"This has been a great experience for us."

The Blazers began the season as the second-youngest team in the NBA. They had not advanced to the playoffs since 2003.

But they were laden with potential, with Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way. So in fall practices, the players donned T-shirts with the slogan 1516, symbolizing the Portland's aim of becoming one of the 16 teams to make the playoffs.

Not only did they achieve that goal, they surpassed most expectations by winning 54 games, 13 more than the previous year. Co-champions of the Northwest Division, they earned the fourth seed in the competitive Western Conference, winning home-court advantage for the first round.

They also won back a fan base that had been jaded by the so-called Jail Blazers of the recent past.

"They had an unbelievable year," coach Nate McMillan said. "I loved what they did this season. They showed potential to be a good team, to be a playoff team, to be co-champions. But they need to take another step."

At the center of the Blazers' success is Roy.

During the regular season he averaged 22.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists, garnering his second straight All-Star selection.

He erupted for 52 points in a victory over Phoenix in December, the second-most points ever scored in a game by a Blazer.

Aldridge, a third-year player like Roy, averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds.

The duo was boosted by an overachieving cast of rookies: Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden and Jerryd Bayless.

Batum, a forward from France with a wingspan of over 7 feet, was thrust unexpectedly into a starter's role when Martell Webster injured his foot in the preseason. Webster played briefly in one game, but aggravated the injury and missed the season.

It was expected that Batum would be sent back to Europe for seasoning, but he wowed McMillan and general manager Kevin Pritchard in the fall. Just 19 years old at season's start, he went through some rookie growing pains but was a solid addition, especially on defense.

Probably the biggest surprise was Fernandez, a flashy 6-foot-6 playmaker from Spain who grabbed attention over the summer by dunking over Dwight Howard in the gold medal game against the United States in Beijing.

Fernandez was invited to both the rookie challenge and the slam dunk contest during All-Star weekend. Playing off the bench for the Blazers, he averaged 10.4 points during the regular season.

"For me it was a great experience," he said. "Probably my first year, a lot of things I'm happy about, but probably most is the playoffs. But right now next year the goal is compete for the championship."

Oden was playing in his postponed rookie season after missing the previous year because of microfracture surgery on his right knee.

The top pick in the 2007 draft got off to a rocky start, injuring his foot in the season opener and missing six games. Eventually elevated to a starting role, the 7-foot-center's play was inconsistent.

Then came a collision during a game at Golden State that caused a bone chip in his left knee. That kept him out of the All-Star weekend's rookie challenge and the next 15 games.

Dogged by criticism, Oden improved steadily all season. He was moved into a reserve role and finished up averaging 8.9 points and 7 rebounds per game.

He said that the entirety of the Blazers' season tempered the disappointment of stumbling in the playoffs.

"I told them when I first came here that I wanted to be able to help," he said. "I definitely wanted to make us do better than what we did last year and get us somewhere that we haven't been."

Characteristically, Roy was already looking past what might have been to what could be.

"I just try to take all the positives from this," he said. "And hopefully apply those things next season."