Through the first couple of weeks of the NBA season, there haven’t been too many shocking revelations, but one team that looks like it may be better than advertised is the Portland Trail Blazers. The Nuggets’ Northwest Division rivals have already beaten Denver head-to-head and have gotten off to a 4-2 start.
We knew the Western Conference was going to be loaded this year, but Portland wasn’t exactly one of the teams expected to be in the mix. Sure, they have built up some nice momentum in recent years with a defensive culture and some promising young players.
Still, nobody was thinking that the Blazers would make a leap into contention any time soon. It’s still early, and a very small sample size, but if they keep up, we may have to recalibrate expectations. There’s nothing fluky about their defense, and Jrue Holiday has brought a nice level of maturity to the offense that’s making a difference.
There’s certainly talent on the roster, and this is a team that brings it every night on the defensive end. They are going to be a pain to play no matter what, and if the offense can sustain, this could be a team that rips off a huge regular season, much like the Rockets a year ago.
Nuggets’ path to the West even more difficult than expected
Again, it’s not breaking any news that the West is good, but we’re just one week into the season and we’re already seeing big jumps from teams like the Spurs and Blazers. Those teams may not be title contenders yet, but they’re clearly taking major strides and will steal a lot of regular season wins.
Even some bottom-of-the-barrel teams like the Jazz and Suns have shown some spunk, and may be bigger challenges than previously imagined. The West was always going to be a gauntlet, but this year may be as crazy as we’ve seen in a long time.
Almost every game is going to be a battle, and if you don’t show up, you could easily take a loss in every arena in the conference. Teams are going to be going for it, and one good or bad week may cause a massive swing in the standings.
Health is going to play a major role in the eventual seeding, and this is already highlighting why it was so important for the Nuggets to expand their depth in the offseason. They should have the luxury of resting guys and keeping minutes low, while still competing to win games every night.