Subscribe to Trail Blazers Fan News

News From Around The World: November 1

11/01/12

Written by: DHawes22 / avg. rating: 5.0

November 1

Trail Blazers TV: Trail Blazers 116, Lakers 106

Trail Blazers TV: Arena Link: Damian Lillard

Trail Blazers TV: Just Casey From Practice

Trail Blazers: Blazers Drop Lakers in Opener
"And, then there's Hickson. He's being asked to do things that he was not previously known for- defend and rebound. We've always known he can score. Hickson posted a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Not bad, considering he was tossed into a cage match with Dwight Howard most of the night. He played bigger than his size, and he's going to have to do that consistently for Portland to have success."

Trail Blazers: Lillard's Play Makes Talk Unnecessary
"I felt real comfortable," said Lillard in another statement made redundant by his performance. "It's a lot easier when (LaMarcus Aldridge) is making shots, Wes (Matthews) is making shots and Nic (Batum) is making shots. I got to give credit to them. They made shots and everything came easier for me."

Trail Blazers: The New And Improved Nicolas Batum: Expectations Abound
“Consistency. It’s a huge part of my game this year and right now. I play a good game here, it’s gonna be huge game against OKC, I guard Kevin Durant, he’s not a bad player [laughs.] I gotta bring it on defense next game and then got another game in Houston, so we see what happen. All I can control is me on the court and try to bring it every night and that’s it.”

Trail Blazers: VIDEO: More 'All Or Nothing' With Will Barton
"Today, two more "All Or Nothing" vignettes featuring Barton have been posted. Both videos were shot on the morning of the 2012 NBA Draft. One of the videos (which is posted above) features Barton talking about his friends and family in Baltimore, while the other is a shirtless walk-and-talk in which Barton explains the meaning and significance of a few of his many tattoos. All of them are worth watching, especially if you're among a growing number of people patiently waiting to see "The Thrill" get some regular season court time."

Trail Blazers: Ten Added To Stampede Roster
"Coby Karl (6-5, 215, Boise State, b. 6/8/83), Justin Holiday (6-6, 185, Washington, b. 4/5/89) and Dallas Lauderdale (6-8, 255, Ohio State, b. 9/11/88) have been added to the Stampede’s training camp roster as affiliate players. NBA D-League teams can protect the rights of up to three NBA affiliate teams’ training camp players."

Oregon Live: After historic debut, Blazers' Damian Lillard faces challenge of road and Thunder's Russell Westbrook
“I think so,” he said. “I’ve never played there, so I can’t tell you. I won’t be shaken by it, I don’t think I’ll be rattled by it or anything. But it’ll be a challenge when the crowd gets behind them, because it was a challenge for a great team like the Lakers when the crowd got behind us.”

Oregon Live: Blazers Insider: It's been over a decade since opening night has been so special for the Blazers
“The kid is good,’’ Hickson said. “He has a lot of confidence, a lot of poise. He knows how to shake it up, and that makes for a good point guard. He’s already ahead of the curve, so to speak. So look for big things from him this year.’’

Oregon Live: Damian Lillard sparkles in NBA debut as Blazers beat rival Lakers
"Lillard’s first career field goal came three minutes, 19 seconds into the game, when he swished a step-back three-pointer. He didn’t let up all night, driving to the basket to create free throw attempts and hitting midrange jumpers, all while directing the Blazers’ brand new fast-paced and fun offense. He made 7 of 17 shots, 8 of 8 free throws, and added three rebounds."

Los Angeles Times: Lakers lose 12th consecutive game
"Damian Lillard has a real shot to be rookie of the year. He had 23 points and 11 assists, which was a great start even with six turnovers."

Columbian: Greg Jayne: Season-opening victory gives Blazers some hope
"I just wanted to come out and be aggressive, make Steve Nash play both ends of the floor, make him work," Lillard said after the first game of his NBA career."

Columbian: Inspirational opening for Blazers
Sasha, that little stretch that he had really kind of opened it up,” Stotts said. “Our bench was solid. Guys coming off the bench were all solid and had a solid role… (but) that little sequence just energized our team when we were kind of wobbly and it could have gone either way. It turned the game at that point.”

Portland Tribune: Big first night for Batum, Lillard, Blazers
“A huge win for us,” said Matthews, who scored 22 points and made Bryant work like the dickens for his 30 points. “We have a lot of doubters against us, a lot of people writing us off. This isn’t going to silence them, but it should certify our belief in ourselves.”

CSNNW: Blazers shock Lakers, win 116-106
"I thought Wes was into his defense all game," Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said. "His one-on-one defense on Kobe, he took the challenge every possession. Kobe is going to score and he made some tough shots, but I thought Wes took a lot of pride in that matchup and made Kobe work."

Rip City Project: Game 1 Recap: Blazers 116, Lakers 106
"That’s why we have to tread very lightly on Portland’s first of 82 games. Damian Lillard was spectacular (or at least one or two turnovers short of spectacular). LaMarcus Aldridge looked like he’d spent his entire summer in the gym shooting jumpers until he couldn’t lift his arms anymore. Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews made timely shots, limited their stupid offensive possessions, and totally manned-up on defense. Those are the things we should expect for this season. We should also be prepared for four guys playing well to not be enough to win many games."

Blazersedge: Media Row Report: Blazers 116, Lakers 106
"I think the world of him," Kobe Bryant told Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com after the game, in which he scored 30 points and had six rebounds and three assists. "This was my first time really watching him play outside of the preseason. He has a great deal of talent. He seems to be fearless. I think he has a bright future."

Ball Don't Lie: Andre Iguodala ‘was trying a little too hard’ to ‘destroy’ 76ers in Nuggets’ season-opening loss
"Sometimes, that manifested in shot-jacking — he hoisted a pair within the game's opening 48 seconds, and after sitting on the bench a spell, put up a triple within 50 seconds of checking back into the game in the second quarter — but later in the game, it also seemed to result in what could be described as paralysis by analysis. Iguodala was a virtual non-factor in the fourth quarter of the game, which opened with just re-upped point guard Ty Lawson and rookie swingman Evan Fournier combining to chop a 13-point Philly lead down to five midway through the period, and ended with a largely arrhythmic Nuggets offense failing to threaten much down the stretch."

Ball Don't Lie: Judging the latest round of NBA contract extensions
"The move is so laughable and distressing that you almost wonder if Colangelo is salting the sod for the next GM to take over. If the Raptors re-sign Kyle Lowry to a rate concurrent with his production, Lowry would join Andrea Bargnani as the only two Raps making eight figures in 2012-13; and yet the team will be over the cap once the first year of DeRozan's extension (starting at around $9 million a year, we're guessing; unless the Raps tried some Bulls-like upfront move with his yearly salary) starts to tick away. Toronto boasts a solid enough rotation that a great (and we do think he is "great") coach in Dwane Casey can do good things with, but there is nothing in DeRozan's game that has us anticipating a jump in production that would justify anywhere near what he'll be set to make. NBA players grow in small strides before tailing off past their prime, and DeRozan would have to make a huge jump along the lines of his Slam Dunk contest attempts."

DIME: The Top 10 Candidates For NBA Defensive Player of the Year
"So why is he even on this list? Well, anyone who watched the national championship game between Kentucky and Kansas this year knows how special Davis is. He scored just six points but somehow still dominated the game while racking up 15 rebounds, six blocks and three steals. He’s just a force of nature, with his pterodactyl arms and hyper quick reaction time. College-to-pro translated statistics are always questionable, but Basketball Prospectus projects a block percentage of 6.5 percent for Davis this season — a number that would have been third overall in the league last year. He’s the real deal, and while he won’t win the award this season, it’s safe to say the hardware will grace his mantel sooner rather than later."

SLAM via Jounral Sentinel: Brandon Jennings is ‘Auditioning’ for Other Teams This Season
“I’m going to just play this year out and do what I have to do here,” Jennings said. “The main goal is still trying to win, still trying to make the playoffs. Then I’ll be able to make my own decision. The main thing is, I could say I’m kind of auditioning for other teams, too. The fact if they see what I can do, what I can bring to the table this year for the Bucks, anything can happen in the summertime. Now I’m just going to take it for what it is and ball out, man. Take this as it’s my rookie year again. Take it that I’m the fresh meat that nobody’s ever seen play.”

SLAM: Post Up: Harden!
"NBA fans, say hello to Dame Lillard. The Rookie put on a masterful performance scoring 23 points and dishing out 11 dimes while keeping the Lakers backourt on their heels and giving the Blazers faithful a new kid to cheer for. Along with Lillard, all four of the other Portland starters scored in double figures and Nicolas Batuma and Wes Matthews each scored 20+."

ESPN: Rookie Watch: Early top 10
"Lillard is the best lead guard in this class; that much we know. He might be the best perimeter player overall. No player will be given the responsibilities that Lillard will have from day one, which means he will be allowed to fail without big consequences. That is an integral part of a star player's development. "

ESPN: What else emerged from the first two nights of the season?
"Damian Lillard, like a butterfly from a chrysalis; a renewed Memphis-Clippers rivalry that will probably never determine a conference champ but has evolved into the best recurring street fight in the NBA; the certainty that Rick Carlisle is good at his job, even with the loss at Utah; and the belief that the Jazz big men will steal every rebound -- except from Anderson Varejao. He keeps his."

Sports Illustrated: Three Pointers: Spurs edge past Hornets in Anthony Davis’ debut
"Anthony Davis was every bit as good as advertised, and gave basketball fans a peek behind the curtain to see his multidimensional potential. We saw Davis as a spot-up shooter; the rookie’s catapult release connected twice from mid-range on three tries. We saw Davis as an alley-oop target; the Hornets’ ball-handlers didn’t always take advantage of the big man’s hard rolls to the rim, but did set Davis up for a few automatic finishes via lob. We saw Davis as a unique help defender; few big men are capable of chasing down an athlete like Kawhi Leonard in transition and devouring his shot at the rim, yet there Davis was making it all look so easy. And unexpectedly, we saw Davis as a small forward; Monty Williams wasn’t at all bashful about using Davis in a variety of roles, one of which was fulfilled in the frontcourt alongside Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith to mixed results."

Trail Blazers: Weekend Plan: Specially Designed For Families And The Busy Nine-To-Fiver
"Built for the family-oriented fan with a busy work-week, the 12-game Weekend Pack maximizes the thrill-factor while keeping the competitions to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A smattering of Western Conference rivals and Eastern Conference visitors during one-offs and key home stands, you can get your hands on this schedule-friendly pack for as low as $11/game and $52/game in the lower bowl."

Trail Blazers: The Rivals Plan: Two LAs, Oklahoma City And The Return Of Roy
"The smallest of the four big ticket plans, the eight game Rivals Pack packs a big punch. You’ll be in the building and eating a corndog while others are wondering how to get their hands on a way to see the return of Brandon Roy and the sure to sell out L.A. Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder."

Trail Blazers: Why The Value Plan Makes 'Cents' For You
"The Value Pack starts at just $5 a game. That’s 12 games for as low as $60! Talk about some serious bang for your buck. But that’s not even the best part about this ticket plan. Four of the 12 games take place in the month of January. And there is absolutely no better place to be during an Oregon winter’s night than inside the raucous Rose Garden. Not to mention this pack gets you into the arena to see some of the league’s biggest names and brightest young stars such as Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Rudy Gay."

Trail Blazers: Big Games Plan: 12 Of The Biggest Games
"This game has it all. Season opener, at home, against the loathe-inducing Lakers, in Steve Nash's first game in purple and gold and it's on Halloween night! Any game against the Lakers at the Rose Garden is going to be a lively one, but the confluence of circumstances in this particular game sets the stage for one of the all-time season openers in Trail Blazers history."