Report Card for Portland’s 106-101 Victory Over Minnesota

A report card for all 9 players who contributed to the Trail Blazers 106-101 victory over the Timberwolves.

Starters

Damian Lillard: 34 points (14-25)/7 assists/2 rebounds

By far his most impressive game this season, Lillard put the team on his back as he led the Trail Blazers to their second win of the year. This is the type of performance that you want from your star player/leader. By years end, Portland fans should grow accustomed to these types of performances. A+

C.J. McCollum: 18 points (7-18)/4 assists/7 rebounds

What isn’t shown on the above stat line is McCollum’s outrageous +/- of +17. To make it simpler for people who don’t care about advanced stats, +/- is basically this: The amount of points your team scores/gives up when you are on the court. So, a +5 would mean that your team out scored the opponent by 5 points while you were on the court. A -5 works the same way, just conversely. To put McCollum’s +17 into perspective, last year’s MVP Stephen Curry’s average +/- was 11.5. Dang, C.J. A

Al-Farouq Aminu: 17 points (7-12 )/1 assist/9 rebounds

Aminu continues to impress, making it 3 straight games with 16 or more points. His solid play didn’t end on that side of the court though, as he chipped in 6 defensive rebounds and 1 steal. Speaking of steals, (and I’ve said this before), the $30 mil./4 year deal he agreed to in the offseason looks like one. A

Mason Plumlee: 9 points (4-5)/2 assists/4 rebounds

Plumlee shot efficiently last night, with a clip of 80%. If only he could shoot that well all season long! What alarmed me was his lack of production on the glass. Four total rebounds with only one of those being offensive is not a good look for the 6’10 forward from Duke. Oh, and did I mention that he had 6 turnovers? C+

Meyers Leonard: 4 points (1-7)/1 assist/9 rebounds

The dismal shooting performances for Leonard continued on Monday, lowering his FG percentage to .281%, and 3 point percentage to .118%. For a player who’s career averages are .505% and .366% respectfully, the early struggles may just be a sign of rust. The question is, when will the rust wear off? C-

Bench

Ed Davis: 7 points (2-4)/1 assist/11 rebounds

In limited action(20 minutes), Davis looked impressive while amassing double digit rebounds. I would love to see Terry Stotts take a few minutes away from some of the other big men (I’m looking at you, Mason and Meyers), and start playing Ed a bit more. B

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Noah Vonleh: 5 points (1-3)/0 assists/3 rebounds

Despite his rather uninspiring stat line, Vonleh was the only player off the bench to have a positive +/- with the team going +8 while he was on the court. Regardless of that stat, the Blazers’ bench unit was quadrupled in points by the Timberwolves’. Moving forward, Vonleh should be able to help with that, depending on the playing time Stotts is willing to give the 20 year old project. C

Oct 31, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless (4) keeps the ball inbounds during the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns in the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Maurice Harkless: 5 points (2-5)/1 assist/ 4 rebounds

Count last night’s game as the lowest scoring output of the season for Harkless. Also mark this as his first outing without a made three pointer. Disappointing yes, but not terribly surprising considering he received the least amount of playing time for those who stepped on the court (17

minutes). C

Allen Crabbe: 7 points (3-10)/1 assist/0 rebounds

Crabbe tied for most points off the bench with Ed Davis, who also scored 7 points. Other than that, he only chipped in 1 assist and didn’t get a single rebound. If he is going to play north of 25 minutes a game, he’s going to have to have a more balanced stat line to make it worthwhile. C-