The courtside TV shots of Bob Whittsit in the second half of game 2 looked like a guy that just found out his beloved wife had found a new man. I've been watching the NBA for a long time now and I don't ever recall a division leader going into the All-Star break go thru such a colapse as the Blazers have the last quarter of this season; and last quarter of games for that matter. Having the right chemistry among players has never looked so important before. Because the Blazers didn't have much of it and lost what they had, along with losing Bonzi Wells to a knee injury, they didn't have as much chance as last year of competing with the Lakers. And I don't consider Shawn Spent a late season loss - I consider it a Blazer disaster having lost the heart and soul of their team in Brian Grant, to get 'Spent' into drug rehab. So, it's the Lakers in 3, maybe 4, 1 in a 1000 chance to get to a league mandated Laker win in game 5 (via the refs). So, what can the Blazers and Sonics do this summer; especially in light of the high salaries and cap? ...

... Nothing? Or ...

... Rumors were already flying around P-town of a good possibility for a trade of Blazers Rasheed "T" Wallace + Da-man "not" Stoudamire will go to Toronto for superstar Vince Carter this summer; with an extra Toronto throw-in player to make the deal work under salary cap rules. And that works for me if they could pull that one off. Why would Toronto take a couple of 'heads' for a superstar? Well, Damon was a popular star in Toronto where he can get the 25 shots a game he wants and thinks he deserves and 'Sheed has great talent and potential. But mostly it is because Toronto is unlikely to be able
to re-sign Carter when he becomes a free agaent soon. That's an unfortunate syndrome for the fans of the leagues lowly teams - such as the 2 Canadian teams and the Clippers - they can't re-sign there star players who want out. It took Minnisota $120 million to get Kevin Garrnet to stay in a cold town with an average team. Utter craziness. So, if the Blazers get Vince Carter and clean out a couple 'heads', that leaves getting a center with good legs that can get fair treatment from the refs to replacement Sabonis. Good luck. Too bad Whittsit didn't come up with Mutombo before Philly got him this season. Aren't many out there, and practically no good ones available. How about 2 years for a Michael Jordan comeback in Portland with Pippen (and near his Nike office). Cool, but not likely; especially if they got Carter first. Man, I don't envy what's facing trader Bob or coach Dunleavy at all. What should they do??? ...

As for the Sonics, that's a tough deal too. Wally "Wonder Why" Walker says he will now entertain offers for any Sonic player; including Payton, for whom he wants a starting 5 team + $100 million + SI swimsuit cover girl Elsa Benitez in return . Ewing is dragin' and gone. Baker is the guy highest on the trading block. Wait ... I know ... Ewing + Baker for Sabonis + Davis . Then we can both get lottery picks next season? Naaah. They used to call Walker "Wally Who" back in his playing days with the Blazers. Now it's gonna be - hey Wally, who? Gonna be an interesting off season in the NW.

RT

Couldn't care less what the Sonics do. Blazers should keep Wallace and Wells. They have huge potential. Wallace needs to lose his reputation for technicals, I think the officials really do "T" him up at the slightest provocation.

Last night was truly very ugly. It will be hard for the Blazers to even show up for Sunday. I would BOO them out of the Rose Garden, and I'm a long-time dedicated fan.

Keep 'Sheed and Bonzi, maybe Augman ???
We need a CENTER or two, a great point guard, and some guys who can shoot. DUMP the rest, DUMP BOB WHITLESS !!! Dunleavy, I don't know, I'd give him another chance I guess with a team that sucks less per $$$$.

Go Spurs! Kings! (Anyone but the Lakers ... man Shaq is UNSTOPPABLE>>> )

Go Fish (mandatory piscatorial content) !

!!How about those Mariners!!

YeeeFN Haaw on the Mariners. Finally something we Norwesters can be thrilled about in professional sports. I must say I was pretty appalled by the Blazers last night. I can understand frustration with the (un)officials last night but come on...


If your gonna act like that much of a romper room crew, just walk off the court and be done with it. The sad part is it actually seemed like Sheed was trying to act responsible and the rest went into the big swirling porceline bowl. Ah well, at least the Mariners have a bright future this season.

Oh my......the Blazers are on a downward spiral... BIG TIME

...Where's the leadership???????
No tippin Pippen goes for a big 7 points and Sheed gets 9....thats it????? 9 points

too bad some one has to take the blame...looks like Dunleavy gets the axe.....too bad you can't fire the players

BTW "phish" if you knew anything you're only saving grace is you still have "Trader Bob"....sounds like time for him to rebuid

......GO MARINERS !!!!!

[ 04-30-2001: Message edited by: The Reel Osprey ]

But Os, you're a knowledgable sports fan and you didn't give Trader Bob or Wally Who any suggestions. ... I suggest that Paul get his buddy Gates to go in together and buy the NBA. Allen gets the Blazers and the Western Conference and Gates gets the Sonics and the Eastern Conference. Being sole owners they can then put Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan on the Blazers, and Bill being a total sports nerd could still add 'Zo Mourning, Ray "he's got game' Allen, Vince Carter, and Iverson to the Sonics. Then the 2 NW teams could play for the championship every year, like Bird's Celts and Magic's Lakers did thru the 80's (8 between them). OK, so that won't get by David Stern or the fans in NY and LA. So ...

Should the Blazers clean house? The Sonics definitely should. It's getting something back for what you clean out that determines wheather they remain contenders or start from scratch like the Bulls had to do. The likely scenario will be somewhere in between. Too many if's and possibilities to come up with any feasable ideas though - yet anyway. I say give Dunleavy another chance with a coachable team. I still like the Carter for either Wells/Stoudamire or Wallace/Stoudamire deal for starters. Then get some bulldog tough guys that will at least try to keep Shaq from throwing them into the stands so he can dunk easier. And maybe Allen has enough money and lawyers he could get a class action suit on behalf of all non-Laker team owners to get the refs to quit giving Shaq carte blanche offensive foul freedom, even more than Jordan was given with his left arm hook-arounds, to bolster league TV ratings; dumb fans wanting to watch a superstar be even more super dandy to watch! And I would give Pippen one more try (3rd year of his 3 year deal). He has played his best ball in the playoffs that last 2 seasons now; and has little trade value at his age. So next year's Blazer lineup could be Stricklin and Carter at guards, Wallace and Pippen at forwards, and bring Wes Unseld out of retirement for a center that's a little fresher, healthier at 50 than Sabas at 36, stronger, and allowed by the refs to shove back. . OK, somebody like Unseld that is younger and taller. Should be no prob for Trader to come up with, right?

RT

Give suggestions????
for 1 ....I don't give a rats a$$ about the Blazers with that much talent ...I don't to hear excuses ( the refs bla bla bla)

I mean if the Blazers would have just shown up for this series,
but things started to fall apart after Bonsi went down,but they had more than enough talent to compensate for this loss

like I said before you can't fire the players.

As for my Sonics...we swept the Lakers this year...go figure ( I know it's not the playoffs)
One thing that can be said about the Sonics is they give a lot of effort....well except for Vin but he's gone and with Patrick leaving this clears a ton of salary cap room,I really like Marc Jackson from Golden State He would fit nicely and of course we have a ....lottery pick

since we finished out of it we have no where to go but up...unlike the Blazers and by the way they have to pay Kemp 53 million over the next 3 years....OUCH!!!!!!.......Os

The NBA is a joke. Its great if you like ghetto basketball. THe days of good basketball are gone.(Bird, Jordan, Magic)

Gotta love what the M's are doing! =)

save a trout, bonk a bass

Rebuilding the Sonics - get rid of Wally -the man is a clown and to think he was once considered an "enforcer" in the NBA. I am still pi**ed at them for trading the player Larry Bird called " The Best" player he ever played with and for a washed up Paul Westphaul to boot.

The Blazers can be right back in the thick of things with one or two good trades/free agent signings if a good quality big man is involved. They do have the one person who kept the Sonics good for so many years so I think you blazer fans will be watching alot more bball next year than Sonic fans.

I'm still crying in my coffee (no beer for me) ... frankly not too terribly surprised though. Personally, I got as little concerned as soon as the Davis trade went through ... lots of old bodies on the team, need a little young blood in there. Too many guys playing too few minutes, let's get down to a core of 7 or 8 quality players and go from there. I love Sabas (hopefully gonna take him fishing in July, already got the jersey for the autograph), but his body just won't let him do what his heart wants him to do

I'd like to see some trades this off-season, but without knowing exactly where the cap problems are, I can't give too many realitic scenarios.

I'll have to pass along the championship / ring deal with Corey to the M's now that the Blazers have thrown away their chance!

.....Oh My Goodness Bob.....With the Blazer thing I thought you'd be a bachelor forever ....But with the Mariners in the deal......ding ding ding ...I think I hear wedding bells .......Os