Why the Trail Blazers Will Make the Playoffs
Staying relevant in the NBA is getting harder and harder for small market teams.
The Portland Trail Blazers are no exception, as Rip City has seen four out of its five starters from last year jettison off to bigger stages. In a matter of days, one of the most talented starting fives had split up. Dallas, New York, and San Antonio were the new homes of players fans adored so much. Without a doubt, the dagger in the heart was the news that
, a franchise legend in the making, would call it quits and jump on the Spurs bandwagon. The lynchpin to their success had just disappeared. Luckily, GM Neil Olshey had a plan if Aldridge left. Albeit not flashy, he had assembled a formidable roster for the new year.
So here we are, just a week before the season opens at Moda Center. No Aldridge, no Wes Matthews, no Robin Lopez, or Nic Batum, or even Aaron Afflalo. Yet, the way I see it? No problem. For every rebuilding team, the first order of business is finding one special talent. One guy who can elevate those around him.
As it stands right now, this team is fully capable of competing for the 7th or 8th seed.
Each and every winning team has what I’m talking about. Golden State has
, Cleveland has
, and the Grizzlies have
. The good news for us Blazers fans, is that we already have that guy. There is no doubt in my mind that
is the future of this franchise. With that taken care of, the next order of business is assembling solid talent around him. Playoff tested players
and
are still around, and new (lengthy) additions
,
and
give this team a freakishly athletic front line. So what am I saying? That the Blazers will get the one seed and win the Finals? No. And that’s OK. As it stands right now, this team is fully capable of competing for the 7th or 8th seed.
Go take a look at the 2013-14 Phoenix Suns, a team projected to finish near last in the Western Conference. Coming down to the last game of the season, they had a fighting chance to snag the 8th seed from the Mavericks.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts reacts during a NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Finishing just one game back, they didn’t get the job done. But for a team to finish much higher than anticipated, it’s worth researching to see what made them click. Lucky for Blazer fans, I see a lot of similarities between that Suns team, and our current roster.
In the 2013-14 season, no team scored more fast break points than Phoenix, with 18.7 FBP/G. Much like the Suns that year, this Portland team is built to run. In comparison to last season, where Aldridge led the team to 26th in FBP/G, this team is hungry to get up and down the court. In addition, if the preseason is any indication, Terry Stotts is poised to have this team going 100 MPH.
Also much like the Suns, the Trail Blazers have a really solid set of starting guards in Lillard and McCollum, and a nice core of young, tall players to complement them. Guys like Channing Frye, Markieff Morris and Gerald Green can easily be mirrored by Leonard, Aminu and Harkless, showing how much these two rosters are alike.
For Blazer fans who are gearing up for a grueling, under .500 year, I have a simple message: go see the roster, with its depth, length, and similarities to a 2013-14 Suns team that nearly made the playoffs. Take a look, and take heart. These Trail Blazers have a shot.