A report card for the top 6 contributors in the Trail Blazers 109-116 loss to Hassan Whiteside and the Heat.
Starters
Damian Lillard: 32 points/9 assists/2 rebounds
Lillard had his best game of the month yesterday against the Heat. The star PG was able to score 32 points with a FG% of .556%. After two games in which Lillard struggled to put the ball in the basket (.300 vs. OKC and .267 vs. ORL), it was good to see him find his stroke once again. Despite his solid outing that included 9 assists, turnovers were still a problem. The Trail Blazers are in the bottom 10 for turnovers per game, and Lillard didn’t help their cause with a game leading 6 TO’s. A
CJ McCollum: 20 points/6 assists/3 rebounds
With 20 points, McCollum continued to be consistent on the offensive side of the ball. And while his scoring was much appreciated, this wasn’t a very good game from the Most Improved Player candidate. After getting to the line in each of the last 5 games, McCollum failed to do so against Miami. What sets Lillard apart from McCollum offensively is his ability to drive the lane and draw fouls. Lillard took 11 free throws yesterday, making it the seventh time he has taken at least 9 in a game this season. For McCollum, a 9+ free throw game has only occurred once, way back in mid November. Combine that with his horrendous plus/minus of -15, and I’ll give CJ a…B-
Al-Farouq Aminu: 16 points/2 assists/4 rebounds
Aminu started off hotter than a stove top on high, scoring 16 first half points. For the second straight game, he was able to knock down 4 three pointers, which is something Aminu failed to do in the first 27 games of the year. He seems to have found his stroke again after a brief lull in late November. From 11/24 to 12/1, Aminu shot an ugly .161% from the field. Since then, he has improved that number to .499%. With no consistent scorer beyond Lillard and McCollum the Blazers need Aminu to shoot like this if they want to win games. The only thing holding him back from getting an A grade was his inability to score in the entire 2nd half. That’s not a good look. B+
Noah Vonleh: 2 points/0 assists/3 rebounds
Once again, Vonleh played 11 minutes of below average basketball. Although he has started for about a month now, there is no evidence of growth or maturity from the 20 year old. He looks confident on the court, but fails to put the ball in the basket. In fact, Vonleh has more games this year in which he makes 0 shots compared to 3 or more. I’ve been saying it for a while now, and I won’t stop saying it: The Blazers need to sit Vonleh on the bench, and either re-enter Meyers Leonard into the lineup, or see what Ed Davis can do with first unit. D
Mason Plumlee: 11 points/2 assists/7 rebounds
Plumlee shot .600% from the field for the 10th game this season. In the previous nine games, Portland held a 6-3 record. So, it’s a little surprising to see the Blazers lose a game in which he shoots a high percentage. It was the first game in over a week that Plumlee has failed to register at least 10 rebounds, after doing so in three straight games. Like Lillard, turnovers were an issue for Plumlee, who had 5 in the game. He currently ranks 7th in the NBA for all qualifying centers in turnovers per game. B-
Sixth Man of the Game
Meyers Leonard: 8 points/1 assist/9 rebounds
Boy was it good to see Meyers hit a 3 pointer again! His last made 3 was on 12/8, and he had missed 12 straight before making 2-3 against Miami. Portland would love to see Leonard find his stroke again, and a few more games like this one would be a welcome sight for coaches and fans alike. To go along with his 8 points, Leonard tied his season high in rebounds, pulling down 9 total against a physical Miami Heat front court. B