Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard isn’t expressing concern over the team’s slow start to the season, reminding fans of the successful campaigns the team has had in the past despite being wildly overlooked.
“Just watch,” Lillard said calmly, as relayed by Jason Quick of The Athletic. “Just watch. You’ve seen this movie before.”
Portland has opened the 2019/20 season with a 5-12 record, good for second-worst in the Western Conference. The Blazers have dealt with various injuries and have yet to play with starting center Jusuf Nurkic (fractured leg rehab), but the team’s performances have been nothing short of worrisome.
The Blazers signed Carmelo Anthony, exiled from the league over the past year for a variety of reasons, to a non-guaranteed contract and immediately named him a starter. They rank No. 21 in FG% (44.3%), No. 23 in free throws attempted (21.6 per game) and No. 22 in defensive rating (111.6) on the season.
“You all probably don’t want to hear it, but it’s such a long way to go,” Lillard told reporters. “Because of that, there are two things you can do: you can either pout and say we should have won that game [against Cleveland on Saturday], or ‘We should have did this’ or ‘We are not doing this.’
“I think our team understands that there are certain things we are not doing well enough to win games. But we really do as a group believe it is going to turn around. So, we are just going to stay with it and keep working towards improving. That’s all we can do.”
Here are some other notes from the Northwest Division tonight:
- Nuggets veteran Paul Millsap is feeling rejuvenated in his 14th NBA season, Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes. Millsap is averaging 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds through the team’s first 14 games, proving his worth on both ends of the floor — including a variety of posterizing dunks in the season’s first month. “A lot of my teammates, they appreciate it, so I try to do it for them sometimes,” Millsap said of the slams. “But a lot of times it’s for myself to get going to show what I can do. One of my goals this year is trying to be more aggressive going to the basket and finishing above the rim.”
- A trio of G League players received major opportunities with the Timberwolves on Saturday, as the team needed their services due to multiple players being sidelined to illness or injury, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune details. Minnesota recalled Jaylen Nowell, Kelan Martin and Keita Bates-Diop to play against Phoenix, with Bates-Diop recording 22 points and four rebounds in 37 minutes of work. “He’s capable,” teammate Andrew Wiggins said of Bates-Diop. “Keita’s a very versatile player. He can knock down a shot, great defender, even though he’s very good at getting to the rim and amazing off-the-ball player.”
- Bol Bol might be the Nuggets’ latest second-round steal, Mike Singer writes for the Denver Post. The Nuggets selected Bol at No. 44 overall in the draft, and the 7-foot-2 center has impressed in the G League so far.
Kelan Martin
I think exiled is a strong word hear for Melo. It’s a stretch using the word for Kaepernick, for starters and here it’s even an easier picture to paint. Melo was jobless because his status in his own eyes far outstrips his overall skill and value in reality. A person laid off from his day job isn’t exiled, and neither was Melo.
Not a stretch for Kaepernick, that’s actually a good word for it.
Exiled for Colin Kaepernick is well deserving! No respect for our Military should make someone Exiled.
Kaepernick is a spoiled rich kid, who is half-white man who is learning his well deserved lesson for pretty much spitting on the American Flag.
Not a good choice of a word for Carmelo Anthony. Anthony has found his calling again. The NBA needs Melo.
Anthony deserves to Play!
Portland may need Melo, but the NBA doesn’t.
That makes no sense. Logic 101. If Portland is in the NBA, and Portland needs Melo, it follows that the NBA needs Melo.
How can you be a 2nd round steal playing in the G league? Such a steal, he’s not good enough to even get bench minutes for Denver?
Umm, they signed him to a 2-way contract.
Exiled for Colin Kaepernick is well deserving! No respect for our Military should make someone Exiled.
Kaepernick is a spoiled rich kid, who is half-white man who is learning his well deserved lesson for pretty much spitting on the American Flag.
Not a good choice of a word for Carmelo Anthony. Anthony has found his calling again. The NBA needs Melo.
Anthony deserves to Play!
“I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put their selves in harm’s way for my freedom of speech and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee, so I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.”
Colin Kaepernick
“I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.”
Colin Kaepernick
Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers are being absent minded, far too modest and while hugely naive about there season.
Let me give you the truth and you can decide for yourself after what truth I share with you.
If you believe Portland can not find new ways to turn an already catastrophic start to a season into more of a disaster you aren’t living in reality and are more nuts than you think.
There are 65 games left, “Yes true” to Nurkic’s Tweet comment. But being close to 20-25% through the season and losing a ratio of 3:1. It’s going to set the Trail Blazers up roughly for a (20-62) finish to this season. Now in 2-3 months with the expected return of Nurkic and Collins as long as they both stay healthy and play well. Should lower that loss number and raise the win total. But projection wise based on when that return timeline is for Nurkic and Collins. Than finishing the season by that time projects Portland to have (25-30 wins) and (52-57 Loses). The Trail Blazers worst season under Terry Stotts. Stotts first season was (33-49).
Portland has players who are more role players, than they do consistant, reliable and productive players.
Carmelo Anthony being exactly what the Trail Blazers needed up front, but it of course is Not enough. When Portland lacks so much in so many other areas.
Let’s discuss the Trail Blazers new acquisitions.
Bazemore and Tolliver have turned into a Bench Nightmare on Elm Street. Bazemore’s has Not received a grade above a D in a single game all season. Tolliver has Not received a grade above a F in a single game all season. Hezonja has Not received a grade above a C in a single game all season. Whiteside has Not received a grade above a C in a single game all season. All failing grades for a team that was expected to exceed expectations in their 50th season. So why should anyone believe this team is going to change the tide anytime soon. With terrible pieces on the roster that is making the whole Portland team weak and more sick.
The Trail Blazers have trade options and two 2020 NBA Draft picks. Trading for Aaron Gordon in (Orlando), Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala in (Memphis). Would be much higher upgrades over Bazemore, Tolliver and Hezonja. Even Free-Agents Kenneth Faried and Joakim Noah are better players than (Bazemore, Tolliver and Hezonja).
Portland could trade Whiteside for Andre Drummond in (Detroit). Or for Domantas Sabonis in (Indiana). Gordon and Drummond or Gordon and Sabonis or Drummond and Sabonis would still keep the Trail Blazers a young team, but with a lot of experience and would make Portland an Elite team in the Western Conference and the whole NBA.
This Trail Blazers team is definitely the worst defensive to offensive team in the entire NBA. It’s certainly is that I have seen in the NBA. Which is why the Portland Trail Blazers rank 20th or lower out of 30 teams in Most statistical categories.
Trading for Andre Iguodala, what a brilliant idea…..
There was a big transition, the biggest reason for a slow start. In the WC, they may not get untracked enough all year. It’s a bit much to hope for playoff amazingness.
Olshey may hope for a transition year that gets their ills over with in one year. Whiteside is likely a temporary answer to the team losing their defensive-minded starting forwards.
Lillard’s response indicates Olshey took this year to placate his star… Whiteside, Melo, Tolliver– players Lillard is expected to lead.
Cleveland had them solved with quick guards that kept Lillard busy. No head-to-head or heroism or miracles, just no let-up to allow Lillard control.