Rip City Report

In this edition we discuss the injury to Robin Lopez, how long he’ll be out, how the team might fare with him on the shelf and who might take his place for the foreseeable future. We also discuss the imminent return of CJ McCollum and how he might be worked back into the lineup after missing over a month with a broken right hand of his own, the brutality of the upcoming road trip and answer some of your Twitter questions. It’s Joe’s day off and I had a meeting to get to, so we tried to keep it short, but we cover all the important topics of the day. Spend that extra time with your families.

Trail Blazers hot start to the season and potential Damian Lillard injury news.

Off-day edition of the Rip City Report talks about the five game win streak and the return of LaMarcus Aldridge to the lineup and more.

In this week’s edition we consider Portland’s improved play in the second week of the season, the injury to Nicolas Batum and which player might take his place in the starting lineup, the passing of Sandra Zickefoose and the team’s response and finish off by answer a few Twitter questions. It’s our best podcast of the season!

The Portland Trail Blazers being the regular season by hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night at the Moda Center. To prepare, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net, recorded the 23rd edition of the Rip City Report, which is now available for your listening pleasure. In this edition, Joe and I discuss the rookie contract extensions given to Meyers Leonard and CJ McCollum, Thomas Robinson not being extended, the rotation going into the regular season, our thoughts on the matchup against an injury-riddled Thunder team and answer a few questions. We also throw in a couple food recommendations and a discussion genetically modified chicken. If nothing else, all the the mics worked this time, so that alone makes it a vast improvement over last week’s episode.

It’s been a bit quiet here in Rip City the last few days, so this week’s edition of the Rip City Report with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and I, Casey Holdahl of various Trail Blazers digital properties, is a bit shorter than usual. But a discussion of topics including Portland’s somewhat boring preseason, whether the league should shorten the 82-game season and the premiere of “Exploring Kaman,” along with answering questions via Twitter, comes in at just under an hour. Hopefully it’s worth your time.

After playing two preseason games, both losses to the Utah Jazz, the Trail Blazers had their first off day of training camp on Friday, so it seemed like a good time to hit the studio to record the 21st edition of the Rip City Report podcast with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net and TrailBlazers.com. We got so many great questions from fans this week that we decided to devote the entire podcast to answering those queries to the best of our abilities. Topics range from what to make of Portland’s first two preseason performances and who will provide scoring off the bench to running down which Wu-Tang Clan Members each player on the team most closely aligns with. I predict this episode to be our most hated one yet!

Training Camp Report

Greetings from Las Vegas. Both Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and I, Casey Holdahl of this blog and Trailblazers.com, are in Sin City to cover Damian Lillard’s quest to make the USA Basketball roster for the 2014 FIBA World Cup, so we figured we might as well sit down and record the 19th edition of the Rip City Report. In this offseason edition, we discuss how Lillard has performed during the four days of workouts and handicap his prospects of making the final roster. And in a Rip City Report first, Lillard joined the podcast to talk about the experience with USA Basketball, during which he was able to work in some devastating burns regarding Joe’s beard and my rapidly-receding hairline. It’s worth listening for that 30 seconds alone. We also consider LaMarcus Aldridge’s decision to decline playing for USA Basketball at the World Cup, briefly touch upon the Trail Blazers’ performance at Summer League and congratulate Will Barton on becoming a father.

We’re (temporarily) back! Please enjoy this very special offseason edition of the Rip City Report podcast with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and I, Casey Holdahl of this blog you’re currently reading. In this edition we discuss the free agent signings of Chris Kaman and Steve Blake, LaMarcus Aldridge and the news that he’s waiting to until next year to sign an extension and the upcoming Las Vegas Summer League. We also answer a few questions, discuss Joe’s offseason beard and briefly discuss LeBron James returning to Cleveland. Enjoy!

The Trail Blazers’ 2013-14 season is over but there’s still some business to attend to, as we have to get out at least one last Rip City Report podcast with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and myself, Casey Holdahl, of ForwardCenter.net and Trailblazers.com to get to, which we did Wednesday afternoon at the Moda Center In this season-end edition of the Rip City Report, we discuss Portland’s loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals, exit interviews, Terry Stotts’ contract extension and answer questions about the draft, free agency and the improvement of young players. Give it a listen.

The Trail Blazers are one win again from advancing past the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2000, so it seemed like a good time to record the first playoff edition of Rip City Report podcast with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and myself, Casey Holdahl, of ForwardCenter.net and Trailblazers.com.On this week’s edition, we discuss Game 4 of the first-round series between the Blazers and Rockets, Portland being up 3-1 heading back to Houston, the play of LaMarcus Aldridge and the guts of Wesley Matthews, the locker room presence of Mo Williams, Robin Lopez vs. Dwight Howard and the passing and legacy of former Trail Blazer coach and Hall of Famer Dr. Jack Ramsay. Listening this will certainly be a great way to pass the time between now and Game 5 on Wednesday.

Greetings and welcome to the postseason. Please enjoy the first playoff edition of the Rip City Report podcast with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and myself, Casey Holdahl, of ForwardCenter.net and Trailblazers.com.On this week’s edition, we briefly discuss the end of the regular season before going all-in on the first-round playoff series versus the Rockets. We look at the position-by-position matchups, talk “X-factors,” how Joel Freeland might factor into Portland’s rotation and answer some questions via Twitter. It’s a bit longer than usual, but the Trail Blazers haven’t been in the playoffs in a while, so there’s plenty to discuss.

We’re in the final days of the 2013-14 regular season, but the Rip City Report podcast is still going strong with a new episode featuring Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and myself, Casey Holdahl, of ForwardCenter.net and Trailblazers.com.On this week’s edition we discuss discuss the Trail Blazers clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2011, the potential return of Joel Freeland and whether he changes Portland’s playoff rotation, which team the Trail Blazers matchup best with in the first round and answer fan submitted questions on the April 9 edition of the Rip City Report

Please enjoy the first Rip City Report of April with with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and myself, Casey Holdahl, of ForwardCenter.net and Trailblazers.com. Who knew we’d make it to such an unlucky number.On this week’s edition we discuss Portland’s play since the return of LaMarcus Aldridge and the vastly improved play since then, the playoff race in the Western Conference, revisit our Dorell Wright vs. Will Barton bet, Thomas Robinson’s improved play and seizing control of the backup big man minutes, consider the field for Coach of the Year and where Terry Stotts fits in that conversation and answer from questions via Twitter. It’s a good way to get ready for the end of the regular season

Hello from Orlando. We’ve got our first road-recorded edition of the Rip City Report podcast with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and myself, Casey Holdahl, of ForwardCenter.net and Trailblazers.com cover a whole range of topics from Portland’s play in the last 10 games, their 0-2 start to the road trip, when LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Freeland might return from injury and whether there’s any danger of the Blazers missing the playoffs completely. This version is going to sound a little different seeing as how it was recorded in a hotel rather than our usual studio, but the high quality Blazers talk you’ve come to expect from the Rip City Report is the same.

On this week’s edition we discuss Portland’s issue winning close games, whether the team is struggling with a lack of confidence, playing without LaMarcus Aldridge and Dorell Wright as a starter and why director Wes Anderson needs to stop kidding himself. There’s a little something for everyone.

On this week’s show we discuss Portland’s ability to do better than tread water despite injuries, the play of Nicolas Batum, the peculiarity of Trail Blazers fans, whether Will Barton will be in the rotation going forward this season, Robin Lopez’s value and and answer a couple of fan questions

Greetings Trail Blazers fans. After a few weeks off, The Rip City Report with The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman and myself, Casey Holdahl of TrailBlazers.com and ForwardCenter.net, is back for a ninth edition for your listening pleasure.On this week’s episode we discuss Portland’s quiet trade deadline and why no deals were made, LaMarcus Aldridge’s injury and it’s impact on the team going forward, the swoon in the last 10 games and answer a couple of fan questions

On this week’s episode we discuss LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard being named Western Conference All-Stars, if any other Trail Blazers will join them in the dunk or three-point contest, Portland’s 8-6 record in January and answer a few fan questions.