The Brief Case: Recent Episodes
Casey Holdahl/Portland Trail Blazers
Casey Holdahl, beat reporter and insider for the Portland Trail Blazers, breaks down the news of the day in Rip City and beyond
Send us a text
On this edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers returning from a five-game trip to play an all Moda Center back-to-back
• Losing to the Suns on Tuesday in the first game back from a long trip
• Rallying to take the lead only to lose to the Bulls on yet another buzzer-beating three in the second night of a back-to-back
• Portland down to 10 players, including three two-way players, Wednesday night
• Three-point defense and free throw shooting making it hard shorthanded
• Deni Avdija posts his third triple-double, all of which have come during his time with the Trail Blazers
• Jerami Grant shaking off an illness to post 33 points versus the Bulls
• Donovan Clingan posting a career high in rebounds and Portland's ridiculous rebounding numbers versus Chicago
• Needing a win on the upcoming three-game road trip
• The play of rookie center Yang Hansen since his return from an assignment with the Rip City Remix
• Hansen going through what all rookie centers go through
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers starting a five-game trip with a close loss to the Heat in Miami on Saturday
• Going scoreless at the worst possible time
• Both Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija come close to triple-doubles in Miami
• Trail Blazers stick around in Orlando versus the Magic but end up getting beaten at the buzzer by a Desmond Bane three
• Portland overcoming a tough night on the boards and a lack of flow on offense for the first three quarters
• The Blazers once again staying resilient long enough for the game to turn in their favor
• Did Tiago Splitter remember the alley-oop play that gave Portland the lead from when the Blazers ran it for a win versus Tiago when he was a rookie versus the Spurs?
• The irony of the Magic shooting poorly from three all game only to finish with a buzzer-beating three and the Trail Blazers turning the ball over just three times in the first three quarters only to be undone by a late-game turnover
• Shaedon Sharpe having his best game of the season while looking like a go-to option in the fourth quarter
• Finishing the trip with the Pelicans in New Orleans on Wednesday, the Rockets in Houston (in an NBA Cup Group C game) Friday in Houston and Sunday versus the Mavericks in Dallas (and on both KATU and KUNP)
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The disappointing loss to a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers team on Monday
• Which team is the Trail Blazers: the team that beat the Nuggets or lost to the Lakers?
• Bouncing back from being down 21 points in the first quarter to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champs and a team that entered Wednesday's game unbeated
• The play of Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant and Duop Reath in the win versus OKC
• Duop staying ready and delivering when called upon
• The gratification of breaking a 16-game losing streak and besting at team that thought they could rest rotation players and still win
• Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley each have surgery and reaching the five-week mark of Scoot Henderson's initial four to eight week rehabilitation
• A conversation with Rip City Remix head coach Jonah Herscu as they begin their season on Friday in Santa Cruz
• Yang Hansen being assigned to the Remix for practices and why that might be
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Portland Trail Blazers going 3-2 in the first week of the 2025-26 regular season
• The early season play of Jerami Grant, Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday
• The Trail Blazers doing all the things in the first five games that they said they were going to do during training camp and preseason
• Enduring the highs and lows of a new style of play
• Portland finishing the first week first in steals, second in pace, third in shot attempts, fourth in three-point attempts, sixth in defensive rating and eighth in offensive rebounds
• Jerami Grant putting up historic early-season numbers off the bench
• Getting bested by the LA Clippers due to a difficult second half
• Bouncing back to defeat a shorthanded Lakers team going away
• Donovan Clingan having his best game of the season versus his "vet" Deandre Ayton
• Getting up big versus the Jazz before having to grind out a win in the fourth quarter (thanks in large part to Jrue Holiday)
• The NBA Cup group stage begins on Friday versus the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center
• Robert Williams III is upgraded to questionable
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter and Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The report that both Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara signed four-year contract extensions on Sunday
• Why it makes sense to settle business before the start of the regular season
• The Trail Blazers now having a wing rotation of Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija under contract for the next three seasons
• Portland now having 18 players (15 on NBA contracts and three on two-way contracts), the maximum number of players under contract
• Why Shaedon Sharpe's contract, reportedly worth $90 million over four seasons, is a good deal for both the player and the team
• Toumani Camara going from a late second-round pick to one of Portland's most important players over the course of two seasons
• Both Sharpe and Camara being rewarded for what they've already done and getting paid for what they could be
• The Trail Blazers signing Javonte Cooke to their third and final two-way contract
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Finishing up training camp with the season opener scheduled for Wednesday
• Recapping losses to the Warriors and Jazz in the last two games of preseason play
• Both Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday having their best offensive games of preseason versus Utah
• What, if anything, to make of statistics during the preseason
• Shaedon Sharpe extension eligible until Monday afternoon
• Trail Blazers waive Javonte Cooke through he could come back on a two-way
• Rounding up all of Portland's current injuries
• The Trail Blazers starting their 2025-26 regular season Wednesday night versus the Timberwolves at Moda Center
Send us a text
On the latest edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter and Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting to 1-1 for the preseason by beating the Kings Friday night at Moda Center
• Portland doing Friday night versus the Kings what they couldn't do Wednesday night versus the Warriors in San Francisco
• Deni Avdija gets the start versus the Kings after coming off the bench versus the Warriors
• Jerami Grant coming off the bench versus the Kings in the first half and the starting in the second half
• Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen putting on an absolute show during a six-minute stretch of the third quarter versus the Kings
• Hansen's confidence seemingly growing every time he does something right
• Hansen bouncing back from a lackluster debut versus the Warriors and a so-so first half versus the Kings, which will serve him well throughout his rookie season
• Understanding the comparisons between Yang Hansen and Nikola Jokic
• The upcoming games versus the Warriors on Tuesday and the Jazz on Wednesday
• Making wild guesses about what lineups Chauncey Billups might try in the final two preseason games
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing to to the Warriors in the first of their four-game preseason schedule
• The game goes down as a loss, but it was really a win for the Trail Blazers
• Chauncey Billups following through on his promise to "tinker" with the starting lineup by starting Shaedon and Jerami and bringing Deni off the bench
• The play of Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija in Wednesday's loss to the Warriors
• Everything that we've heard from Shaedon Sharpe 's performance in training camp being reflected in the game versus Golden State
• Yang Hansen's first preseason game
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland having, by all accounts, a great first week of their 2025 training camp
• Building off what they've already done on defense and installing a retooled offense
• New assistant coaches, efficiency and intensity
• The play of Shaedon Sharpe and Yang Hansen at training camp
• The 2025 Toyota Fan Fest that saw Shaedon Sharpe win MVP (again)
• Jrue Holiday, Yang Hansen, Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija stand out at Fan Fest
• Trail Blazers begin their four-game preseason schedule Wednesday versus the Warriors in San Francisco
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider discusses...
• Trail Blazers' executives having discussions with Tom Dundon, who is heading up a group that has agreed to purchase the franchise
• Injuries to Scoot Henderson and Robert Williams III and how those might effect the start of the season
• Both Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara being up for contract extensions
• Everyone loves Yang Hansen
• Who starts on Opening Night with four of the five spots seemingly secured
• Comments from Chauncey Billups and numerous players about Portland's defensive potential
• Fan Fest is Saturday at Moda Center
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland's 2025 training camp starting on Monday with Media Day
• The main storylines, including whether Shaedon Sharpe starts and if Yang Hansen cracks the rotation, heading into training camp
• The team announcing on Friday that Scoot Henderson will be out for at least a month with a torn hamstring and what that means for the Trail Blazers
• Fan Fest, presented by Toyota, scheduled for October 4
• The Damian Lillard Reunion Rally last Sunday at Pioneer Courthouse Square and why it was important
• The upgrades to the Moda Center big screen and the new video boards installs on the end zones
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Damian Lillard reunion rally this Sunday at Pioneer Courthouse Square
• The Rip City Rally is underway
• Deni Avdija earning "All-Star Second Team" honors at EuroBasket 2025
• Brian Grant and Terry Porter reportedly taking on new roles with the Trail Blazers and the franchise making a concerted effort to bring former players back to the organization
Send us a text
On this edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The competition at EuroBasket (aka the European Championships)
• There being no dominate European teams despite the number of MVP-caliber international players
• The play of Deni Avdija and Israel advancing to the knockout round by going 3-1 in group play with one game to go
• The possibility of both Deni and Luka Doncic sitting in the last group game for both Israel and Slovenia
• The Rip City Remix releasing their 2025-26 regular season schedule
• Whether Yang Hansen might see some times with the Remix during his rookie season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The release of the Trail Blazers' 2025-26 regular season schedule
• A breakdown of Portland's schedule including the number of back-to-backs and miles traveled this season
• The number of Blazers games per month and day of the week
• The Trail Blazers having significantly more national "tv" games this season
• The Emirates NBA Cup schedule for West Group C which includes the Trail Blazers
• Betting odds for making the knockout round at the 2025 NBA Cup
• The report that the Trail Blazers are being sold to a group headed by Tom Dundan for roughly $4.25 billion
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Jrue Holiday being introduced to the media Tuesday at the Trail Blazers' practice facility
• Jrue Holiday's thoughts on how he was treated the first time he was traded to Portland, how he heard he had been traded to Portland the second time, how he fits on the team and the role he might play, Portland's young guards Scoot and Shaedon, initial thoughts on Yang Hansen, mentorship, his relationship with Dame (and that wifi issue), being a family man, coming from a team like the Celtics to the Trail Blazers
• The tweaks the Trail Blazers have made to their Icon (black) and Association (white) jerseys and the reasoning behind those small changes
• A quick update on international competitions which various Trail Blazers' players may or may not be participating in this offseason
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider discusses...
• The press conference to "re-introduce" Damian Lillard
• Lillard's comments about the role he'll play as he rehabs his Achilles injury during the 2025-26 season
• Dame's comments about the importance of mentorship, Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen
• Dame discussing his relationship with Jrue Holiday, maybe finally getting out to the Oregon coast and his yearly basketball camp in Beaverton
• The Trail Blazers signing third-year guard Blake Wesley to their 15th roster spot
• Portland's four-game preseason schedule
• The "Pup City" event this Saturday at Moda Center (tickets available here)
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers officially signing Damian Lillard as a free agent
• The reasons a reunion makes sense for both the team and Lillard
• The decision for both the team and Lillard being about basketball rather than nostalgia
• The Trail Blazers being in a much better place now than they were when Lillard was traded
• How Lillard helps the Trail Blazers on the court, in the locker room and in the community
• This being one of Portland's better offseason and cause for optimism in the upcoming season
• Wrapping up Yang Hansen's four-game run at the Las Vegas Summer League
• Hansen exceeding all pre Summer League expectations and if that changes anything going into the 2025-26 season
Send us a text
On yet another Las Vegas Summer League edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers rallying to get a win versus the Pelicans Tuesday night in Las Vegas to move to 2-1 at Summer League
• The performances of Caleb Love, D.J. Carton and Yang Hansen
• Hansen picking up the finer points of how to conduct yourself on an NBA court
• Good play allowing for good times
• The Trail Blazers all but being eliminated from the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League championship (which might be the case by the time you watch/listen)
• An interview with Hansen about getting drafted by the Trail Blazers, eating fried chicken at the 2025 NBA Draft, how he's dealing with all the attention he's received in China and the United States, being a "big dummy" around his teammates, his ability to create for others with his passing and being too hard on himself when it comes to turnovers, his relationship with his interpreter, Chris, his favorite food/musician/movie and his overarching goal for his rookie season.
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl, on location in Las Vegas, discusses...
• The Trail Blazers moving to 1-1 at the Las Vegas Summer League with a loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday
• The difficulty of playing a Summer League Back-To-Back
• Game running behind schedule (maybe due to the Summer League tournament tiebreaker)
• Yang Hansen gets his first Las Vegas Summer League poster dunk
• Hansen's post-game comments about fitness, rebounding and improvement
• The Las Vegas Summer League standings as of the morning of July 13 and where the Trail Blazers stand in terms of making the tournament
• The Trail Blazers adding another former player, James Posey, to a remade coaching staff
• An interview with two-way rookie Caleb Love about when he got serious about basketball, his college career at North Carolina and Arizona, why he decided to sign with the Trail Blazers and his hopes for himself and the team at Summer League
Send us a text
On this edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider, on location in Las Vegas, discusses...
• Yang Hansen's Trail Blazers Summer League debut Friday night in a blowout victory versus the Warriors at Thomas & Mack Arena on the campus of UNLV
• Not being exactly sure what to expect from Hansen in his first game playing with NBA players
• Hansen getting a highlight on the first play of the game
• The passing, handle and defense Yang Hansen displayed
• The reaction in the arena and the large contingent of media following Hansen in Las Vegas
• Being surprised by the quality of Hansen's dribble drives
• Portland's front office having cause to feel validated in acquiring Hansen in the first round when no one (publicly) had him getting drafted before the second round
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers announce their summer league roster and begin holding practices in preparation for their five-game run (at least) in Las Vegas
• Assistant coach Ronnie Burrell's thoughts on Yang Hansen's first practices as a Trail Blazer
• Yang Hansen deals with a faster pace and overcoming language issues in his first two Las Vegas Summer League practices
• Yang Hansen's teammates give their first impressions of playing alongside the rookie center out of China
• Portland's summer league games airing locally on KUNP and BlazerVision
• The July moratorium is over, meaning teams can now officially agree to free agent contracts and trades
• Deandre Ayton and Jabari Walker say their goodbyes
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Friday press conference to introduce Yang Hansen, who Portland traded for at the 2025 NBA Draft
• Thoughts on Hansen's first days as a Trail Blazers
• Yang overcoming language barriers and expectations going into his rookie season
• What "Hansen" means in Chinese and why it's a “great and beautiful connection” and “a wonderful arrangement by fate”
• The undrafted players the Trail Blazers have reportedly signed to two-way contracts and Exhibit 10 contracts
• Portland's 2025 Las Vegas Summer League schedule and why every Trail Blazers fan should try to go at least once
Send us a text
On this special 2025 NBA Draft Edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers trading the draft rights to Cedric Coward for Chinese center Yang Hansen, a 2028 first-round pick and second-round picks in the 2027 and 2028 Drafts
• Portland shocking the NBA and the media by keeping their selection secret
• The reasons the Trail Blazers targeted Hansen, who they have been scouting for at least the last two years
• Is Yang Hansen "Chinese Jokic" or "Sino Sabonis"
• The Trail Blazers having five centers on their roster
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers wrapping up their pre-draft workouts this weekend
• The players who came through Portland for workouts and what that does or doesn't tell us
• A plead for some standardization in the pre-draft workout process
• A quick roundup of the mock drafts two days before the 2025 NBA Draft
• The Kevin Durant trade and whether it matters that the Suns, rather than the Rockets, will be making the pick right before the Trail Blazers
• The Oklahoma City Thunder defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games to win the 2025 NBA Finals
• Whether the Pacers run and the weakness of the Eastern Conference is beneficial to a team like the Trail Blazers
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers holding their sixth pre-draft workout
• The lack of consensus around this year's draft and why that might be
• Portland has a lot of options with the 11th pick (and will they acquire a second round pick?)
• The additions to the coaching staffs of the Trail Blazers and Remix
• What some of the items at the Bill Walton auction, including his Trail Blazers 1977 Championship ring, sold for
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers first pre-draft workouts of 2025
• Portland's fourth workout being their most high-profile so far with players expected to be taken in the first round
• The many reasons why the Trail Blazers' are working out players projected to be selected after their pick at 11
• Toumani Camara being named to an All-Defensive team and Donovan Clingan making an All-Rookie team
• Bring back qualified stats!
• The Trail Blazers are now officially for sale
• The NBA Finals matchup between the Thunder and Pacers and how it reflects a new era
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers falling back to 11th at the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery and the reaction
• Portland underperforming their draft lottery odds three of the last four years
• We know that life isn't fair, but is it especially unfair for the Trail Blazers?
• The Trail Blazers already hosting two workouts and what those workouts tell us about Portland's pre-draft preparation
• Portland being one of the teams that still discloses (for the most part) which players participate in workouts
• Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin's thoughts about the 2025 Draft and how Portland might approach using the 11th overall pick
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers hosting six players -- Rueben Chinyelu, Devon Prior, Ben Henshall, Dink Pate, John Blackwell and Lachlan Olbrich -- in their first round of 2025 pre-draft workouts
• The decisions facing players who still have the option of going back to school
• Florida center Rueben Chinyelu, Texas forward Devon Pryor and Mexico City guard Dink Pate discuss their workouts with the Trail Blazers, what they're trying to show teams during the workout process and what goes into their decisions to either stay in the draft or go back to school
• The end of the first round and the start of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Deni Avidja finishing 8th and Toumani Camara finishing 12th in 2025 Most Improved Player voting
• Toumani Camara representing the Trail Blazers at the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery
• Donovan Clingan getting no votes for Rookie of the Year and why he absolutely should have gotten at least a few
• The schedule for Group D at Eurobasket 2025, which could feature Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko
• The report that the Trail Blazers will not review the contracts of three assistant coaches
• Damian Lillard tearing his Achilles tendon
• A quick recap of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Send us a text
On the latest edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing the NBA Lottery random draw to the Houston Rockets (via the Phoenix Suns) and what that could mean once the 2025 NBA Draft takes place at the end of June
• Toumani Camara finishing ninth in the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting and what that might mean for his chances of making one of the two All-NBA Defense teams
• The 2025 EuroBasket (aka the FIBA European Championships) to be held in Poland this summer that could potentially feature Deni Avdija (Israel), Toumani Camara (Belgium), Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko (France) in one group
• The first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The 2025 Play-In Tournament and how it's a great indicator of how much better the Western Conference is than the Eastern Conference this season
• The 2025 NBA Playoffs starting this weekend
• The NBA releasing the "finalists" on Sunday for NBA awards and keeping our fingers crossed for Toumani Camara
• Deni Avdija, Anfernee Simons, Bryce McGowans and Isaac Nogués González all being recognized for their efforts on and off the court
• The Trail Blazers finishing the season as one of the best bets in the NBA and one of the largest overachievers with regard to their season win projection
• Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson discuss Chauncey's extension, their performances this season, their offseasons and what they'd like to improve upon during their exit interviews
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers defeating the Lakers Sunday afternoon at Moda Center in the final game of Portland's 2024-25 season
• Both the Trail Blazers and Lakers turning the game over to their younger players
• The Trail Blazers ending the season tied with the Suns and what that means for their draft lottery odds
• Why the random drawing to break ties at the draft lottery matters
• Chauncey Billups and the Trail Blazers agreeing to a contract extension Sunday morning
• Joe Cronin and Chauncey Billups discuss their extensions, the direction of the team, the 2024-25 season, improvements on the defensive end and early expectations going into the 2025-26 season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing to the Bulls in Chicago to end a five-game road trip
• Portland returning home to defeat San Antonio on Sunday, and thus, ensuring a winning record at Moda Center this season
• Being eliminated from post-season contention Sunday afternoon thanks to the Kings defeating the Cavs
• Where the Trail Blazers are at in the current standings and how far up or down they could move with three games to play
• Odds at the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery
• The Trail Blazers agreeing on a contract extension with General Manager Joe Cronin
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday
• Reaching the midway point of the last extended in Atlanta
• Deni Avdija's impressive stats in the month of March
• Hopes for the play-in have almost entirely slipped away after four-straight losses.
• The Blazers haven't moved up in the standings but they can still move down, though not that far
• The launch of the Toumani Camara for Defensive Player of the Year campaign and "the box" and the video the team created to promote his candidacy at TheCamaraCase.com
• An interview with Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers wrap up a seven-gamer homestand with a loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday
• Staring a five-game road trip with a loss to the Kings in Sacramento on Thursday
• Losing three-straight after winning four-in-a-row
• Deni Avdija's stats on March (they're great)
• Portland's increasingly difficult path to making the play-in with eight games to play
• The Trail Blazers being the fourth-best team versus the spread this season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers beating the Nuggets at Moda Center on Friday in one of the more entertaining games of the season
• The importance of Friday's win for Portland's chances of making the play-in tournament
• The loss to the Celtics on Sunday
• Portland losing ground in the play-in with the loss and neither Phoenix nor Dallas playing on Sunday (though both play Monday)
• One of the things great teams almost always do
• The Top Golf Swing Suite at Spirit Mountain Casino
• A rundown of the schedules for the teams fighting for the last play-in spot
• The status of the tiebreakers in regard to the last spot in the play-in
• Portland's odds of making the play-in compared to the Suns and Mavericks (and Lakers?)
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting their first win since February versus a team with a winning record Wednesday night versus the Grizzlies
• Deni Avdija continues to do things few Trail Blazers have done before
• Duop Reath coming up big when called into action
• Portland being just two games out of the last spot in the Play-In Tournament
• Finishing off a seven-game homestand versus the Nuggets on Friday, the Celtics on Sunday and the Cavaliers on Tuesday
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers breaking a five-game losing streak with back-to-back wins versus the Raptors and Wizards
• What to make of both Toronto and Washington deciding to sit players that started the game
• Matisse Thybulle getting his first action of the season after sitting out the last year
• Other injury non-updates
• Trying to figure out which team -- the Mavs, the Suns or the Trail Blazers -- has the best path to claiming the last spot in the Play-In Tournament
• Portland being 39-29-1 versus the spread this season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers falling to the Knicks in overtime Wednesday night at Moda Center in one of the most entertaining games of the season
• Scoot Henderson's performance versus the Knicks and how it represents the progress he's made this season
• Deni Avdija taking the reigns and the next step of his career in Portland
• Natalie Zito, formerly Natalie Gilbert, returning to the Moda Center almost 22 year after needing Maurice Cheeks' assistance to perform the National Anthem Wednesday night
• An interview with Dewayne Hankins, Trail Blazers' president of business operations, to discuss the state of the business side of the Trail Blazers, the switch to KATU and over the air broadcasts, the new big screens and video boards, stats as entertainment, expanding access to games, the importance of having an organization that welcomes all, the OneCourt technology, HBCU Weekend, the Women's Summit, the WNBA in Portland and the benefits of having an international roster
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing to the Pistons in their first game back from an extended road trip
• Celebrating Bill Walton Sunday night in the loss to the Pistons
• Losing to the Warriors in San Francisco in the unofficial end of the Trail Blazers' longest road trip of the season
• Getting close against good teams
• Where the Trail Blazers stand in the race for the Play-In Tournament
• A discussion with Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara about being named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month, how much his profile has increased in his second season, how the team played on the trip, coming together on the road, the "put them in a box" celebration and being motivated to make the Play-In Tournament
Send us a text
On this edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl, recording from the team hotel in Philadelphia, discusses...
• The Trail Blazers blowing out the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday
• Deni Avdija getting the first triple-double of his career in an overtime loss to the Cavaliers
• How even though they lost, the game versus the Cavs might have been one of their best of the season
• A change in Shaedon Sharpe
• The Trail Blazers coming together over the course of a long road trip
• Defeating the 76ers in Philadelphia Monday night to ensure a better than .500 road trip
• A conversation with Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan about how the team is playing on the road trip, being back on the east coast, ticket requests, being the last center standing, conditioning, setting screens and whether it changes depending on which player you're screening for, displaying more of his passing ability, defending without fouling (jinx), Shaedon's dunk and fan support on the road
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers arriving in New York City on Thursday prior to Friday's game versus the Nets in Brooklyn
• Getting an ugly win versus the Jazz in Salt Lake City
• Defeating the Wizards in Washington DC to extend Portland's win streak to three
• Deni Avdija's return to Washington is cut short
• Toumani Camara is supposed to foul
• Shaedon Sharpe's ridiculous dunk in the second quarter of Wednesday's win versus the Wizards
• The NBA's "Dunk Score," which has Shaedon's dunk as the second-best this season, is a farce and should be recalibrated
• Statistics being a poor way to judge the quality of dunks
• The remaining five games on Portland's current seven-game road trip
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter and Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers coming out a bit slow in what ended up being a close loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in their first game after the All-Star break
• Posting the largest margin of victory in franchise history in Saturday's win versus the Hornets
• Reasonable expectations for Toumani Camara
• Up and coming country at Spirit Mountain Casino
• Practice in Salt Lake City in preparation for Monday's gave versus the Jazz
• Maybe Matisse Thybulle is getting close?
• A seven-game, two-week road trip
• Portland recent record versus the spread, covering as the favorite for the first time this season and being favorite on the road for the first time this season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers holding practices on Tuesday and Wednesday after the All-Star break
• Quick thoughts on All-Star Weekend and whether it's really any better or worse than it's ever been
• Toumani Camara and Bryce McGowens at the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend (and why didn't they introduce Scoot Henderson?)
• Where the Trail Blazers are at with a third of the season yet to play
• Hosting the Lakers on Thursday and the Hornets on Saturday before heading out for a two-week trip
• Injury updates
• The team upgrading the big screen and adding additional stat signage at Moda Center in time for the 2025-26 season
• A conversation with third-year guard Shaedon Sharpe about how he spent his all-star break, thought on his third season, where he's made the most progress and where he's got the most room for growth, the win streak, relationship between Canadian players, what he wants out of his career and coming off the bench
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers heading into the All-Star Break off three road losses
• The Trail Blazers making the Nuggets work in the second game between the two teams in Denver
• Deandre Ayton out for at least the next month and how that impacts the center rotation
• Donovan Clingan putting up a career high in rebounds on Wednesday after posting a career high in scoring on Monday
• Clingan moving into the starting lineup and how playing 31 minutes might be more impressive than grabbing 20 rebounds
• Where the Trail Blazers are at in the standing, offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating going into the All-Star Break
• Toumani Camara facing off against Bryce McGowens in the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Friday night in San Francisco
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland's seven-game homestand coming to an end
• Losing to the Timberwolves in Minnesota to end a six-game winning streak
• Getting blown out by the Nuggets in Denver
• Losing both Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson to injury
• Whether Scoot's injury might keep him out of the Rookie/Sophomore Challenge at All-Star Weekend
• Donovan Clingan doing something no one in Portland has done since Arvydas Sabonis
• Portland signing Sidy Cissoko and his debut with the Rip City Remix
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers wrapping up a seven-game homestand with a 108-102 victory versus the Kings Thursday night at Moda Center
• Portland remaining the hottest team in the NBA after winning six in a row and 10 of their last 11 and whether they can keep it going with three road games before the All-Star break
• The decision to stand pat at the 2025 NBA trade deadline and the notion of using the deadline to start discussions that become trades at a later date
• Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin's comments to the media after the decision to make no moves at the trade deadline
• Portland winning the last 10 games versus the spread and officially hitting the over on their preseason win projection... before the All-Star break
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers being the hottest team in the NBA in the last 10 games
• Defeating the Suns in consecutive games -- one blowout and one overtime thriller-- at Moda Center thanks in larger part to the effort of Deandre Ayton
• Blowing out the Pacers Tuesday night in the second game of a back-to-back for both teams
• Portland extending their winning streak to five games and winning nine of their last 10 and some interested stats compiled during that stretch
• Watching "the Big Game" at Spirit Mountain Casino
• Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara being "drafted" to play for Team Mitch Richmond at the 2025 Rising Stars Challenge, the rest of the roster and their prospects of advancing to face the actual NBA All-Stars Sunday night
• Some general thoughts less than 24 hours before the 2025 trade deadline expires
• Portland covering in 10-straight games and being just one win away from hitting the over on their season win projection
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers defeating Damian Lillard and the Bucks on Tuesday to sweep the Eastern Conference squad
• Blowing out the Magic for the second time in a week to secure another sweep and finish the month of January with a .500 record
• Portland getting a significant uptick in overall wins, road wins and offensive and defensive rating in the month of January
• Scoot Henderson and Bryve McGowens being invited to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend
• The NBA rectifying a mistake by naming Toumani Camara as an injury replacement for the Rising Stars Challenge
• The Trail Blazers covering the spread in seven-straight games and being just four wins away from hitting the over on their win projection this season with more than 40 percent of the season left to go
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers returning from a 3-0 road trip versus the Heat, Magic and Hornets
• Having a season-best, four-game winning streak ended Sunday afternoon versus the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center
• Starting a seven-game homestand after a three-game trip
• The play of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Robert Williams III and Scoot Henderson on the road trip
• Rookie center Donovan Clingan returning to the lineup after missing two weeks with an ankle injury
• The Trail Blazers hosting Damian Lillard and the Bucks Tuesday night for the second time since the trade that sent the guard to Milwaukee
• Portland covering the spread in five-straight games and moving even farther ahead of schedule with regard to their season win projection
• All quiet on the trade front with the deadline a little over a week away
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, recorded from the team hotel in Miami, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Finishing up a disappointing homestand with a win versus the Chicago Bulls on Sunday
• Chauncey Billups' decision to bring Shaedon Sharpe off the bench and how it's worked thus far
• Starting a three-game road trip with a win versus the Heat in Miami
• Deandre Ayton turning in one of his best games as a Trail Blazer
• Scoot Henderson stepping up his play in the month of January
• Rayan Rupert being assigned to the Rip City Remix
• Portland's recent record versus the spread and where they're at in terms of hitting the over on their season win projection
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing to the Clippers 118-89 to the LA Clippers Thursday night at Moda Center
• Following up a decent road trip with a bad homestand
• The value of Deni Avdija, who has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle
• A conversation with second-year forward Kris Murray about earning more minutes, areas in which he's improved and where they still has room to grow, trying to remain consistent, who he looks to for advice and what he'd like to see from himself and the team in the second half of 2024-25
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers starting a five-gamer homestand with losses to the Heat and Nets
• Scoot Henderson posting a career-high in scoring versus the Nets and some of the other interesting statistial noters from his performance
• Toumani Camara also having a career night scoring versus the Nets, albeit in a loss
• Donovan Clingan missing at least the next week with a "mild ankle sprain"
• The injury report for Thursday's game versus the Clippers at Moda Center
• Entering a stretch in which the Trail Blazers will play six games in nine nights in between two cross country flights
• The Trail Blazers' recent record versus the spread and how far along they are in terms of hitting the over on their season win projection
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers Insider/Reporter Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Opening 2025 with a close loss to LeBron James and the Lakers
• A great practice in Milwaukee
• Getting the first road win in over a month versus Damian Lillard and the Bucks in Milwaukee
• Anfernee Simons with another go-ahead bucket versus his mentor
• Kris Murray stays ready
• The potent forward duo of Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara
• A conversation with Toumani Camara about his second season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Finishing up 2024 with an ugly game versus the 76ers Monday night at Moda Center
• Portland's starting lineup having one of their best games of the season in a victory versus the Mavericks on Saturday
• The recent play of Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson
• Nate Bjorkgren filling in for Chauncey Billups
• One last reminder about New Year's Eve at Spirit Mountain Casino
• Greg Oden's return to Portland, his visit to the practice facility and his thoughts on how he looks back on his time with the Trail Blazers
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting their second win of December Thursday night versus the Jazz at Moda Center
• Scoot Henderson capping one of his best games as a pro with a game-winning, nearly buzzer-beating shot
• Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe putting up big numbers in the fourth quarter of Thursday's win
• Post-game comments from Scoot and Deni
• The Trail Blazers dropping three-straight versus the spread though remaining ahead of schedule in terms of hitting the over on their season win projection
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers ending a six-game losing streak by defeating the Nuggets Thursday night at Moda Center
• Anfernee Simons putting up 28 points, including a baby hook over Russell Westbrook to win the game as time expired
• Simons' comments after the win
• The play of Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Deandre Ayton, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara
• All that practice time paying off versus the Nuggets
• The Trail Blazers last two road games of 2024 versus in San Antonio and Dallas
• The Trail Blazers winning their last three games versus the spread
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers being winless in the month of December thus far
• Sunday's loss to the Suns in Phoenix
• Another extended break before facing the Nuggets on Thursday at Moda Center
• The return of Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III
• New Year's Eve at Spirit Mountain Casino
• Chauney Billups' comments at practice on Tuesday regarding Matisse Thybulle's availability, the recent play of Shaedon Sharpe and which players he'd like to give more minutes to
• Whether the Trail Blazers make a change to the lineup or rotation if their current losing streak continues
• Bouncing back versus the spread but falling behind on the season over/under
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail. Blazers losing four-straight, including a loss to the LeBron-less Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday
• The Trail Blazers being eliminated from the NBA Cup
• Portland playing just three games in the next 11 days and how they might spend that time
• Scoot Henderson returns to the lineup, Toumani Camara's foot seems fine and waiting on injury updates regarding Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan
• The Trail Blazers sinking in offensive rating, defensive rating and their record versus the spread
• Tom Haberstroh's stat about Shaedon Sharpe's vertical leap
• An interview with Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija regarding his first month of the 2024-25 season, the differences between DC and Portland, understanding his new teammates on the court, his defensive versatility, what it means to "express yourself on the court" and his hopes for the team going forward
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing to the Grizzlies in Memphis on Monday to move to 1-3 on a five-game road trip
• Splitting the back-to-back in Houston
• The recent yeoman effort from Deni Avdija and his comments after practice in Indianapolis on Tuesday
•Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybylle sustaining injuries that will keep them out of the lineup for the next few weeks
• The rest of Portland's injury report for Wednesday's game versus the Pacers
• Donovan Clingan not getting mention in the race for Rookie of the Year and why that's ridiculous
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers starting a five-game road trip with a "good" loss to the Thunder In Oklahoma City
• Where the Trail Blazers stand in the NBA Cup with the second group stage game on Friday versus the Rockets
• The Rip City Remix playing two games at Chiles Center this weekend after starting their season with four losses on the road
• Portland offensive and defensive ratings and covering in their last four games
• An interview with Trail Blazers guard/forward Dalano Banton aka "DB Hooper" about what his offseason looked like, the importance of having an offseason workout routine, how he's played this season and his role on the team, his role as a closer in the fourth quarter, being a "fringe" player and how that impacts his approach to the game, always playing on non guaranteed contracts, becoming a reliable player when you get reliable minutes, his improved three-point shooting, balancing scoring and creating for others, his "Young Boy" Shaedon Sharpe and the state of basketball in Canada and the nickname
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Bouncing back from one of their worst losses in recent memory with back-to-back wins versus the Timberwolves
• Robert Williams III excites in his first game at Moda Center this season
• Donovan Clingan's 17-point, 12-rebound, 8-block coming out party in Wednesday's win versus the Timberwolves
• Shaedon Sharpe puts up 33 points and throws down a ridiculous dunk to secure the victory Wednesday night
• The Portland Trail Blazers sitting atop the Western Conference NBA Cup standings after one game in Group A play
• The official release of the Trail Blazers' 2024-25 City Edition jerseys
• Portland's record versus the spread and being ahead of schedule on the season win total
Send us a text
On this edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Chauncey Billups' comments after an "embarrassing" loss to the Grizzlies at Moda Center Sunday night
• Robert Williams III discusses Chauncey Billups' comments, holding each other accountable, the importance of honesty and getting out of their own heads
• Toumani Camara on Billups' post-game comments, not getting too low a few weeks into the season and figuring out ways to work together
• The passing of former radio play-by-play announcer Brian "Wheels" Wheeler and some of his best calls throughout his career covering the Trail Blazers
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers besting the Pelicans in New Orleans Monday night
• Another record-setting fourth quarter for Dalano Banton
• Has Chauncey Billups created a "closer" position in the NBA similar to what managers do in the MLB?
• The imminent return of Shaedon Sharpe -- he's listed as questionable for Thursday's game versus the Spurs in San Antonio Tuesday night
• An interview with Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III on his return to the court after missing a full year due to injury, what he likes to be called, Portland's center rotation, being a mentor to rookie Donovan Clingan, his hopes for the season and where he gets all those stocking caps
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazes coming up just short versus the Suns In Phoenix
• The boost in Saturday's loss provided by The Dubber Don, The DB Hooper, Dalano Banton
• Yet another third-quarter collapse and what Chauncey Billups said about it after Saturday's loss
• Robert Williams III getting very close to returning after being upgraded to questionable for Monday's game in New Orleans
• Portland's offensive, defensive and net rating seven games into the season
• The Trail Blazers' record versus the spread
• Spirit Mountain Casino coming on as the presenting sponsor for both The Brief Case and Blazers Balcony podcasts
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, recorded from the team hotel in Los Angeles, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting their first win of the season Sunday versus the Pelicans at Moda Center
• Portland starting off with first road trip with versus the Kings Monday night in Sacramento
• A bad loss, an okay loss and a good loss
• The Rip City Remix selecting Thierry Darlan, Sterling Manley and Blaise Akonobi in the 2024 G League Draft
• The new Trail Blazers collectors glasses featuring Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan
• The Trail Blazers going 2-1-1 versus the spread in their first four games
• Quick updates on the injury statuses of Robert Williams III and Shaedon Sharpe
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat report/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting blown out by the Warriors in their 2024-25 season opener
• The vibe at practice on Thursday after the loss on Wednesday
• The upcoming two-game series versus the New Orleans Pelicans at Moda Center
• Portland failing to cover (and by a lot) Wednesday versus Golden State
• The Toyota Halfcourt Shot drought continues and what can be done to change that
• An interview with Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton regarding his offseason playing with the Bahamas, what he learned during his first year in Portland, the center rotation, being Donovan Clingan’s vet and replacing his beard with a mustache
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, Portland Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider discusses...
• The Trail Blazers wrapping up preseason with a 3-1
• Portland blowing out the Utah Jazz Friday night at Moda Center
• The new starting lineup of Anfernee Simons, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton
• The Trail Blazers going 3-0 versus the spread against NBA teams, their season over/under and other futures bets
• Injury updates on Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III and Shaedon Sharpe
• The team picking up option on Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Kris Murray
• Dalano Banton earning the 15th spot (probably) and waiving Devonte Graham
• An interview with Donovan Clingan about his life since summer league, what he's learned at training camp, being on his own for the first time, improving from one game to the next, the Trail Blazers' center rotation, the return of the Big Man, the "Cling Kong" nickname, Rookie of the Year and what he's expecting in the first month of his first season
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' 101-99 loss to the Clippers in Seattle in their first preseason games of 2024
• Bouncing back by blowing out the Kings in Sacramento Sunday afternoon in their second preseason contest
• Returning to Moda Center to play their two remaining preseason games
• Injuries to Anfernee Simons and Matisse Thybulle
• Chauncey Billups' speech at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday
• The new Trail Blazers/Rogue beer collaboration: The Rip City IPA
Send us a text
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers Insider/beat reporter Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Both Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams III missing the rest of training camp (and perhaps more) due to injury
• Robert Williams' comments about his rehabilitation and Shaedon's injury
• Deni Avdija winning Fan Fest MVP Honors
• Chauncey Billups' fake quote about Deni Avdija being the team's best player and general media literally in the social media age
• The Trail Blazers heading up to Seattle to begin preseason play versus the Clippers on Friday
• Why the Trail Blazers might have scheduled a preseason game against Ulm of the German Bundesliga
• Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson's comments at Media Day
• How the injury to Shaedon Sharpe all but assures Ant and Scoot will be starting together on the first day of the regular season
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers signing a jersey patch deal with Brightside Windows
• The Bill Walton memorial jersey patch the team will be wearing all season
• The elite vibes at Portland's 2024 Media Day
• The first day of training camp practice at the team's facility in Tualatin
• Everyone competing for starting spots
• The differences between NCAA and NBA practices
• The footage from inside the gym on the Trail Blazers' first day of training camp
• General Manager Joe Cronin and Head Coach Chauncey Billups take the podium at Media Day
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• the 2024 Fan Fest, sponsored by Diamler North America
• The Trail Blazers announcing a new broadcast agreement to broadcast 81 games over-the-air on KATU and other stations under the Sinclair Broadcasting umbrella
• The new direct-to-consumer streaming option, BlazerVision
• An interview with Trail Blazers president of business operations Dewayne Hankins regarding the new broadcast and streaming options for the 2024-25 season
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Training camp starting in a little over a week
• The yearly NBA2K jersey and uniform leaks
• How the Trail Blazers might utilize the Remix in their second season
• The announcement Wednesday that the WNBA is returning to Portland
• The former WNBA players working in the Trail Blazers' front office
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The NBA's In Season Tournament, now known as the NBA Emirates Cup
• The three Western Conference "groups" and how the Trail Blazers' competition in Group A stacks up to Group B and Group C
• Portland's four-game group stage schedule versus the Timberwolves, Kings, Clippers and Rockets, which also happen to be four of their soon to be announced 80-game (plus two games to be added later) schedule
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers being 2-1 at the Las Vegas Summer League after back-to-back wins Monday and Tuesday
• Donovan Clingan and the rest of the Trail Blazers holding Wizards rookie Alex Sarr to 0 points on 0-of-15 shooting
• The roles players on Portland's summer league team have settled into through three games
• The Trail Blazers' chances of making the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament
• And the show ends with an interview with Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan about how he's performed thus far at summer league, what a 20-year old can do in Las Vegas, his sunny disposition, whether or not he still gets nervous, a brief visit from Jacky Cui, growing up in ESPN's backyard, that photo with Cooper Flagg and their relationship and growing up with a mom who played basketball.
On this edition of The Brief Case Podcast, Portland Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl, on location with the team in Las Vegas, discusses...
• The Trail Blazers splitting their first two games at the 2024 NBA2K Las Vegas Summer League
• Differences between Portland's first and second games in Las Vegas
• Donovan Clingan's performance at the end of the Trail Blazers' victory versus the 76ers Monday night
• Clingan's comments after Monday's win at Thomas & Mack Arena
• Duop Reath playing just two minutes in Team Australia's loss to Team USA in a friendly Monday
• And the show ends with an interview with Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray about his offseason, what he's looking to improve at his second Summer League, how one gets better defensively, developing chemistry in a short amount of time and his golf game
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/insider Casey Holdahl, on location with the team in Las Vegas, discusses...
• Portland's four-game schedule at the Las Vegas Summer League, which begins Saturday versus the Spurs
• The Trail Blazers scrimmaging versus the Chinese National Team Friday at UNLV
• Portland signing Bryce McGowens to a two-way contract on Thursday
• Which group the Trail Blazers are in for the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup (aka the In-Season Tournament)
• Donovan Clingan's comments about center in the NBA and his goals going into his first game at Summer League versus a former teammate
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' preparations for the Las Vegas Summer League
• What Kris Murray, Rayan Rupert and Donovan Clingan are working on this offseason
• Is Rayan Portland's most important player at Summer League?
• Deandre Ayton and the Bahamas falling just short in their quest to make the Olympics and what it says about DA's dedication to the game and his country
• The vexing decision to leave Matisse Thybulle off the Australian National Team
• We still got Duop Reath though!
• Deni Avdija's discusses his thoughts on the trade, how he would describe the way he plays, his career thus far, his role on the team and what he learned in his last few seasons with the Wizards
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Draft Night trade for Deni Avdija finally going official
• Thoughts on how Avdija's fit and place on the Trail Blazers going forward
• The second round pick trade also being finalized
• Deandre Ayton and the Bahamas National Team trying to qualify for the Olympics in basketball for the first time
• The Trail Blazers' 2024 Summer League roster that includes Kris Murray, Rayan Rupert and Donovan Clingan
• Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara NOT being on the Summer League roster but still attending the first day of practice
• Rookie center Donovan Clingan's comments about his first practice as a Trail Blazer
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers selecting UCONN center Donovan Clingan with the seventh overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft
• The Trail Blazers' long-running interest in Clingan and whether they were prepared to trade up
• What Clingan brings to Portland's roster
• Clingan's workout with the Trail Blazers in Tualatin
• Talent being more important than position in this stage of Portland's rebuild
• Trading the 14th, 34th and 40th picks for... something
• A lack of roster spots
• The next few weeks which will include a press conference, summer league training camp and then at least five games in Las Vegas
• Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin's comments after the first round
On this extended, 2024 NBA Draft Edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The players and trades the Trail Blazers have executed during the last five drafts and how that might instruct what direction they'll go at this year's event
• The best way to know if the Trail Blazers are interested in drafting a player
• What skills the team might look for at the draft should they look to prioritize fit over "best player available"
• The mixed bag that is the recent history of the seventh and 14th picks
• A recap of the Trail Blazers 2024 pre-draft workout schedule
• Scouting reports on the players who worked out in Portland who are expected to be taken in the first round
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers reporter/Insider discusses...
• The Trail Blazers wrapping up their pre-draft workouts a few days before the 2024 Draft
• What Marquette F/C Oso Ighodaro and F Nae’Qwan Tomlin had to say about their workouts with the Trail Blazers
• A brief review of the players who came to Portland for workouts who are expected to be selected in the first round
• The snooze that was the NBA Finals
• The Bulls sending Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey in the first big trade of the offseason
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' predraft workouts less than two weeks away from the 2024 Draft
• Public vs. Private and Group vs. Solo workouts
• A quiet rumor mill so far
And we hear from Tennessee guard/forward Dalton Knecht, Duke guard Jared McCain, Duke forward/center Kyle Filipowski and Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva about their workouts with the Trail Blazers at the team's practice facility in Tualatin.
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The passing of Trail Blazers legend Bill Walton Monday at the age of 71
• Walton's legacy in Portland, the NBA and the world
• More rambling about Bill Walton
• The Trail Blazers hosting Isaiah Crawford of Louisiana Tech, Alex Karaban of UCONN,
Caleb Love of Arizona, Quinten Post of Boston College, Tyler Smith of the G League Ignite and Kel’el Ware of Indiana
• Tyler Smith and Kel'el Ware discuss their workouts with the Trail Blazers
• A quick discussion of the soon-to-be NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Case Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazer hosting six players at their first predraft workout of 2024
•UCLA's Adem Bona and Cal's Jaylon Tyson discuss their workouts with the Trail Blazers and general thoughts on the predraft processs
• Check out yet another mock draft, this time from Krysten Peek at Yahoo! Sports
• The Mavs stealing homecourt versus the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals and whether the Eastern Conference Finals are already over with the Celtics taking Game 1 (not to mention Game 2) in dramatic fashion versus the Pacers
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting shut out of All-Rookie Team honors despite having five first-year players
• Another round of mock drafts and who they have the Trail Blazers taking with the 7th, 14th, 34th and 40th picks in the upcoming NBA Draft
• A quick recap of the conference semifinals and looking forward to the conference finals starting this week
In the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The 2024 NBA Playoffs and which teams might be due for a reset if they're bounced in the first round
• Which players a new mock draft from CBS Sports has the Trail Blazers selecting with the fourth and 14th picks
• The last batch of Exit Interviews with Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and general manager Joe Cronin
On this edition of the Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The latest from the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs
• The recent breaking of ties as it pertains to the NBA Draft Lottery and what it could mean for the Trail Blazers
• Exit Interviews with Toumani Camara and Dalano Banton
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter and Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The first weekend of the 2024 NBA Playoffs
• Predictions on how each first round series ends
• Checking out who ESPN has the Trail Blazers selecting with the third, 14th, 33rd and 40th picks of 2024 NBA Draft
• Exit interviews with Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton
On this, another Exit Interview edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter and Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Golden State Warriors being eliminated from the postseason and what that means for the Portland Trail Blazers at the 2024 NBA Draft
• The remaining Play-In Tournament games
• Malcolm Brogdon's comments at Exit Interviews regarding his future in the NBA, thoughts on Scoot Henderson, Chauncey Billups, Portland’s locker room and being a mentor, his health and the culture the Trail Blazers are trying to instill
• Matisse Thybulle's comments at Exit Interviews regarding his thoughts on a “challenging” season that “didn’t go the way I wanted it to,” playing for the Australian national team at the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris, injuries, Chauncey as a teacher and having the opportunity to expand his game
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers ending their 2023-24 season with a loss to the Kings in Sacramento Sunday afternoon
• Portland finishing in a tie with Charlotte for the third-worst record and what that means in terms of their odds at the 2024 Draft Lottery
• What we learned and didn't learn about some of the Trail Blazers' players this season
• A final tally on the Trail Blazers' offensive rating, defensive rating, net rating and their record versus the spread
• Exit interviews with Robert Williams III and Shaedon Sharpe
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter and Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The final three games of the Trail Blazers' 2023-24 home schedule
• Toumani Camara winning the Maurice Lucas Award
• Where the Blazers stand in terms of draft lottery odds with one game to play
• Portland's record versus the spread in the last 10 days of the season
• Scoot Henderson's comments during his exit interview Friday night
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers reporter/insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Games versus the Magic, Hornets and Wizards as the Trail Blazers start to wrap up their last long road trip of the season
• Chauncey Billups being names to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
• The end of the Rip City Remix's inaugural season and whether it qualifies as a success
• The bottom of the NBA standings and whether there is much movement to be made in terms of getting the best possible lottery odds
• Portland covering in their last three games of the trip after failing to do so in the first three games of the trip
• An interview with Deandre Ayton about Friday's win in DC, his recent performances, building confidence and chemistry with Scoot Henderson, staying motivated on a long trip when the playoffs are already out of reach, his first season with the Trail Blazers and why he goes out of his way to praise his teammates.
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing their first three games of a seven-game trip, including Friday's game in Miami by... 60
• Injury updates on Deandre Ayton, Matisse Thybulle, Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara
• The lottery odds landscape with roughly two weeks to go and the very real chance of the Trail Blazers ending up with the best possible odds at the draft lottery
• Portland dropping their last three games versus the spread and the official end of the chance of winning the over on the Trail Blazers' season win projection
• An interview with Justin Minaya on his season with the Trail Blazers, getting a two-way contract, decided to focus on basketball rather than baseball, his relationships with the players and coaches in Portland, his time playing in Mexico City and what he's hoping to accomplish going into the offseason
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers starting three rookies and whether any other first-year players are due for more minutes in the last three weeks of the season
• Portland's loss to the LA Clippers
• The upcoming 15-day, seven-game road trip
• A breakdown of draft lottery positioning and Portland's chances of ending up with a higher probability of the top overall pick
And the show ends with a conversation with rookie forward Toumani Camara about his rookie season, what he's done well in his first year, what he'd still like to improve upon, playing in front of friends and his host family next week in Florida, his Dayton Flyers in the NCAA Tournament, getting under opposing players' skin and what he hopes to get accomplished in the final days of his first NBA season
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Blazers going 0-2 on a two-game trip to New Orleans and Chicago
• The performance of Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton the last few weeks
• Scoot Henderson and Jabari Walker returning to the lineup
• Three games at home before a seven-game road trip
• Portland offensive rating, defensive rating, net rating and record versus the spread
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' record with a month to play in the 2023-24 regular season
• The play of Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson since returning from injury
• The last days of the Rip City Remix's inaugural season and how you can see them in person before the end of Year One
• The debut of the Unofficial Matisse Thybulle Book Club
• Offensive/Defensive/Net ratings remaining unchanged and Portland's record versus the spread last week
And the show ends with an interview with Dewayne Hankins, Trail Blazers' president of business operations, about how the season has gone from a business perspective, the recently-signed lease deal with the city of Portland, the Rip City Remix, the prospect of the WNBA in Portland after a bit of a setback and TV deals in Portland and the NBA broadly.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Chauncey Billups comments after Portland's loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday
• The wins versus the Grizzlies leading to close losses to the Timberwolves and Thunder
• The Trail Blazers recent improvement in offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating
• Portland covering in four-straight games after failing to do so in seven-straight games
And the show finishes up with the second part of a two-part interview with Ian Karmel about his new book, T-Shirt Swim Club, being a "fat" person, his podcast, All Fantasy Everything, what beach he thinks of when drafting "the beach" and his considerable contribution to Beaverton High School.
On the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers breaking an extended losing streak with a pair of wins versus the Grizzlies in Memphis last weekend
• Moses Brown returning to action while the rest of the injured Trail Blazers have remained out of the lineup
• Portland covering in back-to-back games after losing seven-straight versus the spread
And the show ends with the first of a two-part interview with Comedian/Writer/Podcaster/Trail Blazers Fan Ian Karmel about, amongst other things, the origins of his fandom, being a Trail Blazers fan living in Los Angeles, NBA/Hollywood labor solidarity, Toumani Camara, who wouldn't want to be Jerami Grant and Ian's photo that has become a local meme.
On the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers beat reporter/insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland's loss to the Heat on Tuesday to finish off a winless month of February
• Staying motivated during a nine-game losing streak
• Deandre Ayton suffering a right hand sprain and the status of Portland's injured players
• Portland's offernsive, defensive and net ratings with a month and a half to go
• The Trail Blazers failing to cover in seven-straight games and the increasingly unlikely prospect of hitting the over on their season win projection
And the show wraps up with an interview with Trail Blazers guard/forward Dalano Banton regarding his first few weeks in Portland, the difference between playing for his former team and his current team, whether a "perfect situation" exists, how he would describe his style of play, growing up in Toronto, the state of basketball in Canada when he was growing up compared to where it's at today, his journey from Rexdale to New England to Western Kentucky to Nebraska and what his hopes are for himself and the Blazers in the last month and a half of the season.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Where the Trail Blazers stand coming out of the 2024 All-Star Break
• Center Duop Reath having his two-way contract converted to a full NBA contract
• Ashton Hagans reportedly getting the two-way contract vacated by Reath
• Scoot Henderson's thoughts on All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis
• And an update on Portland's offensive/defensive/net ratings and what they need to do in order to surpass their Las Vegas win projection of 28.5 wins
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Joe Cronin's comments about Portland's relative inactivity at the 2024 trade deadline
• The lack of significant moves league-wide
• The loss to the Detroit Pistons Thursday night
• Shaedon Sharpe undergoing surgery and his timeline for return
And the show ends with a conversation with Trail Blazers rookie guard Kris Murray about his first season with the Trail Blazers, his time playing with the Rip City Remix, what's been more difficult than he expected, improving defensively and his life off the court.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers besting Damian Lillard and the Bucks in his return to Moda Center
• Portland playing well but losing both games to the Nuggets in Denver on Friday and Sunday
• The recent play of Scoot Henderson
• Kris Murray getting the first start of his career
• The upcoming trade deadline, which expires on Thursday
• The Trail Blazers covering the spread in their last four games
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Damian Lillard's return to Portland with the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night
• Portland's recent play in a loss to the Bulls and a win versus the 76ers
• Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson being invited to play in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend (and why Duop Reath SHOULD get an invite if Sharpe can't play)
• An injury update on Shaedon Sharpe, who has missed the last two weeks with an abdominal strain
• The Trail Blazers being back down to 13 players with Taze Moore's 10-day expiring
• Slight improvements to Portland's offensive and defensive ratings
• The Trail Blazers' 1-2 week versus the spread
And the show ends with an interview with Damian Lillard regarding the response from the community to his return, coming back to not just the city, but his home, his first few months in Milwaukee and what is next for the future Hall of Famer.
On the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, recorded from the Trail Blazers' team hotel in San Antonio, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' overtime victory versus the Rockets in Houston
• Thoughts from Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Chauncey Billups regarding Grant's shot to send the game to overtime in Houston
• Having two players in Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons who can close games offensively
• Wednesday's game being a team win
• Getting the short end in the final moments of Tuesday's loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City
• A five-game winning streak for the Rip City Remix
• The Trail Blazers signing Taze Moore to a 10-day
• Maintaining flexibility and the possibility of a quiet trade deadline for the Trail Blazers
• Drops in both offensive and defensive rating
• The Trail Blazers covering in five of their last six games
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting their second win in 10 days versus the Brooklyn Nets
• Anfernee Simons adding another game-winner to his resume
• Deandre Ayton's difficulty getting to the game Wednesday night and the uninformed (and idiotic) analysis of the situation
• Chauncey Billups switching up the starting lineup (as previewed on the last edition)
• Shaedon Sharpe being sidelined at least two more weeks with a lower abdominal strain
• Portland's recent record versus the spread
And the show wraps up with a brief conversation with rookie Rayan Rupert regarding his recent play, splitting time between the Remix and Trail Blazers, the areas in which he's improved and what kind of player he believes he can become.
On this edition of The Brief Case, recorded from the team hotel in New York City, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' blowout loss to the Knicks on Tuesday after pulling out an overtime win versus the Nets on Sunday
• Anfernee Simons' comments after the loss to the Knicks on the road trip thus far and whether he's seeing improvement even in losses
• Changes to the starting lineup that Chauncey Billups might be considering in the last two games of the trip
• The team waiving Skylar Mays and Ish Wainright and the reasoning behind the moves
• Injury updates on Deandre Ayton, Jabari Walker and Moses Brown
• Portland offensive and defensive rating this season and their steep dropoff in offense in the first five games of the trip
• The Trail Blazers' record versus the spread on the current road trip
On the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' foul-filled loss to the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday at the rematch on Friday, also in Dallas
• Portland setting off on a seven-game, two-week road trip
• Anfernee Simons, Toumani Camara and Duop Reath returning from injury
• Scoot Henderson getting the start alongside Anfernee Simons on Wednesday despite Shaedon Sharpe returning from injury
• The Blazers sinking in both offensive and defensive rating
• Portland going 1-3 versus the spread in their last four games and an update on their progress in surpassing their projected win total
And the show ends with an interview with Trail Blazers' forward Matisse Thybulle regarding his thoughts on the season, being a defensive playmaker, his consecutive steals streak, his approach to mentorship and giving advice, not having to follow the same rules as everyone else, his chances of being named to the All-Defensive team, artificial intelligence and what he'd like to see from the team in 2024.
On this edition of the Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' 130-113 win versus the Sacramento Kings Tuesday night at Moda Center
• Portland's "Bench Mob." which did something in Tuesday night's win that hasn't been done in Portland in over 30 years
• The recent play of Jabari Walker
• Scoot Henderson posting a career-best with 11 assists, though committing just one turnover might be the more important stat
• Trail Blazers center Duop Reath (and recent guest on The Brief Case) having a career night in the win versus the Kings
• Portland's 2023-ending back-to-back versus the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center
• The upcoming schedule for the Rip City Remix
• An update on Portland's offensive and defensive rating and their record versus the spread this season
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers slow starts and how they're trying to improve early in games
• Portland's seven-game losing streak ending victory versus the Suns at Moda Center
• The Trail Blazers schedule to finish out 2023
• The Rip City Remix at the G-League Winter Showcase in Orlando
• An update on the Trail Blazers' offensive and defensive rating
• Portland record, both recently and this season, versus the spread
• The Trail Blazers being favored for just the second time this season (though the first time didn't go so well)
• And a conversation with 27 year old rookie center Duop Reath about his season and path to the NBA
On this edition of the Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers losing four-straight despite performing well
• Portland playing eight of their next nine games at Moda Center
• Monday's loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles
• The recent play of Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson
• Injury updates on Malcolm Brogdon, Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant
• The Rip City Remix facing the G-League Ignite in Las Vegas
• The Trail Blazers getting out of last place in terms of offensive rating while being in the middle of the pack in defensive rating
• Upcoming games versus the Jazz, Mavericks (in a rare 6 pm start) and the Warriors
And the show wraps up with an extended interview with Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe about his second season, sharing a backcourt with Ant Simons, his improved defense, being the only starter who has played every game this season, getting called for technicals, crossing up Daniel Theis, what he's like to see from himself and the team going forward and the origin of his love for mac and cheese.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers coming up just short versus the Warriors in San Francisco Wednesday night
• Chauncey Billups' comments regarding the free throw disparity in Wednesday's loss
• Anfernee Simons' thoughts on his first game back in the lineup after missing all but the first game of the season due to injury
• The performances of Shaedon Sharpe, Kris Murray, Duop Reath and Jabari Walker versus the Warriors
• Friday's game versus the Mavericks at Moda Center
• Whether the Trail Blazers are being disrespected by oddsmakers
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers returning from a 2-2 road trip, which could have very easily been a 4-0 road trip
• Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara posterizing Jazz center Walker Kessler on back-to-back possessions
• Chauncey Billups speaking one of those dunks into existence
• Jerami Grant entering the concussion protocol after taking a shot to the face in Saturday's loss to the Jazz
• The imminent return of Anfernee Simons, who has been sidelined since the first game of the season with a thumb injury
• The Trail Blazers getting a Disable Player Exemption and whether that means much in the short term
• A rundown of the last week for the Rip City Remix
• Portland offensive and defense ratings nearly a quarter of the way into the season
• The Trail Blazers beating the spread in four of their last five games and when they might be favored in a game for the first time this season
And the show ends with a lengthy sit down with second-year forward Jabari Walker, who discusses the road trip, his recent play, Portland's "bench mob," the importance of bringing energy off the bench, the return of Anfernee Simons and what he hopes to see from the team and himself in the next month.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers securing their first road win in nearly a month versus the Pacers in Indianapolis
• Overcoming a tough call in Indianapolis after not being able to do the same thing then night before in Milwaukee
• The Blazers going 2-1 since the return of Malcolm Brogdon and Scoot Henderson
• Injury timelines for Anfernee Simons and Ish Wainwright
• Portland's offensive and defensive ratings
• The Blazers going 3-0 versus the spread in their last three games and an update on where the team stands in terms of hitting their season over of 28.5 wins
• The Remix acquiring the rights to Moe Harkless, Ibou Badji's return and Duop Reath eating up backup center minutes
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers returning home from a three-game road trip while on a four-game losing streak
• Tuesday's loss to the Utah Jazz in the second In-Season Tournament game for both teams
• Injuries starting to take their toll with Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III all sidelined
• A rundown of when injured players might return
• An update on where the Trail Blazers are at after 10 games in terms of offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating
• The Trail Blazers' record versus the spread and the line for Wednesday's game versus the Cavaliers
• The Rip City Remix playing their first home games this weekend versus the South Bay Lakers and the Ontario Clippers
• And the show ends with a conversation with rookie Toumani Camara after his first start in Tuesday's loss to the Jazz
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland's 121-118 overtime loss to the Kings in Sacramento on Wednesday
• The Trail Blazers being down to one guard in that game with Malcolm Brogdon being injured and Shaedon Sharpe fouling out
• The play of Jerami Grant and his interesting scoring streak
• The report that Robert Williams III will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the 2023-24 season
• Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert being assigned to the Rip City Remix, when they might return and whether Duop Reath will be joining them
• The Rip City Remix beginning their inaugural season this weekend in Souther California
• Portland's upcoming schedule, which includes another In-Season Tournament group stage game
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Where the Trail Blazers stand a few weeks into the 2023-24 season
• Looking back at a 3-1 week and looking forward to another three-game road trip, though this time versus Western Conference teams
• The Trail Blazers' injury list getting longer with Robert Williams III expected to miss significant time with a right knee injury
• Portland's offfensive, defensive and net ratings
• Deandre Ayton leading the league in rebounding while also being one of the league leaders in steals
• An update on how the Trail Blazers are performing versus the spread and the progress toward their season win total, which is set at 28.5
And the show wraps up with an interview with Malcolm Brogdon, who discusses his first month with the Trail Blazers, playing hard, coming from a family of intellectuals, taking on a mentorship role despite being in the prime of his career, his relationship with the vets on the team, being prepared for the highs and lows of an NBA season and his hopes for Portland's guard rotation.
On this edition of the Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups' comments after Portland's 110-100 victory versus the Pistons in Detroit
• The Blazers going 2-1 on their first extended road trip and the impressive way in which they won those two games
• Shaedon Sharpe turning in the best half of his career in Wednesday's victory in Detroit
• Sharpe improving in terms of drawing fouls and defending
• Portland's first In-Season Tournament game on Friday versus the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center and their West Group A tourmanent schedule
• The release of the Trail Blazers' 2023-23 City Edition jersey, which features a number of callouts to Hall of Fame coach Dr. Jack Ramsay
• Friday's In-Season Tournament game being a "Plaid Out" at Moda Center
• And the late-breaking news that Scoot Henderson will miss Friday's game with a sprained right ankle, an injury he suffered in the third quarter of Wednesday's victory in Detroit
On this edition of The Brief Case, recorded from the Trail Blazers' team hotel in Toronto, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting their first win of the season versus the Raptors in Toronto
• The importance of having something to feel good about from time to time
• Malcolm Brogdon closing the game out, Jerami Grant leading the team in scoring and Deandre Ayton posting a new career-high in Toronto
• An update on the Trail Blazers' record versus the spread
• The start of the Rip City Remix training camp, additions to the coaching and support staff and the news that all their home games will air on Fox 12 Plus
And the show finishes with an interview with rookie Scoot Henderson regarding his first week in the NBA, getting that first win in Toronto, blocking out early-season criticism, working with and learning from Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant's post-game outfit and what the team needs to do to finish the trip with a win in Detroit.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland's loss to the Clippers in their 2023-24 season opener Wednesday night in Los Angeles
• Scoot Henderson's NBA debut and why the way he deals with adversity might be the most important thing we saw out of him Wednesday night
• The play of Deandre Ayton, Malcolm Brogdon and Shaedon Sharpe in the opener
• The Trail Blazers' record versus the spread after one game
• Friday's home opener versus the Orlando Magic
And we hear from both Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson after Wednesday's loss in LA.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The end of Portland's 2023 preseason schedule
• An emphasis on practice with a week between the end of the preseason and the start of the regular season
• The recent trades made by the Rip City Remix and what those deals might signal for the last Trail Blazers' roster spots
• The report that Justin Minaya has recieved a two-way contract from the Trail Blazers
• The race for the 14th roster spot
• The Trail Blazers win/loss over/under and their record versus the spread in preseason
• Comments after recent practices from both Scoot Henderson and Malcolm Brogdon
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers 138-133 loss to the Utah Jazz in their third preseason contest
• Why the Jazz the loss to the Jazz is a better marker of where the Blazers are currently at than their first two preseason game.
• Anfernee Simons delivering a reminder about where he ranks among the guards on Portland's roster
• Thoughts on the play of Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Jabari Walker and Toumani Camara in Saturday's loss
• The Trail Blazers' record versus the spread so far in preseason play
• Portland's preseason finale versus the Suns in Phoenix and how it is being broadcast over the air on KPTV FOX 12 Plus
And finishes off the show with an interview with Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant about how he spent his offseason, being a first-time father and how the experience has changed him, Paris Fashion Week, his thoughts on how the team has come together during training campo and how his role has changed since joining the team prior to last season .
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Impressions of Scoot Henderson's preseason debut versus the New Zealand Breakers
• Portland starting their 2023 exhibition season with a 106-66 victory versus the Breakers Tuesday night
• Results from the annual NBA GM survey as it pertains to the Portland Trail Blazers
• Shaedon Sharpe having his third-year option picked up and the Trail Blazers signing center Greg Conditt
And the show wraps up with an interview with Trail Blazers rookie forward Toumani Camara, who discusses his path from Belgium to the NBA, grinding out the predraft process, the trade that sent him from Phoenix to Portland before ever playing a game with the Suns, how he would describe himself as a player and what goals, if any, he had going into his first year.
On the latest edition of the Brief Case, recording from Santa Barbara where the Trail Blazers are holding their 2023 training camp, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• General thoughts about the first three days of camp in Santa Barbara
• The "leadership by committee" approach the Trail Blazers have taken since the trades last week
• Portland trying to play faster and commit to the defensive end and how those goals are common this time of year
• Comments from Malcolm Brogdon and Rob Williams III about their immediate futures in Portland
• Jrue Holiday's glowing comments about the way he was treated in the run up to the trade sending the veteran guard to Boston
• WNBA to Portland rumors
• Fan's Fest, presented by Daimler, this Sunday at Moda Center
And the show finishes with an extended conversation with Rob Williams III, who discusses his initial thoughts on being traded for the first time, his humble beginnings in rural Louisiana, focusing on basketball at a young age, when he realized making the NBA was a possibility, teaming up with Deandre Ayton, his health after injuries shortened his last season with the Celtics, what it takes to be good at finishing lobs and his opinions on headbands.
On this, the first 2023 Training Camp edition of the Brief Case recorded from the team hotel in Santa Barbara, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The positive vibe at Portland's 2023 Media Day and why that might be the case
• Portland officially signing five players to their training camp roster and whether any of those players might make the regular season roster
• A number of new additions in basketball ops and support which were recently announced
• The first day of training camp practices at the University of Santa Barbara
And the show finishes up with an interview with Deandre Ayton after his first practice as a Trail Blazer since being acquired via trade from the Suns
In this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The trade sending Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson to Phoenix in exchange for DeAndre Ayton, Toumari Camara, Jrue Holiday, a 2029 first round pick from the Bucks and 2028 and 2030 pick swaps, also from Milwaukee
• How Ayton and Camara might mesh with the Trail Blazers' core group of players
• How Holiday is an incredibly valuable player regardless of what decision the team makes about his future in Portland
• A quick recap of the draft picks and swaps acquired from Milwaukee
• A plea to remember how much "reporting" was proven incorrect regarding the trade
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses the start of training camp and Portland's upcoming Media Day before discussing the upcoming season with Dewayne Hankings, Trail Blazers President of Business Operations. Over the course of the interview, Hankins discusses...
• What the team accomplished in the offseason
• Fan enthusiasm for what is in many ways a new-look team
• Getting the Rip City Remix up and running
• The prospect of Portland getting a WNBA team
• Some of the recent improvements made to Moda Center
• The NBA's inaugural In-Season tournament
• The ever-changing landscape when it comes to broadcasting games locally
• The new “City” jerseys and the new court that you may have already seen
• What’s he’s looking forward to this season.
On this edition of the Brief Case podcast, Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons joins Casey Holdahl to discuss...
• How his offseason went and how the offseason changes the longer you're in the league
• Traveling to Croatia for Jusuf Nurkic’s "Game Of Thrones" wedding
• Simons' impressions of Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert after a couple weeks of informal workouts
• Pairing up in the backcourt with Shaedon Sharpe
• What he’s learned about leadership from his vets and how he’s applying those lessons now
• How being mentored by Damian Lillard has prepared him for stepping into a similar role
• His expectations for the team going into the 2023-24 season...
On the latest edition of the Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The past and future Rip City Remix open workouts
• The trades the Remix have made in the last few weeks
• The Rip City Rally making its way across the state
• Details about the 2023 Fan's Fest, which is scheduled for Sunday, October 8
• A non-update on the situation with Damian Lillard
• An interview with Trail Blazers second-year guard Shaedon Sharpe covering his offseason, working out with Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson, growing as a leader, being a part of Nike's "GT Squad" and the play of the Canadian National team and his aspirations for joining his fellow countrymen at the 2024 Olympics
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• An overview of the NBA's In-Season Tournament
• The Trail Blazers' four-game group stage schedule, which was released on Tuesday, which features games versus the Grizzlies, Suns, Lakers and Jazz
• Portland's four-game preseason schedule
• The performance of the Trail Blazers who are playing internationally this summer
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers ending their 2023 Las Vegas Summer League with a lopsided loss to the Miami Heat Sunday night
• How Portland came this close to qualifying for the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League tournament semifinals
• The play of Shaedon Sharpe, Jabari Walker, Scoot Henderson and Kris Murray in Las Vegas
• What might be next for the players on Portland's summer league roster who are not currently under contract for next season
On the latest edition of the Brief Case, recorded at the 2023 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland's Summer League opening loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday
• Scoot Henderson's Summer League debut, the injury that kept him out of Portland's second summer league game and his comments after practice on Saturday
• The job Jabari Walker did going up against Victor Wembanyama in Portland's second Summer League game, a 85-80 victory versus the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night
• The play if Micheal Devoe and Doup Reath
• A conversation with Blazers rookie Kris Murray about how he came to basketball, growing up in Cedar Rapids, taking a year to focus on basketball before going to Iowa, some of the things he’s into off the court, , his dog, his first foray at summer league and his plans once the games wrap up in Las Vegas next week.
• Portland signing Jerami Grant Sunday to a new contract and the impending signing of restricted free agent Matisse Thybulle
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The signings of Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert
• Portland's preparations for the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts Friday
• A non-update regarding free agency (the NBA's moratorium will likely be over by time you listen to this podcast)
• The Damian Lillard situation
And the show ends with a conversation with Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe about his offseason thus far, why he's playing at summer league, developing chemistry with Scoot Henderson, his first impressions of Portland's rookies, some of the skills he's been focusing on improving, his leadership style and whether he feels any pressure going into his sophomore season.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Jason Hart, head coach of the G-League Ignite, discussing Scoot Henderson's jump to the NBA
• The Trail Blazers releasing their roster for the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, which starts on July 7
• The news that Shaedon Sharpe is on Portland's Summer League roster and how that makes the Trail Blazers one of the most interesting teams at the year exhibition
• The start of the NBA moratorium
• The status of Portland's free agents (though much of that is likely already out of date)
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers announcing the name and branding for their new G-League team, the Rip City Remix
• How having a G-League team in close proximity to the NBA team enhances both teams
• Comments from Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin, G-League Commissioner Shareef Abdul-Raheem and Trail Blazers President of Business Operations Dewayne Hankins
• The press conference introducing Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers selecting Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert at the 2023 NBA Draft
• How Portland's 2023 Draft goes down as one of their best in years
• The Trail Blazers' just announced 2023 Las Vegas Summer League schedule and the featured matchups
• Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin's post-draft press conference and his explanation of how they are still trying to put a winning roster around Damian Lillard
On this edition of The Brief Case, hear both Villanova freshman wing Cameron Whitmore and Alabama freshman forward Brandon Miller, both of whom are expected to be among the first players selected at the 2023 NBA Draft, discuss their solo workouts this week with the Trail Blazers.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The new general manager, assistant general manager and head coach hires the Trail Blazers made this week for their heretofore unnamed G-League team
• How many players and what kinds of workouts the Trail Blazers have hosted for pre-draft workouts with just one week to go before the 2023 NBA Draft
• Portland's workout on Thursday featuring Myles Burns, Antoine Davis, Max Lewis, Sir’Jabari Rice, Oscar Tshiebwe, DeAndre Williams
And the show wraps up with post-workout interviews with Max Lewis out of Pepperdine and Oscar Tshiebwe out of Kentucky.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Scoot Henderson's solo pre-draft workout with the Trail Blazers Saturday morning
• The three workouts Portland held this week and the 21 players they've brought in for workouts since the end of the season
• The Nuggets winning Game 1 of the NBA Finals versus the Heat
• The NBA coaching carosel
And we hear from Scoot Henderson, a 6-3 guard out of the G-League Ignite, who is widely considered to be one of the first names called at the 2023 NBA Draft
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Heat beating the Celtics in Game 7 to move on to the NBA Finals and Boston failing to be the first NBA team to come back from a 3-0 playoff deficit
• The Thompson twins, Ausar and Amen, opting to play the last two years in the Overtime Elite League
• Ausar Thompson, a 6-7 wing who won the 2023 OTE championship with the City Reapers, on his workout with the Trail Blazers, what he's looking to show during the pre-draft process, playing with his twin brother and the 2023 Draft being more than a three-player draft
• Amen Thompson, also a 6-7 wing, discusses his workout in Portland, the versatility he brings to the court, what he got out of playing the last two years at Overtime Elite, his relationship with his brother, Damian Lillard and the traits that come with being a player from Oakland
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Brandon Roy coming up big once again to bring the third pick back to Portland at the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery
• The two pre-draft workouts the Trail Blazers have held so far and how those might indicate what areas they're looking to address
• The upcoming NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat (probably)
And with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the show ends with an interview with Dr. Chantelle Green, the Trail Blazers' Director of Mind Health And Wellness, about her responsibilities with the team, how she goes about developing trust with players, her role in player evaluation during the draft and free agency, how mental health covers much more than what we usually consider “therapy,” and what she’d like to see in the mental health space going forward.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Tuesday's 2023 NBA Draft Lottery and the Trail Blazers' history in previous draft lotteries
• Brandon Roy trying to rekindle the magic of 2007, in which he was the team's representative when they won the first overall pick
• Roy's comments about his reluctance to return to Portland and why that might be changing
• The upcoming Eastern and Western Conference Finals matchups
And the show ends by hearing from Texas forward Dillon Mitchell, who went through a pre-draft workout in Portland last week
In this edition of The Brief Case, host Casey Holdahl discusses the first round of the NBA playoffs before sitting down with Dewayne Hankins, President of Business Operations for the Trail Blazers, to discuss the team acquiring a G-League expansion team, which will play at University of Portland and will be up and running in time for the 2023-24 season. Hankins discusses the steps toward acquiring the expansion franchise, how it benefits both the basketball and business sides of the organization, the relationship with the University of Portland, bringing more basketball to Portland and when details about the name and branding will be released.
In another Exit Interview edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl of Trailblazers.com discusses...
• The news that Nassir Little underwent surgery last week to repair a core muscle injury on the right side of his body after having a similar procedure done on the left side last year
• The first weekend of the NBA Playoffs
• Jerami Grant's exit interview in which he discusses his first season in Portland, his impending free agency and his relationship with Chauncey Billups
• Jusuf Nurkic's exit interview in which he's asked about his future with the Trail Blazers, his desire to remain in Portland, why the defense hasn't improved and his thoughts on Shaedon Sharpe's rookie season
On this, another exit interview edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Thoughts on the first play-in tournament games and the first round of the NBA playoffs, which start this weekend
• Changes reportedly made to the CBA that allow teams to negotiate with their own free agents sooner, which could he helpful this summer in trying to keep Jerami Grant in Portland
And then we hear from Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin's exit interview, in which he discusses Damian Lillard's comments about not wanting to wait around for a young draft pick to be ready to play, wanting to speed up the process of the team returning to competitiveness, if Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe make sense together, trying to remain patient while also trying to take a big swing, Jeremi Grant’s free agency and how he feels he put Chauncey Billups in a tough position this season.
On this, the first 2023 Offseason Edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Portland finishing their season with back-to-back losses to the Clippers and Warriors
• The recent play of Shaedon Sharpe and Skylar Mays
• Where Portland finished in the Western Conference and league standings
• The Trail Blazers' draft lottery odds by finishing with the fifth-worst record and what other assets, including an additional first round pick, they have to use this summer
• Where Portland ended up in offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating
• Portland's going on a late-season run versus the spread to just about break even
And then the show finishes up with Damian Lillard's exit interview in which he gives his thoughts on the season, what the team needs to do to build a better roster going forward, knowing players who want to team up with him in Portland, not wanting to wait around for a draft pick to develop, his thoughts on Chauncey Billups and the likelihood of Jerami Grant re-singing as a free agent.
On this edition of the Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers splitting the first two games of a four-game road trip
• The play of the G-League call ups that have recently joined the Trail Blazers
• Portland's remaining schedule, the remaining schedules of their final three opponents and the schedules of the teams around the them in the standings
• A breakdown of draft lottery odds and how those may or may not change how teams approach their final games of the season
And the show finishes as it often does with an interview, this time with Kevin Knox II. The 6-9 forward discusses how he views himself as a player, his career thus far, playing for Chauncey Billups, having the opportunity to play extended minutes at the end of the season and his future prospects as he enters free agency.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl of Trailblazers.com discusses...
• The Trail Blazers having just seven players available in their loss to the Kings on Wednesday
• Shaedon Sharpe doing something that only Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant and LeBron James had done before
• The remaining schedules of Trail Blazers, Magic, Pacers and Wizards
• Rooting for the Knicks to make the playoffs and avoid the play-in
• Justise Winslow's comments on undergoing season-ending surgery on his left ankle
• Keon Johnson breaking his finger and the Trail Blazers responding by signing Skylar Mays out of the G-League to a 10-day contract
And then the show wraps up with an extending interview with Damian Lillard. Lillard, who is already a hot topic going into the 2023 offseason, discusses his main takeaways from the 2022-23 season, returning from injury while reminding people how great he is, what he was heartened and disappointed by this season, how he views his individual performance, his thoughts on why he should be first-team All-NBA, why watching the playoffs puts him in a bad mood, his comments on JJ Redick's podcast about what constitutes success and the reaction to those comments, his issues with the NBA media landscape and what he hopes the team can get accomplished in the offseason.
Topics on the latest edition of The Brief Case, hosted by Casey Holdahl, include...
• How the Trail Blazers' rotations have changes with just two weeks to play in the regular season
• Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant sitting out with various injuries
• The "race" between the Trail Blazers, Pacers, Wizards and Magic in terms of draft lottery odds
• The Trail Blazers covering in losses, something they rarely did before the last few weeks of the season
• How rookie Shaedon Sharpe has looked starting the last three games and whether it indicates a readiness to start next season
• Increased playing time for Jabari Walker, Kevin Knox and Keon Johnson
• A conversation with Keon Johnson about his second season, things he'd like to improve upon, having the opportunity to play increased minutes and better using his athleticism as point guard
On the latest edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers ending a six-game losing streak and assuring themselves they would not end the season on the longest losing streak in franchise history by defeating the Jazz in Utah Wednesday night
• The play of Shaedon Sharpe and Trendon Watford, who both started and had arguably the best games of their careers in Wednesday night's win
• How the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game might have signaled how the Trail Blazers might change up their rotations in the last 10 games of the season
• Updates on where the Trail Blazers are in the race for both the play-in tournament and the top pick in the 2023 Draft and Portland's record versus the spread
And then the show concludes with an interview with Trendon Watford about how he views his second season, what he feels like he does well and what he’s still working on, what he would have thought two years ago about where he is now in his career after going undrafted, the difference between playing power forward and center and where his confidence comes from.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl of Trailblazers.com discusses...
• Where the Trail Blazers stand with 11 games to play
• An update on offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating
• The ever-increasing likelihood that the Trail Blazers will NOT hit the over on their season win projection
• The Trail Blazers bringing up the rear in the race for the play-in and whether they're still really a part of that race
• Damian Lillard's comments about "playing chess" as the 2022-23 season begins to wind down
• An interview with Jeremi Grant about his first season in Portland, both on and off the court, his role, continuing to grow as a player, some of his interests outside of basketball, being the best Super Smash Bros player on the team and what he'd like to see from the Trail Blazers going forward
On this edition of The Brief Case, recorded while on the road with the team in New Orleans, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' 120-119 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia Friday night
• The three reasons why that loss stings more than most
• An update on the standings with a month left in the season
• The Trail Blazers covering in a loss, something they have rarely done this season, and what they'll need to do in the final 15 games to surpass their season over
• The returns of both Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic
And the show wraps up with an interview with Simons about his return to play after suffering a grade 2 ankle sprain before the All-Star break, what he did to better prepare himself this time around, seeing how aggressively defenses attack Dame when he’s not able to play, being one of the veterans on the team at the ripe old age of 23, how he thinks he’s played this season and what the team needs to do in the final month of the season if they want to make the postseason.
On this edition, recorded from the team hotel outside of Detroit, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers being in a four-way tie with the Lakers, Pelicans and Jazz for the last two spots in the play-in tournament
• How the Trail Blazers have fared versus the spread and how many games they'll need to win in the last month to hit the over on their season win total
• Non-updates on the injuries to Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic and Justise Winslow
• Winning back-to-back games versus the Magic and Pistons despite not playing their best, especially in the fourth quarter
• The recent play of Cam Reddish and how it's one of the few positives of so many players being out due to injury
• Damian Lillard putting up a triple-double in three quarters versus the Pistons and his thoughts on gang rebounding, an increase in physicality as teams focus more of their game plan on slowing him down and his prospect of winning the NBA's scoring title this season,
On this edition of The Brief Case, Trail Blazers beat reporter/insider Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The way the Warriors defended Damian Lillard in Portland's most recent loss
• The lengths other teams will go to in order to slow down Lillard after he recently put up 71 points in a win versus the Rockets
• How the Trail Blazers might overcome more aggressive defenses
• A quick injury update on Anfernee Simons
• An interview with Matisse Thybulle
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• All-Star Weekend being good for Damian Lillard but not for the NBA
• Some ideas on how the NBA could go about "fixing" (or at least not doing any more damage to) the All-Star Game
• Where the Trail Blazers stand in terms of offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating with 23 games to play
• An update on Portland's record versus the spread this season and how many games they'll need to win during the stretch run to the over on their season win total
• The Trail Blazers' travel issues and the loss to the Kings in Sacramento
• The notion of the Trail Blazers tanking, which is absolutely not happening, if for no other reason than Damian Lillard
On this 2023 NBA All-Star Edition of The Brief Case, topics include
• Damian Lillard's All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City and the reception he gets from the fans
• Trailing Dame throughout his many All-Star Weekend responsibilities
• Lillard winning the 2023 Starry Three-Point Contest in his third try and how the way he won reflects the broader themes of his career
• An interview with Lillard about how All-Star Weekend as changed for him throughout the years, spending time with family, especially his son, the support he gets in Utah thanks to his days at Weber State, what his advice would be to first-time All-Stars, raising his level of play and whether it's sustainable and the Trail Blazers needing to be "militant" after the break in order to make a playoff push.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Damian Lillard's thoughts on one of his newest teammates, Matisse Thybulle
• The 2023 NBA Trade Deadline and the issue with the four-team trade that netted the Trail Blazers five second-round picks
• Looking forward to the 2023 All-Star Weekend, which is just a few days away in Salt Lake City
• Matisse Thybulle's comments after his Trail Blazers debut about feeling comfortable, being an instinctual defensive presence and finding peace.
On this post NBA trade deadline edition of the Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The trade that sent Josh Hart to the Knicks in exchange for Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono and a lottery-protected first round pick
• Acquiring Matisse Thybulle (technically in the same trade that brought in Reddish and Arcidiacono) and what he brings as a two-time All-Defensive second-teamer
• The trade sending Gary Patyon II back to Golden State in exchange for five second round picks, how that transaction is now in jeopardy with GP2 reportedly failing his physical and how the teams might go about resolving the issue
After which we hear from Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin, who gives his thoughts on Portland's initial plan going into the deadline and why they ended up having to pivot, the areas in which he feels the team needs to improve, trying to set the team up for moves down the road, his thoughts on Reddish, Thybulle, Knox and Arcidiacono and a little about the Payton II deal...
On this pre NBA Trade Deadline edition of the Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Chauncey Billups' comments on his conversations with players about trade rumors
• Portland going 2-1 on a three-game trip and their upcoming five-game homestand leading into the All-Star break
• Damian Lillard winning a second-consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week award and the case to name Lillard as an All-Star starter in place of Stephen Curry
• Jusuf Nurkic being out until at least the All-Star break and Greg Brown III being recalled from the G-League
• What the folks at ESPN, Yahoo Sports and The Athletic have said about the Trail Blazers and their prospects of making a trade before the NBA Trade Deadline, which expires Thursday at noon.
On this edition of The Brief Case, recorded on the road in Washington, DC, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers' victory versus the Grizzlies in Memphis Wednesday night, their best win of the season
• The resiliency the team showed in that win and the role the bench played in securing it
• Damian Lillard almost surely being named an All-Star and Shaedon Sharpe being snubbed by the Rookie/Sophomore game
• Injury updates on Jerami Grant and Justise Winslow (sort of)
• The sweat with regard to the Trail Blazers' over/under for wins this season
And the show concludes with an extended interview with center Drew Eubanks about joining the Trail Blazers, his role on the team, getting to play in front of family and friends, the importance of energy and physicality, improvements he’s made to his game, teaming up again with fellow Beaver Gary Payton II and his desire to remain in Portland.
On this edition of the Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The importance of the Trail Blazers having a strong finish to a six-game homestand after wins versus the Spurs and Jazz
• The recent play of Damian Lillard, including his stats in the month of January
• Lillard not being named an All-Star starter and some of the changes the NBA is making to the All-Star Game this season
• How many games the Trail Blazers need to win in the unofficial second half of the season in order to surpass the win total Las Vegas predicted this season
• An interview with Nassir Little about his return from injury, the sacrifices he's made to take the next step in his career, being a more mindful person on and off the court and whether he thinks he's ready to become a starter in this league
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers falling back into old habits over a three-game losing streak
• Whether or not Chauncey Billups is going to change his lineups and what few options he has if he does
• The passing of longtime Trail Blazers broadcaster and ambassador Bill Schonely and some of his final public comments
• Longtime Trail Blazers camera operate John Curry passing away and Damian Lillard's comments about their relationship
• Portlands offensive and defensive rating and where they stand against the spread this season
On this edition of the Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers seemingly putting some issues behind them heading into their longest homestand of the season
• Nassir Little and Gary Payton II becoming regular parts of the rotation after missing time due to injury
• The recent impressive play from Damian Lillard, the way he's changed his approach to games as of late and whether there is such a thing as the "Brief Case bump"
• The Trail Blazers almost always covering the spread in wins and almost always failing to cover in losses
• And an extended interview with Gary Payton II in which he discusses his health, his role on the team, being a leader in the second unit, taking Shaedon Sharpe under his wing, the science of setting screens, his on-court demeanor and what kind of team he hopes the Trail Blazers can be this season
Topics on this edition of The Brief Case include...
• The Trail Blazers dropping yet another game, their fifth in a row, due to issues in the fourth quarter
• Where the Trail Blazers stand at the midway point of the 2022-23 season
• Damian Lillard's thoughts on Portland's season thus far, his previous comments about staying the course, his improvements on defense, how Gary Payton II has looked in his first few games and his chances of being named to the 2023 All-Star team
• Portland's offensive, defensive and net ratings, both overall and in the fourth quarter and how they've faired versus the spread after 41 games
Topics on this edition of The Brief Case, a semi-weekly podcast covering all things Portland Trail Blazers, include...
• The Trail Blazers returning home from a three-game trip empty handed and their seven-game road losing streak
• Portland's issues in the fourth quarter of games this season, particuarly in their last 10 contests
• Rookie Jabari Walker's thoughts on cracking the rotation after an all-time performance at the Las Vegas Summer League
• Rookie Shaedon Sharpe's invitation to compete in the 2023 NBA Dunk Contest
• Where the Trail Blazers rank in offensive rating, defensive rating, net rating and versus the spread
On this, the first 2023 edition of the Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The impending debut of Gary Payton II, who is expected to play in Monday night's game versus the Pistons
• Where the Trail Blazers are at in the standings and in offensive/defensive rating at the start of the new year
• Heading out on one more road trip before the team spends most of January at home
• Josh Hart's thoughts on Portland's first 35 games and why he's not satisfied with being in eighth-place
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, recorded from North Portland, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• Damian Lillard's comments during the celebration of his passing Clyde Drexler as the team's all-time leading scorer
• The team returning to Portland after a six-game road trip despite icy conditions
• The Trail Blazers defeating the Hornets at home Monday night to end a three-game losing streak
• Jusuf Nurkic shooting better than 40 percent from three this season
• Jerami Grant's comments on Portland's defense and having time to address some of those issues
• Portland offensive rating, defensive rating and their record versus the spread this season
• An injury update on Justise Winslow, Nassir Little and Gary Payton II
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, recorded from the team hotel in Denver, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• An underwhelming road trip, which ends Friday night in Denver
• Dropping both games versus the Thunder in Oklahoma City and the terrible flight that followed
• Damian Lillard's thoughts on passing Clyde Drexler as the franchises' all-time leading scorer in a loss to the Thunder
• Nassir Little and Josh Hart share some of their favorite Christmas traditions and the peril of having packages delivered when you're on the road
• Portland offensive rating, defensive rating and their record versus the spread this season
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, recorded from the team hotel in Dallas, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers. winning four of their last five after dropping eight of 10
• Blowout victories versus the Timberwolves at home and the Spurs on the road
• The Trail Blazers beating the spread in their last six games
• The recent play of Damian Lillard, who has been as good as anyone in the NBA since returning from injury
• Lillard coming less than 100 points away from passing Clyde Drexler all-time franchise record in scoring
• And Portland's upcoming schedule as we near 2023
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses...
• The Trail Blazers getting through the toughest portion of their schedule
• Where the Trail Blazers are at in the standings and where they rank in some of the important statistical categories 24 games into the 2022-23 season
• Damian Lillard returning to action after missing two weeks with a right Soleus strain
• Gary Payton II practicing with the team and when he might make his Trail Blazers' debut
• Josh Hart's thoughts on why he's one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA
• Nassir Little missing the next six weeks with a hip injury
• And Portland's upcoming schedule heading into the new year
On this edition of The Brief Case, hosted by Casey Holdahl, topics include...
• Where the Trail Blazers stand after 22 games
• Portland losing eight of their last 10 games
• The Trail Blazers' defensive efficiency in the last 10 games
• Portland being down to 10 players due to injuries to Josh Hart and Nassir Little, amongst others
• A conversation with Damian Lillard about his rehab and when he might return
• Portland's schedule easing up after a furious two weeks, mostly on the road
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl recaps Portland's loss to the Clippers on Tuesday, Anfernee Simons' thoughts on what went wrong, Portland's defensive rating taking a dive in the last week, an update on how the Trail Blazers are faring versus the spread, a lengthly rundown of all the injury issues currently facing the team and whether they might be able to take advantage of a lighter schedule in December.
On this edition of the Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses Portland going 1-2 on their three-game homestand, losing to the Utah Jazz Saturday night, Damian Lillard re-aggravating his right calf, what he said about the injury and how long he might be sidelined, starting a four-game road trip off in Milwaukee, Portland failing to cover in their last three games and how they rank in offensive and defensive rating after a difficult week of games.
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Casey Holdahl discusses the Trail Blazers being in first place in the West a month into the 2022-23 NBA season, where the team ranks in some of the important statistical categories, dropping their last two games versus the spread, the loss to the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night at Moda Center, the team reportedly signing Ibou Badji to a two-way contract, how much time the team has spent away from Portland during the month of November, an injury update on Gary Payton II, the upcoming four-game road trip and closing out a three-game homestand Saturday night versus the surprising Utah Jazz.
On this edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl discusses the Trail Blazers going 4-2 on their now-completed six-game road trip, where the team sits in the standings and their rankings in the important statistical categories, their record versus the spread and why you might consider thanking Anfernee Simons, Greg Brown being assigned to the G-League, the PDX Carpet "City" edition jerseys, Damian Lillard's thoughts on his teammates hitting game-winning buzzer-beaters, the upcoming three-game homestand and when Gary Payton II may or may not make his Portland debut.
On this edition, recorded at the team hotel in Phoenix, Casey Holdahl looks at where the Trail Blazers rank in some of the important statistical categories, the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA's two-minute report stating there were two missed calls and one incorrect call that all went against Portland and whether there is value in the NBA releasing such information, the current state of the Trail Blazers' injuries and a brief preview of the six-game trip.
On this edition of The Brief Casey, Casey Holdahl discusses where the Trail Blazers are at in the standings and their rank in a few important statistical categories after six games, Damian Lillard's right ankle strain and when he might return to the court, Shaedon Sharpe's first start versus the Rockets and what his teammates thought of the performance, the upcoming game versus the Grizzlies on Wednesday and finishes up an interview with Josh Hart, who recently entered the NBA's concussion protocols, about the mentality he brings to the game and what he hopes teammates take away from his competitive nature.
On this edition of The Brief Case podcast, Trailblazers.com's Casey Holdahl discusses where the Trail Blazers stand after four games both in the standings and in some of the important offensive and defensive statistics, Portland's success so far versus the spread, Damian Lillard's right calf strain and hear his comments about the injury and what it mean about the team as a whole, Gary Payton II's injury and the forthcoming update on his status before considering Friday's game versus the Rockets, and specifically who will get the start in Lillard's place.
On the second edition of The Brief Case, Casey Holdahl looks back at Portland's season-opening victory versus the Kings and whether they covered the spread, Justise Winslow discusses the creation of their small ball lineup, Damian Lillard gives his thoughts on the win, the Blazers sign a second two-way player and a look at the home opener versus the Suns on Friday and upcoming contests versus the Lakers and Nuggets.
On the inaugural edition of The Brief Case, a semi-weekly podcast focusing on all things Portland Trail Blazers, team beat reporter and Insider, Casey Holdahl, discusses the start of the 2022-23 season, Nassir Little's contract extension, including Little's own thoughts on the matter, the Trail Blazers season opener versus the Kings in Sacramento, Portland's history in season openers and some of the season-long wagers such as win/loss record, Damian Lillard's chances of winning MVP and Shaedon Sharpe's odds for Rookie of the Year.
Trail Blazers beat reporter and insider Casey Holdahl previews The Brief Case, a new, semi-weekly podcast covering all things Trail Blazers.