Playing at home against the Utah Jazz, who were missing key players Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson, the Portland Trail Blazers entered as favorites for the first time in the 2024-25 season. However, the outcome was anything but what they had hoped for. The Blazers were annihilated, losing 141-99.
To rub salt in the wound, Toumani Camara exited only eight minutes into the game after suffering a foot injury. Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 reports that Camara is getting imaging done on his right foot, which will determine his recovery time. Even with Camara in the lineup, this was the type of game that looked over from the start, as the Blazers came out flat despite being at the Moda Center.
Highkin also mentions that Chauncey Billups believes "the team got too comfortable after Lauri Markkanen was a late scratch." The NBA is so talented across the board that teams can never take their foot off the gas, especially since the talent disparities between Portland and Utah aren't too far apart, even with Markkanen not playing.
What contributed to the Trail Blazers' collapse?
One player especially guilty of playing with little energy was Deandre Ayton, who only played two minutes in the second half despite Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III still out with injuries.
Chauncey Billups on why Deandre Ayton only played the first two minutes of the second half: "I didn't like his spirit in the game."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) December 7, 2024
Ayton's inconsistent motor has been an issue dating back to Phoenix. One would assume that was an issue that contributed to the Suns' lack of team chemistry, which led to the Ayton-Nurkic swap with Portland. Maybe Devin Booker has a point here:
Devin Booker on facing Deandre Ayton: “It’s fun….He played extra hard tonight. I seen that, and my challenge for him is to play like that every night.” pic.twitter.com/hLVeSPV3hq
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) November 22, 2023
Having a bad game is one thing, but playing with questionable effort is far more frustrating because the player has more control over it. Still, with a loss this bad, it wasn't just on Ayton.
As the head coach, Billups is also responsible for the blowout. Offensively, the Blazers are too stagnant, with minimal off-ball movement. They relied on isolation situations far too frequently, and Utah's size was able to contain them, recording 11 blocks (five of which were from Walker Kessler).
The final problem was three-point shooting, a far too familiar issue for Portland in the past two seasons. In this matchup, the Blazers lost the three-point battle 29.8 to 43.8 percent.
In the scheme of things, it could be in the Blazers' best interest to lose to the Jazz. Utah now has a record of 5-17, while Portland sits at 8-15, which will help in the tank race. However, not all losses are the same, and this one was incredibly discouraging, to the point where the Blazers need to go back to the drawing board.
It was one thing to get blown out by the Warriors and Grizzlies, but this was a game that the Blazers were expected to win or, at the very least, keep competitive. Getting Henderson, Clingan, Williams, and Thybulle back healthy will help fix some of these issues. Still, a loss this bad is troubling, not just for the 2024-25 season but for their rebuild as a whole.
Hopefully, they look like an entirely different team in the next game, Sunday, Dec. 8, on the road against the struggling Lakers.