Blazer Beef
The Blazers have kept winning since the All-Star break despite a couple of weeks of subpar defense.
Until their last two games when they ran into two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
But those two games haven’t been the only concerning ones. They survived vs. Utah and Brooklyn despite having poor defensive outings, and the Rockets exploded in their Feb. 25 loss.
In their first nine games since the All-Star break, including their loss at Toronto, the Blazers defense has been 19th in the league.
They made a huge jump and created distance between themselves, the Rockets and the Jazz, in eighth and ninth respectively, because they played defense at a top-five level in the 15 games before the All-Star break.
Some nights it has manifested itself in giving up too many offensive boards. Some nights they have been unable to force any turnovers and lacked the ball pressure to create them.
But what made them special in the month before was their ability to adapt to the needs of every game.
Damian Lillard has been playing extremely well, but he has been all season.
The Blazers resurgence started with he and CJ McCollum, but it was sustained with defense.
Blazer Bravo
It’s pretty fun watching Lillard and McCollum develop in their understandings of how and when to take over a game.
They’ve surpassed the level of being just a high scoring backcourt and one of the most dominant duos in the league.
But what is probably most unique is how interchangeable they are.
McCollum and Lillard can both create situations for the other to take advantage of. And when McCollum takes over at point guard, they don’t miss a beat.
They way they teamed up to beat the Knicks was impressive as Lillard dominated in the first half and McCollum dominated in the second to pull away.
There aren’t many teams with two guys that can take turns taking over.
By The Numbers
12.5 — Before Sunday’s games, Allen Crabbe had a usage rate (the number of possessions a player uses per 40 minutes) of 12.5 percent in the nine games since the All-Star break. His shooting efficiency has dropped, but his volume has fallen sharply too.
10 — Ten of Portland’s final 18 games will be played at the Moda Center including four of their last six.
4 — As of Sunday, the Blazers have the fourth toughest remaining schedule in the Western Conference, with their remaining opponents owning a .546 win percentage.
The Week Ahead
Tuesday vs. Washington Wizards (7 p.m., CSN, NBATV): The Washington Wizards have an outside chance to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference but were dealt another blow with an injury to second-leading scorer Bradley Beal.
Friday at Golden State Warriors (7:30 p.m., CSN): The Warriors look to avenge their Feb. 19 loss in Portland when Lillard went off for 51 points and led the Blazers to a 32-point win.
Saturday vs. Orlando Magic (7:30 p.m., CSN): After blowing fans away in the dunk contest, second year forward Aaron Gordon has seen his role expand after his team traded away Tobias Harris.
