After acquiring Raymond Felton on draft night, the Portland Trail Blazers seemed poised to make a legitimate championship push this season, yet that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
The Blazers started hot, but have cooled off to the point of frigid over the past ten games, dropping to the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Under other circumstances, such placement isn’t a failure, but rather an accomplishment, as the West is laden with talent. Unfortunately for Portland, that notion doesn’t apply here.
With the Blazers’ most recent loss to the Sacramento Kings, the team fell to a sorry 3-9 while on the road, an actuality that will prove to be their downfall come playoff time. And it’s not even so much that Portland lost on the road, but the fact the team lost to a pitiful Kings team that came in having lost five straight.
While LaMarcus Aldridge has been spectacular, his supporting cast has been inconsistent. Outside of the team’s most valuable player, no one is averaging 15 or more points per game. That’s simply unacceptable for a roster that boasts Jamal Crawford, Wesley Matthews and Gerald Wallace in addition to Felton.
The schedule isn’t going to get any easier from hereon out and if the Blazers are serious about establishing themselves as a conference powerhouse, serious adjustments are going to have to be made. Aldridge needs relief on the offensive end, Portland’s transition defense has to break away from its current ineptitude and the team’s road record must improve.
Many of the Blazers’ shortcomings are only evident when playing on the road. At home, they have been near unstoppable, posting a 10-1 record. As the Kings’ proved though, any team with a pulse can win at home. What truly separates the great teams from the mediocre ones is the ability to prevail on the road. For Portland to take that next step in the relevancy rankings, it must execute on all platforms, including away games, not just favorable ones.
The time for blaming Greg Oden has passed. It’s time Portland takes a good hard look at those actually donning a uniform, as the Blazers are currently playing their way toward dethroning the Golden State Warriors’ throne of perpetual underachieving.
Clinging to a playoff spot was an afterthought entering the season, but it has now become a reality. And if recent displays are any indication, the Blazers better hold on for dear life, as their current state suggests they will not only play their way out of championship contention, but the postseason altogether.
Dan Favale is an avid basketball analyst and firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His work can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
