Game 4: All hail the King...

Wow... I mean... What else can you say? In just two plus seasons Brandon has left an indelible mark on this franchise. If he gets a career ending injury tomorrow, I still say he makes the Blazer Hall of Fame. When he was stripped by Ron "The Head Case" Artest, I wondered what was going wrong with this season. The last 2.9 seconds has to be among the craziest I've ever seen. I don't think the Blazer's, or Roy, would have recovered from that steal last year.

WHAT A SHOT!

Mr. Clutch, The Natural, B Roy... Whatever you call him, he's surely the best player on the floor. McGrady might win the scoring titles, Yao might be overpowering down low, and Aldridge might have that feathery game that no one gives enough credit to, but Roy's patience sets him apart into a class by himself. He doesn't slow the game down, he takes it at his own pace. He dictates the tempo and style of play, doesn't run out of control, and sticks to his coaches game plan. I think McMillan must be in love.

SCARY THOUGHTS:
If the Blazers can come together on this upcoming road trip, they have a chance to do some real damage. The next few games include the first "Should Wins" of the season. The Lakers were going to beat the Blazer's on opening night, just face it, they're not in the same class as them yet. San Antonio was a great win, made even better by the fact that the Spurs are NOT a team that likes to lose, and they had lost their first two. Phoenix was a game the Blazers could have won, but it's understandable that they didn't. Utah... was, well... U-Tah... Now the Blazers look forward to getting Greg back, and then Martell a little bit after that. Martell will open up the floor in so many ways, and by all reports his 1-1 D has improved dramatically. Not Nic Batum level, but still very good. Now, looking at the upcoming schedule, the Magic will be a difficult team, and Greg Oden will surely be missed, not because he'd do really well this year against Dwight, but because he'd give the Blazers 6 extra fouls, allowing them to guard him closer. The Blazers could win this one, but I think it will be as difficult as the Phoenix game. The Heat will be tough since they're at home, but this game is also winnable. Then New Orleans, where I think the Blazers will get stung. The first "should win" is next, the Timberwolves, though they look much improved from last year (not saying much...) then the Warriors, also a "should."

Things are looking up!