FanHouse GregOden

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. They are more than ready to make a splash this upcoming season. In this FanHouse exclusive, we talk to Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum and Jarron Collins to see how training camp is going.

Check out the video after the jump.

Bylaws have been checked. Rules have been scrutinized.

And, yes, it has been determined the West must start a center in February's All-Star Game in Dallas.

So, gentlemen, lace up your high tops. The race to be the starting center for the West is as wide open as the Yukon Territory.

Will Brinson kicked it at The OC for the Nike Global Training Summit.

Even as his team was booted from the playoffs by the Houston Rockets, Brandon Roy recently received high praise from Ron Artest. Artest decided to give him the highest compliment possible, stating that Roy, not Kobe Bryant, was the toughest player he's ever had to guard.

And you best believe FanHouse (specifically my homie Elie Seckbach) was jumping on that question when Roy made an appearance at the Global Training Summit, sporting his customized B-Roy Trainer 1's. We also discuss his offseason plans, what the Blazers' goals are for next year and what he's doing in the offseason.

Let's take our attention for a moment off the NBA playoffs and look ahead to the 2009-10 season. It was a tough year for several players around the league. So tough, in fact, that they'll have some bouncing back to do next year.

Here are five players – and a sixth man -- who should have the most to prove in 2009-10:

--Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets. Technically, a team with McGrady on the roster – this year's Rockets – advanced to the second round of the playoffs. That would be a first. Except we all know McGrady didn't play in the postseason and wasn't around down the stretch for Houston.

You can't keep a good seven-foot Chinese guy with incredible footwork, length, and a solid supporting cast built of metric-positive role players down forever.

The Houston Rockets advanced to the second round for the first time in Yao Ming's seven-year career on Thursday night with a 92-76 win at home over the Portland Trailblazers. And while Yao was his usual productive self with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, it was Ron Artest shaking off his offensive doldrums to explode for 27 points that helped Houston to overcome their demons. And possibly give Tracy McGrady a few more.

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Cherry Picking recaps yesterday's action.

The Blazers and the Rockets are both playoff teams that have their share of obvious flaws. In fact, neither one of them have any business getting out of the first round this season. But thanks to the way the seedings shook out, one of them will advance by default.

Unfortunately for Portland fans, that team is going to be the Rockets, and the reason is rather simple: This Blazers team is just not built for the playoffs.

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Dikembe Mutombo suffered a horrible fall on Tuesday night, tangling legs with Greg Oden before crumbling to the ground. He stayed down for quite some time, too, before being taken off the floor on a stretcher -- and based on his quotes following the game, Mutombo has played his last professional basketball game.

We don't stop, cause we can't stop. Continuing our coverage of the 2009 NBA Playoffs, we'll be live blogging the first game of Portland versus Houston in Portland. Can the Blazers find an answer to the Dynasty? Can Houston maintain it's lockdown defense on arguably the best offense in the league? Will Ron Artest scream something that makes you yell "EARMUFFS!" at your children, grandmother, and/or visiting minister? Join us and we can discuss! Live at 10:30PM EST.

FanHouse previews the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Stick any two teams in a playoff series this season and it will feel glorious. Stick two well-matched teams with star power, stunning talents, opposing strengths, and raucous arenas in a playoff series and the glory has no bounds. Such is the situation with the West's 4-5 battle between Portland and Houston.

NBA Essentials provides the must-see links, quotes and videos of the day.



-- David Lee recently appeared on PBS's The Electric Company, apparently co-starring with the GEICO gecko's less successful brother. If this NBA thing doesn't pan out, maybe Lee fall back on acting? I'm dubious about that.