As the NBA Playoffs inch closer and closer, I am feeling the need to talk about the Portland Trail Blazers more and more. If you don't like sports I recommend you get out of here while you still can.
 
I live in the Portland area and we all love the Blazers here. They are our only pro sports team after all. This will be the second season they have made it back to the playoffs after a troubling stretch a few years ago. Last year the Blazers were taken out in the first round by Houston. That was garbage. But that's the past, I have to focus on the future. This year the Blazers have a much more mature and improved team in comparison to last years. The team was hit with injuries early and very often this season but have been still fighting. The only players the Blazers will go into the playoffs without are the two original starting centers, Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla (AKA: Dolla Dolla Billa). Anyways as troubling as that should be, the Blazers have recently traded for Marcus Camby, former defensive player of the year, and he's a center. So that position is still covered as well as any other despite injuries. The team is of course lead by former rookie of the year and two time All-Star Brandon Roy who gets all the media attention. The team is as deep as the ocean though with players like LaMarcus Aldrige, Andre Miller, Nicolas Batum, and Rudy Fernandez backing Roy up. 
 
Playoff matchups still aren't anywhere close to being decided due to an extremely tight group of teams record-wise in the west. If you win a few games out west, a team could move up two or three seeds easily. Currently the Blazers are set to play the Lakers though if the season ended now. Some people may think the Lakers would win this matchup easily but the Blazers have actually beaten the Lakers 8 of the last 9 times they played them at home. That last time when they lost, Brandon Roy was not playing due to injury. So anyways even if the Blazers end up playing the Lakers, I have faith we will at least put up a good brawl against those Fakers.  :P
 
I'll probably write a few more blogs about my near and dear Blazers as the playoffs come closer and inevitably start up. I'm really hoping to make it out of the first round this year. Maybe that would get the team some more national recognition... maybe.
 
Here's some sweet Blazers pictures. Playoff time is almost here!

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