Trail Blazers Report Card: Lillard, McCollum Torch Nets in Win

Player grades from the Trail Blazers 112-104 victory over Brook Lopez and the lowly Nets.

Starters

Damian Lillard: 34 points/4 assists/3 steals

For the fifth straight game, Lillard scored 30+ points. The last player in Trail Blazers history to achieve that streak was Geoff Petrie way back in 1971, during the first year the franchise. It’s hard to comprehend what this means, but think about all the greats who have come through Portland: Bill Walton in the late 70’s, Clyde Drexler in the 80’s, plus Brandon Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge in recent years. None of them did what Lillard is doing now. As the 30 point games come and go, it’s getting harder and harder to accept that this guy wasn’t an all-star. Lillard will look to continue his revenge tour against his archenemy (Patrick Beverly), when the Rockets come to town this Thursday. The same Rockets team he spurned for 31 in a win just two weeks ago. Grade: A+

CJ McCollum: 34 points/6 assists/5 rebounds

More from Blazers News

Speaking of 30+ point performances, McCollum was able to do so for the second straight game. Unlike Lillard who caught fire in the fourth quarter, McCollum did most of his damage in the first half. He led all scorers with 21 points at the half while also chipping in five assists. I said in my last report card that McCollum would have a chance to have another big night against the Nets, who are at the bottom of league for field goals allowed. He ended up shooting 13-20, making it the most field goals McCollum has made since the very first game of the season. It’s games like this that change the minds of doubters who say Lillard and McCollum don’t complement one another. Grade: A+

Al-Farouq Aminu: 10 points/4 assists/5 rebounds

Aminu finally had a good showing, after scoring just a total of five points in the first two games since the break. The difference was his hot shooting to begin the game, as Aminu scored seven first quarter points. Now while this means he averaged just one point over the last three quarters of the game, he still was able to have a positive impact. Aminu’s plus/minus of +20 was the highest mark for any player in the game. He should be able to get double digit points once again on Thursday, as Aminu scored 11 in both of the meetings against Houston earlier in the month. Grade: B+

Noah Vonleh: 4 points/0 assists/3 rebounds

Vonleh struggled in his 13 minutes, which was his smallest amount of playing time since before the all star break. With Harkless rising as a possible option in the starting rotation, Vonleh seems to be losing his grip on the starting job. Lucky for him, Terry Stotts has seemed reluctant all year to change his lineups. As the team continues to ascend the rankings, he will presumably give Vonleh enough leash to figure out his recent offensive woes. Grade: C-

Mason Plumlee: 4 points/5 assists/13 rebounds

Plumlee’s biggest contributions in last night’s game was his efforts on the boards. He grabbed a team high 13 rebounds, which is his highest mark since late December. It’s worth noting that Plumlee hadn’t registered double digit rebounds in February (until last night), so hopefully it’s a trend he will look to continue as the month closes out. On the defensive side, he went against former teammate Brook Lopez, and looked inept at times while defending the post-savvy big man of the Nets – who went off for 36 points and five offensive rebounds. Grade: B

Sixth Man of the Game

Allen Crabbe: 5 points/3 assists/2 steals

Tuesday’s win wasn’t as kind to the bench, as no player scored more than 10 points. Yet Crabbe’s two key steals and a plus/minus of +8 are enough to win him the top mark. Offensively though, Crabbe has struggled as of late. He’s averaged just 5.5 PPG over the last four games, and seems primed to have February be his worse month of the season. Grade: B-