In the past two seasons, however, they have managed to get back on track, recording a .500 record for the first time in four years, last season (a season which included a 13-game winning streak) and set to finish with an over .600 record this season.

Sure every franchise has their period of struggles and rebuilding, but this is usually due to young players still learning the tricks of the trade, NOT because of players who refused to manage their behaviors appropriately.

Qyntel Woods possessed more marijuana than actual basketball skill and know-ho.

Darius “I wish I was white” Miles was the pot that called the kettle (coach Maurice Cheeks) “nigger” (no wonder they wanted back their 10 million).

Portland Trail Blazers

…………….

———————————————————————————————

HISTORY OF THE PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the Memorial Coliseum, before moving to the Rose Garden Arena in 1995. Based in Portland throughout its existence, the franchise entered the league in 1970, and is the only major league franchise in Oregon. The franchise has also enjoyed a strong following; from 1977 through 1995, the team sold out 814 consecutive home games, the longest such streak in American professional sports.^[4]

The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA Championship once, in 1977. The other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992.^[5] The team has qualified for the playoffs in 25 seasons of their 36-season existence, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003.^[6] Four Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, and Drazen Petrovic),^[7]as well as one player (Scottie Pippen) who was recognized as one of the league’s 50 greatest but who is not yet eligible for the Hall. Bill Walton is the franchise’s most decorated player; he was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1977, and the regular season MVP the following year.^[5][8] Three Blazer rookies (Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, and Brandon Roy) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Two Hall of Fame coaches, Lenny Wilkens and Jack Ramsay, have patrolled the sidelines for the Blazers, and two others, Mike Schuler and Mike Dunleavy, have won the NBA Coach of the Year award with the team.^{[9][dead link]}

[edit] Name and branding

The team has been known as the “Trail Blazers” throughout its history. Two weeks after being awarded an expansion franchise in 1970, team management held a contest to select the team’s name. More than 10,000 entries were submitted. The most popular choice was “Pioneers,” but that name was excluded from consideration as it was already used by sports teams at Portland’s Lewis and Clark College. The name “Trail Blazers” received 172 entries, and was selected as the name.^[3]

The team’s colors are red, white, black, and silver, which was added in 2002.^[10] The team’s “pinwheel” logo, originally designed by the cousin of former Blazer executive Harry Glickman, is a graphic interpretation of two five-on-five basketball teams lined up against each other. One side of the pinwheel is rendered in red; the other side is rendered in a monochrome color (black, silver, or white). The logo has gone from a vertical alignment to a slanted one over time.^[3]

Portland’s home uniforms are white in color, with red, black, and silver accents; the primary road uniform is black, with red, white, and sliver accents. The alternate road uniform is red with white, silver, and black accents. From 1970 to the 1977–78 season, the team wore red road uniforms, switching to black in that year. The team again wore red during the 1984–85 season, switching back to black road jerseys after that. In 2002, the team reintroduced red jerseys.^[10]

The team’s mascot is Blaze the Trail Cat, a two-tone silver-colored mountain lion,^[11] which has been the team’s official mascot since 2002.^[12] Prior to Blaze’s debut, the Trail Blazers never had any official mascot. A popular unofficial mascot was the late Bill “The Beerman” Scott, a Seattle beer vendor/cheerleader who worked for numerous pro teams, including the Trail Blazers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Seattle Mariners. Scott worked for the Trail Blazers from 1981 through 1985.^[13]

[edit] History

The Trail Blazers entered the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team, playing in the Memorial Coliseum. The team was led in its early years by Geoff Petrie and Sidney Wicks, and failed to qualify for the NBA postseason in their first six years of existence. During that span, the team had three head coaches (including future hall-of-famer Lenny Wilkens); team executive Stu Inman also served as coach.^[14] The team won the first pick in the NBA Draft twice during that span. In 1972 the team drafted LaRue Martin with the number one pick, and in 1974 the team selected Bill Walton from UCLA.

[edit] Championship

In 1976, the ABA-NBA merger saw those two rival leagues join forces. Four ABA teams joined the NBA; the remaining teams were dissolved and their players distributed among the remaining NBA squads in a dispersal draft. The Trail Blazers selected Maurice Lucas in the dispersal draft.^[15] That summer they also hired Jack Ramsay as head coach. The two moves, coupled with the emergence of Walton as a premier NBA big man, led the team to its first winning record (49–33), its first playoff appearance, and its only NBA Championship in 1977.^[5] Starting on April 5 of that year, the team began a sellout streak of 814 straight games—the longest in sports history—which did not end until 1995, after the team moved into a larger facility.^[4]

The team started the next season with a 50–10 record, and many^[who?] predicted a dynasty in Portland, but it was not to be. Walton suffered a foot injury that ended his season and would plague his entire career, and the team struggled to a 58–24 record, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1978 conference semifinals.^[16] That summer, Bill Walton demanded to be traded to a team of his choice (Clippers, Knicks, Warriors, or 76ers) because he was unhappy with his medical treatment in Portland.^[17] Walton was never traded, and he held out the entire 1978–79 season and left the team as a free agent thereafter.^[18] Maurice Lucas left the team in 1980, and the Blazers “dynasty” was finished.

[edit] The 1980s

The Blazers selected Clyde Drexler with the 13th pick in the 1983 NBA Draft.

During the 1980s, the team was a consistent presence in the NBA post-season, failing to qualify for the playoffs only in 1982. However, they never advanced past the conference semifinals during the decade.^[19] The Pacific Division of the NBA was dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the decade, and only the Lakers and the Houston Rockets represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Key players for the Blazers during the early 1980s included Mychal Thompson, Fat Lever, Darnell Valentine, Wayne Cooper, T. R. Dunn, Jim Paxson, and Calvin Natt.

In 1983, the team selected University of Houston guard/forward Clyde Drexler with the 13th pick in the draft;^[20] “Clyde the Glide” would become the face of the franchise for over a decade, and the team’s second-most decorated player (after Walton).^[21] The following year, the Trail Blazers landed the #2 pick in the NBA Draft. After the Houston Rockets selected Drexler’s college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon, known at that time as Akeem Olajuwon, at #1, the Trail Blazers selected Kentucky center Sam Bowie. Drafting third, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan. Many sportswriters and analysts have criticized the selection of the injury-plagued Bowie over Jordan as the worst draft pick in the history of American professional sports.^[22][23] That summer, the Blazers also made a controversial trade, sending Lever, Cooper, and Natt to the Denver Nuggets for high-scoring forward Kiki Vandeweghe.^[24]. In the 1985 Draft, the Blazers selected point guard Terry Porter with the last pick of the first round. Porter would go on to become one of the top point guards in the league, and the Blazers’ all-time leader in assists.

However, the Blazers continued to struggle in the post-season, and in 1986, Ramsay was fired and replaced with Mike Schuler.^[14] That off-season, the team drafted two players from behind the Iron Curtain, Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović,^[20] and sent Thompson to the San Antonio Spurs for former Oregon State University star Steve Johnson. Johnson was a high-scoring forward-center who the team intended to pair with Bowie on the frontline. It was not to be, as Bowie broke his leg five games into the 1986–87 season, missing the next two and a half seasons.^[25][26] During Schuler’s brief tenure, the Blazers failed to advance out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.^[19]

[edit] Paul Allen buys the team

Trail Blazers logo from 1991 to 2002^[3]

In 1988, billionaire Paul Allen purchased the Blazers.^[27] His first season as owner was one marked by turmoil, as conflicts erupted over who should start at several positions. Both Vandeweghe and Johnson suffered injuries; they were replaced in the starting lineup by Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth. Several players, most notably Drexler, were accused of undermining Schuler.^[28] The team struggled to a losing record and appeared in danger of missing the playoffs. Schuler was fired and replaced on an interim basis with assistant coach Rick Adelman,^[29] and Vandeweghe was traded to the New York Knicks.^[30] Under Adelman, the team achieved a 39–43 record, and barely qualified for the playoffs. That offseason, the team traded Sam Bowie (who had returned to the team to end the season) to the New Jersey Nets for forward Buck Williams, and Adelman was given the coaching job on a non-interim basis.^[14]

The addition of Williams, and the replacement of the defensively-challenged Vandeweghe with the defensive-minded Kersey, turned the team from a poor defensive squad into a good one.^[31] Led by the charismatic Drexler, the team reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, losing to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively. Possibly inspired by the 1985 Chicago Bears’s The Super Bowl Shuffle, during the runnup to their 1990 Finals appearance, the Blazers recorded two songs: “Bust a Bucket” and “Rip City Rhapsody” (in reference to the city’s nickname). The year in between their two finals appearances, the team posted a league-best 63–19 record before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. However, the team failed to win an NBA title, and failed to advance past the first round in 1993 and 1994.^[19] Adelman was fired after the 1994 season,^[32] and replaced with P. J. Carlesimo, ^[33] which led to the resignation of executive vice-president Geoff Petrie, a close friend of Adelman’s.^[34]

[edit] The Whitsitt years

In July 1994, the Trail Blazers announced the hire of a new team president, former Seattle SuperSonics general manager Bob Whitsitt.^[4] Whitsitt immediately set about revamping the Blazers roster; this included dismantling the Drexler-led team that had twice been to the finals,^[35] but which was getting old. In 1993, Kevin Duckworth was traded to the Washington Bullets for forward Harvey Grant. Several key players were permitted to walk away in free agency, including Buck Williams (1996), Terry Porter (1996), and Cliff Robinson (1997),^[36] which left Jerome Kersey unprotected in the 1996 expansion draft.^[37] Drexler requested to be traded to a contender, and the Trail Blazers traded him to the Houston Rockets.^[35] In the fall of 1995, the team left the Memorial Coliseum for a new home, the 20,000-seat Rose Garden.^[14] The sellout streak ended in the new building.^[4]

In an effort to rebuild, the team acquired several players who were highly talented, but had reputations for off-court troubles. Isaiah Rider, who was traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves for just a draft pick and career backups due to his frequent arrests and lack of punctuality,^[38] was arrested for marijuana possession two days before his debut with the Blazers.^[39] Rasheed Wallace, who was acknowledged as a hot-tempered player since college,^[40] was also acquired in a trade with the Washington Bullets. Point guard Kenny Anderson was signed as a free agent,^[41] and subsequently traded for Damon Stoudamire.^[42] Initially, this approach worked, as the team returned to the Western Conference finals in 1999 under head coach Mike Dunleavy.^[14] After being swept by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs, Whitsitt sent Rider and guard Jim Jackson to the Atlanta Hawks for guard Steve Smith and acquired former All-Star forward Scottie Pippen from the Houston Rockets. This team again advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they faced a Los Angeles Lakers team led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. In that series, the Trail Blazers dropped three out of the first four games before winning the next two, forcing a pivotal Game 7. The Blazers had a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, but lost the game and the series to the Lakers, who went on to win the first of three consecutive titles.^[43]

[edit] The “Jail Blazers” era

Trail Blazers logo for 2002–03 season^[3]

The Portland Trail Blazers made a series of personnel moves in the 2000 and 2001 off-seasons that failed to produce the desired results, and continued to alienate the community. Up-and-coming forward Jermaine O’Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Dale Davis. Brian Grant signed with the Miami Heat, and he was replaced with troubled ex-Seattle forward Shawn Kemp.^[44] The team started off well, posting the Western Conference’s best record through March 2001, but then signed guard Rod Strickland to augment their point guard corps.^[45] The move backfired, and the team lost 17 of its remaining 25 games, and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.^[46] Many in the media began to criticize the team,^[47] and Whitsitt, previously proclaimed a genius for his work in both Seattle and Portland, started coming under criticism.^[46] A particular criticism was that Whitsitt was attempting to win a title by assembling a roster of superstars, without paying attention to team chemistry.^[46] Longtime NBA coach and analyst Doug Collins referred to Whitsitt as a “rotisserie-league manager.”^[45] A fan was ejected from the Rose Garden for holding up a banner that said “Trade Whitsitt”,^[48] and many in the national media started referring to the team as the “Portland Jail Blazers”.^[49]

That offseason, the churning continued. Dunleavy was fired,^[50] and replaced with Maurice Cheeks, a “players coach” who some thought would relate better to the players than Dunleavy did.^[51] More transactions followed as the Blazers traded Steve Smith to the Spurs for Derek Anderson.^[44] In one of his most controversial moves to that time, Whitsitt signed free agent Ruben Patterson, who had previously plead no contest to a felony sexual assault charge, and was required to register as a sex offender.^[52] Popular center Arvydas Sabonis, who during the playoffs had a towel flung in his face by Wallace,^[53] decided to leave the team.^[54]

The next two seasons were just as disastrous for the team’s reputation. Numerous players, including Wallace, Stoudamire, and Qyntel Woods, were arrested for marijuana possession.^[55] Woods pled guilty to first-degree animal abuse for staging dog fights in his house, some involving his pit bull named Hollywood. Both Hollywood and Woods’ other pit bull, Sugar, were confiscated, and Woods was given eighty hours of community service. He also agreed to donate $10,000 to the Oregon Humane Society.^[56] Wallace was suspended for seven games for threatening a referee.^[57] Zach Randolph and Patterson got in a fight during practice, with Randolph sucker punching his teammate in the jaw.^[58] Police answering a burglar alarm at Stoudamire’s house noticed a marijuana smell, searched the premises, and found a pound of cannabis located in a crawlspace;^[59] the search was later declared illegal and charges in the matter were dropped.^[60] Guard Bonzi Wells famously told Sports Illustrated in a 2002 interview:^[61]

they [fans] really don’t matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they’re still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street.

Fan discontent soared; despite the team continuing to post a winning record, attendance at the Rose Garden started to decline.^[48] In the summer of 2003, with attendance declining, the team going nowhere on the court, and an exorbitant payroll, Whitsitt announced that he would leave the team to focus on Paul Allen’s other franchise, the Seattle Seahawks.^[62]

[edit] Downfall; Rose Garden bankruptcy

To replace Whitsitt, the team hired two men at new positions. John Nash, a veteran NBA executive, was hired as general manager,^[63] and Steve Patterson as team president.^[64] The new management promised a focus on character while remaining playoff contenders; the team soon published a “Twenty-Five Point Pledge” to fans.^[65] Troublesome players including Wells, Wallace, and Jeff McInnis were traded away.^[14] However, the team failed to qualify for the 2004 NBA Playoffs, ending a streak of 21 straight appearances.^[6]

The following year was marked by more trouble as the team plummeted to a 27–55 record. The bankruptcy of the Oregon Arena corporation, which resulted in the Rose Garden being owned by a consortium of investment firms, further alienated the fanbase, as did an incident in which forward Darius Miles (himself African-American) called coach Maurice Cheeks a “nigger.”^[66] The latter incident was compounded by what many viewed as inadequate discipline for Miles, followed by a secret agreement between the team and Miles to refund the amount of his fine.^[66] Cheeks was fired that season and replaced on an interim basis by director of player-personnel Kevin Pritchard.^[67] That summer the team hired Nate McMillan, who had coached the Sonics the prior season,^[68] and Pritchard returned to the front office.

The following 2005–06 season was not better, as the Blazers posted a league-worst 21–61 record.^[69] Attendance was low, and the year was not free of player incidents. Players such as Miles, Patterson, Randolph, and Sebastian Telfair were involved in either on-court bickering or off-court legal incidents.^[69] Nash was fired at the end of the season, with Steve Patterson assuming the general manager role in addition to his duties as president.^[70] In addition, the team had a poor relationship with the management of the Rose Garden, frequently complaining of a “broken economic model”.^[71] It was widely speculated by the end of the year that Paul Allen would sell the team; and the team was offered for sale that summer, with several groups expressing interest.^[72] However, Allen was willing to spend money and urged Pritchard to make draft-day trades. He subsequently took the team off the market.^[73]

[edit] Rebirth in 2007

In the spring of 2007, Steve Patterson resigned as team president,^[74] and Paul Allen entered into an agreement to re-purchase the Rose Garden.^[75] On the court, the team finished with a 32–50 record, an 11-game improvement, and rookie Brandon Roy was named the 2006–07 Rookie of the Year.^[76] That summer Pritchard was promoted to general manager,^[77] and former Nike Inc. executive Larry Miller was hired as team president. The Blazers won the 2007 NBA Draft Lottery and selected Ohio State center Greg Oden with the #1 pick in the draft. Many had speculated that they might choose Kevin Durant instead^[78]; Durant was picked at #2 by local rivals the Seattle SuperSonics. Oden suffered a pre-season knee injury requiring microfracture surgery, and missed the entire 2007–08 season.^[79]

Despite this, the Trail Blazers had a 13-game winning streak that began in early December, resulting in a 13–2 record, an NBA best for the month of December. McMillan won NBA Coach of the Month honors, and Roy garnered NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks (the first Trail Blazer to accomplish the feat since Clyde Drexler in the 1990–91 season). Roy was also named as a reserve for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, the first All-Star for the Blazers since Rasheed Wallace in 2001.^[80] The Blazers finished the season 41–41, their best record since the 2003–04 season.

[edit] Season-by-season results

This is a list of seasons completed by the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. In the team’s 38 years of existence (through summer 2008), the Blazers have qualified for the NBA playoffs 25 times. This includes a streak of 21 straight playoff appearances from 1983 through 2003. The team has one NBA title, in 1977, and appeared in the NBA Finals two other times, in 1990 and 1992. The best record posted by the team was 63-19, in 1991; the worst record was 18-64, in the team’s second season.

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win–Loss %

Season	W	L	%	Playoffs	Results
Portland Trail Blazers
1970-71	29	53	.354	Did not make the playoffs
1971-72	18	64	.220	Did not make the playoffs
1972-73	21	61	.256	Did not make the playoffs
1973-74	27	55	.329	Did not make the playoffs
1974-75	38	44	.463	Did not make the playoffs
1975-76	37	45	.451	Did not make the playoffs
1976-77	49	33	.598	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Won NBA Finals	Portland 2, Chicago 1 Portland 4, Denver 2 Portland 4, Los Angeles 0 Portland 4, Philadelphia 2
1977-78	58	24	.707	First round bye (1st seed) Lost Conference Semifinals	Seattle 4, Portland 2
1978-79	45	37	.549	Lost First Round	Phoenix 2, Portland 1
1979-80	38	44	.463	Lost First Round	Seattle 2, Portland 1
1980-81	45	37	.549	Lost First Round	Kansas City 2, Portland 1
1981-82	42	40	.512	Did not make the playoffs
1982-83	46	36	.561	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	Portland 2, Seattle 0 Los Angeles 4, Portland 1
1983-84	48	34	.585	Lost First Round	Phoenix 3, Portland 2
1984-85	42	40	.512	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	Portland 3, Dallas 1 Los Angeles 4, Portland 1
1985-86	40	42	.489	Lost First Round	Denver 3, Portland 1
1986-87	49	33	.598	Lost First Round	Houston 3, Portland 1
1987-88	53	29	.646	Lost First Round	Utah 3, Portland 1
1988-89	39	43	.476	Lost First Round	Los Angeles 3, Portland 0
1989-90	59	23	.720	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals	Portland 3, Dallas 0 Portland 4, San Antonio 3 Portland 4, Phoenix 2 Detroit 4, Portland 1
1990-91	63	19	.768	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals	Portland 3, Seattle 2 Portland 4, Utah 1 Los Angeles 4, Portland 2
1991-92	57	25	.695	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals	Portland 3, Los Angeles 1 Portland 4, Phoenix 1 Portland 4, Utah 2 Chicago 4, Portland 2
1992-93	51	31	.622	Lost First Round	San Antonio 3, Portland 1
1993-94	47	35	.573	Lost First Round	Houston 3, Portland 1
1994-95	44	38	.537	Lost First Round	Phoenix 3, Portland 0
1995-96	44	38	.537	Lost First Round	Utah 3, Portland 2
1996-97	49	33	.598	Lost First Round	Los Angeles 3, Portland 1
1997-98	46	36	.561	Lost First Round	Los Angeles 3, Portland 1
1998-99†	35	15	.700	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals	Portland 3, Phoenix 0 Portland 4, Utah 2 San Antonio 4, Portland 0
1999-2000	59	23	.720	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals	Portland 3, Minnesota 1 Portland 4, Utah 1 Los Angeles 4, Portland 3
2000-01	50	32	.610	Lost First Round	Los Angeles 3, Portland 0
2001-02	49	33	.598	Lost First Round	Los Angeles 3, Portland 0
2002-03	50	32	.610	Lost First Round	Dallas 4, Portland 3
2003-04	41	41	.500	Did not make the playoffs
2004-05	27	55	.329	Did not make the playoffs
2005-06	21	61	.256	Did not make the playoffs
2006-07	32	50	.390	Did not make the playoffs
2007-08	41	41	.500	Did not make the playoffs
2008-09	46	27	.630
Totals	1683	1489	.531
Playoffs	91	103	.469

 

Players

See also: Category:Portland Trail Blazers players

[edit] Current roster

The current roster for the Trail Blazers is as follows:^[81]

 

Portland Trail Blazers roster v • d • e
Players	Coaches
Pos.   #   Nat.   Name   Ht.   Wt.   From   4.5 F/C 12 USA Aldridge, LaMarcus (C) 83 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Texas 3.0 SF 88 FRA Batum, Nicolas 80 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) France 1.5 G 4 USA Bayless, Jerryd 75 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Arizona 1.0 PG 2 USA Blake, Steve 75 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 172 lb (78 kg) Maryland 2.0 SG 5 ESP Fernández, Rudy 78 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Spain 4.5 F/C 44 USA Frye, Channing 83 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 248 lb (112 kg) Arizona 5.0 C 9 USA LaFrentz, Raef  83 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Kansas 5.0 C 52 USA Oden, Greg 84 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 285 lb (129 kg) Ohio State 3.5 F 25 USA Outlaw, Travis 81 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Starkville HS (MS)* 5.0 C 10 USA Przybilla, Joel 85 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Minnesota 4.0 PF 42 USA Randolph, Shavlik 82 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Duke 1.0 PG 11 ESP Rodríguez, Sergio 75 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 176 lb (80 kg) Spain 1.5 G 7 USA Roy, Brandon (C) 78 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 211 lb (96 kg) Washington 4.5 F/C 51 USA Ruffin, Michael 80 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 248 lb (112 kg) Tulsa 2.5 G/F 8 USA Webster, Martell  79 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Seattle Prep (WA)*	Head coach Nate McMillan (North Carolina State) Assistant coach(es) Dean Demopoulos (West Chester (PA)*) Maurice Lucas (Marquette) Monty Williams (Notre Dame) Joe Prunty (Cal Poly) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent Injured Roster • Transactions Last transaction: 2009-02-18

[edit] Current depth chart

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Reserve	Inactive
C	Joel Przybilla	Greg Oden		Raef LaFrentz
PF	LaMarcus Aldridge	Channing Frye	Michael Ruffin	Shavlik Randolph
SF	Nicolas Batum	Travis Outlaw		Martell Webster
SG	Brandon Roy	Rudy Fernández
PG	Steve Blake	Sergio Rodríguez	Jerryd Bayless

 

[edit] Retired numbers

•  1 – Larry Weinberg, Owner, 1970–88
• 13 – Dave Twardzik, G, 1976–80
• 14 – Lionel Hollins, G, 1975–80
• 15 – Larry Steele, G, 1971–80
• 20 – Maurice Lucas, F, 1976–80, 1987–88
• 22 – Clyde Drexler, G, 1983–95
• 30 – Bob Gross, F, 1975–82
• 30 – Terry Porter, G, 1985–95
• 32 – Bill Walton, C, 1974–79
• 36 – Lloyd Neal, F/C, 1972–79
• 45 – Geoff Petrie, G/F, 1970–76
• 77 – Jack Ramsay, Head Coach, 1976–86

[edit] Hall of Famers

• Players:
• Lenny Wilkens: 1974-1975
• Bill Walton: 1974-1978
• Clyde Drexler: 1983-1995
• Drazen Petrovic: 1989-1990

• Coaches
• Lenny Wilkens: 1974-1976
• Jack Ramsay: 1976-1986

[edit] NBA Draft

Main article: List of transactions involving the Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers have had the #1 pick in the NBA Draft four times in their history; each time selecting a center. In 1972 the choice was LaRue Martin, Bill Walton was picked in 1974, Mychal Thompson in 1978, and Greg Oden was taken in 2007. Several Blazer picks have been criticized by NBA commentators as particularly unwise:^[22]

• The selection of Martin over Bob McAdoo.
• The selection of Thompson over Larry Bird (drafted #6 by the Boston Celtics) in 1978.
• The selection of center Sam Bowie with the #2 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft over Michael Jordan (who was then drafted by the Chicago Bulls); other notable players taken later in that draft include future Hall-of-Famers Charles Barkley and John Stockton.

Other notable draft picks include player-coach Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, Larry Steele, Lionel Hollins and Jim Paxson in the 1970s and Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter and Arvydas Sabonis in the 1980s. In the 1990s the Blazers selected Jermaine O’Neal and in the modern millennium drafted Zach Randolph and, in 2006, acquired Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge in a blockbuster draft day that included six trades involving the Trail Blazers.

[edit] Franchise and NBA records

Further information: Portland Trail Blazers accomplishments and records

Portland Trail Blazers accomplishments and records

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The Portland Trail Blazers are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise entered the NBA in 1970, and is the only major league franchise in Oregon. The Trail Blazers sold out 814 consecutive home games from 1977 through 1995, the longest such streak for American professional sports teams.^[1] The team has played their home games at the Rose Garden Arena since the 1995–96 NBA season. The Trail Blazers are owned by Paul Allen, and Kevin Pritchard, a former Trail Blazers head coach, is their general manager.^[2][3] Since the team joined the NBA in 1970, it has won one NBA championship, three conference championships, four division championships, and has appeared in the NBA playoffs twenty-six times.^[4]

The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA Championship once, in 1977. The other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992.^[5] The team has qualified for the playoffs in 25 of their 36 seasons, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 to 2003.^[6] Four Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, and Drazen Petrovic),^[7] as well as one player (Scottie Pippen) who was recognized as one of the league’s 50 greatest but is not yet eligible for the Hall. Bill Walton is the franchise’s most decorated player; he was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1977, and the regular season MVP the following year.^[5][8] Three Blazer rookies (Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, and Brandon Roy) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Two Hall of Fame coaches, Lenny Wilkens and Jack Ramsay, have coached the Blazers, and two others, Mike Schuler and Mike Dunleavy, have won the NBA Coach of the Year award with the team.^[7]

The Blazers have set several team and individual league records. They are the only team to have held a team scoreless during overtime on two separate occasions. In a game that went to four overtime periods, the Blazers and the Chicago Bulls combined to commit 87 personal fouls. In another four-overtime game, the Blazers and the Utah Jazz collected a combined 106 defensive rebounds. The Blazers set two records against the Golden State Warriors: the record for combined three-point field-goal attempts by both teams and the record for the most three-point field-goal attempts by one player. This page details the all-time statistics, records, and other achievements pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Contents [hide] 1 Individual accomplishments 1.1 All-Stars and All-Star Weekend participants 1.2 NBA awards and honors 1.3 European awards and honors 1.4 Hall of Fame and Top 50 players 1.5 Retired numbers 1.6 Oregon Sports Hall of Fame 2 NBA records 3 References

[edit] Individual accomplishments

[edit] All-Stars and All-Star Weekend participants

The NBA All-Star Game is played between the Eastern Conference All-Star Team and the Western Conference All-Star Team; the teams’ starters are chosen through fan voting, and the teams’ reserves are chosen by NBA teams’ coaches.^[9]

All-Star Game selection

• Clyde Drexler, ten selections total, eight as a Trail Blazer (1986, 1988–1994).^[10]
• Sidney Wicks, four selections total, all as a Trail Blazer (1972–1975).^[11]
• Maurice Lucas, four selections total, three as a Trail Blazer (1977–1979).^[12]
• Rasheed Wallace, four selections total, two as a Trail Blazer (2000–2001)^[13]
• Kevin Duckworth, two selections, both as a Blazer (1989, 1991)^[14]
• Jim Paxson, two selections, both as a Blazer (1983–1984)^[15]
• Geoff Petrie, two selections, both as a Blazer (1971, 1974)^[16]
• Terry Porter, two selections, both as a Blazer (1991, 1993)^[17]
• Bill Walton, two selections, both as a Blazer (1977–1978)^[18]
• Lionel Hollins, one selection as a Blazer (1978)^[19]
• Cliff Robinson, one selection as a Blazer (1994)^[20]
• Kermit Washington, one selection as a Blazer (1980)^[21]
• Brandon Roy, two selections as a Blazer (2008, 2009)^[22][23]

All-Star Weekend participants

• Rookie Challenge
  • LaMarcus Aldridge, 2007–08^[24]
  • Brandon Roy, 2006–07^[25] and 2007–08^[24]
  • Arvydas Sabonis, 1995–96^[26]
  • Alvin Williams, 1997–98^[26]
• Slam Dunk Contest
  • Clyde Drexler
  • Jerome Kersey participated in four Slam Dunk Contests, finishing at second in 1987.
• Three-point Shootout
  • Clyde Drexler
  • Terry Porter
  • Cliff Robinson
  • Kiki Vandeweghe appeared in the 1987 Three-Point Shootout.

[edit] NBA awards and honors

The NBA presents several annual awards to recognize its teams, players and coaches for their accomplishments. In addition, three honorary teams (All-NBA, All-Rookie, All-Defensive) are formed by voting to honor the best players, best rookies and best defenders respectively.

Most Valuable Player^[8]

• Bill Walton, 1977–78

Finals Most Valuable Player^[27]

• Bill Walton, 1976–77

Rookie of the Year^[28]

• Geoff Petrie, 1970–71 (shared with Dave Cowens)
• Sidney Wicks, 1971–72
• Brandon Roy, 2006–07

Most Improved Player^[29]

• Kevin Duckworth, 1987–88
• Zach Randolph, 2003–04

Sixth Man of the Year^[30]

• Cliff Robinson, 1992–93

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award^[31]

• Terry Porter, 1992–93
• Chris Dudley, 1995–96
• Brian Grant, 1998–99

Coach of the Year^[32]

• Mike Schuler, 1986–87
• Mike Dunleavy, 1998–99

First Team, All-NBA^[33]

• Bill Walton, 1977–78,
• Clyde Drexler, 1991–92

Second Team, All-NBA^[33]

• Bill Walton, 1976–77
• Maurice Lucas, 1977–78
• Clyde Drexler, 1987–88, 1990–91

Third Team, All-NBA^[33]

• Clyde Drexler, 1989–90

First Team, All-Defensive^[34]

• Bill Walton, 1976–77, 1977–78
• Maurice Lucas, 1977–78
• Lionel Hollins, 1977–78
• Buck Williams, 1989–90, 1990–91

Second Team, All-Defensive^[34]

• Maurice Lucas, 1978–79,
• Bobby Gross, 1977–78
• Kermit Washington, 1979–80, 1980–81
• Buck Williams, 1991–92
• Scottie Pippen, 1999–2000
• Theo Ratliff, 2003–04

All-Rookie First Team^[35]

• Sidney Wicks, 1971–72
• Lloyd Neal, 1972–73
• Lionel Hollins, 1975–76
• Mychal Thompson, 1978–79
• Ron Brewer, 1978–79
• Calvin Natt, 1979–80
• Kelvin Ransey, 1980–81
• Sam Bowie, 1984–85
• Arvydas Sabonis, 1995–96
• LaMarcus Aldridge, 2006–07
• Brandon Roy, 2006–07

[edit] European awards and honors

European players in the NBA are currently eligible for three prestigious continent-wide awards for their performances with their club and national teams:

• Mr. Europa, awarded since 1976 by the Italian weekly magazine Superbasket
• Euroscar Award, awarded since 1979 by the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport
• FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award, awarded since 2005 by FIBA Europe and based on voting by fans and a continent-wide panel of basketball experts, journalists, and coaches

Two Blazers players have won at least one of these awards while in Portland.

• Dražen Petrović won the Euroscar in 1989, a year that he started with Real Madrid and finished with the Blazers. Before coming to Portland, he swept the Euroscar and Mr. Europa in 1986, and after being traded to the New Jersey Nets, he won the Euroscar again in 1992 and won both awards posthumously in 1993.
• Arvydas Sabonis, like Petrović before him, won the Euroscar in the year he arrived from Real Madrid, 1995. Sabonis swept Mr. Europa and the Euroscar in 1997, and won the Euroscar again in 1999. During his previous career in the former Soviet Union, Sabonis won the Euroscar in 1984 and 1988, and both awards in 1985.

[edit] Hall of Fame and Top 50 players

Clyde Drexler

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches, referees, and other major contributors to the game. In 1996, the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (also referred to as the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA’s Top 50) were chosen by a panel of media, former players and coaches, current and former general managers and team executives. Five Trail Blazers players have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame,^[7] and the team had four players selected to be in the NBA’s Top 50 Players list.^[36]

• Clyde Drexler. Hall of Fame, Top 50.
• Drazen Petrovic. Hall of Fame.
• Bill Walton. Hall of Fame, Top 50.
• Lenny Wilkens. Hall of Fame (as both player and coach—one of only three individuals so honored), Top 50. Spent two years as head coach of the Blazers in the 1970s, including one year as player-coach. Also named one of the Top 10 coaches—the only person to make both lists.^[37]
• Scottie Pippen. Top 50. Not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, but considered a likely candidate,^[38] though some consider him unworthy.^[39]
• Coach Dr. Jack Ramsay — Hall of Fame, coached the team to their only NBA title in 1977.

Center Arvydas Sabonis is also considered a likely Hall candidate, chiefly for his international career.^[39]

[edit] Retired numbers

Several players (and others) have had their numbers retired by the team. These are:^[7]

• 13 Dave Twardzik, G, 1976–80
• 14 Lionel Hollins G, 1975–80 (number retired April 18, 2007)
• 15 Larry Steele, G, 1971–80
• 20 Maurice Lucas, F, 1976–80 and 1987–88 (number retired November 4, 1988)
• 22 Clyde Drexler, G, 1983–95
• 30 Terry Porter, G, 1985–95 (number retired December 16, 2008)
• 32 Bill Walton, C, 1974–78
• 36 Lloyd Neal, C, 1972–79
• 45 Geoff Petrie, G, 1970–76

Two non-players also have honorary jerseys hanging in the rafters:

• 1 Larry Weinberg, Team founder-owner, 1970–88. Jersey is honorary, as #1 is still used by team players.
• 77 Dr. Jack Ramsay, Head Coach, 1976–86. Number selected in honor of 1976–77 season.

[edit] Oregon Sports Hall of Fame

Drexler, Lucas, Petrie, Twardzik, and Walton are members of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, which honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. Also inducted into the Hall are the 1976–77 team, and the following Trail Blazers’ players:^[40]

• Danny Ainge (#9, G, 1990–92, also Oregon native)
• Steve Johnson (#33, C, 1986–89, from Oregon State)
• Steve Jones (#23, G, 1975–76, from Portland and the University of Oregon)
• Jim Paxson (#4, G, 1980–87)

[edit] NBA records

Several league record performances have been recorded by members of the Trail Blazers or the team as a whole; or against the Trail Blazers by an opponent. A partial list is as follows:

Most blocks in a game/half

Elmore Smith recorded 17 blocks against the Trail Blazers, October 28, 1973. That game, he set the record for the most blocks in a half (11); the latter record has been tied twice since.^[41]

Fewest points (combined) in the first half of a game

The Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets combined for 55 points in the first half of a game on November 28, 2004 (Portland led 30–25).^[42]

Largest margin of victory in overtime

The Blazers outscored the Houston Rockets 17–0 during the first (and only) overtime period on January 22, 1983.^[42]

Most games holding an opponent scoreless in overtime

In eight games, a team has been held scoreless in an overtime period; the Trail Blazers are the only NBA team to have held a team scoreless in overtime on two separate occasions, against the Rockets and the Indiana Pacers.^[42]

Most three-point field goals, half

The Trail Blazers made 12 three-point field goals against the New Orleans Hornets on January 14, 2005, and allowed the same amount against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 5, 2001. In the latter game, Tim Thomas hit eight 3-pointers in a half, also an NBA record.^[43]

Most three-point attempts, game (combined)

The Blazers and the Golden State Warriors combined for 69 three-point field goal attempts on April 15, 2005. In that game, Damon Stoudamire of the Blazers attempted 21 three-point shots, also a record.^[43]

Fewest blocks (combined), game

On November 22, 1973 (against Seattle) and on November 25, 1979 (against Phoenix), the Blazers and their opponents combined for zero blocks, a record that has been matched eight other times.^[41]

Most combined personal fouls, game (since the 1954–55 season)

The Blazers and the Chicago Bulls combined for 87 personal fouls in a game that went to four overtime periods on March 16, 1984.^[44]

Fewest combined personal fouls, game

The Blazers and the Phoenix Suns committed a combined 21 personal fouls on December 1, 2001.^[44]

Fewest turnovers, game

The Blazers committed three turnovers against the Suns on February 22, 1991.^[45]

Most combined defensive rebounds, game

Portland and the Utah Jazz combined for 106 defensive rebounds in a game that went to four overtime periods on October 18, 1974.^[46]

 

[edit] Front office

Team headquarters in Tualatin

Main article: List of Portland Trail Blazers executives

The team is ultimately owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen; ownership of the Trail Blazers is via a series of holding companies which Allen owns. Vulcan Inc. is a private corporation which has Allen as chairman and sole shareholder. A subsidiary of Vulcan, Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (VSE), manages Allen’s sports-related properties, including the Trail Blazers, the Seattle Seahawks NFL team, the Seattle Sounders MLS team, and the Rose Garden. The president of VSE is Tod Leiweke, who also briefly served as the president of the Trail Blazers.^[74]

The Trail Blazers as a corporate entity are owned by VSE. Allen serves as the team’s chairman, and his longtime associate Bert Kolde is vice-chairman. The current president of the Trail Blazers is Larry Miller. The post of chief operating officer is currently vacant; the most recent COO of the team was Mike Golub, who resigned in July 2008 to take a more enhanced role with VSE.^[82][83]. The team’s general manager is Kevin Pritchard.^[84] Before Allen purchased the team in 1988, the Trail Blazers were owned by a group of investors headed by Larry Weinberg.

[edit] Venue

Main article: Rose Garden (arena)

The Rose Garden, the current home of the Blazers.

The Trail Blazers play their home games in the Rose Garden, a multipurpose arena which is located in Portland’s Rose Quarter, northeast of downtown. The Rose Garden, which opened in 1995, can seat a total of 19,980 spectators for basketball games; capacity increases to 20,580 with standing room.^[85] Like the Trail Blazers, the Rose Garden is owned by Paul Allen through subsidiary Vulcan Sports and Entertainment,^[86] and the arena is managed by Global Spectrum.^[87] During a two-year period between 2005 and 2007, the arena was owned by a consortium of creditors who financed its construction after the Oregon Arena Corporation, a now-defunct holding company owned by Allen, filed for bankruptcy in 2004.^[88]

Prior to 1995, the Trail Blazers home venue was the Memorial Coliseum, which today stands adjacent to the Rose Garden. This facility, built in 1960, can seat 12,888 spectators for basketball.^[85]

[edit] In-game entertainment

The team has a cheerleading/dance squad known as the BlazerDancers. Consisting of 16 members, the all-female BlazerDancers perform dance routines at home games, charity events, and promotional events. The 2008-2009 team held auditions in late July 2008. Seven new dancers, as well as nine returning dancers make up the new team.^[89] A junior dance team composed of 8–11 year old girls also performs at selected home games,^[90] as does a hip-hop dance troupe.^[91] Other regular in-game entertainment acts include a co-educational acrobatic stunt team which performs technically-difficult cheers,^[92] a break dancing squad,^[93] and a pair of percussion acts.^[94][95]

[edit] Fan support and “Blazermania”

The relationship between the team and its fans, commonly known as “Blazermania”, has been well-chronicled. The Trail Blazers have long been one of the NBA’s top draws, with the exception of two periods in the team’s history. The team drew poorly during its first four seasons of existence, failing to average more than 10,000 spectators per game. Attendance increased in 1974, when the team drafted Bill Walton.^[96]

The phenomenon known as Blazermania started during the 1976–77 season, when the team would post its first winning record, make its first playoff appearance—and capture its only NBA title, defeating the heavily-favored Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals; the team has been wildly popular in Portland since that time.^[18][97] That season, the team started their famous sellout streak which would continue until the team moved into the Rose Garden in 1995.^[4] The team continued to average over 19,000 spectators per game until the 2003–04 season, when attendance declined after the team continued to suffer image problems due to the “Jail Blazer” reputation it had gained, and was no longer competitive on the court.^[48] After drafting eventual Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy in 2006, attendance climbed a bit in the 2006–07 season, and continued to rebound in the 2007–08 season. By the 2008-2009 season, the team frequently sold out games.

[edit] Media

[edit] Television and radio broadcast

Like all NBA franchises, games of the Trail Blazers are routinely broadcast via television and radio. The team was one of the first in the NBA to produce its own television broadcasts.^[98] The team’s television production facility is known as Post-Up Productions. Television broadcasts of Blazer games, when not carried on a national network, are broadcast either on Comcast SportsNet Northwest or the Blazers Television Network, a network of four over-the-air television stations located in Oregon.^[99] The flagship station of the Blazers Television Network is KGW-TV in Portland.^[99]

For the 2007–08 season, all but six regular-season games were carried on one these networks; the other six were broadcast nationally on TNT or ESPN. Thirty-four games were produced and broadcast in high-definition television.^[99] The Trail Blazers television play-by-play announcer and analyst are Mike Barrett and Mike Rice, respectively. The sideline reporter during the broadcasts is Rebecca Haarlow. The team was also known for its long association with Steve “Snapper” Jones, who played for the team prior to his career as a television analyst; Jones departed the franchise in 2005.^[100]

All Trail Blazer games are broadcast over the radio, with broadcasting carried on the Trail Blazers radio network, which consists of 25 stations located in the Pacific Northwest. The flagship station of the Blazers’ radio network is KXTG (95.5 The Game), the FM sports radio station in Portland. The radio broadcasting team consists of play-by-play announcer Brian Wheeler, analyst Antonio Harvey, and studio host Jay Allen.^[99][101] All games are preceded by a pre-game analysis show, Blazers Courtside, and followed by a post-game show known as The 5th Quarter.^[99] Tony Luftman serves as studio host and former Trail Blazers’ player Michael Holton as studio analyst. The original radio announcer for the team was Bill Schonely, who served as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer from 1970 until his retirement in 1998, and who remains with the team in a community ambassador role.^[102]

Trail Blazers broadcasts have been criticized on several fronts. The broadcast personalities, all of whom are Trail Blazers employees, have been criticized in the media for being “homers“; further it has been alleged that the 2005 departure of Steve Jones was due in part to team displeasure with Jones’ sometimes frank analysis of the team’s on-court performance and off-court decisions.^[103] (It should be pointed out that current radio flagship KXTG is owned by the team.) A television deal signed with Comcast SportsNet in 2007 has also been criticized for not ensuring access to Blazer games via cable company Charter, as well as satellite television providers such as DirecTV and Dish Network, both of which compete with Comcast’s cable television operations.^[104]

[edit] Press relations

See also: Trail Blazers vs. The Oregonian

Several local news outlets provide in-depth coverage of the Trail Blazers. Chief among them is The Oregonian, the largest paper in the state of Oregon. Other newspapers providing detailed coverage of the team (including the assignment of beat writers to cover the team) include the Portland Tribune, a weekly Portland paper, and the Vancouver, Washington Columbian. Notable local journalists to cover the team include John Canzano and Jason Quick of the Oregonian and Dwight Jaynes of the Portland Tribune. Online coverage of the Oregonian is provided through oregonlive.com,^[105] a website collaboration between the paper and Advance Internet.^[106] In addition to making Oregonian content available, oregonlive.com hosts several blogs covering the team written by Oregonian journalists,^[107][108] as well as an additional blog, “Blazers Blog”, written by Sean Meagher.^[109]

Relations between the team and The Oregonian have often been tense; the paper is editorially independent of the team and is often critical. During the Steve Patterson era, relations between the two institutions became increasingly hostile; several NBA executives told ESPN’s Chris Sheridan that the situation was the “most dysfunctional media-team relationship” that they could recall.^[110] For instance during a portion of a pre-2006 NBA Draft workout, which was closed to the media, an Oregonian reporter looked through a curtain separating the press from the workout and wrote about this on his blog.^[111] Outraged, the team closed subsequent practices to the press altogether,^[112] leading John Canzano of the paper to respond with outrage on his blog.^[113] In November 2006, the Oregonian commissioned an outside editor to investigate the deteriorating relationship,^[114] a move the rival Willamette Week called “unusual”.^[115] In the report,^[116] both sides were criticized somewhat, but did not make any revelations which were unexpected.^[115]

 

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Shaq among list of All-Star reserves with 15th appearance

Enlarge By Rick Scuteri, AP Shaquille O’Neal will join Amare Stoudemire as hometown representatives of the Suns in the All-Star Game in Phoenix.

var storyURL = “http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2009-01-29-all-star-reserves_N.htm”;
“Shaq among list of All-Star reserves with 15th appearance”;

Eastern Conference coaches voted two Orlando Magic players as All-Star reserves, guard Jameer Nelson and forward Rashard Lewis, to join the leading vote-getter in the fans’ first-team balloting, center Dwight Howard. The Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns have two All-Stars each.

Among those playing the best who did not make the Feb. 15 game are Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry and Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

The Lakers’ Phil Jackson will coach the West as Los Angeles has clinched that conference’s best record; the East coach will be decided this weekend between Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy and Cleveland’s Mike Brown.

Shaquille O’Neal is an All-Star for the 15th time, second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 19 appearances. O’Neal will be reunited with the Lakers’ Jackson and Kobe Bryant, with whom he feuded in the past. But hugs and high-fives were exchanged when the Suns and Lakers met in Phoenix in November. Nelson, New Jersey Nets guard Devin Harris and Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger are the only first-time All-Stars, all as reserves for the East squad.

NBA coaches voted for seven reserves from their respective conferences but could not vote for their own players. NBA Commissioner David Stern will select replacements if All-Stars cannot play because of injuries.

New Orleans, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers also had multiple players on the West roster.

But for the second year in a row, only two of the Boston Celtics’ Big Three made the initial roster: Paul Pierce was voted in with starter Kevin Garnett, while Ray Allen was left out.

Traded to the Suns at last season’s deadline, O’Neal endured the worst season of his career and had his record-tying streak of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances end. Now he’s back in the showcase game, and trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 19 for most appearances.

Abdul-Jabbar, a Lakers assistant, will help coach the West team.

The 36-year-old O’Neal was averaging 18.2 points and 9.1 rebounds entering Thursday night’s showdown against the Spurs. He needed five more points to catch Hakeem Olajuwon for seventh on the NBA’s career scoring list.

O’Neal isn’t the only veteran on a West roster flush with experience. The Spurs’ Tim Duncan and the Bryant are each making their 11th appearances, while Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki was picked for the eighth time and Houston center Yao Ming for the seventh time.

Carmelo Anthony, who’s missed the last 10 games with a broken bone in his right hand, was left off the roster even though he’s been cleared to play Friday night at Charlotte. That leaves point guard Chauncey Billups the lone selection from the division-leading Nuggets.

“I was definitely excited. My next question right directly after that was, ‘Did Melo make it?’ Of course I’m disappointed in that,” Billups told The Associated Press. “The only reason why is because of the injury. It’s just an unfortunate situation.”

Acquired in a trade with the Pistons on Nov. 3, Billups has given Denver a steady backcourt presence. The four-time All-Star is averaging 19.0 points and 6.5 assists.

Stoudemire, Yao, Bryant, Duncan and Chris Paul of the Hornets were voted by fans to start for the West. The East starters are Garnett, Howard, Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson of the Pistons and LeBron James of the Cavaliers.

Coaches were then required to vote for two guards, two forwards, a center and two at-large reserves. The other picks for the West were Pau Gasol of the Lakers, Tony Parker of the Spurs, Brandon Roy of the Trail Blazers and David West of the Hornets. Filling out the East roster are Raptors forward Chris Bosh and Hawks guard Joe Johnson.

There was little controversy in fan voting — besides Stoudemire beating out Spurs reserve Bruce Bowen by just 68,000 votes — but the ballots turned in by the league’s coaches left a bunch of deserving players with a gripe.

Allen was passed over despite averaging 18.0 points and helping Boston to a 38-9 record. The eight-time All-Star was skipped over last year, too, but was later added by commissioner David Stern as an injury replacement for Caron Butler.

All-Star Game rosters

EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
No.	Player, team	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	College/HS/Country	All-Star Selections
4	Chris Bosh, Toronto	F/C	6-10	230	Georgia Tech	4th
5	Kevin Garnett, Boston	F	6-11	220	Farragut Academy	12th
33	Danny Granger, Indiana	F	6-8	225	New Mexico	1st
34	Devin Harris, New Jersey	G	6-3	185	Wisconsin	1st
12	Dwight Howard, Orlando	C	6-11	265	SW Atlanta Christian Academy	3rd
3	Allen Iverson, Detroit	G	6-0	165	Georgetown	10th
23	LeBron James, Cleveland	F	6-8	250	St. Vincent/St. Mary HS	5th
2	Joe Johnson, Atlanta	G	6-7	235	Arkansas	3rd
9	Rashard Lewis, Orlando	F	6-10	215	Alief Elsik HS	2nd
14	Jameer Nelson, Orlando	G	6-0	190	St. Joseph’s	1st
34	Paul Pierce, Boston	F	6-7	235	Kansas	7th
3	Dwayne Wade, Miami	G	6-4	210	Marquette	5th
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
No.	Player, team	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	College/HS/Country	All-Star Selections
1	Chauncey Billups, Denver	G	6-3	202	Colorado	4th
24	Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers	G	6-6	205	Lower Merion HS	11th
21	Tim Duncan, San Antonio	F	6-11	260	Wake Forest	11th
16	Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers	F	7-0	227	Spain	2nd
11	Yao Ming, Houston	C	7-6	310	China	7th
41	Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas	F	7-0	245	Germany	8th
32	Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix	C	7-1	315	Louisiana State	15th
9	Tony Parker, San Antonio	G	6-2	177	France	3rd
3	Chris Paul, New Orleans	G	6-0	175	Wake Forest	2nd
7	Brandon Roy, Portland	G	6-6	211	Washington	2nd
1	Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix	F/C	6-10	245	Cypress Creek HS	4th
30	David West, New Orleans	F	6-9	240	Xavier	2nd

***

Contributing: Chris Colston, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2009-01-29-all-star-reserves_N.htm

 ——————————————————————————-

WHO DESERVED IT AND WHO GOT SNUBBED

 —- Xavier Thompson

yes

FIRSTLY LETS JUS RECAP THE CHOSEN FEW

All-Star Game rosters

* — starters

EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
No.	Player, team	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	College/HS/Country	All-Star Selections
4	Chris Bosh, Toronto	F/C	6-1	230	Georgia Tech	4th
5	* Kevin Garnett, Boston	F	6-11	220	Farragut Academy	12th
33	Danny Granger, Indiana	F	6-8	225	New Mexico	1st
34	Devin Harris, New Jersey	G	6-3	185	Wisconsin	1st
12	* Dwight Howard, Orlando	C	6-11	265	SW Atlanta Christian Academy	3rd
3	* Allen Iverson, Detroit	G	6-10	165	Georgetown	10th
23	* LeBron James, Cleveland	F	6-8	250	St. Vincent/St. Mary HS	5th
2	Joe Johnson, Atlanta	G	6-7	235	Arkansas	3rd
9	Rashard Lewis, Orlando	F	6-10	215	Alief Elsik HS	2nd
14	Jameer Nelson, Orlando	G	6-0	190	St. Joseph’s	1st
34	Paul Pierce, Boston	F	6-7	235	Kansas	7th
3	* Dwayne Wade, Miami	G	6-4	210	Marquette	5th
WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS
No.	Player, team	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	College/HS/Country	All-Star Selections
1	Chauncey Billups, Denver	G	6-3	202	Colorado	4th
24	* Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers	G	6-6	205	Lower Merion HS	11th
21	* Tim Duncan, San Antonio	F	6-11	260	Wake Forest	11th
16	Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers	F	7-0	227	Spain	2nd
11	* Yao Ming, Houston	C	7-6	310	China	7th
41	Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas	F	7-0	245	Germany	8th
32	Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix	C	7-1	315	Louisiana State	15th
9	Tony Parker, San Antonio	G	6-2	177	France	3rd
3	* Chris Paul, New Orleans	G	6-0	175	Wake Forest	2nd
7	Brandon Roy, Portland	G	6-6	211	Washington	2nd
1	* Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix	F/C	6-10	245	Cypress Creek HS	4th
30	David West, New Orleans	F	6-9	240	Xavier	2nd

Firstly, let’s start with the deserved …

On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially hARRIS AND nELSON (gRANGER was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections. The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don’t get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we’re seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year’s dismal season (by my accounts) I think he’s made very big steps in shwocasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don’t light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase. Allen Iverson’s selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.

SNUBS ON THE EAST:

Mike Bibby – definately deserved a nod due to the way he’s provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter – he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any choosen day … plus his numbers don’t lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince – this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valauble on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee – maybe next year but the kid can play

ON THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS …. NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet but he really hasn’t provided any ’sting’ for the hornets.

Can’t really say “Snubs” since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on … definately should have made it over DAVID WEST), Al Jefferson (not really “surprising” per se but…),  The Utah Twins … Carlos “C-Bo” Boozer and Deron Williams (…. obviously only the injruies kept these two BEASTS off the roster), KEVIN DURANT ( if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills  BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT … who the hell needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? – mind over matter)

Shaq & Kobe, together again

Posted on: January 29, 2009 7:27 pm

Edited on: January 30, 2009 7:16 am

Score: 89

	2

Predictably, Shaquille O’Neal captured the sentimental vote among NBA coaches, gaining entry to his 15th All-Star game when the chocies were announced Thursday night on TNT.

As vehemently as I argued that Shaq didn’t deserve to be in over Al Jefferson, I will enjoy Shaq’s presence in Phoenix — especially his reunion with Kobe & Phil. What bothers me is that he’s in and Carmelo Anthony is out. The way the coaches’ votes are tabulated –ranking their choices 1-7 with two guards, two forwards, one center, and two wild cards — Anthony would appear to have been pushed off the squad by Shaq. I haven’t seen the voting, but Shaq probably made it because some coaches listed him as the backup center and others listed him as one of the wild cards. 

Anthony missed some games, so if you don’t agree with me there you might argue for Paul Millsap, Kevin Durant, or Jefferson. All three are having a better year than Shaq. But I’ve said my piece. I can’t wait until Shaq is holding court at All-Star media availability. Should be fun. 

In case you missed it, here are the rest of the Western reserves: Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, Chauncey Billups, and David West. The difference between the coaches’ choices and mine — I had Jefferson, Deron Williams, and Anthony vs. Shaq, Parker, and West.

There are three first-timers on the Eastern squad: Danny Granger, Devin Harris and Jameer Nelson. Joining them are Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh and Rashard Lewis. The only difference between the real squad and mine — I had Ray Allen instead of Lewis. Nothing to quibble about there. 

Your thoughts?

 

Category: NBA

Tags: All-Star Reserves

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FlyingJ Reputation: 90 Level: All-Star Since: Dec 10, 2006	Posted on: January 29, 2009 7:38 pm Score: 88 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   I say david lee instead of lewis or nelson i know orlando has a winning record but they already have howard starting. Lewis and Nelsons numbers are not great. David lee has great numbers   [ Reply to Comment ]
BadgerNation Reputation: 95 Level: Superstar Since: Nov 20, 2006	Posted on: January 29, 2009 8:12 pm Score: 89 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again <p>I like to see some players who arent on dominating teams get chosen. You can have great stats when you are surrounded by Garnett Pierce and Allen, or Howard and Lewis and Nelson. Al Jefferson is on a bad team and gets his stats being double teamed and ganged up on every night. Shaq has been great, but he is also playing with superstars Nash and Amare. I think thats why i like the Granger and Harris and Bosh picks. David Lee and Durant also do it often on thier own.</p>   [ Reply to Comment ]
jlt421 Reputation: 61 Level: Pro Since: Dec 22, 2008	Posted on: January 29, 2009 8:21 pm Score: 56 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Al Jefferson snubbed….are you kidding me?   WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? PLAYER A: 22.7 PPG  10.5 RPG  49% FG  74% FT PLAYER B: 20.6 PPG  10.3 RPG  52% FG  68% FT You would choose Player A right?  Well…..Player A is Al Jefferson, and Player B is  Tim Duncan, the starting PF for the West…. A complete travesty he did not make the team just beacuse the Wolves aren’t a good team.   [ Reply to Comment ]
thommie2011jz Reputation: 21 Level: Amateur Since: Jan 15, 2009	Posted on: January 29, 2009 8:27 pm Score: 50 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   On top of that, Jefferson averages those numbers with constantly facing double, usually triple teams beacause their are no other legitamate threat for the timberwolves offensively.   [ Reply to Comment ]
MotownKit Reputation: 26 Level: Rookie Since: Jan 13, 2009	Posted on: January 29, 2009 9:07 pm Score: 33 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   Calderon deserves a spot.  Hands down.  Don’t know why he was left off or no one is calling him a possible snub?   [ Reply to Comment ]
MotownKit Reputation: 26 Level: Rookie Since: Jan 13, 2009	Posted on: January 29, 2009 9:09 pm Score: 36 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   Al Jefferson definitely got snubbed too but I dont know exactly who I would take off, maybe David West.   [ Reply to Comment ]
Bluejays4ws Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 12, 2006	Posted on: January 29, 2009 9:26 pm Score: 99 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   Shaq should be an all-star. If there’s anyone Al Jefferson should’ve made it in over it would have to be David West   [ Reply to Comment ]
playmaker21 Reputation: 79 Level: Pro Since: Sep 28, 2006	Posted on: January 30, 2009 12:41 am Score: 70 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   i don’t see why people are making fuss outta the all-star game, the weekend is just an excuse for people to get drunk and have sex with hookers, nobody takes the game seriously. Also the media dig up the same garbage every year and brag about the travesty about who didn’t got in, or who got in. ENOUGH ALREADY.   also im sick of former nba-players using the all-star weekend to grandstand and promote their useless lives like how that homo amaechi tried to steal the show.   [ Reply to Comment ]
Hawkman77 Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Nov 12, 2006	Posted on: January 30, 2009 2:37 am Score: 95 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   I say david lee instead of lewis or nelson i know orlando has a winning record but they already have howard starting. Lewis and Nelsons numbers are not great. David lee has great numbersTwo problems with that.  1) they play different positions.  Nobody is going to pick David Lee over Jameer Nelson when they need a point guard for the team.  2) the numbers don’t tell the whole story.  Basketball fans know Lee is a good ballplayer, a scrapper who is not a star but who has played very well in D’antoni’s system.  Nelson is one of the few point guards shooting more than 50% from the field and is leading his team.  I think Lewis is less deserving than Nelson but he’s been great at what he does also.  Lee is a nice player but he does not have great numbers – he has one great number, and that’s his rebounding number.   [ Reply to Comment ]
Hawkman77 Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Nov 12, 2006	Posted on: January 30, 2009 2:41 am Score: 91 Sign-up to rate:   Sign-up to rate: Sign-up to rate:     Shaq & Kobe, together again   WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? PLAYER A: 22.7 PPG 10.5 RPG 49% FG 74% FT PLAYER B: 20.6 PPG 10.3 RPG 52% FG 68% FTHorrible question.  This is like saying numbers matter more than contributions and skill.  Numbers don’t account for the type of team a player is on, how he fits in the defense, intangibles, defense, etc.  Duncan = Hall of Fame and having a very strong year.  Shooting a better percentage than Jefferson. Jefferson = Good player.  Might make an all-star team or two in his career.  Can get to the Hall of Fame if he buys a ticket.   [ Reply to Comment ]

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• • January 29, 2009 7:27 pm
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January 29, 2009 7:27 pm
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Griffin can dunk on you or answer your email

Xavier Thompson from THE BLEACHER REPORT — see part of story here: (scroll up to see all)

Firstly, let’s start with the deserved …

On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially hARRIS AND nELSON (gRANGER was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections. The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don’t get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we’re seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year’s dismal season (by my accounts) I think he’s made very big steps in shwocasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don’t light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase. Allen Iverson’s selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.

SNUBS ON THE EAST:

Mike Bibby – definately deserved a nod due to the way he’s provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter – he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any choosen day … plus his numbers don’t lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince – this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valauble on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee – maybe next year but the kid can play

ON THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS …. NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet

Can’t really say “Snubs” since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on … definately should have made it over DAVID WEST), Al Jefferson (not really “surprising” per se but…),  The Utah Twins … Carlos “C-Bo” Boozer and Deron Williams (…. obviously only the injruies kept these two BEASTS off the roster), KEVIN DURANT ( if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills  BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT … who the hell needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? – mind over matter)

:)