Trail Blazers Weekly Recap 2/29-3/6

Trail Blazers Weekly Recap

Road trips are never easy, and for the Portland Trail Blazers the 2nd half of a six game trip proved to be difficult. Playing six games in nine days, there were times where the Blazers were obviously tired, especially against some of the East’s best teams. Although we dropped three straight, Boston, Toronto and Detroit are not only playing great, but they were able to capitalize on the fatigue of Portland’s tough trip. Credit the heart of Damian Lillard to score his second 50 point game of the season, but this team needs to see some familiar faces and get back on track.

Mar 1, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket past New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Blazers 104 vs. Knicks 85

Why did we win?

In what could be described as the “cake game” of the road trip, Lillard and C.J. McCollum capitalized on the subpar guard defense on their way to 55 combined points. On the other side, guard defense was key for Portland, holding New York to only six three-pointers and just 11 assists. Our bench went off as well, with Meyers Leonard and Ed Davis not only scoring, but grabbing 23 rebounds between the two of them.

Improvements?

The Knicks are playing so badly that it’s hard to really key on any specific improvements. I mean, when your superstar puts together the best “Shaqtin a Fool” nominee of the year when trying to take out frustration, it’s got to hurt to be a Knick fan. I would’ve liked the rest of the starters to play a little better, but I’m sure none of them care after a 20 point win.

What did we learn?

Blazers like performing on the big stages. New York is the biggest media market in the NBA, and it’s hard not to notice another influx of national articles about the Blazers after this game. Our young core really showed some poise, as it was our third game in four nights and it didn’t seem to faze us at all in terms of fatigue or bad plays.

Mar 2, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) drives to the basket past Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Celtics 116 vs. Blazers 93

Why did we lose?

When you’re young, you can compete against an aging team on a road trip, but if you go against another young a talented team that’s rested, then you get a game like this. The tenacious defense by Avery Bradley on Lillard proved too much, and it bled to the rest of the team as our starters all had terrible +/- numbers.

Improvements?

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When you’re star is harassed like Lillard was, a team needs to put in the extra effort and lift the team. Everyone was tired yes, but the amount of hustle stats that went to Boston is a little staggering. Credit coach Brad Stevens for implementing a college styled defense, but they grabbed more boards, dished out more assists and forced 14 turnovers while only committing five themselves. The Blazers needed to play poised to pull this game out, and instead they played fatigued and we’re intimidated by their physicality.

What did we learn?

Boston has a lot of defensive mentalities that I’d like Portland to pick up on. First off, I was very impressed with Marcus Smart, who bullies you into turnovers on one end, then runs you over on offense. By imposing some physicality (no crotch shots Leonard!), a team can change an opponent’s swagger. Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis usually fight for boards, but it would be nice if we set the physical tone every once in awhile.

Mar 4, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) celebrates after making a basket against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Trail Blazers 117-115. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Raptors 117 vs. Blazers 115

Why did we lose?

We all know that Canadians are more polite than Americans, but c’mon, 54 free throws? DeMar DeRozan has officially hit James Harden levels of frustration with me after this game, with 24 of his 38 points coming from free throws. I mean, Lillard had 50 and we cut it close at the end, but the free throw difference was too much to overcome.

Improvements?

A lot of the fouls called in this one shouldn’t have been called, but as a team, you have to collectively assess the situation early and adapt accordingly. Derozan wasn’t having a good shooting night and was looking for the whistle every time, so our defense should’ve adapted to forcing him into outside shots. On the other hand, the whistle went both ways. Portland shot 20 less free throws, but they still missed ten shots and could’ve won the game with a few more makes.

What did we learn?

Lillard can carry us on his back through tremendous adversity. Despite the whistle happy game, he dropped 50 in a hostile territory to bring us back from the ashes. The focus on him allowed for a solid game from McCollum, but unfortunately, our bench didn’t perform quite as well as it had been. Lillard can almost do it by himself, but we learned that it has to be a team effort in order to get it done. For example, if Leonard made one basket in this game, then it’s overtime or a win.

Mar 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) drives the ball to the basket during the fourth quarter as Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris (13) defends at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons defeated the 123-103. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports /

Pistons 123 vs. Blazers 103

Why did we lose?

Detroit is playing some great basketball, and the additions of Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris have shown immediate success. The Detroit starters combined for 95 points against our starters, with each player outplaying their counterpart. The most notable loss came at center, where Andre Drummond continued his rebound dominance with 14 points along with 18 rebounds to Plumlee’s 4 and 2.

Improvements?

Over this trip, Plumlee has seemed to have taken a step backwards in his development. It pains me to call him out because I’ve been one of the biggest fans of his this year, but this trip has shown him disappear in games, get below average stats and get outworked by eastern conference frontcourts. I’m hoping this is just a small slump for him, but we need him to get it together and start rolling like he was in December and January.

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What did we learn?

The road is always tougher, and a long road trip against elite teams can really hurt a young team’s confidence. I’m hoping the Blazers could learn from their losses in the film room, as everything that contributed to this current losing streak can be corrected. This Tuesday’s Wizards game in Portland is one of the most important games of the season, because just like the rebound after last week’s Houston loss, this game could be a huge test to how we battle adversity.