The Blazers Balcony Podcast, Episode 113 | Portland Trail Blazers | February 12

The Blazers Balcony Podcast, Episode 113 | Portland Trail Blazers | February 12

What’s up Rip City this is Jeremy Grant and you’re catching the breeze on Trailblazers balcony with Brook oen Dan and Casey hodol greetings Blazer fans and welcome to the Blazers balcony episode 113 little Taylor Swift tie in there of the Blazers balcony I am Casey holdall I’m joined by my friend and cooworker

Brook oen Dam Southwest Portland Brooke how are you doing over there well Taylor Swift right off the bat I’m happy girl yeah I know I’m already alienating over half people listening probably because people have very strong feelings about Taylor Swift one way or another but last

Night was fun and uh oh sorry I’m talking about the Super Bowl yesterday was fun and no matter who you wanted it was a great game Taylor S obviously was in attendance we saw her but I thought it was sweet but I will say I do have a

Hot take it’s not really a hot take but I was very as a coach’s daughter I was very perturbed by Travis Kel yelling at Andy Reed in his face aggressively the way he did I don’t care what he was saying I don’t care his take I don’t

Care his opinion you do not do that especially in like well you don’t do it in general like but in public during the Super Bowl get in your coach’s face like that was very disrespectful I need to know more information and maybe I’ll change my opinion when I hear it but I

Didn’t like the Optics of it but I still love Taylor Swift yeah obviously there’s a number of reasons why the Chiefs wanted to win that game but not having to explain in such great detail why Travis Kelce went at Andy Reid like that is one of the lowkey super beneficial things for

The Chiefs winning that Super Bowl if the the Chiefs don’t win that is a story line it becomes a nonstop what happened kind of just a it becomes its own content Factory if they lose that game they win the game and I think I saw the

Quote was like oh Travis KY was like oh I was telling how much I loved him and I was excited or something like that like you can gloss over that when you win when you lose like that’s all anyone would be talking about in the NFL for

The next um however long it was but since they won uh we can talk about uh you know what jacket Taylor Swift was wearing after at the uh at the post Super Bowl parties which also by the way too having the Super Bowl in Vegas having it be done by like seven o’clock

At night like dangerous you got the whole night ahead of you in Las Vegas like that’s a that’s a readymade for a uh for a fun night out so so yeah no I thought it was a great game fun game I mean the start of it was kind of Buster

But it uh it shaped itself into form um no penalties either like it it was like I kept seeing things that were happening during the game be like man that’s a that’s a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty in the in the regular season but

They let stuff go which I think is great and love that yeah that was a yeah so long NFL season now what now all about the NBA you’re right because I thought at halftime um I was watching with some friends and we ALS I said either they go

In the locker room and they hug it out and they use it as motivation I’m talking about the Chiefs the whole argument or they have a fullblown meltdown and it goes very south obviously that was not what happened went opposite and they ended up winning

The game and I I said the same thing though I was like this is either G this could be the storyline if it ends up continuing this way as as in going the 49 or so but obviously they pulled it off and it was it was fun uh it was a

Fun game I I love an overtime uh the the whole re redoing of the rules like we were all looking around going wait is is it College college rules or do they you know the possessions or versus who scores first so it was kind of fun to

See that there’s a rule change and then that rule actually went into action I don’t know I’m just trying to say it was overall pretty enjoyable I thought it was a good game and uh I really liked uh the halftime show which I know we’re going to talk about and my buddy I

Wanted to give him a shout out CJ Anderson on Twitter uh was so funny because everyone that I was with was like these are all your friends from London I’m like I know it’s the halftime show and then he said this will forever be known as the brook Olen Dam halftime

Shown that meant a lot to me thank you CJ Anderson that thanks for remembering even Casey didn’t remember my my Usher story when we first got on here we logged on before we get turned it on for you guys all to listen I told him that he’s like do you have something with

Usher I was like we literally had a full show about this well no in my defense so for me the story is a ludicrous story like so ludicrous is always the one that I remember like and the ludicrous is the it’s the broader story it’s the more

Like it’s the whole night I feel like your London study abroad story I feel like the ludicrous one is the main one am I correct about that yes you’re very correct so and I knew there were so and I remember I I remember a mention of

Madonna and uh I remember a mention of someone from wuang now maybe ghost oh yeah um yes you knew the name I forgot you remember um and I and when I saw the tweet I did think I was like wait does Brooke have an usher story as well too which you

Made sure to to let me know that that you did um do you have an Alicia Keys one no I don’t the other one was Ricky Martin and there was a few others but that we don’t that’s it doesn’t we don’t need to even mention him but I do not

Have no little John no never met Little John um or um what was the guy in the funny little outfit um uh Jermaine Dei yeah Jermaine depri on his socks why was he wearing like the ACDC like school boy with a tu like and it took me

Forever to figure out who it was too and there was guy had like the glasses on who I still don’t know who that was I didn’t know who that was either none of us did that we were confused by that person and then it took us a minute to

Realize that guitarist was is it her her yes no that that took like a half a beat but we figured that out too yeah she was great by the way if she was playing even if she wasn’t she looked badass but um and then when ludicrous came out I was

Like he must not have been told what he was wearing pre pre-show outfit was ridiculous I mean do you remember did you see what he was wearing it was just a it was oversized it looked kind of like a football pads but it was just the goofiest little outfit I feel like he

Always dresses kind of weird too and he’s like 5 foot three so like anything is g to be huge on him it just looked funny next to Usher because Usher’s over here by the way I said this and no one respond I hope even if one person

Listening to this agrees I will feel Vindicated I for every once in a while just would look up and I thought Usher looked like Dame a little bit did you get any Dame and and then when he came out on the roller skates I was like then

David Adam Ward who’s I don’t know if he’s listening but he was there he’s like okay now he looks like d when he’s on roller skates but I was the only one that thought it but then I looked on Twitter and I just put in just to see if

Anyone else agreed with me I put in Usher Comm Dame and no one said it during that show but in the past people have said said they thought they looked alike and so I felt slightly Vindicated but I’m just telling you just remember next time you see Usher because he’s

Probably goingon to be everywhere now he’s probably gonna announce a tour and obviously like I think he is actually going on tour now like I I think he is too I think he is too but uh just I’m just saying there there’s some similar similarities uh their head shapes are

Similar I would they have the same head shape thank you they the same head shape they have the same head and I I feel like their build is kind of similar um and and we know this because he took his shirt off and that reminded me of when

And he had the necklace and it kind of reminded me of Dame when he had the the vest no shirt look U on the road and I don’t know I just I it just came to my mind and I couldn’t shake it every time

I looked at him I was like I I feel like it looks just like him again I think I might be on an island on that one but if anyone else thought that please let me know so I don’t feel so alone really good roller skating too you’re right

Like that was how do they do that that was the most impressive thing the whole night to me I cannot roller skate to save my life so I can’t either I can’t either I do want to bring it back real fast though because you know with the

With the Travis Kelce thing I noticed there were other situations too in that game where one of uh one of the the Chiefs receivers and uh Pat Mahomes got into it too but that’s something that like when you’re in team that’s had success like you can you can go with

Each other like that that that is like a trait of teams that have had like long-term success I’m actually thinking about a team like the Warriors too that were like that where it’s just was like they could when when you when you have sustained success and you

All kind of have that bond together that allows you to like be a little more hardcore with each other I think now granted like I don’t know what Kelsey was doing like that was like he did he did he knocked Andy Reid to the ground

Like I mean Andy re he bumped him but yeah and I mean Andy Reid is I’m he’s a little older he’s I not maybe it’s not someone you just go up and just you know bum rush you know like he look he looked like physically emotionally shocked and

I mean and he’s not someone that shows his emotions onest but you could see he like stumbled like what if he fell over we that would be a whole that would be a whole other conversation we’re talking about if he went like rushed up on Andy Reid surprised him kind of nudged him

And Andy lost his you know balance and fell over that’s a whole other conversation I mean that’s I yeah I’m still bothered by it guys are so cranked up for the for the Super Bowl too and football players are lunatics anyways so like yeah I there was the energy in at

The beginning of those games too you know like it’s been two weeks M’s been talking about it like you’re I always feel like too like the Special Teams guys especially like are out there like if they touch anyone it’s like they are going crazy because yeah us have all

This wild pinup energy and excitement that yeah is understandable but yeah you got to you got to be able to channel it so uh but the Chiefs did so congratulations to them sorry to all the 49 folks I feel like a lot more 49er fans in this area than than Chiefs fans

Obviously because if you’re not a Seahawks fan next closest team is the 49ers um so sorry to all my 49er fan friends out there but uh you’ll get them next the the ub’s family apparently is a bunch of 49ers fans I saw them um Drew

And Haley had a 49ers party I’m not sure why they’re 49ers fans but they are so started them um my my friend Theo’s best buddy Noah he’s 49ers fan but other than that I feel like yeah you’re exactly right I don’t like the 49ers because I was raised a Seahawks

Fan it just comes with the territory so I think it is kind of bizarre when I look around and see4 ners fans unless there’s a connection okay fine but if you are from here born and raised here you’re kind of again if you’re Seahawks fan you’re not supposed to like the

49ers right and I and I would say that so there’s two types of fans NFL fans I believe in this area Seahawks fans and people who pick another team specifically because they don’t want to be Seahawk fans because they don’t want to support Seattle which you know was an

Oregonian understandable but uh yeah yeah okay well I I consider myself an Oregon Oregonian now but I was raised to Washingtonian and there is another NFL team in the nearby I mean it’s just like and the seks have been good lately like when they when I was a kid they were

Always terrible and so like it was understandable why you wouldn’t necessarily want to root for them but no they’ve been they’ve been good for decades now so yeah either way and I and I was a Pete ironically was a Pete Carol fan ever since his USC days when I

Interviewed him when they would they they won every year uh and I really liked him then and he’s has remained the same up until I mean I felt bad I I saw com in when he got I don’t know how they transitioned him to another role but uh

That was I think it was time and but I always really liked Pete Carol ever for years so I just rooted for him Russell Wilson is a different story I know but then um Skittles I loved so much um what’s his name why is it escaping me

Right now um marshan ly Marsh Lynch I love him I sometimes when I can’t sleep I just YouTube him and watch Marshon Lynch like funny videos the one where he went to I think it was Scotland did you see that one uh yeah with the RS to the

Bike and with the you mentioned the Skittles yeah it’s so funny I I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that that in U when Dame hit 0.9 the video I’ve talked about this before in the show too podcast when we did on our social media team went and gra grabbed

All the reactions from people on their phones after that where whether it was at a bar or restaurant in their living room and I have probably watched that 10,000 times and I’m not exaggerating it’s like it’s funny that’s what you watch when you’re trying to go to sleep

Like that it’s like I’m actually I feel like I’ve just accepted I’m not going to fall asleep I’m like might as well watch something I want to watch that’s probably more accurate it’s not helping me go to sleep whatsoever then I start crying and think of other things that

Make me sad and then I go and watch soldiers coming home to surprise their kids at their school and I really go down a rabbit hole this a really uh you got a wide range of uh do yeah you’re really taking places bro sorry I will have you ever

Watched the Marshon Lynch uh will Arnette I think it’s called like murderville yes it’s so good okay okay good well I shouldn’t have even asked but yes it is great you should check it out it’s a that whole little series is is a fun time I love him so much both of

Them I love yeah they’re both great well since this is a Portland tures podcast I suppose we should that’s right your Portland TR Blazers who unfortunately have lost four straight uh losing two in Denver uh in back-to-back games or consecutive games not back-to-back games um and then coming home to drop two one

To the Pistons 128 122 and overtime the N of the NBA trade deadline and then following that up with a low-scoring loss to the Pelicans 9384 a lot of injuries right now uh pretty much impossible to talk about the Portland Turtle blazers at all this season but particularly now without

Talking about injuries um guy they are down to basically the what is left of the roster not much much of the starting lineup I I think DeAndre eight is the only player who started uh the first game of the year this year who played in the recent game versus the Pelicans um

They uh had to sign Ashton Haggins to attende day because they were short on bodies they did trade for Delano Banton from the Celtics who had looked good in his first game with the Trailblazers versus the Pelicans I imagine he depending on injuries is probably going

To play some more minutes in fact I would imagine he’ll probably start maybe even in the uh next game as they start a two- game series versus the Timberwolves but uh Brook oen Dam uh right when it seemed like the team was starting to kind of get healthy and playing some

Good basketball they’re not playing bad basketball right now necessarily but uh you know you would have liked to wion that Pistons game you would have liked to scored more than you would have liked to hit 90 points in the game versus the Pelicans um so right when it seemed like

They were kind of starting to get a little something going injuries rear their ugly heads again and now they’re back to uh to playing with uh with kind of a a really really short-handed lineup I think it’s telling when it becomes kind of like a I don’t want to say

Laughable or joke or jokey but so when before the game coach Philips always has a pregame press conference and it’s the local media some a lot of the other media from the other team and the first question is always now and like it’s like I said somewhat laughable coaches

Like all right go ahead and it’s usually Sean heiken so bless Sean hiken because someone’s got to ask um who’s playing who’s not and he kind of laughs and Coach laughs cuz he’s like has like you can see him like looking up in his head who who’s going who’s not going because

This point it is it’s it’s not normal you know like I feel bad for him I feel bad for the team because it’s difficult to first of all you got to game plan for the other team and their stars and how they play and then when you don’t even

Know who’s going you know until sometimes the day of and and sometimes an hour before that’s hard that’s hard to prepare for for a game so I so you know coach will be like who he’ll like go over it and then look at R

Be like did I get it did I get it right you know and that’s that’s tough that’s that’s hard to go into a night like that where you know you you want to be prepared you want to be ready but there are things and and they are but there

Are things they can’t control and that is the Personnel they have on the team and it’s just difficult to go from game to game when you don’t know and then you’re bringing up guys that have and this is what I noticed when Kevin Lamar were calling the game Lamar one point

Said like you can watch Chon’s literally in-game coaching Ashton and telling like yelling out like what to do on offense what to do on because I mean he’s he’s never practiced with the team he showed up and had to play his first NBA game and then had then started and he doesn’t

Know the offense and you can’t I mean you can’t ask him to known a complete team offense from one like shoot around that morning where can’t really even ask him to know a few plays other than the ones that they I’m assuming that the remix does

Some of the same things plays do other than that yeah they really you really can’t expect him to to know anything yeah and but I but I was super impressed as was he Chanty I mean by Ashton uh was very professional about it was put in a difficult situation where it was the

Game came down to the line and Kudos again to Jeremy Grant what an amazing performance that night just gave it his all like when he had that and one at the end where he literally fell on the ground and just poed it up there in a

Win that man was tired I gave it at all I was so proud of him um but and I it was there’s there’s a guy that sits right that was sitting right in front of me where I sit in the corner in the tunnel and he looked at me he go Jer and

This was Jeremy had like maybe 38 39 but he was on a on a on a tear and he looks at me goes he’s going for 50 I was like that’d be great and then the game kept going then went to overtime and I’m like

He might but I really wish we weren’t in Overtown like wish I wish that this one just was solidified um but he he almost went for 50 uh career high 49 what a performance by him but very proud of Ashton hains for coming up and just you

Know taking on the task and in clutch situations where I’m sure he’s been in clutch situations in Prior games whe whether it was with the remix or in college all that but to be in a team you haven’t played with and and on the biggest stage there is I thought he held

Himself well and you could see there times he’s like I don’t know if I should shoot it past it I don’t know what to do here but I’m and sometimes you did sometimes he deferred it has to be stressful to be in a situation like that

And all all in all which I every time I say that I laugh because I remember uh it was part of something like an English class in high school it says you can use all in all when you’re wrapping something up so whenever I say it I

Think of it all in all I thought he handled the stress very well and I was very proud of him and he did the best he could and then you bring in Delano who you know was one of those performances where you want to be like wow can you do

This every night and I don’t know if he can but it was still a highlight of his first game as a Blazer the first game in general was his performance um so happy for him that dunk was SI and I don’t know if that was a accurate

Portrayal of what he’ll be able to do every night I like to be hopeful and think that he can we’ll see but it was it was great and I was happy for him and and Ashton I thought they both have handled the situ situations they’ve been

In Delano in one game Ashton in two they both handled it well yeah you’re exactly right Brooke and yeah you you mentioned Jeremy Grant yes Jeremy Grant putting up a a career best 49 points in the overtime loss to the uh to the Pistons uh which was on the trade deadline night

Which you mentioned Delano Banton who the turers received from the Celtics basically at the wire of the trade deadline for a second round pick that will never convey uh so basically the Blazers got got a chance to to bring in Delano and just kind of see uh see what

He’s got see if uh there’s any interest there going forward I believe he has a team option for next season um and yeah I thought he looked he looked really nice in his first game and I thought he basically kind of played the way that I’ve been accustomed to seeing uh d play

Throughout the years I mean some familiarity with him from his time with the Raptors I don’t think I actually saw him uh ever play with the Celtics but uh guy who’s got great size nice feel for the game uh nice little ball handler as well Delano played 25 minutes went five

Of 14 from the field one of five from three for 12 points three assists and three rebounds and that is kind of his game Brooke a guy who you know not a not a great shooter at this point in his career but a guy who again has great

Field nice little handle good size for the position as well nice defensively and along with Ashton too both those guys kind of nice little Defenders at at the point guard guard position period so um so it’ll be interesting to see what they what they get out of Delano and

Since we mentioned him we just mentioned the the trade deadline only the just the one move the Blazers did pull off in h the deadline uh Joe cronin’s comments were basically like you know we had we had some offers we had some interest in guys you get the sense that there was

Interest in well actually chony even said it interest in Malcolm Brogden interest in in Robert Williams I’m guessing they probably got also I’m guessing they also got calls for guys like matis thyo guys like Jeremy Grant and uh it just sounds like for the most

Part um you know I think if there would have been a deal that really maybe kind of Knocked their socks off I think they obviously would would probably have done that but uh I think basically they decided that the offers that they were given were not worth the expense of not

Having these guys in the team at least for the rest of the season so uh they decided to keep those guys around talked about wanting to see the team gel a little bit which is why it’s also such a bummer too they’ve got a bunch of injuries again um scoot Henderson has

Been out for a couple games with a with a foot injury um really curious what his stat is going to be for Tuesday night’s game versus the Timberwolves if he plays in that game I imagine he’s probably good to go for the All-Star Weekend playing in the rookie sophomore game on

Friday if he doesn’t play in that game I think at that point in time you maybe start to wonder what his availability is going to be for All-Star Weekend um he’s the only player at this point for the trailers who will be participating in Allstar Weekend uh as we mentioned

Shaden sharp core muscle injury uh had surgery will be right re re-evaluated in six weeks which would put that somewhere around March 22nd which means there’d be a couple weeks left in the season so a possibility that shayen comes back um but he will definitely be out at least

For the next six weeks Malcolm brog didn’t out for the next two weeks after he received treatment to address tendonitis in his right elbow not entirely sure what the nature of that injury is I know that he’s had maybe something similar when he was in Boston

Last season as well and it says that he received treatment for it which usually when they say you receive treatment that means you got some kind of procedure so I don’t know if that’s like an injection I don’t know if that’s some kind of minor surgical procedure I don’t know

But long story short when they say you received treatment that usually means something more than like you know you got a massage or something like that or I mean guys receive treatment all the time they they get acupuncture they get cupping things like that um so again I

Don’t know exactly what the nature of that injury is but he’s out for at least the next two weeks which puts him rejoining the team sometime beginning of March and as I mentioned again scoot has already missed two games with that left foot sprain uh ant has missed a game and

A half with a left ankle sprain uh he set out the second half of the loss to the Pistons if ant is available in that game in the Pistons Pleasers don’t lose that game as they were up 23 points when he went out was not able to come back in

Miss the next game as well not sure what his status is going to be for Tuesday’s game versus Timol either but you hope he will be available to play duop has also missed the last two games with nend denus as well well uh that doesn’t seem

Too serious but he’s a big man with knee stuff so you want to take your time with that so uh that’s uh that’s a significant amount of the rotation that is out of the rotation right now that’s a terrible use of the of word choice but

You know there it is um which is again why it’s such a bummer that you know now that we talked about once they got through the trade deadline and you know if they I think we both kind of felt like it was it was more likely than not

That they were going to generally kind of stay stamp Pat for the most part and then at that point you know you know who’s going to be on your team you know kind of what the landscape is and you can kind of you know start building on

Some of the good things that they were doing going into you know the couple weeks before the trade deadline now they have all these guys out with injuries again and you’re starting you know Ashton who as you mentioned Brook you just signed to a 10day uh he’s getting a

Start you have Delano who you know joined the team the day before ends up playing 25 minutes I again if both ant and Scoot aren’t able to go in the game on Tuesday I would imagine Delo will get the start at point guard in that one as

Well or at least start at maybe one of the guards uh so you know it’s a little hard to so so you feel like you’re kind of back to the point where you’re like yeah they’re they’re playing some decent basketball but you know what are what

Are we getting out of this if a lot of the guys that you’re hoping to see aren’t available to play and so I then I think your your interest really changes more to like what is what is Jabari Walker doing and how is he coming along

How is Chris Murray who was on the recent edition of the other podcast that we don’t talk about uh talking about I’m not familiar I know she Brook Brook hasn’t listened to it to Mani Kamara does he kind of get back into the rotation well he’s he never left the

Rotation but is he get an opportunity now to maybe go out there and play some more minutes as well um and then a guy like baji too getting getting an opportunity to go out there and uh and doing what he can um picked up three fouls and 11 minutes in the Pelicans

Game so that kind of kept him on the bench for that one couple of those were not I didn’t think they were on him and they ended up being on him like I remember Lamar was like I think that was on Jeremy and then and then Kevin was

Like I think it was on Ashton then ended up being on him didn’t was there were some odd calls on that game in that game but uh yeah he but he’s one of those guys where you just kind of like like when coach said at the beginning or

Halfway through the year I forget when he said I just let scoot have three turnovers and then we talk like he’s the point guard like that’s makes sense he’s going to have you know he’s trying to do a lot he’s going to have three turnovers

And when he gets to the third we have a little chit chat about okay we got to do better what’s how you how you doing yeah like hey a little how how’s how’s your mother yeah how’s your father father uh but then I think it with tumani I think

It’s the same situation with fouls because he’s so aggressive and he’s and I’d say matis too but matis is like a stealthy killer he doesn’t even like make contact when he gets his steals but tumani is very aggressive and very handsy and I say that in the most

Positive way like he’s he’s got he push he he had that that push on the screen the other day and he was like what and I was like to oh yeah yeah but I love it I love the aggression oh I love it too I

Love it too so I’m saying tumani like is allowed to get in foul trouble a little early because that’s just his game because he’s he’s trying to get everything he possibly can so he’s gonna make contact so that’s really my point on that one I’m not surprised that he

Got into foul trouble and I think you just you kind of come to expect it with how um how aggressive he is so but yeah I agree with you like looking at and Jabari has been a lovely storyline this season with just how far he’s come from

Where where he started and I know and I say this all the time like he’s become a fan favorite for his effort his the energy he brings which is he talks about it all the time like that’s part of his game like that’s what I want to do when

I get on the floor if if I you know he he’s had some starts but when I come off the bench I want to come out there and you know affect the game in a positive way with the energy I bring and he he’s always done that and there’s there’s

Really no slowing like there’s no like he’s at one speed which is and and that I say in a very positive way like he’s always 100 like he’s going out there it doesn’t matter if they’re down 10 up 10 down 20 up 20 your Jabar is going to

Give you the same thing no matter what and I I love that kind of I feel like fans have come to expect that from him and and and promote him and support him for it because that’s the kind of player that our fans like that goes out there

And just like I’m GNA do no matter what I can or what no matter what I’m going to do what I can to affect the game in a positive way and that’s with his energy and he can just rebounding some sometimes he like wow I didn’t think he

Was going to get that so we’re looking for specific things to be excited about and there’s nothing wrong with that that’s that’s what it is right now and Delano and Ashton and Jabari if that’s what it is that and then then we’re going to be excited about it we’re going

To root for them and and I love that and our fans are that’s what I love about them too they understand the assignment they get the situation they know what’s going on when you’re dealing with this many injuries you have to look for other things to be excited about and and they

They have done that and that’s what we’re doing too and that’s that’s a really good point too broe and and just when you’re when you’re kind of deciding like what’s the what are the motivations in the second half of the season and second half after the allstar break

We’re already well past the Midway point of the season and you know when in this season in general you know it wasn’t necessarily about wins it was about you know kind of seeing how this team worked together and and maybe what they what they have now that they can utilize

Going forward that could be a part of this team kind of in the long term and they’ve kind of gotten to do some of that but with injuries it’s been difficult and now that you’re you know you got 15 wins and there’s 30 30 something games left to go and you got a

Bunch of guys who were in and out of the lineup and you got Shaden who’s going to be out until you know at least towards the end of the season you got Malcolm who’s going to be out for a couple weeks now obviously Robert Williams out for

The season Moses Brown probably out for another couple weeks you know and that point it really is about like to your point bro getting down to like really kind of some specifics about like oh what what am I gonna kind of track what am I going to pay attention to what what

Are the things I’m going to maybe look at to see are they getting better or are they just kind of spinning their wheels here and so to to to have a guy like Jabari where you’re like yeah so I’m gonna watch Jabari and I’m gonna see you

Know where his skills expand where he he maybe still needs to to work on a few things and that’s going to be kind of what I pay attention to to I think that’s a that’s a smart way to go about it Brook so I think a guy like da too is

Who’s been playing better basketball um really like really seems to have have started to to to really understand his role on the team and and is comfortable and I think he feels good physically um so he’s really really been on a great run too so like he’s a guy who I think

You know I’m really going to pay attention to in this in these last you know couple months of the season I think Jeremy too like just the you know how hard he is working on the offensive to try to kind of get things going and well

When aunt was out he had to do it all he literally had to do it all and while getting double triple teed like he that’s why I brought up that shot earlier in one where he literally just was falling on the ground like it was example like I heard like angels singing

It was an example of him like I’m giving it everything I have you know as he falls back on the floor just hoists it up it goes in like man and I also if I could Casey I’d like to give Jeremy a shout out no no no no no you can’t do

That bro oh shoot the rules of this podcast um he I know I’m just joking so he uh we did a pregame interview last game and it was focused on the shirts he’s been wearing to the arena and so I we did a deep dive and he was great and

So what he he decided long ago like I think he said this summer actually um he said when he knew black history meth was coming up he and his kind of crew decided I it was him it was he spearheaded it but said I want to do a

Shirt with a different quote every day of month like literally every day of the month so if you don’t see him if it’s not a game day I assume he’s wearing a shirt if he goes out to the mall I don’t know because he if you were gonna ask me

Which guy on the team is the least likely to not wear a shirt to the mall I would definitely pick Jeremy but in general I would imagine you’re right he is probably leaving a house with a shirt on for the most part yeah because he had

Them all produced he you know he came up with so he’s he told me he came up with every single quote all 29 because February is 29 days this this year oh it’s yes it is so he has a quote and I asked him even I go what’s your favorite

Do you have one or two favorite quotes that really like resonate with you he like all of them I don’t know if that’s because he couldn’t remember some of the quotes or if he just wanted to say I like which I get because he made them he

Made them all himself which I understand how I would be proud of myself too if I came up with 29 inspirational quotes and uh so he has a shirt every every day for the month that he came up with and it’s just to raise awareness make you think a

Little bit about different things they’ve all been different they’ve all yesterday or sorry last games was about children there was about respect and appreciate black women and they’ve been all across the board but they’re all in support of Black History Month and it was it was fun because I wanted to give

Him love for what an amazing performance he had basketball wise but also he he does so many other things off the court so like it was a combination of let’s talk about your shirts why it’s important to you and oh my gosh what a performance other of course I knew what

He’d say and I even kind of set him up I was like I know you would have preferred the win but what a what a night what a rhythm you were in he’s like yeah I was in quite a rhythm but you know I would

Always choose a win and like I I know that but it was I just wanted to Showcase him a little bit because I think that’s pretty cool because we talk about his Fashions all the time and he could be coming in Rocking you know Valentino head to toe and he’s taking

This month as an opportunity to use that the all the eyeballs that are on him when he walks into an Ara Ena for the cause that he wants to talk about and I think that’s Fant fantastic so I just wanted to give him a shout out because I

Think it’s really cool what he’s doing this month yeah uh my unofficial job is getting the photos the walk-in photos from whoever takes them and we have a couple people take them I take them on the road sometimes Bruce’s back on the road so Bruce is taking them for the

Most part now when we’re at home Stephanie or so hea takes some and uh and it I don’t even know exactly how it happened but uh my job is to get those photos to Jeremy’s people in order for Jeremy’s people to be able to post them

Now so you know I feel like I’m I’m I have we we’re playing a small role in in you are yeah absolutely we all are we all are well that’s part of our job is to support and promote these guys the only other thing I would say too is I

Would love for a player one of these days to be like no I’m I I I wanted to score the points I didn’t care about the win like like I I I knew I was close to my career high I knew I was close to 50

I was pissed I didn’t get to 50 actually the fact I didn’t get to 50 is the issue the fact that we didn’t win we got another game tomorrow we can always win another game some other day I can’t always score 50 points in a game just

Once I like a guy to come out and be like no I it would have been better if I could have gotten the individual accomplishment and the team thing you know whatever it would have been really extra funny if it was Jeremy it was like

JY be like yeah no yeah I don’t care about the wind are you kidding me wind’s losses I just want to get to 50 like I got to get the bag that would have been so out of your character it would have been hilarious

It made me laugh like oh okay I love it I’m here for it whatever well it was like when uh what is his name that the guy threw the ball off the backboard to get an extra rebound oh um in Indiana yeah Ricky halberton no well no that

That that was an actual great play that was amazing it was years and years no I’m not talking about th sorry my mind it only goes back for five days so no it’s uh Ricky Davis play for the Pacers yeah so he yeah Ricky Davis failed triple double attempt

31603 oh no like he missed a shot on purpose to try to rebound it on purpose or even maybe even like shot on the wrong hoop even like it was like a on like acting the fool kind of thing but uh yeah well that’s that’s silly but but

I mean it gives us something to talk about but no you don’t want to go that route you you still have to want the team to win first but it would be hilarious Casey for someone out of like left field be like yeah I mean I don’t

Care if we won or lost I can’t believe I didn’t get to 50 and I I won’t sleep tonight about it that would have been so funny if Jeremy said that and you know there was guys who were thinking that every now and then too like there

Definitely guys that are going home to the or back to the hotel being like I should have I should have gotten a few more shots if they would have if they would have looked for me a little bit more I you know what now that you say

That I feel like I okay I remember there’s something I have a memory coming back to me and and I believe it’s true I think there was a postgame interview with CJ where he was close to getting something and he was mad at himself which he always brings up one or two

When I covered him we covered him he would always bring up one to two plays specifically that he wish he would have done differently or made a couple free throws that he missed like he was always hard on himself and post game interviews they’ll be like man you you know you got

Whatever shot you wanted how did you cover up their defense whatever like he’d be like man I missed that one that was like so I think there there was one postgame interview and I’m just spitball in here I think though he almost almost got to some sort of Milestone and he

Said and I said I know you would have rather no it was a win because I was interviewing him obviously so we they want they won the game the Blazers won and but he was more frustrated that he didn’t get to a certain thing that he

Was close to getting but it wasn’t like the Milestone itself it was about the play and that’s very CJ where he’d be like I could have done I should have shot that one I can’t believe I passed that up or I should have done this so I

I do and I appreciate that I remember him saying specifically I should have done this and I could have reached that Milestone so but that was after a win so that doesn’t really count yeah well I mean CJ is the kind of guy too who I could absolutely absolutely see CJ going

Up to a guy after a game be like hey man you realize that you missing that shot kept me one assist away from getting a double double yeah yeah maybe it was something like it might have been something like that it might have been absolutely do that but also earlier this

Season scoot had a play where he he crossed someone over and he dropped him and then missed the he didn’t get the shot and I even asked him I was like does does that bother you when you get a play like that you don’t get the shot

And the instant he was like yes absolutely he’s like absolutely he was very quick to answer that when you when you get something like that and then you don’t finish the play you are you absolutely look at that and think to yourself damn it I wish I had finished

That play because of that reason well if someone says they don’t think that you’re like come on bro like well and you know guys guys feel like there’s things they’re supposed to say or not say and you’re supposed to have this like false modesty which is stupid and

You shouldn’t no I I prefer the honesty the real honesty but I remember when you asked him that and I was glad he responded that way because he could have easily said oh I’m not thinking about stats but he’s not thinking about stats he’s just thinking about the play like

And I appreciate that be I I love the honesty and and also there are times where I ask guys and you probably have two Casey where they have like a crazy pass like behind the back like an amazing assist and if that guy misses it you’re like man that could have been

Sports Center top one you know and so we’ve asked him like do you owe that guy lunch because he did finish the the shot like you gave the most amazing assists you know like who was it that um was it was it jere no it wasn’t Jeremy someone had to behind the back

Pass gosh it’s I hate when I can’t remember but there’s a behind the back pass and then our guy hit it and I was like are you were you so glad that he hit that shot because when you put the effort into having like a crazy assist

It kind of it’s all for nod if they don’t hit it right pay off yeah you want to pay off and usually like they’re fun they’re funny and cute about it where they’re like yeah I owe them loan or something you know so I appreciate the honesty uh but I understand also that

Jeremy I believe in 100% he would have chosen a win that especially after that night overtime oh when they were up 23 he I believe him 100% he would have chosen to win over getting 50 well and especially versus the Pistons too who you know exactly wins in the league and

They I think they had 12 guys his former team yeah his former team as well yeah exactly and uh and you know I was kind of debating with some people like you know I don’t think that’s Portland’s worst loss of the year because one it’s on the trade deadline you’re missing a

Number of guys I mean the Pistons are two but then you have ant go down Midway through the game and when you lose a game to the Thunder by like 62 that’s your worst loss of the year you know like even even though the Thunder are a better team like it

Depends on you lose by 60 that’s your worst loss of the year that that’s my stance at least is it depends on for me it depends on how you look at your of emotions about a loss if it’s you’re looking at like factually the worst loss

Yes obviously OKC was but when you are up I’m I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate when you’re up by 23 in a game and Jeremy Grant you know who’s kind of putting the whole team on his back is going out there and literally giving it everything he has and you’re watch I

Mean I’m thinking of a little like details about a game rather than just like yeah losing by 6 that was rough trust me I was there you were there but when you’re up by 23 and you feel like okay this game is is ours and then you

Watch it slowly it it’s a slow burn those losses actually hurt me more than getting blown out and so I’m just saying like subjectively those ones hurt more than getting blown out by 63 when you’re down by 30 the entire night you’re like well this isn’t our night yeah that’s a

Terrible loss but the ones that you think you’re going to win that you don’t and then there’s amazing personal performance those actually are harder for me than getting blown out well that and that was going to be the second part of my statement was that while I would

Say that the loss to the OKO City Thunder was the worst loss of the season I think loss to the Pistons is the most demoralizing loss of the Season there you go that’s just mentioned and you’re at home too you know like when you’re when you

Lose on the road like you’re moving on you know like you’re on to the next place your fans weren’t in the arena to see it it’s not great but you know Lo losing on the road in kind of a poor fashion I feel like is a little easier

To take than losing at home in that kind of fashion and so you’re right to have Jeremy put up a a career high but then to have ant go down and know that like you’re you’re basically down to Ashton who you called up from the G League 12

Hours before you’re putting him in a situation where he’s got to be in this high stress situation you know he doesn’t want to lose the game because it’s like it’s all on him at that point like you got Aunt who has that huge WP

On his leg he takes the wp off and is like trying to get a rocky moment you think he’s gonna try to come back like no man well and then people were like why does an go back in I was like did you see the The Ice they had W on his

Ankle like I had a bunch of people didn’t even know he left the game they’re like why wasn’t Aunt played in the last I was like you think the choice was made to not like sit him down Fine well we’ll just we’ll just take this loss we’ll we’ll we’ll just

We’ll just figure it out with with the guy who we called up from the Rip City remix 12 hours ago yeah reason the people that said that were in the arena and if you were listening at home I did a report said ant’s not coming back you

Know or or it’s questionable but I did say and then I kind of like questioned myself because I said you know sometimes I just do a straight up injury report where I just say an fry Simons left I can’t remember if it’s left but left ankle yeah it was left left ankle sprain

Questionable back to you guys but I threw my own little two cents and I was like but with the Detroit Pistons coming back you wonder if you know the questionable is going to come into play I said that like on air because you do like and then over time happens and you

Like you just said Casey he takes his wrap off and he starts like kind of massaging his his ankle like almost you’re like oh he he wants to come back and then you start thinking is he gonna is he not I think you’re right it was the right move for him not clearly

Because he didn’t play last game but you wondered like is he G to come out here and have a hero moment but it it wouldn’t have made sense sense if it would have kept him out longer then he’ll be out right now so we’ll see but

Yeah I was I was just kind of giggling and like why would you not play Ant in the last quarter I’m like you would never not play Ant in the last quarter again they were in playing 50 minutes if he was able to in that game but that’s

How it goes yeah and and then that’s that’s the other thing too is that like you can’t particularly in a season like this one like you can’t do anything that’s going to put a player In Harm’s Way for the opportunity to get a win like like

If if an had played like 35 minutes and was healthy yeah you you you play it out but like you have if a guy’s played you know Jeremy even playing whatever how say how many minutes did Jeremy play in that game 40 well no he played 41 minutes versus the Pelicans and he

Played 45 minutes versus the Pistons like that’s that’s a lot of minutes and uh so you you have to really balance like the importance of winning versus the importance of health and not doing anything that’s going to affect players more long term and you know so they have

To make that calculation and and in the case with in that game versus the Pistons yeah the calculation there is that like hey would it be nice to win this game sure we’ feel good about winning this game but like ant’s already injured if he had a worse injury because

We’re trying to win a game in mid-February versus one of the few teams below us in the standings like there’s just it just doesn’t it doesn’t pencil out so so like you understand even though it is disappointing I know the a want to get back up there and players want to play

And they don’t want to lose either and you know like and they don’t want to lose in that situation either like they don’t want to lose to the Pistons you know like so um so if they if they could be out there they would be but you have

To you have to kind of protect players from themselves from time to time and that was a situation uh in that Pelicans game or excuse me in that Pistons game uh well real quick here Brooke even though as mentioned play just don’t have a whole lot going on at all-star weekend

This year um it is happening uh in Indianapolis Brooks former stomping grounds scoot Henderson is still as of right now scheduled to play in the rookie sare game on Friday night um I think he’s on team which team did he get taken by I think he’s on Penny

Hardaway’s team there there’s like three teams sounds right yeah I can’t recall exactly what but basically they play two games and then it’s like a kind of like a round robin semi- tournament thing but um they change it every year and it’s basically just a chance for those young

Guys to get at Allstar Weekend which is great but um any uh any All-Star Weekend thoughts Brooke uh both uh obviously neither I or Brooke are going to this year’s All-Star game they both of us have covered multiple All-Star games um kind of depends on kind of where you’re

At and how many players you have participating um but uh any uh any general All-Star Weekend thoughts broke for me I uh I’m not the biggest fan of covering All-Star weekends mostly because since it’s run by the NBA ba and not by Blazers like aess a little more

Difficult but it’s always fun to kind of see your players get recognition somewhere else other than your Market which which is always a good time I have lovely memories of Allstar because so Tristan as you guys know him from where the f is Tristan by Jeremy Grant when we

Were stuck on the plane for eight hours and then DED the video TR Tristan is one of our phots I mean amongst many other things he edits he does all the things he’s creative and he and I went to cover this is in Tristan maybe it was

Tristan’s first year we went uh to cover Dam and La for allar it was just me Tristan and well it was just me and Tristan that’s it and and we went and it was actually it was a fun challenge because you’re right Casey the NBA like clamps down it’s like well now we’re

We’re your PR Gods now like you come through us but that’s the beauty of our our our communication and relationship with Dame back then is that we went through his people and talked to him and he was obviously willing to was willing to give us um availability that maybe he

Wouldn’t to other people so we followed him trist and I literally just followed Dame everywhere um and it was it was great we got great there was one time we went to something and he had another thing and it went long he never got to

The thing and so we just made a feature about this Adidas event that he never actually went to but it was still a great anyways but um my my thoughts on this year is so everyone if you didn’t know I did work for the Pacers in my first NBA

Stent for three years and so I lived right across the street from the arena harness Factory Lofts so Indianapolis is actually a wonderful City for conventions All-Star games anything that like everyone is coming into town and doesn’t know what to do like where or the city it’s a great spot because

Everything’s walkable it’s called The Circle City because it’s literally it’s a circle and you can just and actually it’s similar to Milwaukee In Minnesota where you have a Skywalk if it’s too cold where you can walk everywhere not outside but uh it’s a sports city uh they love their Colts they love their

Pacers they love their hooers and they’re it’s the like the holy land of sports bars everywhere you look it’s a sports bar you walk in 9,000 TVs all the hot wings all the bread sticks everything like every beer you know you can imagine it’s it’s a great place to go for an All-Star

All-Star game so if you are going I would say you’ll have a blast and just know that you don’t have to don’t ride a car just walk around and you don’t need anything like that everything’s walkable and it it’ll be fun I mean I I’m so glad

I’m casy never I mean this the season is is a lot for everyone obviously the players that’re actually playing in the game but this break uh is is nice because we’re home so much in February also that I’m just taking advantage of being at home for so many days in a row

And I’m gonna paint I’m going to Garden I’m going to do like random things that we don’t get to do during the season and usually I go like last year I went to Hawaii the year before I went to Mexico and this year I’m not doing zilch I’m

Literally just chilling and I can’t not wait yeah same here yeah and Allstar weekends are yeah when when you have players who are willing to like do things outside of the NBA stuff that’s the best stuff and you’re right like these events sorry to all my Adas people

I I’m not going to be at the party this year I know that I’m usually the the guy everyone wants to talk to at the Adidas party but I’m not going to be able to make this year folks I apologize um but yeah no when you when you have guys who

Are there and there’re and it’s always the outside events they’re always the the best stuff so yeah like last year when we were with Dame in uh Salt Lake where he obviously had a bunch of interest because it was time we were state that was a good time um New

Orleans was a great one um met a bunch of rappers backstage that was a that was a night that I somewhat recall um but yeah uh so yeah so check out scoot hopefully in the rookie sophomore game Friday night I don’t know exactly what the time of that is probably about

Five o’clock since two hour time different a three hour time different I hope he’s able to do that I really do I hope so too yeah that’d be good for him and then Dam’s in three-point compet I know he’s on our team but I’m just

Trying to think of the events I want to watch so he’s in three-point competition um dunk field uh I was just gonna say that’s what I was gonna ask who’s in the dunk field uh haime hawz um Jaylen Brown Obi toppins brother and uh M mug

Again okay yeah I I don’t know if that’ll be uh the catch the fever again like they they gota so they have success getting players excited about the inseason tournament but and I think part of that is because of the payout they got to start paying guys for the

Dunk contest like whatever it’s going to take pay them so if it takes a million bucks to get participation just give a million bucks each like we got to figure something out or get rid of it because like the once proud NBA dunk contest getting turned into what it has become

Now is a it’s not right Obby to’s brother play in the the NBA what’s that Obby toppen has a brother who plays in the NBA apparently yeah and he plays for the Knicks I I just looked up the other day he’s played like four games I I

Think um I was not aware of that so uh and again and I’m sure he’s a nice dunker probably a great guy but uh I’m sure he’s a nice dunker if though I mean like the point is to have people in an event that people want to are going to be excited

About watching so no I agree it can’t just be like who’s willing to do this which is what it feels like it is now who is who doesn’t have any other plans this evening yeah who who can we get to come to Indianapolis for four days when they could otherwise be on

Vacation so pay them money open up the uh open up the checkbook Adam let’s uh let’s pay these guys cash so that’s gonna do it for this edition of the Blazers balcony we will talk to you next week actually will we talk to you next

Week we might take next week off uh with the with the All-Star break as Brooke mentioned so our last we play the Timberwolves on Tuesday and Thursday which leads into the All-Star break and then I don’t believe we play again until Thursday I believe it’s a whole week

Actually off and to your earlier Point Brooke feel like a lot of times we’re usually on the road at the start of the All-Star break so you gotta like fly back or we have a game like right at the beginning or once it gets over this year

Quite a bit of time and it just and that’s the whole theme of February is like multiple days off which you’re just not really accustomed to having so no it’s so bizarre it’s so bizarre but it’s lovely I’ve made so many pasta salads pasta salad is like that’s the that’s

The brook like I have time off of making pasta salads yeah I I I am the queen of preing food and having it ready I love leftovers so the my friend Nick who I was at his house for super R yesterday he made um like all this food like so

Much food and I’m like God you’re gonna have leftovers for days he’s like yeah it’s so funny because I my family doesn’t eat leftovers I was like what he’s like yeah I really like to cook the next day like I love cooking so much

That like I just we throw them out and I start over I’m like I love leftovers because all the the flavors marinate and Merry and the next day it’s even better so we took all his leftovers and the food we brought and then I will make

More food today because we a day off and I just have it in there I love leftovers I look and if I see a casserole dish with food in it I get so excited I don’t even know what’s in it but I just know that it must be something good cuz like

I I must have made it recently and it’s just even better than it was the day before I love leftovers oh so yes I will make more I’m going to make soup today I’m going to do random stuff that you only get to do when you have a lot of

Time off and I’m so excited there you go Brooks excited about pasta salad and uh and leftovers which is great and soup soup soup I wanted to let you know too Brook there’s a place uh I went this weekend called sit tight it’s on Interstate it’s a bar

They do some Italian stuff it’s great but the reason I mean and I would recommend anyone goes it’s it’s very good lots of pinball machines but the reason I’m mentioning it specifically is cuz they have Gaba goul sandwich that has so much mayonnaise on it that I mean

It’s it’s got to it had to have been at least like half J mayonnaise we didn’t even talk about the mayonnaise commercial that everyone tweeted me about during yeah I know you were talking about the halftime show being the brook halftime show everyone’s like no the man is commercials the bir show

So we it was a night it was a night for me yeah thanks so much for joining talk to you next week we are out of time Brook Dam peace out Crazy

On the latest edition of The Blazers Balcony podcast, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss…

• The Trail Blazers losing four-straight heading into two games versus the Timberwolves this week

• Jerami Grant working hard both on the court and the runway

• Another wave of injuries taking out a significant portion of Portland’s rotation

• Trading for Dalano Banton and signing Ashton Hagans to a 10-day

• Memorable All-Star Weekends

• Thoughts on the Super Bowl, Travis Kelce vs. Andy Reed, Brooke knows Usher AND Ludacris and respect for leftovers

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