Summer squad teems with talent

With Oden, Aldridge, Rodriguez and Webster, Blazers could dominate Vegas league

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Jul 3, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (8 Reader comments)

SAM FORENCICH/GETTY IMAGES

Greg Oden took a light-rail ride Friday to Pioneer Courthouse Square, where the Blazers held a rally to introduce him to fans.

The Portland Tribune Racebook odds are just in, and the Trail Blazers have been established as a 1-to-2 favorite to win the Las Vegas Summer League championship.

“That’s not the championship we have in mind,” General Manager Kevin Pritchard says with a laugh.

But with veterans LaMarcus Aldridge, Sergio Rodriguez and Martell Webster and No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden leading the way, it’s hard to believe any of the other 21 teams – 20 representing NBA clubs, plus the Chinese national team – will be better-equipped with players than Portland’s entry.

“The amount of talent we’ll have on our summer league team is unbelievable,” says Blazer owner Paul Allen, who will have all the action streamed to him via the Internet while he enjoys his European vacation.

Assistant coach Monty Williams, who will run the summer-league team, says Aldridge, Rodriguez, Webster and Oden are all ticketed for 35 minutes “for at least the first three” of the five Blazer games in Vegas.

Portland faces Boston on Friday, Dallas on Sunday, the Lakers on July 11, Phoenix on July 14 and – ta dah! – Kevin Durant and the Seattle SuperSonics on July 15.

NBA TV will broadcast the Boston and Seattle games. For the first time in the franchise’s 38-year history, all the summer-league games will be carried live on KXL 750 AM, with Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey calling the action.

Williams says the Blazers also will arrange at least two or three additional scrimmages during the 10-day stay in Vegas, in order to get game action for some of the team’s secondary players.

Italian Stefano Mancinelli, 24, a 6-8 free agent, will start the first game at small forward, though 6-10 second-round draft choice Josh McRoberts of Duke – who has impressed Portland coaches with his left-handed perimeter shooting stroke – also could see some duty at the 3.

Aldridge says he has been given a clean bill of health after his bout with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, which required a medical procedure to correct the abnormality on April 2.

“I don’t have any more irregular heartbeats, no symptoms – I’m back to normal,” says the 6-11 Aldridge, who turns 22 on July 19. “No medication, nothing.

“When I was going through it, you understand anything involving the heart is a serious thing. Now that it’s over with, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m excited and working hard.”

Aldridge says he has not played with a defensive force inside such as the 7-foot Oden. That’s where Blazer coaches expect the new center to make the biggest impact immediately.

“But I think his offense is going to come more quickly than people think,” assistant coach Bill Bayno says. “His wrist injury held him back last year (at Ohio State). He has a nice touch shooting the ball, a nice left hand, some stuff in the post and really good footwork – a nice offensive feel.

“He doesn’t panic when he gets an offensive rebound in traffic and two or three guys converge on him. He’s calm, he steps through and has good pivot footwork. It’s a matter of evolving like LaMarcus did last year.”

Oden agrees, especially after watching Aldridge work on the offensive boards.

“That’s all you have to do – put it back up, two points,” Oden says. “Get fouled a couple of times, get a couple of shots on my own, that’s an easy 15, 16 points a game.”

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