By posting a 7-3 record up to date, the Portland Trail Blazers are one of the better teams in the NBA. Not only is the starting five is productive, but the bench is getting some time now and they are rising above the occasion. Here is the reason why Portland will go deep in the playoffs if they keep it up.
In the last game against Brooklyn, Portland was without Nicholas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers’ went with Meyers Leonard and Alan Crabbe in the starting lineup. They wound up doing well with Meyers Leonard, scoring 7 points and nabbing down 12 rebounds. Alan Crabbe scored 8 points with 2 assists and 2 rebounds. They both are showing much improvement as they play more and seem to be ready when put up to the task. Chris Kaman only played 18 minutes and scored 12 points. He shot poorly by shooting 3 for 11 from the field, but grabbed 5 rebounds respectfully. Guard Steve Blake put in quality minutes with 7 points and 7 assists in just 16 minutes of play. He went in for Damian Lillard, who led the team with 28 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. Joel Freeland put in quality minutes with his relentless hard work and intensity. He scored 4 points and nabbed 5 rebounds in just 18 minutes. His services will be much needed throughout the season just in case Lopez or Kaman gets hurt. The rest of the bench put in quality minutes by being ready for duty and doing what their suppose to do. Will Burton played 15 minutes and scored 18 points with 4 for 7 from the field. CJ McCollum only played 11 minutes but scored 2 points, had 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal with no turnovers.
Coach Terry Stotts has done an excellent job in bringing this team together in the last two years. This year he seems to be stressing defense more and it shows with opponents by averaging only 102 points, which is less than last year. He makes excellent decisions with who to play, when to play, and substitutions throughout the games. He calls timeouts at appropriate times and adjusts his strategy when going against teams that play a certain style. Putting in the players that replace LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicholas Batum against Brooklyn was an excellent choice because of the way Meyers Leonard and Alan Crabbe played. Not only is he playing the right players, but he is playing the players that deserve to play. Hopefully, they will keep up their good play and stay consistent as they have been.
A championship for the Portland Trail Blazers is not an unrealistic goal. The starting 5 is one of the best with the good chemistry between players. They have gotten to know each other well the last couple of years and they have steadily been the longest starting 5 playing together in the NBA. If no one gets hurt for a long period of time, they should have no problems being one of the elite teams of the NBA.
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