From: edrury@3cpu.rain.com (Ed Drury)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Blazer Report
Date: 10 Oct 92 03:22:59 GMT
Reply-To: edrury@3cpu.rain.com (Ed Drury)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Garden Lane Software




 Robert  Pack  worked out with the Blazers on Monday  and  Tuesday 
this week, but remains unsigned. By Thursday, his agent  was going
to the press saying that  Robert would  definately not be  in camp
on Friday when fall camp opens. In one interview on  Tuesday,  Don
Stukes (Pack's) agent said , "We feel like they're making  a major
mistake not having a guard who can defend.  They want to use Terry
Porter at the big  guard which  leaves Strickland playing a lot of
minutes  at  the  point.  I  don't see how they can compete in the 
Western Conference without a point guard who can stop people.  Rod
Strickland can't do it because he's really has very poor defensive
skills, and Terry doesn't have the speed.".  Stukes went on to say
that there were several teams interested in offering Pack a multi-
year  deal  and  that Pack  had a  lucrative  offer from a team in
Spain.

		FALL CAMP BEGINS

 Fri Oct  9 15:07:57 PDT 1992

 Fall camp began today without Clyde Drexler ( Rehabilitating from
arthroscopic surgery ) , Terry Porter ( attending a Hall  of  Fame
induction ceremony in his home state ), and off course Robert Pack
who  is  unsigned.  It has  been  three weeks since Drexler's knee 
operation and he is reported to be  riding  the  stationary  bike, 
doing the  stairmaster, trampoline, swimming and lifting  weights.
He has not, as of yet, done any running  and  is reported to be at
least three weeks away from game play.

 Ennis  Whatley ( a Trailblazer last year )  has signed a contract 
with the San Antonio Spurs.  Darren  Guest ,  who  played  on  the
Portland summer league rookie squad, is also unavailable for  camp
having broken a finger in a game in Europe.  Marcus  Kennedy,  who
was Portland 's second round pick last year, will be in camp.  The
Blazers  first "game" is one week from today against the LA Lakers
in Hawaii.

 Well Friday was media day for Portland. Blazer players  and  want
to be players spent quite  a bit  of time in front of cammeras and
reporters. And while Portland is not as quotable a team as some of
the more colorful franchises  in  the league, here's a few which I
thought were at least "quotable".  Not  as good  as Shaq's "I'm in
about 82% shape".

 "I'm in ok shape. Shape is funny, 'cause one day you can play and
feel  great.  And the next day, you play and you feel tired. But I
have been feeling great." Kevin Duckworth upon being  asked  about
"being in shape".

 "I was kidding Duck the other day.  I told him he looks  anorexic
now , like  me  and people may  get  the two of us confused." Buck
Williams practicing his diplomacy early.

 "With Golden State it was two years of walking on eggshells."
Mario Elie upon being asked about the difference between this year
and last.

 Blazer fall camp will be closed to the press from now on.  It may
or may not have to do with the quality of player quotes.


 Projected Roster :

	Guards    : Porter, Strickland, Drexler*, Elie*, Johnson*
	Forwards  : Williams, Bryant, Murray*, Kersey
	Centers   : Duckworth, Robinson**, Smith**

	*  Guard/Forward swingmen
	** Center/Forward swingmen

 Long Shots       :
	
	Forward Marcus Kennedy and guard Lamont Strothers.

 So  -  what  is it? Better or worse? I think  probably  a  little 
better,  but  is a little better enough? Utah is , I  think,  much 
better  than  last  year. Phoenix  is  better,  albeit  different. 
Seattle should be better by virtue of another year of  experience. 
The  Laker's are automatically better by virtue of  their  players 
healing  from last year's injuries. Golden State's young guns  are 
still young, still guns and should be gunning for the division.

 What Portland has accomplished over the summer is two fold.  They 
should be ever so slightly deeper and they have definitely  gotten 
younger. But there are a lot of question marks and three  rookies. 

        
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro