The operative phrase here is "with plenty of time to spare."
The Blazers and LaMarcus Aldridge had been working on an extension, the second of the big two the Blazers needed to lock up to ensure stability in their young, contending core (the other being Brandon Roy). The two had until October 31st to get a deal done in order to avoid Aldridge becoming a restricted agent next summer.
There had been rumors that Aldridge was unhappy about how long it was taking, given the Blazers' hyper-eager approach to Roy's five-year, $80 million deal. With Oct. 31 just 10 days away, the clock was ticking. Both sides were confident a deal would get done, but you couldn't blame Blazers fans for getting nervous.
FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.
More than seven feet tall. A mountain of a man. A true big man for the modern age. Able to score, rebound, and defend in the post. Loved by teammates. Feared by opponents. The crucial down-low component that could help the Blazers contend for a championship.
Przybilla is the polar opposite of his younger replacement (as in, the guy he's being replaced by). No hype. Not flashy. Not heralded or swooned over. But when we start throwing out the phrases "effective" and "workman," Przybilla is as prime a candidate as any. The Vanilla Gorilla has not only done the work, put in the time, and become a very solid NBA center, but he's got the numbers to back it up.
Even skeptics chalked up Portland's Andre Miller acquisition as a win. Miller, one of the best distributors of this decade, figured to augment an already lethal Blazers offense while providing a jolt of veteran leadership. Even if you don't believe in the power of savvy, Miller's passing skills sit on a different plane than those of Steve Blake, the incumbent.
What Portland probably didn't count on was Miller causing drama ... in the preseason. Blazers coach Nate McMillan has been insisting Blake is the starter for now. But Miller told Yahoo!'s Marc Spears that coming off the bench wasn't a part of the deal when he signed with Portland. And we have a problem.
Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Wednesday, there are 20 days remaining.
It's tough to imagine another assistant coach in the NBA getting a welcome back like Maurice Lucas will when the regular season opens for the Portland Trail Blazers later this month.
They don't forget their heroes in this town.
The Blazers retired his No. 20 jersey -- the only No. 20 in the NBA to be retired -- back in 1988, even though he played only five seasons in Portland. That's how much he meant.
Lucas -- a huge part of the Blazers miraculous NBA title run in 1977 -- has been on the Portland staff since 2005, but he is returning to the sideline now after an ongoing bout with bladder cancer that included surgery in the spring.
On this episode of the Young And The Cap Flexible...
In our last episode, we clued you into a potential deal that would send Carlos Boozer to Chicago, Kirk Hinrich to Portland, and Tyrus Thomas to Utah, among other moving pieces. The deal was refuted by several sources, but ESPN's sticking to their guns that the deal is on the table, but has hit a snag.
That snag? The Blazers insistence on keeping a phenomenal young player so that they can ... not play him?
Hard to believe that several NBA general managers can have regrets after two years, but it's true. The results of the 2007 NBA Draft are slowly reaping, which should teach a lesson to their 2009 brethren on Thursday about taking chances on raw college players, international prospects and even those who are allegedly "proven."
The biggest debate two years ago was whether the Portland Trail Blazers should take Greg Oden or Kevin Durant first overall. Oden was a franchise center out of Ohio State while Durant was the smooth scoring swingman from Texas. Durant had the better workout with the Blazers, apparently blowing the mind of coach Nate McMillan. Yet, the Blazers stuck with conventional thinking and took the big man.
Red Auerbach's record of nine NBA championships as a head coach -- a mark the Celtics legend has shared with Lakers boss Phil Jackson since 2002 -- finally fell Sunday night. I'm sure when Auerbach stepped aside to let Bill Russell take his title many thought Red's record would never be caught. That it took three threepeats and then some to get Jackson over the hump tells you how much fate plays a role here.
Will we ever see another coach surpass Jackson's new record (assuming Jackson doesn't add on in the coming years)? It seems really unlikely, given modern circumstances.
The Trail Blazers can't win against the Rockets without big games from Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge -- and sometimes even that's not enough. So when you consider the fact that Roy entered Game 5 on Tuesday completely flu-stricken and Aldridge hadn't even attempted a shot in practice for two days because of a swollen elbow, it'd be understandable if you predicted the game wouldn't even be close.
As it turns out, it wasn't -- but instead of Houston closing the door, it was the Blazers who pulled away in the final quarter, winning 88-77. How did they do it? Roy and Aldridge, of course; the duo each scored 25 points, defying their respective ailments to help the Blazers stave off elimination for at least one more night.
In front of a raucous crowd the Portland Trail Blazers took the court tonight for their first playoff game in six years, and the first of the modern incarnation. They were young, they were excited, and the entire city of Portland was behind them.
Ming scored 24 points, all in the first half, all in only 24 minutes, on 9-9 shooting to put the Blazers down for the count from the very beginning. After the rubble had cleared? Rockets 108, Blazers 81.
It's trophy time in the NBA, and the FanHouse crew has submitted its ballots. Find out which players deserve to take home the hardware and which ones don't, in our NBA Awards series. Next up: Coach of the Year.
This turned out to be one of those seasons where it would be hard to be wrong in making a pick for Coach of the Year. Eight different coaches were named by our voters, and it was so close that we ended up with a tie for third place. But the one man that stood out above the rest was the one holding the clipboard to your right.
The operative phrase here is "with plenty of time to spare." 
FanHouse previews a 
Even skeptics chalked up Portland's 
On this episode of the Young And The Cap Flexible...
FanHouse fixes a decade of draft-day blunders in 
Red Auerbach's record of nine 
The Trail Blazers can't win against the Rockets without big games from 
In front of a raucous crowd the Portland Trail Blazers took the court tonight for their first playoff game in six years, and the first of the modern incarnation. They were young, they were excited, and the entire city of Portland was behind them. 
It's trophy time in the NBA, and the FanHouse crew has submitted its ballots. Find out which players deserve to take home the hardware and which ones don't, in our 
