Spring Break
Oden and Blazers living up to hype
Lauren Dillard
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Sports
Take a gander to the north and, low and behold, there actually IS an NBA team that plays in Portland after all.
I have lived in the valley for six years now and wasn't quite sure if I would ever get to see a decent team surface at the Rose Garden. Those days are over. The Blazers aren't a decent team - they are a good team.
Blazer fans must have looked at the early schedule, which included a five-game roadie after the first four games were against the likes of the Lakers, Jazz, Suns and Spurs and thought, "Just get out of the first 18 games at 8-10."
They are going to exceed that in a huge way. The schedule opens up a bit once December hits with games against the Knicks, Wizards, Clippers and Kings. Things are setting up nicely for the Blazers to do the same thing they did last year: roll into the New Year in first place.
This team, however, can hold on to it.
The holidays will roll around, and the Blazers should find some sugar and spice; Martell Webster's return will be nice. Santa came early and brought with him a guy named Greg Oden - remember him? He scored 22 points, with 10 rebounds in a loss earlier this week (one that the refs had a hand in) and looks like, if healthy, he will average a double-double the rest of the way.
The presence of Oden and return of Webster will certainly help. However, it's the emergence of Travis Outlaw that may lead to big things in the Rose City as we roll toward a possible playoff berth in April.
ESPN.com has the Blazers' playoff chances at over 88 percent right now. I know it's a bit early to be looking at that type of thing, but why not? It's been a half-decade since there was legitimate hope for May hoops in Portland.
Whether a deep playoff run is in the cards remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though; I think it's time to start making playoff plans for this team.
In the West, the Lakers, Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans and Utah are all automatic playoff teams. That leaves four teams to fight for the three remaining spots: the Blazers, Denver, San Antonio and Golden State. Denver and Portland look like the two best of those teams, with the Spurs dealing with age and injuries and the Warriors being, well, the Warriors.
I have lived in the valley for six years now and wasn't quite sure if I would ever get to see a decent team surface at the Rose Garden. Those days are over. The Blazers aren't a decent team - they are a good team.
Blazer fans must have looked at the early schedule, which included a five-game roadie after the first four games were against the likes of the Lakers, Jazz, Suns and Spurs and thought, "Just get out of the first 18 games at 8-10."
They are going to exceed that in a huge way. The schedule opens up a bit once December hits with games against the Knicks, Wizards, Clippers and Kings. Things are setting up nicely for the Blazers to do the same thing they did last year: roll into the New Year in first place.
This team, however, can hold on to it.
The holidays will roll around, and the Blazers should find some sugar and spice; Martell Webster's return will be nice. Santa came early and brought with him a guy named Greg Oden - remember him? He scored 22 points, with 10 rebounds in a loss earlier this week (one that the refs had a hand in) and looks like, if healthy, he will average a double-double the rest of the way.
The presence of Oden and return of Webster will certainly help. However, it's the emergence of Travis Outlaw that may lead to big things in the Rose City as we roll toward a possible playoff berth in April.
ESPN.com has the Blazers' playoff chances at over 88 percent right now. I know it's a bit early to be looking at that type of thing, but why not? It's been a half-decade since there was legitimate hope for May hoops in Portland.
Whether a deep playoff run is in the cards remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, though; I think it's time to start making playoff plans for this team.
In the West, the Lakers, Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans and Utah are all automatic playoff teams. That leaves four teams to fight for the three remaining spots: the Blazers, Denver, San Antonio and Golden State. Denver and Portland look like the two best of those teams, with the Spurs dealing with age and injuries and the Warriors being, well, the Warriors.
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