It is officially official … the Portland Trail Blazers are the surprise team of the NBA this season. After beating the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, they have clinched a berth into the NBA Playoffs.
This Blazer team is the same team that only returned one starter from last year’s team.
This Blazer team is the same team that Vegas thought would win 26 games.
This Blazer team is the same team that no one gave any chance of making the NBA Playoffs.
Not only is it impressive that the Blazers are headed to the Playoffs, it is historical. The 2015-2016 Blazer team is the only playoff team to make the playoffs the next year after returning only 2 players that played 1000 or more minutes the year before.
That stat is only more impressive when you realize that one of those players that played over 1000+ minutes last year was Chris Kaman. With two games left in the season, Kaman has only played 112 minutes this season. He really hasn’t been a factor on the court this season.
As one of the youngest, and more inexperienced, teams in the league, no one expected the Blazers to come together the way that they have. Damian Lillard has carried this team on his back. CJ McCollum has turned into one of the best shot-creating shooting guards in the league. Al-Farouq Aminu is has shown his versatility and tenacious defense. Mason Plumlee has shown what he can do as a starting center in the league. Ed Davis’ hustle and grit have helped him become a fan-favorite. Maurice Harkless has been one of the biggest surprises on the team in the second half of the season. No one saw this team coming together the way that they have.
So, what’s next for the Blazers? Can they continue their winning ways, against one of the Western Conference best teams?
The most likely first-round matchups for the Blazers are either the Clippers or the Thunder. Either matchup poses major problems for the Blazers. If Portland has their way, they will win their next two games and get the 5th seed in the West and play the Clippers.
A matchup between Damian Lillard and Chris Paul sounds like a lot of fun to me. The main problem, the Clippers front court. Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin are both stars in this league. The Blazers have had a lot of their success lately playing small-ball, starting Maurice Harkless at power forward. That could be an incredibly difficult matchup for the Blazers.
On the other hand, who could doubt these Blazers? Before the season, I didn’t think that this team would even be close to the Playoffs at this point, so who am I to think they can’t win a first round matchup?
The Blazers entered the season as an underdog; now, they enter the playoffs as an underdog. With Lillard running the point, and coach Terry Stotts on the bench, this team has shown they can far exceed expectations.
What many thought would be a 3-5 year rebuild is now officially on the fast-track. Adding playoff experience to this young roster will pay dividends in the years to come. Sit back and enjoy the Blazers’ playoff run, and dream about just how bright the future is for this team!
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