Overcoming injury, suspension, the transition period with a rookie coach, key new players and the biggest problem of all -- being the Portland Trail Blazers -- Portland has steamed into the Western Conference race as a factor again. Apparently because things weren't interesting enough already.

The smart money had been on just watching the Blazers creep up and not getting overly excited about it in the process. Because every team has its bright moments during a season, and because of the biggest reason of all: They are the Portland Trail Blazers.

	Scottie Pippen and the Blazers beat Minnesota for their 11th straight victory.

But then came this week, and so much changed. Major tests were passed, perspective was gained and more stability was built. Many other teams would have deserved ticker-tape praise long before, what with a long winning streak and some of the best moments coming on the road. But it's different in this case because of past history and even the recent history of earlier this season. Because they are the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dead Man Walking has been replaced by a sprint.

Portland 107, Sacramento 95 on Monday.

Portland 85, Minnesota 78 on Wednesday.

First-year head coach Maurice Cheeks is over his head? That's an 11-game winning streak, within five of the franchise record. The Blazers have a long way to go to get to sweet 16 given the potential potholes ahead, but it's still an impressive finger-tip connection given the successes of past generations.

Scottie Pippen has one foot into retirement? The Blazers had jumped from 11th in the West to sixth after beating the Timberwolves and were within 2½ games of the Spurs for fifth on Thursday morning. A show of hands please of teams who would prefer to get Portland instead of San Antonio in a 4-5 matchup in the first round. Thought so.

The Blazers have no center? In a span of 29 games that ended with the Minnesota victory, they won the battle of the boards 23 times, by an average of eight per game at that, and climbed from 27th in the league in percentage, the real guage of how a team is doing in that department, to second.

The mistake would be getting sold on them for good -- they're the Portland Trail Blazers! Haven't you been paying attention the last three years?!?! -- but they have earned at least praise for the moment and the right to legitmately talk about the future.

Dale Davis has been performing as more than a converted power forward playing center. It helps that he's in a league where that isn't so strange anymore, but Davis has gone from a 2000-'01 season that included career-low 49.7 percent shooting and subpar marks of 7.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 26.7 minutes per game, to pushing a double-double this season and contending for a top-three finish in the league in field-goal percentage.

Cheeks has held his ground. Not that anyone expected him to check to make sure the back door was unlocked after just a half season as a head coach after all those years waiting on the 76ers bench for the chance. But it wouldn't have taken much for him to feel things getting warm under his feet. Jeff Van Gundy, the guy Blazers management liked last summer, was available. The record was bad. His players had gotten into the knife drawer again. So Cheeks refused to publicly criticize his guys -- in some places that's considered a positive attribute for a coach; in others it's considered being a liar -- and has been rewarded with a team playing well for him.

	“	If you look at things right, (the Blazers) should be put right among that top five or six teams in the West. They are right where they should be. They are so deep and so athletic. They would have been a handful with Arvydas Sabonis, and they are a handful now. ”
		— Rick Adelman

Bonzi Wells has recovered nicely from the torn knee ligament suffered last season. Wells, Pippen and Derek Anderson are all back, together, from injury, for that matter. The Trail Blazers got healthy, and that's a big part of it. They also got a contribution from Shawn Kemp, before he was suspended five games for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

Offseason additions Ruben Patterson, Anderson and Steve Kerr have all had impacts off the bench, giving the Blazers depth and making them, along with Sacramento, the only teams to have seven players averaging double figures in scoring. That Bob Whitsitt. You've got to give the general manager credit for making the moves. Does he know team chemistry or what?

You still can't forget that Portland is the only team that should have a fire extinguisher instead of the NBA logo embroidered on their jerseys, but now you can't forget about them in the playoffs, either. Because they're these kinds of Trail Blazers until further notice.

"If you look at things right," said Kings coach Rick Adelman, who knows of what he speaks as one who had the same role in Blazermania of old, "they should be put right among that top five or six teams in the West. They are right where they should be. They are so deep and so athletic. They would have been a handful with Arvydas Sabonis, and they are a handful now. It's clear they are really comfortable with Maurice and the style of game he wants them to play."

Now, they just have to live up to the new expectations. New Jersey is in town Friday night in another major test (some break after getting Sacramento and Minnesota). After that, though: At Denver, four days off, home against Dallas and the Wizards with the Air let out. Next are the Celtics, Nets, Bulls, Timberwolves and Grizzlies, and then they travel to Boston, New Jersey, Chicago and Minnesota. It's still a swing mostly through the East, and that beats the alternative.

Never a dull moment with this team. That's because they're the Trail Blazers.

Scott Howard-Cooper covers the NBA for the Sacramento Bee and is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.