For eight teams in the NBA, this time of May is a celebration of excellence. Teams, even those on the cusp of elimination like the Warriors and Knicks, are receiving high praise for competing for spots in their respective Conference Finals. For an excellent team like the San Antonio Spurs, the month of May is nothing special. Spurs fans expect to make it to the second round, and the team always delivers.
For the Portland Trail Blazers, the month of May is officially vacation season. It's been thirteen years since the Blazers have emerged victorious from the first round of the playoffs. These long years have been bittersweet for the team's fans. The month of May sure has been tough for me.
It's no fun, year after year, watching the second round of the playoffs. The games and storylines are always entertaining, but while watching it's hard not think, "I wish we had that guy on our team," or "I wish the Blazers played defense with that much intensity."
It's no fun rooting against a good guy like Kevin Durant out of principal, because our franchise drafted Greg Oden over him. It's no fun watching guards like Stephen Curry and Mike Conley take all of the spotlight. I want to root for the Blazers, and I want guys like Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge to be heroes in front of nationally televised audiences.
As the playoffs roll on, I can only hope that every player on this Blazer squad is as envious of these elite teams as I am. I can only hope that they are watching these elite teams and learning from them. Desiring to not just be them, but to someday be better than them.
It is encouraging to hear that Blazer players are devoted to making themselves better this offseason. Reigning Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard will be working with Hall of Famer Gary Payton to improve his overall skill set. Nicolas Batum will take the first few months of vacation to heal his nagging wrist pains, before spending his first offseason in Portland. Alongside with improving his already well-rounded game, Batum intends to add bulk to his lengthy frame.
Aldridge, as usual, will diligently work on his offensive game. It would more beneficial to the team if he drastically bolstered his defense, but there are no complaints if he returns an even more effective scorer than he already is.
The Blazers have more potential than most teams in the league. If Lillard and Batum continue to develop, and the front office surrounds the core three with more talent, then the month of May might someday mean more basketball for Portland. Until then, I'm rooting for Memphis.
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