Slowly, grimly and without remorse, the sun settled on the Portland Trail Blazers. They hadn’t stepped size-18 foot on the hardwood, yet darkness permeated Rip City, sending it to a near flat line.
The Trail Blazers were coming off a surprising, yet disappointing season, during which they ran the slowest, most deliberate offense in the league. They infamously disappeared in fourth quarters and struggled against teams with records above .500.
With a new philosophy and a few new faces, however, Portland has become dangerous. Despite a shortened preseason, the lineup has jelled into a tight-knit group, changing the Trail Blazers’ role from David to Goliath.
No longer does Portland take it slow. No longer does it fade away down the stretch. No longer does it bow down to the elite nor rely on its star player to carry the club.
At 6-2, the Trail Blazers have tallied the most wins and points through eight games since 1999-2000 – the year Portland fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and the last season the Trail Blazers advanced past the the first round of the playoffs. Could that magic return to the Rose City? Expect it.
The Trail Blazers have done away with time consuming possessions. They’ve scrapped the idea of the go-to player. Instead, Portland pushes the ball up the floor at the third-fastest rate in the league. Its receiving contribution from all over the roster, with six players averaging double figures.
Naturally, LaMarcus Aldridge sets the tone with 22.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while getting help from new teammates Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford. The underlying story, however, surrounds Wesley Matthews and Gerald Wallace.
Five times Matthews has gone for at least 15 points. Six times Wallace has registered a field goal. Portland’s record on those occasions: 5-0 and 6-0, respectively.
That balanced attack starts on the opposite end of the floor.
While Portland’s defense may not be the most stifling (the Trail Blazers allow a better shooting percentage than their own), its transition offense puts pressure on opponents to retreat quicker than they’d like.
Everything revolves around that new run-and-gun system. Defensively, the threat of a quick transition offense forces opponents to shy away from offensive rebounding. It takes its toll on the opposition. Defenses tire, either opening up holes for the Trail Blazers to exploit or fouls that send Portland to a place that accounts for 21.3 percent of its points – fifth-most in the league. Defenses wear, resulting in the second-most points both in the second half (53.8) and the fourth quarter alone (27.5).
The Trail Blazers have played seven teams that now have a .500 record or better, winning five. They’ve knocked off the likes of the Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. So far, they’ve gone 5-0 at the Rose Garden for the first times since 1999-2000.
It all comes back to that year. Portland’s traveling down a road that last led to the Western Conference Finals. It has a system that runs with the proper pieces. As the Trail Blazers continues its trip down that stretch of road, the darkness that blanketed Portland retreats. The dawn has come. A new day arrives, bringing with it aspirations of a playoff run.
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