Worth the wait? Experts say Blazers will be

McMillan, Roy agree that tough early schedule is good for young Portland team

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Oct 27, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (10 Reader comments)

Greg Oden, battling Chris Kaman of the L.A. Clippers for a preseason rebound, says he's getting used to the pros, and Trail Blazer General Manager Kevin Pritchard says he likes Oden's strength and decision-making when double-teamed.

ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN / GETTY IMAGES

If Sports Illustrated is on target, it’s going to be one smashing season for the Trail Blazers.

The magazine’s NBA preseason edition forecasts Portland to make the playoffs as the No. 7 team in the Western Conference – as the Portland Tribune predicted last week – but that’s just the beginning.

The lead story, entitled “Worth the Wait,” is a seven-page spread on Greg Oden, with an accompanying sidebar on fellow Blazer rookie Rudy Fernandez. Oden and Jerryd Bayless are mentioned among “10 intriguing rookies.” SI picks Oden as runner-up (to Miami’s Michael Beasley) for rookie of the year, Nate McMillan as coach of the year and Kevin Pritchard as executive of the year.

Whew!

It’s an indication of what is expected nationally from Portland, which, along with Oklahoma City, still has the youngest team in the NBA. So while the future remains bright, in some respects, the national media thinks the future for the Blazers – who open Tuesday night against the L.A. Lakers at Staples Center as part of TNT’s opening-night doubleheader package – is now.

Are they ready for it?

“Only time will tell,” says Pritchard, beginning his second full season as Portland’s general manager. “I can’t predict if we’re ready.

“But I know this: Your record is what you are. You can’t go back and say, ‘Well, we should have won this game or that game.’ We’re going to find out. We’re going to be tested, no doubt about it.”

Of Portland’s first 24 games, 16 are on the road. Of those two dozen contests, 16 are against expected playoff teams. The first five games – at the Lakers, home against San Antonio, at Phoenix and Utah, at home against Houston – is a mini-murderer’s row.

“It’s good,” says McMillan, starting his fourth season as Portland’s coach, “because it will show us right away where we are. It’s an opportunity for us to go out there believing we can win. We’ll see where we are after (the first 24 games). You can’t teach experience. That can only happen by playing. We’ll start to get that on Tuesday.”

Brandon Roy looks at the early-season schedule as a positive, too.

“It’s tough, but it will good for us,” the third-year guard says. “We’re young, and we can’t come into the season relaxed. Every game is one we have to be focused for. It’s going to help us in the long run, because we’re going to be used to focusing.

“All the road games against good Eastern Conference teams, and the home games are against teams like Houston and San Antonio. We have our work cut out for us, but I’m excited to see how we respond to it.”

After the first 24 games, the schedule eases. Eight of the next nine games are at home, and 15 of the next 22 through the end of January are at the Rose Garden. Some experts believe if the Blazers can survive the first seven weeks – play .500 ball, for example – they’ll be in good shape.

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