Rip City Is Real

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers.

This is not to say that I dislike the team, only that I grew up supporting a different franchise and that my childhood loyalties have grown stronger as the years have worn on. Yet, watching this series between Portland and Houston has me wondering why the Trail Blazers can’t be the Western Conference’s representative in the 2014 NBA Finals.

Oddly enough, the reason that I find myself rooting for the Trail Blazers in these playoffs has nothing to do with their All-Star point guard, Damian Lillard, or their All-Star forward, LaMarcus Aldridge.

Don’t get me wrong, Lillard has played like a savvy veteran despite these first five playoff games being the only postseason exposure of his young career. His stats are up across the board, as he has seen increases in every relevant category. Compared to the regular season, his points per game have gone up nearly five points, his assists per game have risen by almost two, and his rebounds per game have almost doubled. In Game 1, when LaMarcus Aldrige fouled out late, Lillard—in the first playoff game of his career!—put the team on his shoulders and secured the victory on the road.

Of course, when LaMarcus Aldrige has played, he has finally been able to showcase the skills that Portland fans have known about for years. He has also seen his numbers rise during this series, as his points per game have risen by nearly seven, and his blocks per game have tripled. With a soft mid-range jumper that releases at a height that cannot be blocked, Aldridge has given the Houston defense fits. He is easily the most underrated All-Star in the league, and a refreshing contrast to the two extremely-popular-yet-struggling Rockets, Dwight Howard and James Harden.

With each game, the Trail Blazers become more likable, more entertaining, and more likely to advance. Their entire team has a chemistry that is usually reserved for the likes of Miami and San Antonio. From the perspective of a non-fan, it seems as though the players genuinely enjoy each other and the game, which is easily noticeable when juxtaposed next to Houston’s James Harden dancing around before jacking another three and Dwight Howard throwing his arms in the air with each whistle.

Still, all of this chemistry would mean nothing if the Trail Blazers didn’t have the player that has made me a 2014 postseason fan of the team; the player that doesn’t seem to get headlines, but still gives full effort each night. The reason why I am rooting for the Trail Blazers to win the championship this year is because of one player.

That player is Wesley Matthews.

Matthews won me over during (I think) Game 4, when the ball ended up in Dwight Howard’s hands late in the game. Matthews drifted away from his man, and perfectly timed a swipe at the ball that poked it free from Howard’s control. Both men, Howard and Matthews, ended up on the floor and, despite being six inches shorter and 45 pounds lighter, Matthews ended up coming away with the ball.

As the Blazers called time out, retaining possession, Matthews stood and yelled towards the crowd.

Maybe it’s the play of Lillard and Aldridge, ever reliable, that makes me think this Portland team has a chance. Maybe it’s the fact that 1-seed San Antonio has struggled with 8-seed Dallas or the crazy series between 2-seed Oklahoma City and 7-seed Memphis that has me thinking that this year’s West is wild enough for any team to make the Finals.

Maybe it’s the defense of Wesley Matthews, who has been tasked with defending James Harden throughout the series. While Harden is averaging his usual 25 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game, he is doing it on seven more shots per game, three of those being three-point attempts. His shooting percentages have also dropped by 11 percentage points (both overall and on three-point attempts) as Matthews has lived in his pocket during each game, making it impossible for one of the league’s premier scorers to find a rhythm.

Whatever the reason, if this Portland team makes a deep playoff run I will always credit it to that single Game 4 moment, when Matthews wrestled the ball from a giant, and screamed victory into the stands.

Game 6 is coming to the Moda Center, and with a potential Game 7 set to be played in Houston, this might be Rip City’s best chance to show why they are considered one of the best fan bases in the league.

I believe in the Blazers; I believe in Rip City.

I believe in Wesley Matthews.