podcast

Casey Holdahl

Greetings from North Portland. With the season ending officially on Tuesday with a Game 5 loss to the Spurs and then unofficially on Thursday with end of season interviews, it was time to sit down and give some of our thoughts on the playoffs, the season and the future on The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino (where we will be doing a live show on May 22, don't miss it!) which you can listen/subscribe to below...

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On this, the 167th edition, Brooke Olzendam and I, Casey Holdahl, discuss...

• The Trail Blazers season coming to an end with a Game 5 loss to the Spurs in San Antonio in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs

• All in all, a successful season all things considered

• Trail Blazers were able to develop while winning, win more games than they did last season and made the playoffs

• Portland still has room to grow and assets to help that growth

• Brooke's Jamba Juice Free Throw Shooting Contest experience&nbsp;

• Takeaways from end of season interviews

• Feeling satisfied with the season but not satisfied with a first-round exit

• The positive vibe on the last day of school, which isn't always the case

• Tiago Splitter gets rave reviews from his players at end of season interviews

• Tiago's comments to the team in the locker room after the Game 5 loss

• Come out to the live taping on The Blazers Balcony on May 22 at Spirit Mountain Casino Sportsbook!&nbsp;

Thanks so much for listening this season and we'll be recording periodically throughout the offseason so now is the perfect time to subscribe to the Blazers Balcony on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Youtube, Stitcher, TuneIn, Deezer, Spotify, I Heart Radio,  Pocket Casts, and Pandora. And we better see you at the live show at Spirit Mountain Casino on May 22!

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Wrapping Up The 2025-26 Season On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 167

Greetings from North Portland. With the Trail Blazers' 2025-26 season now officially in the book after being eliminated from the playoffs with a Game 5 loss to the Spurs in San Antonio Tuesday night, it seemed like a good time to do a little bit of looking back on the 207th edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino...

• The Trail Blazers having their postseason come to a close with a loss to the Spurs in Game 5 in San Antonio Tuesday night

• The way Portland lost Game 5 was a good reflection of the issues they had during the regular season

• You really need outside shooting in the modern NBA and that's especially true in the playoffs

• Tiago Splitter opted not to make changes to the starting lineup and it's hard to imagine it would have made much of a difference

• Takeaways from the Trail Blazers' first playoff appearance in the last five years

• The Trail Blazers were able to develop young players and win enough to make the playoffs, which seems like a successful season for a team in their position

• The Trail Blazers currently don't have any picks in either round of the 2026 Draft

• Portland made progress this season but still plenty of questions remain heading into an important offseason

• Mark your calendars: A live recording of The Blazers Balcony with Brooke Olzendam coming to Spirit Mountain Casino on May 22

Again, many thanks to all of you who have watched/listen/read my work this season though there will be plenty to discuss this offseason so please consider subscribing to The Brief Case on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, IHeartRadio, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Pocket Casts, Deezer, PlayerFM. And don't miss the live show at Spirit Mountain Casino on May 22!

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The Playoff Run Is Over And The Offseason Begins On The Brief Case, Episode 207

After the Trail Blazers dropped Game 3 and 4 to the San Antonio Spurs after holding significant leads in the third quarter, I figured it was time to get at least a few brief thoughts down in podcast form on the latest edition of The Brief Case, which you can listen/watch below...

Topics on this the 206th edition include...

• The Trail Blazers faltering in the second half to lose Game 3 Friday night despite Victor Wembanyama not playing

• Game 4 playing out in a similar fashion to Game 3, though this time with Wembanyama

• If first-half, double-digit leads mattered, the Trail Blazers would be heading back to San Antonio with a lead in the series&nbsp;

• After doing a good job of taking care of the ball the Trail Blazers had as many turnovers as made field goals in the second half of Game 4

• Trail Blazers need more from a number of players if they're to extend the series

• Tiago said he would consider changes, but what changes are there to make?

• If you play well enough to win in the first half, what changes can you really make in the second half?

• The Spurs seem to up their defensive intensity in the second half

• Multiple Trail Blazers might need to have career games in order to get the series back to Portland for a Game 6

Thanks as always for watching and listening.

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It's Win Or Go Home On The Brief Case, Episode 206

With the Trail Blazers evening their first round series versus the Spurs by winning Game 2 in San Antonio, your humble podcast crew of Brooke Olzendam and I, Casey Holdahl, had to get some thoughts down before the series shifts to Portland for Game 3 on yet another edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino...

• The Trail Blazers evening their first round playoff series 1-1 by winning Game 2 in San Antonio

• Get your tickets for Games 3 and 4 NOW

• Scoot Henderson has the game of his life in Game 2 after waking up locked in

• How Scoot's mentality is especially useful for a young player in his first playoff series

• Marveling at the performance of Robert Williams III

• The Trail Blazers don't have a lot of playoff experience, but they have it in the right places

• Playing a little better in Game 2 though it feels like the Blazers still haven't played their best

• Matisse Thybulle with the contest and the importance of getting a little something from everyone

• The reason Tiago Splitter sticks with his players even when they're struggling

• Victor Wembanyama in the concussion protocol&nbsp;

• Rivalries really are made in the playoffs as familiarity breeds contempt

• CJ McCollum IS a villain and the first round of the NBA Playoffs have been great

• Everyone can deal with making a shot, it's the elite who can deal with missing

• BROOKE IS GOING TO BE SHOOTING THE JAMBA FREE THROWS IN GAME 4

• Fixes are coming to Brooke's alley, kids watching playoff basketball is more important than another practice, Robert Williams III loses his headband and you can't jinx the team by changing your habits now

Please consider subscribing to the Blazers Balcony on&nbsp;Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Amazon Music,&nbsp;Youtube,&nbsp;Stitcher,&nbsp;TuneIn,&nbsp;Deezer,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;I Heart Radio,&nbsp;&nbsp;Pocket Casts,&nbsp;Pandora&nbsp;or where ever you get your podcasts.

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Closing Out Game 2 And Looking Forward To Game 3 On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 166

Greetings from North Portland. It seems every week or so for the last month there's been a new "best Trail Blazers win in the last five years" game to talk about, and this week is no different with Portland evening the series versus the Spurs with a 106-103 victory in Game 2 Tuesday night in San Antonio behind an all-time performance from Scoot Henderson. Given that, there was much to discuss on yet another Playoff Edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino...

• The Trail Blazers rallying yet again in the fourth quarter to defeat the Spurs in San Antonio to even the series at 1-1

• At this point building a lead, losing it and then going down double digits in the fourth before coming away with the win is the Trail Blazers' SOP

• Scoot Henderson has the best game of his life to tilt the scales in Portland's favor while becoming the youngest Blazer to score at least 30 points in a playoff game

• Scoot gets it done on both sides of the ball by leading the Trail Blazers in scoring and geting "the box"

• Scoot finally has his moment after staying the course through three up and down seasons

• Jrue Holiday, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara all made timely plays in the fourth

• Robert Williams III has been the Trail Blazers' second best player through the first two games of the series and why you absolutely love to see it

• Victor Wembanyama is in the concussion protocol and what that might mean for his stats for Games 3 and 4 in Portland

• Get out to Moda for Game 3 (Friday at 7:30 p.m) and Game 4 (Sunday at 12:30 p.m.)

It's starting to get real interesting so now would be a great time to subscribe to the Brief Case on Apple Podcasts,&nbsp;Spotify,&nbsp;Youtube,&nbsp;IHeartRadio,&nbsp;Amazon Music,&nbsp;TuneIn,&nbsp;Podcast Addict,&nbsp;Podchaser,&nbsp;Pocket Casts,&nbsp;Deezer,&nbsp;PlayerFM.

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Scoot Has His Moment As Blazers Win Game 2 To Even The Series On The Brief Case, Episode 205

Greetings from North Portland. After the Trail Blazers started their first playoff run since 2021 with a 111-98 loss to the Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs Sunday night in San Antonio, had to get some thoughts about the performance, areas of improvement and Deni Avdija on the 2024th edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, which you can listen/watch/subscribe to below...

• The Trail Blazers losing 111-98 to the Spurs in Game 1 of the two/seven matchup of the Western Conference Playoffs

• Trail Blazers hang around for the first three quarters despite not playing all that well

• Portland gets to within two early in the third, but a few turnovers later, the lead was back to double digits and would remain there for the rest of the game

• Deni Avdija joins LeBron James as the only players to post at least 30 points, at least 10 rebounds and at least five assists in their playoff debut

• Scoot Henderson and Robert Williams III were both up to the task Sunday in San Antonio

• What the Trail Blazers did well (taking care of the ball, defending without fouling) and what they'll need to improve upon (second chance points, three-point shooting) to have a chance in Game 2 Tuesday in San Antonio

• Deni Avdija is named a finalist for the 2026 Most Improved Player Award along with Atlanta's Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Detroit's Jalen Duren

• All the MIP candidates have a good case, but Deni is the only one who can claim to also be Most Improved AND the best player on his team this season

• And if we're looking at Game 1 playoff performances (and the votes are already cast, so w're really not), Deni's Game 1 was considerably better than Duren or Alexander-Walker

You can subscribe to the Brief Case on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, IHeartRadio, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Pocket Casts, Deezer, PlayerFM.

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Losing Game 1, Bouncing Back In Game 2 And Deni A Finalist For Most Improved On The Brief Case, Episode 204

Greetings from North Portland. Before the Trail Blazers head off to San Antonio to face the Spurs in Game 1 of the two/seven matchup of the 2026 Western Conference Playoffs (tipoff scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. on NBC), Brooke Olzendam and I, Casey Holdahl, had to get in yet another edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino...

Topics on this, the 165th edition, include...

• The Trail Blazers defeating the Suns in Phoenix in the Play-In Tournament to earn the seven-seed in the Western Conference Playoffs

• Making the playoffs always means something to fans, as it should

• Deni Avdija getting the respect he deserves for his performance versus Phoenix

• Jerami Grant returns and makes a huge difference in the fourth versus the Suns

• The way the Trail Blazers have had to fight to get into play-in could be a good thing in the playoffs

• Neither team has much playoff experience&nbsp;

• Initial thoughts on the matchup versus the two-seed Spurs, which starts Sunday night in San Antonio

• Most important Spur other than Wemby, most important Blazer in the series, the most important reserve for both teams and what "battle" Portland needs to win

• Brooke enjoys the watch party, come on Haberstroh, holding in a sneeze, re-recording segments, marg vs. frosé and almost falling into the Riverwalk&nbsp;

If you haven't subscribed to the Blazers Balcony at this point I'm not sure if you ever will but I swear, it's a good idea to lock in on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Youtube, Stitcher, TuneIn, Deezer, Spotify, I Heart Radio,  Pocket Casts, Pandora or where ever you get your podcasts.

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Upsetting The Suns And Previewing The Spurs In The Playoffs On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 165

Greetings from North Portland. With the Trail Blazers getting their biggest win in years Tuesday night versus the Suns to claim the seven-seed in the 2026 Playoffs, I had to get yet in another edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, before calling it a night...

• The Trail Blazers beating the Suns in Phoenix in the seven/eight matchup of the 2026 Western Conference Play-In Tournament

• Portland qualifies for the playoffs with the win for the first time since 2021

• Tuesday's win versus the Suns was similar to a number of the Trail Blazers' wins in the last month of the season

• Portland goes up, then down, then up again

• Refusing to fold after enduring a 22-4 run even with another chance of making the playoffs

• Deni Avdija with 41 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists is taking his place among the elite forwards in the Western Conference

• Jerami Grant comes up huge in the fourth quarter in his first game back from a calf strain

• Shaedon Sharpe with some big minutes as well in his third game after missing a few months with a stress reaction

• The seven-seed Trail Blazers will now head to San Antonio to face the two-seed Spurs with Game One scheduled for Sunday

• No one can't stop Victor Wembanyama but the Blazers might have enough to slow him down

• You'll want to get your tickets for Games Three and Four at Moda Center ASAP

Also if you tried to listen to the audio version and found it was an old episode, go ahead and try again. Sorry about that, late night.

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Defeating The Suns In The Play-In, DENI AVDIJA And Face The Spurs In The Playoffs On The Brief Case, Episode 203

Presented By

Moda Health

<p><a href="https://www.nba.com/blazers/weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Important Weather Update for Tonight's Game vs. the Phoenix Suns</a></p>