Wells signed to multi-year contract

This is a great pick up for Portland but it also keeps things weird, because they also have Anderson who is a very capable shooting guard. Personally I think Wells is the hands down better player but last I heard, at the end of last season they were looking to trade Wells because he was the most tradeable of the bunch. But now it seems like they are going to keep both of them, or I'm really not sure what they're thinking. Chris Dudley is alright for a 3rd string center to pick up some cheap fouls every now and then. I was kind of hoping that during this off season they would have made some trades, and gotten a real center. I was hoping they would have settled the point guard situation, although I do like Pippen playing point forward but I don't care much for Stoudamire. Hopefully Wallace and Wells realize their full potential so that they can become the best 1-2 punch in the league. better than Shaq or Kobe.

 

From a Rockets' perspective, I'm actually a little relieved. (Remember those rumors about Minn possibly trading Wally World for Wells & possibly Stoudamire. Wells should be a BYC player, now.) I'd rather have him splitting time in Portland than combining with KG in Minn.

Wally is a better shooter, but Wells has the potential to dominate, which wouldn't be good for the Rocks' playoff chances.

 

The Jailblazers have too much depth in the backcourt. Hopefully they won't make it work out.

 

Hopefully the article is correct and all things are going well for the Blazers. If they get team chemistry they'd be quite the force in the West, that is of course under the leadership of Wallace. I serioulsy think this is the year that they are going to put it all together, I see both Wallace and Wells setting career highs in most of the important statistical categories, if they manage to stay injury free the entire season.

Day One Camp Review

October 1, 2002
Blazers Staff

Day one of Blazers training camp was a sight to see. With returning players and newly signed additions, the team worked out together for the first time.

<http://www.nba.com/media/blazers/davis_mcaskillreview.jpg> The day started with stretching and warm-ups and moved into free-throw and shooting drills. With the coaching staff and Bob Whitsitt watching from the sidelines, they began passing and guarding drills.

Rookies Qyntel Woods and Richie Frahm jumped off the bench and flew into action with the veterans. With Rasheed Wallace's guidance Frahm made shot after shot when the team matched up for a scrimmage. Scottie Pippen who was icing his knee and Arvydas Sabonis who was icing his foot laughed as Rasheed Wallace taunted them about age keeping them from the on-the-floor action. The whole team was having a good time.

Although it was only the first day of camp for the Blazers, the team was playing like they'd been together for years. Pairing off for drills were Woods and Randolph, Boumtje Boumtje and Davis, Stoudamire and McInnis, Patterson and Frahm, Wells and Owens and Dudley squared off with McCaskill.

After all the drills and practice were over, you could see Woods and Frahm working on their shooting while Coach Cheeks gave Zach Randolph a run for his money at the basket. First Randolph blocked a shot from Cheeks, then Cheek's left Randolph looking the other way as he faked his way to the bastket.

 

I agree. They have way too many good players- there's no way Derek Anderson will be happy going another season with 20-25 minutes a game. They'll self-destruct again.

 

I care to disagree but then again I've disagreed about this subject every year to this point. Especially now seeing as how this is Pippen's last season in the NBA, all great things must come to an end I guess. After Pippen retires it'll be back to the good ole ways, the Rockets will once again be my favorite team and not in a tie with the Blazers as they are right now.

 

It's almost amazing to think that just 3 short years ago, the Blazers were this close to winning the championship. I would have been divided on that outcome. On one hand, slow down the Lakers juggernaut, on the other, give Pippen a ring w/o Jordan and an excuse to point at the Rockets and say, "See? See?"

Since that collapse in the WC Finals, Portland really went south. Not as far "south" as Houston, say, but hopefully the "south" will rise again?

P.U.

Bad.

 

The south will rise again and this is our year, Wallace and Wells is the way to go. Now with that nice deep back court we'll be back in the top 3 teams in the league.

 

All though this means very little because it is only preseason, the Blazers are still 3 and 0. It's also good for the team because the team leaders, Wallace and Wells are stepping up, even early in the year. And they are only going to get better when Pippen, Sabonis, and Davis are able to play again.

Portland 103, Golden State 88
Blazers Stay Unbeaten in Preseason

OAKLAND, California, Oct. 11 (Ticker) -- Rasheed Wallace had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Bonzi Wells scored 20 points as the Portland Trail Blazers rolled to a 103-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors in a preseason matchup.

Wallace and Wells combined to make 19-of-32 shots for the Blazers, who shot 55 percent (40-of-73) from the floor.

Damon Stoudamire collected 13 points and 11 assists and Ruben Patterson had 14 points off the bench as Portland remained unbeaten in three preseason games.

The Blazers played without veteran forwards Dale Davis and Scottie Pippen and center Arvydas Sabonis, who has returned from a one-year retirement but is sidelined with a quadriceps injury. Davis has a sore back and Pippen will miss the preseason with a swollen right knee.

Antawn Jamison scored 26 points and Gilbert Arenas had 18 points and 12 assists for Golden State, which has split its first two preseason games.

Jason Richardson finished with 12 points for the Warriors, who played without veteran forward Chris Mills and guard Bobby Sura.

 

Out of LA, SA and Sac, who are you guys supposed to be better than?

 

Ha Ha, I think the answer to that is pretty gosh darn obvious, but if you don't know I'll spell it out for you, S-A-N A-N-T-O-N-I-O, ever since their championship year they've been getting progressively worse, and I think this year is no exception. They are pretty much all Duncan, although I don't think Parker is not all that horrible, but Robinson isn't even close to what he used to be and they haven't really made any real pick ups. Other than that foreign dude Ginobili but I don't think he will make a real impact for quite some time. I'd take Wallace and Wells over Duncan any day of the week. This year I do indeed feel that the Blazers will have homecourt advantage which will be the key to their success in the playoffs.

 

Uhhhh, they've gone 58-24 for the last two seasons, how is that "getting progressively worse"? Maybe you were thinking of your own Jailblazers there, since you have gone from 59-23 in 99-00 to 50-32 in 00-01 and 49-33 last year. See that's called "getting progressively worse". They also won the season series with you guys 3-1 last year and 3-1 the year before. Both rosters are relatively unchanged, so tell me how you guys are better again?

 

If Rasheed and Bonzi can keep their heads on straight (big IF), they can overtake San Antonio. San Antonio may have a better regular season record because they always have a good regular season record, but they will have their hands full with Portland.

 

You look solely at records, good job, I was referring to the fact that they did nothing in the playoffs. And are no longer considered a threat to the Lakers, I'm speaking of the Spurs of course. The Blazers have a good bunch this year and hopefully the team chemistry will carry over from last year, Cheeks is a good head coach.

 

And it has begun, the Blazers are off to a great start, despite the fact that the Lakers are clearly undermanned, a win is a win, it's great for confidence. I have a feeling that this team will get better with every game they play, Sacramento watch out tonight. And look how great San Antonio is doing, they barely defeated a weak Lakers team which the Blazers handles and they got upset by the Warriors, so much for that.

Portland 102, LA Lakers 90
Undermanned Lakers Fall in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 30 (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers did something in October that took them until December last season.

Without the injured Shaquille O'Neal and the suspended Rick Fox, the Lakers lost their second game of the season, 102-90, to the Portland Trail Blazers.

"It's good, it's really good for us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We're going to have to look at that kind of situation now for a while and deal with it, and that's OK."

On the way to their third straight NBA title last season, the Lakers opened 16-2, taking their second loss on December 7. Los Angeles had not opened 0-2 since 1990, when it went on to finish 58-24 and reach the NBA Finals.

"I think we're easily a .500 team without Shaq in the lineup," Los Angeles guard Derek Fisher said. "We don't want to get 0-7 and then try to scrap and get a win."

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but gave his team a huge scare in the second quarter when he landed on Ruben Patterson's foot after a jump shot and turned his right ankle. Bryant went to the locker room and returned about three minutes later.

"It's hurting really bad," Bryant said. "I've got it wrapped nice and tight so that it doesn't swell up on me tonight."

When Bryant left the game, Los Angeles had a 26-23 lead. After his injury, the Trail Blazers went on a 24-3 run, including a stretch during which they scored 20 straight points.

"I think that the game turned around in the second quarter, obviously," Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said.

"With Kobe in there, he can break the press and he can do everything against pressure, so they probably wouldn't try that," Lakers forward Robert Horry said. "With him out, we only had one really good ballhandler out there."

Rasheed Wallace scored eight of his 28 points in the second quarter, when Portland outscored Los Angeles, 39-17.

Blazers forward Scottie Pippen, now playing in a reserve role, scored nine points in 10 minutes on 3-for-3 shooting.

Portland led by as many as 24 points and got punctuating dunks in the fourth quarter from Antonio Daniels and Dale Davis.

The fans at the Rose Garden were most thrilled late in the game by a pair of behind-the-back passes from 37-year-old center Arvydas Sabonis. The 7-3, 292-pound Lithuanian played his first competitive basketball since spending last season in temporary retirement.

"(I feel) like after a long vacation," Sabonis said. "I needed a vacation. That year was good for me."

Sabonis played 10 minutes and finished with six points, seven rebounds and two assists.

"I am sure glad to have him here," Cheeks said. "He really helps our team a lot."

Portland also got 16 points from Damon Stoudamire, who added six rebounds and six assists. Jeff McInnis, making his Blazers debut after signing as a free agent, scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in 21 minutes.

Bryant led the Lakers with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but was not happy with Patterson, the self-styled "Kobe-stopper."

"The guy can't guard me," Bryant said. "Nobody can guard me 1-on-1 and that's not what I'm here for. That's not what I do. I don't play 1-on-1 basketball. If you want to play one-on-one basketball, you can holler at me in the offseason. If you want to talk 1-on-1 stuff, that's so 1996 for me."

The Lakers made only 6-of-21 attempts from 3-point range. Bryant made three of those on seven shots from behind the arc.

Forward Slava Medvedenko scored 15 points in 23 minutes off the bench for Los Angeles, but was 6-of-13 from the field. Six of Medvedenko's nine rebounds came on the offensive end.

The Blazers have won four straight regular-season home games against the Lakers and 11 of the last 13 meetings in Portland.