Trying to decide which Trailblazer rookie, Dante Cunningham or Jeff Pendergraph, the new Brandon Roy bobble head (pictured above) resembles most. One thing’s for sure, it looks nothing like Roy . . .
Brandon Roy’s All-Star Push Begins
The Dave Knows Portland Trailblazers 2009-2010 preview
Tonight the Portland Trailblazers officially start the season with a home game against the Houston Rockets, the team they lost to in the playoffs last year. The home team should give the Rose Garden faithful a good show, despite Nicolas Batum’s absence – it pays to have a deep bench! The Rockets, sans Yao Ming and Ron Artest, are likely to be a shadow of their last year playoff self.
I have a confession to make. Despite being a season ticket holder, I have not attended or watched a single preseason game this year. I have no idea what the new guys (other than Juwan Howard and Andre Miller) even look like.
But the tradition here is to make a prediction as to the team’s success in the upcoming season. This year I have little on which to base my prediction, except for my knowledge of last year’s team and the two aforementioned veterans, that Martell is back, Batum is no longer a rookie, and Oden is looking strong and confident.
Two years ago, I was spot on at 41-41. Last year I predicted 49 wins, five short of their eventual accomplishment. At the time my prediction seemed optimistic, as most prognosticators predicted the Blazers would win a handful more games than the season before. Batum, Rudy Fernandez, and really even Greg Oden, as you may recall, were relatively unknown commodities. As the season progressed I saw the error of my conservative guessing ways, and offered my mea culpa, and a scolding to pessimists, in a blog post: Never underestimate the Trail Blazers.
So I’ve learned my lesson. I’m not going to underestimate this team. My brother Steve has predicted an optimistic 59 wins. I’m going to go even further out on a limb: My prediction is 63 wins and 19 losses. Yup, they’ll tie the best record ever for the Trailblazers franchise, set by the 1990-91 team.
Go Blazers!
October 17: Mississippi Marketplace grand opening with special guest Bill Walton
Several of the food carts have been open a few weeks already, but the official Grand Opening of the Mississippi Marketplace (4233 N Mississippi, at Skidmore) takes place this Saturday from 1 until 6pm.
Roger Goldingay, the former NASL Timbers player and developer of the marketplace, has revealed also that there will be a special guest at the gala: his old friend and Trailblazers legend Bill Walton will be making an appearance.
The current food cart tenants of the marketplace are Nuevo Mexico, The Big Egg, Native Bowl, Magic Bean, SW Pizza, Ruby Dragon, Dogfeathers, Sushi Tree, Patty’s Wagon, and Sugar Cube is opening soon. Additional offerings Saturday include Mt. Angel farm’s fresh produce, LadlesPDX’s take-away soup, the scented bath and body products of Ocean Child, and Jim Jennings of Perceptive Touch Massage will be offering low cost chair massages from 4 to 8pm.
BLZRFAN reports: Portland Trailblazers 2009-2010 season preview
My brother Steve, a Portland native and lifelong Trailblazers fan like me, moved to Elko, Nevada a few years ago. He’s still a BLZRFAN, and he blogs at Dave Knows: Elko.
Here are some of his preseason thoughts and predictions on the 2009-2010 Portland Trailblazers season:
Last year’s Portland Trailblazer season was pretty amazing. 54 wins, 4th seed in the tough Western Conference. I’m usually an eternal optimist as far as the Blazers go, but last season even exceeded my expectations. They are all unselfish team players, have a phenomenal bench, and an underrated superstar in Brandon Roy. This is going to be Greg Oden’s year, I’m telling you! My prediction: 59 wins and a Northwest division championship.