subject: Rose Garden Event Tickets - Blazing A Path In January [print this page] The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the most popular teams in the National Basketball Association. The team was a collection of really young, talented players a couple of years ago; so talented that general manager Kevin Pritchard was being hailed as a genius for his draft day moves. The Blazers have grown up a lot over the past couple seasons, though, earning the fourth seed and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs last season.
The Blazers have a number of promising young players that are already making good on their vast potential. Brandon Roy is already one of the best shooting guards in the league. Landed in a draft day swap for Randy Foye in 2006, Roy was an impact player in his rookie season, earning Rookie of the Year honors in the process. He can score, pass and rebound, and is one of the more versatile offensive players in the league. Also selected in the top 10 picks on draft day was LaMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers shipped Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa for Aldridge in what has turned out to be a great move. Aldridge is a skilled power forward with good range on his jump shot. This duo provides the team with a nice inside-outside game that keeps opposing defenses on their toes.
While Roy and Aldridge are currently the best players on the Portland roster, that may not be the case for long. Center Greg Oden is the crown jewel of this franchise, and the player that most Blazers fans get Rose Garden tickets to see. Oden was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft and has an incredible amount of potential. His first two seasons in the league were marred by injury and foul trouble, but it looks like he's finally making good on all of his promise in 2009-10.
Oden still seems to be developing offensively, but he's been a terror on the boards and on defense this season. Through 20 games Oden was leading the league in blocked shots and had recently put up a 20-rebound game. Oden has the potential to be one of the most dominant centers in the league.
The Blazers have some tough opponents coming to visit the Rose Garden in January. On the 2nd Portland will host an energetic Golden State Warriors team. The Warriors can score in bunches and will really test the Portland defense. They've got one of the fastest players in the league in Monta Ellis, who can put up 40 points on any given night by getting to the basket with regularity. The Blazers will need Oden to play good help defense and alter shots at the rim against Golden State.
Three nights later, the Blazers will play host to an improving Memphis Grizzlies team. This is another team that has a lot of young talent, though their youngsters are not as far along as Portland's yet. Rudy Gay is one of the brightest young players in the league and his athleticism can overwhelm opposing defenders. The team will need guys like Martell Webster and Nicolas Batum to ramp up their defensive efforts in order to contain Gay. Portland will also have to keep shooting guard O.J. Mayo in check on the perimeter. Inside, Oden and Aldridge will have to slow down Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
The Blazers' biggest game of the month takes place on Jan. 8, when the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers visit the Rose Garden. The Lakers are arguably the best team in the league and Portland will certainly have to bring their "A" game in order to secure a victory in this one. The toughest thing about the Lakers is that they can attack you from all angles. Kobe Bryant is one of the best players in the game, and all eyes are constantly on him, but you can't sleep on the Lakers' bigs, as both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum can give any team headaches inside. Bynum is more of a power player, as Gasol has a range of post moves that can drive any defender crazy. This game will be a true test of how good the Blazers really are.
