I’ll admit it. I underestimated these Portland Trail Blazers. Sure, I expected improvement and tenacious defense, but I didn’t expect… this. Not so early in the season at least. John Gonzalez of CBS Sports
is right there with me, listing the Portland Trail Blazers in a list of six teams who appear to have been underestimated.
Deni Avdija is scoring nearly eight points more per game than last season for a team that plays fast and is second in pace. The Blazers are eighth in defensive rating and led at that end by Toumani Camara who is everywhere all the time. No one looks at the schedule and thinks oh cool let’s get on a plane and fly to the corner of the NBA map to play a bunch of try-hards.
It’s a perfect Portland team.
Maybe this is the perfect Portland team. The Blazers are often the team that travels the most miles each season, although Orlando wins the crown this season due to a trip to Europe to play a couple of games against the Grizzlies. But yes, the Blazers are second in terms of miles they will travel. The relative isolation of Portland compared to other NBA cities means long trips, including a division opponent over 1700 miles away. This has always been considered a hurdle for the Blazers to overcome. With the style this team plays however, we might just need to turn that thinking on its head. If the Blazers can keep up the intensity for a full season, who indeed wants to fly across the country to play these guys in a raucous Moda Center? The season is still very early, but considering many pundits had Portland missing even the play-in, the NBA is starting to realize that you underestimate the Blazers at your peril.
The other teams mentioned include the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat. Seeing the Heat also on the list, the Blazers’ opponent on Saturday, is a good reminder that it’s not only the Blazers that are surprising some folks. It’s a long trip to Miami, and the Blazers aren’t the only team that can do some damage if the opponent doesn’t come to play.
The Blazers and Heat will tip off at 5pm Pacific on Saturday.
