Blazer Beef
Portland’s only loss this week came to the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors. Portland lost by 14 but they played their hearts out without LaMarcus Aldridge.
They’re still ranked in the top-ten in the league in defensive efficiency but they still have not found a way to get stops consistently for 48 minutes.
Damian Lillard said before the week started that their play, leaning heavily on offense and playing below-average to bad defense, reminded him of his rookie year.
Against the Nuggets and Suns, they got stops when they needed they needed to late in the game, much like they did last season when they were in the middle of the pack in defense.
That recipe was enough to help them win a first round series. They have bigger aspirations than that but they still need to step up their defense in order fulfill those their own expectations.
Blazer Bravo
LaMarcus Aldridge is a bad, bad man.
In Portland’s last two wins of the week, he looked downright unstoppable. Sure, the Suns and the Nuggets both will not make the playoffs but his dominance was downright breathtaking.
Perhaps it was fatigue after last season, but it’s pretty remarkable how much Aldridge has been ignored in the MVP conversation, even as a second-tier candidate.
Since electing to put off surgery, Aldridge has been even better than he was before tearing a ligament in his thumb.
Since coming back on Jan. 24, Aldridge is sixth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 24 points per game while shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line and grabbing just under 11 rebounds per game.
He’s shooting better this season in terms of effective field goal percentage and averaging more points per 100 possessions than he did last season yet there’s been a lot less noise about his MVP credentials.
By The Numbers
10 — Only 10 more games left in the season for the Trail Blazers.
27 — Portland is 27th in the league in defensive efficiency since the Matthews injury. That’s not good.
21 — As of March 29, LaMarcus Aldridge has made 21 more field goals than the next closest player in the NBA (LeBron James, 579).
The Week Ahead
Monday vs. Phoenix Suns (7 p.m., CSNNW, NBATV): The Blazers needed a perfect 6-for-6 fourth quarter from LaMarcus Aldridge to comeback and win on Friday in Phoenix.
Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Clippers (7 p.m., KGW, NBATV): A Blazers win would tie the season series in a potential first round playoff preview. If both teams have the same record, Portland would have home court as the division winner no matter the result of the season series.
Friday at Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 p.m., CSNNW, ESPN): The Lakers are terrible.
Saturday vs. New Orleans Pelicans (7 p.m., CSNNW): I always find myself wondering, do Anthony Davis’ teammates hate giving him the ball? Looking at you, Tyreke Evans.
