GS 25 23 30 24 | 102 [27-24] - Curry: 23/10/4; Lee: 20/8/4; Bogut: 17/13/0

Blazers Have No Problem With Timberwolves
2/12/2014 - Timberwolves 81 @ Trail Blazers 85

MIN 25 17 29 20 | 81 [15-37] - C. Zeller: 18/7/1; D. Williams 9/9/0; F. Smith: 11/0/3
POR 26 24 18 17 | 85 [33-20] - Aldridge: 18/6/0; Carter: 18/5/2; Lillard: 11/7/6

Blazers' Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short In Fourth
2/13/2014 - Trail Blazers 91 @ Thunder 94

POR 24 16 23 28 | 91 [33-21] - Lillard: 28/6/5; Sessions: 16/3/1; Aldridge: 11/10/3
OKC 22 28 28 16 | 94 [30-20] - Durant: 29/5/6; Westbrook: 18/1/2; Ibaka: 16/7/1, 8-8 FG

[Valor]

Good to see my boy Joakim making it A bit ridiculous as usual with some of the other selections like Greg Monroe and Monta Ellis (Mike Conley wtf) but it looks pretty alright actually. You must be ecstatic about having 3 guys selected (even if one is replacement for the injured one) and a former Blazer (Felton) being in as well

[Lamrock]

Whoops, Batum's actually on the Hornets here. Fixed. I was pissed that he initially made it over Aldridge, so I guess this makes things right.

[Valor]

Whoops, Batum's actually on the Hornets here. Fixed. I was pissed that he initially made it over Aldridge, so I guess this makes things right.

Thats right, you did trade him away a while ago Good stuff then

[Lamrock]

The 2014 All-Star Weekend was in the books and it was an interesting one. The theme was defense. The Rookie Challenge saw both teams combine to score 151, which we're used to teams scoring on their own in the game. With the removal of the skills challenge and shooting stars events, the stripped-down all-star Saturday was fine, though neither the three point or dunk contests were particular standouts.

The All-Star game was a fascinating sight, with the East failing to score 100 points. Second-year Blazers star Damian Lillard redeemed his poor performance in the three point shooting to win MVP, with a fantastic performance.



Beal Leads Team Shaq Past Team Chuck In Rookie Challenge
Team Chuck 71 @ Team Shaq 80

Despite big games from Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis and rookie sensation J.R. Young, Team Chuck couldn't overcome an early deficit to beat Team Shaq. Shaq's team was led by Bradley Beal, who had a sensational performance with 16 points. Andre Drummond also chipped in a double-double.

CHK 34 37 | 71 - J. Young: 19/6/3; Lillard: 15/3/5; A. Davis: 14/12/2
SHQ 46 34| 80 - Beal: 16/4/3; Drummond: 12/10/0; Poythress: 8/3/0

MVP: Bradley Beal (WAS)



Paul George Wins Three Point Shootout With 22 In Final Round

Indiana and Portland had two players each in the three-point shootout, but only one remained for the second round. Thanks to a strong 22 point performance, George wins the three-point shootout in his second year participating. There wasn't a bad shooting performance in the contest, but Granger, Lillard & Matthews just didn't have the luck tonight.

First Round

C. Anthony 23
C. Billups 21
P. George 20
D. Granger 19
D. Lillard 19
W. Matthews 17

Second Round

P. George 22
C. Anthony 17
C. Billups 16



Victor Oladipo Wins Dunk Contest

Thunder rookie Victor Oladipo dazzled the crowd en route to winning the slam dunk contest. Oladipo edged out Detroit big man Andre Drummond, with fellow rookies Martin and Young getting off to poor starts. While there weren't a lot of new dunks, Oladipo did dunk over four teammates.



Player #1 - #2 - #3 | # points

V. Oladipo: 80 - 80 - 86 | 246 points
A. Drummond: 74 - 83 - 80 | 237 points
J. Martin: 60 - 64 - 86 | 210 points
J.R. Young: 58 - 80 - 64 | 202 points



Lillard Wins MVP With 31 Points As West Win Low-Scoring All-Star Game
East 98 @ West 107

Damian Lillard had 31 points but it extremely poor shooting from the East that gave the West the victory in the all-star game. With both teams shooting peculiarly poorly, Lillard took it upon himself to get something going, and scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half. The West led 64-57 at halftime.

The slump from outside continued in the second half, and the West led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter. Brook Lopez started to dominate inside and the Western Conference was held to just 15 points in the fourth quarter. However, the all-star defensive display wasn't enough as the West win it, 107-98. Lillard was named MVP with 31 points and 8 rebounds.



EAST 31 26 18 23 | 98 - Lopez: 25/10/1; L. James: 18/11/5; Anthony: 20/5/1
WEST 34 30 28 15 | 107 - Lillard: 31/8/3, Durant: 20/9/1; Bryant: 14/4/3; Aldridge: 0/1/0

MVP: Damian Lillard (POR)

[Linker.]

A big game from Aldridge, I can see..

Lillard came to play though, nice to see that. Best of luck going forward with this!

[Lamrock]

February 2014 IN REVIEW
Record: 36-22 [8-6] | 2nd in conference, 2nd in division, 3rd in Power Rankings



February was a solid month for the Trail Blazers, as it saw the team post a winning record, and receive two all-star participants for the first time in twenty years (going back to Cliff Robinson and Clyde Drexler). While they now sit 2nd in the conference and division standings behind the Thunder, the playoffs are a foregone conclusion at this point, and Blazers fans have plenty to be excited about. And no, I'm not talking about the additions of Przybilla and Redd. With 24 games left in the season, the Blazers will hope to close out the season on a good note, and win homecourt advantage at least for the first round of the playoffs.

2014 Trade Deadline



The trade deadline came and went, and was fairly uneventful. Jason Terry and Taj Gibson were the biggest names to change area codes, as just four trades were made. After a blockbuster deal that would have sent Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn fell through, high hopes from hoops fans were shattered. However, we did see some interesting minor deals.

Celtics trade Jason Terry to Pistons for Jason Maxiell
After making a mistake signing him in free agency, the Celtics cut their ties with Terry in a low risk move to acquire Pistons' backup forward Jason Maxiell. Boston saves long-term money while the Pistons add a bench scoring option.

Cavaliers trade J.J. Barea to Grizzlies for Jerryd Bayless
Cleveland takes a mulligan on the Barea acquisition by swapping him for the younger but less consistent Jerryd Bayless. Meh trade all around.

Bulls trade Taj Gibson to Warriors for Andris Biedrins, 2014 2nd rounder
With Gibson very unhappy with playing time, he's sent to Golden State, where he will play behind David Lee. Hmm. Biedrins has one year less on his deal, but his days of being a good NBA center are over.

Knicks trade Delonte West to Magic for E'Twaun Moore, Al Harrington
Move on, nothing to see here...

NBA Standings

Western Conference

1 Oklahoma City 35-20
2 Portland 36-22
3 New Orleans 36-24
4 LA Clippers 29-30
5 San Antonio 36-24
6 Denver 33-26
7 Houston 31-26
8 Utah 30-27
Golden State 29-30
Memphis 29-30
Sacramento 29-31
LA Lakers 28-30
Phoenix 20-40
Dallas 18-38
Minnesota 15-42

Eastern Conference

1 Detroit 35-20
2 Miami 36-23
3 Indiana 33-23
4 Toronto 33-26
5 Boston 29-25
6 Philadelphia 30-26
7 Washington 29-26
8 Orlando 29-26
Chicago 27-31
Cleveland 27-32
New York 26-31
Brooklyn 26-32
Milwaukee 27-34
Atlanta 24-33
Charlotte 20-37

Around The NBA



Blazers Release Luke Babbitt, Sign Joel Przybilla and Michael Redd
Blazers waive struggling sharpshooter, sign former all-star Michael Redd and former Blazer fan favorite Joel Przybilla
Kings fire Keith Smart, sign Raymond Marion
Kings replace abysmal coach Keith Smart with Raymond Marion as promising season continues to slip away.
Wolves Fire Rick Adelman, Hire Gus Joseph
Adelman's a great coach, but it's probably good for all parties involved to part ways.
Thunder Top Power Rankings, Blazers Third
OKC continues to recover in a big way from their slow start.
Durant, LeBron Win Players of the Month
Shocking, I know.
Noel, Zeller win Rookies of the Month
Centers "Stellar Zeller" and "Needs no nickname Nerlens" take home players of the month awards, a consolation for all the losses.
Jordan Crawford Out For Season With Broken Back
John Hollinger predicts +4 wins for Boston.

Kobe Struggles As Blazers Defeat Lakers
2/19/2014 - Lakers 105 @ Trail Blazers 113

Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge combined to score 64 points as the Blazers avenged their loss to the Lakers earlier this season. Thanks to persistent games from Most Improved Player candidate Earl Clark and shooter Jodie Meeks, LA stayed in the game throughout. However, Aldridge dominated in the paint while Lillard still had that all-star game momentum, scoring 36 points and dishing 10 assists. Michael Redd and Joel Przybilla made cameos in this game but neither scored any points.

After the game, Mike D'Antoni wisely pointed to the 4/25 from beyond the arc as the reason [the Lakers] lost. Portland improved to 34-21 and retakes the best record in the league.

LAL 26 16 33 30 | 105 [25-28] - Meeks: 23/4/2; Bryant: 21/5/5, 10-26 FG; J. Hill: 16/11/2
POR 32 20 27 34 | 113 [34-21] - Lillard: 36/4/10; Aldridge: 28/9/2, 11-17 FG; Matthews: 14/3/1, 6-7 FG

Blazers Come Up Short In Sacramento
2/23/2014 - Trail Blazers 94 @ Kings 98

DeMarcus Cousins led the way with 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Kings overcame a double digit halftime deficit to beat Portland. Portland got big games from Lillard and Aldridge but little else from anyone else. Sacramento continues to stay in the race for the 8th seed, while the Blazers lose a bit of ground in the race for 1st.

POR 21 28 25 20 | 94 [34-22] - Lillard: 24/5/8; Aldridge: 23/8/3; Olynyk: 12/4/0
SAC 24 13 29 32 | 98 [27-31] - Cousins: 16/14/3; T. Evans: 11/7/6; Douglas: 19/1/3

Melo's 34 Not Enough As Knicks Fall Short In Portland
2/25/2014 - Knicks 89 @ Trail Blazers 98

Damian Lillard and J.J. Hickson took over in the second half as Portland defeats the Knicks. New York is scrambling at this point, a couple games out of a playoff spot, and this game hurts. Carmelo Anthony had 34 points and 8 rebounds on 12-20 shooting in the loss.

NY 20 32 20 17 | 89 [26-31] - Anthony: 34/8/3; Felton: 13/4/14; A. Harrington: 12/2/0
POR 25 25 20 28 | 98 [35-22] - Lillard: 27/6/7; Hickson: 16/11/0; Aldridge: 14/7/3

Lillard Leads Blazers Past Bobcats
2/27/2014 - Bobcats 97 @ Trail Blazers 107

While some sloppy play kept the Bobcats in the game longer than they should have been, Portland ultimately had no problem avenging their earlier loss in Charlotte. Lillard had 23 points and 11 assists while nobody really stepped up for the Bobcats. Portland winning this game was also a victory for the lottery-bound Bobcats.

CHA 26 21 20 30 | 97 [20-36] - P. Mills: 15/2/0; G. Henderson: 14/1/2; Gortat: 12/7/0
POR 25 20 25 37 | 107 [36-22] - Lillard: 23/3/11; Matthews: 19/7/4; Aldridge: 14/4/4

[Valor]

Bulls trade Taj Gibson to Warriors for Andris Biedrins

Not such a terrible month for you tho, first seed in the West still up for grabs!

[Lamrock]

2014 Draft Preview: March Madness Edition



With the 2014 draft just three-and-a-half months away, and the NCAA tournament in just a couple weeks, now would be a good time to look at some of the draft's top prospects. In what is the most hyped draft class since the famed 2003 class (LeBron, Wade, etc.), some teams are tanking the season in hopes of landing a franchise player. While there are never any guarantees in the NBA Draft (see: any time Portland drafts a Center), it's hard not to get excited about this year's crop of rookies. Here are four guys who have been under the radar until recently:

Chris Bridges (Florida) | SF/PG | Age 19 | 6'8", 240 lbs | DRAFT STOCK: Mid-First Rounder

Chris Bridges gets a lot of comparisons to LeBron James. Being the same height/weight as LeBron when he entered the league, being an athletic point forward, hailing from Akron... The only difference? He's not nearly as good. Don't tell Bridges that. While he has as much talent as any player in this draft not named Wiggins, his questionable basketball IQ and apparent attitude issues could be a deal-breaker for a lot of teams.

NBA comparison: LeBron James/Jonathan Bender

Chris Frazier (Syracuse) | SF/PF | Age 20 | 6'8", 215 lbs | DRAFT STOCK: Late Lottery

Syracuse combo forward Chris Frazier is a point forward in the tradition of Hedo Turkoglu. He's no amazing shooter, but can hit the open three with consistency and is a skilled finisher. He's a very versatile player who can be useful as both a 3 and a stretch 4. His glaring weakness is his defense, but at just 20 years old, is far from a lost cause.

NBA Comparison: Hedo Turkoglu/Luke Walton

Hans Antonio (Phillippines) | PG | Age 20 | 6'2", 157 lbs | DRAFT STOCK: Mid-Late First Round

The Phillippines isn't exactly a basketball hotbed, but after leading the PBA in points per game (5.3), assists per game (2.6) and field goal percentage (.293%) in his rookie season, there has been plenty of buzz about Hans Antonio, especially after sinking a game-winner in the championship game over legend Shad "The Grinch" O'Greene. However, there have been... questions about his level of competition and whether his skinny 157 pound frame can handle the rigors of the NBA.

NBA Comparison: Poor man's Rajon Rondo

Dyrone Williams (Connecticut) | PG/SG | Age 19 | 6'2", 190 lbs | DRAFT STOCK: Mid-Lottery

Dyrone Williams is seriously giving the likes of Andrew Harrison and Dante Exum for the status of best point guard prospect in the draft. Williams is super quick and was one of the leading assist men in the NCAA this season. However, he's shot just 36% from the field and a ghastly 14% from behind the arc. He's not a good, or even competent defender either, but he has higher upside than anyone else at the position.

NBA Comparison: Brandon Jennings

2014 Mock Lottery

1. SF Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)
2. SF Jabari Parker (Duke)
3. PF Julius Randle (Louisville)
4. PG Dyrone WIlliams (Connecticut)
5. SF Noah Vonleh (Indiana)
6. PG Andrew Harrison (Kentucky)
7. PF Aaron Gordon (UCLA)
8. C Willie Cauley (Kentucky)
9. PG Dante Exum (Australia)
10. SG Jordan Adams (UCLA)
11. SG Chris Frazier (Syracuse)
12. PG Hans Antonio (Philippines)
13. SF Chris Bridges (Florida)
14. SG James Young (Kentucky)

[DeusExMortem]

Wow mid first round! i hope my draft stock would go higher LOL!

[Andrew_Wiggins]

Woah i'm projected to go 4th very surprised but not complaining haha!