Pick & Scroll: Thursday, April 5, 2012. Road to the lottery.

Your daily (Mon-Fri) roundup of links from around the blogosphere, typically Trail Blazers related.

Alexis Harper / Portland Roundball Society

The optimism espresso is reinvigorating my Blazer stimuli, again.

No, not because last night the Portland Trail Blazers (26-29) bludgeoned former teammate Gerald Wallace during his welcome back campaign to the Rose Garden with the New Jersey Nets (19-37) 101-88. Or because Wallace shot a paltry 3-12 for eight points and finished with nine rebounds. Or even because Wallace never could get comfortable scoring against the Blazers’ bigs, and had several of his shot attempts checked at the rim.  

But rather, I’m ecstatic because the Blazers victory is not the sole reason for celebration. As many of you know, the Blazers’ lottery hopes not only depend on the culmination of their season, but also the culmination of the Nets’ season as well. 

Which is why Jason Quick’s recent Blazers Insider article for the Oregonian has me elated. Quick doesn’t report anything new, but reiterates the positive direction the franchise is bustling next year. The Blazers could own anywhere from $15 million to $20 million in cap space — the amount required to ink a marquee free-agent like Deron Williams. 

Portland also could have, in theory, two lottery picks in next year’s draft. 

On top of this, Quick reports that Team President Larry Miller is scheduling interviews with “big-name” general manager candidates.

Maybe being a Blazers fan isn’t so bad after all. 

Links:

• The rest of Quick’s article.
• The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman’s gamer from last night’s Blazers victory, which includes Wallace’s disappointing Rose Garden homecoming, and Blazers fans inability to make a sales pitch to free-agent-to-be Deron Williams after he recorded a DNP last night.
• Our own Alexis Harper inscribes the mentality of most Rip City fans post-victory: Who did we really want to win?
• Back at the O, Mike Tokito had a chance to sit down for a Q&A with Wallace about the trade. Unsurprisingly, Wallace was not entirely illuminating with his responses, but did say he misses the Portland love. 
• Maddison Bond continues his expert dissection of Portland’s noobs. Meet: Luke Babbit.

Thoughts, ideas and challenges to 1-on-1 games, are happily accepted in the comments section.