In the offseason, this final matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans appeared like a marquee game. Now, it’s just like any other one.
Less than a year ago, the Portland Trail Blazers were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the New Orleans Pelicans. In the immediate aftermath of the club’s collapse, many labeled Portland as a flukey story primed for regression the following year. Meanwhile, the outlook for New Orleans excited fans; they surged after losing DeMarcus Cousins, had upset a three-seed, and gave the Golden State Warriors something to think about (albeit briefly) in the second round.
This past summer, many 2018-19 NBA season projections echoed these sentiments. ESPN had the Pelicans as a seven-seed (45-37) with the Blazers missing the playoffs (43-39); FiveThirtyEight predicted a similar fate for the Pels (45-37) and a worse one for Portland (39-43); Bleacher Report was more modest but still had New Orleans as the better team by one win.
With the bad blood from April 2018 and similarity in overall talent, these two teams seemed only an offseason away from regular dogfights throughout the year. Every game would be meaningful for the playoff race; every game would have major implications for validating the Blazers as a legitimate force in the West, or dismantling that idea completely.
In practice, the competition between these teams have been far less grand. Portland has defeated New Orleans in their previous two matchups by a combined 29 points. And their upcoming game should gain even less fanfare than before.
Tonight’s contest will be the first time the Blazers meet the Pelicans following the Anthony Davis trade deadline melodrama. Although the team did not deal him, the superstar has made it abundantly clear he wants out from the organization that drafted him first overall in 2012. There will be no mending fences; New Orleans knows they will need to trade their generational talent sooner or later (likely this summer) and are staring an uncertain rebuild right in the eyes.
With Davis on a minutes-restriction, a roster in flux, and a new interim GM, one thing is clear about this Pelicans team: they are playing for next year.
Meanwhile, the Blazers have been as solid as ever. They are on pace to replicate or even better their record from last year, have added depth at wing and center, and are rolling since All-Star Weekend. Portland will clearly end the year as the better and more cohesive team.
But who could’ve seen this coming?
Davis looked ready for an MVP year, Jrue Holiday was constantly improving and masqueraded valiantly as a Kevin Durant stopper, and the team looked confident in their makeup as they passed on a rehabilitating but very talented Cousins. The Blazers were running back the same team that many felt hit their ceiling two years ago.
The battle between Portland and New Orleans tonight should symbolize how quickly the narratives around teams and the NBA change.
Before the Blazers’ season, I highlighted three matchups to watch. The last one was tonight’s game. I wrote:
"“There’s nothing sweeter in the spring than the smell of fresh flowers and the taste of sweet, sweet redemption.”"
Today, this line seems disconnected from the reality of the league. Less than a year ago, the story arcs of these franchises were intrinsically linked to one another. Now, the teams appear to have only collided in orbit during a particularly strong year for the Western Conference.
Still, the clash itself has not been forgotten – at least not by Portland. When the players are asked about last year’s result, they do not shy away from saying it’s still on their minds. New Orleans’ trapping scheme of Lillard stunted the Blazers, and the sweep created urgency for the group as they determine which directions to go moving forward.
For a team that could quickly fall into obscurity, the Pelicans sure gave Portland lots to think about for potentially years to come. The funny thing is, we might forget just how exciting the prospects for this New Orleans team were only months ago.