The NEW RIP CITY BLAZERS....after B ROY 7...and led by a CONTINGENT of PLAYERS starting with COACH McMILLAN

Portland OREGON a city with RIVERS and the HOME to the WORLD's Most Famous SHOE Company....NIKE which is in suburb BEAVERTON Oregon. Also PORTLAND has a PROFESSIONAL Sports Team it revolves around...the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS.

Now the BLAZERS have had really good teams minus the 1977 Championship Team led by BIG RED Bill WALTON and their LATE Great Mo LUCAS and DR. JACK RAMSAY as Coach. Then the 1990's Team led by Coach Rick ADELMAN and POINT GUARD Terry PORTER (who now is on ADELMAN's Staff as an Assistant with the T'WOLVES of 10K Lakes), Clyde DREXLER, Buck WILLIAMS (who is an assistant under the current BLAZERS Coach McMILLAN), the late Kevin DUCKWORTH, Jerome KERSEY, and Cliff ROBINSON among others.

Then after those REALLY GOOD GROUPS you had the JAIL BLAZERS which had more talent then the previous BLAZERS Teams but lacked Off the Courts Stability in SHEED, MIGHTY MOUSE, JR RIDER, Bonzi WELLS, and Dale DAVIS among others.

Now you fast forward to the Post Brandon ROY Era and all of a sudden you have a TEAM that has ll the RIGHT PIECES in the RIGHT PLACE starting with COACH Nate McMILLAN.

The TRAILBLAZERS have fixed their SQUAD first by hiring the Person who built BRAND JORDAN Larry MILLER as PRESIDENT from NIKE and JORDAN, having continuity with COACH NATE, and then making good solid trades along with a few DRAFT PICKS the CITY of ROSES has something to cheer about.

Now off to a 5-1 START for the 2011-12 Campaign they are solid on the DEFENSIVE END and that is where it has to start if your on your way over to LARRY O'BREIN'S Crib. In this league you must get stops as the GOOD DOCTOR Jack RAMSAY would say.

The BLAZERS lost their All-Star Guard who had resurrected and started the BLAZERS Movement back to Prominence in Brandon ROY to Degenerate Knees. He was just what the BLAZERS needed ON an OFF the COURT. Now ROY has left the TORCH to an ALL-STAR Forward to be in LaMarcus ALDRIDGE.

Aldridge is a FABULOUS Talent who can play his back to the BASKET, FACE-UP, can shoot it from 19' feet and in, and can take you off the dribble Free throw line and in. Then on the DEFENSIVE End he BLOCKS SHOTS and is a very good weak side DEFENDER. He ANCHORS the BLAZERS in every facet of their GAME.

Then you throw in Free AGENT or TRADE Pick UPS like...Wes MATTHEWS JR, Marcus CAMBY, Gerald WALLACE, Raymond FELTON, and Kurt THOMAS you have a good mix of VETERANS who know how to WIN and PLAY and for the most part as good as they get off the FLOOR.

To those players you add DRAFT PICKS like aforementioned ALDRIDGE with Nicolas BATUM, Greg ODEN (who is still on the ROSTER and the HOPE is he will overcome his injuries sooner than later), Nolan SMITH, and Elliot WILLIAMS. The BLAZERS have what it takes to stay in that UPPER ECHELON in the WEST.

They had impressive VICTORIES this week at OKC THUNDER and they beat the LAKESHOW last night by simply laying their HAT on the DEFENSIVE END and excellent TEAM BALL. They share the BALL and play with a NOTION that it could be anyones night plus the ever consistent ALDRIDGE. IMAGINE THAT.....an NBA TEAM caring for one of another with NO ME's on the WII.

Look for the BLAZERS to continue their assault on the WEST all the way through WINNING TIME and they have that ALL-STAR the BLAZERS and RIP CITY can ride out for years to COME in L.A..