Blazers’ 5-0 road start makes them harder to dismiss

There are easier ways to start an NBA season than playing five of your first seven games on the road. The Trail Blazers have handled it by winning all five.

Portland improved to 6-1 with Wednesday’s 132-119 win over the Suns, adding another reason to take its start seriously. As Rodney Knuppel of Sporting News notes, the franchise won its first eight road games back in 1990-91. This group is giving itself a chance to chase that mark.

Nobody needs to start comparing teams across eras. But winning away from home is a useful habit, especially in a Western Conference that doesn’t offer much room for slow starts.

The encouraging part goes beyond Damian Lillard’s scoring. Lillard tied his season high with 25 points against Phoenix. Donovan Clingan supplied 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Deni Avdija finished with 21 points and 12 assists. The Blazers shot better than 50% and scored 43 points in the second quarter.

That’s a lot for a defense to account for. Lillard can still command attention, but Portland has other ways to make opponents pay.

Clingan gives the Blazers production around the basket. Avdija gives them another player who can create offense for himself and everyone else. Those contributions make this start more interesting than a few big scoring nights from a familiar star.

Yes, the Suns are struggling. Beating them won’t settle whether Portland belongs among the West’s better teams.

Still, the Blazers have already put five road wins in the bank. Those count just as much in November as they will when everyone starts studying the standings in April.

Seven games won’t establish their ceiling. They have, however, given the rest of the West a reason to stop treating Portland like a favorable date on the schedule.

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