Mickey Mantle's Liver

Ouchy!

OK, this one is gonna hurt.

I play in two fantasy football leagues.  Anyone who has played in a fantasy football league is familiar with the nickname fantasy football players have for Fred Taylor of the Jacksonville Jaguars - "Fragile" Fred Taylor.  Taylor earned that nickname because he is always getting hurt and being placed on injured reserve, where he can do a fantasy football team absolutely no good.

I am starting to wonder if the NBA's version of "Fragile" Fred is the Portland Trailblazers' own Greg Oden.

Since being drafted #1 overall in 2007, Oden has logged 13 minutes of actual game time.  He has 5 rebounds, two turnovers, two personal fouls and is a 0% shooter from both the field and the free throw line.  By the way, he has yet to score a point in an NBA game.  He also has had tonsilitis. microfracture surgery, a twisted ankle, and now a sprained foot (which will keep him out 2 to 4 weeks -- which means 4 weeks cause the Blazers don't want to rush things, you know).

Think about this for a moment, Oden has as many injuries (4) as he has shots from the field (4).  And by the way, don't forget that in Oden's only season at Ohio State University, Oden missed a lot of time because of an injury to his right wrist.

Face it, the guy is injury prone.

And he looked really, really bad the other night, to boot.  He looked slow, uncoordinated, and like a rookie who had never been to an NBA game in his life.  Tuesday night was not the kind of debut that Oden and Blazer fans were hping for, quite the opposite.  It was everything we were hoping would not happen.  But it did.

And Oden got injured.

I was - and remain - a BIG proponent of Oden.  When the Blazers were holding the #1 overall pick in 2007, readers of The Liver will recall that I was loudly calling for the Blazers to draft Oden.  I am still glad they did.

But now it is time for all of us Blazer fans to admit that which we were hoping was not the case - Oden's career and performance is going to be seriously limited by injuries.

Thank God we have Pryzbilla.

The Blazers' Season Starts Today

OK, I cannot remember the last time I have been this excited for the NBA seasons to start.  Probably the last time I have been this excited was in the early 1990s, when the Blazers made a couple of appearances in the NBA Finals.

How can a Blazer fan not be excited?  First, these guys are good guys.  Not just good basketball players, but fine citizens.  They represent the franchise and the city of Portland well.  Second, they are good players: young stars like Brandon Roy and LeMarcus Aldridge are exciting to watch and deliver on the floor.  Third, the obvious: Greg Oden's debut tonight against the Lakers.  Finally, the guy Blazermaniacs have waited a year-and-a-half to get on the court and shore up the middle with finally get that chance.  Let's hope he stays healthy and provides an imposing presence in the middle.

The only thing that sucks about this season is the fact that the Blazers play in the Western Conference.  The Western Conference is easily the best conference in the NBA, which will make it even more difficult for the Blazers to get themselves into the playoffs.  According to Sports Illustrated, the Blazers will pick up 9 games in the win column over last year's result - that would mean the Blazers would reach the magical 50-win plateau.

I think the Blazers will win 83 games.  Yes, 83 games.  I know there is only 82 games in a season, but the Blazers will get credit for another win based upon style points......

Ok, I am just being silly.  But I do expect this team to be much better than last year, and equally exciting.  The one thing about the off-season that no one is focusing on is the addition of Rudy Fernandez to the roster.  In the preseason, Rudy has looked great and every bit as good as advertised. 

There are two questions that remain unanswered going into the season.  First, what kind of defense is this team going to play?  Coach Nate is an excellent teacher of team defense, and to be sure, the team's defense picked up last year (which is reflected in the team's 10-game improvement from the year before).  But the defense last year wasn't where it needed to be.  I am sure that in the future Oden is going to be a defensive force to be reckoned with, but as a rookie, I am not so sure.  I will certainly be focusing on the defensive performance of the Blazers in the first few games.

The other question that needs to be answered is the Blazers shooting.  If you ask me (which you haven't), offensively the Blazers' biggest hole has been outside shooting.  Not so much three-pointers, but those 15 to 20 foot jump shots that a team needs to hit in order to open things up on the inside, where Oden could then do most of his damage.  Good shooting means more Oden, which means more wins.

I fully expect the Blazers to win 50 games.  Once again, Kevin Pritchard has done a materful job not just putting this team together, but keeping this team together (Channing Frye, anyone?).  You know the old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Go Blazers!

R.I.P Kevin Duckworth 1964-2008

Goodbye Kevin Duckworth.  44 years young, Kevin Duckworth passed away in Gleneden Beach last night, the cause of death is unknown, according to this report.

Kevin Pritchard for King of the World!!!!

I would like to nominate Kevin Pritchard to be selected as King of the  World.  Pritchard should have freeway named after him.  At the very least (and with all due respect to Howard Schultz) he should have a drink named after him at Starbucks.

"Welcome to Starbucks, what can I get started for you?"

"I'll have a half-caf, double decaf, extra hot, skinny Kevin Pritchard."

41 wins!

Think about that for a second.  Let it sink in.  41 freakin' wins.  Two years ago the Blazers had 22 wins.  Last year, we had 32 wins.  A 19-game turnaround in two years.

Consider this: the average improvement for a team that had the #1 overall pick in the draft the following year has been approximately 10 wins.  The Blazers improved their record by 9 wins.....AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE #1 OVERALL PICK PLAYING FOR THEM!!!!!

And this team is just a lot of fun to watch.  If you were watching last night's game (and you didn't have a calendar) there is no way you would have known it was the last game of the year.  Those guys were out there busting their humps like it was the first game of the season.  Man this team is a lot of fun to watch.

And Pritchard is all class, too.  Did you hear him on the tv broadcast during the Memphis game?  He spoke frankly, without throwing anyone under the bus.  I don't know how long Pritchard's contract is, but Mr. Allen better triple it and lock Pritchard up until Oregon elects a Republican governor (which could be several decades from now).

And speaking of contracts, we better give McMillan all he wants, too.  Coach Nate has done an equally remarkable job with these young guys, bringing them along and helping them become the fine young players (and men) they have become.  Forget about the players for a moment, I don't know that there isn't a franchise out there right now that wouldn't want Pritchard and McMillan running their show.  Let's keep them in Portland, Mr. Allen.

But let's get back to the players.  I hear people asking "What do the Blazers need to do in the off-season?"  Before Monday, my answer was "Get rid of Miles and Lafraentz, but especially Miles."  Well, the news earlier this week was that the human paperweight known as Darius Miles is off the team.  I have no doubt that several years from now Darius is going to look back on his career and realize he really blew a great opportunity here in Portland.  Of course, Darius is something of a knucklehead, so maybe I am giving him too much credit.

And LaFraentz, I am sure he is a nice guy, but his contract costs us $12 million a year, which is money that should be going to the young guys.  I realize his contract is set to expire next summer, which is when we can re-sign Brandon and LaMarcus, so keeping Raef for another year makes sense, so I will give the Blazers a pass on that one, because keeping Raef makes sense long term.

But the rest of the roster?  One word: leave it alone!!! (Ok, that was more than one word, but you get the point).  James Jones has said that the Blazers locker room is the closest locker room he has ever been a part of.  The team chemistry is great, and the players are young, talented, and very hungry.

Don't get rid of Jarrett Jack.  Keep Channing Frye in Portland (even though the other night after the Memphis game he uttered the god-awful words "Keep Portland Weird").  Get Rudy Fernandez over here.  Make Josh McRoberts lay off the banana cream pies and get into even better shape.  And keep the gym open the rest of the summer so the guys can keep playing, and getting better.

This team is young and very exciting.  Everyone in the Association knows that the Blazers are going to be a team to be reckoned with, especially given that Oden will be on the team next year.  They play hard, they are full of class, and they appreciate and respect the fans.  Rip City hasn't been able to say that since Terry, Clyde, Jerome, Buck and Duck were here.

I cannot wait for next season.

Bring the Big Aristotle to Portland!

OK, I said it, the Trailblazers are at a crossroads.  We have a young team that is playing extremely well, so good that thinking about the playoffs is not putting the cart ahead of the horse anymore.  This team is certainly positioned to be a playoff team this year, and certainly into the future.

But the Boston game last night demonstrated where the Blazers are weakest - experience.  Our team is so young we have no players with the experience needed to play in those big games.  The bottom line is that the Blazers were the more talented team last night, but the Celtics got into those kids' heads.  We need someone on this roster who has played in enough big games that he isn't going to let the antics of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce get into his head.

That player is Shaquille O'Neal.

Trade Darius Miles and Raef LaFrentz for him......

There are a number of reasons why I like this trade.  First of all, the trade works in terms of the salary cap.  Try out the ESPN trade machine and see for yourself.

From the Heat's perspective, this trade works well.  Lafrentz's contract, which is approximately $12 million, expires in two years.  Which means in 2 years the Heat would have $12 million come off the cap in 2009.  Miles' contract expires in 2010, which is another $8 million off the cap.  Ultimately, the Heat would have $20 million off their cap, which is what they would have if they kept O'Neal for the full term of his contract.

The downside of this trade for the Blazers is the effect the trade would have on the cap.  In 2009, as the roster currently stands, the Blazers would have $12 million come off their cap.  If they trade LaFrentz and Miles for O'neal, the Blazers would be committing one more year at $12 million.  In 2009, Brandon Roy, Martell Webster and LaMarcus Aldridge have expiring contracts.  However, given the current rate of cap increases, the Blazers should have enough money to sign all three players to long term deals.

But lets talk about the upside of this trade.  From the Blazers' perspective, this trade makes sense for at least three reasons.  First, they get a world champion on their roster.  One of the 50 greatest players of all time.  He may not be in his prime, but Shaq can still bring it.  Shaq will also bring experience and a degree of nastiness that doesn't exist on the Blazers' roster right now.

Second, Shaq is a character guy, and would fit in well with this team.  Look at how Shaq mentored, in a sense, Dwayne Wade into the superstar that Dwayne is today.  Shaq is a good guy in the locker room and would fit nicely on the Blazers.  Also, Shaq has a LOT of respect for Maurice Lucas - and I suspect that respect is shared.

Third, Shaq is likely one of the best - if not the best - center in the history of basketball.  Isn't that who you want teaching Greg Oden how to play the position?  Like I said above, Shaq doesn't mind mentoring players if it is for the good of the team.  Oden - and the Blazers - would benefit greatly if Shaq was on the roster.

This trade just makes sense.  For Shaq personally, who is going through a divorce, it would give him a chance to get away from south Florida and away from the drama.  Also, it would put Shaq in the Western Conference, where he could dominate the Northwest Division.

Finally, from the Blazers perspective as an organization, Shaq puts butts in seats.  The team is playing well right now, but it won't always be a hot fudge sundae in Portland, and Shaq is the bridge the Blazers could travel to the Greg Oden era.

So let's start the campaign now.  Bring Shaq to Portland!!!!

Recap of the Blazers' Draft....Pritchard=Genius

It is not often that I use the term "genius" to describe anyone but Bill Walsh, the inventor of the Hot Dog, and whoever came up with the "Where's the Beef?" commercials, but I think it is time that we start using the term "genius" to describe Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard.

That is how I would characterize the Blazers draft on Thursday.

Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that the success of the Blazers' draft depended on the hard work of so many loyal Blazer employees, and of course, Mr. Allen.  Everyone associated with the Blazers' organization should be damn proud of the remarkable turnaround the Blazers have made over the last two years.

I know several people in the Blazers' organization who stuck it out through the hard times.  They are the ones I am most happy for, because without them the Blazers would not be where they are today.

But hey, someone has to get the credit.  And if Pritchard is going to get the blame when things go bad, he should get the credit when things go good.....like they went on Thursday night.

So, without further ado, is an in-depth analysis of the Blazers' draft.

FIRST ROUND

Greg Oden

Obviously the first pick was monumental.  Some idiots thought that the Blazers should have picked Durant #1, but they are self-absorbed morons who are going to go back to playing Dungeons and Dragons in their mother's basement.

Oden immediately changes the face of the organization.  He may not be a dominant scorer his first year, but his defensive presence and rebounding ability will immediately help the Blazers.  Some people say that Oden will be a Bill Russell-type player, and that is somehow a knock on Oden.

Last time I checked, Russell has 11 championships, is a Hall of Famer, and considered one of the 50 best players of all time.

I am good with that.

Rudy Fernandez

Fernandez was picked at #24 by the Phoenix Suns, and then sold to the Blazers.  The fact that Fernandez is a Blazer shows the importance of having an owner who likes to be involved in the draft process.  Mr. Allen was sitting in the Blazer's draft room when Phoenix made the offer to "sell" Fernandez to the Blazers.  Had Mr. Allen not been in the room, good chance Fernandez would still be with Phoenix.

Most scouts see Fernandez as a Manu Ginobli-type player, although not as quick as Ginobli.  Virtually every scouting report I read on Fernandez calls him the best shooter in Europe, a good ball-handler, and a versatile player who could play the 1 or 2.  The knock on Fernandez is that he needs to bulk up and doesn't have much of a vertical leap.  He also has one more year on his contract in Spain.

Jay Bilas says that Portland's acquisition of Fernandez could be the steal of the draft.  I sure hope so.

Petteri Koponen

He is a 19 year-old playboy.  Literally.  Koponen is 19 years old and plays for the Honka Playboys in Finland.  Koponen is another player the Blazers bought, this time from Philadelphia.  God it is good to have a billionaire own your team.....

Jerry West (who has one of the best eyes for talent in the history of the Association) compares Koponen to a young Steve Nash.  Apparently Koponen has a better frame than Nash.  Until the 2007 Nike Summit, Koponen was a relative unknown.  Apparently at the Summit Koponen was the star, which is what propelled him into the first round of the Draft.

The scouting reports all call Koponen a "scorer" but not a "shooter", which is a little disconcerting, because none of the scouting reports called Koponen a "playmaker", which is what a "scorer" must be.  The good news is that Koponen is 19 years old.  The bad news is that up until 2007, no one had ever heard of this kid before.

The Blazer's took a $3 Million flyer on this kid, I hope it pans out.

SECOND ROUND

Josh McRoberts

This guy IS going to be the steal of the draft, mark my words.  First, a little background.   McRoberts is from the Indianapolis area, which is where Oden is from.  They played against each other in high school, and played on the same AAU national championship squad.  Oden and McRoberts are very close friends.

McRoberts is a 6'10" power forward, with the skills of a small forward.  If the NBA hadn't instituted the one-year rule, chances are McRoberts would have been in the NBA last year as a lottery pick.  Although Oden was the consensus best high school player in America last year, McRoberts was close #2.  Many people had McRoberts projected as a lottery pick this year, too.

McRoberts is from Duke, and for the first half of the season, McRoberts was the reason Duke was nearly unstoppable.  And then, in the middle of the season, McRoberts pooped out, and so did Duke.  That is the knock on McRoberts, he needs to build his stamina and get into better shape.

This guy reminds me of Bill Laimber without the pizza-face.

Derrick Byars

Vanderbilt University, a "basketball school" on par with Oregon State's same claim to fame, will produce one or two NBA-ready players a decade.  Vanderbilt wasn't a half-bad program this year, and Byars was the reason why.  This guy is a scorer AND a shooter.  The problem is that he is still very raw and doesn't know how to play defense, which is a consequence of the fact that he has spent so much time developing his offensive game.

Byars is a 2 or a small 3, and is a reasonable risk to take with the 42nd overall pick.  He is another guy that should at least make the Blazers practice squad.  He is young and quick, and over time should turn into our long-range threat.

Taurean Green

If McRoberts was a steal, consider "TG" (as he shall forever be known on the LIVER) to be "Steal 1A".  TG was the point guard for the two-time defending national champion Florida Gators.  Last year, had TG come out, he would have been drafted in the first round, he has those kind of skills.

But TG stayed in school with his runningmates to win another national title.  He put his team ahead of the fact that he could have come out of school and been guaranteed millions of dollars.  On that fact alone, TG has to make the Blazers.

TG's case is one where you can argue that staying in school could have cost him millions, and probably a spot on an NBA roster.

Why did TG's stock fall?  His skills haven't diminished, that is for sure.  If anything, his skills have improved.  TG's stock fell because rather than do all the scoring and playmaking during the Gators run to a second title, he kept Corey Brewer, Joahkim Noah and Al Horford in the mix, effectively distributing the ball and setting up his teammates.

TG is a GREAT defender, better than Brewer, and a GREAT teammate, better than Noah.  TG is exactly the kind of character guy the Blazers need and want on their team.  The problem is that not many players picked with the 52nd pick in the NBA draft make an NBA roster, at least not in their first year.

I sure hope TG is the exception to the rule.

Demetris Nichols

Nichols comes from Syracuse, where he earned all-Big East honors.  Nichols is a sharpshooter, not known for his defense or his ball handling ability.  Picking Nichols here is a flyer, at best.  I would have rather seen the Blazers use this pick on a foreign player the Blazers could have left in Europe or wherever to develop.  This is the only pick that I am not thrilled with.

OVERALL

If I had to grade the Blazers' draft, I would give it an A.  In my mind, the Nichols pick and the purchase of Koponen from the 76ers are what prevent the Blazers' draft from being an A+, but only time will tell.

The bottom line is this, anytime you draft a player like Oden, your draft grade is going to skyrocket, but that was the easy choice.  Where Kevin Pritchard and his staff earned their money is picking Fernandez, McRoberts and TG.  I think over the long run, those guys will be key players in the Blazer's future run at the NBA championship.

NEXT......Zach Randolph traded, Marijuana sales in Oregon plummet......

UPDATE ON GREG ODEN TO PORTLAND!!!!!!

UPDATE!!!

1080 the Fan is reporting that the agency that represents Greg Oden has confirmed that Oden will be in Portland tomorrow for a press conference announcing Oden as a Blazer for the first time.  The Press conference is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

DEVLOPING............

Get use to this picture, cause GREG ODEN IS COMING TO PORTLAND!

That's right, Greg Oden is coming to Portland.  He is going to be the number one pick tonight when the Blazers open the NBA Draft.

Ric Bucher, ESPN Basketball reporter, is reporting that the Blazers have notified Oden's people that the Blazers will take Oden with the #1 pick.  The story was corrobarated today on Jim Rome is Burning, when Greg Oden let it slip out that LaMarcus Aldridge called him and congratulated Oden on being picked by Portland.

The Oregonian is reporting that Oden has already picked his jersey number - 52, the same  number worn by former Blazer great Buck Williams.

Last night on SportsCenter, Oden made it clear that he liked Portland's laid-back attitude, something he thinks is going to suit his game just fine.

I tend to agree.  Big men are typically quiet, reserved people (Shaq is the exception, not the rule) because their height calls attention to them, they don't need to be flamboyant in order to attract attention.  In a city like Portland, where "famous people" seemingly walk our streets without being bothered, Portland is the perfect place for Oden if that is what he wants.

The good news is that HarryDunne was wrong, thank god.  Why anyone would want to draft Durant over Oden is beyond me.  Durant is going to be a great player, but Oden is going to be a DOMINANT player.  And it looks like he is going to be a dominant BLAZER for a long, long time.

Oh, Oh, Oh......Oden.....Uh, Oh

I  haven't dropped off the "Draft Greg Oden" kick, but there is an article in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine regarding Greg Oden and Kevin Durant that has caused me some worry.

The article, authored by Bill Simmons, attempts to compare Durant and Oden from a number of perspectives, comparing skills and other "immeasureables" such as the quality of potential nicknames.

At the end of the article, Oden and Durant are given oppotrunities to provide insight into each player (i.e. "Oden on Oden" and "Durant on Durant").  Each essay gives us an informative look into the character of each player.

Oden starts his essay:

"I consider myself a role player.  I understand people are projecting me to be a top pick, and those guys are supposed to be franchise guys.  But I'm not the kind of guy who needs to come in and take over."

Later in his essay, however, Oden explains himself:

"Being a role player  doesn't mean you can't play; everybody on a team has a role.  I'm going to go to my new team and try to figure mine out."

Finally, Oden sees his role on his future team this way:

"A lot of the time when I get the ball in the post, I should be thinking about dunking first, but that's not how I've been.  I'm always looking for the cutter first.  But now I realize people are going to be looking for me to score.  When there is a bucket that needs to be made, I'm going to have to make it.  And I'm excited about that.  I wouldn't have come out if I wasn't ready to do that."

Boy, the way Oden's essay starts really concerns me.  With the number one pick in the draft, the Blazers have to pick a guy who is ready to come in and take over immediately, regardless who is already on the team.

If you want to hear a player say that, you need only read the next essay from Kevin  Durant:

I've been training to be a franchise player since I was 9.  That's the first time I told my parents I was serious about getting to the NBA.  So these past couple of months have been like a dream.

Later, Durant makes it clear what makes him different from Oden:

"I don't want to be a role player.  I want to be the guy a teams depends on."

Wow.

Is there a more stark difference between Oden and Durant?  One describes himself as a role player, the other says "I WANT TO BE THE MAN!"  And that guy is NOT Oden.

But Oden explains himself well.  I think what Oden meant when he described himself as a "role" player is that he understands that he will have a specific role on the team - that is, Oden isn't going to be running the offense, breaking the press, or shooting 3's.  Oden instead recognizes that he is supposed to score on the block, rebound, and block shots.

The problem here is obvious.  The Blazers are going to make the biggest pick for the f ranchise since the Blazers picked Bill "the Mouth" Walton.  This isn't a Sam Bowie-Michael Jordan draft, because both Durant and Oden are going to be awesome players.  But a team like the Blazers, trying to revamp their image, cannot afford to have another guy on the roster who doesn't give 100% or isn't willing to take over a game when it is necessary.

Is Oden going to be that guy?  I sure hope so.

The Greg Oden Haiku

In honor of Greg Oden's triumphant visit to Portland, I believe the TrailBlazers future first-round pick is entitled to at least one haiku to honor his greatness:

He is very tall

Portland is where he will be.

Happening next week.

Or this one:

Who is number one?

Why even ask the question?

Oden to Portland.

Or this one:

Greg Oden has skills,

Skills are important in life.

Life begins this fall.

I think I need something more constructive to do with my free time.......

In the meantime, you should read this article over at www.emptythebench.com for more on Greg Oden's visit to Portland.