Event Ask Me (Almost) Anything As We Fly To Los Angeles

[caseyholdahl]

Casey,

How closely do you follow other teams?

Do you have close friends that are broadcasters or writers for other teams?

I try to keep track of what teams near the Trail Blazers in the standings are doing. I typically watch a couple non-Blazers games a week, but I'm not on League Pass watching Sixers vs. Pacers on a Tuesday night. My wife is very forgiving when it comes to my work schedule, so I try to spend my time being a good husband during my off hours rather than being a fan of the NBA.

As for other teams, I'm have relationships with some of my counterparts on other teams, but for the most part, there's too much work to be done on the road to spend much time building friendships. I did have a good relationship with Houston's web guy, Jason Freidman, before he got out the game.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey,

If it was your choice, and you owned the team, would you go "all in" and sign every single starter and Afflalo? Even if we lose in the first round...

Probably not. That just seems like a lot of money to have tied up on the wing, especially if you think CJ McCollum is going to work his way into a quality NBA player.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Do you see yourself moving further into the front office of a sports team or maybe more of sports columnist? I'd love to see you replace Canzano.

Nah. Whatever I do next probably won't be in journalism and maybe not even sports.

 

[caseyholdahl]

How would one go about to date a Blazer dancer?

Considering that I haven't been on a first date since 1999, I'm not sure how one would go about getting a date with anyone. Dating seems really hard, though I suppose internet dating, now that it's no longer stigmatized, has made it a bit easier.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Nah. Whatever I do next probably won't be in journalism and maybe not even sports.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Who were Claver's best friends? What do they say he's doing? He must be still living in Portland. His agent didn't like his being sent to the D-League as a rookie, so I doubt Claver will now try that.

Well, as far as I know, he's in Russia now. Victor was very well liked and is a heck of a nice guy, but I'm not sure that he had a "best friend" on the team.

 

[Duvalier]

Do any players on the team read this message board ripcitytwo that you know of?

 

[BlazerWookee]

Well, as far as I know, he's in Russia now. Victor was very well liked and is a heck of a nice guy, but I'm not sure that he had a "best friend" on the team.

Did Rudy and Sergio bring him back one of those matching sweaters?

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey...What nickname do the Blazers use for Arron Afflalo if any?

I've heard he goes by Triple A, but mostly I think the team just calls him Arron.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey, last serason Mo Williams had the team out for dinners and was widely reputed to be a guy who got the team to bond off the court. Who's that guy this season?

You know, I'm not really sure. They have a team dinner at the hotel pretty much everywhere we go, but we're not allowed to attend those, so I'm not sure who is there and who is going out. One thing I will say is that I think some of the "guys hanging out off the court" stuff gets a little overblown. They spend a lot of time with each other as it is, so I'm not sure if they really need to look for more opportunities to bond.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Do any players on the team read this message board ripcitytwo that you know of?

Not that I know of.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Are we like banned for ever having a Spanish player again?

I wouldn't go that far, but it does seem like the Spanish Invasion in the NBA has fizzled out a bit. I think international players have figured out that playing in the NBA isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey, is it cool being one of the first beat writers that doesnt feel the need to hate on the team for drama ratings?

This is one of the most common misconceptions about the media. While there are certainly some guys whose only goal is to stir the pot, most people, especially those who are actually covering the team on a daily basis, just want to tell good stories.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey, have the folks at blazers.com pretty much scrapped video podcasts for good? Don't see much on the site anymore where we used to have Sarah Hecht, Adam Bjornson, Orlando Williams, yourself, etc...now it seems pretty much just Courtside

Pretty much. The numbers just didn't make it worth the effort or expense. We've scaled back a lot of our digital initiatives over the last few years which has actually improved our site numbers. Less really can be more when it comes to the web.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Not that I know of.

Thank God.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey, does the HCP mow your lawn as well or just players/denny's

I mow my own lawn. It's a chore I enjoy doing, and I couldn't afford to pay the insurance claim if/when HCP invariably cut his foot off while trying to unclog wet grass from the catch.

I actually went to buy a new mower the other day since the weather has been so nice, but they were out of stock on the model I wanted.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

How's Joel coming along? I'm assuming the team is aware that they are 63-20 when he plays, and much much worse when he doesn't.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey, in your opinion, which Blazer player is the most introverted? And which is the most extroverted? Thanks in advance!

Introvert, I'd say LaMarcus. Extrovert, probably Meyers.

 

[caseyholdahl]

How's Joel coming along? I'm assuming the team is aware that they are 63-20 when he plays, and much much worse when he doesn't.

I think Joel is well on his way. I question if he'll be able to do enough to wrestle all of his minutes back from Meyers with the improvements he's made and his ability to stretch the floor, but Joel still has the leg up when it comes to the defensive end, which might be more important, especially when playing alongside Kaman.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Extrovert, probably Meyers.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Assistant most likely to have his own job soon?

Do you agree with ESPN's rating of the Blazers' analytics department (why/why not)?

How many reps did the Blazers send to the Sloan Conference, and who was the "highest-ranking"?

Which other media guys would you hook up out of professional courtesy, and who's burned their bridges with you?

1) David Vanterpool. I know he interviewed for the Sixers job a while back (he dodged a bullet on that one, imo) and I guessing he gets a look this offseason, as head coaches seem to be getting fired every other week.

2) I think it was about right. Blazers definitely use analytics in their decision making, but I don't think they're doing so on the level of the Rockets/Sixers/Suns. I think they've struck a nice balance, and as I've said before, I think Neil Olshey has a much better sense of how players fit together than most of his contemporaries.

3) I have no idea. Olshey only talks very infrequently during the season, so it's hard to get that kind of information. I know our VP of marketing and business analytics both went, as it's a much larger event than just on-court analytics.

4) In terms of information, I don't hook up anyone. If I can't use something, I'm sure as hell not giving it to someone else to use. I've had minor disagreements throughout my career, but nothing I would consider bridge burning.

 

[caseyholdahl]

He better not be breaking the "No pooping on the plane" rule.

 

[caseyholdahl]

And a follow-up question: What are your recovery plans after that inevitably goes badly?

I'd rather go the route of John Hollinger, another former OregonLive employee. At least he's still employed.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Case is fueling up for this massive Q&A!

Sent from my Baller-Ass 5.5" iPhone 6+......... FAMS

What luxury.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Casey -- do the Players seem to trust Adam Silver more than David Stern? Have you noticed anything different in your interactions with the team under Silver's regime?

I'm not sure if I'd say they trust him more, but I feel pretty confident in saying they like him a whole lot more. I think the players respected Stern like they respect any worthy adversary, but Silver's willingness to try new things and make changes based off of feedback from players far exceeds Stern's. And giving the players a full week for the All-Star break probably sealed the deal as favorite commissioner.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Just a heads up that we're descending into LA, so the internet could cut out at any time.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Just a heads up that we're descending into LA, so the internet could cut out at any time.

How thick is the smog layer today?

 

[caseyholdahl]

From what you've noticed how is Batum feeling? His play has certainly been better.

He's in a much better place than he was before the all-star break. He was burned out, and was readily willing to admit it. The wrist certainly didn't help, of course, but having some time away from basketball really seemed to be a relief.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Just a heads up that we're descending into LA, so the internet could cut out at any time.

Casey, thank you so very much for doing this. Last year this forum voted you the Best Beat Reporter, we love your coverage of the team and truly appreciate you answering our questions.

 

[caseyholdahl]

Is anyone taking the trading away of (any of) the three players hard?

I'm sure some guys were sad to see them go -- I know I was -- but the writing was on the wall, so it's not like it was much of a surprise.