Don’t sleep on the Trail Blazers in 2013

Look out Rose Garden! Screamo is coming for you! By Cord Rodefeld from Ulm, Germany, via Wikimedia Commons

I have yet to announce this so I figured that this would be the best way, but in September I am moving to Oregon for school. While I will still be covering my normal teams from the Los Angeles area, I am excited to start covering some of the teams up in greater Northwest. Since my number one passion is basketball, this will definitely include the Portland Trailblazers. While they might not be a top-tier team in the Western conference, they will be a playoff team and better than most people think.

Led by LaMarcus Aldridge and sensational young point guard Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers are a young, up and coming team. For years the Blazers have had the potential and skilled players, but never could put all the pieces together due to constant injuries to players like Greg Oden and Brandon Roy. The same can be said about their 2012-2013 campaign in which they ended up with a record of 33-49, good enough for 11th place in the conference. While the Blazers were at the bottom of the standings, many will forget that just a few weeks before the end of the season, they were fighting with the Jazz and Lakers for the 8th and final playoff spot. Injuries took their toll as starters Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge all went down and were forced to sit out the end of the season.

But this was a blessing in disguise for Portland because it allowed younger players such as Will Barton, Victor Claver and Meyers Leonard to earn some needed playing time to show off the skills they have to offer. I had the luxury of going to the Blazers-Lakers game in Portland on April 10th, which was Kobe Bryant’s last road game of the year. Kobe had an incredible game, scoring 47 points, but was matched on the other side by the Damian Lillard who dropped 38 of his own. Although broken-down by injuries, the Blazers fought the whole game and it took a herculean effort by Kobe for the Lakers to win. Even in the loss, Damian Lillard showed what kind of potential he and the Blazers actually have.

I had watched him throughout the season but after that game, I knew he was a special player. I am a huge fan of Lillard and his game and I see him as the next big star of the league. Even though the Blazers didn’t make a huge splash in free agency or through any trade, they did improve the team by adding Thomas Robinson, Robin Lopez and drafting guard C.J. McCollum out of Lehigh college. Add to that a healthy starting lineup and the Blazers are poised to have a good season, and I can’t wait. Portland fans are some of the best in the league. Anytime the Lakers or a high caliber team come play at the Rose Garden this season, you can expect me to be there watching along with them.