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It has, to say the least, been an eventful week for the Portland Path Blazers. There have been multi-player trades, beastly returns, record-setting scoring eruptions and inspiring performances.
However alongside the best way, there’s additionally been extra of the identical — a number of defeats.
The Blazers (16-24) have misplaced three of their final 4 video games, falling a season-low eight-games-under .500. As they navigate a brutal stretch of the schedule that options 11 of 13 video games in opposition to groups with profitable data, the Blazers are tied for 11th place within the Western Convention standings and flirting with a complete collapse.
As we inch towards the NBA commerce deadline (Feb. 6) and the All-Star break (Feb. 13-20), the Blazers are nearer to final place within the West (9 video games) than first place (17.5 video games).
Reinforcements, in fact, arrived this week with the commerce that introduced Trevor Ariza, Caleb Swanigan and Wenyen Gabriel to Portland. And the most important reinforcement of all — Jusuf Nurkic — made his long-awaited return to follow on Wednesday.
Ariza impressed in his Blazers debut Thursday night time, recording a season-high 21 factors, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in a season-high 36 minutes, because the Blazers fell 133-125 to the Dallas Mavericks. I used to be skeptical that Ariza, who will flip 35 in June and has underwhelmed a lot of the season in Sacramento, would change the Blazers’ fortunes as a part of a commerce largely designed to supply salary-cap and luxury-tax aid.
However he brings extra measurement (6-foot-Eight) than Bazemore (6-5), which the injury-riddled Blazers desperately want, and made four of seven three-pointers in opposition to the Mavericks. That sort of long-range capturing may truly make a distinction for the Blazers. I imply … what number of occasions did defenses go away Bazemore large open, virtually begging him to shoot? Bazemore didn’t make 4 three-pointers in a recreation all season.
And whereas Swanigan flopped in his first stint with Portland, he does brings slightly measurement (6-9) and rebounding to a skinny entrance court docket.
On the very least, a boring crew has develop into slightly extra fascinating.
Now, on to the hyperlinks … right here’s a roundup of some Blazers-related tales simmering on the web:
•My favourite Blazers story this week is from my good buddy Jason Fast, who brings us a revealing look into the friendship of two of the franchise cornerstones — Lillard and Nurkic — for The Athletic. A Bosnian and a child from Oakland are BFFs. Appears like a sitcom ready to occur.
•The largest information of the week, in fact, was Nurkic’s return to follow — a full follow, anyway — as detailed by my colleague Jamie Goldberg. It was shortly earlier than Christmas, you could recall, that I wrote about Nurkic’s rehab progress following a exercise in Phoenix.
•Erik García Gundersen, writing for USA As we speak, throws slightly chilly water on the Nurkic information, reporting that the Bosnian Beast is not going to return till after the All-Star break.
•Goldberg has extra on Ariza’s Blazers debut.
•Talking of Ariza, he needed to overcome tragedy on his solution to the NBA.
•My colleague John Canzano worries that the Blazers are losing Lillard’s prime.
•The NBA All-Star Recreation starters — and crew captains — had been launched on Thursday. My colleague Sean Meagher has the main points.
•Casey Holdahl, my good buddy and Rip Metropolis Report podcast associate, takes us away from the drama of trades and losses to share Lillard’s love wrestling and “Stone Chilly” Steve Austin.
•Talking of the Rip Metropolis Report, if you happen to missed this week’s episode, give it a hear. And subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
•Oh, yeah … this week was so nuts, Lillard’s 61-point scoring outburst — which broke his personal single-game franchise document — was barely a footnote. Goldberg has the main points.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the most recent information and prime tales
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