The race to 500

It wouldn't mean much in the standings, but the Blazers completing the season with a winning record would be a nice symbolic statement that this team is emerging on the landscape of basketball relevance. More directly, it would be a nice encouraging reward for this young team that has been working so hard. It would also serve as a positive end-note for fans who have endured some rough times. Puppies and sunshine, I'm telling you.

For a time it felt like the team would eclipse the 42 win mark. Then the team came back to Earth, and the odds of making the mark seemed like a push. Next the team lost Roy, and wins are harder to come by without your Everything.

As of tonight, the team sits at 38-37. There are seven games left, with four wins needed to get to .500. Here's a quick at the final opponents: Houston, San Antonio, Lakers, Sacramento, Dallas, Memphis, and Phoenix. Five Western Conference playoff teams, fighting for seeding and not likely to overlook the young Blazers. Memphis and Sacramento are both playing better than usual, both with five wins over their last ten. Sadly, there appears to be no gimmies.

The ray of hope is that these are home games with the exceptions of at Sacramento and at Phoenix. This Blazer team remains especially capable at home. The players want to reach at least .500. Will it be done? Conventional wisdom would say probably not, but this team wasn't supposed to be in this situation in the first place. One more burst of overachievement would be the perfect end to an excellent season, and yet another precursor of greatness to come.