Cody Sharrett

But instead, as the 7-foot, 265 lb. center does on the court, Kaman provided a major presence in the family-like atmosphere of the Trail Blazer locker room. With a slough of comings and goings last summer, the Blazers got younger. That meant less playing time for the 12-year veteran and former NBA All-Star as the front office surrounded point guard Damian Lillard with still-developing talent in his same career trajectory.

The now 34-year-old center handled the situation with professionalism, serving as a mentor for the Blazers’ cast of young players. If the Blazers lacked anything in 2015-16, it was experience. That’s where Kaman came in: providing tutelage for the Blazers’ young post players like Meyers Leonard, Noah Vonleh and Cliff Alexander.

When called upon against bigger, more halfcourt-oriented teams, Kaman showed he’s still got some left in the tank. In 15 minutes versus the San Antonio Spurs in March, Kaman scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, his most productive game of the season. He provided a big body to help neutralize the Los Angeles Clippers’ frontcourt in the Blazers First Round playoff matchup, averaging 4.6 points over 9 minutes per game in the first three games of the series. 

More often than not, however, Kaman served as Rip City’s human victory cigar, greeted by thunderous roars from the Moda Center crowd in the closing moments of a Blazer win.

Kaman’s future is wide open and unknown. He could explore free agency or perhaps come back to the Blazers in his current role, or spend his days hunting and fishing in retirement. One thing is for sure, however: there were few moments when Rip City was louder than an “Air Sasquatch” appearance during the 2015-16 campaign.

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Player Profile: Chris Kaman

The prized asset in a trade that sent longtime Portland swingman Nicolas Batum to Charlotte in exchange for Vonleh and veteran guard Gerald Henderson, Vonleh played in just 25 games for the Hornets in his first season after being selected ninth overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Adjusting to his second team and city in as many seasons was very much like hitting restart for the 6-10 power forward.

It’s easy to forget Vonleh is just 20 years old. Still seen as a development project for the Trail Blazers, Vonleh’s 2015-16 campaign can not simply be measured in numbers but rather in the way his confidence grew as the season matured.

Vonleh averaged just 3.6 points on 42.1% shooting and 3.9 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game, but the Indiana University product seemed to grow more comfortable with the pro game as the season progressed. He notched his first double-figure game of the season on January 23 versus the Lakers and followed that up with 10 points against the Kings the following game. From February through April, Vonleh shot 33.3% from behind the three-point arc compared to the  17.6% he shot from deep from November through January. All the while, Vonleh grew as capable interior defensive option in the Blazer rotation.

Entering his third season as a pro, Vonleh will once again play on the Blazers Summer League roster as fans in Rip City hope to see the youngster continue to grow in leaps and bounds ahead of 2016-17. 

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Player Profile: Noah Vonleh

A journeyman over his first four seasons as a pro with stops in Toronto, Memphis and Los Angeles, Davis put his roots down in Rip City for the foreseeable future last July, signing with the Trail Blazers shortly after last summer’s free agency period began. Fans in Portland quickly took to Davis’ no flash, all hustle style as the Blazers’ enforcer in the paint.

Despite not starting a single game for the first time in his career, Davis had arguably his most productive season as a pro. The 6-10, 240 lb. center averaged 6.5 points and 7.4 rebounds over just 20.4 minutes per game off the bench, shooting a career-high 61.1% from the field. Take Davis’ numbers per 36 minutes, and his season is all the more impressive with averages of 11.2 points and 12.8 rebounds.

An invaluable piece in head coach Terry Stotts’ rotation, Davis was an integral part of a Blazer bench that outscored its counterparts in 30 of its final 44 games. The fifth-year pro out of the University of North Carolina was a force on the glass, grabbing a Blazer record 599 rebounds off the bench. Additionally, Davis recorded a career-high 16 games with at least five offensive rebounds, many of which were punctuated with a dunk and his signature flex. Davis’ nine double-doubles were the fourth-most in the NBA among all reserves and third-most on the Blazer roster this season.

With his no-nonsense honesty, Davis was a favorite among the media in the locker room in his first season in the Rose City (just watch his exit interview). Davis also took to Portland off the court, even sampling some of the local cuisine as part of a video series.

2015-16 was just the beginning for Ed Davis in Rip City, a relationship that Davis and fans alike hope lasts for quite some time.

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Player Profile: Ed Davis

The Kia NBA Most Improved player saw an unprecedented breakout in his third season as a Trail Blazer after Portland drafted the 6-4 combo guard out of Lehigh University with the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. After two seasons of dealing with injury and waiting in the wings behind veteran shooting guard Wesley Matthews, the spotlight was McCollum’s in year three.

Following up his coming-out party in the Trail Blazers 2015 NBA Playoffs matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, McCollum dropped a career-high 37 points on 14-of-22 shooting from the field, 6-of-9 from deep to lift Portland to an opening night victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Moda Center on October 28. The showing was just an appetizer of what the Blazers and fans would get from McCollum throughout the season.

The combo guard played – and started – in all but two games this season, failing to score in double figures just once. McCollum recorded eight 30-plus point performances, scoring 20 or more points on 40 occasions. As his backcourt partner Damian Lillard sat to rest his plantar fasciitis, McCollum achieved perhaps his greatest feat of the season: 35 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and five steals in a 98-94 win at Sacramento on December 27. McCollum became the first player hit those benchmarks in an NBA game since Timberwolves great Kevin Garnett did so back in 2004.

McCollum achieved career highs of 20.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game all while shooting 44.8% from the field and 41.7% from behind the tree-point arc – also highs for his three-year career. Upping his scoring average by 14 points from 2014-15, McCollum recorded the largest points-per-game increase in 26 seasons. The crafty 24-year-old guard finished in the top ten in the NBA for three-point percentage and in the top 20 in scoring, while combing with Lillard for the third-highest scoring tandem in the league with an average of 45.9 points per game.

Off the court, McCollum put his journalism degree to work, publishing entries for The Players’ Tribune, provided analysis on SportsCenter during the postseason in addition to hosting his own weekly show “The Playlist” on JAM’N 107.5 and serving as a regular guest on “Rip City Mornings with Bunker and Danforth” on Rip City Radio 620. McCollum’s media efforts went beyond building his own brand; he also set up “CJ’s Press Pass,” a program providing local students with a chance to get their feet wet in the world of journalism.

McCollum’s third season as a Trail Blazer served as a foundation for a bright future in Rip City, joining Lillard to form one of the NBA’s most potent partnerships for years to come.

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Player Profile: CJ McCollum

Portland clinched a fourth consecutive playoff berth with last week’s victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Portland and will enter the playoffs as at least the sixth seed in the West. The Dallas Mavericks could overtake the Trail Blazers for fifth place with a win versus the San Antonio Spurs and a Portland loss to Denver. 

The Blazers and Nuggets have met three times in 2015-16 prior to Wednesday’s matchup, with Portland taking wins in a pair of the contests. CJ McCollum is averaging 23.3 points per game versus Denver this season, including a 7-of-15 clip from behind the three-point arc. Guard Allen Crabbe has also faired well against the Nuggets in 2015-16, averaging 15 points on 45% shooting. Since the start of the 2013-14 campaign, the Blazers are 10-1 versus the Denver. 

Wednesday is Fan Appreciation Night at Moda Center as all fans will receive a “Never Doubt Rip City” t-shirt among other promotions to celebrate the city’s devoted fandom. Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm as Mike Barrett and Mike Rice call the action on KGW. Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey are set for the radio broadcast on Rip City Radio 620.

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Game Day Hub: Portland vs. Denver

Saturday’s matchup is the fourth and final meeting between the two Northwest Division rivals in 2015-16. The Trail Blazers have beat the Timberwolves in the three previous meetings, twice in Minneapolis and once in Portland. Blazers guard Damian Lillard has averaged 24.7 points and 7.3 assists versus Minnesota this season, while Timberwolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns has put up averages of 19.7 points and 10 rebounds against Portland in 2015-16. 

The Trail Blazers have won four straight meetings against the Timberwolves, and have defeated Minnesota in their last eight visits to Portland. Overall, the Blazers lead the all-time series, 76-29. 

Tip-off for Saturday’s game is set for 7:30 pm on CSNNW and Rip City Radio 620. 

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Game Day Hub: Portland vs. Minnesota

CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 30 points on 5-of-10 shooting from behind the three-point arc, while Maurice Harkless added a season-high 20 points and career-high 16 rebounds in Tuesday’s winning effort. Point guard Damian Lillard chipped in 22 points and eight assists as the Blazers swept the season series versus the Kings. 

Portland and Oklahoma City have met three times prior to Wednesday this season, with the home team claiming victory in each encounter. In the only matchup at Moda Center, Damian Lillard scored 17 points in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter to lead the home team to a 103-95 come-from-behind win — beginning a stretch that would see the Blazers win 18 of their next 22 games, a run that would be bested only by the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in that span. 

Wednesday's duel could be a potential playoff preview as Portland currently occupies sixth place in the Western Conference, while Oklahoma City is locked into the third seed with just over a week left in the season. The Trail Blazers are a half game back of the Memphis Grizzlies in the fifth slot in the postseason picture, and if the standings remain the same at season's end, Portland would face Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs. Surpassing Memphis would result in a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Blazers can clinch a playoff berth with a win Wednesday night. 

The Trail Blazers and Thunder tip-off at 7:00 pm on KGW and Rip City Radio 620. Fans can also listen via the Trail Blazer mobile app. 

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Game Day Hub: Portland vs Oklahoma City

From the Clyde Drexler versus Kenny Smith matchup that hallmarked the Blazers’ first visit to then-ARCO Arena in 1988 to Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber going head-to-head in the early 2000s to the battles between DaMarcus Cousins and LaMarcus Aldridge in recent years, Portland and Sacramento have met 58 times at Sleep Train Arena in the regular season. The Blazers are 28-30 in the building, having never met the Kings in postseason. 

In the Blazers’ most recent trip to Sacramento, CJ McCollum made history as the first player to record 35-plus points, 11-plus rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a game since 2004 in a 98-94 victory over the Kings. Over six career games in Sacramento, Damian Lillard holds an average 22.2 points per game on 51.2% shooting from behind the three-point arc, including a 41-point performance in the 2013-14 season.

Tuesday’s tip-off is set for 7:00 pm. Mike Barrett and Mike Rice call the game on CSNNW, while Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey are set to describe the action on Rip City Radio 620 and the Trail Blazers Mobile App. 

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Game Day Hub: Portland at Sacramento

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