Bobby Martinez – Sports Writer
NEW HAVEN — What would one think if I were to say the Portland Trail Blazers have the chance to win the Western Conference? Some might say that I am crazy and some might understand where I’m coming from. The Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers are at the top of their respective conferences by simply dominating opponents.
It’s been two years since the Trail Blazers have reached the NBA playoffs instead of sitting home on the couch. Yes, it was the era when young superstar Brandon Roy was hitting game winning jump shots. Since the departure of Roy, the Trail Blazers haven’t managed to find that winning recipe. This all changed during the 2012 NBA draft when the Trail Blazers selected point guard Damien Lillard.
Last season the Trail Blazers ended the season with a 13 game losing streak by an average of 14 points a game. So what did the Trail Blazers do during the offseason? They cleaned house from the coach to players. Nate McMillan lost his job and hired former Oklahoma University head coach Terry Stotts. They let go of players such as Jamaal Crawford, J.J. Hickson, and Raymond Felton.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge who at one point during the 2011-12 season, was on the trading block but since then he took on the role as team captain and since has been at an all-star level. Last year we witnessed how good Lillard is as an NBA point guard. Not many former Weber State University basketball players make an impact in the NBA. The last player from Weber State was center Lance Allred. This season the Trail Blazers have built a team that has a great flow of team chemistry.
Players like France-native Nicolas Batum, Marquette’s Wesley Matthews, Mo Williams, Thomas Robinson and Dorrell Wright to name a few have helped dominate the Western Conference. 20 games into the season, they managed to win 17 games. They defeated teams such as the Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. Even though there are 62 games ahead, I am going all in saying the Trail Blazers will be playing in the playoffs and make noise.
As for the Pacers, they have a very bright future ahead of them as long as center Roy Hibbert and guard Paul George are on the team. George has been playing like a MVP candidate 20 games into the season and it will be difficult to make a case for someone else. 20 games into the season his team has the best record with a 17-2 record. George is averaging a quiet but dominant 24.6 points a game with 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game.
The Pacers are now playing like a team that is starving for a championship. Last season in the playoffs, the Pacers let two games get away from them in which they could’ve have defeated the Miami Heat four games to two. NBA fans had witnessed player such as Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kobe Bryant try and out duel Lebron James. Pierce, out of all the players, has gotten the best of James during the 2008 playoffs in which the Celtics went on to win the Championship.
If you was to look back at last season Eastern Conference Finals, George, who was at the time only 22 years of age, went toe to toe with the great one, Lebron James. Yeah, the scary part is George is now only 23 years old and is playing a 10 year veteran. With Derrick Rose having to end his season once again due to knee surgery, the East is clearly a two headed raced between the Pacers and back-to-back champs Miami Heat.
Coming into the season, teams like the Brooklyn Nets who have the highest payroll in the league, looked as if they would be a part of the Eastern Conference Champions race. Deron Williams, whose ankles are as fragile as glass, again is out with an ankle injury and 20 games into the season his team is 5-14.
It doesn’t help that Paul Pierce will be out for a few weeks with a broken hand. But on a positive note, the East is so weak this year. How weak? Let’s say if the playoffs were to begin, the Charlotte Bobcats, Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons would be in the playoffs. Sorry Knicks fans.
