The Portland Trail Blazers On A Red Hot Start In The Season

The Portland Trail Blazers On A Red Hot Start In The Season

(Fantasy Basketball) The Portland Trail Blazers have started the 2013-2014 season better than any fan of the team really anticipated. The team now holds a 14-3 winning record and lies atop of the West. It’s really surprising to see a team that wasn't’t expected to do much more than to just battle for a playoff spot, standing above teams like the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One of the main reasons for that success up to this point of the season is offense. The Blazers currently rank fifth in the league in points per game, with 104.6 and third in the league in three-point percentage, with 41.8 percent. The team’s firepower from long range is significant.

Wesley Matthews and Damian Lillard lead the way from three-point range. Matthews is shooting an outstanding 51.0 percent while Lillard has a 40.0 percent average. He and LaMarcus Aldridge lead the scoring for the Blazers, averaging 20.2 and 22.4 points per contest respectively. Lillard also averages 5.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, while Aldridge grabs 9.5 rebounds per contest.

In fact, LaMarcus Aldridge is finally performing like an All-Star and he has found the help he needed from his teammates. Earlier in the season, there were some talks about a potential trade the 28-year old forward was supposed to be considering. However, now and after the sudden success Portland has found, he seems to be more focused on helping his team win games rather than searching for potential next teams-destinations.

The truth is that the Blazers have a tough month ahead of them. They play against some of the best teams in the league, teams that it will be very difficult to beat. Their next two games come on back-to-back nights against the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. A loss in one or both of those games is possible and that would mean that Portland would be dethroned from the No.1 seed in the Western Conference standings. Games against the Houston Rockets, the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers are scheduled for month of December, too. The Blazers are now 4-3 against teams with a 0.500 record or better.

However, there is no denial that the Blazers have been playing above expectations. No one can really know if they will be able to sustain their excellent shooting stroke or even their overall level of play. Nonetheless, what they have certainly managed to do is place themselves deeply into a playoff course. They might prove out to be the surprise of this season in the NBA.

It’s notable that Portland plays without its rookie C.J. McCollum. The No.10 pick in the draft of the past summer was expected to have a strong rookie season. However, a foot injury didn’t allow him to play a single game in the NBA up to now and he will most probably miss a few more weeks. Once he comes back, things might look even better for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Wednesday December 04 2013, 3:39 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0