Blake Blazes a Trail Back to Rip City
Related Images
Video: Steve Blake Press Conference
By Jim Taylor
TrailBlazers.com
Tualatin, OR -- It wasn’t quite the same mob that turned out to welcome Greg Oden to Portland, but Steve Blake got a pretty nice reception Tuesday at the Trail Blazers practice facility for a noontime press conference welcoming the former Blazers guard back to Portland.
Some 130 campers attending Nate McMillan’s basketball camp joined the media on the basketball court at the team’s training facility in Tualatin for a light-hearted Q & A with Blake, who recently signed a three-year deal with Portland.
Blake, 27, originally played for the Trail Blazers during the 2005-06 season posting averages of 8.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range in 68 games (57 starts) with Portland.
Blake returns to a much different Trail Blazers team than the one he left at the end of the 2006 season when he, along with Ha Seung-Jin and Brian Skinner, were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Jamal Magloire.
"I think there is a much different feeling," said Blake. "I mean everywhere you go around the city, before I even signed here, people were talking about getting the first pick and how excited everyone was. The talent and the way they played last year, moving forward and getting better and I think everyone expects that same thing to happen this next year for everyone to improve and get better."
Blake joins a Trail Blazers team that won 11 more games than the previous season and a roster that is built around the likes of draft lottery picks Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, the NBA Rookie of the Year.
"The team is real young and going to get better every year," said Blake. "I think that excites people to know that for the future a championship is a possibility, so I think people are looking forward to that."
And while fans are looking forward to that, the Trail Blazers coaching staff and management are hoping that the veteran Blake can bring some much needed experience to one of the youngest rosters in the NBA.
"He’s a big guard that can defend the ball," said McMillan. "He can pick up the ball full court. He pushes the ball. And he doesn’t need to score to be productive. He shot the three-ball well when he was here for us and he’ll be able to spread. We’re not as small in the backcourt. We do have experience bringing Steve on board and a guy who’s been in some big games before. All of that we felt we needed with such a young team."
Blake liked Portland so much in his first go-round with the Trail Blazers that he and his family decided to make Portland their permanent home regardless of where he ended up playing in the league. Equally as appealing to Blake though was the opportunity play for McMillan.
"We have a great bond as a coach and player," said Blake. "I feel like I can speak to him whenever I want and he knows he can come to me with anything. He knows I want to learn from him. He’s a great guy and a great coach along with it."
McMillan didn’t mince words about what sort of role or the amount of playing time Blake would have with the team when he originally signed as free agent in 2005 playing behind the likes of Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack. On the flip side, McMillan appreciated the professionalism and patience that Blake showed waiting for his opportunity to come, which eventually it did when Telfair was lost to injury. Blake made the most of his minutes, but more importantly left a lasting impression on McMillan and Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard.
"Steve embodies the kind of culture we’re building here in Portland," said Pritchard. "He's an intelligent, hard-working, team player with a tremendous grasp as to what it takes to play the point guard position."
That trust and bond between coach and player may get tested again this season as Portland has a logjam at the point guard position with Jack, Sergio Rodriguez, rookie Taurean Green and Blake all vying for playing time.
For his part, Blake doesn’t seemed overly concerned saying, "No matter where you go there’s going to be more than one point guard, so it’s something you can’t stress yourself out about."
Is McMillan happy with the prospects of trying to divvy up playing time between four talented point guards?
"I am," said McMillan. "All of them are not as happy, but that’s okay. I think we’ll find a way to work it out and they will compete for minutes and I think they’ll make each other better. I like all of our guards. We’re already receiving phone calls for our guards, but we’re not giving them up. We love who we have. This is an opportunity for us to grow together."
NOTES: Blake averaged 6.4 points and 5.0 assists per game in the 2006-07 season split between Milwaukee and Denver, but flourished with the Nuggets, where he put up 8.3 points and 6.6 assists per game in the final 49 games…a University of Maryland product, Blake is entering his fifth NBA season with career averages of 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 22.5 minutes with the Wizards, Trail Blazers, Bucks and Nuggets.
By Jim Taylor
TrailBlazers.com
Tualatin, OR -- It wasn’t quite the same mob that turned out to welcome Greg Oden to Portland, but Steve Blake got a pretty nice reception Tuesday at the Trail Blazers practice facility for a noontime press conference welcoming the former Blazers guard back to Portland.
Some 130 campers attending Nate McMillan’s basketball camp joined the media on the basketball court at the team’s training facility in Tualatin for a light-hearted Q & A with Blake, who recently signed a three-year deal with Portland.
Blake, 27, originally played for the Trail Blazers during the 2005-06 season posting averages of 8.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range in 68 games (57 starts) with Portland.
Blake returns to a much different Trail Blazers team than the one he left at the end of the 2006 season when he, along with Ha Seung-Jin and Brian Skinner, were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Jamal Magloire.
"I think there is a much different feeling," said Blake. "I mean everywhere you go around the city, before I even signed here, people were talking about getting the first pick and how excited everyone was. The talent and the way they played last year, moving forward and getting better and I think everyone expects that same thing to happen this next year for everyone to improve and get better."
Blake joins a Trail Blazers team that won 11 more games than the previous season and a roster that is built around the likes of draft lottery picks Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, the NBA Rookie of the Year.
"The team is real young and going to get better every year," said Blake. "I think that excites people to know that for the future a championship is a possibility, so I think people are looking forward to that."
And while fans are looking forward to that, the Trail Blazers coaching staff and management are hoping that the veteran Blake can bring some much needed experience to one of the youngest rosters in the NBA.
"He’s a big guard that can defend the ball," said McMillan. "He can pick up the ball full court. He pushes the ball. And he doesn’t need to score to be productive. He shot the three-ball well when he was here for us and he’ll be able to spread. We’re not as small in the backcourt. We do have experience bringing Steve on board and a guy who’s been in some big games before. All of that we felt we needed with such a young team."
Blake liked Portland so much in his first go-round with the Trail Blazers that he and his family decided to make Portland their permanent home regardless of where he ended up playing in the league. Equally as appealing to Blake though was the opportunity play for McMillan.
"We have a great bond as a coach and player," said Blake. "I feel like I can speak to him whenever I want and he knows he can come to me with anything. He knows I want to learn from him. He’s a great guy and a great coach along with it."
McMillan didn’t mince words about what sort of role or the amount of playing time Blake would have with the team when he originally signed as free agent in 2005 playing behind the likes of Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack. On the flip side, McMillan appreciated the professionalism and patience that Blake showed waiting for his opportunity to come, which eventually it did when Telfair was lost to injury. Blake made the most of his minutes, but more importantly left a lasting impression on McMillan and Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard.
"Steve embodies the kind of culture we’re building here in Portland," said Pritchard. "He's an intelligent, hard-working, team player with a tremendous grasp as to what it takes to play the point guard position."
That trust and bond between coach and player may get tested again this season as Portland has a logjam at the point guard position with Jack, Sergio Rodriguez, rookie Taurean Green and Blake all vying for playing time.
For his part, Blake doesn’t seemed overly concerned saying, "No matter where you go there’s going to be more than one point guard, so it’s something you can’t stress yourself out about."
Is McMillan happy with the prospects of trying to divvy up playing time between four talented point guards?
"I am," said McMillan. "All of them are not as happy, but that’s okay. I think we’ll find a way to work it out and they will compete for minutes and I think they’ll make each other better. I like all of our guards. We’re already receiving phone calls for our guards, but we’re not giving them up. We love who we have. This is an opportunity for us to grow together."
NOTES: Blake averaged 6.4 points and 5.0 assists per game in the 2006-07 season split between Milwaukee and Denver, but flourished with the Nuggets, where he put up 8.3 points and 6.6 assists per game in the final 49 games…a University of Maryland product, Blake is entering his fifth NBA season with career averages of 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 22.5 minutes with the Wizards, Trail Blazers, Bucks and Nuggets.
