December Edicts: Surprising Blazers finish '07 on the rise

Portland lost its first and last games in December and owned the rest of the month, running off 13 consecutive wins to become the biggest surprise of the first quarter of the season.

The biggest disappointment in '07? 'Zo hobbling away from the game he fought hard to stay in. (Getty Images)

It's easy to get lost in the Pacific Northwest, especially since the No. 1 pick everyone was looking forward to watching is out for the season. Rather than become an afterthought, the Trail Blazers had other ideas, maturing much faster than anyone could've expected. They closed 2007 with a winning record, a half-game out of the Northwest Division lead.

Despite the unexpected rise to prominence, it's premature to say the Blazers will seal the deal, continue their strong play and stay among the Western Conference's top eight. But no one will ever be able to take away their accomplishments this past month. They were the story these past 31 days, which is why you'll find them all over these December Edicts.

The best and worst from December 2007:

Top five teams: 1. Detroit Pistons, 2. Boston Celtics, 3. Portland Trail Blazers, 4. Los Angeles Lakers, 5. Golden State Warriors.

No team won more games than the Pistons (15-2), who finished December on a nine-game winning streak and impressively recorded victories in seven of eight road games. They were also the only team to hand the Celtics (13-1) a loss, spoiling their unbeaten start at home after 12 consecutive victories. Those efforts helped Boston's basketball team compete with the New England Patriots for headlines in the city's sports pages, giving the Celtics a healthy run in their impromptu "no losing" contest. The Celtics impressively swept their first West Coast road swing, rallying to topple Utah before routing the Lakers to finish out 4-0.

The Blazers (13-2) were the Western Conference's best team by a long shot, besting the Lakers (10-4), Golden State (11-5) and Dallas (9-5). San Antonio, besieged by injuries this past month, managed to go just 7-5.

Bottom five teams: 30. Minnesota Timberwolves, 29. Memphis Grizzlies, 28. New York Knicks, 27. Miami Heat, 26. Milwaukee Bucks

The Timberwolves (2-14) reclaim the same spot they held down in November, winning only twice again. At this rate, they will at least reach 10 wins, avoiding the worst record of all time.

The Grizzlies (3-12) are entertaining but not terribly effective, but things should get more interesting now that top draft pick Mike Conley Jr. has returned from a shoulder injury and will be called on to contribute. New York (3-11) fans gave Isiah Thomas a giant pink slip this month, but calls for his job continue to fall on deaf ears. Actually, James Dolan isn't actually deaf; he just doesn't appear to care.

Miami (4-12) ranks among the NBA's bottom five for the second straight month, while Milwaukee (4-12) remains an underachiever despite the steady improvement of top draft pick Yi Jianlian. The L.A. Clippers (4-11) narrowly avoided landing among the low thanks to their New Year's Eve win over Minnesota, but did have to stoop to using the ghastly all-Gonzaga backcourt of Dan Dickau and Richie Frahm due to continued injury woes.

All-December first team: F-Carlos Boozer, F-Kevin Garnett, C-Dwight Howard, G-Allen Iverson, G-Brandon Roy.

All-December second team: F-Dirk Nowitzki, F-Al Jefferson, C-Amare Stoudemire, G-Steve Nash, G-Kobe Bryant.