In this 2017-18 season preview edition of the Rip City Report podcast, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman and the Trail Blazers’ Casey Holdahl discuss the Western Conference and where the Trail Blazers fit in, their playoff predictions, the decision to leave a roster spot open rather than signing a 15th player, whether the Blazers finish in the top 10 in defense, introduce a "new" feature called "Walton or Oden," and answer listener questions about Blazers nicknames, draft-night steals, NBA uniforms, seasonal beers, midlife crisis splurges, CJ McCollum’s suspension and much more.