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Overall Winner:

One of my most fervent convictions this season has been that Nicolas Batum deserves to start every single game over Martel Webster. Not only should Batum start, he should be playing at least 20 minutes a game and be present on the court during crunch time and overtime. Although Webster played a phenomenal January and certainly has the potential to rack up points, Batum has been consistently one of the best, if not the best defender (and it is not even close between Webster and Batum) on the team.

Now, not only is Nicolas Batum playing superb defense guarding the best in the league, he is displaying an array of improved skills on offense, which allowed him to go off the other night for 31 points; a career high for the man considered at one time to be a D-League lifer.

Although every injury to a Blazer this season has been devastating to the team in one way or another, perhaps the most detrimental was the surgery to Batum's shoulder almost immediately before the season began. The implications of his absence were very clear, as Webster and all his incompleteness on defense was inserted into the starting role to pick up the slack for an absent Batum. The team didn't suffer terribly; however there were many games I was left wondering "What if Nic was playing? [insert error] wouldn't have happened". Webster could not provide the same smothering, perimeter defense alongside LaMarcus Aldridge that Batum displayed so well the season prior. He could not read opposing offenses the way Batum could, and as a result Webster was often outplayed defensively almost every night.

It is not my goal to trash Martel Webster, rather to point out that his clear deficiencies on defense should be reason enough to give Batum the same minutes he played last season (at the very least) and his starting position immediately upon return from injury.

Of course, this did not happen. In what is becoming an irritating and costly habit, Nate McMillan waffled once again on whether to start or sit Nicolas Batum. Some nights Batum, perhaps the only player on the team beside Roy and Aldridge who actually "earn" their minutes, will play 5 minutes while other nights he'll be awarded 30. Those who argue to justify this fluctuation in Batum's playing time state McMillan plays Batum according to match ups and asks Batum to play defense because his offensive contributions are often regarded as secondary or even tertiary matters of importance.

To this I wholeheartedly disagree, for Nicolas Batum has displayed over the last 17 games that he is a reliable offensive threat (more so than Martel Webster) whose personal game has absolutely flourished with an increase in minutes, steady expectations and more definitive role on the team.

This season Nicolas Batum is averaging 22 minutes a game, shooting 56% from the field, grabbing almost 4 rebounds, and shooting a lights out 44% from the three point line. In just his second year, Batum has tapped into his potential faster than any other of the Blazers' young rookies and sophomores. Even though he missed considerable time due to a shoulder surgery, his shot is very much improved.

In terms of his defensive efficiency, he's far and away the Blazers' best defender whose individual defensive skills (length, lateral quickness and great awareness) work to make his teammates (Brandon Roy namely) better within the scheme of Nate's team defense. The only other player that comes to mind who contributes defensively the way Batum does is Dante Cunningham. Batum has the skill defensively to legitimately guard any opposing 1 through 4 and he is consistently pitted against the opposing team's best player instead of Brandon Roy having the assignment. This speaks volumes about the depth of skill on the defensive end Batum possesses.

To quantify his value to the team, I place Nicolas Batum at #3 behind Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. Yes you read that correctly, I place him in front of LaMarcus Aldridge in terms of importance. I think Batum has the potential to be the Blazers' next All-Star ahead of Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge. If having a versatile, healthy and dominant 7 foot center weren't so important to the Blazers' long term success, I would argue Nicolas Batum is second in long term value and overall success behind only Brandon Roy.

Sophia Brugato | Twitter: @sophiabiabia | s.brugato(at)gmail(dot)com

There would be no late game let down against Memphis tonight. After seeing Portland blow a lead against Memphis back on January 5th, tonight was a different story, they hung on with defense and heart to force Memphis even further back in the playoff hunt. Brandon Roy led the way with his scrappy play and Nicolas Batum helped shut the door, as Portland came on strong in the 3rd quarter and eventually finished off Memphis 103 to 93.

The game started out much different than it ended. Memphis was the aggressor early on, getting the ball into the post and just watching Gasol and Randolph dominate on the interior. Portland seemed tired and lackadaisical despite having yesterday off. They committed the majority of their turnovers in the first half and were really lucky to only be down 14 at half time. The only thing keeping Portland honest was the second unit beating up on the Grizz second unit for a short time early in the 2nd quarter. Other than that, Brandon and Andre were ice cold and the game seemed destined for disappointment.

Right off the bat in the second half, the Blazers looked like a different team. They came out very aggressive, pushing the tempo and forcing turnovers. Portland rallied back with a huge 41-21 point 3rd quarter, completely overwhelming Memphis with quality looks on offense and stellar defense. With those 41 points in the 3rd quarter, Portland had matched their output for the whole first half. The momentum had swung and it was most definitely a game again.

This Grizzlies team is much different than ones in the past however, they won't lie down after such a devastating quarter, in fact they took quite a few stabs at getting back in the game- including a run late in the 4th quarter getting them within 1 point. It took effort from every guy, but really it was back to Brandon Roy and our other late game contributor, Nicolas Batum. Nic was huge, with a cut to the hoop while Brandon was in trouble finishing at the rim and making the free throw with 1:59 remaining, putting Portland up 96-92. After a Marcus Camby tip-in to stretch the lead to 8 points, OJ Mayo went one of two from the free throw line. On the next possession Nic stole the ball from Mike Conley and the game seemed in control. But after a time out, a terrible pass into the back court was stolen by Mayo who went in hard look to draw contact and finish at the rim. But Nic would have none of this, he amazingly avoided contact and blocked Mayo's shot which was corralled by Brandon Roy. Batum was the defensive closer and in this game for good reason. Brandon doesn't have to be the only finisher, this year Batum and Camby can be guys who end games on the defensive end of the floor. It certainly didn't hurt for Portland to be a perfect 19 of 19 from the free throw line, also a good sign.

I thought tonight was a pretty big statement. After a slow start, and already going 3-1 on the road trip, the Blazers could have been content to go home with a winning record. But we all know that isn't good enough at this point. For the rest of the season this team needs a playoff mentality and I think Nate McMillan is trying to instill that in every player. It's time to finish every game and start protecting home court. They need this for their development- a strong finish in a season with so much adversity.

A huge part of this win had to be the play of Brandon Roy. Despite getting abused physically, he was scrappy, aggressive and playing almost at that 110% BRoy level that we're all accustomed to seeing.  Roy struggled with his shot early on, but stuck with it. He ended with a very Roy-like 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. He shared control duties with Andre Miller most of the game, including exclusive offensive closing duties in the 4th quarter. If Roy is healthy, this team is capable of making waves in the playoffs, simple as that.

The other key to this franchise? Nicolas Batum. There's no need for the conservative types to try and deny it anymore, Batum is obviously very important to the Blazers, potentially as important as Brandon Roy someday. One thing we've lacked is a legitimate defender at the wing postion. Martell Webster tried, but he's not it. Nic was brought here for a reason and now he's just piling on gravy with his offensive contributions. The kid is a baller, more athletic and designed for basketball than most people realize. He's able to shoot off the dribble or standing still, he cuts with a purpose and will finish over anyone. He can defend super stars at almost every position. His mental game is already light years ahead of where it should be. There is no scenario where he should not get more playing time and more opportunities to grow. He followed up a 31/7/7 game Saturday with 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting, 4 three pointers, 1 steal and 1 block at the most opportune times, and really he does it all without asking for the ball or complaining about anything. He's always in the right place at the right time because he knows where he needs to be. I'm not saying he's going to average 20 points per game, but he's always important even if he only scores 2 points.

The road trip was a success, and as I hoped for in the beginning, the Blazers went 4-1 with the only loss coming in overtime to a scrappy Chicago Bulls team. The Blazers now have an opportunity to beat Indiana at home on Wednesday, then take three days off before a tough road game in Denver on Sunday. Morale was down a week ago after Portland lost two brutal games in the Rose Garden, but this successful trip puts the goals back in reach and back in perspective.

Box Score

According to the twitter account of Adrian Wojnarowski, The Portland Trail Blazers are rumored this morning to sign point guard Travis Diener, who was waived by the Indiana Pacers. According to Yahoo Sports, Diener averaged .8 points and 1.0 assists. Diener is 6 foot 1 inch and weighs in at 175 lbs. If signed, he'll be the Blazers 4th point guard.

UPDATE

There does not seem to be any official word yet from the team regarding this matter but Ben from Blazersedge.com has a fantastic rundown on Diener.

If Miller or Bayless were to go down, McMillan would be left to decide between playing Patty Mills, a rookie he doesn't seem to particularly trust and has only played in the most garbage of garbage time, and sliding either Rudy Fernandez or Brandon Roy down from the 2 spot. Playing an untested, high-tempo rookie heavy minutes in pressure situations would be anathema for McMillan. Rudy hasn't shown sufficient ball-handling ability or lateral quickness defensively to handle the point guard position. Roy remains hampered by his hamstring and is struggling to keep up with the opposing team's 3rd perimeter option, let alone their point guards.

I will make sure to update this post as more information comes along.

-Sophia Brugato | Twitter: @sophiabiabia | s.brugato(at)gmail(dot)com

In honor of the Academy Awards coming up next Sunday, I decided to take a look at the ten movies up for Best Picture this year and give them a Portland Trail Blazer twist. I haven't had a chance to do a good movie poster photoshop post since last summer,  so I had to take advantage of this Oscar time opportunity. Take a look....

Precious

UP

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

District 9

An Education

Avatar

Up in the Air

A Serious Man

The Blind Side

Is it just me or do some of these flicks look like they'd be more interesting with a Blazer plot? I've seen Avatar, District 9, Blind Side, Hurt Locker and Up. The only one of the remaining 5 that I want to see is Basterds.

The first time I tried to write this, Camby suddenly went down with a sprained ankle and I was left pondering whether I need to go sacrifice a goat to rid this pitiful team of its damned Curse of the Center. As it turns out, I don't actually need to go burn any farm animals on an alter in the dead of night, as Camby returned to action just a couple of nights later.

Before going down with the big boo boo Camby logged an impressive 18 rebounds in the home loss to division rival Utah Jazz. In a trade that surprised exactly no one yet simultaneously shocked the entire town, the Blazer's newest member is expected to fill the gaping hole at center for the Blazers on the court and rejuvenate the battered team and disenchanted city.

I said on Comcast Sports Net's Talkin' Ball a week ago that Camby was brought to this Blazer team not to score but to be a reliable inside presence offering rebounding and defense. He's displayed the ability to do exactly that and more, in what is appearing to be a great pick up by Kevin Pritchard and his front office team.

But the Blazers are not exactly reveling in their new edition, going 3-3 since acquiring the big man from the Clippers. In fact, Camby has only played in four games for the Blazers and all but one of those games have been losses. Many fans have been left wondering whether trading for Camby was such a great idea after all.

Make no mistake about it, sending two popular guys and adding one new one is a rough transition for any team, especially for one that is so close knit (emotionally fragile..?) as the Blazers reportedly are. These last couple of games may be the result of a team still adjusting both mentally and on the court to their new teammate and loss of a couple of good friends. However, the Blazers are not suffering or excelling solely because of Marcus Camby, on the contrary the Blazers struggles of late are a direct result of a hampered (read: injured) Brandon Roy and some shoddy decision making from Nate McMillan.

Whether fans want to admit it or not the Blazer's 3 time All-Star is not himself and it is because of his strained hamstring, which continues to dog the normally versatile guard. There is no doubt that if Brandon Roy were healthy, this team would be wracking up wins with their new and improved starting lineup and suddenly-there presence in the paint.

The Blazers are almost night in and night out outscored in the paint, and by a healthy margin at that. In theory, Brandon Roy's game and that of the team would benefit from once again playing with two big men on the court, yet he's starting games slow and not finishing at the rim. Roy is uncharacteristically floating around the perimeter on offense and literally disappearing on defense.

As Roy is the unquestioned leader of this team, his attitude whether negative or positive is very obviously infectious. If Brandon cheats on defense, the team will cheat off on defense. If Roy can't capitalize on weak coverage on offense the rest of the team won't take the effort to attack the lane or be aggressive. Simply put, when Brandon is hurt the whole team may as well be injured too.

How can this be remedied? Well first Roy should get healthy and I have been a loud proponent of sitting Brandon Roy until he is feeling better. Besides that, McMillan would do well to incorporate more members of the team into the offense. This was seen to a large degree last night at Minnesota when Nic Batum went off in the third quarter and ended the game with a new career high in points and assists. Brandon Roy had a mediocre line, but it didn't matter because Batum and Aldridge were balllllllinnnn'. McMillan didn't scramble the rotation unmercifully in order to get Roy going, he stuck with the players who were playing well and it payed off with an easy and much needed road victory.

In my first piece for this site, I wrote McMillan's management of the point guard position would directly impact whether the Blazers make the playoffs. I was a little off in that prediction, but there is substance in my assertion that McMillan has struggled this season managing his players. Why this is I have no idea, but it is not relegated only to the point guard position or Brandon Roy's playing time.

If Marcus Camby were 6 years younger and less-injury prone I would still contend he is not the difference maker for this team. While his addition to the Trail Blazers is no doubt great, in the grand scheme of things it is a temporary addition that has little long term impact and just moderate immediate impact. My opinion and the team's record would be different if Brandon Roy were healthy and McMillan wasn't so stubborn.

What do you think?

Sophia Brugato | twitter: @sophiabiabia | s.brugato(at)gmail(dot)com

After starting out the current 5-game road trip with two victories, the Blazers went into Chicago on Friday and Minnesota tonight for a winnable back-to-back to go 4-0 on the trip. The result of Friday's game wasn't a win, but it ended up being an exciting overtime game against a streaking Bulls team. Chicago had won 7 of their previous 9 and guys like Derrick Rose and Luol Deng had been brilliant. In Minnesota tonight things were a bit different. The T-Wolves put up a fight early on, but eventually Portland got it out of reach sometime in the 3rd quarter. Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge were just too much for Minnesota to handle. A split on the weekend is good, with the most important game coming up on Monday.

I'll start things off with a closer look at the game in Chicago. It felt like Portland was playing from behind. In the first quarter it looked like the game could spiral out of control, but Portland fought back in the 2nd quarter to get within 2 at half time. LaMarcus was unstoppable but the Bulls were matching everything. The most disappointing part about this game had to be the 95-90 lead the Blazers had with about 6 minutes left in regulation. They couldn't stop the onslaught of Derrick Rose in the 4th quarter and narrowly escaped losing in regulation to a Rose lay-in with no time left. Derrick was brilliant against the Blazers for the first time in his young career. In his previous 3 games against Portland, he'd scored 6 points, 13 points and 14 points. But his 33 points in this game and the craftiness with the ball and around the rim showed why Rose is an elite young point guard. In overtime, momentum seemed indifferent as Brandon Roy hit a jumper with just under 4 minutes to give Portland a lead. But that ended up being the last good thing to happen to Portland. Hinrich, Deng, Gibson all made shots and the Blazers went ice cold. Before we knew it, the game was over. It was a hard fought game, one that Portland could have won. It certainly wasn't devastating and will probably continue to build confidence for the Blazers.

Minnesota was a totally different story. The T-Wolves looked much worse than I thought they'd be, but I guess that's how you only win 14 games. Minnesota almost never got out on perimeter shooters for Portland, they were sloppy turning the ball over 19 times, many were unforced errors as well. Portland came out hot in this game, but when the reserves came in, the Timberwolves made a spirited run to keep the game close. Once personnel changes were corrected, the game was virtually over. Portland led by 14 at the half and put it out of reach in the 3rd quarter. It was the way every game against Minnesota has been, a blow out. Things can change quickly in the NBA though, a team with pieces like Minnesota could easily be very competitive next year. For now, they are struggling and we played like we should against them.

One guy who deserves a lot of credit the last two games, and really all month long, is LaMarcus Aldridge. He's answered the call and stepped up more than ever. The haters are never going to be satisfied, but I appreciate the month of February where LaMarcus averaged 20.5 points per game, 8.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and shot a very efficient 53% from the field. His play on this road trip(minus the game in Toronto) has been stellar. He's causing teams to make decisions about double teaming him, which opens things up for everyone else. For all the criticism, I think we know who LA is now, and the only thing I need is more long-term consistency. But for now, he's been great.

Another guy who wasn't a huge offensive factor against Chicago but busted out big time against Minnesota, was Nicolas Batum. His 8 pts and 2 rbs in 23 minutes on Friday was modest, but he is always defense first. Having a guy like Nic who will play defense first and is capable of offensive output, is huge for this team. Tonight his smooth outside jumper and incredible length was put to work on the Timberwolves. He went crazy with 31 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in 29 minutes. He was absolutely on fire and even hit 5 three pointers. Granted, this happened against Minnesota, but that doesn't mean it's not important. Having a game like this will put in Nic's head that he can do this again. Never underestimate confidence. I still think the sky is the limit for Nic, KP knows it, other teams know, it's just a matter of time for this guy. He has every single basketball tool right now and a body designed for the NBA game. Kenny Vance always says it, and I agree, put Nic in the starting line-up and leave him there for the next 10 years. He's right, do it.

In terms of overall success on this road trip, the Blazers have done fairly well. 3-1 with the only loss coming in overtime is not something to take advantage of away from home. The real make or break of the trip will be Monday in Memphis. The Grizzlies had been making a strong playoff push, but then they hit a wall in February and started losing. Lately they've been winning every other contest and lacking consistency. The fact is, they are a quality opponent now. OJ Mayo is a confident shooter and Zach Randolph has become a team player who is focused on winning. Imagine that. Like I said, the road trip has been good so far, and could end up being great with one more win. The Blazers could put it in cruise control and probably take the 8th spot in the west, but why settle? Why not push for the 6 seed? Let's hope the intensity ramps up and every player really focuses in on a playoff push. March could be a very good month!

TWolves Blog writer Dave Kelsey was kind enough to answer some of my questions in preparation for tonight's GAME OF THE DECADE going down between Portland and Minnesota at the Target Center. I encourage you to also read the reversed version of this Q&A in which I talk crap about you all. I highly recommend adding TWolves Blog to your rotation; it is guaranteed to make you feel better about the Blazers. On to the (your company sponsorship here) uncomfortably warm chair :

BaB: Not to bring up old stuff, but do Minnesota fans still talk about the Brandon Roy trade?

DK: I don't think the casual fan cares too much anymore, but us hardcore lifers in the TWolves Blog forums will never forget.  Scarred. For. Life.

BaB: I have to know whats up with Ryan Gomes starting over Kevin Love. Is Love just better in a sixth man role than as a starter?

DK: It's not actually that Gomes is starting over Love, per se.  It's that Love and Al Jefferson are TERRIBLE together.  They both play sub-standard defense (Jefferson!!!), and are just too small. Look how huge Darko looks compared to anyone else on our team.  That's the problem.  We need a true center, and neither Love or Jefferson is that guy.  Personally, I think we will trade Jefferson sooner rather than later, which will open the door to Love starting alongside a center next season (Aldrich? Whiteside?)  However, Love is pretty great in the sixth man role, where he can come in and beat up on the opponents reserves. I can't really complain about that role for him too much.

BaB: Is Al Jefferson in the long term plans? If they were to trade him, what would they be looking to get back? Please don't say more point guards.

DK: I would say no, he is definitely not in the future long-term plans.  He gets paid like a top player, but he's just not that guy, especially defensively.  Also, you just don't know how his future will turn out due to the ACL injury.  WIth that said, his value is incredibly low right now.  I don't believe Granger was offered for Al straight up at all.  If it was, we should have jumped on that trade in a heartbeat.  I do believe the offer from the Bulls of Deng and Ty Thomas at the trade deadline.  I don't like Thomas, and Deng's contract is terrible.  So his value is low. If we could have gotten Deng and Noah (WHY DIDN'T WE DRAFT HIM?!?!), that would have been a nice trade.  Noah + Love would have been superb.  I think the best thing to do value-wise would be to trade Al at the next trade deadline, assuming he puts up better numbers next season due to being healthier.

BaB: What are your thoughts on Jonny Flynn? Are you comfortable with him over the long haul?

DK: Do not like.  It's obvious he's not a point guard, as I've been saying all season in our TWolvesBlog forums.  He's a shooting guard that is too short, trapped in a quick, yet still too short, point guard's body.  I guess there might be some potential due to his athleticism, but still, he doesn't make good decisions.  He doesn't facilitate the offense whatsoever, and he's pretty useless when he's not scoring points.  Thank goodness we have Rubio waiting in the wings.  If we can draft John Wall, we do that in a second.  Trade Flynn + other assets to also nab Even Turner.  Wall + Rubio + Evan Turner = billions of championships.

BaB: It seemed like OJ Mayo for Kevin Love was a controversial trade at the time. Are people warming up to Love or is there still a sense that Mayo would have been a better choice?

DK: Yeah, we like and embrace Love.  I was the biggest hater of anyone, ever, when the trade was made.  Seriously. He's been great and has performed better than we could have ever imagined.  Hell, he's probably our best overall player.  Sad, but true. So yeah, I think most people like him, and the casual fan(s) Love him.  (Love him, get it?)  Anyways, Mayo is also a stud.  Mayo + a healthy Al Jefferson would probably be a better combination for our long-term future, just because you need that inside-out combination in the NBA.  Especially someone like Mayo that can get to the FT line and hit the 3.  Still, not much we can do about it now.  I think the trade worked out 'OK' though, since Love turned out to be a player and we dumped a lot of salary in the process.

BaB: Are you paying attention to Ricky Rubio? In your mind what are the chances of him playing for Minnesota eventually?

DK: Of course we are paying attention to Rubio. We want/need/admire him.  I think the chances of him playing for us are probably 50-50, unless Kahn moves him for a solid deal.  As of right now, with his potential and amazing skills as such a young player, the only way I trade him if I'm the GM is if it allows us to land both John Wall AND Evan Turner.  Anything else, and I keep him until he is ready to play in the NBA. Of course though, I'd trade him for LeBron/Durant/Howard etc, but obviously that type of trade would never, ever happen.  But we can dream.  That is all TWolves fans do... dream.

BaB: I imagine getting the top pick in the draft would be exciting, but outside of John Wall what player in the draft would you most like to see in Minnesota?

DK: Evan Turner, no doubt.  He's exactly the type of wing player our team needs.  I think he'd fit in perfectly to our "system" as a Scottie Pippin-esque player.  He can really do it all, and is a nightly triple double threat at Ohio State.  To be honest, I want both him AND John Wall.  We have the assets to make it happen, but we just need to get lucky in the lottery (FOR ONCE.)  So, that definitely won't happen. We are cursed.  I can't wait until we are picking fifth.  Insert epic facepalm here.

BaB: I'm heading to the game, is there any place I can find a Nathan Jawai jersey?

DK: I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you.  With that said, I'd love a Jawai jersey.  Great choice.  You may have to contact his mother, or commission one of the counterfeiters on Ebay from Singapore to make one for you.

BaB: I went to a game earlier this season and was told to "look out" for Ryan Hollins. Should I?

DK: I would be more concerned with Big Nate Jawai.  He might try to eat you.

Photo: The Future AKA Nathan Jawai, AP.