Ep. 114 - Lamar Hurd of the Portland Trail Blazers TV broadcast joins the pod to talk about his approach to broadcasting, the full story being his vociferous defense of (and empathy for) The Grinch, how maintaining humility and using his platform to lift up others centers his work, taking in feedback (even if it's critical) from Blazers fans, and m…

Ep. 113 - Washington Post reporter and Blazer's Edge legend Ben Golliver joins the pod to talk about his approach to reporting on the Blazers, working a national beat and balancing discretion with reporting the story, and his stark view where he sees the Blazers as a franchise, plus a TON more! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com and ALL podcast and st…

Ep. 112 - Oregon's US Senator Ron Wyden is back, and he talked with us about Bill Walton: his life, his politics, and what people might be surprised by. Wyden also talked about his book, It Takes Chutzpah, before Brandon and Conor talk about the Blazers at the All-Star Break (both as a team AND the players in the Rising Stars game, Donovan Clingan'…

Ep. 111 - The Blazers are winners of six in a row and 10 of their last 11! How are they doing it? We talk about their transformed defense, plus the value of Toumani Camara, and the curious decision by Joe Cronin to do nothing at the trade deadline when 26 other teams made moves. Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We…

Ep. 110 - The Blazers have won more games than they've lost lately... is this a disaster?? Conor and Brandon talk about it, plus the lack of a certain je ne sais quoi in Dame's latest return to Portland, some light free agency banter, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming a…

Ep. 109 - Scoot Henderson has been balling out... but it's not all about stats! Conor and Brandon talk about that, plus the Blazers having a two-game win streak, DeAndre Ayton's big game and why consistency can be so tough, a bold idea for balancing 82 games with player rest... and more! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeThe…

Ep. 108 - This episode's magic word(s) is "role clarity." Could Jerami Grant's absence actually be HELPING the Blazers? Conor and Brandon talk about that, whether Anfernee Simons might be traded specifically to the Orlando Magic, Kris Murray's improved play, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL…

Ep. 107 - HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Blazers were 2-0 under Nate Bjorkgren... can we take anything from it? Plus Greg Oden returns to Portland, Deni Avdija is playing like the Blazers' best player, whether Scoot Henderson showed anything in a recent stretch of good games, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, …

Ep. 106 - Conor and Brandon are unwrapping gifts... given in the form of questions by YOU! We talk about whether the Blazers are developing their young talent, what gift you would give to Blazers players, whether Sharpe could be a first option, the Lore of Ships, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, an…

Ep. 105 - Anfernee Simons had a 24-point third quarter against Dallas and has been averaging well above his career averages over the last three games! Is Simons BACK? Does this mean he'll be traded? We talk about that plus the NBA Cup and whether it matters, how there are no Blazers jerseys in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and MORE! Find us at WeLik…

Ep. 104 - Donovan Clingan hurt his knee twice in Portland's win against Houston, yet was allowed to come back into the game... and now he's out for the foreseeable future! Whose fault is it? Hint: maybe nobody's. We also talk about Rodney Hood's retirement, Deni Avdija passing the eye test, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky …

Ep. 103 - US Senator Ron Wyden joined to talk about his connection to the game of basketball growing up, his love of the Portland Trail Blazers, his encouragement for the Blazers to build a Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas statue, his work to support the Albina Vision Trust as it helps the Lower Albina District near the Moda Center in becoming a thriv…

Ep. 102 - The Blazers are on a three-game winning streak, and Blazers fans actually have something to root for! With Ryan taking an extended leave because the job that actually pays him demands his attention, Brandon chats with Cory Dickman of the Rip City Roundtable to talk about Shaedon Sharpe's ascendence, the Blazers' logjam of veterans, how To…

Ep. 101 - The Blazers have started 1-3... should they be starting Donovan Clingan? That and much more on this week's pod! This week, we are also asking to please make a donation to Ryan's cousin Gillian who unexpectedly required a liver transplant, and who is recovering but still needs support! Any amount helps, and thanks in advance. https://gofun…

Ep. 100 - Episode 100, episode 100 episode 100 episode 100! Episode, 100 episode 100 episode 100 episode 100 episode 100; episode 100? Episode! 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100... 100 100, 100 100 100 100. Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of th…

Ep. 99 - Summer is over, and the 2024-25 season is (almost) here! We talk about what we heard on Media Day, the Blazers' new TV deal, Robert Williams III getting hurt (again), Zach Lowe and Woj no longer being at ESPN, why the Blazers don't need to worry about maximizing losses, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBla…

Ep. 98 - I gotta be totally honest... we recorded a podcast on August 9 and for some reason I couldn't log into the podcast distribution platform... I was in a hurry... and I never got back to it 😭 So TUNE IN to what we were talking about back in August!! I'm uploading this just to not break the chain of episodes. Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, o…

Ep. 97 - As summer drags on, the guys talk about the NBA rejecting TNT's "match" of Amazon's offer on the new TV deal, and whether the Blazers can clear the 21.5 wins that Vegas expects them to eek out next season! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud me…

Ep. 96 - Brandon and Ryan try to make sense of if we should be ecstatic or concerned about Donavan Clingan’s Summer League debut. While he showed off his skills on the defensive side of the ball, his offense left something to be desired. From there, the guys break down what they expect to see from the team for the remainder of their Summer League g…

Ep. 95 - With the NBA draft behind us and the free agency period in full swing, the Blazers had themselves quite the week. Ryan and Brandon start from the top, reacting to the trade of the 14th pick for a young, proven player at a position of need. Then they discuss their thoughts and feelings about the selection Donovan Clingan with the 7th pick a…

Ep. 94 - It’s finally the week of the NBA draft, and the Blazers are on the clock with a pair of lottery picks. With Brandon out (moving to east coast), Ryan sits down with friend of the pod and Blazer's Edge writer Steve Dewald to discuss the names most associated with the team. Who are these players, do they make sense for the Blazers, are there …

Ep. 93 - Brandon and Ryan decide to break the seal on a topic they have put off talking about… COACHING! After discussing where the Blazers rank in terms of being a desirable coaching job, the guys ponder why the team seems to be slow-playing filling out their assistant coaching ranks. Is it intentional? What’s the end game? Then they wrap things u…

Ep. 92 - We're joined by friend of the pod and all around awesome human being Brandon Sprague of 1080 The Fan! We talked about how he has shifted his coverage of the Portland Trail Blazers on his radio show now that the team is in the full throughs of a rebuild before he threw cold water on the idea of the media protecting their access to the team.…

Ep. 91 - We are beyond blessed to be joined by the Portland Winterhawks PA Announcer, one Mr. Michael Burles! He loans his golden baritone to help us discuss the sudden and shocking passing of Portland Trail Blazer great Bill Walton, as well as discuss the secret sauce behind hyping up an arena full of rabid hockey fans, the Blazers' upcoming draft…

Ep 90 - The NBA's All-Rookie teams were announced, and Scoot Henderson was left off! We talk about whether he got short shrift, plus an update on the NBA Playoffs, the conundrum of access to NBA games and why it's so hard for fans to just watch the games they want to watch, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers,…

Ep 89 - The Blazers' lottery luck ran a bit dry as three teams jumped them and they fell from 4th to 7th. We talk about that, plus the NBA's coaching carousel - and whether it might impact Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups. That and MORE this week! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming app…

Ep. 88 - Ryan and Brandon debate whether the NBA is over-marketing its biggest stars - the LeBron James’ and Kevin Durant’s of the league - in an attempt to appeal to casual fans who might not yet know who the next generation of stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are. If you want to skip to that discussion, it starts by framing …

Ep. 87 - Brandon is joined by his wife and lifelong baller Dr. Cassie Mullen to briefly talk about the NBA playoffs, how Cassie as a basketball player approaches pickup games, the pressures of "representing your gender" when you're just trying to ball, the impact of women's basketball on recreational fans, whether we want our kids to skip college t…

Ep. 86 - The 2023-24 season is in the books! As the Blazers give their exit interviews, we talk about Coach Billups' comments about him saying he's "light years ahead of where I was" as a coach, the Blazers backing into a tie for 3rd-best lottery odds, whether we're excited for the Playoffs, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” a…

Ep. 85 - First: Please click the link to donate to Mike Lynch and his family in his fight against ALS. https://www.gofundme.com/f/t4yrzf-help-mike-fight-als?qid=f4512a84baa1ed4a7eb4957fb12660ed In this weeks' episode, Ryan and Brandon talk about the Women’s College Basketball Championship, the factors behind why women’s basketball is finally becomi…

Ep. 84 - Keith Feltner-Smith of The Trailcasters joins to talk about what we're looking for from the Blazers late in a tanking season, answering some questions about whether Portland or Charlotte is tanking harder, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on "Twitter" at @LikeTheBlazers, and basically ALL podcast and streaming apps! Proudly a par…

Ep. 83 - As the NBA dissolves the G-League Ignite, Ryan is given his flowers and takes a victory lap for essentially breaking news before it happened. After a detour into NBA players (illegally) betting on themselves and the bigger issues of the NBA monetizing gambling on its own product, Brandon and Ryan discuss the recent surge in Scoot Henderson…

Ep. 82 - Ryan has a hot take: NBA rookies are less prepared, less well-adjusted, and less developed if they forgo college for the G-League. Is this true? Is "player empowerment" harming the NBA product? And is a player-centric league more or less watchable than when players are a cog in a machine? We discuss this and MORE in this week's episode! Fi…

Ep. 81 - How do YOU critically watch Blazers games? Do you watch for fun, to analyze what's happening and draw conclusions, as background noise, or something else? Also, a shout out to Dave Deckard of Blazer's Edge, a debate about whether it's more important to tank for the lottery or develop the young players, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers…

Ep. 80 - The Blazers should make it easier for fans to watch games. PERIOD. We talk about that, plus Deandre Ayton showing out, the Blazers going winless in February, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on "Twitter" at @LikeTheBlazers, and basically ALL podcast and streaming apps! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice…

Ep. 79 - The Blazers cruise into the All-Star break as the NBA's 5th-worst team. We talk about expectations for the rest of the year, their relatively inactive trade deadline, Scoot Henderson improving and showing out at All-Star weekend, Duop Reath's contract, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on "Twitter" at @LikeTheBlazers, and basicall…

Ep. 78 - The name of the game for the Blazers right now is developing the young players. With that in mind, should the Blazers look to keep or trade their veterans? We get into that, plus: are the Blazers worse than you expected? Does Scoot Henderson still project to be a superstar? Does Coach Billups deserve as much credit for the recent spirited …

Ep. 77 - Casey Holdahl of the Portland Trail Blazers talks about how he has changed in his 17 years covering the team from within, having healthy skepticism when choosing what to report, how reporting has shifted with the democratization of media production, how sports journalism has perhaps become less objective as it trends towards "access journa…

Ep. 76 - Damian Lillard is on the Milwaukee Bucks, and we have a LOT of feelings about it! Who in Portland is to blame for us getting here? Did Cronin LIE to Dame or do him dirty? Why couldn't Dame come back to the Blazers after requesting only to go to Miami? How does dame use the media and his agent to get his VOICE out there without using his NA…

Ep. 75 - Erik Peterson of Kenny's G-League Podcast joins to talk about his foray into covering the Rip City Remix, Portland's newest professional basketball team and direct affiliate to the Portland Trail Blazers! We talk about why he started his show, cut through some of Ryan's skepticism of watching another basketball team, players to watch, how …

Ep. 74 - It's been 3/4 of 100 days since Dame requested a trade, and we're FINALLY sharing our thoughts about it: from player vs. team fandom, to the most and least likely outcomes, possible landing spots beyond Miami, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on "Twitter" at @LikeTheBlazers, and basically ALL podcast and streaming apps! Learn mor…

Ep. 73 - It's FAKE TRADE season! DeAndre Ayton? Lauri Markkanen? Anthony Davis? Mikal Bridges? Pascal Siakam? All those and MORE in our fake trade extravaganza episode! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll disagree, and you'll (hopefully) get a sense of how hard it is to actually construct a "fair" trade that works for both teams and the salary cap! Fi…

Ep. 72 - Damian Lillard is All-NBA for a franchise-record 7th time, but mostly Ryan and Brandon discuss the Blazers and the NBA lottery: which picks change their playoff hopes, which keep Dame in Portland, which end the Dame era, and which fundamentally alters the Blazers' next 15 years? Find out! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @Lik…

Ep. 70 - What, exactly, is wrong with the Blazers? From the coach to the front office to the players to the owner, there are PLENTY of fingers to point, but the talk on Blazers Twitter has been mostly coach Chauncey Billups-oriented, so we get into that and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @LikeTheBlazers, and basically ALL podc…

Ep. 69 - Matisse Thybulle goes OFF in his first game as a Blazer... but does it matter? The underwhelming (and perhaps meaningless) trade deadline from Joe Cronin has left ONE host ABSOLUTELY LIVID!! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @LikeTheBlazers, NOW on YouTube, and basically ALL podcast and streaming apps! Learn more about your ad…

Ep. 68 - Damian Lillard gets 60 in historic fashion as the Blazers get a much-needed win! We welcome Keith Feltner-Smith from The Trailcasters to talk about that, honoring Bill Schonely, whether Chauncey Billups deserves blame for the Blazers' inconsistency, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @LikeTheBlazers, and basically ALL…

Ep. 67 - Is Damian Lillard the GBOAT (Greatest Blazers Of All Time)? Ryan and Brandon debate that, Gary Payton II's impact, Shaedon Sharpe to the Dunk Contest, trade possibilities, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @LikeTheBlazers, NOW on YouTube, and basically ALL podcast and streaming apps! Learn more about your ad choices.…

Ep. 66 - Ryan is away but Dr. Cassie Mullen slides effortlessly into the podcasting chair to help Brandon unpack where the Blazers are as a team, their current win streak, how Dame is looking, what they need to keep winning, whether they can do 4-0 on their next 4-games in their road trip, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @L…

Ep. 65 - Damian Lillard is best leader in the NBA, PERIOD. We talk about that, the Blazers' 9-3 start, whether Shaedon Sharpe is the Blazers' most important player off the bench, more praise for Chauncey Billups' coaching, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @LikeTheBlazers, NOW on YouTube, and basically ALL podcast and streami…

Ep. 64 - The Blazers are off to their best start in over a decade, and we are HERE for it! Shaedon Sharpe's emergence, Billups' coaching, the defense looking way better, Josh Hart MAYBE being the Blazers' 2nd-most important player, and OTHER OPTIMISTIC TAKES THROUGHOUT!! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on Twitter at @LikeTheBlazers, NOW on YouTube…