What an underwhelming week. A loss to the undermanned Lakers and to the medium Heat definitely weren’t in the cards after the first two weeks. Yes, the Lakers game was weird. And going to Miami and winning in South Beach is never easy. But the defense we have should set us apart. Losing Blake was tough, and his tenacity will be missed for the next few months. Overall, this week was a good mental test for us, even if it resulted in a losing week. Tiago keeps the team engaged every minute of every game, and we’re playing hard-nosed defense from tip to final buzzer. If we keep doing us, it’ll work itself out, and the tight losses will turn into tight wins.
Game #7 - 11/3 vs LA Lakers (123-115 L)
Incredibly tough seeing this team lose to a downtrodden Lakers squad. No Luka, no Reaves, no LeBron. Yet, we apparently weren’t ready for *checks box score* Nick Smith Jr. The third-year Arkansas grad decided to have his best-ever NBA game tonight, and it really couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Blazers. He scored 25 points in 27 minutes and shot 5/6 from deep. On top of that, Deandre Ayton had a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds on 14/19 shooting. Especially after last week, this was a game that should have continued our defensive success with the supposed lack of offensive firepower from the Lakers. Clearly, that didn’t happen. Deni still did Deni things, but Blake Wesley's absence was very apparent. Anytime he would come into the game, it felt like a different kinda of energy was present — he was a spark to wake up the team from any slump. His 8-12 week absence cannot come soon enough. Overall, this game had a massive bummer vibe. Hopefully, we can bounce back against OKC and put up a fight against the defending champs.
Game #8 - 11/5 vs Oklahoma City (119-121 W)
We beat the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Not only is this a great win for the team at home, but it snapped a 16-game losing streak to the Thunder. Honestly, I didn’t know we had that kind of streak going against them. But it doesn’t matter anymore! Outside an abysmal Q1, the Blazers took it to the Thunder. After being outscored by 20 in Q1, we outscored the Thunder in the remaining three quarters. Yes, OKC was down Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Lou Dort, but that doesn’t mean it’s an off night for them. They have the deepest roster in the NBA, and it’s not really that close. Aaron Wiggins was 7/10 from three-point range, Shai scored 35, and Ajay Mitchell added 21. But Deni put the team on his back when it mattered, out-SGA-ing SGA at the free-throw line. Deni was 15/16 from the line and one assist away from a triple-double, posting a 26/10/9 stat line. Jrue continued to contribute, especially from deep, scoring 22 and making six 3’s. Doup Reath stepped up MASSIVELY, going 4/5 from the three-point line, reacting the only way one can, hitting one of his threes over Isaiah Hartenstein. This is the kind of identity the Blazers have: gritty wins over teams that think they can run their regular scheme. Like Anthony Edwards said after Opening Night, the Blazers are going to play tough and be a hard out. Tonight proved once again that you can never count out Portland.
Game #9 - 11/8 vs Miami (131-136 L)
Another tight game late that doesn’t go in favor of Portland. As much as my mental state can’t continue this for 72 more games, it seems like we’re not really going to be blowing teams out if our offense is middling. Miami is the other super-fast-paced team, so the fact that it was 131-136 isn’t all that surprising. The biggest surprise was the number of fouls we committed. 32 is a lot considering our average is 22, but that resulted in 36 free-throw attempts for Miami. You’re not going to win tight games if you’re giving your opponent a lot of chances for free points. As much as we scored a lot against Miami, we need more of it. Hopefully, Scoot’s return in a few weeks can be that remedy. We’re 2nd in FGA, due to our league-leading pace, but 24th in FG%. The most significant part of the team’s shooting game we’re missing is the mid-range. Ironically, we need a CJ McCollum type. Someone who can shoot the outside shot, drive, but lives in the 12-18ft range. Deni, Jrue, Shae, and Jerami are providing the majority of the offense, but outside of them, it’s a crapshoot. Having him consistently score in the 15-18 range nightly will be the boost we need.
Pinwheel of the Week
It’s gotta be Deni, right? He’s far and away the best player on the team. He’s leading the team in basically every way you can think of, and he’s already the heart and soul in Portland after just one full season. His average splits during this week were 30/9/6. How is this man not going to be an All-Star this year? He’s our leader on offense and keeping guys in check on defense.
Record: 1-2 (5-4)
Week 4 Games: Mon 11/10 @ Orlando, Wed 11/12 @ New Orleans, Fri 11/14 @ Houston (NBA Cup), Sun 11/16 @ Dallas