Originally Published: September 30, 2009
Five observations: Who's starting?
1. The Blazers want to win the Northwest
Another reflection of how focused Portland is on the "win the division" message: Surprisingly, the word "Lakers" came up only once. That happened when I asked Rudy Fernandez if he talked to Spanish teammate Pau Gasol about winning the championship when they both were playing in Europe this summer. At that point he couldn't resist the temptation to engage in some intra-Iberian trash talking.To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
HOLLINGER'S TEAM FORECASTS
PRESEASON OPENER
Oct. 6: Sacramento
SEASON OPENER
Oct. 27: Houston
TEAM FORECASTS [INSIDER]
- Rumors: KG struggling to get up to speed
- Thorpe: The top 20 NBA sophomores
- Ford: Wesley Johnson's volatile draft stock
- The Mag: Blake Griffin's rookie hazing
- Hollinger: Prevailing early season trends
