Portland Trail Blazers report card: 10/27/2021 vs. Memphis

The Portland Trail Blazers bounced back from a blowout loss to the Clippers with a strong performance Wednesday night, outscoring Los Angeles 65-39 in the second half to even their record at 2-2.

This was a phenomenal showing that proved the Blazers resilience in the face of adversity. With a new coach in command, Portland showing this kind of resolve early in the season is a great sign for things moving forward.

A lot of Trail Blazers contributed in different ways in this one, a complete team effort by all means.

Grading the Portland Trail Blazers impressive bounce back victory against the Memphis Grizzlies

A big fourth quarter lead allowed Chauncey Billups to play eleven of his twelve available players, so there are lots of grades to give out:

Damian Lillard

32 MIN, 20 PTS, 3 REB, 10 AST, 2 TO, 6-22 FG, 4-11 3PT, +16
Grade: B+
Damian Lillard seemed to emerge from his early-season slump with an 11-point third quarter and added 10 assists, despite getting a good chunk of rest late in the game. The plus-16 is also encouraging, although his shooting percentages were still decidedly un-Dame-like.

CJ McCollum

32 MIN, 25 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 TO, 8-21 FG, 4-9 3PT, +23
Grade: A
CJ McCollum has been the Blazers best player so far this season, and that trend continued against Memphis. His solid shooting and playmaking early were critical in keeping the halftime deficit to a manageable six points.

Robert Covington

27 MIN, 3 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK, 3 PF, +8
Grade: B+
Robert Covington‘s contributions don’t often show up in statistical form, so ignore his paltry numbers for the night. He did all the proper Robert Covington things: grabbed tough rebounds, made smart passes, and held Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams to a combined 5-23 shooting.

Nassir Little

27 MIN, 9 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 4 PF, +5
Grade: B-
In his second start in place of Norman Powell, Nassir Little had a strong start but got himself in foul trouble. He showed the hustle the Blazers need from him early and finished off the game strong, but has to be downgraded for being invisible for most of the second and third quarters.

Jusuf Nurkic

23 MIN, 17 PTS, 8 REB, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 6-8 FG, +13
Grade: A-
Billups has made a point of getting Jusuf Nurkic more involved in the offense, and the big man is responding with energetic, smart play. Despite only playing 23 minutes (due to a combination of the score and Cody Zeller’s contribution), Nurkic was efficient on the offensive end of the court and disruptive on the defensive end.

Anfernee Simons

28 MIN, 17 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 TO, 6-10 FG, 5-7 3PT, +14
Grade: A
Anfernee Simons has seized the opportunity given to him so far this season, and was simply brilliant against Memphis. He generated 17 points on just ten shots and helped shut down Ja Morant well enough to leave the Grizzlies point guard at minus-25 for the night.

Cody Zeller

25 MIN, 10 PTS, 7 REB, 5 PF, 3-4 FG, 4-6 FT, +7
Grade: B
Cody Zeller was good in his workmanlike way and will rarely be spectacular. He was brought in to provide solid minutes in relief of Nurkic and Covington, and he did just that. The five fouls were all that kept him from a better grade.

Dennis Smith Jr.

19 MIN, 5 PTS, 5 AST, 2 TO, +8
Grade: A-
Dennis Smith Jr. has been a pleasant surprise in limited minutes so far this season. His effort against Memphis was solid but unspectacular, but that’s all the Blazers require from him.

Larry Nance Jr.

15 MIN, 8 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO, +18
Grade: A+
That is not a typo: Larry Nance Jr. was a staggering plus-18 in just 15 minutes of action. In four games with the Blazers, Nance has fit in fantastically, bringing the gritty defense and smart decision-making they sought in the offseason.

Greg Brown III

5 MIN, 2 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, -6
Grade: A
Don’t let that minus-6 fool you; Greg Brown III was impactful and entertaining in his five minutes. The 2021 second round pick from Texas showed off his athleticism and versatility and punctuated the win with a beautiful alley-oop from Smith with just over a minute left.

CJ Elleby

5 MIN, 0 PTS, 1 REB, -6
Grade: C
CJ Elleby was granted some playing time in the second half of the fourth quarter, and didn’t really do much with it. He has shown flashes of promise, but has yet to earn any real opportunity in Portland.

Chauncey Billups

Grade: A-
Well-coached teams bounce back after tough losses. Chauncey Billups runs this team with a calm and firm hand, and whatever he said between Monday and Wednesday worked. Obviously the team is buying in to whatever Billups is selling thus far.

Team grade: A-
Positive marks for the shot selection, ball movement, defensive effort and unselfish play, particularly in the second half. Slight dings for early turnovers and allowing Memphis to grab 21 offensive rebounds.