Zach Randolph should be voted as an All*Star

Zach Randolph should be a Western Conference All-Star this season. And Uncle Sam wants YOU to vote him in. No, I don't mean that there is a chance of assurping either Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan (or even Dirk Nowitzki) as an All-Star starter. But a serious amount of votes and noise made by fans for Z-Bo will show the coaches that select the team that Randolph is a serious talent. The guy has led the Blazers to an admirable record to date with little help (with the injury to Brandon Roy). He is averaging 25.1ppg and 10.1rpg. Surely those are All-Star numbers?

I was just reading this article on AOL Sports which questions whether the young power forward is worthy of an All-Star selection. The author lists a number of candidates -- and the West is stacked with them, that much is clear -- at the forward position. However, most of them are flawed in one way or another.

Carmelo Anthony let his fist do the talking and will miss 15 games, surely putting a dent in his hopes. Elton Brand has had a slow start to the season by his standards and his team is doing poorly, despite boasting a greater talent pool than the Blazers. Lamar Odom and Rashard Lewis, whilst spectacular in the early-going, are both currently injured.

Two guys who definitely deserve bench forward positions ahead of Z-Bo are Dirk Diggler and Carlos Boozer, who is having a career year. The fight for Z-Bo no doubt comes down to Shawn Marion and whether one of the abovementioned 'flawed candidates' gets a gig.

All we can do is shout loud and clear that Randolph deserves his spot. The media had absolutely no qualms about giving him coverage when he was "accused" of being "involved" with a "suspicious" incident, which he was later found to have no guilt in. Surely they will see fit to do the same when he is successful. Hang on, that's crazy talk, isn't it?

NBA standings : A space oddity

As we approach Christmas and we have seen close to two months of NBA action, it's time to analyse the oddities of the standings to date. There are the usual expected results so far: Dallas and San Antonio have the best records in the league (20-7), Detroit have had to make some adjustments to the departure of Big Ben, but are leading the East (16-8). However, there have been many surprises as we reach the one-third mark of the season.

UTAH JAZZ (19-8): continuing to over-achieve

Behind the unexpected Dukesque form of Carlos Boozer and the solid sophomore season of Deron Williams, the Jazz have managed to far and away lead the Northwest division and aren't showing any signs of slowing down. Jerry Sloan knows how to run a team and has a fine stable of young swingmen along with do-it-all Andrei Kirilenko. Despite all of this, noone expected them to be this good.

ORLANDO MAGIC (17-11): young and not over the Hill

Grant Hill is past it all. Well, so everyone thought before this season. The popular swingman has had the worst string of injuries known to man in recent years, yet he proclaimed he would be back for more this season. Hill has provided scoring and veteran leadership and without his 15.4ppg (53.1 FG%), 3.9rpg and 1.2spg, the Magic wouldn't be where they are at the top of the Southeast division and narrowly behind Detroit for the lead in the East. Of course, when thinking of the Magic, Dwight Howard is like David Robinson to the Spurs of the 90s. The manchild is averaging 17.0ppg and a league leading 12.7rpg along with 2.0bpg. As he proved with Team USA over the Summer, the league will be in fear of Mr Howard for a long time to come. Darko Milicic has proven that he does not have the same superstar potential that he flashed glimpses of at the end of last season, but he has acted as an adequate support player. Should he improve his offence, the Magic's form will only accelerate.

ATLANTIC DIVISION: a very cold winter ahead

The entire Atlantic division has been a disappointment. Toronto leads the division with a pultry 12-15 record. The Raptors started the season trying to play Phoenix Suns basketball at 1000 miles per hour, but when Sam Mitchell realised this wasn't the key to success and slowed things down, they have improved to win 5 of their last 10. The New Jersey trio of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter has not been able to push their teammates beyond a .423 record. Part of the problem may be that Kidd as PG has had to lead the team in rebounding night after night. New York has been the mess that is expected season after season. Boston is still young with plenty of potential and will no doubt improve as the season continues. Philadelphia is only 2 losses ahead of Memphis for the worst record in the league after their shambolic season so far, which has seen the trade of team icon The Answer and the distemper of Chris Webber. There is no real sign of improvement to come this season for any of the teams in the Atlantic.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (18-9): not exactly Showtime but not B-Grade either

The Lakers have been surprisingly competitive this season, to the point that they are second in the Pacific -- only 1 game behind the always tough Phoenix Suns. The wrap on the Lakers last season? They're a one man show... everyone is standing around watching the selfish Kobe Bryant... the Lakers are a bunch of D-Leaguers around a superstar (Kobe) and a supressed star (Lamar Odom). What has changed this season? Not a whole lot in terms of personnel. I for one have to admit that I thought that this season would be another disaster for the Lakeshow. Somehow though, the Lakers have managed to play some more team-orientated basketball. KB24 has reduced his shot attempts per game from 27.2 last season to 19.3 this season. Perhaps after the 2006 playoffs Kobe has realised that the team winning is not all about him scoring 50+ on a semi-regular basis. Odom has been his versatile best -- he is averaging 17.5ppg, 8.7rpg, 4.9apg and a career best 1.4 treys per contest. The supporting cast of Luke Walton, Smush Parker, Kwame Brown (yes, that Kwame), Andrew Bynum and even rookie Jordan Farmar have played the roles that Phil Jackson loves so much and suddenly the Lakers are 7 games ahead of their cross-town rivals. Of course, the Lakers remain one of those teams that noone wants to face in the playoffs due to the x-factor named Bryant who can win a game single-handedly.

MIAMI HEAT (11-14): D-Wade and... umm...

The Championship celebrations are long over and it seems like a decade ago that the Miami Heat were the most feared team in the league. Junior superstar Dwyane Wade is once again doing everything for this team. The only difference from last season is, he is the only one doing everything. Miami stacked this roster with superstars, yet at the moment they are playing like the Lakers v.05-06. Wade is averaging 28.6ppg, 8.0apg, 4.7rpg, 1.8spg and 1.obpg -- nothing short of stellar. The problems however, are many... Shaquille O'Neal (14.0ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.obpg -- all career lows) has only played 4 games due to injury. The Big Aristotle is clearly showing his age, as injuries start to take their toll. Antoine Walker has been disappointing to say the least, as he continues to jack up threes like they are going out of fashion. Jason Williams has been injured and in the 14 games he has played, has been a low-flavour variety of White Chocolate. Gary Payton is showing his age -- the Glove that guarded Michael Jordan is a distant memory. However it's not all doom and gloom. Alonzo Mourning continues to defy medical science with his cameo role, as his 2.9pbg are third in the league to go along with his 9.6ppg and 5.7rpg in 23 minutes. Rookie Dorell Wright has surprised many by gaining election as a starter by freshman-hater Pat Riley. Udonis Haslem has been the workman that we have come to expect him to be (12.0ppg and 8.8rpg). However the next championship for the Heat could be sometime away unless they get things together this season. O'Neal, Mourning and Payton are clearly not far from their retirement celebrations. Walker appears nothing but selfish and Williams needs to regain some confidence. Things aren't looking so hot in Florida.

PORTLAND TRAIL-BLAZERS (12-15): easybeats no more

Remember the Portland Trail Blazers of last season? The ones that were more interesting off the court than on it. The team that finished dead last in the league with only 21 wins... Well many expected exactly the same thing to happen this season. Have a look back in the archives here and you'll see that this site was one of the few to argue that the Blazers would be competitive this season. Not playoff material, but competitive. That they have been. The Blazers have won 5 of their last six, with that loss against the Raptors being by 1 in OT. They have gone most of this way without injured Rookie of the Year candidate, Brandon Roy. They have done it with a team full of youngsters and uncertain starters. Zach Randolph's play has been nothing short of all-star calibre. Z-Bo went through an off-season dominated by controversy but has put that behind him to average 25.1ppg and 10.1rpg. Night after night he provides the Blazers with a target down low that the opposition can not neutralise. Jarrett Jack has been surprising in his leadership at the point, as he has been thrown the starting role. Roy has shown in the little time he has had, that he will be the face of Portland basketball for years to come. His all-round game gives the Blazers a perimeter, penetrating threat to complement Randolph down low. Joel Przybilla committed to the Blazers long-term in the off-season and has been a defensive presence in the key, whilst swingmen Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw and Ime Udoka have pushed aside the injury to Darius Miles which has been such a distraction to the team. The Blazers will not push too many teams around this season, however they will not be bottom-fodder that they were last season and are building a solid foundation for the future.

NBDL gets ugly : fight leads to concussion

A fight in practice between Awvee Storey (Washington Wizards) and Martynas Andriuskevicius (Chicago Bulls) led to the latter being concussed with a bruised brain.

The Nuggets v Knicks brawl will attract a lot more headlines, but the medical consequences of this little altercation could be a lot worse for Andriuskevicius.

NBA Top 7: Did anyone expect...

There have been a few early surprises this 2006-07 NBA season. I ask you, did anyone expect...

1. Grant Hill to be this good again?

Yes, Grant Hill drinks Sprite. He's back to his entertaining best so far this season. He leads the Magic with 16.3ppg and 1.3spg, whilst also contributing 3.2rpg, 2.1apg and shooting at 55% from the field. What's better is he has played 9 of the Magic's 10 games so far. Keep it up Grant -- we missed you.

2. Utah to be leading the league?

Tonight the Jazz could become the first team this season to get 10 wins. They are currently 9-1. Yes, this is the same Salt Lake City team featuring a second year point guard in Deron Williams, an injured starting SG in Gordon Giricek, an injured star player in Andrei Kirilenko and being led by the exploits of the erstwhile disappointing Dukie, Carlos Boozer. Boozer has been nothing short of jaw-dropping with his 20.5ppg, 13.0rpg and 3.7apg whilst shooting 55.5 FG%. Who needs John and Karl anyway?

3. Chris Webber to be sitting?

Not him apparently. After recently scoring 6 points in 23 minutes against the Sonics, Webber said, "I'm not going to keep playing like this... I don't like this role. So you can take that however you want." I think we know how to take that, C-Webb. Webber is only averaging 10.3ppg on the season and is only being given just over 30 minutes per game by coach Maurice Cheeks.

4. LaMarcus Aldridge to be starting?

Aldridge came into this season injured and in a very tight position in the Portland Trail Blazers frontcourt having to fight for minutes behind Joel Przybilla, Zach Randolph, Raef LaFrentz and Jamaal Magloire. Well, Przybilla and LaFrentz have been injured and Magloire has been just plain disappointing, thus meaning not long after Aldridge's return he has seen a starting C position as his. He has been proving deserving so far with his initial rookie minutes proving very promising and worthy of his selection so high in the draft.

5. Gerald Wallace to be this ordinary?

After a stellar 2005-06 NBA season for the Bobcats, which saw many Fantasy league owners wringing their hands with glee, Wallace has come into this season well below his previous averages -- especially on the defensive end. His 1.6spg (05-06: 2.5spg) and 0.6bpg (05-06: 2.1bpg) have been disappointing, as have his 5.4 ppg drop in scoring and 3.3rpg decrease. Gerald has provided the excuse of hitting his head during the season opener -- us FNBA owners hope he will be back to full form very soon.

6. Kevin Martin to be such a star?

Martin was given major minutes last season due to a Bonzi Wells injury. He took that opportunity with both hands and has now proven himself a regular NBA star. Martin is averaging 23.7ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.2apg, 1.9spg, 1.8 treys per game and impeccable shooting percentages across the board. Sacramento have got themselves a keeper at the two guard.

7. Chicago to be so bad?

The addition of Ben Wallace was meant to make Chicago title-town again. However the joke going around at the moment is that they are changing the name of the city to C-H-I-C-A-G. There's no "O" in the windy city. The Bulls are averaging 93.7ppg -- good for 5th last in the league this season (sadly the Blazers are one spot behind them). The Bulls are 3-7 to date this season. Big Ben has not been as advertised so far this season -- his averages of 5.5ppg, 9.7rpg and 1.6bpg are all his lowest since 1999-00 with Orlando (the year before he broke out as the freak we knew and feared in Detroit). It's not all doom and gloom in Chi-Town however. Opponents of the Bulls are scoring 0.1ppg less than them and are only marginally better in rebounds and assists. Maybe it's just that da Bulls have been unlucky so far. They've played San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Indiana, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Miami and Sacramento in 8 of those 10, none of them easy-beats. Things should improve with the lineup the Bulls have.

Zach Randolph is underrated!

I was saying here back in the off-season about how hard Zach Randolph had been working in the Summer and that people were vastly underrating the impact that he would make this season as they were blinded by his off-court "issues".

The mistake? People were finding it too easy to bundle him with Darius Miles and the whole "Jail Blazers" identity. The thing is, Z-Bo makes some knucklehead, immature decisions from time to time off the court. Sure he does, he's a millionaire in his early 20s. Many of us would do the same.

However, he works like crazy on the training court and has clearly come back this season with a vengance. Even better than he has been before.

Check the numbers this season: 26.0ppg (12th in NBA), 10.9ppg (7th), 47.4% FG, 83.3% FT.

Offensively he is a powerhouse. He is shooting a fantastic percentage given the pressure he has on him and the lack of supporting cast on offense. His two key supporting offensive players, Brandon Roy (temporarily) and Darius Miles (long-term) have not been able to go due to injury, making Z-Bo's performance even more impressive.

Two things he definitely needs to work on: his ability to pass out of a double team (they are plentiful) and his turnovers. But hopefully these things will come. I was just reading this great post at True Hoop, analysing Zach's game. A good read if you haven't already.

I don't think so many people are sleeping on Z-Bo any more.

LaMarcus Aldridge is back from injury!

Good news all around for the Blazers with news that LaMarcus Aldridge is back into full-contact scrimmaging and could be back into the rotation (slowly, slowly) by Tuesday and that Brandon Roy's injury wasn't as bad as first expected.

Roy had an MRI which showed no damage and he'll simply need a shoe insert. He'll miss the next game against the Lakers -- where Nate McMillan said Martell Webster and Ime Udoka will guard KB24 -- but should be back for the following game.

The Lakers go into tonight's game with a strong chance to out-do Portland, given the injury woes for Joel Przybilla, Raef LaFrentz, Roy, Aldridge and Darius Miles. However strong play so far from Zach Randolph, Jarrett Jack and surprising performances by Udoka and Travis Outlaw could pull it out for the Blazers.

RGB Prediction: Lakers by 8 behind strong interior play by Andrew Bynum (with no resistance from the Blazers) and an eventual breakout game by Kobe Bryant.

The friendly Clipper-Blazer bet at True Hoop

I feel for Henry at True Hoop. Looks like he's going to have to "pay up" on his little wager with Kevin from ClipperBlog.

And it couldn't have happened under closer circumstances -- only 1 point. I guess those sports betting line-makers know their stuff.

Elton Brand cares about Fantasy NBA!

Sadly, the Blazers went down to the Clippers last night 102-89 -- a not too unexpected result.

Elton Brand was not a particular force in the game. It was a balanced Clipper attack which won it for them. Corey Maggette (20), Cutino Mobley (17), Sam Cassell (16), Chris Kaman (15) and Quinton Ross (13) all picked up the scoring slack which allowed the best team in Los Angeles to beat the Blazers despite only 8 points and 4 rebounds from Mr Brand.

"I feel bad for the people who have fantasy teams, but that's about it," Brand said after taking just eight shots. "We're winning the ball game. Tonight I didn't hit much, but before tonight I was shooting over 56 percent from the field, so when I did touch it, it's going in."

I love the fact that Brand made reference to us Fantasy owners out there. How often have you been wishing you could ask a player to get you an extra steal or block to win your head-to-head matchup for the week? Or wished you could ask the coach to give Earl Watson more minutes than Luke Ridnour?

Well, the Clippers certainly won the game with defence. Brand blocked 5 shots, Mobley and Tim Thomas also chimed in with 2 blocks each. Every active player on the Clippers also garnered at least 1 steal.

Zach Randolph was the star for Portland with 35 points (11/17 and 13/15), 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Unfortunately Brandon Roy was the major loss of the night. He only played 14 minutes and scored 3 points before asking to come out of the game.

"I didnt get hurt tonight," Roy said. "I have been having some difficulty lately. A bone next to my Achilles' is bothering me.
"It just hurt too much to play. The doctor said I needed to rest and get it looked at. I
am going to have an MRI tomorrow when I get back to Portland."

With Joel Przybilla and LaMarcus Aldridge already out, this is a major loss for the team. Let's hope that Roy will be back in action soon to continue the promising form he has been showing.

Portland Trail Blazers links for today

Ime Udoka: great Oregonian article on his emotional story here.

Joel Przybilla and Raef LaFrentz out with injuries.

Preview of the Clippers game tonight.

Another recap of the 88-86 victory over the TWolves -- from Blazers.com -- including podcasts.

Google Video & NBA : Not so FAN-tastic

Having a look at Google Video the other day, I noticed that all of the NBA games have been removed from the site. And it sounds like this is the case, with the NHL taking their place.

It looks like the NBA is trying to crack down on external sources of its coverage and the ability to illegally distribute their content (as is the case with Google Video, which allows downloads in MP4 format). Now they have also taken action against YouTube to remove NBA-copyrighted content from their site.

The NBA is clearly trying to push its NBA TV subscriptions, along with League Pass and to improve the popularity of the game coverage it provides through ESPN/TNT/ABC. I just hope that they continue to sell game DVDs through www.pontel.com

Shawn Kemp : "Don't be surprised"

The ReignMan is at it again -- talking about a comeback to the NBA.

Sunday night was a special night in Seattle, as the SuperSonics honoured their 40th Anniversary Team, of which Shawn Kemp was a part. Kemp will play in Roma, Italy next month and still hopes that a return to the L for a ring is a possibility.

I hope for Shawn's sake that he actually makes it to the workouts this time.

There must have been a strange feeling in the air as the 40th Anniversary Team was announced, whilst the fear of the team moving to Oklahoma City is imminent. Almost like a last chance to pay respects to the SEATTLE Sonics. The Save Our Sonics campaign continues...

Meanwhile the Sonics have added some European flavour to the team, adding Greek 7'1" centre Andreas Glyniadakis. Kareem Rush was waived to make room for the big man. The centre position is the one of most concern for the Sonics, with Robert Swift incurring a season-ending injury and raw rookie Mouhamed Sene and Frenchman Johan Petro (irregular heartbeat) not having smooth starts to the season.

Wolves beaten by a bunch of Roaches

Ricky "Buckets" Davis' comment that the Blazers were a bunch of "roaches" the other night was not lost on the team, as the insult pushed the Blazers to victory.

Anyone remember when Ricky manufactured his own triple double (or tried to anyway) by shooting at the wrong basket to get the rebound? That's a roach if you ask me...

Portland is .667 -- and loving it!!

In case you missed it, the Blazers are now 2-1. That's right, we've beaten more teams than have beaten us -- who woulda thunk it?

Last night's victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves was particularly sweet. It showed the poise which the Blazers need to pull games out -- poise beyond the years of a young team such as this. 88-86 was the final score and it was as tight a finish as what it sounds. It took two late three-pointers by Martell Webster (4-5 3PT) and a trey by Juan Dixon with 6.2 seconds left to seal it, despite the best efforts of Kevin Garnett, Ricky Davis and Mike James.

Here's a full breakdown of the finish.

I for one have been sceptical about the role that Dixon would play on the team, but it was his veteran savvy which was the final piece in this win and it would appear that he will often be called upon to fill that role -- that of scorer when the younger players are inconsistent.

Travis Outlaw was the story of this game. His 18 points and career-high 15 rebounds led the Blazers. Rookie sensation Brandon Roy was once again impressive with 16 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in 41 minutes. Although we are only 3 games into the season, Roy's consistency is uncharacteristic of a rookie. He is averaging 18.3ppg, 5.0apg and 4.3rpg to date.

Boxscore for the game here.

It will be interesting to see what our friends at the TwolvesBlog have to say about the game. Their big three (Garnett, Davis and James) performed well and it was a tight game, which just came down to the final shot. KG must really get frustrated with losing games like this -- the big hurdle in his career is beating the teams they should be beating and being regarded as a top force in the league, rather than an 'also-ran'.

ROSE Garden Blog says hello to...

... the Jalen ROSE blog.

"The Rose That Grew From Concrete"

Check out Jalen's Blog here. He gives a great rundown of his career to date.

Portland Trail Blazers v Seattle SuperSonics :: Preview

In Brief:

Portland comes in with a completely new lineup. Questions appear everywhere, including:
1. How will Brandon Roy handle the pressure of leading the team at the point when asked?
2. Has Zach Randolph really worked that hard in the off-season?
3. Who will get the majority of the minutes alongside Z-Bo -- LaFrentz, Magloire or Przybilla?
4. What effect will Darius Miles' injury have on the team -- good or bad?
5. Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw and Jarrett Jack: ready or still developing?

Seattle on the other hand, still will be relying on the existing keys to their success in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. The questions in Seattle revolve around the supporting cast:
1. Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson at the point?
2. Chris Wilcox or Nick Collison at power forward?
3. With Robert Swift's injury, how will rookie Mouhamed Sene and Frenchman Johan Petro perform?
 
Portland Trail Blazers

Starters
PG Jarrett Jack
SG Brandon Roy
SF Travis Outlaw
PF Zach Randolph
C Joel Przybilla

Key Bench
PG Dan Dickau
SG/SF Martell Webster
PF/C Jamaal Magloire
PF/C Raef LaFrentz

Seattle SuperSonics

Starters
PG Luke Ridnour
SG Ray Allen
SF Rashard Lewis
PF Chris Wilcox
C Johan Petro

Key Bench
PG Earl Watson
SG/SF Damien Wilkins
PF Nick Collison
C Mouhamed Sene

:: Portland : Could the Blazers manufacture a massive turnaround? ::

The Portland Trail Blazers finished last season 21-61.

Stone-cold-motherless-last.

Even the New York Knicks, the haven of all that is failure (if you belive the media) finished with two more wins than the Blazers. Third last? The Atlanta Hawks -- the team that everyone loves to lambust with talk of poor personnel moves and a lineup solely consisting of 6'8" swingmen. Atlanta managed 26 wins.

The media will have you believe that this off-season has been as with any other in Trail Blazer recent history -- unrest, upheaval, lawlessness and fractured personalities. These Trail Blazers might just surprise a few of the pundits.

Joel Przybilla is talking playoffs. "It's a change. I can tell. I can sense it. We've got a lot of talent on this team. There's no doubt in my mind we can make the playoffs. Why wouldn't we?"

He's right. Why wouldn't they?

There has to be good reason as to why Przybilla, a highly sought-after free agent this past Summer, didn't sign with San Antonio or Detroit (amongst others). He could have been combining with Tim Duncan or Rasheed Wallace and looking at instant title contention. Obviously he saw something more in Portland -- the chance to build something great with a team from the bottom up.

The building blocks are in place. The Blazers have the perfect coach to suit a young team looking for structure in Nate McMillan. His defense-first, strict approach will ensure that the wayward young minds of the future cornerstones of this team's success are put in the right places.

A young low-post scoring presence in Zach Randolph. Randolph has once again worked incredibly hard over the off-season in losing weight and honing his body into the 20-10 player he should be on a nightly basis. He has shown over the pre-season that he is ready to roll. Take all of the media hype surrounding late night sexcapades and police pulling his car over with a grain of salt. Media hype is often just that -- hype. The boy may have made some questionable decisions off the court, but he certainly has been working hard on it.

A potential superstar and rookie of the year in Brandon Roy. Roy's style perfectly complements the inside skills of Z-Bo with a pentrating, creative guard who is just as comfortable manning the point as scoring at the two spot. It's too early to expect too much from the rookie, but early indications have a lot of people excited in Portland. Numbers like 15-4-4 this season are far from outrageous estimates.

A solid stable of big men with differing skills to ensure that Portland will never be wildly outmatched down-low, no matter who comes to town. Przybilla provides a legitimate center who can block shots, rebound and knows his limitations. And as his off-season signing shows, he has commitment to the Trail Blazer cause and wants to make this team win. Jamaal Magloire's acquisition in the off-season from Milwaukee means a big body can be brought in off the bench with a scoring touch and an ability to rebound with the best big men. Magloire has proven that as a starter he is a double-double waiting to happen. He will get plenty of opportunity to prove himself in Portland. Raef LaFrentz's acquisition from Boston gives a different look again, as he can hit the outside shot. This gives either Magloire or Randolph to work in the low block, spreading the floor on offense.

LaMarcus Aldridge is the almost forgotten factor this off-season. The #2 overall pick in the NBA Draft, at 6'11" provides an exciting future for Portland. His shoulder injury and subsquent surgery is a setback to his start, but given the depth the Blazers have up front, this season is likely to be a learning process more than anything for him regardless. Most lottery picks are thrown in at the deep end with outrageous expectations, but Aldridge's tutelage will be more of a battle for minutes. His time to play will come in the near future and he will have had the right amount of 'on-the-job' training to be ready for it.

Martell Webster and Jarrett Jack are perhaps the two biggest unknown quantities on this team. Both will be given significant minutes -- likely as starters -- in which to shine. Jack's ability to handle the point will often determine how the Blazers fare from night to night. So far he looks like he will be solid. Just what this team needs. Webster's outside shooting brings a balance to the squad's inside power and similarly, his form will have a big effect on the Blazers' fortunes.

Darius Miles is another of the media's poster-boys for all that is wrong with the Blazers. He comes into the season injured, meaning that Webster and Travis Outlaw will take most of the minutes at small forward. When his head is in the game, Miles is a spectacular scorer. There is still every chance that the Blazers will look to trade him where possible.

Two young backup point guards in Sergio Rodriguez and Dan Dickau, give the team some other options should Jack be unsteady. Meanwhile, the feel-good story of the off-season, Ime Udoka has made the roster for opening night. On the form he has shown in the pre-season, he may well be given minutes at the three. Canny scorer Juan Dixon provides another threat off the bench at shooting guard -- a luxury the Blazers may not need to employ too often if the youngsters are doing their thing.

All of this makes for a very well-rounded team. Are the playoffs out of the question this season? Not at all.

The Blazers may possibly manufacture one of the best re-ascensions to prominence in recent NBA history with a move from last place to a playoff berth in 2006-07. The way I see it, there is really one spot in the Western Conference eight that is up for grabs and Portland may just have their eyes set on it.

Orlando fan heckles Mutombo : receives death threats

An Orlando Magic fan, Hooman Hamzehloui, heckled Dikembe Mutombo during a recent pre-season game between the Magic and Rockets calling him a "monkey." The fan, who accompanied the chants with corresponding physical gestures, was rushed by Mutombo, who viewed the heckling as a racial slur.

The fan claims that his heckling was not racially motivated, but rather an ignorant attempt to get up the Zaire native's nose. Well, it certainly worked. He got up the NBA's nose as well. After being ejected from the game, he has been banned from attending NBA games and his season ticket has been rescinded by the Magic.

Hamzehloui has since received death threats. The businessman, of Persian background, tried to make amends with an apologetic letter to Mutombo (which not so surpisingly got into the public domain), offering a $5,000 donation to any charity as well as not to turn up to any NBA game until Mutombo (or the Magic) say that he may. Well that choice has been taken away from him after the NBA's ban.

Magic fan reactions on their Forum are mixed. Many believe it was just an ignorant mistake. Others believe he should have known better and that it was clearly a racist attack, equated to the "monkey" chants which often haunt European soccer players of African origin. This take, from an Orlando Sentinel writer, claims that his attack is "indefensible." Either way, the NBA isn't accepting anything remotely racist in this era of "cleansing" of the NBA image.

Milwaukee : Bogut will suit up in season opener

Andrew Bogut, originally suspected to be out for the season opener (Nov 1), has been cleared for action against Detroit on Wednesday.

The Australian Boomers Centre, sprained his lower leg after colliding with Steve Blake's knee during practice on October 7. Bogut said, "I did a full session Saturday and a full session today, and I'm feeling fine."

Given that the Bucks have Brian Skinner and Dan Gadzuric backing him up, the Bucks would be foolish to push him with too many minutes in the opener. Charlie Villanueva, acquired from Toronto for TJ Ford in the off-season, will be the starter at power forward and should provide solid minutes.

The other existing injury concern for the Bucks is small forward Bobby Simmons, who will likely be covered for at the three by former Blazer Ruben "the nanny-stopper" Patterson.

// NBA moves : Jalen cut // Warwick + West extended //

// Jalen Rose out of NYC //

In a last second move before the regular season start, the New York Knicks have cut a large chunk of their league-leading payroll, with news that they have bought out Jalen Rose's contract. There had been cries from Knick fans of further management futility during the off-season when Isiah and co drafted Renaldo Balkman, in addition to signing Jared Jeffries from the Wizards. Many saw these moves, when combined with the existance of Quentin Richardson and Jalen Rose at small forward, as incompetence of the usual Knickerbocker variety.

There's nothing up at the moment, but I will be interested to see what Mutoni's take on the Rose move is, over at Bench Renaldo.

I definitely think it's a strong move for the Knicks -- perhaps one that should have happened sooner (read: last season a trade would have been a good idea). The Knicks have to realise that they are not going to win anything this year -- or the next -- and re-building with young players is the key.

//Grizz extend Hakim Warwick //

The Memphis Grizzlies have taken up the fourth year extension option on F/C Hakim Warrick.

As a rookie Warrick didn't live up to the glory that his College career suggested. In 68 games, Warrick averaged 4.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg. During pre-season play this year, after being afforded 29.4 mpg, he has upped his numbers to 12.4 ppg and 5.9 rpg. The Grizz will be looking for a continuation of that play, in addition to a display of his shot-blocking abilities -- otherwise Christian Laettner may have to go through with his threat of coming out of retirement...

// David West continues the good work in New Orleans //

The New Orleans Hornets have re-signed PF David West to a multi-year contract extension. As usual, terms were not disclosed. If not for the deal, West would have become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

West led the Hornets in scoring and rebounding last season (17.1 - 7.4) and combined with Chris Paul to make for an exciting combination in New Orleans / Oklahoma City. His re-signing is a very smart move by the Hornets as a cornerstone of the franchise, particularly since his stock may rise even more in 2006-07.

Raef LaFrentz in a Blazers Uniform

Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

Raef LaFrentz's line vs Utah (Oct 23) : 7 pts / 4 reb / 1 blk / 16min

Blazers 114 - Jazz 110