Basketball
**Blazer’s Edge: for Portland Trail Blazers fans**

The official home for audio programming from Blazer’s Edge, SB Nation’s community for fans of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Latest Episodes:

WHAT have we learned about the Blazers? Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

The pre-season is winding down, so we asked, what have we learned about the Portland Trail Blazers? Tara and Cassidy of Women’s Hoops and Talks discuss Marion Hezonja passing, Kent Bazemore bouncing, Skal Labissiere playing, and CJ McCollum missing free throws.

While we are starting to get more familiar with the new-look team, some questions still remain: when will Pau Gasol play? Is Zach Collins locked into the starting lineup? Who is setting screens for Damian Lillard and McCollum?

Along the way, we touch on the throw-back game in the Memorial Coliseum, Tara’s visit to the Staples Center, and whether Portland was holding Meyers Leonard back? All of this and more on the latest episode.

Highlights

1:30 Icebreaker: If you could have one Blazer come visit you and keep you company while you are sick, who would it be?

4:00 Preseason opener in the Memorial Coliseum. Blazers have really developed a brand of wholesome fun.

8:30 A journey into the belly of the best, the Staples Center.

11:45 What have we learned from preseason? Nassir Little seems very determined

13:30 Whiteside needs time with the team

14:30 When Mario has the ball, be ready!

16:00 Kent Bazemore is bouncy and fun. Is it too soon to say that he has some Wesley Matthews type undrafted attitude.

19:00 Skal Labissiere might play

20:00 What is the deal with CJ McCollum missing so many free throws?

What we haven’t learned

21:50 Anything about Pau Gasol

22:40 Zach Collins is going to start?

25:10 Who is going to set screens for Lillard?

27:00 Meyers Leonard in Miami has been set free to be his most Meyers Leonard self.

28:30 Should the Blazers try the alley-oop anymore? Maybe they can replace alley-oops with nutmeg passes.

30:50 Giving some love to Moses Brown and Keljin Blevins.

36:15 Are the Utah Jazz better than the Denver Nuggets?

38:00 Adding a new song to the 2020 Blazer Playlist, 22 by Taylor Swift. Because 22 is going to be a good year for Zach Collins.

41:00 Collins is showing some good signs.

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Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet.

Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)

Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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WHAT is the story with the Utah Jazz with Amanda Smith Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

Amanda Smith wears many hats. She is broadcast assistant for the Utah Jazz, radio analyst for Utah Utes Women’s Basketball team and host of How She Did It a web series and podcast highlighting women in sports media. We asked Amanda what it is like to keep stats during a game, how she got started doing analysis, and what is her favorite part of covering a game.

Then we talk about the Utah Jazz and their upcoming season. Who is their team leader? Do they consider themselves rivals with the Portland Trail Blazers? What happened to the Jazz in the playoffs last season? Then we explain some of the things that we loved about Ed Davis and wonder, is Damian Lillard the coolest person ever?

All this and more on the latest Women's Hoops and Talks podcast.

Highlights:

1:00 If you could watch any two players of any era play 1 vs 1, who would it be? Donovan Mitchell vs Dwyane Wade in his prime, Arvydas Sabonis vs Shaquille O’Neal in their primes, Shaq vs Charles Barkley from last week (or Robin Lopez vs Brook Lopez, any day).4:30 Introducing Amanda Smith, broadcast assistant for the Utah Jazz, and radio analyst for Utah Women's basketball. She was a big fan of Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker and was greatly influenced by the WNBA. 7:00 What do you as a broadcast assistant for the Utah Jazz. Gets audio from game and keeps stats during the game to share with Broadcast team (David Locke). 12:00 About How She Did It, a Youtube series and podcast. 14:30 How did she get started as an analyst for the basketball team. What is her favorite part of it? 17:00 Preview of Utah Jazz--Big expectations this year! What are the main story lines for Utah this season? 18:30 Who is the leader in the Jazz locker room?19:30 Are Portland and Utah rivals? 22:30 What are some of the qualities of the Jazz players that we might not know?25:00 What happened to the Jazz in the playoffs?26:00 In which we try to get Amanda hyped for Ed Davis with questionable success.32:00 Thoughts on the Northwest division?34:00 Off season shockers and how we reacted.36:30 Damian Lillard is the coolest person on earth, probably. 40:00 We got email!! Which song is better, Bust-a-bucket or Rip City Rhapsody?

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Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. This week’s guest: @_itsamandasmith

Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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Who will be the biggest trash talker on the Trail Blazers this season? Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

Trail Blazers' beat reporter Casey Holdahl joined the weekly podcast to talk about Kent Bazemore’s shorts, Anthony Tolliver’s opportunities and Mario Hezonja’s nasty streak. We react to the fast and furious pace of Fan Fest, wonder when we will learn how tall everyone is and speculate about what Skal Labissiere could do if he just gets a shot?

Also, public radio pledge drives, hipster beanies, and who will be the biggest trash talker on the team this year? All this and more on the latest podcast.

5:45 Fan Fest recap. 7:30 An explanation (sort of) of Fan Fests MVP Kent Bazemore’s short situation.12:30 Might the new players feel like they have something to prove on the defensive end?15:00 When are we going to find out how tall everyone is?19:30 The case of charismatic Anthony Tolliver who has a lot to give, possibly more than people are realizing. He may play more than people are expecting. 21:45 How are the players starting to group, either in their workouts or off the court? Are there combos forming on the court? 26:15 How is the turnover of this year different from turnover in years past? This year they are more established and have expectations. But they seem ready for it. Quiet confidence. 28:30 Watching them at Fan Fest gave a real sense of togetherness. At the same time, they were playing each other hard, they were really competitive with each other. They seem like they could have a little bit more of a nasty streak in them this season. The good kind of nasty streak. 35:00 CJ McCollum has a mean streak, that toughness could be something to build on. 39:00 Who will be the biggest trash talker this year? 42:00 What is the potential for Skal Labissiere? How does he compare to Noah Voleh? 48:00 What does “who has looked the best” at training camp really mean?50:00 Will the Blazers play faster this season? Did the speed of the game at Fan Fest tell us anything about if they will play more in transition?53:00 Will they move the ball a lot more?55:45 What are some of the things that Casey will miss about the players who departed?

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WHAT Podcast with Tameka Simons, Mother of Anfernee Simons Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

Tameka Simons, mother of Portland Trail Blazer Anfernee Simons, joins the WHAT podcast to talk about what it was like supporting him in his journey to the NBA. She shares how their family got into basketball, what their hectic lifestyle was like, and when she knew Anfernee had a special talent. She talks about what it was like when he was deciding to enter the draft and how it felt on draft night when he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Along the way we talk about why Portland fans are different from other fan-bases, what kind of leaders Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are, what Anfernee’s favorite food is and and how many dunks can we expect this season?

It was a dream come true to talk to an NBA mom, to get a sense of how much work it takes to get into the league and hear what her hopes and dreams are for her son. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed getting to know Tameka Simons.

1:00 Icebreaker: What is your favorite part of the preseason? 2:50 Getting to know Tameka, how she got into basketball. Grew up in Florida, followed the Orlando Magic, named Anfernee after Anfernee Hardaway. 6:30 How did Simons’ love of basketball develop? 7:00 What was he like as a kid and when did you realize he was really talented? 9:00 What were the logistics of training a young person to make it to the NBA? What did he eat?11:00 What was it like the night he got drafted? (They found out from Woj like everyone else.)15:30 What was the transition into the NBA like for the family?18:00 At media day Neil Olshey said that Anfernee is the most talented player he’s drafted during his 15 years in the league. As his mom, what is it like to hear that about him? 19:00 Do you talk to him about the game afterwards? 23:15 There are big expectations for Simons this season. Have you given him any special advice for how to approach this year? Will he dunk more this season? 25:20 What are some of the hard parts of being the mom of an NBA player? Watching the games is very stressful. 28:00 Damian Lillard’s leadership31:00 What are some of the things you are looking forward to the most with this season?

Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. Anfernee Simons website: www.theanferneesimons.com.

Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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Who will make the most of the opportunity before them this season? Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

Media day is here and we’re certifying our heights with the league office and getting down to business. Blazers Outsider Joe Simons and Blazers Edge editor Steve Dewald joined the podcast to do a round table about what we are optimistic about and what we are worried about in the upcoming season.

A lot of new players means a lot of opportunities for guys to take a big leap, or struggle to find their place. Will Damian Lillard be an MVP finalist? Will Hassan Whiteside fit right in? How much will Lillard miss Coach Vanterpool? How will Collins and Hood do what it took Aminu and Harkless years to figure out?

Highlights

1:45 Highlights from other teams media days as we’re waiting for Portland’s to start? Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant did not disappoint and Moe Harkless will always be a Blazer.9:00 Looking forward to Trail Blazers Media day. What are going to be the hottest topics? How much weight did Zach Collins gain, how tall is everyone really? 10:00 Certifying our heights. 12:00 If you could ask a question at media day what would you ask?What is on the Snapchats that Hassan Whiteside doesn’t send? How does Anfernee Simons like golfing in Oregon? Does he need a fourth? How did Zach feel landing in Las Vegas during the earthquakes? Was he scared? Is Coach Stotts underrated?18:30 Will Jusuf Nurkic be at media day?

22:00 What are you feeling optimistic about? Lots of opportunities, more dunks with Hassan Whiteside, Damian Lillard gets into MVP discussion, Anfernee Simons, more space for Lillard, Hassan Whiteside will have a good year.32: What worries us? Holes in the roster, unproven players will be relied on for important minutes, 2019, the beginning of the season will be tough, the exit of David Vanterpool, how are Collins and Hood going to replace Aminu and Harkless? 43:00 The name of the new 3-4 combo will be CoHo--”Something fishy’s going on” 45:00 More songs for the 2020 Trail Blazer’s Playlist.

Follow on Twitter: @blazersedge, @dmarang, @tcbbiggs, @joesimonsays, @stevedhoops

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WHAT Rockets Preview with Brit Robotista Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

Our friend Brit Robotista joined the WHAT Podcast to answer some CBA questions and give us a preview of the Houston Rockets. First we walk through the intrigue behind the Nene contract and find out why it is making Houston fans mad. Then we dive into what it will be like when Russell Westbrook reunites with his old friend James Harden (and Thabo Sefolosha too!) What does the basketball look like? Who is the leader? Do the Rockets have any fun? We have questions and she has answers.

1:00 Damian Lillard recently asked for Netflix suggestions which got us thinking, if you could recommend a show to a specific player what show would you choose and who is watching? 5:45 What was the deal with Nene’s contract? Rockets attempted to use the likely/unlikely bonus provision in the NBA CBA to attempt to create a $10M trade exception13:30 But NBA used an existing part of the CBA (Article 6) as well as additional powers temporarily granted to them by the NBPA to change the structure of the contract to have the majority of the contract not count towards the salary cap, except for ~$2.7M (and therefore prevent the contract from being used as a trade exception). Great resource to learn more: Mike Meltser Podcast from last Saturday17:30 About Houston, what are people saying right now about the big trade of Paul for Westbrook? 20:10 How are people going to remember the Chris Paul years?23:45 How is the basketball going to work? Harden or Westbrook will have to relent (aka stagger minutes), they will likely add some midrange game, and the addition of Thabo Sefolsha gets a bunch of the band back together. 28:15 Why don’t the Rockets seem like they are having any fun and what is it like to be a fan of a team centered around James Harden? Is he fun?34:00 What are some things that people outside the market might not know about him? 37:00 Who is the leader of the team? 40:00 Thoughts on Portland Trail Blazers this season? Whiteside and Pau Gasol?

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Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. This week’s guest:@britrobotista

Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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Trail Blazers' 2020 Schedule, plus Tampering and Gathering Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

On the latest Blazers’ Edge Podcast we take a deeper look at the 2020 schedule. We ask if it is a good thing that they are on the road so much to start the season, discuss when Nurkic might be worked back into the lineup and give our projected win totals for the season.

Then we talk about what was a busy week for the league, voting on tougher punishment for tampering and clarifying the rules of “gathering”. Finally Dan says which song he would add to the 2020 Trail Blazers Playlist.

3:30 Jusuf Nurkic is back in town! 5:00 Trail Blazers 2020 Season Schedule. Check out Analyzing the Trail Blazers’ 2019-20 schedule by Eric Griffith for context. 8:30 Off to a tough start that will be good test and a chance to learn a lot about themselves. 11:15 Twelve of teams are traveling in the pre-season or during the season, do the Blazers gain any advantage from this? 17:00 Is there a part of the schedule that looks like a good time to start working Nurkic back into the lineup? 20:00 Penciling in projected wins. Dan: about 47, Tara: 51 or 52, and the Blazers beat the Jazz. 25:00 FiveThirtyEight has the Blazers going 41-41 this season with a 37% chance to make the playoffs. Last season they had them winning 39 games with a 37% chance of making it to the playoffs. Why are they so inaccurate?28:30 New rules: tampering will lead to tougher consequences. 35:15 Teams must submit their roster 30 minutes before the game starts. 37:00 Definition of “gathering” for clarity of traveling rules (which will be a point of emphasis this summer). Which Blazers will need to pay the most attention to this? 44:00 What song will Dan add to the 2020 Trail Blazers Season playlist?

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WHAT Podcast: How will rebounds and assists be redistributed? Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

On their own this week for the WHAT Podcast, Tara and Cassidy discuss the Trail Blazers’ upcoming season. With lots of roster turnover there are plenty of questions about what the team will look like. How will rebounds be distributed among the team? How about assists? How will CJ McCollum’s game evolve? How much will he drive to the basket? Will he get to the line?

They we introduce the 2020 Season Trail Blazers’ playlist. These are our picks for songs that capture our feelings about the upcoming season. Cassidy’s picks reflect the nostalgia of the 50th season, with one song representing each decade. Tara chose songs that reminded her of specific players.

Highlights

1:00 Icebreaker: At what point in the Growing Up Rip City video did you start crying? 7:45 After a pretty long drought with no triple doubles, Blazer players picked up four last season. How many will they put up this year, and who will get them? 11:00 How many offensive rebounds will opponents get? 17:00 How many times will CJ drive to the hoop per game? How many times will he get to the line? 23:30 How will assist be distributed?2020 Playlist (find it on Youtube)70s night: It is almost too perfect the Queen’s We are the Champions was released in 1977(October). The year Portland beat Philadelphia to win the Championship80s night: Basketball by Kurtis Blow 90s night: Rip City Rhapsody2000s night: First half: Can I Get A Headband?, second half: Ball Don’t Lie -shakira parody, Oh Rudy, when you dunk like that . . . “ 2010s: Trail Blazers Theme Song by MarchFourth Marching Band 39:00 Tara went a different direction for her songs, choosing songs that she felt represented certain players and the year that they would have. Song for all of the new guys: Linda Ronstadt Its so Easy to Fall in Love because of course we’re going to fall in love with all the new players. CJ McCollum: Lionel Richie, All Night Long. Put on McCollum highlights, crank up Lionel Richie, they are a match made in heavan. Rodney Hood, Katie Perry, FireworkDamian Lillard, Tom Petty, Won’t Back DownHassan Whiteside, The Cars, Just What I Needed

Which stats will you be watching? Which songs would you like to see added to the 2020 playlist? Tweet at us or send us an email!

Get Social

Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. Email us at hoopsandtalks@gmail.com

Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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Travis Demers, Trail Blazers' Play-By-Play Radio Announcer, plus Sports Illustrated Top 100 NBA Players Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

Travis Demers, the Portland Trail Blazers’ new radio play-by-play announcer, joined the podcast to talk about securing his dream job. How did he do it? Where did he learn his craft? He explains why he loves radio and how he plans to keep getting better. He shares highlights from some of the games he called last season and reveals if he his working on any catch phrases.

Then Tara and Dan discuss which Blazers (and former Blazers) showed up on the Sports Illustrated Top 100 players. Where does Nurkic rank among all of the centers in the league? Is number 32 really reflective of CJ McCollum’s true skills and ability? And finally, Lillard cracks the top ten. Will being ranked one spot below Paul George add more fuel to the fire?

Subscribe to the podcast:Apple: apple.co/2Mu8YX9Google: http://bit.ly/2KMRa7lStitcher: http://bit.ly/33OEBA3

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Would you rather redraft 1984 or 2007? With NBC Sports Northwest's Jamie Hudson Sep 12, 2019

Show notes

NBC Sports Northwest Trail Blazers’ reporter Jamie Hudson jumped on the Hoops and Talks podcast to play “Would You Rather”, the debating game that no one needs but everyone loves. We talk about taking away the three-point line, CJ McCollum’s assist numbers next season and Zach Collins in a headband (fingers crossed!).

We try to decide if we would rather watch the best offense in the league or the best defense. Hudson tells a heartwarming story about Wesley Matthews and we tell her about Will Barton fist-bumping a baby. Finally, we don’t get emotional at all over the question, would you rather Damian Lillard win MVP or Coach Stotts win Coach of the Year? Play along and let us know how you would answer the questions.

00:45 Would you rather bring back “ninja-style” headbands or short shorts?3:30 Who is the most likely Trail Blazer to rock one of these headbands if and when the NBA allows them again?6:30 Report on the Bill Walton bike ride as experienced by Hudson. 9:30 Would you rather . . . be a starter for the worst team in the league or a be a benchwarmer for the Championship team? 11:30 . . . be an NBA scout or an analytics specialist?12:45 . . . the NBA add a 4 point line or remove the 3 point line all together?15:30 . . . your team have the highest offensive rating in the league or the highest defensive rating?17:30 . . . allow the fewest 3 point attempts at the highest field goal percentage or allow the most but with the lowest opponent field goal percentage?19:00 . . . CJ McCollum gets to the line more this season or gets more assists?20:30 An aside about getting to know Hassan Whiteside.24:00 Would you rather Zach Collins increase his scoring production by 10 points per game or get 5 more rebounds?26:30 . . . Damian Lillard wins MVP or Terry Stotts wins coach of the year?29:30 If you could undo one trade, would it be Will Barton for Arron Aflollo and Alonzo Gee or Nicolas Batum for Gerald Henderson, Noah Vonleh?33:00 If the Blazers could resign one free agent that got away, would you rather it was Wesley Matthews or Ed Davis?36:30 Would you rather have a redo of the Blazers draft in 1984 or 2007?

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Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. This week’s guest: @JamieHudsonNBCS

Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: "Happy Alley" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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