British basketball star Joel Freeland to make his NBA debut for Portland Trailblazers against Los Angeles Lakers I've got to be ready. I'm going to be playing "minutes throughout the season. I can't expect to jump my way to the top of the list, I've got to put the hard work in and earn my minutes. Portland know that I am not fresh out of college but at the end of the day, in this League, I am still a rookie. I've got things to learn. It wouldn't really matter to me who we opened up against because every team in the NBA has great quality and amazing players but to play against the Lakers will be incredible. To be up against Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol an to even be on the same court as Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash is going to be amazing but we have got a job to do. We have got to get the win, some how some way and I think we are ready to do that. We have got a young team with a lot of energy and not a lot of experience. Five of the squad are NBA rookies with no NBA minutes but we are looking good. Watching on from afar on Wednesday will be Freeland's longtime mentor Jimmie Guymon, still reckoned to be the best import ever to play in Britain, who arrived in the 1970s when he played for Crystal Palace and liked the place so much he stayed. Guymon, an accountant, later played for Solent Stars where he coached and first spotted Freeland's exceptional talent when he turned up as a 16 year old looking to switch sports after suffering a bad leg break playing football. "Joel came to the game later than most after his football injury and never ceases to surprise me," says Guymon "It will be very tough out there, especially this first season, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Joel doesn't come through and make a real success of it. Every time you set him a new level he gets there. Regardless of him being in the NBA or not Joel is still at least two years short of being the most complete player he can be because he is still catching up in terms of experience after playing so little Basketball early on. To my mind he has got two really big things going for him. He is a very quick learner - show him how to do something and he will repeat and execute - and he is naturally very aggressive and competitive. Joel is completely fearless, he has no hang ups about taking on the very best players and in fact he often produces his best games against the biggest names. That is going to be useful because virtually every night in the NBA he will be going up against a world class performer. He needs to stay motivated and he will be. Now, at the age of 25, is the perfect age, for Joel to become and NBA player. He is a really good athlete for a big guy and that's another good factor, his speed around the court and agility. I expect there will be pressure for him to baulk up a bit but you wouldn't want to lose his athleticism. It will be a balancing act but it would be great for the British game if he can come through.