Blazers get checked by NBA elite
The Boston Celtics showed the level they need to get to
I’m sure you felt the whiplash after Jaylen Brown’s trail 3-pointer. Or maybe it was the corner one against a closing Carmelo. Or maybe it was Marcus Smart knocking the ball away from Dame in the final seconds to take seconds off the clock and ruin Portland’s chances to a smooth comeback. Or it was Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward taking the top off the Blazers defense but on Sunday afternoon, the Boston Celtics reminded the Blazers that as far as this season is concerned, this team still has a long way to go when it comes to challenging the NBA’s elite. The Lakers can wait, Portland has to take care of the Boston’s of the world first.
Portland had some easy baskets in the first quarter on Sunday but Boston was beating them with the math and Portland’s perimeter stars were not up to the challenge until the 2nd half. The 2nd half showed they have high-end talent, but it was the first half that showed the separation between this Blazers team about the discipline they need to change where they are to where they want to be.
It’s Hard To Fly Without Your Wings
I’m far from the first person to say this, but if the Blazers had either of their two top wings in Trevor Ariza and Rodney Hood, they might not have gotten down by 24 in the first half. Zach Collins did much better against Gordon Hayward in the 2nd half but it seemed like it took Portland entirely too long to get used to the comfort the Celtics had unleashing from the 3-point line. It’s a good thing Portland got re-acclimated to the modern style because they have to play Houston on Tuesday.
Damian Lillard’s offense wasn’t the only breathtaking part of his 2nd half
It wasn’t hard for anyone to see how Damian Lillard played offensively on Sunday afternoon, particularly in the 2nd half. But what may have gone unnoticed is how Lillard, all 6-foot-2 of him, took the task of guarding Jayson Tatum personally when the second half began. Dame had 30 points and 16 assists, but Portland’s position in the game would not have changed had he not taken it upon himself to go after Tatum on the defensive end and make other Celtics beat them.
Tatum only had 13 of his 34 points in the 2nd half and the victory was definitely secured by Brown’s amazing shot-making. Tatum also did a nice job of making plays out of pressure when Portland did send extra men, getting six assists in the 2nd half. But on the times that Dame guarded him one-on-one, Portland may not have had a better defender.
“Dame was outstanding, he wanted to play the whole second half,” Terry Stotts said after the game. “And I thought he was very aggressive with Tatum, I thought he contested his shots, so much so that I think they were running switches to get Dame off of him. What Dame did on both sides of the court was pretty commendable.”
Hopefully playing the Celtics was the wake-up call Portland needed after they took advantage of an unexperienced Grizzlies group, both on the court and on the bench, about what it is to win at a higher level in this league. Mike D’Antoni, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are not a team you can be taking lessons against.
Nurk is amazing and even more importantly, Nana Hana is okay
Jusuf Nurkić was the anchor. Even when the game was out of control, one of the few consistencies the Blazers could count on was Nurk getting a quality shot attempt within five feet. He hit a 3-pointer but he was incredible setting screens and using his passing to set things open. He ended with 30 points, nine boards, and five assists, as well as a bunny hook shot in the 4th he told reporters he wished he could have had back. But after the game, Nurk also told reporters that his grandma had woken up from her coronavirus-induced coma.
It was likely due to the matchup and the quality and size of the wings the Celtics have, but Portland closed with Dame, CJ, Gary Trent Jr., Carmelo, and Nurkić. Portland had an amazing run with Whiteside in the game early in the 4th quarter and Stotts let that lineup ride, but they definitely maximized that rotation. If Whiteside could come off the bench with the same fire he has shown in these second halves in the Orlando Bubble, Portland might not have any drop-off when Nurk leaves the game. But that’s also been the story of Whiteside’s career.
Gary Trent Jr. is perfect where he is
Everybody asking the Blazers to start Gary Trent Jr. needs to shut the fuck up. He’s perfect. Leave him be. This is where he belongs right now. He has played over 30 minutes in both games at the bubble and just because Stotts doesn’t bring him off the bench first doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand his value.
Without either Ariza or Hood, Trent has become even more important and whether he starts or not is not going to change that. Getting him in early foul trouble helps nobody. Trent has an opportunity to be the best 6th Man during this Orlando Restart and Collins has performed well enough in his role to keep his starting role considering how Portland has dominated the paint in the stretches where they have outplayed their opponents.
Above all else to take away from this game, Portland got a cold shower tonight. Thanks to a team in the modern elite of the NBA, they learned a lesson and still almost had a chance to win. Before playing Harden and Westbrook on Tuesday, even if it was a loss, Boston did Portland a favor on Sunday.