The Blazers Balcony

In the latest edition of the Rip City Report podcast, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman and the Trail Blazers’ Casey Holdahl touch on a host of topics, including: • Wesley Matthews’ season-ending injury and its long-term affect on the team. • The time is now for CJ McCollum. • Will Barton’s play in Denver. • Handicapping free agency for LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez and Matthews. • Plus, Casey and...

In the latest edition of the Rip City Report podcast, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman and the Trail Blazers’ Casey Holdahl touch on a host of topics including the trade for Arron Afflalo, late-game struggles, and more.

On this, the 29th edition of the Rip City Report, Freeman and I discuss Portland’s perception nationally and how that might be different from the way similar teams are viewed, the upcoming stretch of games against playoff teams, the balancing act of coaching in the NBA, the health of Robin Lopez and Joel Freeland, the release of Damian Lillard first signature sneaker, the D Lillard 1, and his stat...

Greetings on this, the last day of 2014. But before the odometer rolls over to 2015, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net, hit the studio for one last podcast gasp of the year. So please enjoy the 28th edition of the Rip City Report in which we talk about Portland not only staying afloat, but thriving without Robin Lopez, going 3-1 on the most recent road trip, th...

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 o...

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...

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,”...

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 de...

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 d...

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 S...

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 t...

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 seri...

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 ma...

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 wheth...

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 Wr...

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...

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...

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.