Portland Trail Blazers Must Take Advantage of Early Chance to Control Division
The Portland Trail Blazers last won a division title during the 1998-99 season, as a part of the Pacific Division. Since the forging of the Northwest Division to start the 2004-05 season, the Blazers have been unable to reach a similar level of success.
But now with the four-time reigning divisional champion Oklahoma City Thunder starting slowly, Portland must take advantage promptly to gain control of its division once more. The Blazers currently sit atop the division at 6-3, good for No. 3 in the Western Conference.
Ebbing Thunder
You have to feel for the Thunder.
Rip City is no stranger to having its star players injured, so there’s a certain level of sympathy that can be extended to its divisional rival. OKC was forced to apply for a hardship exception to sign an additional player in guard Ish Smith, with as many as eight players unable to contribute due to injury.
From their All-Stars in Kevin Durant (foot) and Russell Westbrook (hand), to their newcomers in Anthony Morrow (MCL) and rookie Mitch McGary (foot), the Thunder face dark times over the next few weeks and months.
Oklahoma City currently holds a 2-6 record, sandwiched between two other Northwest teams in the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-4) and the Denver Nuggets (1-5). The Utah Jazz, the fifth and final team of the group, is just a sliver above Minnesota at 3-5. These teams currently make up four of the bottom five teams in the Western Conference.
It almost goes without saying that the Blazers have it a little easy if snatching the division is in their sights. Portland had the best division record last season at 13-3, which could increase this year.
Durant is anticipated to be out for a further two to four weeks, with Westbrook expected to miss about a month. A plethora of the Thunder’s supporting cast remain sidelined for assorted times depending on the injury, though Durant and Westbrook will be the driving force behind OKC getting a playoff berth.
The time is now for Portland to create some space between itself and Oklahoma City.
Time to Blaze
Not only will the Thunder be missing their two best players, but the Blazers have a relatively easy schedule lined up to close out the 2014 calendar year.
Between now and New Year’s Eve, just eight games will be played against teams that are currently ranked as playoff seeds in either conference. The Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs will see Portland twice, while the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors will each get one chance.
Respect is due to the remaining teams on the Blazers’ schedule until the end of December, as all of them are attempting to compete and improve. But in retrospect, they do not match up with Portland in terms of talent or synergy.
Teams such as the Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers don’t have the same drive as the Blazers at this point. These teams are either in a rebuilding process or are trying to compete while their sights are set on the future.
The Pacers await the return of injured star Paul George, while the Knicks are banking on the free-agency class of 2015 to return to prominence.
That isn’t to say these teams won’t compete with everything they can muster, but there’s no questioning the separation between a playoff-bound squad like Portland and a lottery-bound group like the 76ers.
The Blazers will see each of the aforesaid teams twice before the end of December.
As such, the Blazers must reap the benefits of an early schedule that is rife with less-than-stellar competition. The Thunder would normally have a laid-back schedule also. But with their best talent shelved until further notice, clashes with even the Milwaukee Bucks or Detroit Pistons can carry some importance in having a winning record.
How Portland Can Do the Deed
The Blazers' record might not indicate it so far, but the team is off to a hot start.
Portland has won three straight since going 3-3, though two of those games have come against a struggling Denver squad. While the level of competition to this point hasn't been A-grade, the strides the Blazers have made are still remarkable nonetheless.
Rip City had one of the best offenses in the NBA last season, averaging 106.7 points on 45 percent shooting from the field and 37.2 percent from three-point range. The team's points-per-game average ranked No. 4 overall.
Portland is putting up similar numbers this season at 105.4 points per game (No. 2), shooting 45.5 percent and 38.6 percent from the field and from long range respectively, along with 24.0 assists per game (No. 2).
The true distinction between the last two seasons, however, lies with the Blazers' efforts defensively this year.
Their opponents played just about as well as the team itself last season, going for 102.8 points (No. 22) on 45.6 percent from the field and 35.5 from deep. In nine games this year, Portland is keeping offenses to 97.2 points (No. 10) on 42 percent shooting from the floor and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The Blazers are currently third in terms of points differential, topping teams by an average of 8.2 points per game. Only the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors have averaged higher numbers in that category.
The improvement over last year is clearly evident, which will be instrumental when it comes to facing the less-than-stellar teams until the beginning of 2015. This group is already dominant offensively, and is approaching a level of defense that is consistent among the league's top championship-contending teams.
The Blazers have struggled slightly against squads of that nature, but have made easy work of the lesser teams.
As of now, Portland is 4-0 against teams with a record below .500 on the season, while going just 2-3 against teams on the other end of the spectrum. As aforesaid, only eight teams fall into that latter category, meaning the remaining 14 games on the schedule should be easy work for the Blazers.
Can Portland Take Advantage?
You can only be respectful for so long, but let’s face it, the Nuggets, Jazz or Timberwolves aren’t going to top the Northwest this year, and it won't even be close.
The division will be a two-team race between OKC and Portland, though the latter has the inside track right now. It is at full health and has a relaxed schedule to end the year.
The Blazers just have to take advantage as soon as possible and in turn they will have the best chance to win the division for the first time in 16 years.
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