Around The World: March 19

03/19/12

Written by: DHawes22 / avg. rating: 5.0

March 19

Trailblazers.tv: Video: Trail Blazers 95, Thunder 111

Trailblazers.tv: Video: Coach Canales Post-Game Interview

Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers Wrap Up Road Trip With Loss To Thunder
"They're the best team in the West for a reason. They're very good at home," Canales said. "We just couldn't put consecutive sequences of runs together and (the Thunder) did a very good job of responding."

Trail Blazers: Quotes Before Coming Home
"Nolan has been great, man. Nolan's been waiting for this opportunity and now he's getting the opportunity. I'm not surprised. We all not surprised. We knew he could do that. By him out there playing, getting that comfort, getting that confidence, he's only going to get better. I'm proud of him."

Oregon Live: Blazers look to take advantage of new CBA and add All-Star-caliber guard to complement LaMarcus Aldridge
"I feel like that's what we need on this team to take the next step," interim general manager Chad Buchanan said. "We need another high-caliber, top-30 player in the league, preferably in the backcourt, with LaMarcus, who we already have in the frontcourt."

Oregon Live: Trail Blazers turn to Kaleb Canales to repair fractured locker room
“He just brings this energy and confidence,” Aldridge said. “There’s this new, fired-up, rejuvenated energy that we didn’t have. We were so down and so lifeless. He’s bringing some new fire to the team and everybody respects him so much that I feel like we’ve been rejuvenated a little bit. We’re trying to start fresh. We’re all going to go out and play hard and try to do everything for him.”

Oregon Live: Oklahoma City 111, Portland 95: These Blazers go down fighting
"We all committed that no matter that outcome, we're going to play hard, we're going to play together and we're going to play our game," Raymond Felton said. "We're just going to continue to fight. I feel like we're going in the right direction. We lost this game tonight, but I feel like we're going in the right direction."

Rip City Project: Game 45 Recap: Blazers 95, Thunder 111
"For me, the rest of this season is going to be about player development and a little bit of consistency. Thinking that way, what can be taken away from Sunday? Well, to be honest, not a whole lot. Here’s my opinion. Right now the Blazers are hurting for offense. Sunday was no different. What Portland can learn from this loss is that SOMEBODY is going to have to step up and score other than LaMarcus Aldridge. Sunday, LA’s shot was not falling, and there just wasn’t enough offense to close the gap. If the Blazers are going to win any significant number of games over this stretch run they’re going to need some scoring. Time for Luke Babbitt or Nolan Smith or somebody like that to put together back-to-back games of scoring the ball."

Blazersedge: Portland Trail Blazers 95, Oklahoma City Thunder 111 Recap: Bad Habits Return as Guards Shut Aldridge Out of Offense and Blazers Out of Defense
"The farther the fourth period progressed the farther the Blazers went away from Aldridge, to the point he was reduced to demanding the ball in the late and just charging his way to shots, which he missed. Now granted, people are going to say Crawford was on fire while Aldridge had missed shots during this game. But Crawford had missed too, he just didn't quit shooting. Plus don't you love it when the opposing team goes away from its star even if somebody else gets hot for a while...especially if that somebody doesn't defend much? I'm pretty sure that's how the Thunder feel about Crawford getting hot. They'll take it. Maybe this is OK for one game but if the end-of-season Blazers are going to be a guard show while Aldridge and Batum watch, this is going to get ugly. It also doesn't help the vaunted "future" that people keep talking about."

Blazersedge: Greg Oden: Portland Trail Blazer 2007-2012
"The tough thing is, Oden's talent was real. His game was raw, rudimentary. But his size was massive and even post-surgery he had mobility and athleticism aplenty. I remember standing right in front of him, interviewing him at Summer League, 2007. His height was impressive, sure, but this guy was basically two people wide. His arms were the size of most people's legs. His hands defied description. Huge doesn't even begin to cover them. He didn't always move to the right spot, nor take full advantage of his size and ability, but even at 70% of what he could have been Oden tore it up out there. Some were disappointed he didn't put up Shaq-like numbers. They must not have been watching as he grabbed rebounds one-handed that others couldn't corral with both. Nothing was more jarring than a Greg Oden put-back dunk. The ball would float off the rim and then all of a sudden two huge mitts would grab it and thunder it home. It was like those ridiculous old NBA Jam games with flaming dunks from the ceiling, except it was live. Playing clueless and raw as a flipping fish Oden still commanded double teams without touching the ball. When any Blazer player went up for a shot somebody off the weak side would move to help Oden's man keep him off the boards. Half the time it didn't work anyway. The man was a threat just by existing."

NBA: An educated review of deadline day deals (and non-deals)
"One thing I do know is that I think the responsibility as a head coach and someone that's been blessed and fortunate to coach at the highest level, I take that responsibility seriously," Canales said. "I try to get better at it every day. For the City of Laredo, I feel so fortunate to be born there and lived there. The greatest excitement I think is for the children that they're able to dream. I just want them to understand that through faith and hard work and perseverance, their dreams can come true."

Ball Don't Lie via Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Michael Beasley handled the trade deadline with cartoons and junk food
"What was Wolves forward Michael Beasley doing in those final minutes before Thursday's trade deadline when his fate was decided and the Wolves turned down a trade offer that would have sent him to the Lakers? "I know exactly what I was doing: I watching Fanboy and Chum Chum, eating pizza, French fries and lemonade," he said, referring to a Nickelodeon cartoon and some of his favorite foods.

Ball Don't Lie: Antoine Walker sells 2006 NBA championship ring for $21,500 as part of bankruptcy settlement
"Walker is far from the first pro athlete to part with a championship ring. Some, like Metta World Peace/the artist formerly known as Ron Artest, Darko Milicic and former Boston Red Sox reliever Scott Williamson, auction off their diamond-studded mementos for charitable reasons. Others, like former New York Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra and the legendary Julius Erving, have had to auction off their rings to defray court costs."

Ball Don't Lie: Out of nowhere, Drew Gooden is your Eastern Conference Player of the Week
"It's a remarkable accomplishment for someone that has been a consistent, go-to presence all year for the Bucks after a decade-long career that has seen Gooden (we're sorry) work as inconsistently as any talented big man in this game. It's one of my favorite consistent, go-to memory tricks to name off Gooden's many teams in order (Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Bucks), and it's kind of cool that he's taken in recognition like this, this long into his goofy career. That's it. I've got no jokes. Good on 'ya, Drew."

Ball Don't Lie: With the advertising world at his feet, Jeremy Lin decides to endorse Volvos
"And Lin, even taking away his potential influence as Volvo looks to go big in China, seems like the perfect spokesman. We don't want to explicitly spell out the word "y-u-p-p-i-e," but for a young urban professional that wants an interesting car without a BMW lease to worry about, a new Volvo would seem to fit."

DIME: Daily Fantasy Basketball Diagnosis: 3.19 (Weekend Recap)
"Channing Frye (3/18): 8-14 FG (57%), 1-2 FT (50%), 2 threes, 19 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO; In his last five games, Frye is averaging 18.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.2 blocks and 3.6 threes, while shooting 52 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free-throw line. Not to resurrect a terrible catchphrase or anything, but that’s hot."

DIME: Check Out Monta Ellis’ Full Page Message to Milwaukee Bucks Fans
"Most notable from the message is his promise to “help the Milwaukee Bucks compete in the NBA playoffs … in 2012 and for many years to come.” With the eighth seed in the East still up for grabs, the Bucks can make a run in the coming weeks and sneak into the playoffs."

DIME: Dime’s Rookie Report: The 10 Best Freshmen In The NBA, Vol. IV
"The Kings have been assured a new stadium and I’d like to see Thomas get the chance to be in tandem with Tyreke Evans when it’s opened. He’s done what you want as a rookie by keeping his mistakes low at 1.6 turnovers a game, while he’s actually shooting better than his college average (44/39/85 shooting averages). Plus, have you watched the trailer for the documentary made about him, “Mr. Irrelevant”? Amid his other stats, he’s one of the easiest rooks to root for. "

SLAM: Post-Up: Miami Nights
"Dwyane Wade scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, Chris Bosh burned Ryan Anderson for 23 points and LeBron James put together a 14-point, 12-rebound, 7-assists, 5-steal night as the Heat won their 13th straight home game. Bosh’s 3-point play on a James dish with 3:46 remaining was the dagger that did in the Magic, who at that point fell behind 84-73 and couldn’t claw back into the game, despite team-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds from Dwight Howard. Orlando shot sub-40 percent from the field and only four Magic players finished in double figures—81 is the fewest points Orlando has scored in 11 games. 20 turnovers didn’t help the Magic’s cause, nor did Anderson, who scored just 5 points and was benched for the fourth quarter after repeatedly letting Bosh score easy buckets. Miami’s rebounding issues were laid to rest for one night, as the Heat held a 42-36 advantage in that area. The Heat (33-11) sit 2.5 games back of Chicago for the top spot in the East."

SLAM via Denver Post: Wilson Chandler Signed 5-Year, $37 Million Deal With Denver Nuggets
"On Sunday, Chandler signed a five-year deal worth $37 million, Chand ler’s agent said. The signing was first reported by The Denver Post. Also on Sunday, the Nene trade went through, making McGee, a former Wizards center, officially a Nugget. Chandler and McGee are expected to be available tonight when the Nuggets hosts the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. To make room for Chandler, the Nuggets waived Ronny Turiaf, as expected."

SLAM via Yahoo!: NBA Trade Deadline Day: Winners and losers
“JJ Hickson has completed a buyout with the Kings.”

ESPN: Power Rankings: Spurs make strongest move
"Gotta be honest: We're probably going to need more time to digest that the Blazers lost to the Knicks by 42, made two trades, fired Nate McMillan, replaced Nate with a little-known assistant six years younger than 39-year-old Kurt Thomas, waived Greg Oden and then beat the Bulls ... all in the space of 72 hours."

Tags: trailblazers, Thunder, HasheemThabeet, JonnyFlynn, kalebcanales, montaellis, drewgooden, michaelbeasley, NolanSmith

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Around The World: March 19

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