tlongII
03-04-2010, 09:28 PM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/03/trail_blazers_shift_gears_as_n.html
http://media.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/photo/lavsindyjpg-969a731970f7f89d_large.jpg
LaMarcus Aldridge posts up against Inidana Wednesday night. Aldridge scored 19 points and provided inside scoring as part of a balanced Portland offense.
Rotations are taking shape, roles are coming into sharper focus and the confidence of the Trail Blazers' once-fragile psyche seems to be growing every day.
As the Blazers enter the most pivotal stretch of the season, they might just be playing their best basketball of the season.
"I feel like we're playing great right now," LaMarcus Aldridge said. "With everything that's happened to us this year, I feel like we're finally figuring it out and we're finally doing it out on the court. Everything's starting to come together."
In a way, the Blazers are in a similar situation to where they were at this point a season ago. With 18 games left in the 2008-09 regular season, the Blazers had won five of seven games and were gaining momentum for the stretch run. They went on to win 14 of their final 18 games, including their final six, finishing with the sixth-most victories in franchise history (54).
With 18 games left in this injury-plagued, what's-gonna-happen-next season, the Blazers have won five of six games and seem to be gaining momentum for a stretch run. Is this team poised for another 14-4 finish?
"It's possible," Andre Miller said. "It's definitely possible."
The Blazers (37-27) are a season-high 10 games over .500, have scored 100 or more points in six consecutive games -- the longest streak since February 1998 -- and there appears to be a calm settling around a team that has endured so much turmoil this season.
The six-game stretch has seen two notable changes: Nicolas Batum has moved into the starting lineup and Marcus Camby, acquired just before the NBA trading deadline, has provided a significant upgrade at center. Meanwhile, Brandon Roy's cumbersome hamstring injury has mostly subsided. The combination of all of this has solidified player rotations and roles, which has helped create cohesion and consistency.
The Blazers starting lineup seems capable of matching up with any in the NBA -- even without injured centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla -- and the bench's production, which has been inconsistent virtually all season, is again becoming an advantage as the group grows more comfortable playing together.
"Hopefully the streak is not over," coach Nate McMillan said. "I think we are going to need another streak somewhere between the next 18 games. I feel like we're starting to get a rhythm, get a feel for each other ... I thought last year we got hot and were the best team (over) the last 20-25 games. We want to get hot going down the stretch here and get ourselves into the playoffs."
One of the things that will determine the Blazers' fortunes as they battle for postseason positioning is their play at the Rose Garden. Last season, the Blazers had the Western Conference's second-best home record (34-7), which created an aura of invincibility at one of the NBA's loudest venues.
But the Rose Garden magic McMillan and the Blazers worked so hard to stimulate has disappeared. Before their victory over Indiana Wednesday night, the Blazers had lost four of five home games. Some of their most painful losses this season have come at the Rose Garden, including a disheartening 89-83 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz in February, in which the Blazers blew a 25-point second-half lead, and a 109-105 January defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies, who used a game-closing 13-1 run to steal a victory.
Add in lifeless February performances against Oklahoma City (89-77), Boston (96-76) and the Los Angeles Lakers (99-82), and far too many of the 104 consecutive sellout crowds have left the Rose Garden scratching their heads.
"We haven't made this building what it was last year, where teams kind of feared coming in here and we played off our crowd," McMillan said. "We're still getting sellouts, but as far as finishing and getting breaks and making breaks, all of that happened for us last year. This year it hasn't."
With 18 games remaining, the Blazers are in a tooth-and-nail fight for the playoffs and a strong finish will cement their postseason fate. Before Thursday night's play, the Blazers trailed fourth-place Utah by 3 games and had a 4 1/2-game lead over Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
The season has lacked rhythm and cohesion from Day One, but things seem to be coming together at just the right time for the Blazers.
"I think it's going to be a tight race," McMillan said. "For us, our focus is on us. We're in the driver's seat regardless of what (other teams) do. If we take care of our business, we're going to be OK. So the focus for me and the team is on ourselves, making sure we take care of business and try to have a strong finish."
http://media.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/photo/lavsindyjpg-969a731970f7f89d_large.jpg
LaMarcus Aldridge posts up against Inidana Wednesday night. Aldridge scored 19 points and provided inside scoring as part of a balanced Portland offense.
Rotations are taking shape, roles are coming into sharper focus and the confidence of the Trail Blazers' once-fragile psyche seems to be growing every day.
As the Blazers enter the most pivotal stretch of the season, they might just be playing their best basketball of the season.
"I feel like we're playing great right now," LaMarcus Aldridge said. "With everything that's happened to us this year, I feel like we're finally figuring it out and we're finally doing it out on the court. Everything's starting to come together."
In a way, the Blazers are in a similar situation to where they were at this point a season ago. With 18 games left in the 2008-09 regular season, the Blazers had won five of seven games and were gaining momentum for the stretch run. They went on to win 14 of their final 18 games, including their final six, finishing with the sixth-most victories in franchise history (54).
With 18 games left in this injury-plagued, what's-gonna-happen-next season, the Blazers have won five of six games and seem to be gaining momentum for a stretch run. Is this team poised for another 14-4 finish?
"It's possible," Andre Miller said. "It's definitely possible."
The Blazers (37-27) are a season-high 10 games over .500, have scored 100 or more points in six consecutive games -- the longest streak since February 1998 -- and there appears to be a calm settling around a team that has endured so much turmoil this season.
The six-game stretch has seen two notable changes: Nicolas Batum has moved into the starting lineup and Marcus Camby, acquired just before the NBA trading deadline, has provided a significant upgrade at center. Meanwhile, Brandon Roy's cumbersome hamstring injury has mostly subsided. The combination of all of this has solidified player rotations and roles, which has helped create cohesion and consistency.
The Blazers starting lineup seems capable of matching up with any in the NBA -- even without injured centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla -- and the bench's production, which has been inconsistent virtually all season, is again becoming an advantage as the group grows more comfortable playing together.
"Hopefully the streak is not over," coach Nate McMillan said. "I think we are going to need another streak somewhere between the next 18 games. I feel like we're starting to get a rhythm, get a feel for each other ... I thought last year we got hot and were the best team (over) the last 20-25 games. We want to get hot going down the stretch here and get ourselves into the playoffs."
One of the things that will determine the Blazers' fortunes as they battle for postseason positioning is their play at the Rose Garden. Last season, the Blazers had the Western Conference's second-best home record (34-7), which created an aura of invincibility at one of the NBA's loudest venues.
But the Rose Garden magic McMillan and the Blazers worked so hard to stimulate has disappeared. Before their victory over Indiana Wednesday night, the Blazers had lost four of five home games. Some of their most painful losses this season have come at the Rose Garden, including a disheartening 89-83 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz in February, in which the Blazers blew a 25-point second-half lead, and a 109-105 January defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies, who used a game-closing 13-1 run to steal a victory.
Add in lifeless February performances against Oklahoma City (89-77), Boston (96-76) and the Los Angeles Lakers (99-82), and far too many of the 104 consecutive sellout crowds have left the Rose Garden scratching their heads.
"We haven't made this building what it was last year, where teams kind of feared coming in here and we played off our crowd," McMillan said. "We're still getting sellouts, but as far as finishing and getting breaks and making breaks, all of that happened for us last year. This year it hasn't."
With 18 games remaining, the Blazers are in a tooth-and-nail fight for the playoffs and a strong finish will cement their postseason fate. Before Thursday night's play, the Blazers trailed fourth-place Utah by 3 games and had a 4 1/2-game lead over Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
The season has lacked rhythm and cohesion from Day One, but things seem to be coming together at just the right time for the Blazers.
"I think it's going to be a tight race," McMillan said. "For us, our focus is on us. We're in the driver's seat regardless of what (other teams) do. If we take care of our business, we're going to be OK. So the focus for me and the team is on ourselves, making sure we take care of business and try to have a strong finish."