The Portland Trail Blazers Shouldn't Panic Yet

The much anticipated debut of Greg Oden in a Blazers uniform didn't go so well, and Portland got blown out by a good Lakers team by 20 points. It's one game though. The negatives can easily be pointed out from this game—Oden didn't score, got four rebounds, got into early foul trouble, and the whole team couldn't make a field goal for their lives.  But, let's not forget that there were some positives as well. Rudy Fernandez was great in his Blazers debut, and he could very well be the best rookie on this roster. Travis Outlaw had 18 points, and it seems like he's getting close to being as good as he was expected to be when the Blazers took him in the first round straight from high school. The Lakers had a field day, and they're looking pretty darn good two games in. Playing at home against the Clippers, the Lakers won by 30, so it could be that they're really good, with a combination of the Blazers having a bad shooting night. The harsh truth about Oden is that there is a pretty ... (link)