2019-20 Re-Run: Portland Trail Blazers v Los Angeles Lakers (1/31/20)

Watch with me as I break down some of the Portland Trail Blazers’ most compelling games this year. Get on League Pass or scour your D-V-R and follow along.

With the 2019-20 NBA campaign expected to resume on July 30th, it’s the perfect time to look back at the Portland Trail Blazers season. This exercise will aid our collective knowledge and understanding of the team as they aim to finish out their schedule and make the playoffs.

Game 1 (Late Lillard Layup): Portland v Dallas (10/27/19)

Game 2 (Sixty Squandered): Portland v Brooklyn (11/8/19)

Game 3 (Melo Magic): Portland v Toronto (1/7/20)

Game 4 (Tolliver Takeover): Portland v Charlotte (1/13/20)

Game 5 (Overtime Oasis): Portland v Golden State (1/20/20)

So without further ado, time to watch the 6th game on the list, which is their 49th game of the year, on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers. Game recommendation by Stevie Cozens.

1st Quarter Analysis: Blazers edge the Lakers 38-36

12:00 left in 1st (defensive possession): The Lakers take a 24-second violation in memory of Kobe Bryant, who passed away in a helicopter accident along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others (Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan). Kobe Bryant scored 16,777 points as number 24, made ten all-star appearances, won 2 NBA Championships, 1 MVP (2008), and one scoring title.

11:34 left in 1st (offensive possession): The Blazers take an 8-second violation. Kobe scored 16,866 points as number 8, made eight all-star appearances, won 3 NBA Championships, and one scoring title. He also scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006; the second-most points scored in a single game in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain, 100). He genuinely has two separate hall of fame cases based on the two numbers he wore during his 20-year career.

11:25 left in 1st (defensive possession): Wenyen Gabriel makes a terrific play blocking a JaVale McGee dunk attempt. Help defense is a lot about recognizing and weighing the more significant threat; is it the player with the ball or the player you’re leaving when you go to assist your teammates? Gabriel is willing to leave Anthony Davis at the three-point line because AD is an average shooter outside the arc. It ends up being a smart choice given the alternative was a wide-open dunk for McGee.

11:10 left in 1st (offensive possession): Damian Lillard can get his shot off in isolation against the vast majority of players in the league, but Anthony Davis, with his length and athleticism, might be an exception. Even with Lillard stepping-back to create space, A.D. gets a piece of the shot and leaks out for an easy two on the other end.

10:16 left in 1st (defensive possession): Hassan Whiteside does a solid job on the switch against LeBron James. He crowds him enough that it’s not a warm-up shot, but gives enough space that he can contain the drive. LBJ is still a great player, but he relies more on his size and strength than his speed or quickness at this stage of his career. He doesn’t beat players with his first step that often anymore. When he’s the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll, switching with a big might be a better option than switching with a guard.

10:00 left in 1st (offensive possession): C.J. McCollum snakes the pick-and-roll (when the defense is forcing the ball towards the sideline, choosing to dribble in front of the roll-man, back towards the middle of the floor, making it harder for the on-ball defender to navigate the crowded lane). He does an excellent job of getting into the body of McGee to keep the shot-blocker off balance, enabling the step-back from close range.

8:50 left in 1st (defensive possession): Whiteside shows his great length by blocking an Avery Bradley pull-up 17 footer.

8:34 left in 1st (defensive possession): Whiteside got back nicely on defense to stop a potential James drive, but when the ball is kicked out to McGee beyond the three-point line, he stands and watches as the Lakers center gets within 5 feet of the basket. By the time Hassan commits to defending JaVale, he’s able to euro-step around him for two. Just because a player isn’t a shooting threat doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be guarded on the perimeter. Leaving a non-shooter open allows easier passing lanes, and it enables weaker ball-handlers to make progress towards the hoop.

7:51 left in 1st (offensive possession): An inferior outlet pass from Lillard leads to a Davis steal and easy dunk for LeBron.

7:33 left in 1st (offensive possession): McCollum hits a difficult pull-up three, just barely getting the shot off over the outstretched fingers of Davis.

7:25 left in 1st (defensive possession): The Lakers are one of the best fast-break teams in the league, and they get an easy bucket even off of a made basket by the Blazers. Lillard is the only one back for Portland trying to deal with Davis. Transition defense is all about strength in numbers. Multiple players need to be back so that if one guy gets beat, another is there to try to take away anything easy.

7:00 left in 1st (defensive possession): Trevor Ariza shows great recognition and quick hands to deflect a pass from LBJ intended for Bradley (who was wide open and would have scored had the pass arrived).

5:18 left in 1st (defensive possession): Wenyen Gabriel does a terrific job cutting off a James drive, taking the bump, and showing verticality to force the miss and get Ariza a transition bucket.

4:30 left in 1st (offensive possession): Gary Trent Jr. showcases a nice crossover and pull-up mid-ranger with the shot clock winding down. Every player will have numerous situations during a season where they have the ball with the shot clock about to go off. That’s why it’s essential even for role players to have some shot creation in their portfolio, even if it’s rarely required of them.

4:20 left in 1st (defensive possession): Ariza does a decent job of cutting LeBron off, but the bump leads to Ariza drifting out-of-bounds. It’s not enough to just be in front of James on his initial drive, you have to be ready for two or sometimes even three attacks on the rim.

3:37 left in 1st (offensive possession): This is an incredibly fast-paced opening quarter. Lillard gets the defensive rebound and goes coast-to-coast, finishing on the right side of the rim to avoid another classic LeBron chase-down block.

3:30 left in 1st (defensive possession): Nassir Little is late getting back on defense and moves towards the ball instead of guarding the trailer, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who drills the open triple.

2:25 left in 1st (offensive possession): Another transition hoop for the Blazers off multiple unselfish passes that culminates in a Little three.

2:10 left in 1st (defensive possession): Anfernee Simons fails to block out the free throw shooter, Troy Daniels, which leads to Daniels getting his miss and eventually converting. It’s the simple stuff that players sometimes take for granted that can make the difference between winning and losing.

1:43 left in 1st (defensive possession): Caleb Swanigan falls for a shot fake by Anthony Davis. As a big, just being in the proper position and contesting the shot is enough. Leaving your feet before the offensive player does rarely ends in a positive result.

0:55 left in 1st (defensive possession): Wenyen Gabriel gets bullied on a post up by Davis. A.D. torched the Blazers with 18 points on 7 of 8 from the field in the opening quarter.

0:40 left in 1st (offensive possession): Lillard shows great patience getting into the paint, drawing the help, and dishing it to Little for the slam. The Lakers then throw it away on the inbounds, and Dame, recognizing a two-for-one opportunity, just throws up a three, and it splashes through the net.

4.7 left in 1st (offensive possession): McCollum gets away with a travel (I think) and hits a three at the buzzer. His first dribble is a right-to-left crossover, which can’t be executed effectively without first making the defender think a straight line (right hand) attack is coming. To do this, McCollum has to extend the right leg to give the illusion he’s headed that direction. The likely travel happens in the second stage of the crossover because in the time it takes to manipulate the ball, he has already lifted the left foot as well (his pivot foot). It’s hard to know for sure without getting Monty McCutchen (Vice President of Referee Development and Training) on the line because it’s all done in one fluid, succinct motion. That bucket caps an 8-0 run for the Blazers in the final 47 seconds of the period.

3rd Quarter Analysis: Blazers hot shooting helps them win the period 43-34

12:00 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Trevor Ariza has more playmaking chops than he gets credit for. He takes the dribble handoff, draws two defenders, and makes a gorgeous wraparound pass to hit Whiteside under the rim for the easy flush.

11:38 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Ariza struggles to navigate through a double down-screen. He flails his arms to try to indicate an illegal pick, but in the process, the ball bounces right past him. LeBron collects the rebound and drills a three.

10:18 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Lillard, guarding Danny Green in the strong-side corner, recognizes a back cut made by Bradley and leaves his man to help, allowing an open three to a dangerous shooter. Protecting the basket is a priority over stopping threes, but in this case, Bradley wasn’t wide open, and even if he received the ball, he would’ve been contested by the trailing McCollum.

10:02 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Lillard hits his second three of the quarter, knocking down a 30 footer off a screen from Ariza.

9:32 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Mario Hezonja uses his hands to try to slow down Davis’ drive. The refs will call that double hand-check every single time.

9:22 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Whiteside rolls and jumps up for a lob finish, but Davis comes over and challenges. Hassan smartly catches the ball and lands before going back up to lay it in. Trying to direct the ball towards the hoop or a teammate is rarely as effective.

9:08 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Hezonja fouls Green on a three-point attempt. Ariza was rotating over and in position to put up a late shot contest, which appears to be what he communicates to Mario after the play.

8:17 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Lillard gets cross-matched with McGee in transition. The Blazers do a good job of helping with the mismatch. First, Hezonja leaves his man to double the ball, then Whiteside helps-the-helper to block the inside shot by Green. Unfortunately for Portland, the ball finds its way to Davis, who cans a trifecta.

7:27 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Hezonja makes a nice play catching the ball on the move, stepping through defenders, and dumping it off to Whiteside, who draws a foul. For players without a quick first step, getting your momentum moving towards the rim before the catch is a simple way to gain an advantage.

6:47 left in 3rd (offensive possession): C.J. schools McGee with a filthy hesitation dribble, but Davis makes a great play blocking the layup attempt. A.D. grabs the loose ball and assists Bradley for three on the other end.

6:23 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Lillard splits the defense and slams over the likes of McGee and Green. Dame is the living embodiment of the former NBA slogan: “Where Amazing Happens.”

6:14 left in 3rd (defensive possession): The Lakers take advantage of the 5-on-4 situation (Dame fell after his dunk) by getting Green an open three.

5:50 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Lillard drills another three off staggered screens at the top of the key. He’s got 30 on the night. It’s surprising the Lakers haven’t done more to get the ball out of his hands.

4:50 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Lillard feels Bradley trailing on his back after the Lakers guard went over the ball screen. Dame, absolutely scorching at this point, stops on a dime and fires away. The sudden shot attempt surprises Bradley, who can’t stop his momentum, which leads to a foul and a 4-point play.

4:41 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Whiteside does another great job switching onto LeBron and staying in front on the drive, this time getting a piece of the shot attempt.

4:28 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Hezonja blows an absolute gimme in transition.

3:53 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Jeff Van Gundy brought up on the broadcast that a lot of Lillard’s threes are off-the-dribble going to his left. While he is more prolific going that direction, he’s more than capable of shooting moving right as well. He takes a handoff and drills another three. This is an exceptional performance.

3:27 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Lillard drives into the paint and kicks it to Simons in the left corner, who swings it to Little for the open three. The shot is off, but Dame never left the paint and is there to tip it in. He’s got 20 now in the quarter.

3:14 left in 3rd (defensive possession): Little helps too much on an Alex Caruso-Kyle Kuzma pick-and-roll. Caruso is not a scorer, yet Little hedges like he’s a significant threat, leaving Kuzma open on the roll to the rim.

2:17 left in 3rd (offensive possession): With Simons running the point on this possession, the Blazers run a drag screen action for Lillard to come across the floor. Caruso does a reasonably good job of navigating the screens and being in position when Lillard catches the ball. It doesn’t matter, Lillard just rises and hits. I’ve run out of superlatives at this point.

0:43 left in 3rd (offensive possession): Lillard gets doubled, maintains his dribble, and gets around it. He then finds Trent Jr. for a wide-open three.

0:24 seconds left in 3rd (defensive possession): Lillard fails to box out Kuzma, who secures the offensive board and scores.

Other Notes (Kobe Bryant Edition):

This was the first game for the Lakers after Kobe had passed.

Despite it being over five months since his tragic death, it was still tough watching this game and having all the emotions come flooding back.

A great Kobe quote: “You have to dance beautifully in the box you’re comfortable dancing in. My box was to be extremely ambitious in the sport of basketball. Your box, it’s different than mine, everybody has their own, it’s your job to try to perfect it and make it as beautiful of a canvas as you can make it. And if you have done that, then you have lived a successful life, you lived with Mamba Mentality.”

LeBron gave a teary-eyed, emotional speech to the crowd at Staples before the game.

The Lakers wore Kobe Bryant warm-up shirts. Lawrence Tanter, the Lakers Public Address announcer, used the starting lineup introductions for another fitting tribute, announcing all five players as… “number 24, 6’6,” 20th campaign out of Lower Merion high school, Kobe Bryant.”

Carmelo Anthony took a personal day. He, of course, was very close with Kobe having competed in multiple Olympics together.

Kobe averaged 25 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for his career.

His 2006 season was one for the ages. He averaged 35.4 points per game on 55.9 percent true shooting (a players field goal percentage that also factors in the added value of the three-point shot and free throws) and 38.7 percent usage (the percentage of the team’s possessions a player uses). He carried a mediocre Lakers team to 45 wins.

His first title in 2000 had several legacy-defining moments, from the lob he threw to Shaquille O’Neal to put away a great Portland team in the Conference Finals, to his overtime brilliance in game 4 of the NBA Finals against Indiana after Shaq had fouled out.

His 2001 postseason was arguably his most impressive playoff showing. He averaged 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, had a true shooting percentage of 55.5 and a usage rate of 30.3 percent. The Lakers went 15-1 in the playoffs.

They showed various highlights in the arena of Kobe throughout the game, including him out-scoring the Dallas Mavericks 62-61 through 3 quarters in 2005 and his game four buzzer-beater against the Suns in 2006.

Kobe won the Dunk Contest in 1997 and was a four-time all-star game MVP.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Kobe’s Oscar-winning short film, entitled “Dear Basketball,” you should seek it out. It is incredibly well made and showcases his love for the sport. I get chills every time I watch it. It’s incredible everything he was able to accomplish in his retirement, and it’s such a shame knowing all of the things he would’ve done had his life not been cut short.

Rest In Peace: Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan, Gianna Bryant, Kobe Bryant.