The Blazers Balcony, Episode 115 | Portland Trail Blazers | February 26
What’s up Rip City this is Jabari Walker and you’re listening to the Blazers balcony with Brooke endam and KY Hol greetings Mr fans and welcome to the Blazers balcony episode 115 of the Blazers balcony I am Casey holdall I joined by my friend and cooworker Brook Olen Dam in southwest Portland wearing
Her Brook harer heart hat it’s heart month Brook month Brook Olen how you doing I’m good thank you yeah it’s coming to an end we’re wrapping it up but it’s been uh such an amazing experience as it always is every February um so it’s like again thank you
To everyone and it’s just been so fun I I got to give this oh I get choked up there when we had so we had RCU night or RCU day a couple days ago um where it’s for ripy United season ticket members and they come down
It’s a really cool event you get to like really get up close and personal with the players you watch it you watch them do like some fun games and it’s interactive a lot of player or fans come down to do things with players games and
Stuff and then you go up to upper level and there’s it’s really interactive where there are like games you play right alongside them anyways it’s a really cool event everyone loves it and I was there miss little girl named Amilia who last year uh also did the
Same thing she uh saved money and did little chores around the house to to make money uh for to donate and she’s so cute and so she came last year to the set and brought like a ziplock bag of like Porters and Nichols and stuff and her mom’s like she’s been sa doing
Things and you know saving up I’m like oh my gosh I cannot and so this year um they were at the RCU event and she came up and and I had know and her mom and I talked on Instagram and she was like Amelia’s already on her you know on her
Chore tasks she’s doing everything to get you know to raise money and donate I’m like that’s amazing so she came up and she had saved enough that she cashed in the change for a five bill so she came and gave it to me and I was like
You’re amazing girl and it was just the coolest thing and so I bought a couple of these hat the reason you made me think of it I bought a couple these hats well I’ve bought a lot of these hats for like friends and family and people that
Are out of town and stuff and so I got a couple yesterday and she came up to the set I told her I go come to the set tomorrow and see me and she came up and I gave her a hat and I was so excited to
Give it to her but then I was like oh shoot she’s got a little sister I forgot about that and so it’s like I’m I’m like I’m so sorry but she donated you didn’t they said this like a 5-year-old I didn’t mean it like that but you know like the whole thing like
When it’s one when a kids birthday and so some people like give all the kids a little something so they don’t feel left out I felt terrible her little sister is darling and I was like H and I only had the one hat so anyways I gave it to her
And she was very excited and her mom said that uh she you know she worked really hard this month to do that I’m like gosh I how does like an eight-year-old think of think of that like it’s amazing so even even kids have been uh donating and it’s just been
Wonderful it’s been a great month I get a little sad when it ends because of all the interactions we have I get to have with fans and stuff about how this has affected them I mean we still do it throughout the year but February is obviously I think the main focus so well
That’s great broe two things there one that’s a good lesson for that uh for that the sister there to know that like life is not fair so you know just because something good happen to somebody else does that mean something Good’s going to happen to you that was
That was the uh my my mom’s standard uh response to those things when I was a kid was always yeah well life is not fair so deal with it and what if I said that to her what if I looked at a little 5-year-old like well sorry life’s not
Fair I’m GNA clear you in on something here kid life is uh is unfair and cruel and then you die so uh you don’t need a hat you should know this now and the other thing that I will mention there is that uh I do quite a
Bit of shopping I like to buy clothes I like to buy sneakers I like to buy stuff I basically never pay full price for anything like I literally couldn’t tell you the the last time I paid full price for a garment or sneakers sneakers I never paid full price for I paid full
Price for as the Bro Harcher heart hat at at the arena I don’t know if we’re supposed to get our employee discounts on that but I made a I purposefully did not ask for it just in case we were supposed to because I wanted to make
Sure that all the money was going back into the kitty for the uh for the brook harer heart campaign thank you that’s so funny you’re like the 10th person to say that exact same thing they’re like I didn’t even ask I didn’t even pull out
My my badge and my mom know she when she comes to game she’ll like get um my pass and you know she she’s going to buy sweat stuff around Christmas time you know she obviously I give her my pass so she can get the discount and um she’s
She’s like I didn’t I didn’t even ask where and she bought like a lot and other fellow employees and our friends are like yeah I didn’t it’s just the same thing everyone’s like it’s just like your conscious hits you and you’re like I don’t think I’m supposed to ask
For the discount for this I probably shouldn’t so I didn’t either so I paid full price also and I bought like 20 of them so actually that’s so funny as I say that I just realized I have you’ve got the tab still on there yeah I noticed that that little thing guys
Where the Hat hangs it’s still in my hat and I there we go got it out I did this the other day with another hat so this is not even the one I wore the other day I’m rotating this same hat but I get
Makeup on it so I like like to go grab a new one even though no one can see it it’s on the inside but it’s a white hat so you know it comes with territory but I wore that thing all day I went on a I
Went on coin TV I did all the things I got home and that tag had been sticking out of the top the entire Day live TV no one told me this little this little thing sticking right out on top where you could go hanging on hang oh my gosh it
Is hailing right now so hard over here in southwest Portland yeah I saw some I saw some snow stuff which like I don’t think people are you you gotta come on Mother Nature like these folks are still still hurting from the last time literally I’m still hurting from
The last time physically yeah it’s it’s coming down big time I I I did hear snow is coming which is just mean after the weather we’ve had the last three days but yeah it’s a it’s nasty out there guys I don’t know if you if it’s hailing
In your neck of the woods as Al rer would say but it is coming down big time in southwest Portland this is crazy this weather I it’s so funny I took all my my dad took all the the tarps off my outdoor furniture because it love these
Amazing two lovely days we had and then I looked at I was like well and then we’ll go put it back on in two days I cannot believe that as died in Northwestern or excuse me northwesterners yeah yeah we’re in the Northwest that you guys would be fooled
By the February three days of sun Brooke like you guys have to know what that is like that is the nice little sprinkling of sunlight before it’s gonna rain again for another two months you you know that Brooke you know that I did I didn’t say
My dad did it okay my dad did it but but your dad is a smart man and he is also from the Northwest he has to know that you cannot get fooled by the February like oh man it’s like 55° in Sunny which feels like it’s like 75° any other time
And then you really start thinking like oh yeah well we gotta start getting the plants ready and no no no no it’s it’s Nature’s cruel way of reminding you that we still have a ways to go before this is going to let up and what it does is
It does exactly what it’s doing right now is it goes from Sun to snow and hail because when it’s clear it obviously gets colder so on and so forth you you got to know and and you’re watching tonians so I I give you a little more
Leeway or oregonians no no I I’m not saying we didn’t know I just think that we wanted to just pretend a little while like you know Theo and I actually played soccer the other night um it was which we haven’t been able to obviously um because of the weather and it’s just
Well it’s been muddy and gross because of you know the snow and all and the rain all that but then it just hasn’t been very warm out so we jumped at the chance we played soccer it was so much fun it just reminded me of like
What it’s like when it’s like that so I think we just wanted again just kind of fool ourselves and pretend for a little bit and now I’m looking outside and you’re right I I’m a Fool it is it’s coming down so hard dad are you seeing
This and you know what Brook that that that’s a good point too is that you should why deprive yourself of optimism do you do you know that it’s you’re probably not going to get any additional son for the next two months probably in your heart of hearts you probably didn’t
Know that but you’re you’re right you’re trying to you’re trying to engage in good things happening in your life and that is not something that that you should feel bad about so that’s a good point Brooke and that brings us to our to our Portland tra Blazers as well who
Uh you know having a rough go of it as of late have lost eight straight have yet to win a game in the month of February um with just one game remaining of course versus the Miami Heat that which would be an interesting game but uh the blaze is coming off a pretty
Tough loss a tough one to watch 80 or excuse me losing to the Hornets on Sunday night 93 to 80 the Blazers going three of 32 from the three-point line and uh two of those three came late in the fourth quarter um Chanty bips had even mentioned that uh he probably was
Not going to be watching the tape of that game which we would like to do as well but here on the Blazers balcony we know we have to deliver the content to you regardless so even though as I mentioned eight straight losses lots of injuries team struggling both on the
Offensive Endy defensive end on kind of a night to semi night basis um it’s been a been tough go of it uh for the TR players in February uh you know they had an extended home stand that home stand ends uh when they play the Miami Heat on
Tuesday then they go out for three games and come back actually to play more home games whereing you would hope they’d have a little more success than they had in this current home stand which again as I mentioned uh not only have they not won any games on this home stand they
Haven’t won any games in this month so you know pretty pretty tough goit right now I think the last game they won was uh the January 31st game versus the Milwaukee Bucks and uh since then the Blazers have lost to the Nuggets three times the Timberwolves twice to the
Pistons in overtime and to the Pelicans and the Hornets and both of those games they lost to the Pelicans and the Hornets they did not get past the 90 point mark um as I mentioned guys in and out of the lineup uh you got scoot Henderson who’s out now with an adductor
Injury chony bips had mentioned that he had an MRI and that it was generally positive not the results weren’t positive it was a good MRI it’s always weird when you’re talking about test results and you have to say positive and negative because that can things depending on the context uh but he also
Had mentioned that he wasn’t doing anything on the court right now um Team not having immedate availability on Monday so we’re not entirely sure uh if he’s going to be able to go on Tuesday um but we will get that injury report this later on this afternoon Malcolm
Brogden chony B said mentioned that uh no update on him yet we should be getting update on him soon they said two weeks uh I think a little over two weeks ago now so I’m guessing that’s maybe going to come in the next couple day or
So chony did mention that he sounds like he got a PRP injection in his uh elbow to to help with some of that tendonitis um which is a a more and more of a common procedure to have done um and then uh you got Robert Williams third who’s not obviously playing this season
But he’s been in town lately it’s nice to see soit to see him I love seeing him that big hat he wears like that yeah Wool Cap that it’s a big hat cute it’s big yeah it is a nice hat like I like it what is that’s my favorite one um Bert
Reynolds or when um nor McDonald would do Bert Reynolds on uh Jeopardy over I hat wow so it’s funny it’s over I hat Ferguson that’s right yeah that’s got to be one of my favorite skits of all time all just that one I mean they did it
Many times but every time it was gold anyways soid hot CH chomping on gum it’s funny y yeah nor McDonald too soon too soon nor so yeah so uh again uh a bit tough to kind of know what to make of the team right now other than the fact
That they are injured and they’re they’re not playing especially well um again in fits and starts they look like they’re they’re doing okay but um pretty tough at this point to to feel super positive about what’s going on particularly when you’re coming off the game where he just scored 80 points and
You missed a whole bunch of three-pointers uh the loss to the uh Hornets dropped the Blazers I believe to the one two three four that the fifth worst record in the NBA right now um right there with the Hornets too they’re they’re separated from the Hornets by
Just one loss trouble they’re 15- 41 the Hornets are 15- 42 uh the Hornet have now I think won five of their last six as well um so at this point you’re starting to look at kind of some of the standings and uh it looks more like
You’re kind of looking to see how far towards the bottom you are not so much kind of what games you might be able to win but um so you know this is the part of the Season where I think it it probably gets a little tough uh both for
The team and for the fans I mean it’s you know I think sometimes it’s tough as it is anyways but again it goes back to that theme we’ve talked about all season long where it’s like if you’re if you’re playing well but you’re losing like you
Know it’s not great but you feel okay about it but if you’re not playing especially well you’re losing and you have a whole bunch of guys who are out of the lineup obviously right now you don’t have Malcolm you don’t have scoot you don’t have Shaden obviously that’s
That’s a huge one um it can be tough sometimes to feel like you’re you’re really kind of making progress or or feeling like you’re you’re kind of getting you’re going somewhere you’re learning something about this team and I and I kind of feel like we’re we’re kind
Of right back in that situation right now we know that DeAndre has been playing great and I think we you got to keep calling out DeAndre after kind of a a kind of up and down start to his season first couple months I feel like he’s been phenomenal lately put up a
Double double in the loss to the Charlotte Hornets of what’ you have there DeAndre 20 26 points 19 rebounds two assists one steal and one block in 37 minutes on 11 to 16 shooting that’s a nice night for DeAndre uh 15 points for Jeremy Grant who’s also been kind of
Playing well in fits and starts Anthony kind of struggling right now 10 points four of 21 from the field 0 of eight from three for Anthony um so you know there there’s you know there’s some reasons why why they they’ve been struggling but um you know I thought
Matis has been playing well lately at least defensively uh I think Jabari is maybe doing with a with a minor injury right now so um he’s been kind of in and out of the line up as well basically you know they’re just kind of trying to trying to find something that works
Right now and they don’t have a whole lot of Leverage to pull because they’re they’re missing quite a few guys I’m not saying the injuries are are excuse at this point you know you got to you got to play better than they’re playing right now the Hornets had a whole lot of
Guys out with injuries too and they were able to win that game fairly comfortably so you know it’s to the point now where I think you you feel like what what what are we getting done here and it’d be nice if we get to a point where the team
Feels like they’re they’re kind of making some progress or or at least accomplishing something at some of these games because right now you know particularly when you you know you you only score 80 points versus a Hornets team like I think it kind of gets hard
To to feel like you’re you’re making a whole lot of progress I will say and we we’ve mentioned it probably more than we REM mentioned it a lot last night it’s true but I mean I just felt like it needed to be said that and johy said it
Too and you know Michael Holden who’s our analyst you know obviously knows the game and watches games that that it’s a better team the record Charlotte just not making excuses whatso but Charlotte is a better team since the trade deadline absolutely that that’s absolutely 100% true that that’s not
Even they look good yeah they look good they look like they’ve been playing together longer than they have um but you’re right I such a bummer um that’s only my my journalism uh degrees helped me say that it’s such a bummer when uh DeAndre Aon is playing like he has I
Mean he’s it’s I I hate like he’s going out there and doing all these amazing things and uh it’s not you know resulting in wins because it’s you know you he had a r like I don’t want say he had a rough start it wasn’t like that he
Was just trying to figure it all out you know like just getting kind of accustomed to his team and this this the last I don’t know how many games since he came back from injury he’s just been so impressive it’s like that wow this is like you have a center like that and
Then you have pieces around it that could be a very good team and we just haven’t been able to get everything you know on the same page at the same time and uh yeah I actually side note you’ll love this uh I dropped a Hassan Whiteside mentioned last night
On the postgame show because I was like oh DeAndre almost got a Barbara Walters and then I had to explain just in case you’re wondering what that means uh son white side came brought it to my attention that when you get 20 and 20 like 2020 it’s barbar Walters and that
Was one of my favorite things ever so just a little shout out to on white side last night but DeAndre Aiden has been playing so great and and doing a great job of finding his teammates too and I don’t know he’s just as Michael would
Say he’s at ease with his game and it’s just un fortunate that these performances kind of I don’t want to say all for not because they’re I mean he everyone wants to play well and he’s doing that but it just would be nice to you know walk into that locker room
After one of those nights that he’s had and they get to celebrate it you know and they we haven’t been able to so yeah it’s it’s it’s unfortunate and I just I feel for the guys and I don’t know what to say about an off night of shooting
Like you know what I mean you try to put your finger on it or say well it was this it was that when shots just aren’t going in I mean at halftime we said Well it can’t get worse right like shooting wise it can’t I think it was like 24%
26% and it did get that I think it was like 36% I think total um something like that so it did improve a little bit but when shots just aren’t falling you’re like what do you what do you put your what do you point your finger to
The shots are falling and I even said that to Michael I go I’m not again no excuses but if they shot the ball better tonight could this have been a win because we won points of the paint defense uh like we talked about matis with his all of his steals was
Impressive but if you make half the shots you missed you win the game but you I don’t know what you do I don’t know what you do about missing shots it’s just I know that you have one of those nights every once in a while that
Was that was rough it was I I kind of just started feeling bad for him you know what I mean like because it wasn’t they don’t they don’t want to miss you know they they don’t want to be missing these shots but it was it was it was
Rough yeah yeah that that’s one of those things that that bothers me when people’s talking about like tanking or whatever and it’s like look guys like no one is going out there trying to lose these games like granted they they don’t maybe have the Personnel they need right
Now but it’s like ant’s not going out trying to miss these shots on purpose you know like they they want to win and the players always want to win like and they don’t feel good when they lose so you know it’s they’re they’re not trying to lose these games they’re just not in
A in a place right now where they’re where they’re being especially competitive against some of the better teams and you know the other night versus the Hornets against some of the not better teams but you mentioned that too Brooke one of the reasons why they were able to stay in that game even
Though they shot so poorly is they dominated the offensive glass in that game I think they had like at one point in time I looked at Second Chance points I think was 16 to2 in Portland’s favor so it was I mean they’re they’re working hard they’re they’re trying to make it
Happen to that point like knowing that their shots aren’t falling it’s like well hey let’s make sure we Clash the crash the offensive glass yeah it’s nothing else we know there’s going to be a lot of offensive rebounds because we’re not hitting any shots right now so
And they did a good job with that and that’s something that that chony had talked about wanted to be better at was was rebounding in the second half of the season along with playing with more Pace on the offensive end uh for as well which I don’t know if we’ve seen that
Just yet obviously not having scoot out there makes that a little more difficult because he is a player that that plays that way but real quick just to take it back to yand Aton real fast in the month of February yand Aton averaging 17.9 points on 63% shooting from the field
And 100% shooting from the free throw line I mean he doesn’t shoot a whole lot of free throws but the free throw that he’s taken in the month of February he’s made them all so uh there’s aand yep how many 11.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists many free throws has he made in
How s sorry Brooke I I didn’t hear that uh he has made one two three four five uh seven free throws in the month of February Seven of seven yeah he does shoot a whole lot of them like and that that that would be one thing that’d be
Nice if J was able to get the line a bit more um and that was the other thing that in that Hornets game too like they were not calling any fouls in that game which I I think once once both teams kind of start struggling offensively I
Think the referees are like hey let’s uh let’s take a hand off approach to this and let these guys figure it out themselves so um so you know a real nice month for DeAndre a real nice 2024 for DeAndre as well if you take it back to
February the month of February or excuse me January DeAndre averaged 15.1 points on 56% shooting 9.6 rebounds 1.5 assists and just under a block a game and 32.3 32.3 minutes per game so uh again after and you’re right bro it wouldn’t like he struggled so much but just kind of
Figuring out kind of how he fit in and and what personnel he’s going to be out there with um DeAndre looked great as of late and so I do feel like that is one thing uh when you’re kind of figuring out like what what do we feel like we’re
Getting out of this right now what do we feel like we’re learning about this team I think you’re learning at least with DeAndre that like hey man this guy you know when when he he’s activated and and when he’s feeling comfortable like he’s a he’s a double double guy so um so
That’s been a a nice thing to to see in this last couple months of the season but um in these last again in February at least the last eight games um you just like to see a result every now and then to to kind of keep the spirits up a
Little bit not that the spirits are are bad actually in the locker room like I I feel like guys are are generally a beat but you know it’ be nice to have a little success every now and then I was just thinking about that when you said
Um it’d be nice if DeAndre could get to the line more you know what I feel like I don’t know why but I just feel this way that he get when he gets the ball like at the top of the key or you’re a little closer in um he’s he looks you
Know he looks for his teammates first this is just what I’m picturing for the most part gets the ball looks for his teammates if no one’s open then he’ll like okay I’ll look for my shot and for some reason he’s yeah he’s he’s more
He’s I want to say open open but he’s it feels as though that place like almost to the free throw line but not is I don’t know what defenses are doing or seeing but he usually has there’s really it’s somewhat of an open shot for him
And he always drills it so I’m I’m curious um how I guess if he could maybe just put maybe more post stuffs to attempt to get more F you know to draw more fouls because he’s got that that’s money when he’s in the middle of the
Paint or around that area that I don’t know that he’s just seems to be more open right then so it’s not like he’s going to get fell there because again there’s not that many bodies around him so maybe maybe he tries to you know drive more I don’t know but it be since
He’s nailing his free throws you’re just try to think of well how how could maybe we how could he work on that or but at the same time if he’s open he’s that’s he’s gonna take the shot he’s gonna make it that’s all we care about but if if he
Was was trying to attempt to draw more fouls I guess you like take it down little more but as long as he keeps getting open in the paint let him let him hit those and score 26 yeah no I think you kind of just mentioned the two the two reasons
Why there Brooke is because one he does shoot kind of mid-range jumpers and he’s quite good at it and those are generally shots that one teams are somewhat willing to give you probably not as much of a guy like DeAndre they they’d rather kind of guards and wings take those
Shots if they could force you to do that but um so the fact that he is taking kind of a lot of jumpers in the paint those are generally shots you don’t get fouled on so that’s one of the reasons why and two I feel like the another
Reason why is that he makes really quick decisions when he gets the ball in that space so it’s like it’s not even like he’s got time to get fouled like if he gets the ball there you’re right like kind of look and then he’s like okay
Well I’m just going to go up with it because this is a shot that I like so I think that’s part of it as well and yeah you don’t like you don’t want a guy to like do things he’s uncomfortable with in order to try to draw fouls I mean
Everyone could use more foul shots um and also too when you’re a big man too like particularly when you’re a big man that like DeAndre who’s kind of like more Li kind of athletic a little quicker you know those aren’t the guys who generally draw a lot of fouls in the
Post like it’s more kind of the the bigger guys you got to kind of drape yourself on in order to to stop them from doing what they do jandre is not really one of those guys again he does it more with with speed and quickness and athleticism not so much like with
His overwhelming size so um well it would be nice for him to get to the line a bit more you know he’s also playing great the way that he’s playing offense now so you probably wouldn’t want to try to shoehorn that in there a little bit
Uh just like you know like just like when people are like well I wish Jeremy rebound more it’s like yeah that that’d be nice you know it would it would probably be helpful for this team if if they had a little more rebounding at that position but also it’s like he’s
Doing a lot of other things that other guys aren’t doing which is like he’s responsible for a lot of the scoring loads so you know part of it is at a certain point you got to would you like everyone to be able to do everything better absolutely there there’s quite a
Few improvements his team can make in that regard but you know also it’s like when a guy is playing well there’s always that like how much do you want to change what he’s doing to try to get a little bit more versus just being content with what you’re getting and so
Yeah we’re we’re not being that picky we’re just thinking well if we wanted him to get to the line more how would he do but he’s doing great we’re doing great sweee you’re doing great yeah for me for me my that’s so funny I’ve been
Watch you know I was telling you like I get like obsessed with certain um I don’t even watch YouTube I just get like I find something on Instagram and I’m like a comedian and I and I just watch all their stuff there’s this girl and I can’t even remember her name right now
But she does um I mean a spoton impression of Chris Jenner um Kardashian’s mom she has the glasses on and she has the L like it’s I watched I can’t tell you how many I watched last night like I’m embarrassed I’ve watched everything she’s ever done and it was I
Was crying laughing and I just that’s what think she’s like you’re doing great sweetie you know when you’re holding the camera out in front of you know she’s holding in front of Kim Kardashian doing some sort of modeling shoot way back in the day and that’s been you know a
Saying that’s become quite famous you’re doing great sweetie that’s why I said that to DeAndre again I watched so many of those last night I I have such an affinity and appreciation for comedians I I think that that has got to be one of the hard hardest jobs in the world to
Get up on stage and just say I hope these people think I’m funny I think it’s I just wanted to give that shout out to the comedians by the way I saw I and Carmel last night um and for the first time in live onset during a SE
Segment you know people wave you know and stuff and I can see him and and I just kind of like do a quick like little finger like hi you know if if we’re if like someone else is talking or I can do that I was so excited to see you and
Carmel I was literally live like talking and it was a like a full shot like a shot of me and Michael and I was like hi live on TV because I was like I was so excited to seeing you I’m like sorry I know that’s live but see Carmel so I’m
Gonna say hi see I feel like that I like that so when I’m you know it’s it’s different because it’s radio it’s not TV so you know one that’s not as many eyeballs into two it’s not visual but like when I’m doing my radio hit pregame like and someone says something to me
Like I will have a conversation with someone like on on air because I feel like it’s probably more interesting than what I’m talking about like and and half the time it is like for a while there matis kept coming over and tying his shoes in front of me and would like add
To to the discussion and yeah I feel like that people love it people love it y TV exactly that’s one of the fun parts of it is that he kind of goes off the rails a little from time to time even though that’s not off the rails which by
The way too if you haven’t gotten tickets to Ian’s show uh he’s doing two shows I believe in March at the Wonder Ballroom I think hopefully I’m not Ming this up he might come on the podcast here actually uh next month uh go ahead
And and get those as well uh at least if you’ve haven’t used all your money buying Brook Hearts your heart camp pain hats that’s we’re sucking you guys dry this month exactly yeah it’s a shorter month it’s it’s leap it’s a leap year a leap February so you know you got an
Extra day to purchase the broo arer heart hats as well which I also know too the brook you don’t have the the flap tucked in like we talked about no I’m keeping it out because you told me to yeah but I think if you always keep an
Ey if you’re wearing it in the front you know like like tennis player style oh like this oh like that that I do look like a tennis player yeah exactly I never thought about that when you have a hat that has the fabric Thing and that
Sticks out a little bit that that makes you look like a a European tennis player in my opinion wow I feel so wow gosh you’re so right I never even thought about that that’s exactly what they look like okay cool well I will wear it both
Ways today but right now I’m gonna do as much that I can cover my face as possible there is that uh real quick since you talked about you’re doing a nice job sweetie Chris Murray uh getting and doing a pretty good job with them you know I it’s been nice to see Chris
Get out there and again a guy who kind of a slow start to the to the season for Chris um really kind of didn’t get a whole lot of minutes spend a fair amount of time with with the remix and uh it seems like he’s he’s more and more kind
Of in the rotation now and he’s been starting the last couple games and you know when guys come back from injury I assume they’ll probably go back to the bench but I’m hopeful for Chris that he’s able to to maybe at least stay in that rotation because he’s been doing a
Nice job and kind of making incremental progress which again is like those are the kind of things that I’m interested right right now for this team is like not like dayto day are they winning are they losing how are they shooting it’s more like are are you seeing improvement
From some of the the players particularly the young players that the team acquired this season or has acquired recently and you know trying to figure out like is this guy going to be a guy we can depend on in in Seasons going forward and I I feel like at the
Beginning of the year with Chris it was kind of like boy like don’t know if you necessarily saw it really but I I would say recently the last month or so I feel like Chris done a really nice job and and again it’s enter the rotation and I
Would hope that that guys like Chris are maybe going to get some more opportunities here in this last two months of the season to to kind of show what they’ve been working on particularly guys who’ve been putting in work in the in the G League because you
Know you like to see them take the things they work on with the remix and then apply it to to the Blazers and I feel like Chris been doing a really good job with that seen him put the ball on the floor a bit more than than I think
We we did initially which I think is great uh really seems like he knows what he’s doing and that’s kind of one of the things everyone talks about with Chris is that you know he’s one of those guys where if you kind of tell him what to do
He generally is able to do it on the second or first or second try uh which is always great when you have a young team as the Blazer Zar so um really nice to see Chris get out there and have some some opportunity and I I would hope that
Uh that’s going to continue on here in these last 25 whatever it is games of the Season Brook no yeah that’s so funny he is that kind of guy that you you’re doing that’s so funny he is you root for him and on the broadcast I think it was
The first start he had um so two games ago uh it was uh Kevin and Lamar were talking about how a coach and they call him Mr Perfect because he does everything right he does he listens he if he makes a mistake he you know will
Not make it again like he just is wonderful manners like overall just like Mr Perfect and then I I tried to I wanted to get the story but we didn’t get a chance but it just because it happened that day so Casey I think you
Walked by me so I I was standing outside the locker room waiting for Anthony I think it was Anthony um and uh waiting waiting oh no it was Delano and for was last game so it was Delano Bon two games ago so waiting and uh just chilling and
I heard heard you know that that Chris was getting the start I was like oh that’s cool that’ll be fun I’m excited for him and so we’re waiting and uh couple minutes before Delano gets there Chris Murray comes back from warming up and he’s walking into the wait room
Right and he opens the door and I go Chris and he turns around and I just and I was thinking I was this is me like saying let’s I’m so excited for you you’re starting I go I go let’s go and he and he looks he kind of looks at me
Confused and he goes oh am I oh and he starts walking towards me thinking I was like where you been you’re supposed to be my interview and like that’s not how it work like you don’t just surprise guys like hey come do this interview you
Know we go through PR we plan it the night before you say I want I would like Toano tomorrow they tell him they say okay it’ll be at this time but Chris Murray was that’s the kind of person is he turns he’s like oh okay sorry yeah
Let’s do it I was like no no I meant sorry let me rephrase that let’s go I’m not like let’s go you’re late for the interview I’m just saying I’m excited you’re starting but that’s just the most Christ thing to be like oh I’m so sorry
Was I supposed to was I supposed to be here you are you interviewing me I’m like no no I’m like you’re so sweet that is not at all I was just trying to like pump you up and tell you I’m excited for you and I I you know how it’s so funny
Inflection can change something completely where rather than not say let’s go I said let’s go and he’s like oh sorry like oh gosh never mind I was just trying to Sam exide for you you’re starting but he’s the nicest guy just so easy to root for and I thought yeah he
Doesn’t like I said doesn’t make a lot of mistakes so he doesn’t hurt you and a lot of hustle plays last game from Chris Murray like um down there in the trenches and coming up with the ball so yeah he’s someone you can definitely root for and I’m looking forward to
Seeing the prog the progression of his game as we see him play more minutes yeah just looking at at some of some of of stats which you know it’s up and down and he’s not getting a ton of minutes here and there so I don’t know that I
Would make too much of any of these stats except for one stat which I’m going to mention in a second would like to see three- point percentage get up a little bit he’s shooting 25% from three in the month of February Chris a guy who
Who you know one of his his main selling points is is being an outside shooter so like to see those numbers get up but the number that I think just more important at this point in time it just as minutes per game so in January Chris averaging
12.6 minutes per game and that was only in 1 2 3 four 5 six appearances in the month of January he played I think in every game averaging 15.1 minutes per game and so far in the month of February 21. Z minutes per game for Chris so he’s
Steadily seing those minutes tick up and again when you’re when you’re looking for things to kind of pay attention to or or what are you trying to accomplish this season getting guys like Chris Murray guys guys who you know are able to play right now but who you know need
Some time on the court um to get Improvement you know this is the time for for them to get that and I imagine some of those guys might spend a little more time in the g-league um but I figured probably as as we get further and further here towards uh March and
April that maybe those guys who were playing some minutes in the G will just start playing those minutes where for the Blazers so um yet to be seing how how they decide to play out the the end of the season I asked Chanty about that
And I mean he he made it sound like you know they were pretty much going to do the things in the second half of the Season that they did in the first half of the season um but I would imagine maybe at some point in time maybe that
That calculus changes just a little bit to to maybe try to get some of these younger guys a few more minutes though granted you know obviously dwap at 27 years old playing quite a few minutes as a rookie Chris as I just mentioned already seeing his minutes tick up
Scoot’s been injured so you can’t really expect for him to play more minutes jabari’s been playing jabari’s kind of minutes have been up and down a little bit again I think maybe he’s got a little bit of a knock right now that maybe he’s trying to get through and
Then you got a guy in RI who uh you know I’m not seeing a whole lot of minutes for the Blazers right now I think he also has a a small injury I think like I think he might have rolled his ankle I think he’s he’s been out for a minute
With that too so um again injuries kind of keeping even the the younger guys who um you know might not necessarily help you so much to win games right now but you would like to see out there on the floor getting opportunities to play even those guys are injured right now so um
Not a not a great situation to be in for the Blazers but hopefully you know here in the next week couple weeks maybe they get malcol back maybe they get scoop back soon if that’s the case I think you you feel a little bit better about where
They’re at or what you’re going to be doing here in the next uh two months of the Season uh if not again you got to kind of try to find some other things to pay attention to so I have two things uh quick weather report it is now coming
Down in buckets snow and it’s sticking buckets I’m telling you and number yes buckets of snow and it’s sticking it’s I cannot believe it’s not snowing there um and number two I think we should add a segment to our every show called you’re doing great sweetie and we get to pick
Someone that we we think’s doing great sweetie well so the so uh the lost culturistas have a uh not so fast honey kind of thing too which is oh pretty good but yeah no we we could uh we we could do something like that yeah we we should do a you’re
Doing great sweetie segment that would be a good way to some uh some some of their propers here even when the team is struggling a bit let’s do it and that is going to do it for this edition of the Blazers balcony episode 115 of the
Blazers balcony we will talk to you next week for Blazers facing the Miami Heat on Tuesday then a couple days off before having one of those back to backs in Memphis versus the Grizzlies and one game versus the Timberwolves before coming back home for an extended home
Stand um Brook we already talked heart your heart but do you have any uh anything else to right the Miami game is the Brooke Hearts Your Heart game so if you don’t have tickets buy tickets and Brook how do how do they put money in
The in in the pocket of the heart your heart campaign so thank you that yeah so last the last day you can well I guess you could tomorrow before the game but uh the game is or sorry the game is Tuesday and so you have a short amount
Of time to go trailblazers.com heart scroll down to you’ll see buy tickets for the February 27th game and uh if you if you do if you purchase them on that site can’t it can’t be just like you know normal site then you can stay after the game uh shoot some free throws on
The floor and then as soon as I’m done with the postgame show head down and hang out and just you know just kind of say what’s up and I I’m very excited I’m I’m I I’ve I’ve heard from a few people that have bought tickets for it and so
Whether it’s just a handful of us or you know a whole full basketball team either one it’ll be fun and that is a way that you can completely donate to American Heart Association and also get to a game so it’s a twofold thing and I would love
It so yeah if you haven’t yet if you’re thinking about what you want to do tomorrow night uh buy some tickets come hang out it should be fun and everyone that will buy tickets for this is you know doing this out of their own their their heart and their their care and and
Their thought so it’s going to be a group of good people I can tell you that group of good-hearted people exact exactly well if you haven’t got tickets for the go ahead B I just want to say one quick shout out to jod Allen again
$10,000 I said it last time but just I got I got the chance to thank her in person last night which was and then I had to do a hit so I was like don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry but anyways just we’re up to 16,000 over $16,000 and that
Is without the uh inclusion of the 5,000 that the Blazers will match so we’re over 20 which is amazing we’ve done that every year I can’t believe it and then we haven’t um also added the the proceeds from the hat so well that’s with the hat money no oh I mean that
That hat money’s got to be huge so I I’ve been seeing those hats everywhere so oh thank you I’m hope I’m hoping so it was funny I went to the so you know they’re selling them at all the different stores and you know there’s the big store R of clothing and then
There’s some small little kind of kiosk ones around and so the one closest to the set I went uh to buy some last night they only had two and I felt weird I was like well I don’t want to buy I don’t you do not have any he’s like well
They’re at the other places I was like okay he’s like no it’s good you’re you’re selling out and then people ask and go to another one I was like I don’t want more difficult for people he’s like just buy the two hats I was like okay I
Just bought the two hats so I bought them there and uh apparently yeah they he said I’ll make sure that they’re dispersed so if you go to the game tomorrow and you don’t see one at one of the stores you go to uh ask where they
Where they are are and there will be in a different store just somewhere else in the arena so than again thank you to everyone who’s bought a hat donated who’s comeing to the game anything it just stop by to tell me their story I appreciate it it all thank you so much
Yeah that that’s fantastic and yes they they were at all the stores at least on Sunday because I hit up every single one just to make sure I was also looking for a sweatshirt as well but uh they didn’t have my size so I didn’t get one but the
Uh the brook arer heart hats are there so please purchase one um we should have probably given one away or something like that on the uh on the show you should also just buy them so that’s true that’s true yeah that’s funny people are
Like well how do how do I get one I’m like well normally I’d be like yeah I’ll get you one but that the whole point first of all every everyone I’ve given one to I’ve purchased I do not get any for free just so everyone knows like I
Bought them walked up physically bought them again at full price not with like fast so it’s the point is to you know give to the Heart Association so there’s no really like asking for free ones that’s what defeats the whole purpose so yes thank you everyone who’s bought one
Yes well thank you so much for joining us as always TR Blazers back in action on Tuesday Brooke heart your heart game check that out if you haven’t already as I mentioned heading out on the road we will talk to you well I’m not going on
This next road trip but Brooke is so Brooke will probably be on the road um and I will be bothering her to uh to get on the podcast so we will talk to you next week thank you so much for joining us as always it’s lovely take care of
Your heart give BR money Ren Dam it’s wonderful uh thank you so much and yeah peace out case peace out Crazy
(First off, apologies for Casey’s mic, which sounds like an old rusty tin can for reasons we can not yet discern)
On this edition, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss…
• The Trail Blazers losing eight-straight and being winless in the month of February with one game left to play
• And update on the “Brooke Hearts Your Heart” campaign, which comes to a close at the end of the month
• The recent play of Deandre Ayton and Kris Murray
• Being duped by a few days of nice weather
𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 » http://www.instagram.com/trailblazers
𝗧𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 » http://www.twitter.com/trailblazers
𝗧𝗜𝗞𝗧𝗢𝗞 » https://www.tiktok.com/@trailblazers
𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 » http://www.facebook.com/trailblazers
🖥️ Visit our website for the latest news, videos, podcasts, photos and more: http://www.trailblazers.com
🎙️ Listen to Trail Blazers podcasts: http://www.trailblazers.com/podcasts
📺 Watch Trail Blazers games on Root Sports https://northwest.rootsports.com/trail-blazers
🏀 Subscribe to NBA League Pass: https://rip.city/LeaguePass
📲 Download the Trail Blazers mobile app: https://www.nba.com/blazers/app
🎟️ Buy game tickets: https://www.nba.com/blazers/single-game-tickets?utm_source=youtube
👕 Rip City Clothing : https://ripcityclothing.com/
