Bonus Podcast: 2010s All Decade Team With a Twist

Blazers Edge editor Steve DeWald and special guest Scott Hatley of Incight join Tara to discuss our choices for the all-decade team for 2010’s. But there was a twist: we couldn’t select a current Blazer.

Who did we chose for point guard? Which other players from the 2010s made the list? Listen or read the highlights below and let us know who would be on your All-Decade team for the 2010s? Whose team would win?

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Incight, an organization dedicated to unlocking the potential of people with disabilities and other barriers, is raffling off a basketball signed by all of the Portland Trail Blazers. Enter for a chance to win for $15 per ticket. Drawing to be held on December 16 at 4pm. All proceeds from the raffle go to Incight.

Highlights

1:00 Introducing Scott Hatley of Incight.org.

2:00 Born in 1979 and started attending games with his family very young. Remembers crying when the team lost and loving the players. Remembers sneaking peanuts and soda into games with his dad.

3:00 Incight is an organization that focuses on education, employment and independence for people with disabilities and other barriers. Scott has muscular dystrophy and uses an electric wheelchair.

7:45 In his experience Blazers and the Moda center are doing a good job of making the venue accessible.

11:30 Pick out your all-decade team from the 2010s, but it can’t include anyone from the current roster. That made it really hard to pick out a point guard.

13:30 Point Guards. Steve picks Andre Miller, he’s tied for number 10 in the number of total assists in Portland. Tara also chose Andre Miller. His 52 points game was on January 30, 2010, so even if it was barely in the decade, Tara counts it. She wants to know how many of his assists were alley-oops? Scott chose Steve Blake because Blake was consistent. Tara would have also said Mo Williams because of how he stood up to Andrew Bogut in a fight.

16:55 Shooting guard. For Steve it was Wesley Matthews. A good three-point shooter, a leader in the locker room until Damian was ready to take it up. Who knows what would have happened with that team if he had stayed healthy? Scott also chose the Iron Man, that was one of the hardest departures, when Matthews left the team. Tara chose Brandon Roy because even though he played more in the previous decade he technically did play in the 2010s. We remember the Brandon Roy come back game 4 vs Dallas.

19:50 Small forward choices: Steve chose Nic Batum. Even though he didn’t put up huge numbers he did a little bit of everything and we got to watch him grow up. Scott thought about putting Brandon Roy in at the 3, but ultimately decided to go with Batum as well. Tara chooses Gerald Wallace who wasn’t here for a long time but it was fun to watch him. He also had a great voice and it was fun to remember the Ger-ald Wal-lace chants.

23:50 Power Forward. Steve and Scott both choose LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge has the numbers to back up the case. Tara had a hard time choosing but ultimately went with Aldridge as well.

25:45 Did you all boo LaMarcus Aldridge when he came back? Steve wasn’t at the game but he says he probably would have boo’d him. Scott doesn’t think that he did. Tara did that first game but not after that.

28:30 Centers: Steve chose Robin Lopez, not only because of his play and how good the team was in 2013-14, but because the defense that the team uses to this day was built around Robin Lopez. Scott chooses Joel Pryzbilla, he still has the Tom Petty song “Won’t Back Down” in his head. Tara chose Ed Davis.

Final teams (remember we were not allowed to choose someone on the current roster):

Steve’s team--Andre Miller, Wesley Matthews, Nic Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez.

Scott’s team--Steve Blake, Wesley Matthews, Nic Batum (or Brandon Roy), LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Pryzbilla.

Tara’s Team--Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Ed Davis.

33:00 Sixth man, Steve chose Ed Davis, Chris Kaman or Allen Crabbe. Scott’s choice for sixth man was Patty Mills, and Tara chose Al-Farouq Aminu.