There are three long articles covering the Blazers over at the O-Live site.
First, a look at Brandon and last night's game.
The most interesting news there is that Ime is also really dragging and could be put into a reduced role or shut down. We've got nothing left of our starting lineup really: Przybilla, Aldridge, Randolph, Miles, Udoka, LaFrentz all either out or battling injury. That's every frontcourt player we started the year with outside of Magloire and Outlaw.
Next a great article by JQ about Jamaal's future with the Blazers.
There's a ton of positive stuff about him but the itch in the back of my head also tells me to beware the guy who shines right at the end of the contract year...no matter what the causes. The reduced role wasn't his fault and of course he's playing well now, but still.
Finally an intriguing article by newcomer to the beat Geoffrey C. Arnold. He covers the new NBA rule changes limiting draftee workouts. Kevin Pritchard talked about this a little bit in this week's Quick Chat but this spells it out...and KP seems none too happy about the changes either. Great article.
They say the changes are to restore the importance of the pre-draft camps but it seems like that boat has already sailed in our information age. Everybody in every field wants specific information...advertisers, financial wizards, doctors, scientists, you name it. Generalities have all but gone out the window. Why should basketball be different? This seems a little like the NBA forcing archaism in the name of faux-parity and preserving its own institutions.
Good stuff by the Oregonian all around.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)