Nine Trail Blazers Questions with Kelly AuCoin

As you know, we get plenty of Mailbag questions here at Blazer’s Edge. It’d be impossible for me to answer all of them even if I tried. Some of them have been asked plenty of times, others just need a fresh outlook. That’s why today we’re bringing on noted celebrity Trail Blazers fan Kelly AuCoin, of Portland vintage and now famous for his work on Billions and The Americans, among other things. So without further ado, here are some of the questions you’ve asked me (plus one or two I threw in myself), answered by Mr. AuCoin. Enjoy!

1. Huge game against Denver tonight. What are you looking forward to most about it?

The win.

Also, Nurk beasting on Jokic.

2. Are you a playoffs or lottery guy?

Have to admit I was flirting with Lottery a few weeks ago, but Playoffs is looking pretty hot right now.

3. Jusuf Nurkić: describe the difference he's made to your fandom personally this season. Did you see a big shift before and after his acquisition?

There’s a powerful strain of Nurk Fever that has reached even Brooklyn. I understand that the symptoms sometimes include slightly clouded vision, but I swear I’m seeing a franchise center right now.

4. Nurkić again: What's the single biggest on-court difference he makes.

His gravity. Pulls the opposition to him, opening up the rest of the court for Dame, CJ, Crabbe, Noah, etc. #PlanetNurkic

5. Do you think the Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum backcourt will last long-term if the Blazers want to contend?

Now, I do, yes.

6. Name the best Trail Blazers forward ever. You only get one.

Maurice Lucas.

The original Mo.

7. Favorite Trail Blazers era ever?

That first LaRue Martin team.

[ed. I don’t know how many martinis it took to give that answer, but I’ll have whatever Kelly is having.]

Runner up would be the championship team. I was really young and we had just moved from Oregon to DC that year. The kid in me thought the Blazers were following me to the Big City and telling me everything’s gonna be ok.

8. Do you think having three picks in this year's draft will be Portland's salvation or are those assets overrated?

If we had finished the season on an epic losing streak, we could’ve probably packaged our one high pick with the others for a REALLY high pick, but now… I think it’ll be helpful. Not game changing, necessarily, but we’ve got three shots at finding some diamond in the rough.

9. How much, if at all, do you spread the Blazers gospel among your friends and co-workers?

Constantly. People need to know. You can’t be truly free unless you accept Rip City as you lord and savior.

(It’s because of me that Craig Birnbach (KATU) ended up in PDX)

FYI: Dan Soder (Mafee on Billions) is from Denver and we’ve got a bet going...

9a. Gonna share the terms?

Sadly, it’s only 20 bucks. But Dollar Bill is cheap, and Mafee doesn’t make much money, so….

And there you have it, folks...snappy answers from a true Blazers believer. A little different than you’d get in the normal Mailbag but sometimes we need that, eh?

Keep those Mailbag questions coming to blazersub@gmail.com!