2. Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers had a respectable first week going 2-1 with wins over the Kings and Mavs but fell short to their division rival nuggets on opening night. Damian Lillard was excellent all week and Hassan Whiteside appears to fit quite well in this Blazer system.
Damian Lillard averaged nearly 32 points a night with 6 assists and appeared to be in midseason form. He was excellent from the field shooting north of 50 percent, but his percentage from deep didn’t even notch 30 percent.
CJ McCollum had a rough start to the season, but finally found his rhythm Sunday night against Mavericks when he looked unstoppable scoring 35 points while adding 6 rebounds and 4 assists. His first few outings had Blazer fans concerned making his Sunday night explosion a wonderful sight to see.
https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1188681799414751232
Hassan Whiteside’s Rip City debut couldn’t have been any better. He seemed to fit into the system well and performed exactly as Blazer fans had hoped. He totaled 14.7 points a night and added 14 rebounds as well while shooting 81 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line.
Rodney Hood stepped into the starting role for the first time as a Blazer and did quite well. He scored nearly 14 points per game on outstanding shooting splits. He shot 53 percent from the field and was scorching hot from behind the arc shooting 58 percent.
Zach Collins was inserted into the starting role at the power forward position and was playing well until his shoulder dislocated Sunday night in Dallas and was forced to exit the game. The Blazers are thin at the big man position so hopefully, he can return as soon as possible.
The Blazers head into San Antonio Monday night to face the 2-0 Spurs who don’t have a good win under their belt yet. The Trail Blazers road trip finishes up in Oklahoma City as the Blazers get their first look at the revamped Thunder. The Blazers finally return home Saturday night when Joel Embiid and the Sixers come to town.