The Phoenix Suns are a very dangerous team. and they showed it last night against Portland. I was already mentally passed this game once the lead reached 30 in the 3rd quarter. It was one of those games where the Suns played outstanding basketball, vented their frustrations from game one, and proved to everyone that this series is far from over.
There aren't too many good things to take from this beat down. Perhaps the old adage is true, losing by 2 and losing by 30 is still losing. But do the Blazer players feel that way? Can they just let this one slide? I don't know. There is much more to this than everyone thinks. In fact, I'd say game two is more indicative of how games will go from here on out. The Suns may think Portland is a bad match-up per se, but they have two guys on their team who are better than anyone on our team. Should they decide to continue their individual dominance, this could be a rough two games in Portland.
No matter how any of the players feel about the game, Portland still took a split in Phoenix which is a huge accomplishment. It puts the pressure back on the Blazers who are now in control to an extent. I'm worried about the chances of winning both home games in Portland, our home court advantage this season has been less than stellar. LaMarcus Aldridge must step up, Rudy needs to get "his" on offense, and the Blazers need to be aggressive, matching the intensity the Suns showed last night. It's go time in Portland!
I don't have much more to say about the loss, but here's some Busts and Buckets to take me out!
TRAIL BLAZERS SIGN MARCUS CAMBY TO TWO-YEAR EXTENSION
Veteran forward/center under contract through 2011-12
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward/center Marcus Camby to a two-year contract extension, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Camby posted averages of 7.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.13 steals, 2.04 blocked shots and 31.2 minutes in 23 games (all starts) with the Trail Blazers this season. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounds (11.8), fifth in blocked shots (1.97) and eighth in steals-to-turnover ratio (1.04) for 2009-10.
"Portland felt right to me since I got here and the support from the team, fans and organization has been incredible," said Camby. "I'm looking forward to continuing my career as a Trail Blazer and think this team can do something special."
The 6-11, 235-pound NBA veteran was acquired from the L.A. Clippers on Feb. 16 in exchange for Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and cash considerations.
"Marcus has been a great fit for us and is a big reason for our success," said Pritchard. "He's one of the league's top defensive players, a consummate professional and we're thrilled to see him in a Trail Blazers uniform for at least two more seasons."
Camby, 36, has averaged 10.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.58 blocked shots in 14 NBA seasons with Toronto, New York, Denver, L.A. Clippers and Portland.
Portland went 17-6 with Camby in the lineup to grab the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and finish with a 50-32 record.
On Sunday Steve Nash played outstanding against Portland, but Andre Miller played better. Not only that, but Jerryd Bayless used his strength and athleticism to earn baskets in the lane and get to the free throw line. The Blazer guards were truly game changers.
Despite being wrong about this match-up on Sunday, I have to recycle the same logic and prediction for this game. Nash had a great game on Sunday, his teammates just missed a lot of open looks and missed opportunities to capitalize. Nash is good for 20 and 10 while I'm not so confident about Miller or Bayless matching their numbers from Sunday. Although, someone has to right? Still, Dragic will be better and Nash is so consistently good I have to give him the edge.
The one real weak spot in the game for Portland on Sunday was at shooting guard. Rudy missed most of his open looks and Martell seemed lost, up until those 2 huge blocks, of course. Not only that, but Leandro Barbosa was deadly in the first half, hitting open threes in the half court set, something he almost never does. Richardson struggled with his shot but still managed 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Even if Rudy and Martell play better tonight, I'm afraid Jason Richardson will be looking for big numbers for the Suns. He once was a dynamic scorer and with Rudy defending him, he should feel confident enough to get his shot at any time. We desperately need Rudy to hit his open threes tonight, same with Martell, if those guys lay another egg this could be a rough game.
One of the other bright spots in the game one victory for Portland had to be the play of Nicolas Batum. Not only that, but it was one of my few correct predictions. But that's beside the point. Batum was so smooth in this game. When Portland needed threes, he hit 3 of them, when they needed an aggressive finish or a big finish on the fast break, he was there. Plus add to that the very poor outings from Grant Hill and Jared Dudley, the Blazers dominated the small forward position.
Tonight Hill and Dudley are bound to shoot better. They combined to shoot 3 for 18 from the field, in the regular season they both shot around 47% from the field. Batum is going to have to bring that "A" game once again, and since I am on the Nico bandwagon, I think he can do it. Another solid game here in Phoenix.
Amare Stoudemire was really held in check on Sunday, something Portland had to do to be successful. Stoudemire was baffled by the Blazer defense, he was forcing jumpers, turning the ball over and just not being the dominant guy he's been all year.
Tonight Phoenix is going to re-commit to Amare. I'm thinking he'll be pretty upset about the loss and the entire game-plan will revolve around Nash finding Amare and Amare crashing the boards for put backs. I think we can expect a similar game from Aldridge but Stoudemire has to be better, law of averages right?
By far the biggest advantage Portland has in this series is the center position. On Sunday Marcus Camby was brilliant, complimenting all of his teammates with rebounding, blocked shots and serious defense. Channing Frye also played okay, hitting a few key threes in the first half.
Tonight Camby will have to be the same monster defender. He'll be switching and helping on Amare Stoudemire and looking to shut him down again. Camby is good for another 15 plus rebounds and he'll definitely be the best center on the floor.
I can't fathom the Suns losing two games at home. As much as I think we can win this game, it would blow my mind to steal two in Phoenix. I gotta go with the Suns tonight.
As first reported on 95.5 The Game, center Marcus Camby is close to signing an extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. Camby's agent Rick Kaplan told Jason Quick:
"Since the day Marcus was traded, the Blazers and Marcus made it clear it was not for an interim engagement. It has been our goal to get something done, and hopefully he will stay in Portland long term.''
The total deal, which is reportedly awaiting league approval, is said to be worth $21 million for 2 years. Camby will also be eligible for roughly $4 Million in incentives.
Some sources report that a deal is close to being made in principle, whereas other sources report the Trail Blazers and Camby will announce the extension today. For rolling updates and some great analysis, check out Ben Golliver's post over at Blazersedge.com.
For salary cap implications, go here. In my opinion, this signing if it indeed occurs, is a win - win - win for all parties involved. First, the Blazers get a big man, someone who has (crossed fingers) not blown out their kneecap in 1/3 of a season with the team. Camby has proven valuable both on the court and off so there is no need to worry that the team just signed some low character, misfit. Second, Marcus Camby gets paid. For his age and projected minutes behind/alongside Oden next season , this deal is great for him. Finally, if Camby somehow becomes unable to play or produce the way he has this season and post season, his contract is of favorable length and would in theory turn into an expiring contract, one that can be used on the open market as part of a larger trade (think Raef Lafrenz's expiring contract).
Camby has played tremendously for the Blazers during his short time with the team. His individual defense and leadership abilities are his most valuable contributions to the team. Just thinking of Camby and Oden has me salivating. Okay, that was creepy. I'll stop now.
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Andre Miller and Marcus Camby proved their worth to Portland once again last night, leading the Blazers to an improbable game one victory over the Suns in Phoenix. The mix of savvy veterans like Miller and Camby and the outstanding youth of Jerryd Bayless and Nicolas Batum, this team is at least temporarily filling the void left by Brandon Roy.
Before I go any further in this recap, I feel I must mention this one more time. We have to fully appreciate the incredible things Andre Miller has done for this team. His welcome was pathetic, the treatment by fans and media early were embarrassing, but he fought through it all season and became the hero and MVP of game one. One of the biggest Andre haters, and a guy who TMZ'd every situation relating to Miller is John Canzano. Read this article, again if you have to, it completely blows away any trust or credibility whatsoever. Andre Miller doesn't fit and never will fit? WRONG.
Okay, my frustrations are vented, back to the good stuff. Portland proved last night that teams can survive without their number one offensive option if they play as a team and play top notch defense. Sure they had momentary lapses on both ends, especially considering Phoenix made 11 three pointers. The near melt-down at the end reminded me that no lead is safe and the Blazers will have to work on closing out games without Brandon Roy.
Part of me is worried that Karma wanted Portland to lose that game last night, and since I'm a LOST degenerate, I'm pretty sure this made Karma very angry that the Blazers still won. Now the smoke monster is going to take over Steve Nash's body and he'll destroy all of us. I really hope it doesn't happen. Perhaps Andre Miller is the candidate that can stop him? Okay, I'll stop.
Basically for me, this was a three hour stress fest. It's tough to watch Portland play so well and Phoenix continue to hang around by hitting threes. Leandro Barbosa hitting set shots in the half court? Richardson getting fouled on a 3-pointer by Rudy? Missed free throws, poor shot selection? So many things made this game up and down emotionally, but the outcome is all that matters and now Portland has a chance to truly compete in this series. It will still be an incredibly tough road, even the two games in Portland are far from gimmies. The intensity, the hustle, the teamwork from game one must be carried over for 48 minutes in every game of the series.
Obviously there were a ton of contributors to this victory for Portland. But no one was a bigger alpha dog than Andre Miller when we needed the most. Miller's relentless pounding of the Suns defense was truly amazing. He began the game finding open teammates and then when things got tighter down the stretch, he took matters into his own hands. For a guy with below average athletic ability, he baffled the Suns in every way. My favorite had to be when Phoenix dared him to shoot a three and he canned it, leaving his follow through up for a good 3-5 seconds afterwards. Don't mess with Andre, he'll getcha. Then of course Andre had to pick up for Bayless by hitting the game sealing free throws in the 4th quarter.
Marcus Camby also showed us exactly why he was brought in, crashing the boards, defending, blocking shots and just being that presence in the middle. Nicolas Batum was perfect in this game, he spread the floor, hit some open looks, and ended with an efficient 18 points and 5 rebounds. Once Bayless realized his best asset was attacking the basket, he went on a little tear in the 3rd quarter that really helped get Portland to this win. Then despite his struggles early on, LaMarcus Aldridge fought off double teams in the second half and finished with a respectable 22 points on 8 of 20 shooting. It wasn't the best day for LA but he took some of the heat off of his teammates, freeing them up for opportunities to score.
Game one is in the books. It was a tremendous morale boost for a team that has been beaten down by injuries and was given no chance to win in this series by almost everyone outside of Portland. The question now becomes, can the Blazers actually keep this up without Roy? It's one thing to steal the first game, but if Phoenix figures out what Portland is doing, it could shift momentum back to Phoenix. For now, I'm stoked about the win and cannot wait to see a couple games this week in person. I love the playoffs.
As dynamic and powerful as Amare Stoudemire is for these Phoenix Suns, it's the point guard match-up that could determine the outcome of this series. Steve Nash has had another tremendous season, leading the league in assists and being the best quarterback of any team in the league. Basically if Portland can defend Nash and force him to shoot more as opposed to involving his teammates, the Blazers will have a chance to stay in these games. But, if Nash ends up averaging close to 11 assists per game, I can see Phoenix getting out to a commanding 2-0 series lead.
The other X-factor in this match-up will be Andre Miller offensively against Nash. The bigger Miller should be able to post up Nash, and with Roy out, Andre will also take an early alpha dog approach in these games and hopefully get his offense going early. As far as the back-ups go, Bayless will have an opportunity to shine against this team that doesn't defend well. Bayless on the break and attacking the basket could really give him an advantage over Dragic. Unfortunately I think the Suns win here.
With Brandon Roy sidelined for the series, the entire dynamic of this Blazer team changes. With Brandon in the line-up Phoenix would be looking to double team him at all times, but without Brandon, the Suns won't necessarily know who will pick-up the offense for Portland in the playoffs. I think Rudy and Martell can be very successful in this series considering the opponent, Rudy will want to run much like the Suns and Martell is so streaky. Jason Richardson continues to be a major threat offensively and for Portland, Martell will probably be the best option to defend him. I like the match-up and the potential for Martell as long as he plays within himself.
Rudy Fernandez and Leandro Barbosa will probably spend a fair amount of time defending eachother, I know Rudy can't guard Barbosa in the open court but if Portland is spreading the floor for shooters, Rudy could have plenty of opportunities to make a few threes. In Phoenix with Brandon out, I'm going to have to give this one to the Suns as well.
Here's one of the most intriguing match-ups in this series considering Brandon Roy's absence and Nicolas Batum's emergence. Nic will take on an aging Grant Hill and his confidence should be at an all time high. Portland needing more scoring and really just someone to do so many of the little things, Batum is going to be the guy. I think Nic outplays Hill in this series.
Given the smaller line-up the Suns use, Dante Cunningham will get in opportunity to get some critical minutes at small forward. His mid range game and relentless effort will be very much needed. He'll be guarding Jared Dudley who is also a hustle guy. The only difference is that Dudley can get pretty hot from three. Dante needs to be quick on his feet and earning every second of playing time. I'm going out a limb a little here, the Blazers will win at the small forward position.
As far as head to head match-ups go in this series, none will be more important to Portland offensively as LaMarcus Aldridge versus Amare Stoudemire. When you compare their season numbers, Amare doesn't completely blow LaMarcus away(AS 23 & 9, LA 18 & 8). But the on court disparity is much greater. Amare's game is like kryptonite to LaMarcus. Amare is physical, explosive and very confident. He seems to overpower Aldridge most of the time. But lately, Aldridge has shown a renewed commitment to carrying the load offensively, scoring in the 4th quarter, and overall understanding what he must do for this team.
If LaMarcus can keep his confidence throughout, he will hang with Stoudemire, but I'm just skeptical right now. Game one will say a lot about how this series plays out. Juwan Howard and Louis Amundson will get a few minutes each, but neither guy will make a huge impact. But, Amare wins the match-up.
Jarron Collins may be the starter right now for Phoenix, but Channing Frye is the main contributor for Phoenix at center. Our old friend Channing has been hitting threes in bunches for Phoenix and he presents a difficult match-up for Portland if he's hitting that three. Camby won't necessarily want to come all the way out on him, which was why I thought Camby might end up guarding Stoudemire at times. Either way, Frye is living and dying by the three and even when he's hitting, it's a only a few a game. Portland should be able to win this match-up based purely on defense. Camby is going to be a monster on the glass and his help side defense on Amare will undoubtedly be needed to slow down Phoenix. The Blazers must play defense if they want to win this series, if Batum, Aldridge and Camby commit to defense, it could be very interesting. The Blazers will not go out without a fight and they'll win this match-up.
Phoenix will most likely win this contest, but I won't be at all surprised if Portland makes it a tough game throughout. Our best opportunity to steal a win will be Tuesday. Despite being down a few players, I like Portland's chances to compete in this series.
I discovered Google's SearchStories promotional thingie when Matt used it to craft a beautiful narrative describing the life of CDub. Since I'm awake at 4:00 am with a terrible stomach ache (I do not recommend chasing Tecate and Jagermeister with a large bag of crunchy cheddar jalapeno Cheetos) I have nothing better to do than make a search story to describe Portland's 2009-10 season thus far. If you'd like to make your own please drop it in the comments.
Remember me? I haven’t really written much around here since that time in December when you all made fun of me for suggesting that Bayless has limited potential…
But enough about how I was right and you all were so very, very wrong. I’m still technically a contributor to Bust a Bucket. My hiatus was due mostly to a screenplay I’ve been developing for the SyFy Channel. You think Dinoshark was awesome? You think Mega Piranha was the best thing since Dinoshark? Just wait until you see Mothasaurus. I don’t want to give too much away, but it is safe to say that a certain scientific research team won’t be seeing their families again.
Now that Paul Logan has been cast and the playoffs are about to start I figured I should check in. In some ways this has been a tiring year to be a Blazers fan. After a season full of injuries it seems depressingly fitting that Roybot would tear up his knee and miss Portland’s first round matchup with Phoenix. Seriously, let’s just get this season over with as soon as possible. I want all these setbacks in the rear view mirror. Next season things will come together. (Right?!?) I want to be there.
I’m not feeling many hopeful vibes about Portland’s chances against Phoenix. Roy is out. The Suns are good and veterany. The Blazers marketing department didn’t even bother coming up with a new slogan this year. Rip City Uprise, 2009 2010 Baby! Good news for Rip City Project, they can just copy and paste their entry from last year that disses the campaign and sort of maybe indirectly disses everything that this fine blog is built on. Also, they are bet welchers. (Blog beef!)
(Apologies if I've offended any of our Welsh readers. “Welchers” is an expression I use due to my own ignorance and limited creativity. You are all awesome.)
As much as my head and my heart want me to believe that Portland has no chance and to just get this season over with, something else (my kidneys maybe) tells me to hold out hope. This team outperforms expectations on a regular basis. Maybe, just maybe, they can get passed the Suns. Then Roy could be back and anything would be possible. Yeah, I’ll cling to that. I’m back.
On Sunday the Blazers will be hosting at viewing party at the Rose Garden for game one of Portland's playoff series with the Phoenix Suns. Now I must say, fan appreciation night last night was okay, but this viewing party is the real gift. Opening up the RG and allowing people to get together for free. Very cool. Here are the details:
TRAIL BLAZERS TO HOST GAME ONE VIEWING PARTY SUNDAY
Free event allows fan to watch Trail Blazers vs. Suns at the Rose Garden
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers will host a free viewing party at the Rose Garden this Sunday for game one of the Trail Blazers' first round series with the Phoenix Suns.
The Rip City Uprise event will begin on the Rose Quarter Commons at 5 p.m. with live music, kids' inflatables and more. Parking is free in the Garden Garage. Additionally, the Trail Blazers Fan Shop will be open, featuring new playoff merchandise. "The Game," a restaurant space, will also be open for business, hosting a barbecue and beer garden.
Doors to the Rose Garden's south entrance will open at 7 p.m. (north entrance will not be open). Multiple large screen televisions will be added to the club level and the videoboard in the arena bowl will be lowered for optimum viewing of the game, which tips-off at 7:30 p.m. on KGW.
ROY TO UNDERGO SURGERY TO REPAIR PARTIAL MENISCUS TEAR Portland guard sidelined for first-round playoff series vs. Phoenix
PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a partial meniscus tear in right knee, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard.
"This was not an easy decision to make," said Roy. "But, if I'm going to be out there, I want to be contributing. If we're fortunate enough to advance in the playoffs, having the surgery now gives me the best opportunity to help our team."
Dr. Don Roberts will perform the knee arthroscopy on Friday morning at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, WA. A timetable for Roy's return will be set following surgery, but he'll be sidelined for at least the first round series vs. the Phoenix Suns.
"This is a setback, but we've been overcoming injuries all season long," said Pritchard. "This is about looking long-term and doing what's best for Brandon."
Roy left at the 5:45 mark of the second quarter of Sunday's game at the Los Angeles Lakers after experiencing pain in his right knee.
The best-of-seven first-round series with the Suns tips off Sunday in Phoenix at 7:30 PM.
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 