PPBBB: Panini Prizm Basketball Blaster Break

It's the last day of fall. Why not check out a new box of hoopsters and hoops stars? 

I was a big fan of last year's Prizm NBA set, stopping just short of actually trying to put together a set of basketball cards for the first time in decades. I was prepared to not like this year's version as much, but I really can't find anything negative to say about it. Chrome'd up cards just look really nice to me these days, that's all there is to it. They are still way too expensive for their own good, but they make nice trade fodder.

I bought a box during some holiday time shopping excursion and it comes with a guaranteed, per box, on average, autograph or memorabilia card. That could be fun?

Pack 1:

1 - Ben Simmons - Simmons was the first overall pick, and in grand recent Sixers tradition went out and broke something so he's been out for awhile.

142 - Nikola Vucevic

238 - Kyle Anderson Prizm Green - This is a Prizm parallel and a green one at that. Don't say the 'R' word.

263 - Andrew Wiggins - The back of the card features the same photo as the front, but without the effect that dims the background and focuses on the player.

Pack 2:

10 - Nik Stauskas

199 - Tim Frazier - Frazier used to reside at the end of the Blazers bench, but since catching on with the Pelicans he's elevated his game as a max effort guy who also happens to be incredibly annoying.

122 - Derrick Rose Prizm - Panini went big this season with the "guy posing with his new jersey" look rather than showing players in their old uniforms with a new logo in the corner.

221 - James Harden - Harden and his beard are trying to play both guard positions simultaneously this season, which is putting the famed flopper on pace to lead the league in assists and break the all-time league record for most turnovers in a season.

Pack 3:

68 - Wade Baldwin IV - Did Wade Baldwins I-III also hoop?

157 - Seth Curry - Steph's lil' bro.

179 - Will Barton Prizm - Ex-Blazer lost in the ill-fated Arron Afflalo deal.

278 - Al-Farouq Aminu - Nice to pull a Blazer here. The Chief has been injured for much of this season, contributing to Portland's league worst defense. They're 3-0 in games I've attended this year, however, so maybe I just need to go to more games.

Pack 4:

26 - Robin Lopez

115 - Malachi Richardson - He looks like he won a contest to be an NBA player for a day.

42 - Luol Deng Orange Wave Prizm Auto (2/25) - Here's the hit, and I suppose I could have done worse (memorabilia card?) Deng is pictured with the Heat but is now with the Lakers. While he's still a starter, he's averaging career lows in every noticeable category including minutes.

 235 - LaMarcus Aldridge

 Pack 5:

83 - Josh Richardson

172 - Kenneth Faried - It's the so-called Manimal.

3 - Paul George Explosion Prizm - It's a parallel version of an insert card. George is really good.

259 - Mitch McGary

Pack 6:

40 - Mo Williams

129 - Marshall Plumlee - Yes, it's another Plumlee. This just might be the last of them, for awhile at least.

16 - Blake Griffin Explosion - The regular version of the Explosion insert.

217 - Norman Powell - I started to type "Normal Powell" for some reason.

And there we have it. Like any of the cards you see here? Interested in receiving the occasional package of basketball cards? Got any Blazers you don't need? Let me know!