4-3 vs 0-8

So this fall I have been proudly wearing many of my "Portland Trailblazers" gear that I own. This was shortly after Oden had been lost for the season and things were looking a bit grim in Blazerland. But I am a true fan of my team, through thick and thin and so I wore their colors.

Well I had MULTIPLE people (I am looking at you A-Ha) try and tease me and make fun of me for sporting my Blazer gear. They wanted to know if the Blazers would even win one game. I just nodded and smiled, said yeah it might be a tough year for the Blazers but I had faith, and repeated the line "they will surprise you."

Well here we are, 2 weeks into the season. The team that traded away it's best player and got almost nothing in return, lost it's #1 draft pick before the season even started, and has the youngest roster in the entire NBA... and they are sittting at 4-3. They have played 6 of their games against the toughest division in the NBA (the Southwest) and went 3-3, and their other win came against the perennial contenders for the Eastern Conference championship "Detroit Pistons." The Blazers have protected their home court going 4-0 and young players like Roy and Aldridge are literally getting better every single game.

Contrast that with the team most of those Blazer haters root for... the Sonics. The Sonics traded away their best player as well, but got a top 5 pick in return. Their #1 draft pick (#2 overall) DIDN'T have micro-fracture surgery on his knee and is actively playing. Yet how are these Sonics doing? They are 0-8 while playing a markedly easier schedule. While Portland is protecting it's home court, Seattle has lost 4 of it's game at home... and while the Rose Garden is starting to sell out again Seattle is struggling to get 5,000 people to the gate.

Listen, I don't want to see the Sonics move, and some of the crap the ownership has pulled on this franchise is an atrocity. But all you Blazer haters out there, you better watch out. This team may not even finish .500 (but I have hopes that they may)... but this is a young nucleus that is growing together, learning how to win, and just anticipating the return of Oden. Teams and haters had better get their lumps in now, because in a year or 2 this Blazer team is going to be competing for Finals hardware for a looooong time. And remember, every loss this season is another ping pong ball in the lottery if the Blazers don't make the playoffs. You really want them to get ANOTHER top pick? I didn't think so.