Portland Will Blaze Trail into Playoffs This Season

The last time the Trailblazers made the playoffs, Rasheed Wallace , Scottie Pippen , Dale Davis and Damon Stoudamire were on the roster. A multi-year makeover later, things are once again looking rosy in Portland. Thanks to some savvy roster changes by GM Kevin Pritchard, a solid coach in Nate McMillan and a plethora of young studs, Portland should make a long-awaited return to the postseason in 2008-09.   McMillan, Roy will steady the ascension Former Sonics player and coach Nate McMillan is in the most enviable position in the NBA.  He’s got a roster full of well-behaved young talent, a smart GM, and experience coaching USA basketball. McMillan’s first-hand knowledge will be a calming influence to a team that features an average age of less than 24 years (that’s including the 32-year-old Raef LaFrentz , who won’t play this season due to injury). Third-year phenom Brandon Roy is the perfect on-court extension of leadership for McMillan ... (link)