I love how after one game everyone just turns against the Blazers. I've had Blazers in 6 since last week, and I'm sticking with it.

It could be premature to call it in 5 games, but the statistics say otherwise:

1. Trailblazers 20-21 road record.

2. Trailblazers as the youngest team in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the least amount of playoff experience, and no "Kobe, LeBron, or KG" type player who wills their team to wins.

3. Brandon Roy's FG percentage during the first game where he had 21 points on 10 of 23 shooting.

What is it that Chuck and the crew say about playoff basketball? "The bench and role players play better at home, while the all-stars must play better on the road for their team to win." Hell, Roy's shooting percentage was absolutely pathetic, not even 45 to 50% at home nonetheless.

I will say that the Trailblazers will win a squeaker in Game 2, but games 3 and 4 with the Houston crowd yelling, lauging and chanting against them will absolutely intimidate this young team and bolster the defensive pressure on players like Steve Blake, Joel Pryzbilla, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Heck, I have not even brought up the officiating, which we all know is more favorable to the team pounding it in the paint and generally more favorable to the home team.

Rockets will take games 3 and 4 easily breaking the Trailblazers will to win entirely. They will win another squeaker in game 5 at the Garden to wrap it up in 5.

I could be wrong, but more than likely not.

this series makes me nostalgic for the old best of five format for first rounds. seven games is painful.

the highlight of game 1 for me: Oden really surprised me. I think he raised his game.

It's predictable to hear people point to inexperience and youth, knowingly smirk that it just isn't the Blazers time yet. They're factors indeed, but as we knew going in, Houston is a bad matchup for Portland. Against any other team in the conference, the Blazers probably would have taken Game 1.

The bright side is that it can't get any worse than what transpired in the first game (can it?)... the only direction is up from here. I expect Portland to right the ship in Game 2 and at least make a game of it in 3 and 4.

If Houston gets by Portland in the series, I really think they're going to beat the snot out of the L*kers. Much respect for the Rockets here.

If Houston gets by Portland in the series, I really think they're going to beat the snot out of the L*kers. Much respect for the Rockets here.

the Lakers do one thing consistently better and stronger than Portland: defense. they'll smother the crap out of the Rockets. Gasol can stop Yao much more effectively than Portland, and if that happens, they ain't got much.

but gawd, I hate the Lakers.

To those of you jumping ship after 1 game, please return your Blazer swag to the Rose Garden so that it can be passed out to real fans.

The Lakers aren't better than Portland on defense, it's one of their season-long liabilities. The Lakers are just slightly more potent offensively.

Points allowed:
Lakers: 99.3
Blazers: 94.1

Also, Gasol is not the guy to draw the Yao assignment... That would fall to Bynum. Regardless, nobody on the Lakers can stop Yao. That series would be about Artest vs. Kobe.

The Lakers aren't better than Portland on defense, it's one of their season-long liabilities.

the Lakers, in fact, have the #1 ranked defense in the league this year. Houston is #4. Portland sits near the middle at #13--just above average. defense is about more than points scored.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable2.html?cnf=1&prd=1

Also, Gasol is not the guy to draw the Yao assignment

Gasol also plays center. he'll help out in the paint often. he may often draw defensive duty on Yao, too. in other words--Bynum plays the C, but that doesn't mean he's always on Yao.

Ecohuman-
The ranking you linked to is for Rebounds per game, just one facet of team defense. If you sorted by rebound differential, which is more telling, Portland ranks #1.

Of course, Portland is not an elite defensive team, so you see where I'm going with this.

Ecohuman-
The ranking you linked to is for Rebounds per game, just one facet of team defense. If you sorted by rebound differential, which is more telling, Portland ranks #1.

the link above goes to the wrong view. not sure why.

on stats: if you really want to go down the rebounding rabbit hole, then look at how many games of 82 that a rebounding + made a difference. answer: not many.

but I'll stop there, because playing devil's advocate for the Lakers is no fun.

oh, but this is intriguing:

http://www.nba.com/2008/news/features/john_schuhmann/12/04/schuhmann.lakers/index.html

Houston will win series. Sad but true. Houston just too tough on all fronts. I look for a championship with the Blazers in a couple of years. Go Blazers!!!!!!!