We Have A Take: A Portland Trail Blazers Fan Podcast

2:03 Recapping the night honoring the 1999-2000 team.19:00 Dunk updateThen, We had a talk about YOUR takes. What's on your mind, Takers? 28:25 Dave’s not here man‬ ‪@pacnwce.bsky.social‬ Take:  finding out Deni can produce like a star is the most important thing to happen to the Trail Blazers future since Cronin took over.  It’s Deni’s world, we’re just living in it32:35 Octdesertlover‬ ‪@octdesertlover.bsky.social‬ You've probably seen this one from me before but......they should sell peppermint bark year round.  I know there are other peppermint chocolate stuff the rest of the year but peppermint bark > York peppermint patties.35:30 Jason‬ ‪@hecubus01.bsky.social‬ Ok, I’ve thought of one. Robert Williams won’t be traded & will be signed to a team friendly deal in the off season.38:00  Jason ‪@hecubus01.bsky.social‬ Also the Golden Globes need to figure out some of their categories like what constitutes a comedy/musical nominee. Cinematic & Box office Achievement?! C’mon! You have the new Avatar nominated in that category & it hasn’t even come out yet!41:30  ‪Pedro‬ ‪@linssenp.bsky.social‬ I wish the Blazers (and other sports teams) would be more forthcoming with information on players injuries and their progress/rehab. What’s your take?Catherine‬ ‪@catrenzer.bsky.social‬ Sneak-attack cheering is not cool. What is that? When GS & Lakers fans flood Moda and don’t cheer for their team until they gain a good lead in the 3rd or 4th Q, and come to life only when they are winning. If you are going to cheer for your team, do it (respectfully), winning or losing.‪53:29 Keanu_reevebooks‬ ‪@jamesgameboy.bsky.social‬ Here's a crazy one: I don't care if the Blazers ever win another championship. We currently have a roster full of guys that I like watching/hearing about. As long as they're competitive/progressing, that's what I want. (Obviously I don't want the players or front office to feel that way haha)58:00 ‪Mr. 503 Gavi HaCohen‬ ‪@gavihacohen.bsky.social‬ My take is that whatever Meredith Marks did on the airplane can’t be that bad because the air marshals didn’t get involved and im tired of hearing Heather talk about it like she's Jen Shah1:06 Rose’s friend Chelsea: I feel like many people have this take, but it’s honestly just refreshing to watch these guys play. Win or lose. The entire team seems to have a fight in them and I don’t think that’s something we’ve really seen in a long time. Even when Dame was on the team way back when it often felt like he was the only one holding us up. It feels like we have a team who plays together and not just a whole bunch of guys supporting one or two others.1:10:00 Die Mad (@playest.bsky.social ) Deni is our best player but the secret MVP is actually Sidy!Our best lineup for the season was when Sidy started.Deni is 6.1 points per 100 possessions better with Sidy on the floor than withoutSharpe is 7.1 points betterToumani is 6.3 points betterJerami is 14.6 points betterGood things happen when he is on the floor.1:13: 30 Rose’s daughter:  Ollie is going to win MVP season 1:16 Rose’s husband: my year-end take in honor of the late Rob Reiner: The Princess Bride is the greatest movie of all time and 2nd place isn't close1:20 Tara and Rose’s takes

First we talk about how we’re feeling after a rough stretch of games for the Portland Trail Blazers. Injuries suck, waiting sucks, but watching a team lean into its identity, and watching young players make the most of their unexpected opportunities always warms our hearts. We talk about how Deni Avdija, Jeremi Grant, Duop Reath and Toumani Camara are keeping the team afloat while carefully falling down and quickly getting back up.  Then, We Have A Talk about Sidy Cissoko and what a surprisingly hard time getting pretty basic information about his journey to the NBA. From France to Spain to the G League to San Antonio, Sidy made a lot of stops but we still don’t know how many brothers he has or what he wore on draft night! Local media has a great opportunity here to give us a profile about Sidy (hint hint hint)0:00 Vibe Check 5:00 Smart Falls10:00 Missing games18:50 Injury slide22:00 That team ugh27:00 Article about Communication by Joe Freeman The silence is deafening: A look at 1 of the Trail Blazers’ quietest problems30:00 We have a talk about Sidy Cissoko37:30 Relative ages of Blazer players 40:00 Early life and family45:00 Languages in the locker room52:30 Basketball connections1:01:00 Time with the Ignite1:15:00 Can’t wait to see Scoot and Sidy play together on the BlazersPlea for media to do an English language profile of Sidi Cissoko1:25:00 TakesSourcesFilm Sesh with the G-League Ignite's Sidy Cissoko | The Draftdaq Sidy Cissoko 2023 NBA Draft Scouting Report | Prospect Profile | 2023 NBA Mock DraftSidy Cissoko | Meet The Rookies Interview with Michelle BeadleHow Sidy Cissoko turned depression into productivity | Pounding The RockSidy Cissoko Was Destined to Land With the Trail Blazers: 'It's a Small World'

One of two players on two-way contracts who are getting lots of playing time time season, Caleb Love was a polarizing figure throughout his college career. We did a deep dive to find out who he is, where did he come from and what was his path to the NBA? Of course, we love Love, and hope that you will too!

After catching up on the week that was the perfect trajectory for a developing team, we have a talk about Blazer Cuties in the league - guys who once played with the Blazers who made a positive impression in RipCity. We found Blazer cuties all over the league, in the G League and playing around the world. If you're wondering what happened to players from Blazers circa 2020-24 we've probably got you covered! Plus, a few remarks about guys who definitely are NOT Blazer cuties!Plus - Donvan Clingan, Deni Avdija, Robert Williams III, Caleb Love, Sidy Cissoko and Ryan Rupert all get mentioned in our weekly recap . . . .

Its that best time of year, Awards Season! We're announcing the categories for the only awards that count in Rip City, the prestigious WHAT Awards. Find out what Blazer players (and former players) have to do to get an award this season, the tweaks we've made, and old favorites that have returned. All this plus we answered Takers' questions and got to talk about tattoos, pizza, Rob Williams' ally oops, Kris Murray's steady presence, Orcas gathering in Puget Sound, Amazon Bond Girls and so much more!2:00 Most Valuable Pet (MVP)6:30 Most Valuable Blazer (MVB)7:15 Most Improved Blazer (MIB)8:00 Celebrator Man of the Year (CMotY)13:00 As yet non-specific fashion award18:00 Blazer Cutie Award (and potentially a Blazer Legend award)Taker questions25:00 Tattoo for the season29:00 Thanksgiving tables35:30 Blowout losses, Kris Murray and missing Matisse Thybulle46:00 8 pm games and Scoot’s celebrations50:30 Ranch Pizza ideas57:00 Dunks dunks dunks!(and a side trip on Coaches Challenges)1:12:00 We hate to admit it but the Houston Rockets are fun 1:19:00 Takes The Orcas Are Gathering in Puget Sound. Orcas vs Yachts1:22:00 Amazon Bond GirlsThanks to our friends who sent in questions :@hecubus01.bsky.social‬, @hecubus01.bsky.social‬, @jamesgameboy.bsky.social‬, @octdesertlover.bsky.social‬, @athoughtbytim.bsky.social‬Cutest intro/outro music ever by @shoozumoops.bsky.social

After checking in on the latest news with the team, we go back in time to reminisce about Blazer Road Trips. Thomas Robinson finds a snake in a locker, half the team gets stuck in an elevator, Carmelo Anthony joins the team in New Orleans, Gary Tent Jr makes everyone hold it while staging a photo shoot in the bathroom . . . these memories and more! Tell us what Blazer Road Trip stories you remember!1:00 Checking in on the last week of Trail Blazer Basketball15:00 Blazer Cutie Alert! Trendon Watford with his first career triple double19:00 Memorable Blazer Road Trips23:00 May 2014 Snake in the Locker Trail Blazers Greeted By Snake In San Antonio Locker Room2029 January 11 2017 Diversion due to snowhttps://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18456746/portland-snowstorm-leaves-trail-blazers-cleveland-cavaliers-scrambling-play-scheduled-game36:00 Feb 2019 Blazers get Stuck in an ElevatorStuck in the Elevator | Rip City Stories https://www.blazersedge.com/2019/2/26/18241860/portland-trail-blazers-stuck-elevator-meyers-leonard-evan-turner-enes-kanterhttps://www.nba.com/blazers/forwardcenter/team-recounts-harrowing-elevator-experience-boston47:00 November 2019 - Carmelo Anthony joins the Blazers on road triphttps://andscape.com/features/carmelo-anthony-this-is-a-second-chance-portland-trail-blazers/51:00 July 10 2020 Gary Trent Jr Fashion ShootTrail Blazers' Gary Trent Jr. has photoshoot in airplane bathroom - Sports Illustrated 57:00 December 19 2022 Damian Lillard becomes all time leading scorerhttps://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35289184/damian-lillard-becomes-trail-blazers-all-leading-scorerDamian Lillard passes Clyde Drexler to become Portland Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer 1:03 February 2023 - Stuck on the Tarmac/Where the Bleep is Tristan?https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co_f3KiAeE0/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D

SO much going on in #RipCity! 4:00 The Portland Trail Blazers are so competent!8:00 Player's seem happy 12:00 Did you hear? Coach got arrested!22:00 Beating the Gooooooooolden Warriors24:00 We love having Jrue Holiday on the team33:30 The Blake Wesley experience (may it continue soon!)42:00 Kris "The Competent" Murray51:30 Jerami Grant we hardly knew you!1:08:00 Donovan Clingan's hands1:28:00 Takes!

We were joined by the hardest working man on the Blazers beat, Chris Burkhardt of RipCity Radio and the 19:77 Podcast, to talk Trail Blazer's pre-season, our hopes for Yang Hansen and co., and to kick off the 2025-26 playlist. We think you'll think its a banger!00:01 :00 Intro, catch up, Blazer preseason00:22:00 Mark Mason appreciation00:25:00 Play list00:55:00 Coaching - has Chauncy improved as a coach? 1:20:00 TakesCutest intro/outro music ever by @shoozumoops

Today We Had A Talk about Jrue Holiday, Portland Trail Blazers' most experienced player. He's got a huge list of accomplishments, a ton of experience, a fierce love of family and community and we could not be more excited for him to be a Portland Trail Blazer. 00:00 Intro9:30 Preseason recap (so far) 30:00 All about Jrue Holiday31:00 Family and early life49:00 College, meeting his wife, Lauren Chaney58:00 Draft and rookie season, 76ers team, journey through the NBA1:05:00 Reflections on what we learned about him1:15:00 Philanthropic works1:28:00 Wrap up and odds and ends1:36:00 TakesSources(remember, some of the linked archived articles were accessed via the public library - go through your local library and use your library card to access hundreds of free resources!)2019 SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame Toya DeCreePOINT WELL MADE: Sixers' All-Star guard Jrue Holiday is a product of a tight family unit  From boy to man to all-star: The 76ers Jrue Holiday has grown into one of the NBAs top point guards.Impact for Influence: Jrue and Lauren Holiday Jrue Holiday is an Incredible Person On and Off the Basketball Court | Sloane Knows! PodcastJrue Holiday is Like Family to Andre & Evan | Point Forward Podcast S1: E8Fun bonus contentJrue Holiday as Modell's Employee Selling His Own Jersey2024 Tenacious D Award WInner

We had a lot of great listener questions and we have a question for you: what should we call listeners of the We Have A Take Podcast? Get you ideas in by telling us on Bluesky: @wehaveatake @tcbbiggs and @roselharding Cutest intro/outro music ever by @shoozumoops‪Team Mom‬ ‪@tcbbiggs.bsky.social‬: Which Blazer cutie will you miss the most? - Anonymous‪The Tortured Florist Department 🍉🍎🌺⛓️⏰‬ ‪@paintnpdx.bsky.social‬ - Stream of consciousness: Which Blazer is most into Halloween? Nate Bjorkgren deep dive? Or has that been done already? 8:00 start times: yea or nay? What’s the number one thing you would want to change in a major renovation to Moda?‪Brandon Mullen‬ ‪@brandonmullen.bsky.social‬ - Do you think the Blazers are looking to trade Scoot? I got fileted in the comments for suggesting they might!‪Jason‬ ‪@hecubus01.bsky.social‬ - Will this season be a trick or a treat?‪Keanu_reevebooks‬ ‪@jamesgameboy.bsky.social‬ - The vibes seem unbelievably good so far and everyone seems to be getting along great, in particular the young core built over the last three seasons (them going to watch Yang at summer league was so nice). I'm wondering, do Dame and Jrue feel left out?Blevins Country, Nurkic Road‬ ‪@shoozumoops.bsky.social‬ - What do you hope to see from Jrue this season on the court?‪Twenty Thousand Thorns‬ ‪@20000thorns.bsky.social‬ - Yang Hansen is a Cinnamon Bun. Discuss.‪zaphod b‬ ‪@semicolonoverdrive.bsky.social‬ - umm, I have a question. With Scoot out, who is our backup PG?‪Basketball Jones 🏀🦁‬ ‪@shawnjohn.bsky.social‬ - How great of an impact do you think nearly all games being streamed in China will have on the minutes Yang Hansen plays? Obviously he has to play up to his NBA potential but one has to think there will be a little pressure to encourage tapping into that market by extending his minutes.‪Basketball Jones 🏀🦁‬ ‪@shawnjohn.bsky.social‬ - Do you think fans are putting too much importance on the Grant/Sharpe starting conundrum or do you think it's warranted?

Tara and Rose catch up on the Kawhi Leonard news, the enshrinement of Carmelo Anthony and the 2008 Redeem Team in the Basketball Hall of Fame, plus, who was on the Blazers 2019-20 Roster (it never stops surprising us) and this season is brought to us by Deandre Ayton!1:00 Kawhi Leonard and who else is getting sweet deals? 13:00 Basketball Hall of Fame, Carmelo Anthony and the Team That Set The Conditions For the Redeem Team (long live the 2004 Olympic team)31:00 What we'll be watching for this season: Will Shaedon Sharpe play defense? 37: 00 25 point quarters40:00 Who closes games? 42:00 Jrue Holiday defense and who guards the best player on the other tea49:30 How many minutes does Donovan Clingan play54:00 What is Jerami Grant doing? 1:05:00 Takes!Cutest Intro Outro music ever by @shoozumoops

Lots of exciting things happened this summer and we're talking about our favorites5:35 Chalk Talk part 2Lots of mentions of Jerami GrantScoot will be ScootCoaches on Suits - not going to happen 32:00 Top stories of 202500:35:00 Damian Lillard returns00:38:Damian Lillard gets a no trade clause00:39:00 Team has been sold and we can get on with our lives00:51:30 Drafting Yang Hansen is going to have a big marketing impact1:01:10 Tiago Splitter joining the coaching staff1:11:50 Duop Reath got a guarantee 1:16:00 Honorable mentionsYou can find us on Blue Sky at these handles: @wehaveatake, @tcbbiggs @roselhardingThe cutest intro/outro music by Eric Peterson (@shoozumoops)

We could not be happier to be talking about the biggest free agent pick up the Blazers have ever signed. He picked us. He could have gone 28 different places, but Damian Lillard wanted to come home. We also talk first impression of Yang Hansen and how things are going with summer league, Portland has an WNBA team and we answer listener questions. Thank you to Jason, Basketball Jones, Project Hansen and Gavi HaCohen Cult Expert‬ for your great questions!@shoozumoops.bsky.social‬)

We're back to announce the winners of the 2025 WHAT Awards! Get all caught up with us and find out who won the Most Prestigious Awards In All The Land!5:25 Did the Blazers inspire the Pacers to make it all the way to the finals? 14:23 Why do weird things always happen with the Lakers? 16:15 Rose has thoughts about Love Island21:30 Listener questions53:45 WHAT Award Announcements: Best Accessorizer58:00 Most Improved Blazer1:04:00 Most Valuable Blazers1:08:00 Social Media Play of the Year1:10:00 Josh Hart Memorial Award: Blazer Legend1:18:00 Bench Celebrator Man of the Year1:23:00 TakesThanks for listening!Thanks to @shoozumoops for the cutest theme song ever!

Its the episode everyone in the locker room has been waiting to drop! Announcing our 2025 WHAT Award Nominees! We will follow up soon with info on how to vote!1:00 Coach extension6:00 Teams firing their coaches late9:00 At least we’re not [insert unlucky franchise here]17:30 Controlling what we can control22:00 Best Accessorizer:Deande AytonScoot HendersonJerami GrantJabari Walker34:00 Most Improved PlayerToumani CamaraShaedon SharpeDeni AvdijaScoot Henderson59:00 Most Valuable BlazerDeni AvdijaMike Schmitz & Andrae PattersonDeandre AytonToumani Camara1:10:00 Blazer LegendDamian Lillard scholarship at PSUJusuf Nurkic - so many reasons!ET On the BroadcastLaMarcus Aldridge spilling the tea about Olshey1:20:00 Social Media Play of the SeasonBluesky - for being there when we needed them!Blazer Social for peeks behind the scene and for going to BlueskyJerami Grant supporting local businesses on InstagramConor Bergin for surfacing the "Two Hands For Safety" information1:28:00 Celebrator Anfernee SimonsDeandre AytonDonovan ClinganScoot HendersonHonorable Mention: Rob Williams

This week we were joined by one of the busiest people we know, Rip City Radio's Chris Burkhardt. You probably know him as producer and host of Blazer's Game Day, Courtside Mondays, The 5th Quarter and the 19:77 Podcast. He also co-hosts the Trailcasters if - when!- they ever put out a new episode! We heard his basketball origin story, stories from being on the road with the team, thoughts on signs of improvement and so much more!2:00 Icebreaker: What are we rooting for in the Playoffs?  Lakers early exit, Blazer cuties making a deep run, rooting for fun teams with players we like6:00 The basketball origin story of Chris Burkhardt11:30 Blazers connection15:00 Traveling to cover the team27:00 Interacting with players33:00 How to avoid asking bad questions36:30 Differences between radio and tv43:00 What are we watching for and hoping for as the season wraps up?55:00 Question from listener: keanu_reevesbooks1:07:00 Why are there so many Keanu Reeves accounts on Bluesky?1:09:30 Takes: March Madness and College Athletics are fun! (And bring marching bands to NBA games), not ready to let go of the hustle board, can’t wait for Paige Bueckers to join the WNBAJoin us on Discord! It's a place where we can share our love for the Blazers, talk about games, and get to know other Blazer fans. Kind of like Twitter but it's not. There are different channels with different topics and you can join in where you want, and ignore the stuff you don't want to see. Give it a try! You can also find us on BlueSky @wehaveatake, @tcbbiggs @roselhardingThe cutest intro/outro music by Eric Peterson (@shoozumoops)

This week we are recapping a special event we were invited to! With a few other Trail Blazers fans, we got to meet and talk to Assistant GMs Andrae Patterson and Mike Schmitz. Both were a delight of course! We’re not reporting, we’re just vibin’ about what we heard, how we interpreted it, and what stuck with us. Topics include team building, player improvement, and leadership. We also ate Ranch Pizza in the club level and we might never go back to our regular seats.  Plus! We answer listener questions about leadership, surprise s and the coach1:00 Audra was a courtside kid! 7:00 Deni Avdija is huge9:00 Adding "Oops I Did it Again" to the playlist11:00 “Chalk Talk” event with Andrae Patterson and Mike Schmitz16:20 Overall impressions of the event21:00 Team building thoughts22:00 Players they talked the most about24:30 Value and opportunity31:40 Not expecting big changes in the off season40:00 Young veterans43:00 Leadership (and question from @BasketballJones)45:00 What player has surprised us the most (From @Hecubus72)52:00 Rose spots a ref56:10 Question from @BrandonMullen regarding coaching1:05:00 Phoenix is run like its run by an eight year old1:07:00 Tara’s take: its no fair that Club level are the only ones who get access to Ranch Pizza1:10:00 Rose’s take is a personal health update. Join us on Discord! It's a place where we can share our love for the Blazers, talk about games, and get to know other Blazer fans. Kind of like Twitter but it's not. There are different channels with different topics and you can join in where you want, and ignore the stuff you don't want to see. Give it a try! You can also find us on BlueSky @wehaveatake, @tcbbiggs @roselharding

NBA Chef Alli (@chefalli in Instagram) joined us to tell us all about what her life is like as an NBA chef! We had so much fun learning about how she got her job, how she works with her clients and what its like being trusted to feel players and their families. 1:00 Ice breaker: What is your jersey number? 5:00 Alli's basketball origin story11: 00 Alli's chef origin story13:00 (Game) day in the life of an NBA Chef16:30 What happens when a player is traded19:00 Nutrition and cookies27:00 Learning how to cook family foods35:00 How much do NBA Players eat? It depends38:00 Playoffs are intense for people around the team too48:00 Thoughts on this season's Trail Blazers55:00 Viewing the team through the lens of the the team and the family vs as fan1:06:00 Takes: Hotdogs are a sandwich, Real Housewives of Seattle should have an NBA adjacent housewife, Get Diana Taurasi and Evan Turner to comment on basketball Join us on Discord! It's a place where we can share our love for the Blazers, talk about games, and get to know other Blazer fans. Kind of like Twitter but it's not. There are different channels with different topics and you can join in where you want, and ignore the stuff you don't want to see. Give it a try! You can also still find us on Bluesky: @wehaveatake, @tcbbiggs @roselhardingThe cutest intro/outro music by Eric Peterson (@shoozumoops)

We're not saying we're goofing off or slacking for the rest of the season, it just seemed like the right time to draft Former Blazer Cuties. Who are Blazer cuties? We're glad you asked! Tune in to find out and then tell us what Blazer Cuties would you draft for your Blazer cutie dream team? 3:00 Catching up on the last week, beating bad teams, Suns have big problems and it wasn’t Jusuf Nurkic, is Jusuf Nurkic going to have an acting career? Gooooolden warriors are a zombie team that is eating everyone’s brains. Paul George is taking time off of podcasting so he can concentrate on winning. 13:00 Why don’t we get much of Shaedon and Scoot playing together? 22:00 Blazer Cutie draft (starting with loose-definitions)Rose: Ed Davis, Thomas Robinson, Rodney Hood, Allen Crabbe, Shabazz Napier, Steve BlakeTara: Greg Oden, Al Farouq Aminu, Derrick Jones Jr., Will Barton, Andre Miller, Jake Layman1:02:00 Interview with Senator Ron Wyden about Blazer Legend Bill Walton and the WNBA1:16:00 Takes: Tara: if you are tired of talking in circles about the Blazer, go watch a Bravo show. Rose: The most moves doesn’t mean the best moves.Join us on Discord! It's a place where we can share our love for the Blazers, talk about games, and get to know other Blazer fans. Kind of like Twitter but it's not. There are different channels with different topics and you can join in where you want, and ignore the stuff you don't want to see. Give it a try! You can also still find us on Bluesky: @wehaveatake, @tcbbiggs @roselhardingThe cutest intro/outro music by Eric Peterson (@shoozumoops)

1:00 Sweatshirt takes, or, what to order online at 4am10:00 Lakers game: could be worse!17:00 Charlotte Game: most relaxing viewing in memory25:00 Sidebar where we wonder who is the best former Charlotte Hornets player?30:00 What signs of development are we seeing? 35:00 We have a talk about Shaedon and who are the Blazer's guards of the future? 54:00 Who was the last Blazer center who regularly got the block and the ball? 1:05:00 Takes - some requests for media and Matisse Thybulle and post all-star break player haircutsThe cutest intro/outro music by Eric Peterson (@shoozumoops)Join us on Discord! It's a place where we can share our love for the Blazers, talk about games, and get to know other Blazer fans. You can also find us on BlueSky @wehaveatake, @tcbbiggs @roselharding