Portland Trail Blazers: 10 Positive Signs from the Team's First Week

The Portland Trail Blazers have gotten off to a good start this year, winning three out of four, and looking like one of the stronger teams in the Western Conference. They still have some issues to work out, as evidenced by a surprising number of turnovers and sloppy play over the past two games, but still look like a legitimate playoff team.

It is easy to nitpick, and focus on the negative, especially after Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, but there are plenty of good things to focus on as well.

Here are 10 positive points to ponder after the end of the first week of play.

Blazers Really Are Playing at a Faster Pace

Nate McMillan said his team would try and take advantage of the changes in personnel by playing at a faster pace this season, and so far, he has been true to his word.

The Blazers currently rank fourth in the NBA at 102 points per game, which is far above what they averaged last season. They are getting more possessions, more shots and more points scored in transition. 

The faster pace has seemingly led to more turnovers, which is of course a downside, but is also leading to more easy buckets, something they didn't have in past years under McMillan. It will be interesting to see if this can translate into playoff wins for the Blazers.

Nate McMillan Is Proving He Can Coach a Fast-Paced Team

Since he first began his time as a head coach with the Blazers, Nate McMillan has insisted on using a slow, methodical offense, which routinely had the team at or near the bottom of the NBA in points scored per contest.

Part of that was to cater to the personnel on the team, such as Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, but with the changes that have come, McMillan has shown his ability to adapt as a coach, and to tailor his offense to the players that he has available.

If McMillan is continually able to adapt, the team has a very bright future.

The Newcomers Appear to Be Fitting in

Gerald Wallace, though not technically a newcomer to this season, has been one of the brightest spots of the season so far for the Trail Blazers. With the exception of a head-scratching failure on Sunday against the Clippers, Wallace has been the second best player on the Blazers through four games.

Jamal Crawford has also performed well, providing a strong scoring punch off the bench, particularly in the fourth quarter. Raymond Felton has played well, though both have struggled with turnovers, but it appears that team chemistry has headed in the right direction.

LaMarcus Aldridge Still Looks Like an All-Star

There is no player that is more important to the Blazers' long-term success than LaMarcus Aldridge, and up to this point, he looks like he hasn't lost a step since last season's successful campaign.

Aldridge's height, length and athleticism have always caused problems for opponents trying to defend him, and that trend is likely to continue this year. He is showing, more and more, that he can take over games and be the best player on the court for long stretches. He has struggled a bit with tired legs, but hopefully will find the balance with time.

Gerald Wallace Is Also Playing Like an All-Star

As I mentioned earlier, Gerald Wallace has been having a big impact on the Blazers' good fortunes up to this point. He has been given more freedom to play his way, and so far, it is paying dividends.

Right now, he is averaging 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, which are not abnormally high for Wallace, but if you factor out his 0-of-5 dud the other night, his averages are 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Unless that one bad game is a sign of things to come, Wallace will be a big factor in the Blazers' playoff push.

Some of the Competition Looks Pretty Weak

It's unclear how much of the inconsistencies are due to the condensed NBA schedule, but several teams that were very good last season have suffered some puzzling losses.

While the hierarchy out West is still taking shape, it looks as though things could be a lot different than in past seasons. The Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs have all shown some weakening, which could signal that this season is going to include a lot of changes at the top of the standings.

The Blazers Are Still Playing Good Defense

In addition to scoring more points, they are also continuing to play good defense. 

They have held opponents to an average of 94 points per game so far, which is good for 11th in the league. If they can continue to keep it up, and play good defense while cutting down on the turnovers, they will be a very tough matchup for most teams going forward.

The Team Seems to Be Healthy so Far

Injuries have become synonymous with the Blazers in recent years, but with the obvious exceptions of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, everyone seems to be healthy and doing well so far.

The team appears to have a good amount of depth this year, but injuries to starters could still prove costly. The teams that go far will be the ones that can handle the rushed schedule, and the Blazers are surprisingly looking like a team that might be able to do it.

The Brandon Roy Situation Has Proven Not to Be a Distraction

The big drama associated with the start of the season in the Blazers' camp was whether or not the team would end up using the amnesty clause on former franchise cornerstone Brandon Roy. 

They did end up doing it, but only after Roy declared himself ready to retire, due to the ongoing debilitation of his knees. While his loss was certainly a big one for Portland, the whole situation really went by about as smoothly as could have been expected.

Roy has been a true professional through the whole thing, and has not caused any sort of distraction to the team this season, something that he should be commended for.

They Are Still Winning, Despite Having Room for Improvement

No one will argue that the Blazers are a finished product, and they are nowhere near being ready to contend for the NBA championship. Turnovers are their biggest problem, and they have also had some issues integrating Aldridge's post game into their more free-flowing offense.

Despite those things, they have won four of their first five games of the season, and look to be young enough and healthy enough to do well in this compressed NBA season.