I’m going to go out on a limb here and bet the Trailblazers (0-7 on the road, 4-0 at home) finish the season with a record of 41-41.

Heading into the Rose Garden last night I didn’t expect much from the Blazers. They’re my team, but the Mavs are an elite team with some of the best in the league: Nowitzki, Terry, Stackhouse, Howard (Josh; sorry Juwan!). The young Blazers have been looking good at home, but was there any way Aldridge’s smooth shot, Roy’s creativity, and Joel Przybilla’s sieve-like hands could possibly beat the Dallas Mark Cubans?

The fans holding up the German flags and wearing blue 41 jerseys were in for a disappointing evening. The Blazers played surprisingly good defense; Dirk and company’s inability to move the ball well on offense combined with bad shooting meant they would have to rebound and play tough defense to stay in the game. They got the rebounds, but the Blazers’ offense had a special night.

By the middle of the 3rd quarter it was clear the Blazers weren’t intimidated by the mighty Mavs. Roy played an astounding game. Aldridge rebounded well and made his shots (to which we’ve become accustomed). Outlaw struggled early but made some big shots in the second half. The point guards impressed (though I’d still trade them all for Chris Paul!).

But what I found most remarkable was the pretty, patient offense. After several years focusing on Zack Randolph’s postgame, it’s a relief and a pleasure, as a fan, to get back to a good passing offense. Every player on the team gets involved, and gets shots too. The Blazers play an unselfish, beautiful game (when it’s all clicking like last night).

A guy I used to work with, before we we got the #1 draft pick I might add, promised a ‘zer championship in 2010. I think he’s on to something.

I don’t anticipate a playoff run, but I think we’re in for some surprising wins this season, and I expect we’ll discover another star or two in the bunch, besides Brandon Roy. LaMarcus Aldridge is the odds on favorite to be that standout, but Channing Frye, Webster or Outlaw might surprise us. We’ve got a solid point guard combo of Jack and Blake, and Rodriguez is always entertaining and exceptional in fast-paced games.

The Oregonian appears to be excited about the Blazers again too, as evidenced by their apparent Blazer graphorrhea of late (check out the Oregonlive.com Blazers page). I suspect Blazer game scores might return to the upper right corner of the front page of the paper again (one of my pet peeves last couple years was its inexcusable demise; it’s the local paper’s responsibility to provide the team’s scores in the paperbox window!).

As always, the Blazer Blog continues to be the source of great Blazer info; Casey Holdahl has been a worthy successor to Eric Marentette. (Dave at Blazer’s Edge suggests that Casey has magic fingers; this is a convincing argument.)

And speaking of Blazer’s Edge, it’s the place for Portland Trailblazers Talk All Day, Every Day!

UPDATE: Well, we’ve learned the news is worse than hoped, but there’s a chance he’ll recover as well as Stoudemire and Randolph have from microfracture surgery. In any case the Blazers have good young team going into the new season even without Oden. I’ll enjoy watching Aldridge become a star this year, and I will not be canceling my season tickets!

First off, all I know about Oden’s knee I learned at the Blazers Blog. I don’t want to have to read an entire Canzano column and thanks to Blazers Blog I don’t have to . . .

My quick take is that all the hullabaloo over Oden’s arthroscopic knee surgery is a tempest in a teapot. The procedure is relatively common amongst athletes. Nagging injuries, though frustrating to players and fans, are especially common amongst 7 footers. Bowie-style multiple breakages or Walton-esque chronic, and mysterious, foot problems are the ones I would worry about. Oden has a long, possibly great, career in front of him; it’s unrealistic to expect it to be injury-free. He’s a young, smart, strong, and athletic 7 footer. The Blazers literally and figuratively won the lottery. Wake me up when the season starts.