Preview:0-1 San Antonio at 0-1 Portland

The situation could be considered bleak. 0-12. O for Brandon Roy's career. o for LaMarcus Aldridge's career. Projected starting Center and Rookie of the Year hopeful center Greg Oden out. Sharpshooting projected Small Forward Martell Webster out. Perennial Championship contender San Antonino comes to town for the Blazers' home opener.

Yet there are some positives, as well. Just as Portland has lost Oden and Webster to injury, the Spurs have lost all-world Manu Ginobli and starting Center Fabricio Oberto. The Spurs looked vulnerable in their home opener loss to Phoenix. Their defense showed holes that were not there in the past.

On the other hand, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker look willing and able to step into the gap and provide the points that would normally come from Ginobli. Oberto is a great energy guy but not going to greatly affect the statistics one or the other. The Spurs have other advantages as well.

San Antonio has a better bench than people give them credit for. Kurt Thomas is a guy who does not put up huge numbers. He just puts up numbers that exceed what his playing time should show and does them in key situations. A lot of what he does never shows up in the box score. He will keep alive a ball on the offensive boards and the rebound will get credited to Ime Udoka who ends up with it. Or he will nudge a guy's hip on the way by, knocking the ball loose or the defender out of position. Thomas is the epitome of a role player because he finds his role, fills it, and doesn't need the spotlight. Nor is he the only role player help.

Udoka can stroke the three and play above average defense. Jacque Vaughn doesn't play huge minutes or put up big numbers (note the trend there) but doesn't need to...he just needs to spell Parker at key moments and that is what he does.

On the other hand, the Blazer bench has the potential to see some big numbers. Sergio Rodriguez has stretches where every time he passes the ball it creates an assist. Rudy Fernandez can score in bunches. Channing Frye can provide a surprise boost in points and rebounds when he gets time and his head is in the game. Of course, they are hurt by the move of Travis Outlaw to the starting line-up, which usually would be the headline for the game if not for other major events.

Naturally, the main storyline for tonight for the national media...and, to be fair, Portland media...is the Greg Oden injury. I call bollocks.

I am not going to argue the Blazers are better off long-term without Oden than with him. That would just be stupid. He is going to provide some great moments, some big numbers at times, and make a difference for this team. But I am going to argue they are still good enough to win without him. And that includes games like this one against San Antonio.

To be sure, Oden would have an advantage on the box in this game. Duncan will no doubt be watching LaMarcus Aldridge. That match-up alone is enough of a treat for Blazer fans. Here we have the past and present of the League, perennial All-Star and MVP candidate Duncan...matched up with young gun probable future All-Star Aldridge. Both forwards can post up, shoot well from mid-range, and play the pick and roll. Aldridge runs the floor a little better...not hugely relevant on a Blazer team that runs as seldom as this one...and Duncan is a better defender, though his expertise tends more towards off the ball help than matching up one on one.

Both players are a pleasure to watch because they are so skilled. Neither one simply runs over the defender. Instead, they use their quickness, agility, and intelligence to make good basketball moves. I have never been a fan of the "bull him over and score while he lays on the ground and picks up a foul" game guys like Shaquille O'Neal play. I would much rather watch skilled guys like Duncan, Aldridge, Chris Paul, etc. play. Still, there are people who prefer the power game that Oden would provide.

Oden has that ability to just overpower people that I am not a huge fan of watching. With Oberto out, he would theoretically have an even bigger advantage in this game...though I would argue that a crafty veteran such as Thomas could cause him a lot of problems.

Be that as it may, with no Oden Portland will switch up their offensive theory a little bit. Instead of pounding it in to Oden and seeing what happens, they will involve more people. Aldridge should get a few more looks on the box, Brandon Roy will have a bit more room to operate, and if Bruce Bowen is on Roy, Travis Outlaw will have some lanes.

This figures to be a low scoring affair where chalupas are not part of the conversation. The Spurs are very good at keeping things to their pace. With that in mind, Portland can withstand some cold-shooting stretches. Conversely, so can the Spurs. Look for a game in the 80s or 90s where both teams are within striking distance with a couple minutes to go.

I anticipate Aldridge and Roy bouncing back from brutal nights in L.A. If Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw provide anything close to what they did in that game, the Blazers should have enough firepower to end their 0-12 skid against the Spurs, particularly in light of Ginobli missing the game.

For the Spurs to win they need everything to click; they need their defense to be on, Duncan and Parker to light up the score board, and a couple other guys step up into maybe the low teens.

This game might be more important for Portland than it is for San Antonio. The Spurs are a quality veteran team that has started slow before. They know it is a lengthy season and they will win their share of games by the end. One game won or lost will not alter their confidence.

Portland, on the other hand, faces what is almost a "must-win" game. Next up are games at Phoenix and Utah, the Jazz game being the front end of a back to back with the second game home against Houston. If Portland loses this game they face the probability of starting the season 0-4 or even 0-5. That hole would be pretty close to too much to climb out of. Conversely, if they can beat the Spurs, even if they lose to the Suns and Jazz, they stand a decent chance of parleying the home court advantage into a win against Houston.

This assumes, of course, that they follow the "young team" trend of needing confidence. Success breeds success, failure breeds failure, and so forth. So in theory, Portland should come out with a sense of urgency a little beyond that shown by the Spurs.

If it comes out in practice as panic, the situation, both the game and season, could get ugly. Portland could have another 34% shooting night, get blown out on their home floor and head on the road a broken team.

I just don't believe guys like Nate McMillan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Steve Blake, and Brandon Roy will allow that. Portland will play well tonight and pull out the win.

As an aside, one thing that will have no bearing on the game but is a fun marketing ploy would be tonight's "red out". Fans are being encouraged to wear red to the game. Because, you know, the "blackout" worked so well for...was it Georgia that got rolled? So if you are a Blazer fan, wear red, show up to the game, support the team, and cheer Oden when he is shown.

Remember, he is a 20 year old kid, he has given this city a lot of hope and excitement. Don't ride the guy, just enjoy what he brings to the floor when he is there.

Ouch: Blazers get blown away in game one

I was bummed when Coach Nate McMillan switched his line-up, inserting ace sixth-man Travis Outlaw in the Small Forward slot instead of Rookie Nicolas Batum. I like what Outlaw does for Portland on the second unit, and with Lamar Odom coming off the bench for the Lakers, it did not seem it would hurt. Besides, McMillan is a phenomenal coach and his moves usually work out.

In retrospect, it did not really matter who started at Small Forward. On this night, the Lakers were stronger, faster, more aggressive, better shooters, better free throw shooters, better three point shooters, better rebounders...

I was not surprised to see the Lakers win. I was, however, surprised to see Portland forget to show up for the game.  They failed to run the offense, failed to identify who was having a reasonable night, failed to use their teammates...this game was a flat-out train wreck.

With that said, we did learn some things about the Blazers.

But there were some positive signs. First, the good:

-Brandon Roy never lost his poise, even after starting the game 0 for 9. 

- Rudy Fernandez had a spectacular game and showed he will be a force to reckon with.

- Joel Przybilla is still a good rebounder and defender

- Jerryd Bayless and Nicolas Batum have some things they can bring to the table.

Second, the bad: Everything else that Portland normally will do well.

- Missed opportunities:

   * Portland had them, but rained brick after brick after brick when wide open. Even though his final line looked good, Steve Blake missed several open threes at points Portland needed them desperately and might have made it a game.

    * Aldridge struggled against players he normally scorches.

    * Travis Outlaw scored well but was essentially no help on the boards, did not pass well, and stopped fewer people than a yield sign. 

    * Sergio Rodriguez got only 5 minutes. Has Nate lost confidence in him already?

    * The defense. At one point they switched to a zone. It has been years since I saw such a porous zone; at one point there was 1 Blazer defending 3 Lakers. When a well-coached, veteran team with an offense like the triple post sees holes in a zone, bad things happen for the zone.

Overall, this was a disappointing night, not because they lost but because of HOW they lost. There is no shame in losing to the Lakers in L.A., but to not show up was hard to watch.

Fortunately, another game is just around the corner. There is plenty of season left and Portland will right the ship. Roy and Aldridge will shoot better, the team will pass better, and they will be just fine.

And now for the controversial portion of the show. 

Yes, Greg Oden's injury is worrisome. The Blazers have been counting on him. BUT...I am not as sure it is as bad for the team as it will be portrayed. Hopefully it will just be the mid-foot sprain as preliminary x-rays show, we will know more soon. But even if it is more serious, Portland will be fine.

Joel Przybilla is still a good fit for this team in the starting line-up. He defends, he rebounds, he sets picks and he doesn't need the ball. LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy are comfortable with him in the starting line-up. 

Portland's second unit will still be fine with Channing Frye, the Spanish Fly back court, and Travis Outlaw. 

They will have to work harder to win games but they will still win games. Lots of them. And some against good teams.

Naturally, the best-case scenario is to have Oden back and healthy soon. You never want to see an important player go down with injury. But there is no need to panic either way.

So now that game 1 is in the books, let's look forward to game 2 and let the chips fall where they may.

Preview:Opening Night, Portland at Las Angeles

This season comes with high expectations for both teams. The Lakers want to return to the Finals, and this time to close the deal. To do that, they need to win enough games to gain the home court advantage.

Phil Jackson has been around long enough to know a win in October counts just as much in the win total as a win in April. He will not be messing around in this game. Furthermore, he is a great coach. Sure, he has been blessed with great players throughout his runs, but many coaches have. Not all the coaches blessed with great players have come through as well as Jackson has.

On the other hand, Nate McMillan is no slouch. He has done a phenomenal job of molding the Blazers into his vision of a winning team. He continues to work. The dinner he held at his house for his most important players is just one example of the types of things he has done in turning the franchise around and creating huge expectations for this team.

McMillan knows Portland might surprise everyone. To do that, he needs the team to stay together, to have that elusive "chemistry" that turns decent teams into good ones, good teams into great ones, and great teams into Champions.

In the match-up of two great coaches, this time it is McMillan who blinked first. He reversed himself and elected to start Travis Outlaw at the Small Forward after previously announcing it would be surprising Rookie Nicolas Batum.

That is a surprising move. The reasons he had given for starting Batum were manifold and sensible. Outlaw is more productive on the second unit, provides things for that unit that Batum can't, and Batum does the same for the starters.

At the same time, McMillan seldom makes mis-steps. He knows what his team needs and when they need it so let's wait and see how that works out. Meanwhile, coaching seems like a good place to start the game preview.

Jackson has proven for 2 decades that he knows how to coach. He will show that tonight. Greg Oden will have to do some damage before Jackson decides to double him. As a result, the Blazers will be able to start their offense inside with Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge is more likely to draw the double.

Since he saw plenty of double teams last season, he is already used to finding the open man out of the double team. With Steve Blake and Brandon Roy on the perimeter, there should be plenty of open looks. Travis Outlaw tends to hold the ball for a moment after receiving a pass, so when it is his defender who sags, Outlaw needs to make quicker decisions.

If Aldridge finds the open man and the Blazers keep the ball rotating their starting 5 will put up a lot of points. Doubles on Aldridge will also give Oden the chance to get a few rebounds on the offensive glass. Conversely, if the ball stops they will end up taking contested shots against the clock. That will lead to a long night.

At the other end, Jackson has the Lakers buying into Tex Winters' famed "Triangle". When the players move correctly and read the defense right it creates open looks. The Lakers are a veteran team that consistently scores well, particularly at home. The Blazers can cause problems for the Lakers with their exceptional length as long as they stay disciplined.

This is another place starting Outlaw is an interesting choice. The Blazers have been practicing their rotations with Batum in that role. Now they need to adjust for Outlaw. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly is a consideration.

So the teams have similar game plans for their starters: for Portland, pound the ball inside, probably starting with Aldridge but getting Oden some looks. For the Lakers, they certainly want to get some inside looks for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, but they want those looks to come from more the triple post set-up.

The coach who convinces his players to stick with the game plan longer has the advantage with the starting units.

If the second units were straight-up in minutes played, it could be a very entertaining game as well. Lamar Odom is as good as almost any player in the League. Trevor Ariza is expected to be a contributor, and Jordan Farmar was just brutal against the Blazers last year. That doesn't even address the contributions of a guy like Luke Walton who, while never achieving the things the Big Redhead did, still can hurt teams who forget about him.

At the same time, the Portland backcourt of Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez has the potential to be very explosive. Their second unit looks less intimidating without the high-scoring Outlaw but should be able to hold the line with Channing Frye providing a little scoring punch up front.

Overall, this game will come down to who gets the best production from their mystery people; you know Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum will score for the Lakers. You know LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, and Brandon Roy will score for the Blazers.

You suspect Radmanovich and Farmar will add a few points. And that Fernandez and Oden will get theirs too.

Of course, Oden will be an interesting sub-plot. Nobody really knows how he will play. He could come out aggressive, get Bynum in foul trouble, and have a great night, maybe something like 15 and 10 with a couple of blocked shots.

Alternatively, he could come out hacking, get called for a couple quick fouls, and spend most of the game on the bench with foul trouble. You can say the same thing about Rudy Fernandez.

He could come out and be the player we saw in the Olympics, throwing down dunks on the big men, hitting big treys, and generally scoring at will to be a game-changer. Alternatively, he might get the Rookie syndrome, come out passive, and force Brandon Roy to play big minutes. Against a player with the scoring capabilities of Kobe Bryant, that is a recipe for disaster.

This is a very important game for Portland, even if they lose...which they most likely will. If they can come out, stay close to L.A. and lose by maybe 6 - 10 points, they will build confidence. They will be able to say they just stayed with a Finals quality team on its home floor and, if they had gotten a couple of breaks, maybe walked away with a win.

That confidence will be meaningful for their Friday tilt with the Spurs.

Conversely, if they come out lifeless and get run off the floor, it will be a disaster. It might be just one game in the standings and an opening night at that, but this game matters for the Blazers season.

Look for a game in the low 100s with L.A. winning by 8 - 10 points or so.

Preview: April

At 47-27, the Blazers will have already exceeded the expectations many people had for them in the preseason but will be behind what others expected them to do.  They start off April in Oklahoma to face the pseudo-expansion Thunder. Portland is so much better than Oklahoma that they should seldom lose and will not do so this day.

48-27

Next up will be a road game against a Houston team that should be trying to build a record good enough to have home court advantage in the playoffs, barring their normal rash of injuries. With the incentive of a playoff seeding in hand, the Rockets will win this one.

48-28

Still on the road, again to see Memphis with whom the Blazers should be intimately familiar by now. The date is different, the result the same. Portland wins.

49-28

The next night in San Antonio Portland will be looking for the holy grail, that 50th win. San Antonio, however, when clicking on all cylinders is, if not impossible to beat at home, certainly one of the 3 or 4 most difficult games in basketball. Portland is not ready to win this one.

49-29

Home to face the Lakers, still seeking that 50th. This time they will get it as Portland makes Bryant work to get his points and the rest of the visiting team cannot shoot a high enough percentage to make up for it. Portland gets their 50th of the season against the hated Lakers.

50-29

The next night they travel to L.A. Fortunately for Portland, they face the Clippers, not the Lakers. With the 50 win barrier reached, brimming with confidence, they will win their 51st.

51-29

The next to last game is a home game against the Thunder.  Now Portland is rolling. At this point, they might even be in the hunt for some decent playoff seeding. They will knock off Oklahoma City one more time.

52-29

The final game of the season is against the Nuggets. All season these two teams will have battled. This game might even decide which team gets some sort of post-season advantage. Since the game is in Portland...they do and win their 53rd of the year.

The 12 game improvement could be larger or smaller. There are a lot of games that could go either way. My assessment is based on a few assumptions:

1)  Greg Oden will "struggle" early in the season as he tries to dunk too often, encounters some foul trouble, but makes a huge impact defensively and on the boards. His presence allows Joel Przybilla to slide to the second unit where his lack of offensive production means little but his rebounding and defensive presence in the middle allow the second unit to be more effective than expected.

2) LaMarcus Aldridge continues to improve. He should reach 20 points per game and perhaps even improve to 8-1/2 or 9 rebounds per game. With more freedom on defense, his shot blocks will go up slightly but that is not a huge deal.

3) Early in the season while on the bench do to injury, Martell Webster will learn how to move without the ball. He will then be more effective when he returns to the line-up. He does not need to score a lot to be effective. In fact, with Aldridge, Roy, Travis Outlaw and Oden all hitting for double figures, even 9 or 10 points a game would be plenty as long as he hits the three-ball when he gets it. While waiting for him, Nicolas Batum will get some key experience, show his defensive abilities, and be called on whenever Portland needs a stopper.

4) Steve Blake continues his steady play, shooting seldom but well so the opponents can't sag off him. Portland really just needs zone-busting from this position. Blake doesn't turn the ball over much, shoots a nice percentage, and doesn't need the ball to be effective.

5) Travis Outlaw returns to his role as instant offense as the 6th man.

6) Jerryd Bayless gets some minutes, but not a lot. Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez will get most of the back-up minutes. Bayless will get a lesson from the team leaders about playing as a team member, not going off on his own so much. On this team his primary role is to defend and scoring should be an after thought. Early on he will struggle with that but between the coaching of Nate McMillan and the role Brandon Roy has already shown, he will come around.

No doubt some games I thought Portland will win will be losses and some I thought they would lose will be W's. Any way you look at it, this should be a very entertaining season and I look forward to watching it. Even if they fall short of my expectations, the type of players they have will make it fun on the court and be great people off the court and that is really all we can ask for. 

Preview: March

March opens at home against the Spurs. Portland needs to win this one to show they have legitimately arrived and when they get into the playoffs, they will not simply go quietly. It starts here as Portland, having gelled more and more as the season has developed, comes out and finds a way to beat San Antonio.

37-22

By this point, this is not the Portland team that started the season. These Blazers understand how their teammates play, where they are on the floor, how they defend, and how they work together. Their rebounding should be well above average, their zones comfortable and effective, their rotations quick and pointed, and young guns like Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and perhaps Jerryd Bayless will have found their roles and be performing to expectations.

When Indiana comes into town they will run into a confident, still improving team that is starting to really click. Portland should have improving shooting percentages, decreasing opponent field goal percentages, and keep adding to the win column. Indiana will be another win for the Blazers.

38-22

The next night they travel to Denver for the second end of a back to back. Denver will be surprising people. They are better than they are being given credit for. Iverson, Smith, Nene, Anthony...with all the minutes Anthony and Iverson play and the added firepower of Smith, this team will score a ton of points. Whether they can slow teams down consistently is another matter. On this night, they will and Portland will lose.

38-23

Home for a get well game against the T-wolves. This game should be an easy W for Portland.

39-23

 But don't scoff...every "easy" win builds confidence for the tough games. Like, say, against the Lakers who now come into town. Portland has been very competitive with L.A. and both teams are out to make a statement in this game. Portland will rise up, show their spirit and use the home court to beat a Laker team that will have a sparkling record.

40-23

Only one game off their win total from last year, Portland now faces a Mavericks team that will have slipped some from last year. Overconfidence leads to sloppiness, Jason Kidd has one of those games that reminds you of why team after team wrecks itself to bring him aboard...because, when he is right, he can single-handed win games. Portland loses a home game.

40-24

The Nets now come into town. I have heard pre-season rumblings that a lot of Nets fans think they will be better than advertised. Maybe. Maybe Brook Lopez will be everything they hope for, the loss of Richard Jefferson won't be felt, Vince Carter will become Vinsanity again and Yi Jianlian will be ready to play, surprising everyone including himself. The more likely scenario for them to be competitive this year involves bringing out of retirement Darryl Dawkins, Dr. J., etc. and getting one more run from a rejuvenated Nets Hall of Fame team...Portland continues their winning ways and matches their win total from last season.

41-24

On the road for what ties for their longest road trip of the year, though this one is a bit softer than the earlier long trips. First up is Atlanta. Brandon Roy and Joe Johnson are starting to develop a rivalry. Unfortunately for Joe Johnson, Roy has his number on defense and Johnson supplies a lot more at the offensive end than on defense so Roy's superior defense causes fits for the Hawks. Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden should have a field day as Portland gets the road trip off to a good start.

42-24

The next night is in Memphis, the back to back scenario. This is a good chance for the Grizzlies to pull off an upset. They catch a Portland team at the beginning of a long trip, theoretically tired from the night before. But here is where Portland shows their youth is an asset. Behind the veteran-like leadership of Brandon Roy, they come out and establish themselves early, never look back and win back to back road games.

43-24

Now Portland visits Indiana. Jarrett Jack was much maligned in Portland and unfairly. He did a decent job and will do the same for Indianapolis. Unfortunately for Pacers fans, with the departure of Jermaine O'Neal they have lost too much inside presence and won't be able to deal with the Blazers as the Blazers, looking good, win their third road game in a row.

44-24

The next night they go to Cleveland. Game 4 of a road trip for a back to back to a team that is in their head. Not an easy game and not one Portland will win. 

44-25.

Next up is the Bucks, closing out the road trip. A win here would be huge, even against an out-manned Bucks team, but it will be just a bit too much to ask and Portland will lose this game.

44-26

Home to face the 76ers. This time Portland gets the job done. Winning in the Rose Garden will be a tough task for every team not named the Trailblazers this year and only the very best teams will be able to do it. Portland will focus on making that home court advantage stick and even with the addition of Elton Brand, Philadelphia is not ready.

45-26

The Suns will arrive with a heavy dose of winning in their recent history. That ends here as Oden will have come into his own, Joel Przybilla continues to be a stellar back-up, and Portland is no longer afraid of the Suns. The mystique will have ended and the Blazers hold home court against Phoenix.

46-26

In come the Grizzlies and this one is over early. Portland blows them out.

47-26

Now the Jazz come to town. Portland has been playing well enough to win most of the games they should but stumbling just often enough to remind people that many prognosticators had them winning in the mid 40s for games this year. This is one of those times where we get reminded Portland is not ready for a deep playoff run yet as they fall at home to the Jazz.

47-27

Preview:February Post All-Star Game

Early in the season Portland had to find out how good they were. They had to settle some issues regarding how NBA ready guys like Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden, and Nicolas Batum were. They had to find out what offseason changes were made by Martell Webster, Sergio Rodriguez and Travis Outlaw. They had to find out what the new, improved LaMarcus Aldridge looked like.

Now they know. They know they can not only compete with any team in the League but they have a legitimate shot against even the very best teams in the League. It doesn't hurt they start with a soft schedule after the All Star game.

First up are the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have some nice players, guys like Rudy Gay and intriguing young players in Conley, Marc Gasol, and so forth. One thing they do not have is enough talent to compete with a Blazer team that is figuring out just how good they are. Portland will kick off the post-break festivities with a blow-out win.

33-20

Next up is an improved Atlanta Hawks team. While Atlanta is not necessarily as good as they looked against Boston, they are moving in the right direction. Joe Johnson is a high level scorer, they have a good veteran at the point in Mike Bibby, and Al Horford can do some damage. However, the Blazers can come at them in waves and have the talent to overwhelm Atlanta. Another easy win.

34-20

The Clippers might have run up the white flag by this point in the season or they might find their new players mesh very well and be surprising people. From a distance, I hope it is the latter. Clip fans have suffered a long time. They will keep suffering as Portland closes out the home stand with another win to go a surprising 15 games over .500. 

35-20

Next up is a wake-up call as they go to Houston. Houston is a fantastic regular season team and the Blazers might be a bit overconfident at this point. Houston will hold serve.

35-21

The next night is a back to back as Portland goes into San Antonia. Beating the Spurs in San Antonio is a tough task at any time. However, in the mid to late season when they are gearing up for the post-season, Greg Popovich almost always has them playing at a high level. Look for them to keep their dominance of Portland going.

35-22

They close out the month in Minnesota, a team that by now will be playing the role of spoiler. But they will also play the role of "get-well" game for Portland as Portland salvages one of the three road games to finish the trip 1-2.

36-22

For the month they went 8-4. Things are looking good for a play-off spot and a good one. 

Preview: February Pre-All-Star Game

Coming off their home win over Utah, the Blazers will be riding high going into their game in New Orleans. This is one of those games where on paper, the Hornets SHOULD win...but the Blazers are capable of pulling off the upset. This is the type of game that next year, Portland should win 1 or 2 of. This year, however, the longest Blazer winning streak to this point comes to an end here.
28-19
Next up are the Dallas Mavericks. By this point in the year, Mavericks fans will be excited, thinking Kidd can take them to the promised land. Much like the infamous Captain Kidd of yore and pirate lore, he tends to start strong and finish poorly. He will do enough to lift Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and Brandon Bass in the starting line-up, and Jason Terry is so good off the bench that the home court advantage will be enough to power the Mavericks to a win.
28-20

Next up is a get-well game against the Oklahoma Thunder. Man it hurts to say that...the Sonics rivalry was so good for so long, going back to 78-79 when the Sonics knocked the depleted Blazers out of the playoffs, essentially ending the brief but spectacular Bill Walton era that brought the Blazers their only Championship...so far.

It intensified as the great Drexler-Porter teams of the early 90s saw their window close just as that of the great Sonics teams of Gary Payton, Sean Kemp, and ...wait for it...Nate McMillan were making their run. There were some incredible games in that stretch.

When the Sonics picked off Jeff Green and Kevin Durant last year and Russell Westbrook this year, it looked like they might be getting the early stages of a team that in a few years might provide the Blazers with some more great I-5 rivalry moments. Unfortunately, the Sonics franchise dissolved leaving behind ashes and the expansion Thunder. Portland has always had good success against expansion teams...look for that to continue as Portland wins this one to close out their road trip.
29-20

Then the Knicks come to town. Will Zach Randolph and Stephon Marbury still be Knicks? Will the Knicks be scoring triple digits night after night? Will Coach Mike no longer be considered a genius? Can New York stay within 20 points of Portland? The last one we think we know the answer to: no. Portland in a cake walk.
30-20

Next up is a return match with the Oklahoma Thunder. It will be fun watching Durant try to score fifty to keep them in the game. Another easy win.
31-20.

The last game before the break is at Golden State in a back to back. Portland will want to go into the break on a high note. They match up well with Golden State everywhere except the point. Interestingly, by this point there is a good possibility Jerryd Bayless will be seeing more playing time for Portland. If so, it makes even the point a good match-up for Portland as Bayless is reputed to already be NBA ready on defense. He could cause Monta Ellis problems in that area.
Portland wins to enter the break on a high note.
32-20