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.

No word on how Koponen is copin'-in (ha) with Team Finland getting clubbed like some Saimaa Ringed Seal pups on the ice by Team U-S-A. Thanks to Hippo, we do know that Koponen has solidified his place as one of the top guards in Italian Serie A. Here's the latest:

About a year ago, Petteri Koponen was pretty much a curiosity in the Italian Cup final.

Sure, he had three good stints with Virtus Bologna, finishing with five points, one rebound and one steal in 15 minutes of play. But, like rookies usually do, Koponen had to spend the crunch minutes on the bench waving towels and sipping Gatorade when Virtus core players Earl Boykins, Keith Langford and Sharrod Ford tried to upset the mighty Montepaschi Siena. Despite a valiant fight, Virtus lost the nailbiter 69-70.

The score wasn't much different this past weekend: lead by Shaun Stonerook and Romain Sato, Montepaschi Siena took home the Coppa D'Italia crown, 83-75. Siena's power forward Stonerook was named the MVP of the game after finishing with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. But what really surprised the capacity crowd in Avellino was the improvement of Petteri Koponen.

Koponen shared the cup final leading scorer's crown with Stonerook. In the first three quarters, Koponen concentrated on playmaking and had only 6 points to go with one assist. In the last six minutes, Koponen went buckwild and dragged Virtus from down 15 (55-70) to down 5 (72-77), scoring 13 points and snatching two steals in that short period. It wasn't enough for Virtus to win the game, but Koponen's 19-point performance in the biggest game of the season so far was indeed impressive. (Box score.)

Koponen has improved and gathered self confidence so much in these last months, that he can already memorize team owner Claudio Sabatini's November outburst with a laugh. Koponen has also silenced Italian legend Dino Meneghin, who stated last spring that "there are dozens of young Italian guards better than this Finnish boy." Our good friend and language genius Mr. Google Translate also allows us to know that Italian fans are extremely convinced that Koponen has the potential to become something special (although it might be too daring to state that 2010 will be Koponen's decade, not Ricky Rubio's, like someone has already said.)

For Virtus Bologna, the outcome of the cup final was more than positive. After forward David Moss gets his Bulgarian passport (!), they will be able to bring in yet another American player to help the team. Koponen-Andre Collins is among the three best backcourt in Serie A. They lack the talent and the big game experience of Montepaschi Siena, but as we can see, things haven't been too good for Siena lately.

Ok, let us be realistic for a while. Montepaschi Siena is the creme de la creme of Italian basketball. Virtus Bologna, Pepsi Caserta, Armani Jeans Milano et al. are ok, but none of them really have the potential to win Siena in best-of-seven series unless Siena implodes. But it is worth noticing that giving Siena a fight and snatching a Euroleague spot would be a dream come true for Virtus Bologna.

And of course, Virtus Bologna's plans are centered around Petteri Koponen: last year he barely played, this year he is among the three best players in his team and next year he is supposed to be The Man. If Koponen keeps on improving and takes his team to a surprise title, both Euroleague and NBA teams would definitely pay Virtus a hefty dose of Euros to get him. Unless Koponen suddenly starts to underachieve, it's a win-win situation for the club: he is either the future face of the franchise or someone Virtus can get big money from.

Portland Trailblazers may be the San Antonio Spurs of the future; a gutty, disciplined, good defensive team full of veterans that can afford having a half dozen players abroad. While Blazers had a logjam at guard position just a couple of months ago, there seems to be a lot of room for Koponen right now. Sergio Rodriguez is gone, Steve Blake is gone. Andre Miller is stable, but not getting younger. Rudy Fernandez is reportedly unhappy with his minutes. Coach doesn't seem to like playing Jerryd Bayless, probably because Blazers already have a dominant ball-handling (pause) guard in Brandon Roy. Patty Mills has skills and an NBA-ready body, but the Blazers faithful have been pretty much comparing him to Taurean Green.

Even for Finns, Koponen is still an enigma. For the last three years, Finnish basketball fans have labeled him overrated, but his breathtaking improvement hasn't been left unnoticed. To convince his fellow countrymen, Koponen would at least have to be an NBA All Star. But the reality is that no matter what the Finns think, Koponen is already a very realiable player in international competition and he already has a few potential employers in the big league. Whether or not he can help the Blazers, we just might get a glimpse in Las Vegas Summer League 2010 - IF he decides to participate.

Chicago Bulls coverage at By the Horns.

Overall Winner:

Ben at Blazer's Edge highlights the hearing yesterday on the Comcast and Blazers television situation. Ben also got an interview with former Bush senior staffer Brad Blakeman.

Wendell Maxey of Beyond the Beat wonders if Portland has the worst karma in the NBA.

Jason Quick gets a few nice tidbits from the players last night, including Roy calling Andre Miller the right choice over Hedo Turkoglu.

Raptors HQ recaps the game last night from a Toronto perspective, even calling Portland's defense brilliant!

Mike Barrett talks about shutting down a high powered offense who had scored 100 or more points in 20 of their previous games in a row.

PDX Roundball Society was somewhat disgusted at LA's effort last night and Andrew Tonry doesn't think the Blazers have completely overcome the frustrating losses.

Kelly Dwyer talks about turnovers and second chance opportunities missed for Toronto. Oh yeah, Missing Bosh hurts too.

So much for Rudy being unhappy. Well, at least for one game. With the assistance of Andre Miller, Brandon Roy and some good Blazer defense, Portland won a more difficult game on the road against the Toronto Raptors. Actually, this game felt a little easier than the Nets game and the Raptors are a playoff team. I guess that confidence they built in New Jersey really is carrying over. They held Toronto to their second lowest points output of the year with 87 and the Blazers are now 11-3 in the second game of back-to-backs.

This game felt good throughout, less of course the Raptors 13-2 run to end the first half. Besides that, Toronto never really got anything going offensively. Perhaps that can be blamed on the absence of Bosh, or maybe it's just Portland playing focused and determined defense. Either way, Portland won a game that really helps the mood back in Rip City. After losing 4 of 5 home games, a win on the road against a playoff team is the remedy we all needed.

My favorite statistical part of this win was the high shooting percentages and the low turnovers. Specifically, the Blazers shot 49%, had 25 assists and only 6 turnovers. On the flip side, Toronto shot a respectable 45% but only had 18 assists and struggled with 16 turnovers. In the past, low turnovers were attributed to the conservative play of Steve Blake when he logged big point guard minutes. But in two road games, Brandon Roy and Andre Miller have combined for only 1 turnover in over 145 minutes of floor time combined. Astonishing work by two guys who now seem to be working together and flourishing. A healthy and established back-court could prove to be dangerous down the stretch.

The man who was the focus of attention today thanks to an article posted in the Spanish papers, was Rudy Fernandez. Talks of unhappiness and frustration caused some negative chatter on talk radio and throughout the internet. Many believe Rudy's departure is a foregone conclusion considering his need for starter minutes and our already established Brandon Roy. Rudy responded quite well to his public comments(not that he even knew anyone cared) by playing one of his best all around games as a Blazers. He played 30 plus efficient minutes. He shot 6 of 9 from the field including three 3 pointers, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, he ran the break, made sweet reverse lay-ins from both sides of the rim, his defense was much better, it was exactly what Nate and Blazer fans wanted to see. If Rudy can play like that more consistently, he'll be a legitimate 6th man. Unfortunately he has a tendency to lose track of the gameplan and go into Euro superhero mode. But tonight he was a team player in every aspect of the game.

Andre Miller also has to be commended for his near triple double performance. With 18 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, he was doing it all for Portland when they needed him in the first half. Not only that, but zero turnovers for the second straight game shows me how comfortable he is on the floor with his teammates. When we think back to the possiblities Portland may or may not have had in the offseason, I think Andre Miller continues to prove he was a great acquisition at an extremely reasonable price.

These last two wins came without the defensive presence of Marcus Camby. Presumably he'll return to the line-up Friday and make this team even more confident. Another two wins is certainly not out of reach and with the limited amount of games left, every win counts. 4-1 is the goal but 5-0 would be a sweet victory on this trip. Can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? I think so. Great win tonight, go Blazers!

Box Score

Perimeter defense in the first half. Allowing Hedo to score 24 on 8 of 9 shooting! Webster's 8 minutes, no shot attempts and 2 rebounds.	24 to 6 assist to turnover margin is stellar. Rudy getting his groove back with 3's and Euro style lay-ins. Andre Miller playing like a kid again on the back end of a back-to-back.

Rudy Fernandez isn't having himself the greatest of seasons. Injuries and line-up changes can do that to a player, which I assume is why he hasn't taken more heat for his drop in production. Nonetheless, Rudy is frustrated with himself (I assume) and the team. That's the context I keep telling myself to keep in mind when things like this pop up (original):

Real Madrid wants to sign Rudy Fernandez following the current season. Fernandez is reportedly uncomfortable in Portland and would be amenable to a return.

Fernandez appeared open to the idea when interviewed by Eurosport.

"Right now, in this situation, I don't rule out anything," said Fernandez. "Because I just want to play. I don't mind where."

Fernandez spoke of the difference in not playing beside Sergio Rodriguez.

"Last year we had a different team and at least I had Sergio, who understood my game. I have noticed a change this year. I don't get the ball as much and the system is different."

Rudy's comments here don't seem all that bad, again, he's a frustrated player saying he wants a better situation. The bigger issue to me is that Rudy publicly expresses his unhappiness with the Blazers on a semi-regular basis. Is he a malcontent? A diva? Both? Neither?

Honestly Rudy, if you are so unhappy with the team go ahead and bounce, I'm not sure the type of role you think you deserve will ever be available here anyways. Just stop talking to reporters about it.

(Long distance assist to Hippo on this one.)

Photo: AP

Sometimes a win is just a stepping stone to regaining confidence. Tonight Portland had to win a road game in New Jersey just to stop the bleeding. Not to say that last weekend's losses were completely devastating, but lately every Blazer loss has taken on a life of its own. The city is living and dying by the team right now, and with just 23 games left, a win to start the current 5-game road trip was a great start.

As is the case in a lot of NBA mismatches, the better team took a big lead, the underdog made a spirited run and eventually the better team won. Simple enough. Obviously it would be nice for the Blazers to continue to dominate the Nets, but at this point, the mentally fragile Blazers just needed an opportunity to get clutch shots, free throws, and even some defensive stops. Yes it was against New Jersey, but we'll take it.

Even though Portland didn't put New Jersey away sooner than the final few minutes, they still won the game for a reason. The main reason? Turning the ball over just 4 times(3 according to the box score) and New Jersey not scoring off any of them. Portland also shot 54% from the field and had 23 assists to New Jersey's 14. Portland also made a concerted effort to defend Brook Lopez and force other players to make jumpers. The Nets shoot, and make, the fewest three pointers in the league. It was a good game plan even though Courtney Lee torched the nets with 4 of 4 threes and Devin Harris was simply too quick to handle. Both New Jersey players scored 28 points but it wasn't enough to get their 6th win.

One of the most dominating aspects of the Blazers 19 point first half lead was the play of LaMarcus Aldridge. He's been getting grief for not being a go-to guy in the 4th quarter but you can't argue with him getting the game going early on. When Aldridge is hot, he is un-guardable. The semi-frustrating fade away jumper cannot be stopped and when he's cutting and his teammates are finding him, look the hell out. I love a focused LA.

The starting back court also put on quite a show. Andre and Brandon combined for 11 assists and zero turnovers, but most importantly Brandon Roy looks healthier every day. With the season winding down and Steve Blake out of town, the so called lack of synergy between Roy and Miller seems like a thing of the past. These good performances by our best players also show why a win against the worst team in the league can be a good thing. Guys are regaining their confidence and a real test will be tomorrow night in Toronto. I still think the Blazers can surprise and go 4-1 on this trip, let's hope that the Blazers feels the same way.

Box Score

Allowing New Jersey to hang around. Courtney Lee and Devin Harris going off for 28 points. Marcus Camby spraining his ankle and scaring the crap out of Blazer nation. Batum 1 of 4 from the field, 0-3 from three as a starter tonight.	Roy, Miller and Aldridge not only having big offensive games but also zero turnovers combined. Keeping Brook Lopez from dominating the game. A win. Roy looking noticeably better and playing much better.

New Jersey Nets coverage at Nets Are Scorching and the Nets Daily Blog.

Overall Winner:

You know what usually sucks about playing the Jazz? Everything. You know what usually sucks the most? That you know exactly what they will do but can’t do a thing about it. At least that’s supposed to be the story, and in Portland’s earlier meetings with the Jazz it had been true. With Utah in town and Portland coming off their worst loss of the season against Boston I had a sneaking suspicion that I would be writing about the Blazers getting blown out. That’s never fun. So...hooray for overtime losses?

In the first half the Blazers shot 53% from the field and 33% from three, compared with 40% and 0% from Utah. That disparity was good for a 13 point half-time lead even with Roy playing just eleven minutes in accordance with Nate’s ever popular two fouls-no playing time rule.

Of note during that feel good first half was the play of one Nic Batum. Batum stalked down Deron Williams on a breakaway layup for a spectacular block that infused the crowd with more energy and Batum with additional confidence. On the offensive end he put himself in the right places and finished the half with 14 points (5-6 shooting) to go with six rebounds.

It was all too fun to last, and just like every other NBA game ever, the team that was down big rallied. The Jazz started hitting shots. Carlos Boozer was a monster (22 points, 23 rebounds). Andre Miller went cold. Portland still seemed to seal the victory late with a combination of good enough offensive execution, clutch offensive rebounding, and get this, defense. Then Boozer tipped in a missed Deron Williams jumper as time expired to send the game into overtime. Once it was bonus basketball Portland couldn’t overcome the mighty Ha Seung-Jin like powers of Kyrlo Fesenko (seriously) and ended up losing the stinking game after Roy’s potential game tying three rimmed out. Bummers all around.

Let's be positive. Tonight Portland took their first sip of Marcus Camby goodness. Marcus’ 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals were much welcomed. I’ve heard that good shooting is contagious; I guess the same goes for blocking shots. Portland had ten of those tonight, which is six more than they average on the season. The Camby Effect was nice and I want more.

Brandon Roy looked better, but isn’t quite back to his Roybot/Everything/(bland and uncreative nickname I refuse to use) self. He ended up with a solid line tonight but that transcendent gear was still missing. If nothing bad happens it appears that Roy will have himself back in dominant form sooner rather than later.

Portland now heads off for a five game road trip clinging to the final playoff spot. I won’t argue that missing the post-season is imminent; not with Memphis fizzling, CP3 fighting injuries, and the Rockets having to integrate a major new player and compensate for the loss of another. That isn’t to say that Portland couldn’t slip out of the playoffs, that could happen, I’ve just decided to side with optimism for now.

My worries focus on Portland having to face the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the BEAT LA ra- ra-go team stuff as much as anyone else, but I can’t see Portland beating the Lakers in a playoff series. Moving into a position that avoids the best team in the conference would be desirable. Just like Mama says, the more playoff experience the better.

Box score

AK47 not gelling up his hair and then playing only limited minutes because of back spasms. He totally doesn't take Portland seriously. Most everything after half-time.	Camby! Batum's first half. Roy getting healthy.

Photo: AP