The Wizards and Blazers Are Here To Stay
The Washington Wizards and the Portland Trailblazers deserve a standing ovation. Both teams did more than we expected after taking down the Rockets and Bulls respectively. There’s no reason to hang their heads after their second round exits from the postseason.
John Wall and Bradley Beal are truly a dynamic duo. The wheels kinda fell off against the Indiana Pacers, but let’s just blame youth and inexperience for their shortcomings in the 2014 NBA Playoffs. The Pacers are a team that has been here before and it seems they are just getting warmed up. With this learning experience under their belts, expect to see the Wizards in the hunt for the Eastern Conference crown for years to come.
The Blazers were one of the dark horses in the Western Conference all season long. It wasn’t really an upset for the Blazers in their series win over the Houston Rockets, but boy was it entertaining. From Damian Lillard’s series ending buzzer beater in Game 6 to LaMarcus Aldridge’s offensive clinic against the Rockets big men throughout the series, they put on a show in the first round.
The Blazers ran into a buzzsaw in the second round against an experienced and relentless San Antonio Spurs squad. Portland needs to take this experience and build off of it. Rip City will be more prepared next time they make it to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
