"Most teams like to have three point guards," he said. "I'd imagine they would draft somebody if they did trade one of us. There are almost always going to be three point guards. It's just what slot you're in: the starter, the backup or the third guy. I can't really worry about that."

Blake says he is progressing nicely from May 29 arthroscopic surgery to his right shoulder.

"The shoulder is doing well," he said. "I'm getting a little more movement in it every day. It's kind of a feeling-out process, but I'm pleased."

Blake separated the shoulder running through a screen Jan. 14 against Philadelphia. It was never truly right after that, although Blake continued to play.

"I'd just continue to hit people and reinjure it," Blake said. "It kind of went away and I thought it was gone, but then it came back and it got worse. It was tough to shoot. A lot of time at practices, I'd shoot with my left hand."

The 6-3, 170-pound veteran is on no real timetable of recovery, but doctors believe it will take about three months for the shoulder to heal. When the Blazers' players begin to hit town in September for informal scrimmage sessions, Blake hopes to be able to participate.

"I'll be ready to go by training camp for sure," he said.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: A 100-99 victory over San Antonio in the home opener set the stage for a 34-7 record at home, best since the 1990-91 team went 36-5. With the pressure on in a tight Western Conference playoff race, the Blazers went 19-6 over their final 25 games to grab fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round.

TURNING POINT: With Brandon Roy on the sidelines with a sore knee, the Blazers knocked off defending NBA champion Boston 91-86 at home on Dec. 30. That let them know they were capable of beating the best on a given night, even without their top player.