Who could have predicted this? Portland’s combo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard with some pieces around them is enough to contend for a playoff position, even in one of the toughest western conferences NBA fans have seen in a long time. Just check out the standings: only three teams in the west are below .500 but one of them is Minnesota, only 1 game under. Quick shout out to Utah and Sacramento for not shying away from the tanking sweepstakes this season. But we’re talking about the other side of the standing. Right now Portland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City city lead the conference, all with 3 losses each but Portland and SA have the slight edge with two more wins than OKC. The first couple of weeks Portland seemed a bit like one of those lucky teams, getting their difficult games when it’s in a favorable situation due to injuries or other factors. As the days went on and the sample size grew, Portland kept chugging out their wins and a month’s worth of games proved that their hot start wasn’t a fluke at all. I’m actually still finding it hard to believe that two of Porland’s three losses have come at the hands of the Phoenix Suns. Yes, the Suns are performing much better than most have predicted but they’re not even a playoff team in the western conference. Portland’s losses have been somewhat forgotten because they have had some big statement wins. The last of which came against Indiana just a couple of days ago. How is Portland doing so well? Like I stated previously, it starts with Aldridge and Lillard, who seem to compliment each other so well on offense. Feeding off of each other for a great 1-2 punch. I like how fearless Lillard is and if Aldridge keeps shooting this well from outside, watch out. Let’s not forget about the rest of the cast because Wesley Matthew’s hot shooting (.546 from the field, .510 from 3) has been critical. Nicholas Batum has also been solid while Robin Lopez was a sneaky-good signing this summer. Their defense still has plenty of questions but right now it’s doing enough. Tonight’s game against the Thunder should be a good test for both teams. I’m just upset that this game isn’t being broadcast nationally.

What else is going on around the NBA? I’d just like to say that as well as Paul George has been playing, there’s no reason for anyone to start making claims that he’s on LeBron’s level and should be seriously considered for MVP. Don’t get me wrong, I love George’s game and I think he’s proven that he’s a top 3 forward in the league. Carmelo Anthony has been booted out of contention. But is Paul George a better MVP candidate than even Kevin Durant? Durant has been the consensus #2 for a couple of years now so for George to be on LeBron’s level, he first has to have passed Durant. I don’t feel that he has but so far this season, it’s definitely a real debate. George defense and his team’s record give him the upper hand but if were my team, i’d rather have Kevin Durant. Meanwhile LeBron is just chugging along, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field (60!) while he leads Miami through the drone of the regular season. Can both Indiana and Miami break the record for most wins in a regular season? Just take a look at the eastern conference. Only three teams above .500 with the Celtics, who are supposed to be in rebuilding mode, are in the top half the of the conference. That’s partly due to the NBA terrible division leader position rules. Out west the battle for the 4-8 seeds gets better everyday but each of those teams seem to have a glaring problem. The Clippers and Rockets have chemistry issues, the Nuggest don’t seem to have a “best player” consistently, my Mavericks are inconsistent on offense and the Warriors have lost some of their key players to injuries. Right now those are the remaining playoff teams in the west and I don’t see any of those making a real run to challenge Portland, San Antonio or OKC for a spot in the Finals come summertime.

By the way, why is TNT showing the Knicks at Nets game on Thursday night? I know this was all scheduled before the season started but couldn’t the NBA flex it two weeks ago when we knew these teams weren’t going to get better anytime soon? Maybe Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Marcus Smart all have court side seats for the game and i’m not aware. Either way, i’d rather be watching the Clippers in Memphis during that time slot. Same goes for Friday night when ESPN is showing the Nuggets in Boston. Let’s flex that to the Warriors in Houston and go about our day.