Posted 12/09/2010 4:46 PM

Every team's goal for the upcoming season is to compete for the illustrious NBA Championship. Some teams are constructed in that way, other, not so much. While the Trail Blazers were dealt a large blow when they found out one of their largest building blocks, Greg Oden, would miss the entire season to due microfracture surgery, they still possess the tools needed to compete. Maybe not for a title, but for the playoffs no less. With that said, here is what some of the players are bringing to the table for the month of December.

Credit to TayC for the Topic Idea

Joel Przybilla:
Unfortunately for Portland, Przybilla was out of commission for nearly a year before his return on the 3rd of December against the Clippers. And while he was away, the Trail Blazers certainly were not the same team. They didn't even have the same toughness with him out of the lineup. That's not a knock on the current roster, rather just how important Przybilla's intimidator mindset was to the club. It didn't take long for him to make his presence felt after Patty found him underneath for the wide-opne dunk, he was shoved intentionally and all heck broke loose. Although Joel didn't directly start the scuffle, I think just having him back on the court added an extra amount of ferocity to everyone's play.











Andre Miller:
Andre is "Old Reliable". He's that piece of machinery you've had in your garage since you can remember and no matter the condition it's in, it always runs better than ever. Although his "iron man" streak came to a forgettable and controversial ending last Tuesday against Phoenix, the fact remains that he has never missed a game due to health in well over 600 contests. He may not be the flashiest, or the best at certain aspects, but when the going gets tough, Andre is always there to lean on. If the Trail Blazers are to make a playoff push, they'll call on Miller to lead them to the promise land on multiple occasions. Although Andre has been struggling from the field (4 for his last 18), he is one of the only Blazers who's able to create their own shot and get to the line. And get to the line he has, converting on 35 of his last 36 free throw attempts since November 16th against Memphis.











Marcus Camby:
Acquired out of pure necessity at the trade deadline last season, Marcus Camby more than filled in for the absence of Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. A thread to score 10 and grab 20 boards on any given night. Camby has given the Blazers a new dimension at center. While Joel is more of an enforcer, Camby has shown the ability to hit the open jumper and even drive to the basket on a number of occasions so far this year. Currently, The Camby-Man ranks 7th in the NBA in total rebounds (10.5rpg).













Wesley Matthews:
Wesley is like that new tool you just purchased, but all of your buddies think you grossly overpaid for. But you knew deep down that not only was he worth it, but you didn't have the connections some of your friends have to get it cheaper. Wesley was a restricted free-agent, meaning the Trail Blazers had to put a high price tag on him to scare away his previous team, the Utah Jazz. After 22 games, all I can say is money well spent. If you asked me to date, who is our best player? My answer is Wesley Matthews, all day everyday, and twice on Sundays. Known for his intensity, hustle, and defense, Wesley has also shown another aspect of his game was vastly overlooked this past offseason, his offense. In his last 10 games, since being inserted into the starting lineup, Wesley has averaged 19.9 points per game, on 49% shooting from the field and 43.3% shooting from 3. Right now, the tool everyone thought you overpaid for, now all of a sudden looks like the steal of the century.








Patty Mills:
Every team needs a Patty Mills. It can be tough to grind your way through an 82-game season, traveling at all hours of the night, and living out of a suitcase for most of the year. Team's need energy and frankly no one brings more of it on a night in and night out basis than Patty Mills. And this was all BEFORE he started to get playing time. Starting in December against Boston, Patty took over the reigns of backup point guard and hasn't let up...at all! Patty just capped a great performance Tuesday night against Phoenix with a career-high 7 dimes against the Suns. From the countless highlights (the lob to Aldridge against Boston, the crazy pass to Joel against the Clippers, and who can forget the no-look dime to Rudy?) to the constant energy he brings to the fans and his teammates, Patty has been that spark the team was looking for. It's like found money. You knew you had it before and lost it, but then when you randomly find it, its the best feeling in the world.









These are the 5 players right now who I think are not just playing the best but our helping the team with the most as well. What do you guys think? I'll try to keep this updated every 2 weeks or so, so right around Christmas time should be the nest update and we'll need everyone to be at their peak if we are to survive the 4-game road trip during that period of time (PHX,SA,MEM,DAL)!