Portland Blazing a New Trail

[Sir Desmond]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND — The storm has passed. The air is clearing. The anger has lifted. There is love in the building again.

The players are crashing the boards. Making their jumpers. Sharing the ball. They're even staying out of trouble.

Bad guys Bonzi Wells and Jeff McInnis are gone. The coach has settled on a lineup he likes. The players are talking to the media. The cheering is drowning out the few lingering jeers aimed at Rasheed Wallace.

It's morning in Portland again. The Trail Blazers are winning. They are 7-1 since small forward Darius Miles, acquired in a trade from Cleveland, became a starter. They have won eight of their last 10.

Three weeks ago they were dead. Boos drifted like paint flecks from the top of the Rose Garden. Players hogged the ball. Everybody on the team seemed expendable.

Things were so bad earlier this year, coach Maurice Cheeks, one of the really good people in the game, started crying after a loss.

But that was before the changes. Before the trade. Before Wallace was moved from power forward to center. Before Zach Randolph, the best player who won't be playing in Los Angeles next Sunday, was moved from small to power forward.

Before this team finally caught a wave.

</div>

<font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Steve Kelley and the Seattle Times.</font>

 

[Trail_Blazer76]

And then we traded the heart and soul of the team.....pure genius.

 

[Emo]

Well Rasheed Wallace was going to be traded one way or the other. I know he puts up good numbers, but he's also a cancer not only to the team, but to the Portland fans that actually spend good money to come out to the Rose Garden to watch him play. In this trade, Portland now has two decent players in Shareef Abdur Rahim and Theo Ratliff. Rahim is a quiet scorer, doesn't complain much, but he always gives his 100% on the court, and you have Theo Ratliff. An excellent rebounder and shot blocker. And wouldn't it be nice to see Zach Randolph and Ratliff as the starting frontcourt? So, things should be a lot easier in Portland.

 

[ANiMuS]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trail_Blazer76:</div><div class="quote_post">And then we traded the heart and soul of the team.....pure genius.</div>

Was he the "heart and soul" of the Trailblazers?

 

[Anzix]

Yes... I think after almost 8 years with a team you are considered the heart and sole of the team. Infact if we had him tonight we would of won against utah...

 

[Shard]

Hey at least Dickau is back in the northwest :biggrin2: