Blazing a Trail in December

When compared to other big market sports towns, Portland, Oregon doesn't have a ton going for it, and that's putting it mildly. The weather isn't great, it's not what you would call a vacation hotspot (and nowhere close to one, either), and oh yeah, it only has one professional team that gets muted, half-hearted coverage around the country. In short, it doesn't have much of a national identity. And for the past few years, neither have the mediocre Trailblazers.

That all appeared to change when Portland won the 2007 NBA draft lottery and the rights to select freshman phenom Greg Oden and his ungodly power and dominance in the paint, whether attacking or protecting the basket. For a heartbeat, Portland seemed relevant again for the first time since the late-'90s-early-'00s Jailblazers era.

Apparently, the prize possession of the team was a freshman with an awkward middle-aged look to his face and body, and yes, a creaky right knee. Before Oden could step on an NBA court, he was on a hospital bed having microfracture surgery and the words "rebuilding year" became linked with the franchise very quickly. When the season started, they sure played like that was the case, going 5-12 out of the gate.

Now that black-and-white team out West with the identity crisis proudly boasts a 13-game winning streak and only a single loss in the month of December, as they have risen to an 18-12 record and are now tied for first in the Northwest Division with the star-studded Denver Nuggets.

This begs the question: without Oden around, just who are these guys on this streak that play practically under the cone of silence out in Portland? Well, that's what I set to find out.

The consensus is the Trailblazers are a young team through and through. Most of the players' names are more notable for their college careers than anything they've done in the pros up to this point. Their quiet leader, second-year guard Brandon Roy, had shouldered the load by leading the team in points (21.5) and assists (6.5) during the streak en route to back-to-back NBA player of the week awards. That's roughly two baskets and two passes more than he was averaging in November.

Roy can't win 13 games in a row by himself though, and he's gotten some help from sources both likely and unlikely. Second-year forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been steady throughout both good times and bad this year. Aldridge is averaging 17.9 points per game and 7.6 rebounds, as well. After a relatively quiet rookie season, Aldridge may be on his way to showing he will be just fine in the big time.

More surprising, however, is the play of fifth-year man Travis Outlaw, a forward with a career scoring average of merely 7.5 ppg. Outlaw has doubled that output during this streak, adding a crucial third option to the offense. Outlaw also began the streak with a game-winning shot in Memphis, a six-foot runner at the buzzer on December 3rd to make the final score 106-105. Outlaw had to catch an inbounds pass with 2.8 seconds left and make a play just to get his team their first road win of the season in nine tries.

Two games later, the Blazers were facing a 112-107 deficit in overtime against Milwaukee, but came back and won on a Brandon Roy driving layup in the final minute.

While the schedule they have faced during this run is hardly imposing, they have in fact beaten conference finalist Utah and division rival Denver twice each. Also included in this package is an impressive 12-point win over the surprise New Orleans Hornets, who are suddenly thriving in the West at 20-10. If they want to extend the streak, though, they will have to go through the Jazz a third time on Monday (and yet again a fourth time on January 5th if they still haven't lost by then).

It is fitting the Jazz seem to be such a common opponent for the Trailblazers these days. While Utah is currently struggling at the .500 mark, the Jazz showed last year that an anonymous unproven young team that works hard and plays inspired, unselfish ball together can make a considerable dent in the Western Conference playoffs. Last year's Jazz team stunned the Rockets in Game 7 in Houston, then went through Golden State in five games before succumbing to San Antonio in the West Finals.

Along the way, the country learned that Carlos Boozer could be a team leader and Deron Williams, a quick, quiet unproven guard who could crossover dribble and drive the lane with the best of them, not unlike Roy, could simply take over against any opponent, from time to time. Portland is getting a good chance to study that blueprint, and perhaps, may be looking in the mirror.

Their last win, a dominant 25-point drubbing of the 76ers, shows the streak is as strong as ever and continues to show a young nucleus playing beyond the sum of its parts, even without its most talented name on the roster. At this point, the Blazers have also accomplished another difficult feat. Despite their location, market, rough fortune, and lack of a true superstar (did I mention ESPN's blatant East Coast bias?), the Trailblazers are slowly becoming the talk of the league. They're the little team in a vacuum that could, and now no one wants to play them.

Perhaps by the time Greg Oden suits up for the Trailblazers next year, instead of coming to a team weak enough to earn the first overall pick, he will be improving a team fresh off a playoff run.