March is over, which is a very good thing for Portland Trail Blazers fans. How brutal was March? It was the first time in franchise history (44 years) that the team had two separate 5-game road trips in a month. With a record of 8 wins-9 losses and 3 wins-7 losses on the road, you can almost hear a sigh of relief across the city of Portland.
The future is brighter. With just a couple weeks left in the season, the Blazers are almost a lock for the playoffs. The remaining schedule is very conducive to a team that wants to finish strong. In the closing weeks of the season, the Blazers play the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. Along with games against those bottom feeders in the West, they also get good playoff tests against the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
Fortunately for the Blazers, the nightmare situation of missing the playoffs is all but gone. With three quality wins in a row after the return of LaMarcus Aldridge, they look to be in great position to clinch a playoff berth. Now the only unknown surrounding the team is what seed they will clinch and who they will be matched up against in the first round.
If the playoffs started right now, the Blazers would play the Houston Rockets. This matchup is intriguing but potentially dangerous for the Blazers. The Rockets are very talented and are capable of scoring 130 a night. In a league where superstars win games, it is scary to look at a matchup against James Harden and Dwight Howard.
I have written about it for the last few weeks, but it gets more and more important by the game for the Blazers to peak at the right time. Early in the season, the Blazers were deadly from outside, played with a ton of swagger, and could beat any team on any night. They went into a bit of a slump following the All-Star break and have been impacted by injuries as of late. But this 3-game win streak has started to reestablish some of their early-season confidence and mojo. If they can start to peak, carry some momentum into the playoffs, watch out.
Coach Terry Stotts has never been to the playoffs as a head coach but is proactively preparing the team for the postseason. The rotation is tightening every night and as you watch this team, it is becoming clearer what roles the bench players will play in the playoffs. They are going to very important once the postseason comes. The continued contribution from Mo Williams, Thomas Robinson and Will Barton may be the difference in a playoff series.
If the team can ward off the injury bug at the end of the season and into the postseason, they can gain some momentum and make a splash in the Western Conference playoffs that is going to be incredible. Get ready for some playoff basketball back in the Rip City.
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