Blazer Beef
LaMarcus Aldridge was pretty sore heading into the All-Star break, and I must say that it would have been nice had a doctor looked at him before the All-Star Game.
He did play and he didn’t make his groin injury worse. However, when you’re in the thick of a race for a top seed in the West every game counts.
Plus, had he seen a doctor and been ruled he should sit out, it could have opened up a spot in the Western Conference All-Stars for a deserving player who didn’t make it such as Goran Dragic of the Suns.
It’s one thing if you’re Tony Parker and you’ve seen the Spurs play well without their stars for a long time. It’s another thing if you’re the Blazers and don’t have nearly the continuity from the starters to the reserves.
Blazer Bravos
Robin Lopez has got to get some love for his career-high 18-rebound performance on Friday night against the Jazz.
Lopez got in foul trouble in the third quarter but came back to have a great game, finishing with 15 points and four blocks.
Also, Will Barton deserves some props for his play on Friday night against the Jazz. Not only did he play well but he also gave the fans a show in an otherwise snoozer of a game.
Barton’s 360 dunk on his second field goal attempt took a lot of guts but if it’s one thing we know about Barton, it’s that he doesn’t lack confidence.
By The Numbers
24.5 — The amount of shots Damian Lillard has been taking without LaMarcus Aldridge in the lineup, eight more than his normal average.
49 — Lillard’s field goal percentage during this same stretch, up from his previous average of 42.4.
4 — Number of back-to-backs the Blazers have left on their schedule, with one of them coming this week.
The Week Ahead
Tuesday at Denver (6 p.m. on CSNNW): What’s that I hear? Oh, it’s the tank warming up in Denver as they’ve lost six of their last seven games.
Wednesday vs. Brooklyn (7 p.m. on CSNNW): The Nets made history on Sunday, signing center Jason Collins to a 10-day contract, making Collins the first openly gay player to play in the NBA.
Saturday vs. Denver (7 p.m. on CSNNW): Former Oregon Duck new Denver Nuggets guard Aaron Brooks will be coming back to the Northwest.
