Cal Conrad's Portland Blazers friend's fan blogs

Oh the Blazers.  Where and when do I begin?  I think we have to go back a few years to 2006, the year before Greg Oden was drafted.  Everyone in Portland was obsessed with their new star, Brandon Roy.  He had just broken out as a rookie and if you asked anyone from Portland about Brandon Roy it was all positive.  They even made shirts that imitated the Portland slogan “Rip City” that said “ Roy’s City”.  He couldn’t do wrong.  Local consensus seemed to be that Portland was “one piece away” from a championship dynasty.

Then on a different stage March Madness began.  People watched in awe as Greg Oden battled through the Tournament with a club on his good hand, stroking left handed free throws (sadly, this may have been a major contributing factor in Portland’s choice as it was very impressive yet relatively unimportant).  I’d be lying to say that I was not one of those who were very impressed.  I myself even began to wonder what would happen if this big guy was the missing piece of the puzzle.

Continue reading "Oh Portland. Where did it all go wrong?"

I'm not sure if the New York Knicks have all the pieces in place right now, but by adding Carmelo Anthony they are certainly one big step closer to being a NBA championship contender. Although considering the mismanagement over the last 10 years it's heard to believe they won't mess this up too.

Watch for the Knicks to make some strong stragetic moves during this off season to sure things up and make them a true Eastern conference powerhouse.

New York NY Direct TV can bring you all the Knicks action you want.

Continue reading "Are the New York Knicks real contenders with Carmelo Anthony on board?"

Two cities that produce NBA Eastern Conference contenders also have the two teams that are favored to win the Super Bowl as the NFL playoffs are set to begin this weekend.

NBA spread betting experts might recognize that Atlanta and Boston produce two East contenders and with the Falcons and Patriots, both cities have the Super Bowl XLV juggernauts as well.

Just as in the NBA’s East, Atlanta’s team is viewed with an eye of pessimism. The Falcons had a great regular season but don’t have a ton of playoff experience. They’re a young squad that is gaining it on the fly.

Meanwhile, Boston’s team - just like in the NBA – is experienced, savvy and has done it before. The Patriots are the odds-on favorites to do it all and considering they’ve won it three times this decade, why bet against them?

Continue reading "Patriots, Falcons Super Bowl Favorites"

Basketball betting is not quite as common as betting on some other sports, but if you do your research, take your time and keep accurate records, there’s no reason you can’t be as successful at betting on basketball as betting on anything else. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Top Basketball Betting Tip: NCAA vs. NBA

Of course you are welcome to bet both college and pro basketball (including the WNBA), like placing your bets in online video poker games, you need to be aware that each type of basketball may have very different factors in play. In college basketball, every game counts, whereas pro teams can afford to drop a few games here and there and still have a great shot at the championship. There may be a much larger disparity between two competing college teams. Know the league you’re betting.

Continue reading "Top Basketball Betting Tips"

I really like the direction this team is going but I'm not so sure they can really be a contender in the East this year.  The East has gotten a lot stronger over the last few years and while I think they can make the playoffs I don't really see any chance that they can really beat The Magic, the Heat, the Celtics, of the Bulls.  And I'm skeptical they can even beat teams like the 76ers or the Hawks.

What do you think? 

Continue reading "Can the Charlotte Bobcats be a contender in the East?"

The center position is one of the strongest spots on the Blazers roster.  And if you combine last seasons stats for Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden the numbers look pretty good. 13.4 pts, 15.7 rbs, 2.3 bks.  What team wouldn't be happy with that? 

Last season began with the Trailblazers annointing Greg as their starter at the 5 spot.  It was and up and down year for the youngster from Ohio State.  He started 39 games for Portland, had a career-high 24 points and 15 rebounds in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 19.  If he'd been able to average 36 minutes per game his PER would have been 14.8 pts, 11.6 rbs, and 1.9 bks.  The season also had its low points for Oden.  Not only did he have trouble staying in games due to foul trouble, ( his PER for fouls if he'd averaged 36 min was 6.5) he had physical problems as well and suffered an injury to his foot during his first game against the Lakers, and fractured his kneecap in February during a collision with Corey Magette and missed three weeks. 

Continue reading "Breaking down the Blazers....Part Five"

If you think about the power forward spot on the Blazers there is only one name that really comes to mind.  LaMarcus Aldridge.  LA.  L-Train.  After three seasons with Portland Aldridge has proven to be one of the best, if not the best young power forwards in the league.  And sometime within the next month or so he will likely be rewarded for his play with a near maximum contract.
 
The draft day move that brought the former Texas Longhorn to Portland has paid off.  LaMarcus has been a good fit here in not only on the floor, but in the locker room and in the community.  Touted by many as a future all-star, he has the starting 4 spot on the Portland roster locked up. 

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Depending on how you look at it there are as many questions about the three position on the Blazer roster as there are at any other position.  And that of course is one reason the Blazers made a run at signing Hedo Turkoglu. 

Coach McMillian said last season that a starter would not lose his spot in the starting lineup due to injury.  He said that after Martell broke his foot the first time.  By the end of the season he was saying that young Nic Batum would be the starter this year.  Then, as we all know as soon as they had the chance the team did everything it could to sign free agent small forward Hedu Turkoglu.



Heading into training camp I see no clear cut choice for a starter at small forward, despite what the coach may say.  The top two players at this postion will battle it out for the starting spot.

Continue reading "Breaking down the Blazers......Part Three"

Breaking down the Blazers by position....Part Two

Who is our point guard? And who do we want to be our point guard?  These are two questions that have often been asked about our Portland Trailblazers over the last couple of seasons.  We've had a number of players look to claim that spot over the years, Steve Blake, Sergio Rodriguez, Jerryd Bayless, Petteri Kopponen, to name a few.  And we had another hopeful in Summer League camp in Patty Mills until he went down with an unfortunate foot injury.

Our point guards going into the 2009-10 season.
Andre Miller, starter
Steve Blake, backup
Brandon Roy, may pick up a few minutes here and there at the point
Bayless, not likely to see much time at this position unless there is an injury to Blake or Miller.

Continue reading "Breaking down the Blazers.....Part Two"

Breaking down the Blazers by position....Part One

Its starting to look like the Blazers roster is shaping up nicely for next season and some team officials have indicated they think their won't be any more personel moves before the games begin. Originally, I thought I'd begin this series with the 1 position, but with todays big news about the Brandon Roy contract I found myself thinking about him.

Other than perhaps center, the 2 is the strongest position on the Blazers.
Brandon Roy, starter
Rudy Fernandez, backup
Bayless, & Blake may play limited minutes at this position

All star Brandon Roy, recently rewarded with a five year contract worth over eighty million dollars, is the unquestioned leader of our team. If you look back at the impact Brandon has had on the Blazers one might go so far as to say that the day he was drafted was the end of the Jailblazer era. On and off the court he has been a model of what ownership and fans alike want from a player.

Continue reading "Breaking down the Blazers...Part One"