Another week to forget, sadly. But the lone bright spot was the NBA Cup dub over the Dubs. We did not bottle up Steph Curry, but that didn’t matter. Collectively, the Blazers are a better team than Golden State. They are living off the dynasty that is Steph, Draymond, and the addition of Jimmy Butler. But the Blazers have now beaten them twice and lead West Group C in a “win, and you’re in” game on Wednesday. Hopefully, we can get Shaedon back in time for that game so we have more depth, but we have a chance to show why this team is special in Vegas.
Game #14 - 11/18 vs Phoenix (127-110 L)
A loss that sadly extends our losing streak to three. The longest of the season. This Suns team is tricky to figure out because, on paper, they are not supposed to be that great. Yet, here they are at 9-6. Jrue’s absence is becoming apparent, now that he’s missed his second straight game with no timetable for his return, with the lack of consistent ball handling and guard defensive presence. Shaedon is still showcasing his offensive prowess, scoring 29 on 24 shots, but we need more people to step up than just him. Not having Jerami was another significant loss for the offense, as he’s been the leading bench scorer. But finally, Caleb Love is feeling comfortable on an NBA floor. His 17 points are not only a career high, but triple his previous record for points scored in a game. This is the kind of performance we want from someone like him, even if he’s on a two-way contract. My hope for him is to get a guaranteed contract and make his way to be the leading point guard of the bench, especially with Scoot out for a few more months (I’m assuming) and Blake being out for a while, too. But this is a good sign of things to come from him and the eventual depth of the Blazers' roster when we’re collectively healthier. Ultimately, this loss is a bummer, but with the number of guys we’re missing, it’s not entirely unexpected.
Game #15 - 11/19 vs Chicago (122-121 L)
You know what would be great? Not to be the first team in NBA history to lose three games on a buzzer-beater in a calendar year, let alone twice in the last 10 days. Coby White had an incredible drive and pass back out to Vucevic, but it was Toumani who left him wide open behind the three-point line. This is a massive miss by our best defender. Obviously, it’s incredibly frustrating when you’re up two and are ok to allow anything but a three, and you allow a three. But we were down 21 with 9:16 left in the fourth quarter, and then we went on a 33-13 run to end the game. That is incredible resilience in a team that’s down Jrue, Shaedon, and Robert Williams. I know Splitter has been up and down with some of his calls. But you cannot say he isn’t inspiring these guys to finish games strong. Deni and Jerami both scored 30+ points. Clingan had 21 rebounds, with the team out offensive rebounding Chicago 26-7. That is how you get back into games. But again, the third quarter killed us. I don’t know what it is about coming out of the half, but we probably have one of the worst Q3 differentials. In a competitive game where your team struggles offensively, your defense needs to be nails. You can’t wait until the fourth quarter to “turn it on” or only be good for three out of four quarters. It’s becoming a trend that needs to end.
Game #16 - 11/21 @ Golden State (127-123 W) NBA Cup Game
Who would’ve thunk the Portland Trail Blazers would control their own destiny in the NBA Cup Group C with one game left? The Caleb Love hype is real, and I’m happy to say that I called it. He needed to step up, and boy, did he. 26 points on 9/20 shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 turnover in 38 minutes. The only person who played more minutes was Deni (unsurprisingly). But he’s making good decisions and showing he was successful on the offensive end in both North Carolina and Arizona. Obviously, this was just one game, and he’s not consistent like Deni, but this is why you give a two-way contract to a guy like this. But Deni was in classic form, scoring 26 of his own with 13 assists while shooting 12/13 from the free throw line. This man is nasty. He drives to the basket like prime Russell Westbrook. He knows how to get fouled in a shooting motion and does it a lot. He is the heart and soul of this team and is making a strong case for his first All-Star selection and, hopefully, an All-NBA selection. He is precisely who we thought he was when we traded for him two years ago, right before the draft. If he is the best player on our team, I’m not going to be upset about it. Paired with Clingan and the ideal jump from Scoot and continued success of Shaedon, this team could genuinely be something in a year or two.
Game #17 - 11/23 @ Oklahoma City (95-122 L)
We’re back, baby. It was over before it even began. The Thunder played 13 guys tonight, and all but one of them scored. SGA scored 17 of his 37 points in the first quarter, setting the tone of a dominant performance from the best team in The Association by a wide margin. Jerami led the Blazers in scoring with an uber-efficient 21 points on 6/8 shooting in 24 minutes. There really isn’t much to say about this game other than us beating OKC a few weeks ago is starting to seem like a fluke. Yes, they’re missing Jalen Williams, but they are so deep at every position that it doesn’t matter. But once they do get him back, it’s truly over for the rest of the NBA. This was an "ok, we can move on to the next game” kinda game after being down 21 in Q1. The Thunder are top-to-bottom a better team than the Blazers, and that’s honestly ok with me. This is not a season in which we’re competing for a title, let alone the top of anything in the West. So this loss isn’t all that surprising, but based on the result of the 11/5 game when we were healthy, we can compete with these powerhouses. But when we’re not fully healthy, we absolutely cannot.
Pinwheel of the Week
It’s Deni Avdija, and no one should be surprised. He had a triple-double against the heartbreaking loss to Chicago. Although he didn’t post insane numbers, he was the core of this team and what it was during the victory over the Warriors on 11/21. He continued his case for one of the league's best players, and others are starting to take notice, especially the pundits who love to talk about the same seven players all season long.
Record: 1-3 (7-10)
Week 6 Games: Mon 11/24 @ Milwaukee, Wed 11/26 vs San Antonio (NBA Cup Game), Sun 11/30 vs Oklahoma City