According to head coach Chauncey Billups, Scoot Henderson has been working out and playing ball all summer, and predicts he will make "an incredible leap" this season.
Fascinating, Captain. They've got a 2-center demolition derby setting up in the paint, and the young point guard is making strides. This season should be fun to watch.
96-86 Memphis over Portland. That's after trailing by 2 after 3 quarters. At one point in the 4th quarter, with Hansen on the bench, the Grizzlies were 9-11 from the floor, while the Trail Blazers shot 3-11 during the same period.
Yang Hansen has top-tier center skills at age 20. Great footwork. Solid court awareness.
Portland over Memphis by 2 heading to the 4th.
Watching the Trail Blazers vs the Grizzlies in a summer league game. When the announcers describe your new center as "graceful," "playing under control," "making good decisions," and say other flattering things about him, you know you made a good choice in the draft.
He's playing mature basketball.
45-40 Portland over Memphis with 55.7 to go in the half.
We don't know how much Anfernee was going to demand when this contract expired (the team probably had a clue). We don't know how he felt about his future playing time in Portland. Billups got another mature voice for a very young team. Boston got a quality point guard. That's the entire deal. The draft picks were removed, probably because Jrue has some unrevealed lingering physical problem the docs or training staff noticed. Anfernee gets banged up, too. Neither of them is guaranteed to play 82 games. Portland will likely rotate starters until something gels.
There are a lot of young moving parts on the Trail Blazers.
So, considering the trade from 40,000 feet, which other defensive-minded, mature player would Portland get for Simons, knowing he will want a big salary soon? You'd have to see a need for a starting PG, be willing to consider a large contract, and have someone to offer Portland with enough defensive skill to please the coaching staff.
They had to get Anfernee out of the rotation, just as Dame had to leave. It's what's best for business.
I'm less pessimistic about the trade. Neither of them represent the future of the Blazers. Each of them should be a good fit for their new team.
The draft picks in the deal are gone. I infer that someone is expected to miss some games.
Next up is Trailblazers; this one is a drafting and tile laying game with a few unique play modes. We ended up with a tie with opponent's single scoring long route matching my two mediocre routes.
Everyone wants to get rid of the big guy who costs way more than the other big guys in the Blazers' Big Pile O' Big Guys. Capitalism.
So the Trail Blazers swapped Anfernee Simons and some picks for Jrue Holliday, drafted the guy they've been watching for 2 years, and signed the Pac 12 (what's left of it) 2024 Player of the Year Caleb Love to a 2-way deal.
This is a pretty good week or so for the head office. If there was a downside, the Blazers take on Jrue's contract. For that, they get a veteran, defensive-minded force who should be a net positive in a young group like theirs.
The Portland Trail Blazers traded with the Memphis Grizzlies, moving down from the 11th pick to the 16th pick in the NBA draft. They got some nice future draft picks, and used the 11th pick to choose for the Grizzlies. Then they used that 16th slot to draft a player most people thought would go in the 2nd round.
The Chinese Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year and their Defensive Player of the Year, Hansen Yang.
He's 20 years old as of today, his birthday, and stands 7' 2" tall. He likes to get rebounds, block shots, and he shot almost 60% from the floor as a rookie.
Pundits are surprised. Are you kidding me? Chauncey "Defense First" Billups got a DPOY who is 7' 2". If he had the 1st pick, he might still have drafted this kid.
See the small man in the picture? He is not small.
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/06/trail-blazers-draft-hansen-yang-16th-overall.html
#NBA TRADE
#Trailblazers Acquire
Jrue Holiday (3 yrs, $104.4M)
#Celtics Acquire
Anfernee Simons (1 yr, $27.7M)
2030 2nd Rd Pick (NYK)
2031 2nd Rd Pick (POR)
BOS saves around $4.7M of cap, but nearly $40M of their projected tax bill.
POR remains around $14M under the 1st Apron.
Before Simone Biles And Serena Williams, Alice Coachman Blazed The Trail At The Olympics: This Is Her Story! https://shinemycrown.com/before-simone-biles-and-serena-williams-alice-coachman-blazed-the-trail-at-the-olympics-this-is-her-story/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #AliceCoachman #Trailblazers #Olympics #WomenInSports #BlackHistory
Six Triple Eight Hero Anna Mae Robertson Dies at 101 https://shinemycrown.com/six-triple-eight-hero-anna-mae-robertson-dies-at-101/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #AnnaMaeRobertson #SixTripleEight #BlackHistory #WomenInHistory #Trailblazers
Africa: Sexism in Science - 7 Women Whose Trailblazing Work Shattered Stereotypes: [The Conversation Africa] Seven women were part of a trailblazing network of feminist scientists in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in the Boston area in the US. Christa Kuljian is a science writer and historian of science who focuses much of her research on issues of science and society, gender and race. She is… http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TL6JsN #WomenInScience #GenderEquality #FeministScience #Trailblazers #WomenEmpowerment
Not that the Rip City Project doesn't know what they're talking about, but nobody knew in advance what Joe Cronin was up to with any big trades he's made to date.
If they say he's headed for Florida, hello Minnesota.
Utah?
Trailblazers #boardgame designed by Ryan Courtney @rccgames , published by @bitewinggames
#Trailblazers #TrailblazersAtHomeOfMark
Read the full written playthrough here:
https://boardgamegeek.com/user/homeofmark/blogs
More games and session reports here:
https://homeofmark.com/more-tabletop-games/
More pictures of this session here:
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZShpGWgyg/
looks like seattle is about to get a basketball team again:
#nba #pdx #trailblazers
https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/7693b557843e2
Noa Essengue is practically begging for Chancey to coach him.
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/04/noa-essengue-to-declare-for-nba-draft.html
There was a Sidi Cissoko dunk, a Dalano Banton charge taken, and a Kris Murray one-handed dunk. It was a game of firsts for Trail Blazers fans in today's season-ending win over the walking wounded Lakers.
The GM got an extension. The head coach got an extension. The team looked better than expected. What's not to like?
Okay, getting the 1st pick in the draft would be a nice after-dinner mint.
