Pictures/reports from training camp

If Nate had any values, he would be doing that already

 

C'Mon..... There have only been about 2 or 3 of those.

 

I think you mean 2 out of 3 of those

 

Coach McMillan has @JCrossover and Craig Smith running with the third team in their first practice.

 

Camby sat out fanfest because of sore back. Practicing full speed today.

 

The "red" team, featuring Jamal Crawford and Craig Smith won two of three games, despite Jamal not knowing guys' names yet.

 

Jamal Crawford said Luke Babbitt showed off some exemplary negotiating skills when it came to giving up his number. "He could be a lawyer."

 

aldridge_12

First day back went good.

 

Trail Blazers have requested waivers on Seth Tarver, Jeff Foote, Marshall Brown, and Ben McCauley. Roster now stands at 16 players.

 

TUALATIN – The big news from Saturday’s Trail Blazers practice: the Red team won.

The Blazers’ scrimmaging during camp has pitted three teams -- the White (starters), Black and Red – against one another. On Saturday, coach Nate McMillan put newly-signed Jamal Crawford and Craig Smith on the Red team.

“The Red looked pretty good today,” McMillan said. “That's been somewhat the third team, but we had Jamal and Smith on the Red team, and I think they won a game. It was their first win. Red was pretty good today.”

Saturday’s practice was notable for the practice debuts of Crawford and Smith, who signed free agent deals with Portland on Thursday.

“They were good,” McMillan said. “Crawford knows how to play, Smith knows how to play.”

It also marked the first practice activity for the Blazers’ leading man, LaMarcus Aldridge, who had his first activity since having a heart procedure.

Aldridge was not allowed to take contact, but he ran – including doing two-man weaves – and went through some plays with the starters with no opposition.

Aldridge also took a lot of shots as he has not been able to do so. He worked for a stretch in two-man pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop action with Crawford.

“Just trying to get reps up, because I really had a tough week of no shooting,” Aldridge said.

Other tidbits from practice:

• McMillan had a long video session with the team’s younger players, a duty he usually leaves to assistant coaches. But he was not happy with the play of his younger players in Friday’s Fan Fest scrimmage.

“I thought the young guys, they didn't play together,” McMillan said. “I thought they pretty much were pounding, a lot of me-me-me. They have to understand that for them to get out on the floor, cool basketball is not going to get it.”

• Center Marcus Camby, who sat out the Fan Fest because of a sore back, returned to practice Saturday.

Camby said he would have played Friday if the Blazers had a game.

• Aldridge said he noticed the news out of the Boston that Celtics forward Jeff Green will need to have major heart surgery. Unlike Aldridge procedure, which required him to sit out a week, Green and will miss the entire 2011-12 season.

“It was just kind of crazy that he's going through that,” Aldridge said. “I'm praying for him and his family. That's tough to deal with. I'm just happy that my situation is a little big different.”

 

And we said he was good for nothing!

 

Babbitt for GM!

 

Apparently Babbitt gouged Crawford for $12,000 for number 11!

 

^ I was looking forward to finding out how much. Where did you hear this?

 

It's on O-Live.

 

Thanks