A light week of games for Portland ended with a loss and a five-game winning streak. The loss to Toronto feels a bit like a blip, as we faced a good defensive team after losing Deni to a back injury the night before. Regardless, we finally have reports that guys like Blake Wesley and Scoot Henderson are “close” to returning. Yes, we’ve all seen a report of two players being close, but this feels different. There have been pictures floating around the internet of Scoot actually practising competitively, so the hope is to get a substantial report next week. This will be massive for Portland ahead of the trade deadline on Feb 5, as it will hopefully give us a chance to really evaluate this team and make a deal or two.
Game #45 - 1/22 vs Miami (110-127 W)
Tonight’s win makes it a whole hand’s worth in a row. Six Blazers scored in double digits tonight, with Shaedon leading the way with 27 points on 11/21 shooting while making 5 threes. He can take the reins when Deni is absent, which is exactly why he got that contract extension this summer. After Deni left with a back injury in the third quarter, Shaedon scored 21 of his 27 points. He’s got the athleticism and the shooting abilities. If he’s able to be more active defensively, he can really round out into a big threat. Deni and Caleb Love both scored 20; the only difference was that Deni did his in 18 minutes, while Caleb did his in 34. Caleb stepping up in his absence is once again showing why he’s been maybe the most valuable player from this summer’s draft. He is a walking bucket, and every team had a chance to sign him, yet Portland was the first to snag him. Portland shot 40% from deep tonight, continuing their positive trend in that department while holding Miami to just 20%. If we can keep a solid shooting team to an underwhelming performance, they’ll have to rely on the Bam Adebayo’s of the world to keep them afloat in the post. We have a tough matchup on the second night of a back-to-back against Toronto tomorrow night, so we hope to continue this hot streak at the Moda Center. But hopefully we can continue the NBA’s best record at 9-2.
Game #46 - 1/23 vs Toronto (98-110 L)
Streaks are fun until they end. We caught a good Toronto Raptors team on a not-so-rested night. It was a sad first quarter, with Toronto ahead 19-12, but the next 12 minutes were full of points, and both teams scored 31. Shaedon and Jrue both scored 21 points in the loss, where the team shot 40% from the floor, 29% from deep, and 70% from the free-throw line. Not the greatest of showings right before a long, tough road trip. It definitely didn’t help having Deni out, but this Raptors team is top-10 in defensive rating. So, you aren’t going to get an easy night against this team. especially when you’re the most turnover-prone team in the NBA. But for a Blazers team with a “defensive identity,” allowing seven opposing players to score in double digits isn’t ideal. Fortunately, Toronto wasn’t lights out in any capacity; Portland was the one that fell victim to a good defensive team and a lack of playmaking. This is going to be a tough stretch if Deni is out, so hopefully his back injury isn’t anything too serious. We’re going to need him more than ever if we’re going to continue this midseason push for the playoffs.
Pinwheel of the Week
Although he didn’t light it up on offense, Donovan Clingan held it down in the front court. Being able to manage Bam Adebayo and the bigs of Toronto, 10 of his 24 rebounds came on the offensive side of the court. That means he was in a great position and able to get us second-chance points. He’s starting to get more comfortable, as evidenced by his success behind the three-point line. Let’s hope he can continue this momentum.
Record: 1-1 (23-23)
Week 15 Games: Mon 1/26 @ Boston, Tue 1/27 @ Washington, Fri 1/30 @ New York, Sun 2/1 vs Cleveland