A Blazer Detour

Frequent APTBNL later contributor jafronius is part of the Guilt-Free Basketball Card Club (free invites are always open!) and recently sent me a package of hoops cards (and a Duck that goes in a pile of Ducks that could be featured in the future). I don't get a lot of exclusively non-baseball packages, but I figured that while we're in the midst of some hot Summer League action, I may as well show off some (ex) Blazers.

The "combo guard" position is a weird thing that I think the league as a whole is still trying to figure out. Typically it means a player is deemed to be too small to be a shooting guard (or off-the-ball guard) in the NBA, but not skilled enough in the ways of ballhandling and distributing to be a true point guard. Hell, there are probably only a handful of "true point guards" in the NBA that can play a lick anyway. Basketball purists are the worst, sometimes. Anyway, Jerryd Bayless was one of several combo guards that the Blazers drafted in recent years. He and Jarrett Jack are the best known examples of them. Jack has made a name for himself lately and even Bayless randomly became a bit of a contributor late last season, but neither of them are doing it for Portland anymore. Both of them have worn quite a few different uniforms already.

Look out, Kelvin Cato! There's a much larger, black & white Super Kelvin Cato right behind you, ready to devour you whole!

It's hard to tell with the scan, but this is a really weird die cut insert. The only real text printed on the back are two pseudo-interview questions for Mr. Cato. I don't get it.

I don't have many Jim Jackson cards as a Blazer, so it was nice to get this one. I'm always intrigued by base set Topps designs that don't have a baseball equivalent.

So... '90s. What are those orbs, exactly? Are they volleyballs? Indoor soccer balls? Something straight out of Marble Madness? So many questions.