The Portland Trail Blazers needed a win last night against the Utah Jazz, and they got just that.
The Trail Blazers had lost their last five games entering the game in Utah, and they are dealing with injuries to LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Chris Kaman, and Wesley Matthews, who is done for the season.
Four of the Trail Blazers’ top seven guys are battling injuries right now. With only 12 games left in the regular season, that’s not good, not good at all.
On top of all of that, Portland is only five games ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder for first place in the Northwest Division. The Blazers will make the playoffs, but it’s possible they could fall all the way to the 8-seed if they keep losing. Currently, Portland holds the fourth-seed because they are a division-winner, but they would not have homecourt in the playoffs because the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers have a better record by season’s end.
Before you start to panic and stress yourself out heading into the last 12 games, I’d like to urge you to stay calm. Although it feels like the sky is falling, remember one thing: The Portland Trail Blazers are ahead of schedule.
In the initial rebuilding plans, the Trail Blazers weren’t supposed to turn it around this fast. The future only looks brighter for Portland, even if the team is flying through some dark clouds right now.
Damian Lillard is only in his third season, and he’s been an All-Star twice. Portland has found the face of the future. He’s also really good and only going to get better.
If Matthews hadn’t suffered a freak injury, Portland would be right on track for the 2-seed or 3-seed in the ridiculously good Western Conference.
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It takes that kind of heartbreak to build up to a championship. It doesn’t just happen in one season. The Miami Heat lost in their first run at the title. Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls teams lost in the Eastern Conference Finals two years in a row before breaking through and winning his first championship. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant lost in the playoffs three times before they won a title.
Are the Portland Trail Blazers the equivalent of Michael Jordan’s teams or Kobe/Shaq’s teams? Of course not, but we, as fans, have to realize how long it takes to win a championship and compete for a championship. Portland is as close as they have been to reaching the Finals in the last 15 years.
I’m not throwing in the towel on this team yet, but Matthews’ injury seems to be affecting the Trail Blazers as much as it possibly could. That’s how the NBA rolls sometimes.
Let’s be honest; we never expected the Trail Blazers to be as good as they were last season. We thought they had potential, but we didn’t think they’d make the Western Conference semis in 2013-14. Even making the playoffs in the West is an accomplishment. Winning the division this year would be an accomplishment.
This season is far from over, but we need to remember how bright the future is for Portland. San Antonio and Dallas, two perennial powers, are gradually aging out. Oklahoma City and Memphis might have numbered days with their stars approaching crucial free agency periods in the next two years. There is room for Portland to grow in the West, even though the conference is really good right now.
It might take a move or two to stack up the roster, and Portland has the cap space and the quality talent and fans to attract free agents. Keep that in mind. Enjoy this season’s ride as far as it goes, but remember that should the Trail Blazers fall short of their goals, there is a lot to like about their long term outlook.