The Second Half of the Season Starts Tonight!

After playing their hearts out against Phoenix the other night, in a game in which they battled to pull within three on three different occasions during the final two minutes, the Blazers are hopeful. Their new young squad has proven time and time again in recent weeks that despite their inability to prove themselves consistent, they are demonstrating teamwork and patience against some of the teams toughest opponents.

Coach Nate is applauding the secondary line up. He is putting the town on notice that perhaps this team may run the ball much more often in the second part of the season. That second part starts tonight! The damaged Milwaukee Bucks are coming to town hobbling, without two of their top scorers and now showcasing Rueben Patterson an ex Blazer and one fellow named Andrew Bogut, whoever that is! In other words, we should have a young team on the floor and all over this Buck ballclub. They lost in Seattle 99-72. We had better blow this team up sooner and by a bigger margin, otherwise the Sonics will not let us forget it come time for our next face to face.

Coach Nate has had this to say this week. "When you are talking about building the team for the future, I think that conversation definitely has to come up,"(about an up tempo game) adding, "This was something we had to make a decision on last year, w/ Sebastian (Telfair), because he and Zach didn't work. Sebastian wanted to be in the open floor and play with the ball, and Zach is more of a halfcourt player, so you have to slow things down and play off him.", he concluded that "... I still think you need a low-post presence in this league in order to win"

From the Oregonian this Sunday, January 21, 2007

JASON QUICK

Meanwhile, Aldridge, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft, has become one of those rare commodities in the NBA: a big man who has feathery touch from the outside, polished moves inside and the wherewithal to block shots. He has also established himself as one of the top disciples of strength and conditioning coach Bobby Medina, who predicts Aldridge can sculpt his body quicker and better than former Blazers prodigy Jermaine O'Neal.

Yes! This team is prepared for a breakout game, a statement game tonight, a game that will open the second half of the season showing the league what every team they face will be in for, coming to Portland, the latter half of this season will mean.