With a couple of days between games with the Jazz, The Blazers must tweak some things in order to get revenge during this playoff race.
On Sunday morning, the Portland Trailblazers were two and a half games ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Now the lead is down to just one game after the Nuggets dismantled the Pelicans, and the Blazers lost to the Timberwolves and Jazz earlier this week.
The loss against Utah was especially bad. A 19-point loss on the road is never acceptable, especially when it’s the 5th-to-last game of the season. To add to the bad news, Jusuf Nurkić is still absent, as he will most likely miss the remainder of the regular season. His void at the center position was the biggest reason Rudy Gobert dropped 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The good news? There’s a rematch Saturday evening in Portland.
Here are 3 key adjustments the Blazers must make if they want to start their final home stand off with a victory.
Improved Defense on the Wing
Whether or not you see him as a superstar, Gordon Hayward put on a clinic against Portland on Tuesday. His 30 point, 4 rebound and 2 assist stat line makes Blazers fans cringe. Part of the reason for his stat line was the lack of presence inside the paint. However, the biggest culprit was the defense played by Portland’s wing/small forward defenders. Maurice Harkless, who is usually a fairly stout defender, was a victim of great screens by Gobert that helped Hayward get the hoop.
Al-Farouq Aminu is the team’s best perimeter defender, but due to injuries and lack of depth, he’s playing power forward and center. This means Harkless and Allen Crabbe will need to step up and defend Hayward through every screen. Both must use their length to disrupt the flow of Utah’s offense, which is usually run through Hayward. Evan Turner may need to step up as well, but he usually defends shooting guards.
Any improvement when switching on screens is also needed, as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were incapable of stopping Hayward when they switched onto him. A night in which Hayward scores less than 20 points means Utah must find a way to get baskets. That would put Portland in great shape, and is one step in the right direction for a win.