LaMarcus Aldridge believes his Portland Trail Blazers side have learned from last season 's NBA play-off heartbreak to become serious contenders for this year 's Finals crown . Last season , Portland reached the Western Conference semi-finals for the first time since 2000 - before losing to eventual champions the San Antonio Spurs in five games . Fast-forward 12 months on and the Trail Blazers are set to qualify for the post-season play-offs once more . Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge believes his side can win the NBA title this term . Terry Stotts ' side currently sit fourth in the Western Conference standings having won 44 and lost 25 matches this season . Despite a recent horrible run of form , that has seen Portland lose five on the bounce , power forward Aldridge believes his team are a force to be reckoned with . ' I think the team this year is really good . The team has had its ups and downs - winning streaks and losing streaks are just a part of the NBA season , ' he said in a teleconference call with media from Asia on Tuesday night . 'But I think we ’ ve all grown from last year . I 've got better , Dame [ Damian Lillard ] has got better , every player that was on the roster last year has got better . 'We have an opportunity to win this year , but we have to play a lot better and maximize our time out there . Aldridge ( right ) was part of the Portland team that lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the semi-finals last season . ' I think we learned a lot from our play-offs series versus San Antonio . We saw how well they executed , we saw how they never stopped playing , how dialed-in they were . They were very particular about the things they did and how hard they played . They were just locked in . ' I think we saw that they we were n't on that level last year but I think every player understands what it takes to win and we saw how they beat us up close and personal . 'So I think we get it . I think this team is probably a little bit better than last year as far as experience goes , from the guys we had being in those moments last year . Then Arron [ Afflalo ] came in and Steve Blake , they gave us more experience and they make us better , too . ' Aldridge , a four-time NBA All-Star , is one reason why Portland have enjoyed a good season so far and are a dangerous opponent in the West . The 29-year-old ( left ) has helped the Trail Blazers to sit fourth in the Western Conference standings at present . The 29-year-old is enjoying a breakout season with career highs in points , free throws and free throw goal percentages - something the Dallas-born star attributes to maturing as a player and working hard in the off-season . 'It 's just getting older . I ’ m more comfortable out there , I ’ m in my prime offensively so I think in the last three years I ’ ve just gotten better , I ’ ve just felt more comfortable every year , ' he added . 'And with the three points , I focused on it last summer , I got a lot more shots . In the off season I ’ ve tried to become more comfortable with the three . ' I think with our offence , I can take more threes on the floor in games , so I think it ’ s just a little bit of the hard work in the summertime , and being more comfortable with the offence , and just being in my prime and feeling confident out there . ' Aldridge will be hoping his efficiency on the court can help Portland 's five-game losing streak when they travel to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night . The four-time NBA All-Star ( right ) is enjoying a breakout term with a career high in points and free throws .
Portland Trail Blazers currently sit fourth in the Western Conference . The team has been a disappointment for much of this season, but it is still only two games into its season and there are plenty more to go. LaMarcus Aldridge is enjoying a breakout term with a career high in points .