Week 13

The cherry on top of this thumbs-down of a week was the win against Chicago. Definitely the most complete performance from the Blazers all week, with Scoot probably being the MVP of the week - highlighted by his 39-point performance against the Nets. He’s really coming into his own and proving his worth as the 3rd overall pick in last year’s draft. With guys like Jerami and Ayton not playing the best, their value is not helping their cause for being traded. Hopefully, things can pick up over the next couple of weeks.

Game #39 - 1/14 vs Brooklyn (132-114 L)

Please mark your calendars for Jan 14, 2026, when Scoot scores 40+, as this is when he reaches his maximum potential. It’s like a blood moon or something, and he evolves into Super Scoot. Not only were his 39 points a career-high, but he went 13/18 from the floor and (checks notes) 8/10 from deep!?! This man has clearly found his groove and is taking advantage of the shuffling of injuries on this Blazers roster and becoming a foundational piece of this offense. Yeah, we lost by 18 to the lowly Nets, but this season is not really about wins and losses; it’s about progress. And Scoot, baby, is making the progress we wanted. It’s still early, but we love to see this in Rose City.

Game #40 - 1/16 vs LA Clippers (118-89 L)

Another game, another blowout. The Clippers are a good team, so this isn’t disheartening. But it is a bummer to watch this team, who seem to be playing pretty well as a unit, lose this spectacularly to another team. It was an odd scoring night where Toumani and Ant were held scoreless, with Dalano Banton scoring 23 points. There's not much to take from this game besides an off night against a top-6 team in the West. We were overpowered from the tip, and the Clippers never looked back. We just got to move on to the next game, which is sadly against an (arguably) better team in Houston.

Game #41 - 1/18 vs Houston (125-103 L)

Welp, we held on longer than last game. Houston is one of the darlings of this season: taking the OKC formula and growing players from the draft with a little bit of veteran role-playing. Scoot came back into form, leading the Blazers in scoring with 21, with only four others scoring double-digit points. We got out-rebounded by 21, had 5 more turnovers, and committed 6 more fouls. Obviously, the TOs and fouls aren’t anything to scoff at, but getting out-rebounded by 21 is crazy in this day and age in the NBA. The League has too many bigs to let something like this happen. I hope Chauncey can coach the team on this and not let it happen again.

Game #42 - 1/19 vs Chicago (113-102 W)

After a smattering in the first quarter, the Blazers lead the entire second half. This is the kind of game you hope to see after getting squashed by two of the best in the West. Scoot, Dalano, and Deni all scored 20+ points, with Deni getting a triple-double and Ayton getting a double-double, scoring 15 and grabbing 13 boards. This again proved that Deni and Scoot are the foundational pieces of this team. Deni is coming to a team with at least a semblance of a direction (versus Washington) and fitting in almost too well. There is lots of positivity to end the week after losing by an average of 23 points in the other three games.

Record: 1-3 (14-28)

Next Week’s Games: 1/21 @ Miami, 1/23 @ Orlando, 1/24 @ Charlotte, 1/26 vs Oklahoma City

Week 12

The first week of 2025 is in the books, and once again, we had a 1-3 week. Shockingly, there is a lot of positive info to take from this week: Scoot is gaining confidence in his bench role, Deni is doing Deni things, and Ant and Shaedon are crushing it in the starting guard spots. With the trade deadline just under a month away, seeing what the Blazers do will be interesting. Personally, I hope we get rid of AT LEAST two guys. Ayton should not be on this team come Feb 6th. And then I hope we can get some picks for someone like Jerami or Anfernee, maybe even Robert Williams. We are not typically a “trade deadline team,” but crazier things have happened. So let’s hope for crazy.

Game #35 - 1/6 @ Detroit (118-115 L)

What a bummer. Outside of a 21-point lead midway through Q2, this was a close contest, with the Blazers leading most of the game. Ant’s 36-point performance was overshadowed by some late playmaking by Tim Hardaway Jr and Jalen Duren down the stretch. Cade Cunningham, the former #1 pick in the 2021 Draft, posted a 36/6/9 stat line, ultimately being too much for this Blazer defense. This is a tough one to swallow, as it would’ve been nice to continue our momentum after besting the Bucks on Saturday evening. There’s been a shift from losing by a shit ton to losing by single digits. This shift is proof that our team is making the necessary adjustments to improve as a whole.

Game #36 - 1/8 @ New Orleans (119-100 W)

A wire-to-wire victory over a CJ McCollum-led team is a MASSIVE morale boost. The Pelicans are a “what is going on with you” kinda team, and it’s very head-scratching. If you look at the core of their squad, it’s brimming with potential: CJ, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Zion, Dejounte Murray, Jose Alvarado, and others coming off the bench. They should have way more than 7 wins. Period. Yet, they will most likely join the Blazers in the Lottery in June. From a Blazer’s perspective, Scoot seems to be accepting his bench role and appears to be doing well as a “tempo changer” to Shaedon and Ant. The starting 5 of Ant, Shaedon, Deni, Tounami, and Ayton (hopefully soon to be Clingan) look solid. The team is young and needs to grow.

Game #37 - 1/9 @ Dallas (117-111 L)

A back-and-forth game that ultimately resulted in a loss for the Blazers. Leading for 92-ish% of the game doesn’t make us feel better about the loss, either. Scoot is showing out and, clearly, feeling more confident in his “coming off the bench” role. Scoring 20 points on 3-7 shooting and TWELVE OF TWELVE from the line is huge! He created a ton of opportunities for himself and was the best guard in a Blazer jersey. Clingan getting a double-double was nice to see, too, as he gets more comfortable in the fast-paced speed of the NBA. The biggest issue was going four minutes in the final 4:30 scoreless. That is not a way to win a game against a Western Conference juggernaut. Tough loss for a young team. Can only hope they learn from it.

Game #38 - 1/11 vs Miami (119-98 L)

Very much the opposite result of the Dallas game, with the opposite result. We trailed for 96% of the game and got smoked in the 4th. With the Jimmy Butler saga closing in Miami, Tyler Herro stepped up in a big way with a 32/5/5 stat line. Ant and Shaedon were the only bright spots during this game, as they had solid outings. But you can’t lose the TO battle while winning the rebound battle and assume it’ll make up for the former. I think every Heat team ever to exist has been feisty; you can’t count them out, even if their best player is being disciplined unnecessarily. The Blazers are beating teams they probably should, losing to teams they’re worse than, and occasionally beating teams they aren’t supposed to. This wasn’t a game I would’ve chalked up as a W, but knowing they aren’t getting blown out as often (minus this game) is great to see.

Record: 1-3 (13-25)

Next Week’s Games: 1/14 vs Brooklyn, 1/16 vs LA Clippers, 1/18 vs Houston, 1/19 vs Chicago

Week 11

Capping a slightly sad week off with a win against Milwaukee was an exceptional way to end Saturday night. Maybe we get up more for Dame. Perhaps we are hitting a new stride in forcing closer games. Regardless of the answer, seeing this team look slightly cohesive is excellent. With the trade deadline 5ish weeks away, now is when we’ll see half this roster mentioned in packages across the league. I would love to see what we can get for someone like Anfernee or Ayton. Maybe Jodi will want to keep everyone and screw us like she has the last handful of years. Who knows. But one thing is sure: this team is becoming a joy to watch. And that is all we can ask for at this point.

Game #32 - 12/30 vs Philadelphia (125-103 L)

After Anfernee made a three 16 seconds into the game, that was about as good as it got. Philly is a really good team that houses three of the best players in the NBA: Embiid, George, and Maxey. This game wasn’t supposed to be close. And it wasn’t. Outside of PG13 getting into early foul trouble, they took advantage of the talent disparity between them and the Blazers. Ant is still tearing it up and seems to be in a groove, having scored 22+ in his last four games, shooting 46% from the field and 44% from 3-point. It’s great to see him trending up when the beginning of his season has been a roller coaster. Also, maybe let’s not turn the ball over 26 times? That might help us, too.

Game #33 - 1/2 @ LA Lakers (114-106 L)

A seemingly close game was out of reach from the jump. An Anthony Davis absence didn’t help this team succeed against a middling Lakers squad. The positives? Ant continued his hot streak, and Deni had a triple-double. Deni is QUICKLY becoming a foundational piece for this team (if he is still around in 3-4 seasons). His ability to make a difference is exceptional and necessary for this team lacking defensive prowess. Once Matisse returns, it will be nice to have at least two guys able to make an impact, unlike Ayton… I don’t know what is more frustrating: getting swindled into thinking he was actually good or knowing him coming to Portland wasn’t great and forcing ourselves to believe there was a chance it could work. Six points and six rebounds in 21 minutes is horrendous. I hope we can get something out of him in a trade.

Game #34 - 1/4 @ Milwaukee (105-102 W)

What a win! How the Blazers are 2-2 against Dame in a Bucks jersey is beyond me. This was one of our best complete performances. Ant torched the Bucks' defense in every which way. Deni did everything (once again) and even blazed through a Kris Middleton and slammed one down, kicking the back of the backboard. Although it might not show every night, this team has heart. I’ve said it a few times recently, but Deni and Ant will either make this franchise happy over the next few years or make another franchise really happy. Hopefully, we can get Jerami back into the rotation soon, as it would be great to see his influence on this new version of a Chauncey-led team.

Record: 1-2 (12-22)

Next Week’s Games: 1/6 @ Detroit, 1/8 @ New Orleans, 1/9 @ Dallas, 1/11 vs Miami

Week 10

What a week for the Blazers! Chauncey was 0-1, and Bjorkgren was 2-0. Maybe it’s time to consider changing the tides. Perhaps it’s time to accept the fact of Chauncey not being a good coach or being able actually to make adjustments. Or, maybe this team is ass, and it kinda doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s great to see a spark from a team beating both a lousy and a good team in back-to-back games. Hopefully, this energy will continue to ride the team into a positive wave at the beginning of 2025.

Game #29 - 12/23 @ Dallas (132-108 L)

A game that started with some hope of Luka not playing QUICKLY turned into a massacre. As everyone knows, Luka is one of the most dominant players in the NBA, let alone the world. His influence turns the tide of a game, even if he’s on the sideline, kinda like Tom Brady. It wasn’t even halftime before this game was over. The Blazers were outmatched, and Deni came off the bench to provide some spark it was a sad, sad game. This is about when the Blazers need to figure out if the tank is real or if they will be OKC from about four years ago. Do you want to compete knowing you’re a lesser team? Or do you want to suck for the latter half of every game intentionally? Either is fine at this point, but you kinda need to pick a lane.

Game #30 - 12/26 vs Utah (120-118 W)

Is Scoot Henderson the real deal? Is he better than Brandon Miller? Did we get the second-best player in the 2023 draft? It’s way too early to tell, but an assumed franchise pillar getting his first game-winner is tasty and sparks some joy into this tumultuous young team. Scoot talks here about the play and the game overall. Now that the Blazers have two last-second game-winning shots over their last four games, maybe that pull into a more positive direction that I was hoping for is happening. It has been great to see the core of Scoot, Ant, Jerami, Deni, and Shaedon playing consistently over the last few weeks. Maybe it was a mediocre game against the bottom-feeding Jazz. Perhaps it was Nate Bjorkgren subbing in for Chauncey, as he takes some time after losing his late grandmother. Either way, a win is a win in the NBA, and every team is looking to get them.

Game #31 - 12/28 vs Dallas (126-122 W)

Well, slap my face and call me an idiot. That’s a phrase, right? Apparently Luka on the sideline doesn’t have the same effect as being on the court. And Kyrie putting up 46 points won’t do the trick against this young Blazer team led by Shaedon, Ayton, Deni, Scoot, and Ant, all scoring 19+ points. It was a weirdly balanced effort from *checks notes* Nate Bjorkgren, again? Is this man the reason we can succeed? Is the Billups era over? There are a lot of questions to ask about this team that just beat a much better Mavs team coming off a Finals appearance last season. The hype train is real for Bjorkgren, and maybe we need to start a petition for him to succeed Chauncey. Regardless of how it happened or why it happened, it still happened.

Record: 2-1 (11-20)

Next Week’s Games: 12/30 vs Philadelphia, 1/2 @ LA Lakers, 1/4 @ Milwaukee

Week 8-9

With the NBA Cup bracket portion of the tournament concluding during Week 8, I combined this post with Week 9 since there wasn’t much happening. Discussing two games would’ve been a bit sad. Right? Well, how about four games that resulted in just one win? The one win was pretty sick, though, especially coming against the Nuggets. Lots to think about when it comes to this roster, with the trade deadline roughly 7 weeks away. Hopefully, we can keep the young core and get more youth + draft picks from any trades. Who knows what Jody Allen will do, hopefully, sell the team to give us some actual direction. (That’s a topic for a new day).

Game #25 - 12/13 @ San Antonio (118-116 L)

What an utter disappointment. A substantial Q4 lead of 105-88 with 8:18 left, only for the Spurs to go on an 11-0 run spanning 3 minutes. We scored a whopping 11 points in the final 5:10 to lose by two measly points. This team is… something. I would love to believe they can hold their own in the 4th Quarter (because we’ve seen it happen), but they disappoint at new levels with this one. Unsure what it was this time, but the loss to a solid San Antonio team is a bummer. Yeah, it helps the tanking odds, but winning this game would’ve felt nice. Jerami was COOKING from deep, though, which was terrific. And a Jabari start to give the young guy some confidence (as a CU Buff fan) had to be a boost.

Game #26 - 12/15 @ Phoenix (116-109 L)

An above-average Q3 gave us hope for a brief moment. Otherwise, the Suns constantly controlled this game. Nothing truly stood out for the Blazers during this game besides being outmatched by a team that should’ve won by 15+. Somehow, we only lost by 7. Jerami must think, “Get me out of here and on a contender.” He’s putting up solid numbers and looking the part, but he must just be “going through the motions.” He, Anfernee, and Time Lord are the most likely candidates to be moved during the trade deadline. If this team doesn’t look wildly different at the end of the season, then it’s a loss. At this point, the roster/coaching staff/ownership/really everything needs to change. Bottom of the barrel for the third straight year is frustrating, but I guess the lack of expectation is better than failing to meet a standard.

Game #27 - 12/19 vs Denver (126-124 W)

WELCOME TO THE ANFERNO!! What a performance Ant made on the floater to sink the Nuggets. After a handful of underwhelming performances from this squad, it was refreshing to see them beat a declining team like Denver. I don’t know exactly what’s happening with them, but they are NOT the same team that won the NBA Finals in 2023. Jokic is doing everything possible to win games, but you can’t have someone like him do 120% of things and expect to win. The Blazers have some grit when they want to instill it and have good enough players to win some of these games. It’s being able to put it all together to win. And it was clear that happened tonight. I would love to see this as a launching-off point for the team as they progress into the middle of the season. But sadly, we know what will happen: many more losses than wins.

Game #28 - 12/21 @ San Antonio (114-94 L)

Whomp whomp… What a bummer of a loss (again) to the Spurs. Nothing really to report from this game other than it being a letdown of a game after a thrilling game-winner from Anfernee. Wemby had 30 points and 10 rebounds to cap off a dominant performance. Shaedon is continuing to look exceptional, so that’s good. But this Blazer roster is so hot and cold. It’s insane to believe they can win games consistently when they have good performances and follow it up as if they had nothing really in the tank. This wasn’t even the case of a back-to-back. It was just another game. There's not a lot to think about after this loss than just moving on to the next one.

Record: 1-3 (9-19)

Next Week’s Games: 12/23 @ Dallas, 12/26 vs Utah, 12/28 vs Dallas