STEVE BLAKEInterview by: C. Smith HTV: You recently returned to action after missing some time in camp and most of the Blazers preseason games, how is the hamstring? BLAKE: It's actually great, I felt like when I first came back I had lost a little strength, but everyday I am working on getting that back and getting into a rhythm, but it feels pretty good right now. In a couple more days I'll be back to 100%. HTV: What elements of your game did you work on this summer? BLAKE: I tried to become a little more athletic as far as exploding to the basket and I tried to get stronger so I can get into the paint, take the contact better and finish better or create shots for other guys. Those were the main things. I always work on everything else too - get jumper more consistent, ball handling, etc. I never just focus on one thing. HTV: In your opinion, how has Greg Oden looked? BLAKE: Great. He's a great low post presence. He's definitely going to be a weapon for us. He rebounds well, he's strong down low and he finishes everything strong and he's going to be a big part of this team. HTV: Do you guys give Oden shit for all the photos on the web of him partying with college kids? BLAKE: (Laughs). No I really haven't see too many of those. But the whole team is always messing with each other so I am sure he's gotten it from some guys. HTV: Do you or anyone else on Blazers own a "My Grandma went to school with Greg Oden" T-Shirt? BLAKE: No and I haven't seen any of the other guys wearing it, but I am sure I'll see a lot of away game with fans wearing them. HTV: Coming off the Olympics there was a lot of buzz about Rudy Fernandez and his skills. What are your impressions so far? BLAKE: I am very impressed. I had heard a lot about him, but had not seen him play too much until he got here. He definitely has a chance to be a big time player. He can handle the ball, he can shoot, he can pass. He seems like a really good teammate. I am excited that he is on this team and Rudy is going to be a big part of our success as we go forward. HTV: Nicolas Batum, the 19 year old rookie from France got a lot of minutes and even started some games in the preseason and Coach McMillan just announced he will start the 2008-09 season opener for the Blazers. What have you seen in his game so far? BLAKE: He's got great defensive instincts. He's got a long reach so he gets his hands on a lot of balls and a lot of rebounds. For his young age and not knowing the language very well, he's knows where to be on the floor. He's aggressive and doesn't back away from shots. He's been doing very well and he's only going to get better as the year goes on. HTV: One NBA season preview cited you staying healthy and on the court in order to provide some leadership as a big key to Blazers having a successful season. How does that make you feel? BLAKE: It's good to hear. It's always nice to hear people say positive things about you. I just have to be out there to direct people and get to the ball to the right people and keep everybody happy. I don't have too much pressure on me because these guys are so good. I just run the offense and do my thing out there - hit some open shot, play defense and direct everybody a little bit. HTV: The Blazers are deep at point and you have a lot of young cats coming after your playing time, how do you keep ahead of the young guys? BLAKE: I try to do it by working hard every summer. I keep in good shape and I am never happy, so I am always working to get better. But no matter about the competition, we're all on the same team, so I help them out as much as I can. I try to be a good teammate. Things fall the way they do and if someone takes some of my minutes, that's fine with me. HTV: Is it a point guard's dream now in Portland to come down the floor and look at all the options you have for scoring the rock? BLAKE: It's become normal now, but I am very lucky to be in the situation I am in. HTV: Are the Blazers a playoff team this year? BLAKE: I believe so. I think we have a lot of talent, but a lot of room for improvement as well. We have a lot of depth at every position and I think if we put it all together, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be in the playoffs. HTV: Do you have any personal goals for the 2008-09 season? BLAKE: No. I don't worry about stuff like that. I worry about the team. HTV: This is the first year in a long time that there are expectations for a good season in Portland. Are those expectations weighing on this young team? BLAKE: No. The only expectations we are worrying about are the ones we put on ourselves. We talk all the time about getting better and sticking together as team when things are going good or bad. We know that we can win games and we believe in each other and if we keep doing that, we have great shot at making the playoffs and making a push. HTV: What is the buzz like around the city Portland for this Blazers season? BLAKE: It's crazy. Everybody is talking about it. Everywhere I go, people talking about how much they love watching us play again and they're excited to go to the games again. It's a lot different then three years ago, the first time I was in Portland. People where down on the team and the players. Now it has done a total 180 and it's back to the old days when the Garden was sold out every night and going to the games was a main attraction (in Portland). I am excited to be a part of it all. HTV: So fans seem genuinely happy that the "Jail Blazer" days are behind them? BLAKE: (Laughs) Yeah, they talk about how they are happy to have a good group of guys here that have a chance to win and play the game the right way. It goes both ways. People have a lot of respect for us and we have a lot of respect for the fans as well. HTV: How do you see the West shaping up this year? BLAKE: It's a tough call. The Lakers are going to be great. Utah is going to be great, so is San Antonio. But there are a lot of teams out there that can really play and I don't know how it is going to fall. We're going to improve a lot and there are some other teams that will improve so it is going to be interesting and I can't say right now how it will all fall into place. HTV: You've been traded a couple of times in your NBA Career (Portland to Milwaukee then Milawaukee to Denver). Talk about the experience of being traded. BLAKE: I guess it all depends on whether or not you wanted to be traded. The first time I got traded from Portland, I didn't want to be traded. My wife was a couple weeks away from having a bay and we were comfortable there. We didn't think it was going to happen and then it did, so it was kind of a shock. So I took a detour to Milwaukee and things did not go well for my career there. The next time I got traded was to Denver, which turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. I got play with 'Melo and A.I. on a playoff team. I got to start and play forty minutes a game, so that was a blessing. It all depends on where you are coming from and where you are going. HTV: Tell us a little more about your time in Denver. Most point men would kill for the opportunity to have two scorers like A.I and 'Melo on their team. BLAKE: It was awesome. Not only are they great players, but they are great guys and great teammates. They always treated me with a lot of respect and I have a lot of respect for them as well. They made my job easy. I pushed the ball up fast and found them in the right spots and let those two go to work. Then you just play off of them. Which is kind of like what I am doing here (in Portland) now. We've got Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and now Greg Oden down low. So as a point guard, it's nice to have those weapons. HTV: You played point guard for Steve Smith's legendary Oak Hill Academy program. Recently Brandon Jennings another former Oak Hill point man jumped straight from high school to pro ball in Italy. Do you think his time at Oak Hill will have Jennings prepared to play professionally in Italy? BLAKE: Yes. I don't know much about the overseas game, I never played there and I don't watch much on TV, but I know that playing at Oak Hill prepares you better for the next level, whatever that may be, then any other high school. It not only the talent on your own team that you are practicing against everyday, it's the fact that you are away from home and traveling, so you get used to that and you play against the best teams in the country. HTV: Would you ever consider jumping from the NBA to Europe? BLAKE: It'd be tough. The money would have to be a lot better because I have a wife and two kids and another one on the way, so I don't know if I would want to take them over there. I am sure it would be a great experience, but I enjoy being here in America, I love where I live right now and I have had some success playing in the NBA. It would be tough to leave. HTV: It's been 6 years since you and Juan Dixon led the Terps to the NCAA title. What do you make of the turmoil inside the Maryland program right now? BLAKE: It makes you upset when you hear people say negative things about Coach Williams becaue I think he is a great coach and does everything he can to keep the program on top. So it frustrates me when I hear people who supported us before switch their position all of the sudden. They have some great guards there right now and it will get turned around again, it just may take some time. HTV: When you see Juan or Chris Wilcox or your other team mates from that NCAA title squad, do you discuss the Terps recent struggles? BLAKE: Not too much. When we do have the chance to talk, we talk about our families or what is going on in our lives at the time. Juan is around it more then I am because he is playing for Wizards and I am sure he'll help out in any way he can, but Coach Williams will get it back on track. HTV: Do you still talk to coach Williams? BLAKE: Yes, I talk to him a lot. He's definitely a guy I enjoy talking to and we talk NBA and college and other things. I'll always keep in touch with him. HTV: You and James Jones played on the same AAU team out of Miami? How good were you guys? BLAKE: We were real good. We had Jones and Udonis Haslem and Antonio Lattimore and myself. HTV: Which basketball players did you admire as a kid? BLAKE: I really respected the way John Stockton played. In high school, I loved watching Jason Kidd play. I tried to pattern my game a little bit after them. But I really just went out there and played the way my dad and my coaches taught me. HTV: What are listening to on your Ipod these days? BLAKE: I listen to Lil' Wayne a lot. He's definitely really good and the main artist I listen to right now. HTV: What is your favorite NBA city to travel to for away games? BLAKE: There are a lot of great cities. Toronto is pretty cool and I like going to Miami because that is where I am from and I get to see some old friends. LA is cool because of all the famous people at the games. HTV: Do you still root for the Miami Heat or look to see how they are doing? BLAKE: That was my team growing up, but I don't root for them any more. I only root for Portland now. HTV: Kobe or Lebron? BLAKE: (Laughs) I can't give you an answer. I think they are both great players. HTV: Lebron, Kobe or MJ -- who ya got? BLAKE: I never played against MJ, but from what everyone says, MJ was the best, so I'll go with that.
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