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Randolph NBA's Most Improved

Apr 22, 2004 11:43 AM EST

Portland Trailblazers' F Zach Randolph will receive the NBA's Most Improved Award after beating out Cleveland's Carlos Boozer and Grizzlies' James Posey in a runaway vote. This was a season in which Randolph more than doubled his production in all three major categories--2003/04 stats: 20.1ppg, 10.5rpg, 2.0apg compared to those of 2002/03: 8.4ppg, 4.5rpg, and 0.5apg.

Randolph received 59 first place votes, compared to Boozer's 12 and Posey's 17.

Via cbs.sportsline.com

Portland Trail Blazers

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76ers quickly find a coach: O'Brien

Apr 21, 2004 6:22 AM EST

Jim O'Brien wasn't unemployed for long.

On Tuesday, the former head coach of the Boston Celtics was hired by the Philadelphia 76ers as their new head coach.

A press conference is scheduled for 3p.m. on Wednesday at the Wachovia Center to introduce O'Brien to the media.

O'Brien's contract is a multi-year deal believed to be worth at or more than $3 million a season.

O'Brien was 139-119 with the Celtics, which was his only NBA head coaching job until this one.

The Portland TrailBlazers are relieved that the 76ers didn't come after their coach Maurice Cheeks, who Portland denied Philadelphia to talk to last year.

"Now we can go about our business without further distraction," Blazers general manager John Nash said last night, adding that persistent speculation about Cheeks "was baseless because Philly never asked us about Maurice Cheeks."

Chris Ford, who became the team's interim head coach after Randy Ayers was fired on February 10, is interested in staying with the team and plans on to chat with 76ers president and general manager Billy King about that possibility.

Via Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers

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Artest named best Defender

Apr 19, 2004 3:13 PM EST

On what seems to be Ron Artest day on the Wiretap; today he was named the Defensive Player of the Year. He recieved 476 out of 605 votes. 2 time winner Ben Wallace came in 2nd place followed by Theo Ratliff.

"Artest, however, will miss the Pacers' next game after he was suspended for one game by the NBA on Monday for leaving the bench during a confrontation in the team's win Saturday over Boston in the opening game of the first-round playoff series. The Pacers won the game 104-88"

Via Yahoo!

Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers

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Trail Blazers Apr 2004 Archive

  • Blazers may try to trade for Ray Allen

    Tacoma News Tribune | Apr 17, 2004

    The Portland Trail Blazers on Friday said that they wanted to trade one of their four forwards, and speculation in Portland is that it will be Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the player - along with Theo Ratliff - for whom the Blazers traded Rasheed Wallace.

  • Sabonis MVP of Euroleague's Top 16

    euroleague.net | Apr 17, 2004

    The one and only Arvydas Sabonis has been voted the Top 16 MVP by media from all across Europe.

  • Ford meets with King about head-coaching vacancy

    Philadelphia Daily News | Apr 17, 2004

    Chris Ford threw his hat in the ring yesterday as a candidate to become the full-time coach of the 76ers.

  • Arvydas Sabonis MVP of Euroleague's Top 16!

    euroleague.net | Apr 17, 2004

    The one and only Arvydas Sabonis has been voted the Top 16 MVP by media from all across Europe.

  • Nuggets stake playoff claim

    Denver Post | Apr 13, 2004

    On a glittering, star-studded night that included the likes of Michael Jordan, the Denver Nuggets earned its first playoff berth in nearly a decade, defeating the Sacramento Kings 97-89 before a deafening sellout crowd.

  • Shawn Kemp joins USBL

    Yahoo! | Apr 12, 2004

    Six-time allstar Shawn Kemp signed a contract with the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League.

  • Move west works well for Miles

    Indianapolis Star | Apr 11, 2004

    Darius Miles has found a home in Portland, reviving his four-year NBA career after being written off as a bust.

  • Hall to welcome Clyde the Glide

    Houston Chronicle | Apr 5, 2004

    Is there a player who slipped more under the radar in the eighties and early nineties than Clyde Drexler? Making way for the more well known stars of his era - Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dominique Wilkens, Isiah Thomas - Drexler was the heart of the Trailblazers, coming close to leading Portland to a championship on numerous occasions before finally coming home and playing a key role on the Houston Rockets championship team in 1995.

  • Talk of Cheeks' Philly return persists

    Philadelphia Enquirer | Apr 2, 2004

    John Nash was the general manager in New Jersey one year, helpless to move on, even though four other teams - including the 76ers - were interested in hiring him.