Random Ravings: Encouraging Signs for the Portland Trail Blazers

December 22nd, 2009 by Jared Wright Leave a reply »
Some of you are probably wondering why I've put the "encouraging" part in the title. After all, the Blazers have been hit extremely hard by the injury bug, and have had their best start in nine years dampened somewhat by a mediocre December.

Greg Oden went down...again. Travis Outlaw broke a foot. Rudy Fernandez is trying to recover from chronic nerve pain some believe to have been caused by that hard foul put on him by ex-Laker Trevor Ariza last March.

The injury most grievous to me, however, is to Nicolas Batum. The talented young Frenchman has yet to play a minute this season after aggravating a torn labrum suffered while playing for his native country; the Blazers have yet to get consistent or adequate play from the small forward position (Brandon Roy does not count in my view).

After all these injuries, Portland was left with just nine active players on the roster, reducing their talent level from being able to compete with the big boys to, as Roy put it, "busting our butts just to not get blown out."

So, why am I encouraged, you ask?

To steal quotes from Little John, these guys have hearts of oak and balls of solid ...

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