Slowly but surely, I'm turning into a Portland fan!
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by Oneflydude
We all know that the Western Conference is the NBA's version of the AFC in the NFL. This means that teams will have a tough time finding their way into the playoffs, even if they have a decent record. Teams like Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio are teams that have players with lots of experience in the league, giving them the ability to compete in the West. With a team that doesn't have much experience in the league, this specific team sure is playing like they do.
The Portland Trail Blazers won another game last night, extending their win streak to 11 games. Sure it was over the struggling Seattle Supersonics, but this team has shown me a lot about them in these last two and a half weeks. This is a hungry team. A young hungry team. They did start off the year 5-12 in their first 17 games, but that hasn't fazed them in these last 11. Despite the devastating blow that they suffered before the season when they heard that Greg Oden would be out for a year, it seems like that hasn't bothered them one bit. When the NBA schedule came out before the season started, people were only looking forward to this game because the number 1 and 2 draft picks were going up against each other. With Oden gone, who was going to watch this? I sure as hell wasn't, but seeing that the Blazers have won ten straight going into last night’s game, it drew interest from me as I'm sure it drew interest from other fans.
They didn't need Greg Oden and Kevin Durant to draw ratings. All they needed was a hot, young team to attract viewers. The city of Portland is getting real enthusiastic about this young teams chance this year. Fans stay involved in the game, giving this young team the confidence to go back out onto the court and win, game after game. I would have no problem comparing the fans at Portland's, Rose Garden to the enthusiasm of the fans from Boston. Yes, I did say it. This is a team full of young all stars that won't let any team get in their way or intimidate them.
The Trail Blazers are looking to be an elite team out in the West, along with teams like San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas. The big teams will look at Portland as the, "little brother" of the West coast. But the Blazers will soon be scaring these teams and when these teams start battling off against each other, I guarantee you that it will be very interesting to watch. Don't laugh now, but who would have thought that the Portland Trail Blazers would end up being a dangerous team? Trust me; this is a dangerous team. It seems like ever since Lamarcus Aldridge came back from his injury, Portland has gone to a whole other level. They may be 19th in the league in scoring, but this team has played terrific defense during this win streak, holding their opponents to 95.5 ppg. Their offense average’s just 95.3 ppg, but they do shoot a respectable 46.1% from the field. But in the games that they win, they average 101.5 ppg and shoot 48.7% from the floor. Mathematically, they are on pace to win 47 games this year but I see them winning more than that.
Sure, they'll cool down because they aren't used to winning yet. Just look at the Detroit Lions. Starting off 6-2 doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't know how to carry over the momentum. Portland is doing that at the moment. But Portland fans don't need to worry if they cool off for a quick second. They are in the Northwestern division along with the struggling Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. Those are the two teams that stand against them as a threat. Regardless of their struggles, they are still tough teams in that division and they have players with experience that could possibly get them hot and they could overtake Portland.
The Blazers head coach Nate McMillan is doing the best coaching that I've seen so far in the NBA this year. With a team full of youngsters, he's teaching them the basics of teamwork and they are applying those skills in the game, allowing them to go on this comfortable streak. It’s almost like babysitting a bunch if genius kids. The average age of the players on the Trail Blazers roster is 24.2, making them the youngest team in the NBA.
“The main thing is we know we have a lot of potential. We’re building our team, lay a foundation that is strong for future success. We can be patient with this group as far as developing because we know we are the youngest team in the NBA. At the same time we don’t want to necessarily use that as an excuse,” coach McMillan said in an interview regarding his team’s youth.
Everyone on this team is 28 years old or younger, with the exception of Raef LaFrentz who is 31, which is still pretty young. I feel that this is a very young team with lots of potential ahead of them. Help is coming from every position on the floor. Players like Travis Outlaw and Charlie Frye has stepped it up like they want to take this team far. Outlaw average's 12.3 ppg and 5.2 rpg and Frye was able to come out last night and score 14. Frye has been putting up 8.1 ppg in December and he's been taking over for their everday center, Lamarcus Aldridge who will be out for about a week. Though Brandon Roy has been averaging 23 ppg during this 11 game win streak, Outlaw and Frye has taken the pressure off of Roy so he doesn't have to feel like he's the only player helping out. The head coach, Nate McMillan isn't just relying on his starters to get the job done for him. It is also his bench that has come through. Last night, 10 of Portland's players had 15 or more minutes on the court. Jarrett Jack was able to come off of the bench and put up 17 points against Seattle. This was COMING OFF OF THE BENCH!!! Brandon Roy had to leave early due to a shot to the jaw, but he was able to come back and he also put up 17. And don't forget about Martell Webster. He's been putting up 10.3 ppg along with James Jones who has been putting up 11.7 ppg.
Portland finds themselves just a half a game behind the Denver Nuggets (whom they beat twice in their win streak), and they can find themselves on top if they continue to play they way they are. Now their fate is in their hands on whether or not they will be able to hold off Utah and Denver from trying to take that top spot away from them. They are taking on a big challenge by taking this spot away from teams that are more experienced than them. This will make teams in the West look at Portland as the team to hunt down. If this young team can take on this responsibility, than I believe that this is a team that is ready to compete, not just this year but also in the years to come. You can say that I'm making a big deal out of a 16-12 record, but if you remember when they were 5-12, you would probably be too. Sure they are only just 4 games above .500, but think of it this way...
They are better than the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Chicago Bulls, the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets. Keep in mind; those were all playoff teams last year. You can say that you weren't surprised of this teams run because of they did this last season. This is a whole different year, with teams that are supposed to be good finding themselves struggling. And teams, such as Portland who aren't supposed to pose as a threat, turning into pretty damn good teams. If I was you, I wouldn't sleep on this team even though the season is still pretty early. An 11 game winning streak really boosted this team’s confidence, and now they're being watched. I don't expect them to finish off the season 70-12 on the rare chance of them going on a 54 game win streak, but I can tell that they will have a great chance of getting to at least 45 wins. That's only if they continue playing great basketball. The pressure will hit them sooner or later, but the statistics and the youth of this team supports my feelings on this team being for real. Please give me a reason why I'm wrong.
Other Portland Notes: Darius Miles participated in five-on-five half-court scrimmages and light full-court drills during the Trail Blazers' practice on Sunday, making another step of progress from the microfracture knee surgery that has sidelined him for more than a year. Miles returned to portions of practice on Dec. 5, mostly participating in one-on-one workouts with rookie Josh McRoberts, but Sunday was the first time Miles worked into live action since starting rehabilitation 13 months ago. Miles reported no pain in his surgically repaired right knee and said he was eager to return and be a part of the resurgent Blazers season.
"It was fine, it felt good to play with more than one person," Miles said. "I'm anxious to play. I love what we are doing. I love the chemistry and everything about what's going on right now."
Blazers coach Nate McMillan said afterward there is no plan in place for Miles to return to practice full time, saying instead he would listen to team doctors and trainers and work Miles in as his body allows. Miles would not say when he hopes to actually play in a game.
