Crawford Picks the Blazers

Free agent shooting guard Jamal Crawford has decided to sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources said. Crawford will have a player option for his second year.

Crawford decided to chose Portland over Sacramento and New York. Sacramento was offering a two-year deal worth $6.5 million per season, and New York, which offered $5 million over two years, sources said.

Crawford fills a big void in the Blazers roster since Brandon Roy decided to retire due to chronic knee problems. Crawford has been a 6th man for the majority of his career and has been one of the best. He brings a scoring punch that will really help take pressure off of Lamarcus Aldridge. With this signing I think Portland can be the fourth best team in the Western Conference after the Mavs, Lakers, and Thunder.

Breakout Players for 2011-2012

Who are some of the young NBA players ready to breakout this season? Last season we saw players like Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love all grow into all-star level talent. So who is ready to emerge this season?

I will breakdown the top player from all 5 positions who I think is on the verge of becoming an all-star caliber talent in 2011-2012.  Continue reading