There’s only a handful of championship-contending teams in the NBA each season, and the Portland Trail Blazers are one of them. They have the right personnel and identity to make a push for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, despite the adversity that has hit the team thus far.
A plethora of serious injuries has hampered key players for long stretches, most notably Robin Lopez’s broken hand, which forced him to miss more than 20 games, and the torn thumb ligament of LaMarcus Aldridge that was meant to sideline him for four to six weeks.
The most serious ailment, however, is the torn Achilles tendon of Wesley Matthews that ended his season on March 5. The high-intensity shooter will be sorely missed down the stretch, as his three-point touch and aggressive defense would have been X-factors in the postseason.
But Portland can keep it together and compete, even with the loss of an integral piece to its puzzle.
Two All-Star Players
Every contending team needs star players to carry it down the stretch, taking on the hard tasks in the thick of it. Whether that’s keep ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Joshua J Vannuccini
3 Reasons the Portland Trail Blazers Can Contend for a Title
March 17th, 2015 by Joshua J Vannuccini Leave a reply »
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