Sunday, May 31, 2009

A little Charles Barkley for your Sunday

Exactly how you have a basketball blog and not write about the NBA Playoffs (outside of the Blazers and that stupid commercial that is now haunting my dreams) I'm not sure. In my defense, I did warn you that things were going to be kept as obscure as possible this summer.

I guess this clip is edging me a little closer to writing about an actual NBA game. Something all NBA fans know is to never skip out on TNT's pregame/halftime/postgame coverage. This reinforces that knowledge. Enjoy Charles calling his producer a pussy:




I really hate that Reggie Miller is kept around the broadcasting world in spite of his awfulness, my how some things refuse to change, but his reaction to Chuck here is entertaining.


(Assist Deadspin.)

Friday, May 29, 2009

The IBL is easily worth the cost of admission

It is known that I enjoy the IBL experience. When I found out a new team was setting up shop in the region of the state that I spent the majority of my childhood in it seemed like an unusually cosmic amalgamation of awesomeness. Naturally, when the Yamhill Highflyers held their home opener I was there.

I went with high hopes for the non-basketball elements of an IBL event. This debut certainly did not disappoint in that department. My imaginary award for best local sponsor promoted throughout the game goes to both Cascade Pest Control and Valley View Retirement Community. The half-time festivities were highlighted by performances from local pre-teen hip-hop dance troupes crews. Pizza was half-price after half-time. Season tickets for 2010 were on sale for $50. (This gets you 10 games! The amount entertainment received easily exceeds the dollars here people.)

The attendance level surpassed previous IBL games I've attended. I'm no good at estimating crowd size but there were enough bodies in the middle-school gym to keep the air stuffy and humid. (What? You expected A/C?) This could just be people checking out something new in town. It could also be a sign of good things to come. As someone who grew up in Yamhill County I can guarantee you that there are not a lot of local entertainment options, and something that is affordable as well as fun is likely to continue to attract patrons.

The game itself was full of the IBL quirkiness that makes me feel happy inside. The star of the Highflyers is Jason Hartford, who grew up in a small town only a couple hours away. He played for Cornell a couple years ago and lead the Big Red to the NCAA tournament as a senior. Hartford is fresh off playing a season of professional ball in Finland (Finland!). At the IBL level he is kind of like a video game version of Dirk Nowitzki. His length and skill set make things extremely easy for him. He averaged 28 points and 13 rebounds in the first two IBL games. Tonight he had 20 and 11. At the half. If the team wanted to run more of the offense through him it could have really been out of control.

Hartford's talent puts him clearly above this level of competition, but you can't talk about his impact in this game without mentioning the opposing team. You see, my Highflyers faced off against a team from Japan. (Did I mention the IBL is quirky?) While they did not list heights on the program I think the Nippon Tornadoes had one guy that was maybe 6'4. The other eleven were 6'1 and under. And no, there was not a Tabuse among them.

This raised the novelty level into the stratosphere. On defense the Japanese team slapped at every ball within reach and scrapped mercilessly. On offense it was all about a five guard offense that used quickness to get at the rim or fire away from three and involved literally diving after every long rebound. All while the coach was screaming what I hope were Japanese profanities from the bench.

It sort of worked for a little while. Eventually the Highflyers figured out that as long as they kept the ball up and got reasonably close to the rim it was all over. In the end my Yamhill Highflyers took the victory 140 to 121. And yes that is an average score for an IBL game.

After the festivities I relaxed with a cool and refreshing Sprite, thinking about how I was going to be attending the ultra-funktastic NBA Sprite Dunk contest thing on Saturday. Sprite! Dunk Contest! I will be the one with an IBL t-shirt.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

The NBA is trying to ruin my summer. (Brought to you by Sprite!)

Maybe not purposely.

The basketball being played in the conference finals has been very satisfying to watch. The stoppages in play have been the problem. I have learned to sprint out of the room during commercial breaks. This conditioned response is a result of the "Where Amazing Happens" commercial that shows the exclamation point of the Blazers epic 2000 playoff collapse. In slow motion. For the masochists:



Every time I see it I hope Scottie won't bite on that crossover.

This is not necessary. There is an alternative that is more entertaining and is not the least bit heart breaking to anybody:



Also, drink Sprite. Attend the NBA sponsored dunk contest thing on Saturday. Sprite!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

In exchange for a chance to meet a basketball legend, I will promote your event with no shame

Did you notice earlier this month when blog entries like this one (and this one) detailing a Sprite sponsored dunk contest popped up pretty much everywhere? That was the result of some blog-marketing (blogeting!) strategy that may have gotten the event some good exposure without a lot of cost. I got the e-mail as well, but my laziness prevents me from scratching corporate backs without receiving any thing in return.

Since the Portland portion of the event is coming up soon the blogeters (yes!) sent out another round of promotional e-mails. This time they came with some goods. Check out this excerpt, the emphasis is all me:
What’s In It For You?
If you are interested, we can get you any or all of the following:
• Digital assets including banners/graphics and promotional videos
• Interview access to top amateur dunkers Air Bama and Troy McCray
Meet and greet with Darryl Dawkins at the event
• Blog Q&A
Wait. So I go to your event, do a blog post or two about it, and as a result I get to meet Chocolate Thunder? I was a little young to see Dawkins in his prime, but when I was growing up a country rube without internet or cable TV I watched this video on VHS several hundred times. As a result my young and impressionable mind was imprinted with a deep appreciation for the alien from Planet Lovetron. Sprite has never tasted so good. The rest of the details are below. Go to the event, and drink Sprite. Sprite!



As a recap, the program has a lot to offer for dunkers and fans who want to take part in the action.

For Dunkers:
• One champion dunker will be selected in Portland, winning $1000 and other great prizes
• For those who can’t make the event, two champions will be selected via the online video submission contest
LeBron James will be one of the judges that will select the two online video submission winners
• Of the ten total champions (we’re doing this in 7 other cities), the public will vote for their favorites and the top four dunkers will be sent to the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas to compete for the $10,000 Grand Prize and the opportunity to be involved on the Saturday night NBA Slam Dunk Contest
• VIP Access: This is the added bonus. The four finalists will get seats to both the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and The NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and inside access to players and legends
• Shwag: The 40 dunk contestants who participate in the Showdown events in each market will receive authentic jerseys, shorts and adidas basketball shoes

For Fans:
• This is an official NBA Sprite sponsored event, and LeBron James certified, which means the best of the best will be attracted to compete. The stakes are high
• Fan Votes Count. Voting via SMS at the events and online votes for the final round to determine the four champions that will go to Dallas keeps this fan-focused and ultimately fan-crowned
• 8 opportunities to see the best dunkers live
• Interaction with other fans via Facebook and Twitter

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Blazers 2009 Draft. I'm confused.

Posting has been a little slow around these parts over the last week. Contrary to popular belief this has not been totally attributable to the bout of depression resulting from Akeem Scott leaving the Honka Playboys. In fact I have begun to write several posts relating to the Blazers 2009 Draft. None of them have made sense, even by Deceptively Quick standards.

There was one about using trades and picks to move into a lottery spot. Another one was about using those resources to nab more draft picks in the sexier 2010 Draft. Or a veteran. (Hi.) There was one about Jrue Holiday, and then one in direct contradiction saying that the Blazers should not go younger if they don't have to. 

It was all garbage. For the first time in a while, the Blazers do not need anything major out of the draft. The main pieces are mostly in place and now the focus is on finding the best ways to complement them. That is harder to talk about, or maybe just not as fun. Definitely more confusing.

So take everything you hear with two grains of salt instead of just one. At some vague level I think we have reached a consensus that this team needs some sort of upgrade in the point guard rotation and a power forward (in the traditional sense of the word) to come off the bench. Who those people are and if these needs are actual are now the discussion.

This draft and off-season will be so intriguing because there is no clear path for improvement outside of the individual growth of those already under contract. Trade for a veteran? Move up in the draft? Find a player with the current picks? Nobody knows. And when nobody knows, it is time to break out the old line from the 2007 Draft: In Kevin Pritchard We Trust.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

A Nation in Mourning: Akeem Scott a Playboy no longer

Fresh from H.T., undeniable star of the blog Akeem Scott has left the Honka Playboys. (No crying!) Akeem is one of the most entertaining athletes on the planet and we will continue to follow his exploits in the future.

The Akeem Scott Era in Espoo is now officially over.

Honka Playboys entered the Finnish Korisliiga playoffs as no. 1 championship contenders after mid-season trades which brought in experienced role player Elias Kajander, Finnish national team power forward Tuukka Kotti and Denmark national team's starting point guard Chanan Colman. Honka had indeed the best individual players in the league, but after only three semifinal games, they found themselves swept against hustle-and-grind team Namika Lahti (lead by former German Bundesleague slam dunk champion Ray Nixon and NCAA 2001/2002 scoring champion Jason Conley).

After losing the semi-final series 0-3, Honka had an opportunity to grab the bronze medals at home, but long and tall Tampereen Pyrintö, which featured an impressive starting five of 7-0", 6-10", 6-8", 6-5" and 6-5" tall players, defeated Honka 74-83. It's sure going to be a rebuilding year for those Honka Playboys.

You can't blame Akeem Scott, though. Scott never became that true point guard he wanted to be, but he had the fighting spirit, the intangibles and the will to make his team better. In regular season, Scott averaged 17 points, 4,1 rebounds, 2,2 assists, 2,5 steals and 2,3 turnovers a game with percentages of 58,3% (2pt), 30,0% (3pt) and 72,0% (Ft).

In playoffs, Akeem the Dream registered 16 points, 4,3 rebounds, 1,9 assists, 1,9 steals and 2,4 turnovers a game, with percentages of 48,5% (2pt), 46,5% (3pt) and 74,1% (Ft). Despite finishing only fourth in Finnish Korisliiga play, Scott will be remembered as a willing player whose pure hustle brought Honka Playboys their second consecutive championship while Petteri Koponen was sidelined with an injury.

Thank you for all the memories, Akeem!


-H.T.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Tom Penn is staying

It looks like KP's succession planning skills will not be put to the test today- Tom Penn is staying with Portland. Was he ever really considering leaving? Were the T'Wolves simply used to help Penn get a promotion in Portland? None of us outsiders can be certain. But we can be happy that Penn will remain in the Blazers' fold for at least a little while longer.

Petteri Koponen Watch: He is a point guard, right? Edition

H.T. checks in with an update on the most recent goings on of Blazers' draftee and noted salmon aficionado Petteri Koponen. Our man still is having trouble finding minutes at pointguard. Are we to start a free Koponen movement?

Virtus Bologna prepares for the playoffs. + LOSING! + DRAMA!

Things aren't looking too chipper for Petteri Koponen's Virtus Bologna right now. Despite winning the FIBA EuroChallenge championship just three weeks ago, Bologna hasn't been able to get a win in Italian Serie A competition after the first week of April. In the last week of Serie A regular season, Bologna lost an away game against Premiata Montegranaro (72-75) and then an overtime game at home against Benetton Treviso (85-90).

Virtus ended their regular season losing four Serie A games in a row and sliding from 2nd spot in standings to 5th spot, which means that they won't be having home court advantage for the 2009 Serie A Playoffs. Even more concerning is that Bologna will meet Benetton Treviso in the playoffs, a team that they haven't been able to beat during the 2008/2009 regular season. Treviso has been improving throughout the season and they are looking really strong now, and having home court advantage will definitely help them.

Petteri Koponen finished his first ever regular season as a professional averaging 3,0 points, 1,2 rebounds, 0,9 assists, 0,7 steals and 1,0 turnover in 15 minutes per game. Petteri played total of 29 games and was in Virtus Bologna's starting lineup 17 times. His field goal percentages (2pt 36,2% 3pt 24,4%) were notably lower than the ones he recorded in EuroChallenge play (2pt 56,7% 3pt 39,4%).

It has been much of a learning season for 21-year old Koponen. Because of strong presence of scoring-minded point guard Earl Boykins, Koponen has been mostly playing off his natural point guard position. Petteri has never been very good without the ball, and that clearly shows in his field goal percentages; he hasn't been able to create his own shot and his catch and shoot technique needs improvement. But there have been moments of brilliance; Virtus Bologna's coaching staff has noticed that having Koponen on the court stabilizes the game while Boykins, despite being probably the best pure scorer in whole Serie A, can't really create opportunities for others. Koponen has also improved from good on-ball defender to an excellent one, regularly defending opponent's best scorer.

All the people around Finnish basketball haven't been too happy with Koponen's current situation. His biggest critic right now is his former coach, Mr. Mihailo Pavicevic, who stated in Finnish MTV3 (All Finnish music videos, all the time? -Ed) interview, that he is "indeed very sad for Petteri". Pavicevic stated in the interview that he "knew immediately, that signing with Virtus Bologna wasn't a good solution. Virtus coach Matteo Bonicinolli can't see Petteri as a point guard and he doesn't trust young players." Anyway, Pavicevic also said that there are difficult seasons for every player and that "now Petteri has to work hard, be positive and see what to do after the season is over."
(Courtesy of http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/muutlajit/uutiset.shtml/arkistot/muutlajit/2009/05/870334?koripallo)

Despite all the controversy, Virtus Bologna will now prepare for the first round playoff series against Benetton Treviso. The best-of-five series tip off this Thursday. Benetton's most notable players include Americans Gary Neal, Charles Judson Wallace and DaShaun Wood, Croatian pivot man Sandro Nicevic, Slovakian Radoslav Rancik, Italian national team players Matteo Soragna andMassimo Bulleri, not to forget Iceland-born shooting guard Jon Stefansson, who had a brief stint with Dallas Mavericks a few years ago. That's a lot of firepower and a sure challenge for Boykins, Koponen, Keith Langford, Sharrod Ford and company.

Here's a statistical recap of Bologna's last two Serie A games:

Premiata Montegranaro - Virtus Bologna 75-72 (17-16, 37-37, 60-50)
Montegranaro: Dejan Ivanov 15/9, Brandon Hunter 13/11, Kiwane Garris 12/3/6ast.
Virtus: Keith Langford 17/5/3stl, Earl Boykins 17/1, Dusan Vukcevic 10/1.
Petteri Koponen: Min 10 2pt 1/2 Ft 1/1 Pts 3 Ast 1 Stl 1

Virtus Bologna - Benetton Treviso 85-90 (16-11, 41-27, 58-47, 72-72)
Virtus: Earl Boykins 23/2/4ast, Keith Langford 22/3/4stl, Guilherme Giovannoni 10/9.
Treviso: Ioannis Kalampokis 22/7, Charles Judson Wallace 20/8/4ast/5stl, Massimo Bulleri 16/1/3ast.
Petteri Koponen: Min 12 2pt 0/2 Reb 2 Ast 3 Stl 3 Pf 2, Start

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Pritchard's new challenge: succession planning

Kevin Pritchard can assemble one hell of a basketball team. He can roll in D.Miles' car. He can hang out with Obama. But can he hold on to his talented front office subordinates? As the Blazers achieve more success it will probably be an impossible task. The challenge then becomes finding the qualified talent to fill these roles and keep the good times rolling.

The first significant example of this is in the continuing rumor that Blazers Assistant GM Tom Penn will be hired as the general manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Don't think for a second that this is some inconsequential development. Every Pritch-slap has required excellent Pennmanship. (Sorry.) Penn is known as the salary-cap/CBA guru that can take a trade exception and turn it into a rocket ship carrying your franchise's biggest problem to the Moon. (Or to New York for that matter.) Nobody is irreplaceable, but some people are much harder to replace than others. Tom Penn is one of those people.

People talk about the mark of a good GM being a franchise that is competitive year after year. I agree, but its a tad more complicated. A good GM takes the franchise in a positive direction. Sometimes this means winnning in the present, sometimes it means taking losses with an eye towards the future.

A General Manager steers the franchise, and a major part of that is hiring decisions. RC Buford of the Spurs could be the highest esteemed GM in the League. The basis of his respect will always rightly be focused on the sustained excellence of his team on the court. But don't overlook his ability to reload his front office personnel. Danny Ferry worked for the Spurs before he put the right pieces around LeBron. Kevin Pritchard was a scout for Buford before becoming the mayor of Rip City.

Tom Penn getting his own team to run lifts Pritchard into another category of success. He will be a GM that produces not only wins but other general managers as well. We know Pritchard can do a great many things at an exceptional level. Now we will see if he has a knack for succession planning as well.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Weakened Non-Pondering: Phone it in edition

I'm off to an early weekend of black-light miniature golf, mountain dew throwback, and watching movies that I'm way too old to get so excited about.



Reading that sentence really made me reflect on what my life has become. (Totally awesome!)

H.T. sent me a particularly significant addition to the Petteri Koponen Watch, which will show up around these parts on Monday. (Oh! Cliffhanger!) Until then I recommend you occupy yourself by going to see the new Star Trek Movie.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Darius Miles...is still Darius Miles

To the surprise of absolutely no one, everyone's favorite still-technically-a-Blazer Darius Miles (Big Pun!) is in trouble again. This time it was a misdemeanor possession of marijuana charge and a driving without a suspended license citation.

And so the circle remains unbroken. If you are from Rigel XII (the new Star Trek movie is awesome), here is the pattern: Miles will continue to get in trouble, then say the right things, then someone will write an article about how Miles has finally matured, then Miles will perform at a mediocre level, then he will get in trouble again, and so on.



Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I did not see this coming: Roy gets second team, Aldridge gets votes

Results from the All-NBA voting have been announced. Brandon Roy was actually voted to the second team, the first Blazer to earn such distinction since Clyde Drexler. Roybot is well on his way to becoming the best Blazer ever. More surprising to me was that LaMarcus Aldridge received votes, four of them!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Presenting the best thing in the Universe: The Yamhill Highflyers

Wow. I mean, really. The burst of euphoria running through my body is really going to be difficult to convey here. This is not related to the NBA. Or Finland-things. Try to follow.

My appreciation of the IBL has been well established. I mean, I literally saw God at an IBL game. No. I saw God in an IBL game. (Good handle, shaky jumper.) The fact that this cost $5 and was in a high school gym only made it better.

Then I started hearing that the IBL was putting a new team close to my home town in rural Oregon. I was excited. When you grow up in an area without a lot of these types of things you get impressed pretty easily. The prospect of catching a delightfully novel IBL game added a new layer of cool to all my future return trips home.

Then I discovered the name of the team. I may have crapped my pants. Consider me an instant fan. There are no guarantees that this will not be incorporated into the DeceptivelyQuick JPEG Banner of Honor.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Weakened Pondering: Stop the Rocket hating madness edition

I'm a person that is surprised quite a lot. (For example, did you know that they're making a new Predator movie?) Accordingly, I was taken off-guard by the degree of Rockets hatred that Portland fans gained from the Blazers first round loss. Sour grapes are to be expected, but this was something else. I heard multiple people saying that they hope the Lakers dominate the Rockets. The Lakers. Local sports radio (ugh) came to the conclusion that there are no Western Conference teams worth rooting for anymore. 

Why hate the Rockets? Because your team didn't get regular-season calls during the playoffs? Please. Perhaps those on the Blazers' roster weren't the only ones showing a little post-season naivete.

A general rule of sports is to find some consolation when the team that beat you goes on to more success. It would say a lot about how good Portland is if the Rockets went on to win the title. Plus they are playing the Lakers, a team that so many of you claim is Portland's main rival. (Stay hilariously delusional, Rip City.) Your long-term hatred of the Lakers, if as actual as you claim, should easily outweigh your bitterness over losing to Houston.

I'm not sure how a fan of the game of basketball could not like the Rockets. They are a collection of uncommon talents and shortcomings that play beautiful team basketball. Yao Ming has always been easy to root for with his humble determination and never-before-seen package of size and skill. Ron Artest is one of the most entertaining players in basketball. On the court his defense is easy to appreciate and his bull-in-a-china-shop-shooting-loose-cannons offensive style has always kept my interest. Plus, tell me you didn't smile at least a little when he called Brandon Roy the best NBA player that he has ever had to guard. Aaron Brooks, he who played for the University of Oregon, is microscopic in stature and uses his blazing quickness and confidence to make an impact. Don't get me started on Von Wafer. Read this article and find a way to not like Shane Battier. Scola gets under your skin, but he is a classic get under your skin love to hate kind of role player. He even looks weird! Plus how can you not enjoy watching Houston's under-heighted (not undersized!) front-line stifle their taller opponents? What is the matter with you?

If none of the above has convinced you, I think you need a visit to Dr. Bob Newhart.


Thursday, May 7, 2009

Some NBA Coach really respects Przybilla

Old news by now, but whatever: the NBA All-Defense team has been announced. Most interesting from a Rip City view is that chronically underappreciated Blazer Joel Przybilla actually nabbed a few votes. One voter gave the Nilla Gorilla a spot on his first team ballot. Before you think Nate, know that the coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players. Nice to see the guy finally getting a little respect outside of Portland. Sad that it is coming just before he is likely to return to a limited role as the franchise attempts make Oden a legitimate franchise player.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Team USA is coming for our Blazers

I think we can all agree it would be very cool to see a Blazer out there representing Team USA Basketball in the Olympics someday. But what about three Blazers in the same Olympics? Either I am being an overly paranoid fan or there is nothing terrifying about the pillars of your (allegedly injury prone) team playing a ton of extra competitive basketball.

This is where I mention that Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden have all been invited to train with Team USA this summer and compete for roster spots on the national team.

LaMarcus and Oden have both reciprocated interest and one would think Roy would relish the opportunity as well. The idea of three players from the same NBA team sounds a little far-fetched at first. I mean, does Colangelo love America or just really hate Portland? It seems like someone from the Blazers would want to step in and stop such a possibility from occurring. (Or would they? Would the resulting raised profile of the Blazers be worth the risk?) 

The potential incentive for Team USA would be having three players that already know how to play with each other. After all, getting unfamiliar players to operate as a cohesive unit is one of the biggest obstacles of the USA system. OK, this idea does make some sense. Now I really am terrified.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Rasheed Wallace to retire?

Are back-to-back Jailblazer posts acceptable? Anyways, a guy who knows a guy who knows Rasheed Wallace says that the four time All-Star is planning on walking away from the League unless a team gives him $8 million for next season. (If true, that means he is leaving.)

Wallace hasn't played for Portland since 2003 but still manages to trigger strong feelings within Rip City. His most productive years were here, and he delivered his share of W's to the franchise. If things had been even a little more stable we may be talking about Rasheed as one of the greatest to ever play for Portland. Instead we remember him as the player that responded to being the focal point of a team by tearing it all down. The man who finally got his on-court act together, relatively speaking, to help deliver a title to a different team. But hey, he was the best player of the JailBlazer era by a mile. I'm going to go break something.


Get your Zach Randolph Blazers jersey today!

Is it acceptable to wear a Z-Bo jersey ironically? I suppose that it could be difficult to explain such motivations to a mob of Blazer fans raining down on you with fists and lugies. But just in case you want to try it out, Zach Randolph's Blazer jersey is still for sale at the NBA.com store. At a recession friendly price!

 

Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Off-season is on! More Koponen. More Freeland.

With that pesky dream season finally out of the way we can focus on what really excites us: Players the Blazers have rights to that may or may not join the team at some point. Yes!

Petteri Koponen has been an obvious favorite around here. H.T. has has kept us well informed on his development in Italy. The most notable achievement of Koponen's season has been the role he has created for himself as a willing and able perimeter defender. He has not gotten much time at his natural point-guard position, but his defensive prowess has at least kept him on the court. While his opportunities for development have not been optimal his growing rep for bringing the D is notable when you consider what the scouts from DraftExpress observed last summer:
He knows how to control tempo relatively well for a young guard and possesses above average court vision. The young guard's ability to run the point at his size and age is pretty impressive, but his defense still has a ways to go.
All indications are that Koponen is working hard on improving his game, managing to make noticeable strides despite inconsistent minutes and limited run at the point. Please please please let this guy come to Vegas.

A Blazers' draftee we haven't heard much from in a while is power forward Joel Freeland. As you likely know, Joel impressed a lot of people this season with Gran Canaria. DraftExpress has him ranked seventh on their NBA Rights Held list. The Blazers are sounding like they think he will be able to join the summer team in Vegas, but I'm holding off for more news before getting too excited. Last summer Gran Canaria decided not to let him come over for the rat-ball romp in the desert, and I don't want my heart broken again. In any event Freeland seems to be quite a bit closer to joining the Trailblazers than Koponen.

It is worth reminding that the Blazers have a spectacular FOUR second-round picks in this year's NBA Draft. Will we see Kevin Pritchard use some of these on some more potential-types from abroad? You never know with KP, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him try and use some his team's assets to stock up on picks for the sexier looking 2010 Draft.

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