Before they were Blazers: newly-hired Trail Blazer assistant coach Nate Tibbetts and current assistant Dale Osbourne pictured together at a Tulsa 66ers game. Tibbetts was the head coach for the D-League 66ers from 2009-2011.

Nate Tibbetts spent Thursday afternoon at his house on the lake in the middle of South Dakota. And like any self-respecting basketball junkie, Tibbetts had the television tuned to the appropriate channel.

“Trying to spend a little time with some family,” Tibbetts said, “and watch a little NBA combine action.”

This week, the Portland Trail Blazers announced Tibbetts as the latest addition to join Terry Stotts’ coaching staff. Tibbetts, who will replace Kaleb Canales, expects to arrive in town on May 29. However, even as Tibbetts gets in some last moments this spring with friends and family in his home state of South Dakota, the gym rarely leaves his mind.

“They cut in and out of drill work. It’s hard to really see anything,” Tibbetts said about the production of the live look-ins. “(But) I like to hear the guys talk about it.”

As a coach praised for his knowledge of the game and rapport with players, Tibbetts, 36, understands the importance of strong drill work and development. The former head coach of the NBA D-League Tulsa 66ers (2009-2011), Tibbetts led the team to the playoffs each season. In 2011, three of his players earned four call-ups to the NBA – most in the league.

With the job, Tibbetts – who worked with current Blazer assistant coach Dale Osbourne in Tulsa – also had the opportunity to work with the team’s NBA affiliate, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Joey James, a friend and former Univ. of South Dakota teammate of Tibbetts, now coaches at their alma mater. James remembers being in Las Vegas one summer for a recruiting trip when Tibbetts was also in town. The old friends spent some time catching up, but Tibbetts never stopped punching the clock.

“In Vegas, we stayed in the same room… and he would go and work out Kevin Durant and the other guys,” James recalled. “I just think his positive energy and his ability to understand the game (helps him) be around those guys.”

According to James, Tibbetts would even return to campus and help run new drills for the latest generation of Coyote players. Although Tibbetts played point guard in college, he was versatile enough to teach footwork to big men in a drill he dubbed, the “Tim Duncan Move.”

“To be honest with you, I think it’s more close to a traveling (call) than anything,” James joked about the Timmy move. “But he just likes working guys out.”

In 2011 when Tibbetts landed an assistant job with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he remained as a coach dedicated to development. Tibbetts worked with the young Cavalier players and grew a bond with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. The two often played physical one-on-one games and Irving even praised Tibbetts during his 2012 Rookie of the Year acceptance speech.

“Coach Tibbetts told me what to do and what not to do every single day,” Irving said.

Through his 12-year coaching career, Tibbetts has been a man comfortable in working with projects – NAIA basketball, the D-League, the rising Thunder, the post-LeBron Cavaliers and now the young Blazers. Tibbetts said that during his several talks with the team, he understood the Blazer’s direction in terms of development.

“I think anytime that you have younger players on your team, that’s going to be very important,” Tibbetts said. “I know that Kaleb (Canales) did a great job with that before and hopefully I can do just as good a job. We’re going to add more young guys with the draft this year, so it’s going to be important to be ready.”

“My job as an assistant coach is to try to help guys get better.”

Tibbetts said that he has received an influx of text messages from people telling him how much he’ll enjoy Portland. But like most newbies, Tibbetts comes in with the limited knowledge but universal truth that it rains here. So, Tibbetts joked that he and his wife are moving from the city with the second most cloud cover (Cleveland) to the No. 1 spot. Still, rainy days do not affect a basketball junkie.

“The great thing about that is, the lights are always bright in the practice facility and in the Rose Garden,” Tibbetts said.

The post New Blazers assistant coach Nate Tibbetts: “My job is … to try to help guys get better.” appeared first on Blazer Banter.

Kaleb Canales, the longtime Trail Blazers’ assistant coach, has taken a new job with the Dallas Mavericks. As first reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian, Canales will join Rick  Carlisle’s staff as the Mavericks’ new offensive coordinator – funny, because that was Terry Stotts‘ job when he was with Dallas.

Even more interesting, Canales spent his ninth and final season with the Blazers as its “defensive coordinator.” However, before that label, Canales was truly a jack of all trades. His story is ‘Rudy-like,’ as the young and eager video intern with the Blazers eventually working his way to become interim head coach near the end of the 2011-2012 season.

“You can relate to him,” Wesley Matthews told me at the beginning of this season. “When he started here, he was video guy, intern guy, do whatever it takes, and he just loved it. Loved being here. Loved the atmosphere about everything and just to see him climb his ranks and get more leverage with coaching. When the coach situation happened and Kaleb was the head coach, he hit the ground running. I just have a lot of respect for him.”

As the last link on the staff remaining from the Nate McMillan years, Canales gave the Blazers some sense of familiarity when they started this “New Team, New Dream” season. And before the year began, this is how Matthews explained the importance of bringing Canales back into the fold.

“It was huge,” Matthews said. “K is like that bond between everything new and what Portland is. You heard the ovation at (preseason) Fan Fest for Kaleb.  You would think he was a four-time All-Star. He’s big time, big time for this program and big time for us.”

Beyond that defensive coordinator title, this season Canales would spend time after practice shagging rebounds for Matthews, even running a rebounding drill with Meyers Leonard and working out LaMarcus Aldridge on the back court. Though Canales’ imprint and energy was all over this team, he was most identified as ‘L.A.’s guy.’ If I had to come up with one quintessential K.C.-L.A. moment, it would have to be the January 29 game against — wait for it … — the Dallas Mavericks.

Remember this? …

After stepping back and making his first 3-pointer of the season, then subsequently hitting the game-winner, Aldridge, without prompt, gave credit to Canales.

“Just me and K, all summer working out,” Aldridge explained after the game. “I just did it natural.”

Also, when Aldridge declared during his end-of-season exit interview that he wanted to expand his offense – “go home and just work on elbow isolations, work on the three ball a little bit more and work on being on the opposite block,” – I could imagine that some of those workouts would consist of more Canales one-on-one time.

However,  now that Canales has returned to his home state of Texas, the Blazers have taken just another huge step into forming a new identity.

The post Canales’ departure marks end of old regime appeared first on Blazer Banter.

So by Wednesday, the final night of the NBA regular season and the conclusion of these 2012-2013 Blazers, Allen looked back at the “interesting” year and predicted the upcoming summer will be just as intriguing.

“I certainly expect there to be some (turnover),” Allen said, while speaking about the future. “Given some of the areas we need to improve, there’s definitely going to be turnover. We have a number of unrestricted free agents and so yeah, there’s going to be some turnover. That’s part of what’s involved in rejuvenating and re-tooling and building back up the strength of your team. So, it goes with that part of the process.”

In meeting with reporters before the Blazers faced the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, Allen used upbeat terms to describe the overall season – highlighting the progress of young players, namely the five-time Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Damian Lillard, and praising the work of his general manager Neil Olshey and head coach Terry Stotts in their first years with the organization.

“I think they’re both doing a very good job,” Allen said. “I think you saw Terry institute that new brand of basketball to start out the season. As compared to the styles we’ve had in previous seasons, I think it’s refreshing, unselfish style. In terms of how Neil did, I think we did very well in the draft, there’s no question about that.”

Allen, much like his fan base, was surprised at the team’s early season success when the Blazers reached 20-15 and stayed within shouting distance of the playoff picture for much of the season.

“I think everybody was a little (surprised),” Allen said. “ I think Damian is an even better player than we all anticipated.”

However, Allen repeatedly recognized the elephant in the Rose Garden – the team’s 12-game losing streak entering the season finale. During the recent slide, the Blazers have allowed opponents to average 107 points per victory. In reaction to the team’s biggest problem area, Allen echoed his general manager in anticipating the Blazers will target interior defense and a player who can help protect the rim. Also, Allen said the team will seek to bolster the bench, which ranks last in the NBA in scoring average.

“Although the end of the season has been disappointing,” Allen said, “and it’s always painful to miss the playoffs (but) I think there’s some encouraging progress.”

The post Blazers owner Paul Allen reflects on season, expects a summer of change appeared first on Blazer Banter.

Young teams can be an exhausting lot. After all, some would argue that the N.B.A. means “No Boys Allowed” as this game favors grown men. While Houston (average age 24.9 years old) defies logic as the league’s youngest team but also a playoff contender, the Portland Trail Blazers, saddled with five rookies, are eight games deep into a losing streak and fading fast before the end of the regular season.

So, they’ve got a lot to learn but still, young teams can be fun to watch and just a joy to be around. Take for instance this exchange last Saturday between rookie Will Barton and veteran Jared Jeffries. I asked Barton, a big fan of the rapper Future, if he was going to see him in concert and Jeffries chimed in…

Barton: “Yes! I might be on stage with him. April 11th!”

Jeffries (unaware that Future is coming) : “No, he not.”

Barton: “Yes, he is I’ve already got my tickets!”

Jeffries: “I’m getting mine, too! Where he’s at?”

Barton: “The Rose — (Roseland Theater) I’m going to be up there – I’m there! Game or no game!”

Jeffries: “We there!”

Me: “It’s after the Lakers game.”

Barton (even more excited now): “Definitely there!

Me and Kobe!

…And Vanessa!”

Understand that today in Barton’s world is Christmas in April. In a matter of 24 hours, not only does one of his favorite artists come to Portland – a rapper whose lyrics have inspired Barton through his roller coaster of a rookie season – but so does his basketball hero. And when we had this Saturday exchange, that was before Barton learned that he would be starting tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers and matching up against Kobe Bryant.

So, let’s take a look at what will be ahead for Barton on this “Christmas” day.

The last time the Blazers played the Lakers (Feb. 22), Barton played 19 minutes and finished with 5 points (2 for 7). And though some of Barton’s time on the floor intersected with Bryant (who played 36 minutes), the two never matched up against the other. Barton, who was assigned to backup shooting guard Jodie Meeks, never switched off to help even when Bryant drove to the basket on the help side.

So, considering this will be Barton’s first time matched against an elite NBA scorer, he can definitely use the wisdom of Wesley Matthews … a player who cherishes any time he gets to match up against the Lakers. Matthews shared his philosophy in defending Bryant.

“Stay down on his pump fakes.”

Basically, don’t do let this happen.

More Matthews: “He’s got sweet spots on the court like everybody does. If he tries to post you up, he’ll try to spin baseline and get inside.”

Like so…

And finally: “If he’s ‘iso’ing at the top of the key, he’s going to try to get to an elbow.”

Waa-laa

According to Synergy Sports, this season Bryant has scored 52.8 percent of his points on post-ups. Barton has only defended the post-up for 11 plays all season, and has allowed a score 36.4 % of the time. As far as other plays, Barton has difficulty in defending the ISO (guarded against it 24 times and scored on 45.8 %) but he’s better against the pick-and-roll ball handler  - which Bryant has become more so now with Steve Nash gone. The pick-and-roll is the play that Barton has seen the most of this season at 48 times and scored on 39.6 %.

However, Barton will likely get some help. Don’t be surprised to see rookie Victor Claver on Bryant. Claver is taller and bigger than Barton – and in Nicolas Batum’s opinion – he’s the better defender at this point (mainly due to the above information). Also, Sasha Pavlovic is back active, and before breaking his month long break away from the court, he last played significant minutes against the Lakers on Feb. 22 as well as guarded Bryant.

The post Defending Kobe: What’s Ahead for Will Barton appeared first on Blazer Banter.

After all the contact Damian Lillard has taken during his rookie season, he has slowly developed a line of communication with game officials.

Remember plays like this…

Kobe basically smacked Damian Lillard upside the head. Still, Lillard, who was probably seeing two baskets at that time, attempted a shot that would have pulled the Trail Blazers within one point in the closing seconds of the game. OK, now check out the video carefully. You’re not looking for the obvious foul, you’re watching for Lillard’s reaction. Lillard did not seek out or complain to the three referees. He didn’t even flash the stink eye at them to non-verbally communicate, “Where’s the foul!?”

That was February. If the same thing happens now, Lillard will not go quietly into the locker room. He will talk – sometimes demonstratively – with officials. It’s one of the many NBA lessons that Lillard has slowly learned during his rookie campaign: he who protests, gets the calls.

“I feel like I have to ask questions now,” Lillard said about communicating with officials. “It was a point when I was like, I’m not going to say nothing at all but you get to a certain point when you’ve got to communicate with them. With me, sometimes I might get frustrated behind something and I’ll go and ask them like what’s the difference between this play and that play. Sometimes it’s just me approaching them, wondering what the other team can and what they can’t do. So, I’ll know if I’m fouled or if they missed a call, I know that I’m right when I approach them about it. Maybe I’ll get a call at the end of the game or something.”

Recently, I’ve detailed here and here about the new fiery side we’ve been noticing from Lillard. Very early in the season, Lillard told me that he never talked to officials and would leave that task to his veteran teammates. Rookies should be seen, not heard, right? But Lillard could no longer keep his tongue. And in light of LaMarcus Aldridge recently missing four straight games and Lillard responding by taking it upon himself to go aggressively inside, he’s had to stand up for himself.

Such a far departure for Brookfield’s finest, whose calm and cool personality plays out on the court. Only once have I heard Lillard quicken his voice and show some irritability off the court – and that was when he was reminiscing about riding the bench during his high school sophomore year at Saint Joseph Notre Dame. Otherwise, Lillard speaks with an even and calm tone and plays with that same controlled rhythm.

However, there was a noticeable change in the March 29 game against the Utah Jazz and even the following night in Oakland as Lillard went out of his way to talk with officials.

“When I started seeing other guards going up to the referees and making a case and then, throughout the game they started getting the calls,” Lillard said, explaining the genesis of his mentality change. “And I saw that it was making a difference, so I started to do the same thing.”

Also, Lillard revealed the details on his encounter with official Kevin Scott on March 29. Although in that game, Lillard tied a season-high 14 free throw attempts, he felt that he had taken unpunished hits all night. So after the loss, Lillard wanted to get something off of his chest and made a beeline for Scott who was standing close to the baseline near the Jazz bench.

“I walked up to him and, like I said, I had to ask him some questions,” Lillard said. “I felt like I got beat up that game and I wanted to ask him what I needed to do. What more can I do … I told him I’m not the type of player who’s going to constantly complain to you guys, so what do I need to do for you guys to get them off of me and let them not play so physical, knocking me down every play.”

“I got hit in my face a couple times that game. Nobody wants to get hit in their face and let it keep happening. I wanted to ask him, and I didn’t know if he took me approaching him in the wrong way because I was mad, so he just walked away.”

As Lillard mentioned, he’s not a big complainer. Anyone who has watched this Blazers’ season should know that he rarely engages with officials. Heck, most of the Blazers stay away from chirping. Wesley Matthews, the most passionate of the bunch, may talk the most with officials but even he’s not constantly whining. Still, it is a part of the game. And as long as Lillard keeps the communication under control and doesn’t become this guy or gets in this guy’s crosshairs, then showing a little more animation on the court could be a good thing.

The post The Education of Damian Lillard appeared first on Blazer Banter.

We all know that Portland Trail Blazers rookie Damian Lillard is the best point guard of the 2012 draft class. And it’s not a stretch to declare Lillard the best first-year player among all positions this year. On Monday, Lillard accomplished another sterling achievement in his introductory season by setting the record for  most 3-pointers by an NBA rookie in a single season. Lillard hit 3 of 7 3-pointers against the Utah Jazz and now has 169 on the season, he also added 17 points, five assists and five rebounds. Just another night at the office for the first-year point guard.

Now, with the NBA Rookie of the Year award all but delivered to Portland, it would seem unfair to constantly compare Lillard to his draft class and other standout first-year players through the years. But, it is in that context where the Lillard superlatives belong. Simply because nights like the one in Salt Lake City should remind Blazer fans that the rookie still has a ways to go to compete on the level of a veteran point guard, even a second-tier one like the Jazz’s Mo Williams.

Williams, who once got in through the back door to become an All-Star in 2009, is a skilled guy who has flourished both as a starter and a backup. But Williams is no Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Tony Parker or even Rajon Rondo who from some reason still can’t consistently drain a mid-range jumper but can take over a game (crazy, right?)

So Williams is a second-tier PG (at best) and yet Lillard still has problems slowing him or even staying in front of him.

On Monday night, Williams hit 6-of-7 from 3-point land and finished with 20 points and nine assists. Understand that Williams (12.6 ppg, 6.3 apg season averages) has scored 20-plus points five times this month since his return from thumb surgery – and twice he’s done it against the Blazers with Lillard as his primary defender.

After dropping 28 points in 29 minutes against the Blazers last Friday, Williams came out and did two things well on Monday night: run transition and shoot from distance.

• After forcing up a long two at the end of the shot clock during the Jazz’s first possession of the game, Williams waited until near the end of the quarter to score. Lillard drove inside and missed a layup and momentarily stopped to turn and watch his man take off down court. Williams breezed by Eric Maynor and got his layup attempt goaltended by Meyers Leonard.

• As the Blazers did on Friday night, Lillard switched to Randy Foye while Maynor stuck Williams for a short while in the second quarter. But the defensive switch led Lillard to make another miscue in transition. At the 3:16 mark, Lillard’s man, Foye, grabbed a defensive rebound and Maynor quickly backtracked and closed in on Al Jefferson who was fastbreaking down the right side. However, Lillard, in a jog, simply stretched out his arm towards Williams for someone else to pick him up. When Williams got open beyond the left arc, the closest man to him was Lillard who made a half-hearted attempt to get over there before Williams drilled the wide open shot.

• Within the final 90 seconds of the first half, Lillard returned to his first assignment, Williams. The Jazz only led 47-46 at this point and a stop would have been huge for the Blazers to potentially take their first lead of the game. As the play began, Lillard did a fine job chasing Williams, staying glued to his assignment as he circled from the top of the key, down towards the baseline and back. However, once Lillard cleared the forest and got out into the perimeter, he relaxed. No other way to say it. Lillard eased up as he saw Gordon Hayward drive and dish to Jefferson. When Lillard snapped out of it, Williams had already caught Jefferson’s outlet pass and rose to take yet another 3-pointer. … a good three feet in front of Lillard who was closing in late to contest the shot. Williams’ 3-pointer pulled the Jazz ahead 50-46 and the Blazers never held the lead.

Although Lillard has seemed otherworldly this season, he’s a lot like most first-year players in the sense that his defense needs improvement. Certainly, after collecting his ROY trophy, Lillard could use some time fine-tuning his decision making and defensive aptitude. Take a look at the last six games and how the opposing point guards played against the Blazers. Excluding the off night from Brooklyn Nets PG Deron Williams, note their inflated field-goal shooting percentage:

Mo Williams, UTA (Monday night): 7 of 12 for 20 points, nine assists, 58.3 FG%

Stephen Curry, GSW: 14 of 22 for 39 points, six assists 63.6 FG % (82.1 True Shooting %, which includes field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws)

Williams (last Friday): 10 of 19 for 28 points, five assists, 52.6 FG%

Deron Williams, BRK: 3 of 11 for 6 points, 10 assists, 27.3 FG%

Russell Westbrook, OKC: 9 of 18 for 21 points, nine assists, 50 FG%

Jeff Teague, ATL: 8 of 11 for 21 points, seven assists, 72.7 FG% (82.3 TS%)

The post Damian Lillard vs Veteran Point Guards appeared first on Blazer Banter.

Feeling weak, Aldridge misses practice 

While LaMarcus Aldridge has recently put up robust numbers, he has also dealt with a variety of ailments. On Tuesday, Aldridge’s health continued to linger over the overall good vibes at the Blazers’ practice facility. Aldridge, with an unspecified sickness, visited a medical professional and did not participate in the team’s first practice after a day off and five-game road trip.

“He wasn’t feeling well,” coach Terry Stotts said. “We sent him to the doctor, he was feeling a little weak.”

This latest sickness has nothing to do with Aldridge’s recent bouts with migraines, which kept him out of practice on March 13 and lingered into the next night when the Blazers hosted the New York Knicks. Aldridge, who has posted double-doubles in seven of his last eight games while averaging 24 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2 blocks per game, will likely be a game-time decision when the Blazers host the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.

“Hopefully today he’ll get some rest and get some fluids,” Stotts said, “and feels better.”

Claver and Pavlovic return to practice

Besides Aldridge’s unknown status for tomorrow, reserve forward Sasha Pavlovic (right quad) will be “doubtful,” while rookie Victor Claver (left ankle) is “questionable.”

Pavlovic did not fully participate in all of Tuesday’s practice but did run some 5-on-5 while Claver got back in the saddle for the first time since injuring his ankle on March 8. The Blazers have slowly brought Claver along – he did not travel with the team during the recent road trip – and will re-evaluate him on Wednesday morning.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow morning because today’s the most he’s done in a while so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Stotts said.

While the Blazers recently wrapped a weeklong trip, Claver remained in Portland the whole time with Hersey Hawkins - whose official job title is “Director of Player Programs,” but has also worked out players this season – as well as with a team assistant athletic trainer.

“In the morning, we’d get here for treatment and shooting on the court without too much (movement),” Claver explained. “Trying to run to see how it feels on the ankle every day. (Then I would), watch the games in the evenings. One day I went to the hockey game, the other days I was resting at home.”

Oh, yes, that Portland Winterhawks game last Saturday at the Rose Garden. Claver and two friends showed up for the Hawks’ testy playoff game against the Everett Silvertips. From the first period until the final five minutes, the teams got into extended shoving matches and even a couple of fights. Almost everything has been a new experience for Claver, a native of Valencia, Spain, but this hockey thing was an eye-opening ordeal.

“It’s different than what I assumed. It’s nice, it’s very active. … very tough,” Claver said. “It was good, a very good atmosphere. They played well. … I didn’t understand too much what was happening but it was fun.”

Blazers and their Sweet 16 teams

Just like you and me, the Blazers’ NCAA March Madness brackets have been ripped to shreds. Stotts had Wisconsin going to the Final Four (bad idea) while Will Barton, Eric Maynor and Meyers Leonard watched their former teams (Memphis, VCU and Illinois, respectively) bow out prematurely. However, three Blazers still have reason to cheer as their alma maters remain dancing.

Jared Jeffries’ Indiana protects its top seed, Nolan Smith’s Duke will fight on and Wesley Matthews just may lose his voice in cheering for his third-seeded Marquette this week.

“Because Indiana, they’re supposed to be there. Duke’s supposed to be there, so it’s obviously the person who’s not supposed to be there,” Smith said, labeling Matthews as the biggest trash talker of the three. “They’re the sleeper of the three, so Wes is very proud of that. They snuck past the first two, so he’s proud of that.”

“Not annoyingly proud but you (could) hear him in his room in Oklahoma out in the hallway. That’s how loud he was. He’s more outgoing.”

Spring Break Basketball

Speaking of loudmouth trash talkers … Smith got an earful after practice when he, along with Barton and Nicolas Batum, visited the Blazers’ 5th annual Spring Break Youth Hoops Camp held at the PCC Slyvania campus.

Smith took on all challengers in games of one-and-one, playfully schooling the kids who took part in the two-day, fundamental-heavy camp. After a while, the campers began rooting for the next one up by chanting: “Beat No-lan! Beat No-lan!” The one who came the closest to answering the call, a teenager named Noah who called himself the biggest Nolan Smith fan in the room.

When Noah met Nolan, he stooped low in a defensive stance and won the small battle of being one of few who didn’t let the NBA player drive around him. Smith made the first jumper but Noah got bragging rights when the second one missed the target.

“I knew I couldn’t block him, so my goal was to force a shot, hoping he missed,” the young man said. “But he doesn’t miss a lot.”

The post Blazer practice notes March 26 appeared first on Blazer Banter.

2012-2013 Trail Blazers, bench warts and all.

After the Trail Blazers’ 102-95 loss to Milwaukee last night, several story lines emerged.

Yes, the Blazers rallied once again, fighting, scratching and clawing like the plucky underdogs they are to pull within seven points late in the game in which they trailed by 27. Wesley Matthews played like his mama was watching – oh wait, she was – and led the Blazers with 28 points along with a season-high seven 3-pointers. Also, LaMarcus Aldridge continued his strong and steady Player of the Week status with a 21-point, 15-rebound night.

Still, I thought an interesting takeaway was  head coach Terry Stotts’ publicly admitting that he was “disappointed” in the play of his reserves.

Through the season, we’ve all heard Stotts defend his bench - sometimes sounding annoyed while doing so – but to single out six guys “who wouldn’t give up on the game,” then speak of his disappointment to the other four says a lot.

On a night when Stotts searched deep for some help – he played five guys off the bench and only sat center Jared Jeffries and point guard Nolan Smith - he could only get significant production from Luke Babbitt. And this is a player that fell out of the rotation and stopped getting consistent minutes back on Feb. 22.

Let’s face it: with only 15 games remaining, three more on this road trip, time is running out on the Blazers’ postseason chances – as well as the days in Portland for several of those bench guys.

There will be a big turnover this summer, because there is the potential for the Blazers to cut ties with seven current players. Six of those players are reserves, and while I suspect some will return, others will be seeking employment elsewhere.  Here are a few.

Luke Babbitt (4.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

Contract ends in 2012-2013.

• As previously mentioned, Babbitt fell out of favor as the designated reserve “stretch-four” player as rookie Victor Claver took those minutes. Babbitt’s only playing again because Claver is recovering from an ankle sprain. Still very one-dimensional and not nearly as accurate in his best skill (3-point shooting) as you’d think he would be, shooting  35 percent. Babbitt is not just the quietest in the Blazer locker room, he’s also one of the quietest players Stotts has ever been around, period. Once Claver returns, I believe his career in Portland will end true to his character, quietly.

Jared Jeffries (1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg)

Contract non-guaranteed for 2013-2014.

• The life of the party and helpful veteran who doubles as the resident EMT – the guy who pops up and helps carry off his hurt teammates to the locker room – will make $1.5 million for sitting on someone’s bench next season. I can’t imagine that bench belonging to the Blazers.

Sasha Pavlovic (2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg)

Contract non-guaranteed for 2013-2014

• I know what you’re asking right now: “Sasha Pavlovic still plays for the Blazers?!?” Believe it or not, it’s true. The small forward who you haven’t seen since Feb. 22  is still technically on the team. Those three minutes in Los Angeles against the Lakers just might be the last of Pavlovic as a Blazer. He has battled plantar fasciitis through the new year and currently sits out with a right thigh contusion. The last memory I have of Pavlovic, the Blazers were practicing and we media folks sat in the waiting room on the other side of the door. Pavlovic must have been standing close to the sideline, because through the walls we heard him shout in that very thick Yugoslavian accent of his: “WHAT THE (EXPLETIVE) IS GOING ON!” And really, who knows what  the fiddlesticks is going on? All I know is that was the same day it turns out that he sustained the thigh injury and essentially ended his short run with the Blazers.

Nolan Smith (2.8 ppg, 1.0 apg)

Contract ends in 2012-2013.

• Oh, how you’ll miss fun-loving and video-bombing Nolan Smith. That is all.

Elliot Williams

Contract ends in 2012-2013.

• Of all the players that I believe the Blazers will wave goodbye to, it’s quite telling that the one guy I think has a chance in returning is the one who hasn’t played a single minute this season. Last fall, a left Achilles tendon wiped out the encouraging news coming from Tualatin, Ore. When Aldridge gathered teammates for casual workouts at the practice facility last September, Williams was playing so well that the Blazers believed they had their back-up shooting guard. However, Williams’ season-ending injury has left him on the mend throughout his final contract year. But because every now and then Williams had shown flashes in between debilitating injuries, I think he’s still so much of a mystery that the Blazers just have to see what he can do when he’s fully healthy. 

The post Future of the bench appeared first on Blazer Banter.

It’s a big deal because Lillard isn’t just hot with the hoop heads anymore – he’s now selling really loud adidas clothing to a worldwide consumer base. But still, is he the best Blazer commercial actor of all time?

Granted, in this commercial the range is limited to looking into the camera and adjusting his jacket. But facial features have to take some acting skill. Just look at this Clyde Drexler commercial (made during his Houston days, mind you) and notice the brilliant looks of bewilderment throughout.

Neither Lillard nor Drexler had a speaking part. So, in this case, Bill Walton owns them. The voice inflexion, the knee-to-bench move, the toss of the oversized Reebok at the end and the sincere execution of the script that tries to convince us that if the pump existed in Walton’s days then his career would’ve continued  … wow, that’s a lot of acting going on right here.

Still, nothing compares to Brandon Roy’s Nike spot. What’s not to love? It’s simply done, believable and it casts him in the light as the boy-next-door who loves basketball so much he hoops in the snow. Unlike the Adicolor spot that oozes swagger and a “you-wish-you-were-me” air, and the Reebok Pump that employed a retired guy four years out of the game to sell a shoe, this ad does all the right things. There’s the close-up of a star on the rise (at that time) standing in front of a white background and he’s telling a personal story that any hoop head can relate to.  The “snowing like crazy” line delivered as he throws his head back = genius.

I didn’t grow up in the Pacific Northwest and I wasn’t a fan of Roy but I still remember this commercial. No wonder you all loved B-Roy so much.

The post The art of NBA commercial acting appeared first on Blazer Banter.

Funny how the NBA universe works out sometimes.

This week the slate of games features some tasty treats if you’re a jilted fan living in Denver, Orlando and Portland. In today’s Blazer section, I wrote about the return of Raymond Felton and the expected negative reaction he’ll receive this Thursday night. But Felton has company. He may not get it the worst, because this week Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony both return for the first time to the teams that they abandoned.

Howard will be wearing Laker purple when he returns to Orlando on Tuesday while Anthony and his new team, the New York Knicks, visit the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

It’s been a while and “The Decision” along with the subsequent “Dwightmare” caused us to forget the train wreck that was Anthony’s last season and a half in Denver. In 2010, Anthony did not handle his pending free agency well and allowed the “will he, won’t he” narrative to gain steam. Finally, the Nuggets made the bold move – and the right one – and shipped him east for half of New York. The Nuggets may not have that single super star, but they’ve got one of the best records in the Western Conference and will be a tough out come playoff time.

Then there’s Howard. How can we forget the vacillation in action? The Man of Steel with the backbone of puddy? The Pepsi swig heard ’round the world?*** Howard flirted with leaving, then said he wanted to stay, only to demand – through his endless bevy of “unnamed sources” – that he wanted to go to Brooklyn. It was all so tiresome for anyone who watched the indecision, but imagine what it must have been like for the Magic fans?

Felton came to Portland for only one lockout-shortened season and didn’t even play the full 66-game schedule. But the folks in Denver and Orlando have longer, stronger ties to their prodigal sons. Anthony and Howard were drafted by those teams, their games were nurtured and raised there to become All-Stars and Olympic champions. Then after spending years in those cities, they leave the small-town franchises for the two biggest markets in the NBA. And please don’t be naive enough to say: “well, they were traded, it wasn’t their fault.” They orchestrated their departures, one sloppy exit after the other.

So with three consecutive days of homecomings, here’s the question du jour: Who will be booed the worst this week?

A. Howard on Tuesday

B. Anthony on Wednesday

C. Felton on Thursday

***Okay, three quick things that make that press conference so brilliantly amazing.

1. It’s hilarious to me that the other rabble rouser, Carmelo Anthony, makes a cameo here when Stan Van Gundy pretends that defending ‘Melo worries him more than whether or not he’ll lose his job.

2. You can spot the moment when Van Gundy spots Howard walking towards him, it’s at the 2:42 mark. Just watch his eyes and notice the change in inflection with his voice – it’s the look and sound of a man plotting 10 different ways to escape.

3. When this happened last year, the Orlando Magic official team website uploaded the entire bizarre press conference… unedited! Much respect to that web master.

The post Homecoming Week appeared first on Blazer Banter.