Blazers Notes: Walton, Sharpe, Henderson, Promotions, TV Deal

The Path Blazers will put on a band on their jerseys all through the 2024/25 season to honor the late Invoice Walton, in accordance with a crew press launch. Walton handed away on Might 27 on the age of 71. All of Portland’s jerseys will characteristic a tie-dye band alongside the highest of the left facet along with his “32” quantity in white. As a Path Blazer, Walton was a two-time All-Star (1977 and 1978) and led the Blazers to the NBA championship in 1977.

We now have extra on the Path Blazers:

• Anticipate Shaedon Sharpe to open a whole lot of eyes throughout coaching camp, Sean Highkin predicts in a Rose Backyard Report mailbag. Sharpe underwent core muscle surgical procedure and was restricted to 32 video games final season. He has been wholesome all summer season and took part in coaching camp with Workforce Canada earlier than the Olympics.  He additionally performed in a pro-am in Vancouver final month, in accordance with Highkin.
• In his newest mailbag, Highkin notes that the make-or-break ingredient of Scoot Henderson’s improvement is his potential to complete on the rim. As a rookie, the lottery choose shot simply 46 % on the rim, method too low for a guard along with his stage of athleticism and explosiveness.
• The group has made a variety of promotions and additions, in accordance with one other crew press launch. Gilbert Abraham has been promoted to director of participant improvement. Dr. Courtney Watson has been named director of well being and participant efficiency after beforehand serving because the crew’s head athletic coach. Chris Gerona and Jaclyn Lindell have been employed as bodily therapists, whereas Greg Hulbrink has been added as an assistant power coach.
• The Blazers have reached an settlement with Sinclair Broadcast Group to launch the ‘Rip Metropolis Tv Community,’ a community of associates all through the Pacific Northwest, to function their new TV house, in accordance with one other press launch. They’re additionally launching a paid subscription-based, direct-to-consumer streaming service, BlazerVision, this season. It’s the primary time in Path Blazers historical past {that a} majority of their video games will likely be out there to followers through easy-to-access, over-the-air tv.