The shot block is more difficult than it looks. The timing and execution it requires is usually undervalued by casual fans, but it is nothing short of an art form. The Block Of The Year Candidates will roll in as the playoff comes and defenses become more intense, but this is a safe bet.

The lowdown by Give Me Sport: "Portland Trail Blazers power forward Thomas Robinson produced a magnificent Block of the Year contender during Sunday's comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Corey Brewer rose high for the dunk when, from nowhere, Robinson swiped the ball clear from danger in spectacular fashion.

And in the process of preventing the dunk, Robinson also set up a Portland counter-attack, which resulted in Will Barton finishing the swift play with a neat alley-oop."

The entire sequence can be seen in the video below.

Thomas Robinson was branded as an underachiever when he was picked at 5^th overall in the deep 2012 NBA draft, ahead of Andre Drummond and current teammate Damian Lillard. With the injuries plaguing the Blazers big men, Robinson maximized the opportunity to finally show what he can do.

Speaking of the Portland Trail Blazers, they lived up to their name during the first half of the season. However, they now look like an average team. They were expected to make a splash at the Trade deadline but they were surprisingly silent. Grantland's Zach Lowe analyzes Portland's non-move and their championship chances:

"The Blazers started 24-5, creating false hope they might be a championship contender even though their defense never cracked the top 20 for an extended stretch. They're 14-13 since, and if they maintain that .500 pace, they'll finish with around 50 wins.

Portland didn't have a pick to trade, a workable expiring contract, or a pricey expendable veteran other than Robin Lopez. The Blazers could have packaged Lopez and C.J. McCollum in an attempt to find rim protection, but it doesn't appear they had serious interest in Omer Asik, and they value their current chemistry.

It will be interesting to see if fans accept the stasis, though."

Will the stasis be enough? Expectations are already raised, and a first round exit would be a letdown for the Blazers. Unfortunately, with the strongest Western Conference in recent history, that may be a bitter pill they have to swallow at season's end.