Posted 07/07/2012 3:58 PM

LOL. Calm down or you might hurt yourself.

Larry Miller had nothing to do with Brandon Roy going to the Timberwolves. We didn't want Roy to retire last year, HE chose to, and now he wants to come back but I guess he doesn't have enough respect for Portland to wait until he can come back here? So even though the Blazer organization is still paying him, and the Blazer fans have cried for him and cheered for him and supported him through thick and thin, BRANDON ROY is the one to blame for going to the Timberwolves. He and none other. His choice. And the wrong choice. But as far as I understand, not Miller's choice. (I will be there when the Wolves come to Portland, with a giant sign for Roy, more or less saying "How Could You?!?", not "How Could Miller")

Batum does want to be a Blazer, and he's said so, immediately after the RUMOR came out that he wanted out. The line that everyone is latching on to "Batum's heart is in Minnesota" came from his AGENT, not Batum. It's part of a smokescreen to angle for more money. And if you would try reading any of the latest news about the process, the Blazer Front Office announced (days ago) that they will be matching any offer Batum signs (this comes after the fact that the "offer" everyone is talking about from Minnesota was NEVER SIGNED BY BATUM). So it's highly, highly likely that Nico will still be a Blazer next year... let us hope that it's just as likely he fires his classless agent, and becomes a better person/basketballer because of it.

"...couldn't get more depressed after we gave away Crash and dis'd McMillan" are you kidding me?!? << see what I did there?
Ok where to start... you said you loved what you saw at the beginning of the season right? And then it got worse... that was directly due to MCMILLAN and his inability to coach to player's strengths; Nate is known around the NBA as historically being one of those "old-schoolers" who tell players to play HIS style, instead of looking at his roster and doing what's best for the athletes. Other coaches consistently could out-coach Nate and beat the Blazers, even when our talent was so far above theirs, because he could not vary his game. He was a problem, and I would've been happier if he was gone the year before.
And Gerald Wallace... he was never Crash since he came to Portland. That's what we wanted when we brought him here, but instead we got someone who was completely invisible on the road, couldn't finish at the rim, had the flattest jumpshot in the NBA, and had declining numbers all season. Also (and THIS is important), by trading Wallace, we picked up what turned out to be the #6 overall pick in the draft, which has now become Damian Lillard, hopefully our PGOTF... If trading an aging player from your team means that you can have 2 first round draft picks and only miss the playoffs for a single season, you take that. Every time. Especially for Gerald Wallace.

And I guess I could've said this first, but the definition of the word "Passion" has nothing to do with whether or not you LIKE what's going on, but more to do with whether or not you are emotionally engaged by it. Obviously, from your post, it's easy to see you are emotionally engaged with the Blazers, as most Portland fans are. But please do yourself a favor, and think about all the opportunity in front of this organization right now; there is WAY more to be passionate and excited about with where this team is heading, then where it is coming from.

GO BLAZERS.

Posted 07/07/2012 4:30 PM

Well said 24/7. Rip City will be back. Better than ever.

Posted 07/08/2012 5:00 AM

Agreed with just about everything except for Broy. I think of the amnesty and I think of the Blazers. Roy knew he had maybe  2 years to heal and when he came back he could play maybe 12 mins a game. That is a lot of money on the books especially right now since we are basically going after Hibbert with Roy's money. Roy retired so we could amnesty him with grace and not like the rest of the scrubs that got it for having an overbloated contract for not performing. As far as him going to the T'wolves, more power to him, I do not feel like he owes us anything. In fact he gave us the best part of his career and maybe all of it least we could do is wish him luck.

Posted 07/08/2012 9:56 AM

That makes alot of sense  about the contract and money Barnettfan, it has worked out well for Portland, but I just don't understand him coming back like this...

When he retired last year, we were told it was because if he continued to play at the NBA level, he might lose the ability to ever walk again. That hasn't changed in one short season, even if he was able to try and fix his knees in ways that he couldn't have done through the Blazers. So if it's still such a health risk, then his rush to come back seems like it would most likely be about either money or passion for the game. Obviously he's not begging for a paycheck, so I would like to believe it's about his love for basketball and I think most fans would agree. Everyone loves that phrase "in the end it's about business", but Brandon Roy is that shining one-in-a-million that breaks the rule.

But if it truly is that whole-heartedly about The Game, that he'd take such unnecessary risks to his long term health, than I believe it absolutely MUST also be about The Fans. Any athlete who gets all the way to the NBA level has fallen in love with the crowd, the adoring audience and the praise they shower on him. Most athletes today, unfortunately, just don't really care which crowd that is, as long as they're getting paid enough to be worth it. For them it's more about the screaming fans, but for someone like Brandon

Posted 07/08/2012 10:27 AM

wow computer glitch, didn't mean to post yet...

anyway you get what I'm saying. If Brandon Roy is that guy who so highly values Basketball, like we believe him to be in Portland, instead of just valuing his status as the celebrity athlete, than I just don't understand how he can turn his back on his people, ya know? A player like him is supposed to be above that, and be attached to the people that were there through everything he did. I'm worried that BRoy just isn't that exception to the rule that we all believe he was. But I'm HOPING that, if he's still playing when the time comes that we can re-sign him, we will somehow see him back in a Blazers jersey, to help finish what he helped start here. I know that's far-fetched, and we all know he won't ever play like the old Brandon Roy (plenty of other NBA players that can't either), but that would be my ultimate movie-like comeback: A Blazer team, 2-3 years from now, making a run at the championship, with a roster that resembles Lillard (matured, looking more like a Rose or Westbrook), Wesley (consistent, looking like a Gerald Wallace/Jameer Nelson blend), Batum (full-time aggressive, looking like an Iggy/Pippen blend), Aldridge (consistently next level, #1 Go-To, looking like maybe... Duncan/Nowitzki blend), Hibbert (looking like... Hibbert? Lol sorry don't know his game a ton), and Brandon Roy, our spot-up shooter, who's game has become maybe more like Ray Allen's.

That would be SWEET, and would be the return to glory that Portland deserves after years of bad fortune. Imagine even behind that team, some NBA-experienced-versions of Elliot Williams or Meyers Leonard. I can see things turning around already! GO BLAZERS :)

Posted 07/08/2012 12:14 PM

I dont really think it would be for glory since he really was never in the news in the first place. The fan thing maybe but why Minnesota? Unless that was the only place that would take him? I can see if he exaggerated the knee issue a bit considering Nate wanted to play him every minute even knowing his knees were shot. Anyway I may of talked him up a little high but he still had pretty high standards of everyone to include himself. He also may have been given the option of retiring or amnestied anyway. We dont know  what happened behind that closed door. I would however like to give him the benefit of a doubt and that if he feels like he can come out for a few minutes and shoot some 3's at the end of the half and close the game out for the next few years than why not? If he does come out and plays 20-25 mins a game and makes 20 -25 points than I would feel abit betrayed but I do not think that is the case.

Posted 07/08/2012 9:45 PM

B Roy is rakin' the Benjamins from us and Minny. I don't know for sure but if you add what he is getting paid from the amnesty loop and the Timberwolves, he may be the highest paid player in the league. you go BRoy.......... That's how you do business. perhaps we should look to hire him as GM or team President or?

Posted 07/09/2012 2:04 AM

Lol nice one Mbmurr. Once again, this really just supports the bad taste in my mouth about Brandon. He is supposed to be one of those players that loves The Game, not the Paycheck. But if he loved The Game, then he'd love His Fans instead of fans anywhere, and he'd make the smarter decision to wait until he can get his knees worked on or rehab'd. I'm starting to get more and more worried that BRoy wasn't that superhero we believed him to be, but instead he might just be another fame hound, who needs his fix of fan worship and is willing to give up his health for one more hit.

But believe me, I'm still hoping that deep down, he's still our Brandon. I just hope he proves it sooner than later, so I can put my #7 jersey on again.