If Brandon Roy can make a swift return from an unfortunate knee injury and play like he usually does, the Blazers could be very dangerous in the playoffs, and be a threat even beyond the first round. This is despite all the adversity the team has faced this year.
Last year, Portland lost a tough six-game series to the Rockets in the first round. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge played well, but they didn't have enough help. Third-leading scorer Travis Outlaw struggled, and Portland didn't get big contributions from Rudy Fernandez or Steve Blake. The Blazers' inexperience also showed; out of the rotation players, only two had seen playoff action, and even they hadn't seen much.
This year, they have addressed both of those problems. Point guard Andre Miller was brought in to help provide some veteran experience. He has been one of the few constants during the season, and is one of only two Blazers who have played in every game so far. Miller is the third-leading scorer on the team, and also the leader in assists. He is one of the special players that takes his game up a notch in the playoffs; last year he increased his scoring by five points-per-game (fr ...
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Article written by AJ Brady
Why the Portland Trail Blazers Could Be Deadly in the Playoffs
April 15th, 2010 by AJ Brady Leave a reply »
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