With their star player Brandon Roy out since January 22nd, the Portland Trail Blazers have needed a few players to step up their play.  One in particular is point guard Steve Blake, who has not really been playing as well as the Blazers have needed him to.  Last night in their 108-101 win against the red hot Phoenix Suns, Blake got the start and showed that he can be an impact player for the Blazers.  Blake finished with 20 points, 12 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.  He played 38 minutes and went 7-12 from the field.  The Blazers need some more efforts like this out of Blake, as he has been playing nowhere near this level leading up to this game.  In his previous 5 games, Blake scored a combined 16 points and had two scoreless outings.  Granted he wasn’t getting 38 minutes a night in those games, but he had not been shooting the ball well and his effort on defense looked nothing like it did in the Suns game where he tormented Steve Nash into 6-16 shooting and 5 turnovers.  Now I don’t expect Blake to drop 20 every night, but if the Blazers can get him to play with that effort and efficiency on more of a consistent basis, it could really make a difference for them.