How is Portland maintained this pace out West without those two key pieces?

Well, first, I want to give credit to Dame Lillard.

Dame Lillard is your favorite basketball players.

Favorite basketball.

That's what Dame Lillard is, right?

He is a guy that all of us enjoy watching.

We enjoy his approach to the game we've, and we've enjoyed it since the beginning since his rookie year.

But also it's been Gary Trent Jr.

Who's been playing great stepping in for C.

J.

McCollum and then also in his cancer, has helped fill that middle with no Nurkic.

So sometimes other guys have to step up and and his cancer has been rebounding the ball like a monster since since he's been kind of pushed into the lineup and then Gary Trent Jr has been playing great.

So Dame has always led the way, but he's also had help from other guys on their like, kind of in their secondary group.

Step up to fill in those gaps.

Yeah, I think, Carmelo, you gotta give, you know he's a veteran, but the leadership, that's what I credited to the Carmelo Anthony leadership.

It reminds me of like like we talked about before Chauncey and the Clippers.

When I went to Washington, I wasn't the player I was before, but I felt like I brought them that leadership, the guy down the stretch you could go to, and that's what Carmelo has done for them.

And then can we start giving Dame some EVP credit?

I mean, come on.

He's without C J.

McCullough, who clearly was having the All Star.

Yeah, this guy has to be one of the most underrated basketball players over the last 56 years.

E mean for what he's done for the city of Portland.

E mean, what more do you want this guy to do?

And then he's like, I don't wanna go be on a super team.

I don't want a team, But now, be careful with that.

See, I always want to.

So Yanis Yanis said the same thing.

He doesn't wanna go nowhere, but guys can come play there like like David, like Portland, cause I'm not gonna eso he's he's not anti super team.

You just anti leaving to go to you know what?

Damian Lillard is in favor of Supermax, which is what he got to stay there as well.

And you're right about Melo, Paul.

The last six games for Carmelo in particular, effective as ever for the 10 time All Star.

Increase the scoring margin by more than seven a game if you compare it to the same stretch from before.

Right earlier.

Melo, Ogi, Melo in the house.

Take the take the old bones A little bit of time to get warmed out.

Take about 30 game.

Think about when I got out there and took me about 30 games to get ready way.

Now welcome in our senior MBA insider, Adrian Word Janowski Won't you've talked to the Blazers front office?

So what have they attributed?

Portland success, Despite all the injuries they've had to overcome, Uh, racially.

I talked to a new low shape Portland's president today.

And, listen, he had hoped that he had built a roster.

Um, that was his deepest they've had in Portland and his time there, and that it could possibly sustain injuries or in a season with soft tissue injuries, covert issues, and it's done just that.

I mean, the the Blazers are 15 and 10, their fifth in the West.

They beat the Sixers twice in the last week, and that's without C.

J.

McCollum, who had been having his best MBA season, probably was headed to the All Star Game with the kind of start he had, obviously, the loss of their two big men near Kitchen Zach Collins.

But Carmelo Anthony, Rachel, uh, his second year in Portland.

And listen, you've seen and you you detailed the off the offensive production you've seen from him in this stretch almost 23 points a game.

Uh, keep this team winning here in the last week.

We can have, you know, But Neil really pointed to his leadership and the role he's played in that locker room with vets with young players.

It reminds him of when he was the G m of the Clippers and they brought Chauncey Billups in L.

A.

You know, Chris Paul was the face of that franchise.

He was the leader, and he sees the similarities with Dame Lillard, where if nothing else, it takes some of the day to day pressure off of Lillard tohave Carmelo's presence around there and certainly dames the guy they're gonna count on to win games.

Uh, to continue to be the guy, but just the respect he commands, how he works with their coaches, you know, in that locker room, you know, that's been a part of it.

I think, beyond the production, Uh, that Portland is loved having Carmelo Anthony, and he's played a big role in a team that's going to get those players back.

Uh, you know, presumably after that, sometime after that mid season break and then you've got a Portland team one healthy, you know, that is we all expected is gonna be a really tough out in the Western Conference.

Look, any comparison to Chauncey Billups in the leadership category, That is high praise indeed.

Thank you so much.

Whoa.

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