“We’ve got ‘em right where we want ‘em” is probably what people are saying about the Blazers. They look competent enough to keep games competitive (minus the 3rd quarter) and bolster the value of the “trade deadline guys.” This team was destined for the top of the lottery with their lack of 3-point defense and mix of youth and veteran players. If the OKC mold of collecting picks like Thanos and utilizing them to figure out a team that can compete at a higher level in the next 2-5 years, this team is slowly trending towards that outcome. Although there hasn’t been enough proof in the pudding to prove it’s working.
Game 8 - @ New Orleans 11/4 (118-100 W)
Has Dalano Banton arrived? Most likely not, but he did outscore the entire Pelicans roster in the 4th quarter. So that’s something. But seeing this team emphatically pull away in a wire-to-wire game against a beatable team was incredibly encouraging. Somehow, the Blazers keep figuring out how to keep things close with this New Orleans team and would be 3-0 if it weren’t for a Brandon Ingram buzzer-beater. They played like a team and didn’t create too many forced errors – something looming over this team the last few seasons. This type of basketball is enjoyable to watch in Rip City, and hopefully, we can see more of it this season.
Game 9 - @ San Antonio 11/7 (105-118 L)
It was the first iteration of the Clingan Castle Cup, and Castle emphatically won. Donovan Clingan is in a tough spot with the Blazers as he’s not getting the necessary minutes to really gain the experience needed to fit into the NBA quickly. It probably doesn’t help that Ayton isn’t an ideal role model based on how the media and other players view him, so hopefully, there is some movement with him so Clingan can slot into the starting role, fitting the direction of this team’s future. Clingan has moments of showing his worth with his offensive rebounding, but until he’s at the start of the show, he won’t get the crunchtime minutes he thrived in during his time at UConn.
Game 10 - @ Minnesota 11/8 (127-102 L)
It only took 4+ minutes for the Blazers to score their first points in Minneapolis, which is a good summation of this game. Anthony Edwards took over from the jump by scoring 37 points while sitting out the entire 4th quarter. It was a haranguing, to say the least. There weren’t a lot of positives from this game other than the fact that we’re actually starting to see the losses stack up and that Robert Williams actually saw playing time. As I said previously, it’s hard to root for your team when you know they’re supposed to lose. But it’s good to see this team isn’t competitive against the teams who should win. We are still very much in the realm of shoveling out trade pieces, so seeing those guys get minutes, even in losses, is excellent.
Game 11 - vs Memphis 11/10 (134-89 L)
There’s nothing like back-to-back routings from top-tier teams. Billups was not coy with his response to the Blazers loss on Sunday. It was embarrassing indeed, Chauncey. As much as you’d think the absence of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane would have a positive result for the Blazers, it was not that. There’s been a recent shift in the NBA when star players sit for a game. The teams don’t see the effect as much. And that’s what happened – the Grizzlies demolished the Blazers and even had Rip City rooting for Japanese National Team breakout sensation Yuki Kawamura. It was a sight to behold. There isn’t much to root for in Portland other than losses, so you might as well root for the other team to score, right?
Record: 1-3 (3-8)
Next Week’s Games: 11/12 vs Minnesota, 11/13 vs Minnesota (NBA Cup), 11/17 vs Atlanta