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After news that Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver are on the move,
Danny Marang and Tara Bowen-Biggs discuss what this might signal about the Portland Trail Blazers’ plans for the rest of the season. Are there more moves on the horizon? What if this is all the Blazers do before the trade deadline?
We give appreciation for a week of fun basketball highlighted by good games from both Tolliver and Bazemore and of course Gary Trent Jr. then we answer listener questions about the new players, Trevor Ariza and Wenyen Gabriel and the return of Caleb Swanigan. All this an much more on this week’s episode of the Blazers’ Edge podcast.
Highlights
1:00 Initial reaction to the trade for Trevor Ariza, Wenyen Gabriel and Caleb Swanigan: Does this trade make the plan for the rest of the year more clear?
2:15 Is it possible to make a move that makes everyone happy? Blazers usually work with a small group of teams.
9:00 Appreciation for departing players. Remembering the Anthony Tolliver game.
15:00 Kent Bazemore had a nice game against Houston.
17:00 Things basketball-wise seem like they are starting to fall into place, especially for the younger players.
22:00 Carmelo Anthony has been having a good week, here’s why. Not taking too many shots, he’s getting guys in the post and backing them down which is where he excels. He’s not a ball stopper on offense because if he gets in trouble he is passing it out. All in all, some nice team basketball was played this week.
25:30 @Burlacious_M Is Ariza going to surprise everyone with a Melo like revival in Portland where he’s playing major minutes and can really help us win?
30:00 @ReverendRomulus Is this the upgrade at SF, in the team’s mind, that we’ve been looking for or is this just a way to save money and kick the can down the road a bit? And is there any chance Ariza doesn’t stay past the deadline?
34:00 @emilyvkarr Would love to know more backstory on Gabriel.
37:20 Jaylen Hoard interlude and the Pink Shoe Shift.
38:40 @SteveDHoops Following the trade, do you feel like it is more or less likely that another move featuring Whiteside takes place before the deadline?
41:00 Get ready for some Caleb Swanigan at center between the trade deadline and All Star Break.
42:00 @CourtSideMike How do you grade this trade?
45:00 @Tom_krieg_ Will Swanigan see meaningful minutes right away?
47:50 @LaytonTPorter I can easily see how Ariza could be an upgrade over Baze but what about AT? AT makes very few mistakes and has been solid on D, as silly as it sounds who’s going to fill his shoes adequately?
51:00 @chris_nordby Ask @DannyMarang, “what blazer will he jinx and cause to have an injury next?”. Followed by “what is the main color on the blazers tank that he prefers?”.
55:00 @PaulSwardstrom What kind of player is Gabriel? Portland probably has an idea what we’re getting with Ariza and Swanigan, but he’s more of an unknown here.
57:30 Shout out Gary Trent Jr for the “flu game” on his birthday.
1:01:00 @kevin_parks Is Caleb now a “Portland local” OG? Will we buy out Ariza? Who is Gabriel? #InquiringMinds
1:02:00 @Dirtysturdy15 Is this a sign of giving up on the season? Do they know more about CJ’s injury then they are letting on? Is it possible there are more moves on the horizon that they could still possibly pivot to depending on what is happening? Also has swanigan gotten in shape/lost weight?
1:07:00 @chrisst90094291 At what point do you think the organization considers sitting Dame and CJ this year?
1:08:00 @burban192 What happens if there’s no deal for Whiteside? How does this team reload for next year?
1:09:00 @cj_anderson On an optimistic (or delusional) front, what is the minimum bar this team would need to reach for Terry Stotts to contend (or win) coach of the year?
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