Token Weekly Blazers Post: I Got Nothing

What a difference a week makes, huh? I get to post one lousy card, because Portland has lost 4 out of their last 5 games. Martell Webster, last season's starting small forward, returned to the court for the first time since the first game of the preseason, played 5 measly minutes and injured himself somewhere else and will miss the next four weeks. Travis Outlaw bruised his tailbone and hip in the Utah game and is "day-to-day." And the team's all-star, Brandon Roy, tore a tendon in his pinky finger and while he won't miss any games he's going to be playing with some sort of splint for quite some time. Not only that, but the Blazers seem to have figured out how not to play perimeter defense at all, and seem to be doing quite well at it.

About the card:

• Rick Adelman coached the Blazers when they were really good. Not Championship Good, but good enough to reach the NBA Finals twice. Then the Blazers brass started breaking up the team and Clyde Drexler wanted to leave and then Adelman got fired. He's a local guy and still lives in the area. He coaches the Rockets now.

Bonus: ARGH! Steve Blake! Blake missed 4 out of 5 free throws in the final seconds of regulation in what eventually turned out to be a double-overtime loss to the LA Clippers. Brandon Roy was in Hero Mode, but everyone else played like little Mario. Blake had only missed 2 free throws all season prior to Friday night's game. I got this card at a card show yesterday and it's just ridiculous. I don't understand what Topps was thinking when they came up with this chrome design. They may as well have just copied the baseball design, but instead you get this nearly impsossible to read silver shiny thing. I also got a Channing Frye card from the same set, but he didn't miss all of those free throws so you get Blake instead.