What a fun week for the Blazers. Going 3-1 with wins over a chaotic Heat team, a real contender in Orlando, and a team we should best in Charlotte. Youth is not a deterrent to winning for this team. Defense is. If we can play more complete on the defensive side of the ball, something we haven’t been able to do for a while, some of these close losses will turn into Ws. As I said last week, it will be interesting to see how things pan out from a trade deadline perspective since we have real assets to give to other teams. I’m hoping we can get some draft value or other young guys to build out the foundation of this team. I’d love to see us compete for a spot in the play-in since we’re 5.5 games out of 10th. But who knows? Jody will probably do something dumb and we’ll all shake our heads again.
Game #43 - 1/21 @ Miami (116-107 W)
Are the Blazers back, or is this a fluke against a weird Heat team? Who knows, and I don’t care because WE ARE STREAKING, BABY! This was a really complete game by the young squad that played great from tip to final buzzer. The Heat kept it competitive during the first half, and then whatever Chauncey told them at halftime kicked it into overdrive for a second-half routing. Ayton and Deni both had a double-double. Ayton, yes, you read that correctly. He had a good game. This man either plays well when he wants (rarely) or maybe realizes he needs to play better to increase his value. Regardless, helping this team look competent is necessary for him to move to another team. The Blazers HAVE to get rid of him, as this is one of a handful of good games he’s had this season.
Game #44 - 1/23 @ Orlando (101-79 W)
THREE AIN’T A FLUKE!?! My oh my. What is this Trail Blazers squad doing? They went up against a top team in the Magic and R.O.U.T.E.D. them. There is no way anyone saw the Blazers as the team that would have held Orlando to their lowest offensive point total of the season. Not I. Nothing stood out from an individual performance besides Ant being the leading scorer as he visited his hometown. As a team, we produced seven fewer turnovers and had six more blocks. This was the epitome of a find-a-way victory. What a win for this young team, and what a win for Chauncey and Co. This is tied for the longest streak on the season, and we would love to see it continue as we take a quick jaunt up to Charlotte.
Game #45 - 1/24 @ Charlotte (102-97 W)
Are we the best team in basketball right now? You have to consider it, at least, right? Ant continued his success on offense with 27 points, whereas Scoot has fallen off. In 23 minutes, Scoot only musted three shots and four assists. He had taken a tumble production-wise, and hopefully, we can see him return to his potent, offensive ways soon. With the assumption that roster changes are coming for this team, he must take on a more significant role offensively. It would be great to see him gain confidence in his shot (which we’ve already seen), but to the extent that gets him to LEAD the offense vs. being a facilitator or heat-check. He, Shaedon, and Clingan are the young future of this franchise, and seeing him take the steps needed to lead is a must as the second half of the season begins.
Game #46 - 1/26 vs Oklahoma City (118-108 L)
Snap back to reality, whoop, there goes gravity. A loss to the Thunder is nothing to scoff at, as they are not only the best in the West but hold the best record in the NBA. Maybe I spoke about Scoot returning to this successful offensive way into existence, or perhaps it was just timing that he had a couple of inefficient performances. Seeing this version of him is WAY more fun: 7/17 from the floor, 5/11 from three-point, 6/6 from the free throw line, collecting 25 points. His performance, combined with 28 from Deni and 24 from Toumani, proves we have something brewing on this team. We’re not there yet, but we can show our worth. We must improve our defense (a storyline for the last 7+ years).
Record: 3-1 (17-29)
Next Week’s Games: 1/28 vs Milwaukee, 1/30 vs Orlando, 2/1 vs Phoenix