My Court Vision.

Jan 08

As we all said after the blow out loss to Sacramento after our last road trip. I feel it should be said here as well. The first home game after a road trip still feels like a "Road" game. The Trail Blazers squeaked out yet another over time victory. This time it was against an Orlando Magic team who were desperate to get a win any way they could. The Blazers not only now have a (5-0) record in O.T. this season. They also did so while playing there 5th game in 7 nights.Thankfully, we will take this win and the two days of rest that now follow it.

When making ceramics you can spend all the time you want on making amazing shapes of vessels  for fashion or function. It doesn't matter the shape you make. The true test comes in the Fire. Starting on Thursday against the Miami Heat on national television there is deffinatly a fire building. Lebron James and the Miami Heat are not shy when they come to the Rose Garden as Jason Quick for the Oregonian points out in his article.

That game will not only test the strength of this young Blazer team it will also catapult us into another 5 games in 7 nights schedule. With Miami, we will also see Golden State, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Cleveland. It also features two "back-to-backs". Like every back-to-back this season the Trail Blazers will be flying in between every game.

4 of those teams are Playoff bound. None of them are limping around with injuries. OKC is standing strong where ever they are (9-5 on the road) and though Miami has spent most of this season at home so far they are still 7-6 in games away from south beach. Golden State has a similar advantage at home as the Blazers do (sitting at 11-4) and Denver has an even more impressive "Mile High" advantage (11-2). By the time Clevaland comes to town to start a "Sight for sore eye's" home stand the Blazers will have already won or lost against the more impresive teams in the NBA.

This team is making some noise. Paper is being rustled around, phone calls for interviews are being made, and TNT is getting there facts straight because there is a lot to talk about. Not just the obvious "ROY" candidate Damian Lillard. There's also the steady foundation of All-Star Lamarcus Aldridge, all around performances from a Nicolas Batum who should be considered for the "MIP", a beast of a undersized center in J.J. Hickson, and season high averages for Wesley Mathews.


As far as I can tell. Most of the nation has no idea whats building in our rainy little corner of the county. Though after the storm we caused in New York on our first game of the last road trip. I'm sure there are some paying attention. Although if they or you are anything like me and have just spent the last decade mourning a blown 4th quarter lead and licking some winters lost due to injury. Then you and they are also like me and are anxiously waiting to see if the vessel that is being molded is going to come out of this next stretch "Fire Tested" and cured. Proving that in the near future, they carry us all a lot further then a first round exit.