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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 12:32 a.m., Wednesday, July 16, 2008

NBA: Young Blazer guards continue to impress

Advertiser Staff

The Portland Trail Blazers, the youngest team in the NBA last season, again got a strong showing from their young guards in a 75-74 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings in an NBA Summer League game last night in Las Vegas.

Guard Jarryd Bayless, 19, who scored 28 points in a win Monday, scored 26 last night.

The first-round pick from Arizona hit 13 of 16 free throws last night after converting 18 of 23 on Monday.

Point guard Petteri Koponen of Finland, who just turned 20, had 18 points with three assists and three rebounds. He scored 19, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, in Monday's 78-73 victory over Washington.

Another first-round pick, Nicholas Batum of France, 19, a 6-foot-8 forward whom the Blazers see as a wing defender because of his 7-foot-3 wingspan, struggled offensively, shooting 1-for-8 and scoring six points.

The trio will challenge for spots on a Blazer roster that also will add "rookie" 7-foot center Greg Oden, 20, who missed all of last season with microfracture surgery on his knee, and European star Rudy Fernandez, 23, whom the Blazers picked in last year's NBA draft.

Blazer starters from last year's 41-41 team include 6-foot-6 guard Brandon Roy, who turns 24 July 23, 6-11 forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who turns 23 on July 19, and 6-7 swingman Martell Webster, who turns 22 in December.

Top reserve Travis Outlaw, a 6-9 forward who averaged 13.3 points a game last season, turns 24 in September.