Marcus Camby set season highs in rebounds and blocks in Portland's win over Memphis. Photo courtesy of the AP.

It seems like it’s been a long time since Blazer fans have had something to feel genuinely positive about. In fact, just this morning I was listening to Ryen Russillo on ESPN’s NBA Today Podcast talk about how after two-plus weeks the Blazers were the popular pick to come out of the West, and now here we are, not quite at the end of January, and they aren’t even in the Playoff picture.

Of course it’s too early to say a team is either a contender or a bust (unless you’re talking about the Thunder, contender, or the Wizards, bust), but it does seem like since that early hot start the attitude towards this Portland team has been a combination of negativity and qualified optimism. Negativity when they drop winnable road games and get a shooting clinic from the Orlando Magic; qualified optimism when they beat the Sacramento Kings but have to leave their starters on the floor up until the final minutes of the game’s final quarter.

Rejoice, Portland fans. Tuesday’s win is just about as close to a total positive as you are going to get. Memphis comes in as one of the hottest teams in the league, can match up pretty well with Portland, and plays the kind of turnover producing defense and up-tempo offense that can be a killer for a Blazer team that hasn’t taken good care of the ball as of late, and relies very heavily on long and mid-range jumpers. Tuesday’s game could have very easily gone the other way.

It didn’t. And it didn’t not by luck, or because Memphis took the night off. Tuesday, Portland won because they delivered a balanced scoring attack that started out working the ball inside and getting good looks from in close, because they played defense, at least matching the defensive intensity–if not the execution–of one of the best defensive teams in the league, and because they rebounded.

The Blazers won the battle of the boards 50-to-39. Marcus Camby led the way with an astounding 22, but everybody pitched in. Gerald Wallace snagged 11, LaMarcus Aldridge had six, and six other Blazers had at least one. The extra effort to crash the glass helped negate some of the damage done by turning the ball over, something Portland did 20 times.

Offense wins games, though. And Tuesday Portland looked nearly as fluid on offense as they have all season. They worked the ball inside to Aldridge, who was on fire in the first quarter hitting 5-of-6 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line for 14 points, and they also attacked with their wings.

There aren’t a ton of teams that have one guy that can defend Aldridge one on one for a full 48 minutes (or the 31:22 which he played for the purpose of accuracy). Memphis tried a bunch of different looks throughout the night. Rudy Gay was the most successful, although his tactic was to play behind LA then foul if LaMarcus got a spin on him towards the hoop. The least successful was Marreese Speights. Aldridge primarily beat up on Speights with his outside shot, but also took him down low a couple of times. Gay’s defense worked because with his length he could challenge the outside shot both when LA faced-up or spun away from the hoop. Marc Gasol had a couple of sequences on LaMarcus too. At least once, LA took the ball outside, isolated Gasol, and just drove by him. You know it’s a good night for the Blazers when LA has a different tactic to deal with each defender he sees.

As for the wing play. Wesley Matthews, Jamal Crawford, and Gerald Wallace were looking to put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop more Tuesday than they had in awhile. Gerald attacks by default, but Crawford and Matthews sometimes play like they need to be convinced. Wesley especially can benefit from driving on nights when his shot isn’t falling. Tuesday, Wesley was 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep, but he did hit six free throws. He needs to keep getting in the lane and keep getting to the line, and maybe that way he can shoot himself out of this extended slump.

Crash didn’t score too much Tuesday, but he had at least one lay-up. At some point it might be nice to look at HoopData and see if Gerald’s best games are when he scores two lay-ups for every jump shot. I know there are nights when he can knock down threes and long twos, but in my opinion, Wallace should be trying to score at the rim every time he touches the ball.

Crawford is a bit of a tricky call when it comes to attacking. He isn’t as big as Wesley Matthews–bulk-wise–and he isn’t as bulky or as tall as Gerald Wallace, so his shot is the most likely out of those three to be blocked at the rim. In fact, Tuesday night, Crawford had a possession when he shook his defender with a crossover (I think it was O.J. Mayo but I can’t be sure, whoever it was ended up on their backside), only to have his lay-up attempt sent away. I still like the idea of Jamal attacking the rim though, primarily because he is such a great free throw shooter. If Crawford is going to be as helpful to this team as he needs to be, helpful enough for Portland to live up to some of that early hype, his efficiency needs to improve. The best way for him to do that is by getting more free throw attempts. Crawford, though, loves his jump shot, and he very rarely looks to drive to the rim as his first recourse. Tuesday, Jamal scored 15 points to lead a productive Portland bench, but he took 13 shots. By comparison, LaMarcus Aldridge took 13 shots and led all scorers with 23 points.

The Blazers have now completed stage two of the three stage gauntlet that is their first back-to-back-to-back–or as Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm so aptly dubbed it a b3b–with easily the most difficult stage yet to come. Portland travels to Oakland tonight to take on Golden State tomorrow, a team they almost never beat in a place they almost always lose. The Warriors have a lot in common with the Grizzlies. They like to get out and run, they’re driven by strong guard play, and they have a tendency to make costly mistakes or play themselves out of a game.

If the Blazers can play Wednesday the way they played Tuesday, they’ll be in pretty good shape. I think going 3-0 on their first b3b might begin to make up for their 2-4 roadie.

Couple of quick things:

• Gerald Wallace took a beating Tuesday night. He got hit in his bad hand, and at one point got leveled by Marc Gasol. I have no doubt that Wallace will go in Wednesday’s game, but I expect he will be pretty sore.
• Coach Nate McMillan once again hesitated to clear his bench, waiting until Memphis skipper Lionel Hollins rotated in his garbage time guys. Nate’s choice to sub, or not sub, has become a point of contention on Twitter, and a bit of a running joke in Nate’s post game media debriefing. I tend to agree that Nate could pull his starters a little earlier every now and then. But I see the point of keeping them out there too. A game is 48 minutes long, and it’s never over until it’s over. Nate isn’t intentionally trying to wear his guys down, but he also isn’t about to give up a comeback in the final stages of a game. One thing he might think about, though, is that his end of the bench guys–at this point that’s Elliot Williams, Luke Babbitt, and Chris Johnson–aren’t getting a chance to run that much because there aren’t that many practice days with this schedule. When those guys did get in Tuesday night, they did not look great. Chris Johnson had a nice dunk, but other than that it was pretty disorganized. There might come a time this season when one or more of those guys has to play, it might help them to get just the smallest bit of meaningful game time action prior to that point.
• One more note on the young guys coming in at the end. If you look closely at the box score you’ll notice that Portland finished with 97 points, three shy of the good stuff. Nolan Smith had a look at three for the chalupa, passing up the chance to give Luke Babbitt the almost unheard of back-to-back chalupa bucket, but it clanked off the rim. The Blazers did get the last possession, but with no shot clock on and no defense, Elliot Williams made the grown-up decision and didn’t put up a shot. Another sad day in Blazer-land.
• Craig Smith had another nice night. 3-of-8 from the field 2-of-2 from the line, eight points in 13 minutes, punctuated by a throw down on a run-out feed from Jamal Crawford. If Portland can get eight points for every 12 to 13 minutes of court time for Rhino they should be very happy. I know that it won’t take too much more for Craig Smith to be a fan favorite, greeted by a standing ovation every time he checks in. Get to the fan shop now, because in a week I bet they’ll be out of Smith #83 jerseys.
• Minutes watch: 2:42 for Luke Babbitt. The only Blazer not to score, and the only Blazer not to attempt a field goal. I know it’s mean to pick on Luke, but, Nate has shown he’s a lot more likely to play Luke in regular game time than Elliot Williams. Luke looks lost when playing with the starters and regular bench players. With the last guys on the roster, I expect him to play with a little more confidence. Let’s be honest, he is the leader of Portland’s garage time unit, seniority rules. Next time Portland is at the end of a blowout, and Babbitt is on the floor, I would like to see him demanding the ball.
• New thing here, not sure if I’ll do it every night, but I thought about it since even this early in the season every game changes Playoff positioning. Standings watch: Portland came into the game in 9th place in the West, Memphis in 4th. With the win, Portland jumps to 6th, Memphis falls to 8th, Dallas bumps up to 7th, and Houston falls out of the race.

Box Score

Standings

email me: mike.acker1@gmail.com

Twitter: @mikeacker | @ripcityproject

Follow Tony Allen on Twitter (@aa000G9) it's worth it. Photo courtesy of the AP.

LaMarcus Aldridge needed to be restrained on the way to his first 30-point output of the season, leading Portland to a HUGE early-season road win. Photo courtesy of the AP.

If Oklahoma City were the Los Angeles Lakers,the actual team to beat in the Western Conference for most of the first decade of the current century and not the popular choice of best team in the conference based on potential; and Kevin Durant were Kobe Bryant, the best player in this incarnation the NBA and not the heir apparent, tomorrow’s national news media would either fail to mention Tuesday’s game, or they’d have a ton of excuses as for why one of the top teams fell at home in a game in which their go-to guy failed to show up.

But Oklahoma City is Oklahoma City, and although Kevin Durant is at the top of the heap when it comes to up and comers, the Thunder still have a ways to go before they can be crowned the best in the west.  So, because OKC isn’t the defending Conference Champions, what will Portland’s impressive 103-93 victory mean? Well hopefully it will mean that people will start to take notice of the Blazers. I feel like I’m preaching to the choir here, but this is a very good Portland team.

Beating Oklahoma City in Oklahoma City is no small feat–yes the Thunder played and lost in Dallas Monday night, but that’s no excuse. Every team has back-to-backs, the good teams are going to be the ones that win in those situations. But more than just getting the win, what was impressive Tuesday night was how they got that win. As a team.

The Blazers have a ton of guys that can get it done on offense, and they have just as many guys that want to make an impact on defense and on the glass. To get a win against a team as talented as Oklahoma City in their gym, both offense and defense have to click at the same time. And to do that you have to commit to the team game.

Tuesday LaMarcus Aldridge carried the offensive burden, recording a season-high 30 points; Gerald Wallace established Portland’s defensive strategy, holding Kevin Durant to 19 points on 8-of-26 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep; and Nicolas Batum added the glue; 12 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots, and only a single personal foul while spending part of the night guarding Durant and part of the night shadowing James Harden. But those three weren’t the only Blazers that brought their games to Oklahoma. Raymond Felton scored 12 points, dished seven assists, and turned the ball over only a single time. Wesley Matthews grabbed four steals, hit seven of his 12 field goal attempts, and gave OKC’s smaller guards a headache with his post-ups on the low block.

There’s more than that too; just take a look at the box score. Everybody that played for Portland played well, and contributed. Scott Leedy, one of Hardwood Paroxysm‘s resident Trail Blazer fans had a telling tweet following the game. He said what we are all feeling: We are at the point where we are trying to not get ahead of ourselves with this team. A few more wins like this one, and I think it’s safe to say that Portland has the tools to be at the very top of the Western Conference.

If you’re one of those people that wants to take this season one game at a time, and disparages those that decide to talk about the Playoffs five games in, here’s a stat you may want to ignore, seeing as it’s one more reason to expect big things from this group of Blazers. Tuesday Portland came in having turned the ball over 45 times in their last two games. Turnovers were an issue Sunday night in their first loss of the season. The running offense looked like it might be crashing and burning, seeing that the Blazer guards couldn’t keep possession of the rock. Tuesday night, Portland had their lowest turnover total of the season: nine.

Getting turnovers down to single digits was huge, equal in importance to limiting the Thunder to 21 free throw attempts, only four of those by Durant. But that turnover number is about more than just execution. It’s about getting better. To reach their potential, Portland has to be able to make adjustments. Splitting two games with 20 or more turnovers is both bad and good. Good, obviously because when you turn it over 20 times on the road to a running team like the Clippers you lose, and losing games highlights the need to make changes. Bad, because turning the ball over 25 times against a very good squad like Denver and winning might make a team think they can do that every night and get away with it. What Portland did Tuesday night was show that they are capable of tightening the screws, getting better execution, making better decisions, and still winning by playing their game.

There are still plenty of things Portland needs to work on. They went absolutely flat in the second quarter, and couldn’t figure out a way get scores without shooting jumpers. They still gave up too many run-outs. They struggled to limit offensive rebounds and second chance points. But, this team has proven they can address their issues, and work to get better. Improving from game to game will be a difference maker.

So Portland gets their first win on the road, and they do it in a statement fashion. Does this mean that tomorrow morning the Blazers will top ESPN’s Power Rankings? Probably not. But it does mean that this team means business. It does mean that Portland is going to be on everybody’s radar from now on. And that’s a good thing.

The Blazers are back in action Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. This will be Portland’s first national TV game, and LA isn’t the team they were last year or the year before. The Blazers have a good chance to post another statement-type win, but they also have a chance to take another step back if they overlook Kobe Bryant and don’t build on the biggest win of the season so far.

Just a couple other things:

• James Harden was inserted into the starting lineup for Thabo Sefolosha, and played a hell of a game. In 40 minutes Harden scored 23 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field, and knocking down three deep balls. Here’s the thing though, a big game from Harden doesn’t guarantee a win, the way a big game from Kevin Durant does.
• Marcus Camby had another big night that didn’t really show up in the final box score. Camby had five rebounds and seven points, but he also provided the Blazers with the kind of energy that allowed them to overcome a slow start and some flat shooting. Camby is essential to getting the crowd energized at home. He can’t do that on the road, but he can get his team fired up. That’s the type of veteran leadership Portland needs.
• Hopefully the Nicolas Batum drama is over (not that there was really any drama to begin with). His 24 minutes led all bench players, and they were extremely efficient and effective. One of the highlights of the game in my opinion came when Nic caught a pass on the wing with almost no time left on the shot clock and drilled a three-pointer without bringing the ball below his head. Nicolas needs to shoot when he’s on the court. Tuesday that’s what he did. End of discussion, please.
• Jamal Crawford never really got going Tuesday, although he did prove once again that one shot is all he needs to feel like he has the hot hand. With the depth of offensive weapons Portland has, there are going to be nights when one guy is held out because another guy is playing better. Tuesday if was Crawford; Thursday it probably won’t be. Having to score to stay on the floor will drive competition among the active roster, meaning every guy is going to have the drive to play effective offense. Hopefully the desire to play good offense won’t get in the way of winning. I sincerely doubt that it will.
• Here’s my minutes watch (and this time it’s a positive one). 14:09 and 11:35 for Kurt Thomas and Craig Smith respectively. I’ve highlighted Kurt Thomas’s minutes before, and there’s a reason for that, playing KT–I’m not sure if anybody calls him that but I think I’m going to start–effective minutes every night will help LaMarcus stay effective deep into the season. Getting solid minutes from Craig Smith, and Rhino’s minutes were very good and will get better as he gets more of them, is an added bonus, giving Portland a front court depth they haven’t had in a long time. Playing Craig Smith means no minutes for Chris Johnson, which isn’t great because that guy can help too, but Smith is the better choice at this point. He can body people up and he can finish at the rim. If Craig Smith can give Portland 11 minutes the way he did Tuesday, this team is as deep, or deeper, at all five positions than the best teams in the league.

Box Score

Standings

Thunderous Intentions

email me: mike.acker1@gmail.com

Twitter: @mikeacker | @ripcityproject

Gerald Wallace's defense on Kevin Durant was peppered with a healthy dose of offense. Photo courtesy of the AP.