BLAZER NOTES: Ten-man rotation, plus Bayless and Diogu, ready for Lakers

Oden calm, for now; Fernandez, Batum use their basketball IQs and international experience against older players

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Oct 27, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (5 Reader comments)

Blazer guard Rudy Fernandez shot .460 from the field and .346 from 3-point range in the preseason.

ROCKY WIDNER / GETTY IMAGES

Though he hasn’t made it official, Trail Blazer coach Nate McMillan will almost surely start rookie Nicolas Batum at small forward when Portland opens the season Tuesday night on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers.

That allows Travis Outlaw to come off the bench, a role in which he is more comfortable and gives him more scoring opportunities.

• McMillan will begin the season with a 10-man rotation, using Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Channing Frye and Joel Przybilla as a reserve contingent.

Rookie Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu will be the odd men out, at least to start.

• Starting center Greg Oden says he is trying not to get too geeked up for the opener.

“I’m pretty calm,” he says. “Talk to me five minutes before I go out there Tuesday night, it might be a different story. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be exciting. But I’m trying to keep myself composed.”

• Injured Martell Webster says he has been told by doctors he is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation after foot surgery for a stress fracture.

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