Garden Of Oden: RELOADED | NLSC Draftees??

[Mavs4Life]

Good luck, hope it dosen't come to 29 games IRL.

[KidJustin]

short season means Oden finally has a chance to play a full season!

[Kenny]

Awesome to see you go with the Blazers once again. I think the lockout is a great way to ease yourself back into another story, then you can decide later whether to ecxpand the season length. Hope to see 5-10 seasons of this

[Lamrock]

Thanks guys. Recap of the first game hopefully later today, if I can figure out how to get my shitty smartphone to sync photos...

[Lamrock]

"MLE Mania" Sees Many Solid Players Switch Teams
Posted March 5, 2012; 3:56 PM
by Ken Chalmers

The delayed free agency period has finally fallen upon us, and teams left and right are using the mid level exceptions they did not expect to still have on some of the marquee free agents. However, with Tyson Chandler re-signing with the Mavericks, this free agency period has been noticeably devoid of stars, with former two-timers Caron Butler (to New Orleans) and David West (to Atlanta) bring arguably the biggest signings.


Pssh, photoshop. Who needs it?
Carl Landry's deal with the Knicks should make their offensive oriented team more offensive oriented. The Pacers essentially shredded $11.5M by using their cap space on one year deals for bust Yi Jianlian and role player Chuck Hayes. Other notables include former superstar T-Mac to the Bobcats, Jason Richardson to the Nuggets and former sixth man of the year Jamal Crawford going to Milwaukee.

All signings:
David West - ATL - 1 yr, $5.76M
Caron Butler - NOH - 1 yr, $5.76M
Yi Jianlian - IND - 1 yr, $5.76M
Chuck Hayes - IND - 1 yr, $5.76M
Jamal Crawford - MIL - 1 yr, $5.76M
J.J. Barea - UTA - 1 yr, $5.76M
Glen Davis - ORL - 1 yr, $5.76M
Tayshaun Prince - BOS - 1 yr, $4.14M
Tracy McGrady - CHA - 1 yr, $5.76M
Jason Richardson - DEN - 1 yr, $5.76M
Kenyon Martin - NJN - 1 yr, $3.04M
Carl Landry - NYK - 1 yr, $5.76M
Reggie Evans - DAL - 1 yr, $473K
Jeff Foster - BOS - 1 yr, $1.28M
Anthony Carter - BOS - 1 yr, $473K
Ime Udoka - ATL - 1 yr, $473K
Francisco Elson - MIL - 1 yr, $473K

Re-signings:
Tyson Chandler - DAL - 1 yr, $5.76M
Grant Hill - PHX - 1 yr, $5.76M

Comments (4)

3/6 12:01 AM seXXXy_Porn Slutz http://www.hotttttsexxxxx.co.uk

3/6 3:34 AM Priest Askins Damn. Who needs photoshop indeed - I thought those were real pics of them in their new jerseys!

3/6 1:18 PM Ken Chalmers Thank you! I thought it was the end of NBA.net when Wally (rest his soul) somehow got us sued for piracy! Piracy! Not a murder, not a rape, I'm talkin' 'bout piracy.
Billy Knight and Priest Askins like this.

3/6 2:47 PM Ken Chalmers Oh you fucking assholes.

PROTIP: If you're going to Google images search for David West, be sure to take "NBA" on to the end of it. Trust me on this one.

[The X]

Loving the pics

Also luvin' not only a Terry Dehere sighting, but a Priest Askins one too

[Mavs4Life]

Wow, every association I do (that I don't control Dallas) Barea goes to Utah no lie. Nice to see T-Mac in Charlotte, hopefully he'll get some better minutes.

[Houndy]

Glad Chandlah decided to stay in the Big D

[Lamrock]

Blazers Pull Away In Fourth To Win Opener In Toronto
Portland 90, Toronto 79
Posted March 6, 2012; 11:38 PM
by Apollo Carnegie

It looked like it might be a rough year for the Blazers. A rough first half saw the Blazers suffocate the Raptors defensively only to go through a myriad of offensive slumps. This was despite playing the league's perennial worst defense. A run in the third sparked by Andrea Bargnani saw the Raptors go up by as many as 9 before entering the fourth up 4 points.

With the offense continuing to show signs of stagnation, Nate McMillan unleashed a smallball lineup with speedy third year point guard Patty Mills running the show. The Blazers took an early lead they would not let go of, with shots finally starting to fall. Following in Toronto's previous coach's footsteps, Duane Casey snapped a clipboard in half late in the fourth. In the end, the Blazers would comfortably win it 90-79.





17 23 16 34 90
20 16 24 19 79

Notables:
LaMarcus Aldridge: 18 pts, 10 rebs, 4 blks, 3 asts | MO LUCAS PotG
Andrea Bargnani: 20 pts, 7 rebs
Raymond Felton: 11 pts, 12 asts, 3 rebs
Brandon Roy: 11 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts
Jose Calderon: 4 pts, 7 asts, 5 TOs, 2-11 FG | PBL Shitass

[Lamrock]

March 10, 2012 News Round-Up

Pistons Trade Jerebko To Kings For Donte Greene
March 7, 2011 - In the first trade of the season, the Pistons dealt once promising rookie turned damaged goods Jonas Jerebko to the Kings for Donte Greene. Not much more to say about this deal but Donte Greene has been called the new Jonathan Bender for whatever that's worth, while Jerebko started for a 27 win Pistons team two years ago, so there's that...

March 8, 2012: Blazers @ Nets (Simmed)

The Blazers had little trouble spoiling the Nets' home opener. Led by huge performances from the "big 3" of Roy, Aldridge and Gerald Wallace, Portland blew out the likely lottery bound Nets.

23 28 27 28 106
B. Roy: 24 pts, 4 asts, 8-13 FG (PotG); L. Aldridge: 27 pts, 7 rebs, 3 stls; G. Wallace: 14 pts, 16 rebs, 4 blks, 3 stls
12 30 19 27 88
Marshon Brooks: 16 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts; B. Lopez: 7 pts, 6 rebs, 4 TO's, 2-9 FG (Shitass)

March 9, 2012: Blazers @ Celtics (Simmed)

Portland never had a shot. From the dismal play of Roy to the sensational play of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (who combined for 61), Boston always had control. Greg Oden was the sole highlight for the Blazers. The former #1 overall pick had his best game this season, posting a double double.

13 27 25 27 92
Greg Oden: 12 pts, 12 rebs, 4-6 FG; Brandon Roy: 5 pts, 2 asts, 2-8 FG (Shitass)
25 32 23 25 105
R. Allen: 32 pts, 4 asts, 3 rebs, 12-16 FG, 4-4 FT, 4-6 3pt (PotG); Pierce: 29 pts, 11 rebs; Rondo: 9 pts, 11 asts, 5 rebs, 4 stls

[Lamrock]

WEEK 2: March 11-17


Though healthy, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for this big 3.

----------

3/11/12 - 3/17/12 | Record: 3-2 (5-3) | Home: 3-0 (3-0) | Road: 0-2 (2-3)

Milwaukee 98 @ Portland 106 (W)
Portland 84 @ Orlando 99 (L)
Portland 89 @ Dallas 97 (L)
Phoenix 68 @ Portland 82 (W)
Utah 73 @ Portland 102 (W)

In a packed week that saw the Blazers play 5 games in 7 days, they played their first home game after three on the road, only to go back on the road to Orlando for the Magic, then Dallas against Dirk and the champion Mavs.

Despite many of our core players being older or old in knee surgeries, we have weathered the storm by beating the teams we were supposed to be. Unfortunately, an injury in our game against the Bucks cost us Oden for two games (both losses incidentally). Our defense has really stood out, making the healthy of guys like Oden, Camby and Batum so critical. The team needs work on the other end though, with none of our players giving terribly consistent production.

I think this might actually be a picture of a missed dunk.

March 11, 2012: Bucks @ Blazers (Played)
Portland 106, Milwaukee 98 (OT)

The Blazers home opener was expected to be a gimme, but the Bucks had other plans. Suffocated by the strong Bucks defense, the Blazers saw a 15 point lead mount by the second quarter. Coach Nate McMillan did not panic however.

Sticking with the same strategy, the shots started falling, and holes in the Bucks' vaunted D started to appear. By the start of the fourth, it was just a two point game. After a fourth period that saw neither team able to get going, an overtime was played. Wesley Matthews caught fire again, and Brandon Roy scored 8 of his 12 points in the overtime, as the Mavs dropped 19 points in the extra 5 minutes to win 106-98.

27 17 24 19 11 98
19 19 30 19 19 106

Notables:
Wesley Matthews: 28 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts, 9-13 FG (PotG)
LaMarcus Aldridge: 28 pts, 10 rebs
Andrew Bogut: 16 pts, 18 rebs, 3 blks
Raymond Felton: 17 pts, 8 asts, 4 rebs
Brandon Jennings: 9 pts, 8 asts, 4 TO's, 4-16 FG (Shitass)

March 13, 2012: Blazers @ Magic (Played, Then Simmed To End) (Quitting like a bitch)
Orlando 99, Portland 84

This one was never too close. The first quarter saw Dwight Howard get Marcus Camby in foul trouble, and punish the Blazers' soft front line. Aldridge was shut down, and the Blazers were fortunate to only be down 12 - 55-43 at the half.

The Magic opened up the third quarter with a pair of threes, and that was where I turned the TV off. Irresponsible I know, as a Blazers blogger and fan, but I couldn't take it. Unsurprisingly, the Magic would cruise to victory. Brandon Roy was the sole highlight for Portland, starting to show some consistency off the bench.

20 23 25 16 84
28 27 26 18 99

Notables:
Dwight Howard: 23 pts, 15 rebs, 9-14 FG (PotG)
J.J. Redick: 19 pts, 4 asts, 3 rebs, 8-13 FG
Jameer Nelson: 12 pts, 14 asts
Brandon Roy: 16 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts
Nicolas Batum: 6 pts, 4 rebs, 3 TO's, 2-8 FG (Shitass)

March 14, 2012: Blazers @ Mavericks (Played)
Dallas 97, Portland 89

The Blazers failed to utilize the best games of the season for Gerald Wallace and Brandon Roy, as well as a strong shooting start against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. After being down early, the Mavs weathered the storm and never let the deficit get out of hand.

A LaMarcus Aldridge dunk put us up 61-56 midway through the third. Dallas then turned the game around with a 18-4 run to end the half. Portland fell behind by as many as 16 before attempting a late comeback attempt that was too little, too late. The Blazers were kept in it with excellent play by Brandon Roy and Gerald Wallace, who combined for 42 points on 20 field goal attempts. LaMarcus Aldridge however, had another rough game, scoring 17 points, but doing so on 8-26 shooting and with only 5 boards.

27 24 14 24 89
20 30 29 18 97

Notables:
Dirk Nowitzki: 23 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts, 10-17 FG (PotG)
Gerald Wallace: 22 pts, 7 asts, 4 stls, 3 rebs, 10-12 FG
Brandon Roy: 20 pts, 6 asts, 5 rebs, 7-8 FG
Jason Terry: 22 pts, 6 asts
Patrick Mills: 2 pts, 3 TO's, 1-5 FG (Shitass)

March 16, 2012: Suns @ Blazers (Played)
Portland 82, Phoenix 68

In a surprisingly low scoring game, the Blazers shut down the Suns, holding them to under 20 points in every quarter and ultimately winning big. The game was close in the first quarter, but a second quarter run sparked by great D and Wes Matthews getting hot gave the Blazers a double digit lead they would have for the rest of the game.

Steve Nash did his best to try and keep the Suns in the game, but Vince Carter undid all his teammate's good work by taking 27 shots and turning the ball over five times. LaMarcus Aldridge, despite having another mediocre rebounding game, led the way with 28 points.


19 13 19 17 68
21 26 20 15 82

LaMarcus Aldridge: 28 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts, 9-17 FG, 10-10 FT (PotG)
Wesley Matthews: 19 pts, 6 asts, 3 rebs, 3 stls, 8-13 FG
Steve Nash: 18 pts, 8 asts
Gerald Wallace: 12 pts, 12 rebs
Vince Carter: 21 pts, 6 rebs, 5 TO's, 8-27 FG (Shitass)

March 17, 2012: Jazz @ Blazers (Simmed)
Portland 102, Utah 73

The cellar dweller Utah Jazz came to town and got owned. The game was never close - Portland jumped out to a 22 point halftime lead that would prove insurmountable. How much of a blowout was this? Four Portland players (Aldridge, Felton, Roy, Wallace) outscored Utah's leading scorer (Devin Harris, who had 14).

When interviewed after the game, Tyrone Corbin remained positive. "You know, you never want to lose games in this league but I'm here for a few guaranteed years so you just gotta count your blessings and move on to the next los- I mean game."

27 11 18 17 73
37 23 18 24 102

Raymond Felton: 22 pts, 9 asts. 4 stls, 8-11 FG (PotG)
LaMarcus Aldridge: 27 pts, 5 rebs, 11-17 FG
Gerald Wallace: 16 pts, 13 rebs, 4 stls, 6-9 FG
Devin Harris: 14 pts, 4 asts, 3 stls
Alec Burks: 2 pts, 2 asts, 4 TO's, 1-5 FG (Shitass)

[Lamrock]

And so there's that. I'm a ways ahead in the season and it has been interesting. I have a lot of back-logged updates in my notepad file, but the recapping style is still being refined.

Comments quite welcome if only to prevent me from quadruple posting like this.

[Cr0ss0v3rK1ng]

I always liked your style of associations, it's like a smartass approach which makes it funny and keeps me hooked, keep going

[Martti.]

Oden and/or Roy will go down with an injury soon enough, don't worry. A decent start though.

[Lamrock]

WEEK 3: March 18-24


Somehow 28.3 PPG and 11.0 RPG hasn't equated to any wins this week
----------

3/18/12 - 3/24/12 | Record: 0-3 (5-6) | Home: 0-1 (3-1) | Road: 0-2 (2-5)

Portland 91 @ Cleveland 102 (L)
Portland 93 @ Atlanta 97 (L)
Miami 138 @ Portland 136 [2OT] (L)
It was not a good week in Blazer nation. Though the team got a breather with only a three game week, the team won none of them. The first loss was an embarrassing one in Cleveland, while the other two saw the team show heart but ultimately come up short. The closest thing to a consolation prize was LaMarcus Aldridge strengthening his all-star bid averaging 28 and 11 for the week.

The Blazers are now a game out of the tie for 8th place.

March 19, 2012: Blazers @ Cavaliers (Played)
Cleveland 102, Portland 91

What. The. Fuck. LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy had arguably their best games of the season, we appeared in control after the first quarter and Kyrie Irving was held to 10 points. So why did last season's second worst team beat us?

After a smooth first quarter, our ability to defend and take care of the ball ceased and the Cavs took a 48-45 lead at the half. Brandon Roy's hot third quarter shooting helped Portland stay in the game and eventually take the lead. The fourth quarter then saw LaMarcus Aldridge go off, scoring 9 of our first 11 points from the quarter, and leading us to a 7 point lead. Then Baron hit a three, then another, then Jamison got a three point play. With 30 seconds to go and the game tied, Cleveland missed a shot to take the lead but managed to force Brandon Roy to miss his buzzer-beater attempt.

The overtime was a shock to the system. Portland just collapsed. No defense, turrible ball movement, no energy. The only points we had were from an ill-advised LaMarcus Aldridge 3. The Cavs fans began to chant "Tacos! Tacos!" and got their wish as the Cavs won 102-91, to get back to .500. Nate McMillan, when asked on his feelings about the game: "How do I feel? We lost to the *expletive* Cadaverliers! The way I see it, we had two big problems: our offense and our defense...." McMillan is expected to be fined more money than any of us will ever see for his comments.


27 18 26 17 3 91
20 28 21 19 14 102

Notables:
Baron Davis: 20 pts, 6 asts, 5 rebs, no pts in first half (PotG)
LaMarcus Aldridge: 27 pts, 12 rebs, 6 asts, 4 blks
Anderson Varejao: 16 pts, 11 rebs, 8-11 FG
Brandon Roy: 23 pts, 3 rebs, 8-13 FG, 3-3 3pt
Patrick Mills: 3 mins, 0 pts, 0 asts, 2 TO's (Shitass)

March 21, 2012: Blazers @ Hawks (Played)
Atlanta 97, Portland 93

They may play on opposite ends of the country, but Portland and Atlanta have taken similar paths in recent years, both being treadmill teams with overpaid shooting guards. If you want to see two slightly above average teams play slow basketball, then this was the game for you.

Atlanta led for the entire first half of the game. Thanks to Raymond Felton deciding to suck at shooting again, our offense got off to a poor start, while Josh Smith destroyed us on the boards. We entered the half down 49-38. The third period saw the game turn around, with a mid quarter run sparked by a lineup of Felton, Batum, Wallace, Aldridge and Oden.

Entering it up one, the fourth quarter was close throughout, with the lead being swapped many a time. The match was anybody's up until the end in which Gerald Wallace (who had been playing phenomenally) lost us the game. Down one with a minute to go, Wallace tried to play hero and got blocked by Josh Smith. On the other end, he went to defend a three by Joe Johnson and fouled him for three free throws, all of which made. Atlanta would win it 97-93.


Gerald Wallace won the scoring battle, but Joe Johnson actually won.
19 19 32 23 93 | PTS: Wallace (26); REBS: Aldridge (10); ASTS: Felton (10); Batum (+7); Matthews (-23)
33 16 20 28 97 | PTS: Johnson (25); REBS: Smith (20); ASTS: Hinrich (15); Smith (+10); Teague (-5)

Notables:
Joe Johnson: 25 pts, 7 asts, 4 rebs, 3 stls (PotG)
Gerald Wallace: 26 pts, 5 rebs, 4 stls, 10-13 FG
Josh Smith: 20 pts, 20 rebs
LaMarcus Aldridge: 17 pts, 10 rebs, 3 asts
Raymond Felton: 3 pts, 10 asts, 4 TO's, 1-8 FG (Shitass)

March 23, 2012: Heat @ Blazers (Played)
Miami 138, Portland 136 [2OT]

It's hard to know what to say about this one. On one hand, it was the most thrilling Blazers game since game 4 of last year's conference semifinals. On the other, it was also the most heartbreaking in recent memory.

The famed Miami Heat were in town, and despite being just two games above .500 thus far, they are the most feared team in the league. They did their thing in the first half, dominating on both ends, and entering the half up a dozen. Then, the Blazers unleashed their stars. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 26 of Portland's 32 points in the pivotal third quarter. A back-and-forth fourth quarter saw Brandon Roy sink a jumper with a second remaining in regulation to force overtime.

The first game was tight defensively, and saw Portland take control early. The Heat chipped away, and found themselves down just one with the ball and 25 seconds. A blocked LeBron layup led to free throws for Roy, who sank both. The game looked ours. The Heat had just 6 seconds to score three points. Mike Miller got it and was forced to get it to LeBron who chucked it up... it's good! Fuuuuuuuck.

The second overtime was a shootout, with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge padding their stats, and the big three being unstoppable on the other end. Unfortunately, we could not buy a stop, and found ourselves down 136-131 with 7 seconds remaining. Batum hit a three, but LeBron dribbled it out for the win. Portland saw the best game from Brandon Roy in at least two years, with 35 points and 13 dimes, while Aldridge was just one point less than his career high, with 41.



"Losing a game like this... Man I don't know. I'm just exhausted," said a drained Aldridge after the game. Nate McMillan said "I'm proud of how we played. They are a great team and we played them strong. We lost our focus towards the end though, and being below .500 for the first time better be a huge wake-up call", said coach McMillan. After the game, Dwyane Wade gained infamy among the Blazers faithful by tweeting, "hey Portland, U MAD?"

We fall to 5-6, a game out of the final playoff spot, and on a three game slide. Luckily, our next match is against the 76ers, who are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. (No shit-ass of the game because I'm proud of our team tonight)

29 32 18 31 10 18 138 | PTS: James (36); REBS: Bosh, James (10); ASTS: Chalmers (13)
22 27 32 29 10 16 136 | PTS: Aldridge (41); REBS: Aldridge (9); ASTS: Felton, Roy (13)

Notables:
LeBron James: 36 pts, 10 rebs, 6 asts, 4 stls (PotG)
LaMarcus Aldridge: 41 pts, 9 rebs, 4 blks, 3 asts
Brandon Roy: 35 pts, 13 asts, 3 rebs
Dwyane Wade: 24 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts
Raymond Felton: 15 pts, 13 asts, 7-11 FG

[Kenny]

Some tough losses there, but Aldridge and Roy are both in excellent form by the looks of it. Hope you can get back on track in week 4.

[Mavs4Life]

Tough week, especially playing all the games, great effort in the Miami game, I hate when you can't get that fould with time winding down.

[kibaxx7]

Simple but effective, good job man. Tough to lose like that against the Heat.

[Lamrock]

News Round-Up: March 20, 2012

With the lockout-shortened season, teams are rushing to make moves. After months of not being able to sign and trade, the free agent pool is narrowing, and several names have switched teams. Most notable thus far has been the George Hill/J.J. Hickson deal and the Elton Brand trade.

Transaction Report

Trades

trades F Donte Greene to Detroit trades F Jonas Jerebko to Sacramento

Sixers trade Elton Brand to Sacramento Kings trade Tyler Honeycutt and Hassan Whiteside to Philadelphia

Pistons trade Kyle Singler and Vernon Macklin to Orlando Magic trade Daniel Orton to Detroit

Bucks trade Jon Leuer and Drew Gooden to Toronto Raptors trade Julian Wright, 2012 2nd rounder to Milwaukee

Bobcats trade Dante Cunningham, Eduardo Najera to Philadelphia Sixers trade Lavoy Allen, 2012 2nd rounder to Charlotte

Pacers trade George Hill, James Posey to Sacramento Kings trade J.J. Hickson, Francisco Garcia to Indiana

Free Agent Signings

Samuel Dalembert | 1 yr, $2.71M
Kurt Thomas | 1 yr, $601K
Theo Ratliff | 1 yr, $473K
Shane Battier | 1 yr, $1.78M
Rafer Alston | 1 yr, $1.71M
Tony Battie | 1 yr, $473k

Our team's name has also popped up in trade rumors. With our disappointing 5-6 start, a trade begins to look likely for the Trailblazers, who acquired big names as the last two trade deadlines (Marcus Camby and Gerald Wallace). We've reportedly been in talks with Phoenix, Memphis and both teams and have been trying to swing Steve Nash in a three way deal, in exchange for Camby and Raymond Felton.

RealGM Wiretap; March 19, 2012

Are Nash's Days In Phoenix Finally Numbered?



The Steve Nash era in Phoenix brought the franchise three trips to the conference finals, and a period of resurgence in the mid to late 2000's. However, despite Nash's two MVP's and many 50-40-90 seasons, the Suns never got further, and the loss of Amar'e Stoudemire led to the Suns' first losing season since 2003-04 in last year's 40-42 campaign.

Fast forward nearly a year and the Suns are near the bottom of the Western conference at 4-7. Nash is averaging a career high 22 points (along with 7 assists per contest), but time is running out on the 38 year old's illustrious career. Nash would likely go to a contender, though his arrival in Portland could turn the team into contenders.

Current reports are of a potential three team deal that would send Portland's Felton and Camby to Memphis, Rudy Gay (who was injured during the best period in Grizzlies basketball ever), Nolan Smith and a Portland first rounder to Phoenix, and finally Steve Nash and Jared Dudley to Portland. Varying reports see Mayo to Portland, Nash to Memphis and Batum to Phoenix.

[Axel The Great]

Great game against the Heat, sucks to have lost that way especially with such a huge game from Roy. Steve Nash would definitely be an upgrade over Felton, hope you can swing a deal.

[Martti.]

Don't give up Batum!

[Houndy]

Do anything but sacraficing Batum

[rise]

I like the idea of Nash and Dudley going to Portland. Except, you'll have a huge logjam with G-Wall, Batum, Roy, Duds, and Matthews at the two and three. Holy crap.

[shadowgrin]

you'll have a huge logjam with G-Wall, Batum, Roy, Duds, and Matthews at the two and three. Holy crap.

It's the kind of thing that GM Don Nelson would pull off. GO FOR IT NELLIE!

[Lamrock]

Nellie would have been proud when I played the Raptors and had 200 lb Batum at Center to match up with Bargnani. Interesting to see other people also like Batum. He's only averaging like 6 PPG but he's still great to have. If I get his ball handling skills up there, he could be pretty, pretty good.