Kevin PeltonofBasketballProspectus.com crunched some numbersand simulated the rest of the 2011-2012 season and concluded there is a very good chance the Portland Trail Blazers will receive the New Jersey Nets' 2012 first round pick. --------------------------------------- 73.7% - New Jersey to Portland SCHOENE sees a Nets team with Gerald Wallace winning enough down the stretch to likely knock their pick out of the top three. That's exactly what the Blazers are hoping for, so they can get the selection they acquired in the Wallace deal this year. The most likely outcome has this pick landing somewhere from 5-7, which would allow Portland to add a promising talent. --------------------------------------- -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

Tom ZillerofSBNation.com takes a visual look在2012年的NBA选秀彩票几率和总结that both of the Portland Trail Blazers' two picks have a great chance at landing in the top 10. -------------------------------------- The most striking thing of all: the Portland Trail Blazers are totally going to end up with two top-10 picks after setting the franchise on fire last week at the deadline. In case you missed it, the Blazers traded Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets for their 2012 first-round pick, with the condition that the Nets keep it if it lands in the top three. Portland actually has a 0 percent chance of landing a top-3 pick with that selection; if it's in the top three, New Jersey keeps it. But here's what the line illustrates: there is currently a 26 percent chance that the pick lands in the top three and stays with New Jersey, but a 45 percent likelihood that it lands at No. 4 or No. 5. Right now, the top odds are at the pick landing at No. 5 overall (35 percent). The Blazers' own pick matters too, of course. Right now, it's slotted at No. 10. There isn't much room for improvement, to be honest; the Golden State Warriors -- whose pick goes to the Utah Jazz if it doesn't land in the top seven -- are one game worse, but there's quite a bit of space between Portland and the Cleveland-Detroit-Sacramento cluster. So it would appear that a best-case scenario for the Blazers would be to end up with the No. 4 and No. 9 picks. In this draft?That's worth some heavy drool. -------------------------------------- -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

So since eating that cupcake...(perhaps up to 76 more)... Felton has entertained us fans to memorable passesfumbles off himself countless times. Even striking awe to us fans that a pass into the fifth row is possible! Can't wait to see what else this sly fellow has in store for us.

Jason QuickofThe Oregonianwiththe first interviewof former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan, who was fired last Thursday. --------------------------------- "When everybody else started to find out, I knew then it was for real, that this really happened, you are no longer a Blazer. You are no longer the head coach of the Blazers," McMillan said. He eventually called his wife, Michelle, who called their son and daughter, who immediately called their father. A couple of hours after being informed, the reality had sunk in. And so came the emotions. He cried. ---------------------------------ed: text edited, bumped to front page

Former Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy made a surprise return to the Rose Garden with his wife during the second quarter of Tuesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Roy received an extended standing ovation. It was his first time back at the Rose Garden since the Blazers waived him using the Amnesty Clause back in December 2011. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

Interesting exchange.

"Portland Trail Blazers, $23 million under the cap: The Blazers had a fire sale at the trade deadline, dumping the contracts of Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby and narrowly missing out on moving Jamal Crawford. The Blazers will use the 2012 free-agent market as a springboard in their rebuilding process around LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum."-Larry Coon组1Suns: 26 million under Cavs: 26 million under Blazers: 23 million under Celtics: 22 million under Pacers: 21 million under Hornets: 20 million under Nets: 17 million under

Beckley Mason writesonTrueHoopthat Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford is an All-NBA Second Team selection as a flopper. ----------------------- Jamal Crawford, SG:A unique flopper, as Kevin Arnovitz explains, "There's a reason Jamal Crawford holds the all-time NBA record for 4-point plays. As the sharpshooter elevates and releases his shot, he'll gracefully hinge his hips forward, kick his legs into his defender and often land on his tuchus in the process." (Also receiving votes: Dwyane Wade, James Harden, Kobe Bryant.) ----------------------- -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

Chad FordofESPN.comhas the Portland Trail Blazers taking Florida's Bradley Beal with the New Jersey Nets' pick at #4 and UNC's Tyler Zeller with their own pick at #11 in hisMock Draft 1.0. ------------------------- #4 (via NJ) - Bradley Beal: Beal hasn't had a domiant freshman season, but his scoring ability in the backcourt would help the Blazers get over the loss of Brandon Roy a little sooner. #11 - Tyler Zeller: If the Blazers can land Beal with their first pick, they would likely look to fill their holes at center or point guard. In a weak point guard draft, their two available options here would be Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten Jr. While both have strengths, I think the Blazers would go big and take Zeller. He's not going to be a star, but he runs the floor like a guard and has gotten better every year. -------------------------ed: bumped to front page

From aNew Orleans Hornetspress release... -------------------------------- The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have claimed former LSU Tiger Chris Johnson off of waivers. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. The 26-year old center was waived by the Portland Trail Blazers on Mar. 15. -------------------------------- -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter