IT STARTED WITH A STREAK

This is it. This is that post I'm going to look back upon in years to come, when the beginnings of this blog are a distant memory to me. I'll be reminded of what spurred me on to get this site started and get off my lazy Barkley-esque behind and writing again.

I previously bared my soul (or at least the basketball-related parts of it) at a site called RGB : Rose Garden Blog. But due to the inevitable evils of time constraints, posts became a bit few and far between there. So I'm starting afresh.

... a stern warning will be an NBA blog not solely confined to my beloved Trail Blazers. If anyone catches me lapsing into a red-and-black induced frenzy, just hit me (preferably in the comments section).

What got me writing again? Well, it was those Blazers. As I write, Rip City is on a 9-game winning streak, which could well be extended with a win in an hour's time as they host the Nuggets. Before I start to rant about how the streak has been a blessing for Portland fans, I will say that it brings me mixed feelings.

Even before Greg Oden went down in the preseason, 2007-08 was always going to be about building for the future and suffering some losses on the way. The reward at the end of the tunnel of course, would be another tasty lottery pick, to be combined with a maturing returning squad and the addition of Spanish 2007 draftee Rudy Fernandez.

However the Blazers have gone crazy on us, winning games and ruining the prospects of that 2008 draft pick!! Clearly they've not been enrolled in the Rivers & Ainge school of tanking...

I recently read this article by Lang Whittaker at SLAM. He echoed my initial sentiments exactly -- what the hell are you guys doing, winning games?!? The thing is though, this Portland team has needed desperately for a long time to instill a winning culture. Finally it's here. Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and their gang -- they don't know how to tank games. And isn't that a nice change.

Ultimately, come April, the Blazers may or may not sneak into the playoffs. They may or may not score a high draft pick. Either way, the final result will be the maturation of a team of winners. Keep on winning.