The Portland Trail Blazers are experiencing adversity in the form of a six-game losing streak and a winless December midway through the month.
Some of that can be attributed to injuries to key players, especially in the frontcourt, as all four centers have popped up on the injury report at some point during that skid. That has made the Blazers' rebounding and rim protection vulnerable, as they have surrendered an average of 124.3 points in the past six games.
There's optimism that the Blazers will eventually figure things out on defense, whether that's later this season or, more likely, in the coming years. Having a defensive anchor like Donovan Clingan and a pest on the wing in Toumani Camara is an excellent foundation to build. But in the short term, things aren't going to get any easier.
The next opportunity to snap their losing streak comes Thursday, Dec. 19, against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at the Moda Center.
Where the Trail Blazers rank as of Dec. 16
Here is where Portland ranks amongst five major outlets (NBA, ESPN, Bleacher Report, HoopsHype, and CBS Sports):
Blazers rank | Site | Updated |
|---|---|---|
28 | NBA | Dec. 16 |
25 (-1) | ESPN | Dec. 11 |
27 | Bleacher Report | Dec. 13 |
27 | HoopsHype | Dec. 16 |
27 (-2) | CBS Sports | Dec. 12 |
The Blazers have an average ranking of 26.8. In our previous Dec. 5 roundup, they were at 25. Surprisingly, they haven't fallen much further, given they have the longest active losing streak in the league. But they also don't have much more room to fall.
That's precisely what the Blazers want as they look ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft. However, they may be losing the wrong way. It would be great if they lost games while also focusing on player development.
They are only playing Scoot Henderson for 25.6 minutes and Donovan Clingan for 17.1 minutes, while up-and-coming players like Rayan Rupert and Kris Murray routinely get DNP - coach's decision. It will be vital that they emphasize this at the trade deadline. Not just in terms of trading away veterans to make room for their young core but also trying to find complementary players to help them grow.
In Mike Shearer of HoopsHype's rankings, he did a "quick pulse check" on one star from each team, naming Henderson for the Blazers.
"But man, I really wanted to see more from Henderson. He's coming off the bench now and playing far more against backups, and he still can't impose his will upon the game in any fashion. True, the ecosystem around him is bad, with very little shooting and questionable coaching, and he can't legally buy a beer yet. No one is writing him off, but this is a pulse check; the pulse is faint", writes Shearer.
Henderson is the most apparent example of a Blazers player who isn't being set up for success, but there are others. The Blazers need to improve their overall "ecosystem" to help these young players develop, as Shearer mentions.