Mike Richman here, the host of the daily Locked On Blazers podcast, with your daily Locked On Blazers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Blazers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The Trail Blazers Have An Identity
Nov 20, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. |Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Through 15 games the Trail Blazers are 6-9. Not competitive enough to challenge in brutal Western Confernce, but not so far off as to be constant pushovers. If nothing else, this team has a clear identity.
Wednesday night in Oklahoma City the Blazers loss to the top team in the Western Conference. The Thunder built a double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter and the Blazers could never mount a serious challenging in the final five minutes. But despite the 109-99 loss, the game was a testament to who the Blazers are right now, highlighting both their strengths and areas for improvement.
Toumani Camara gave MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trouble, Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams were solid enough on the back line, and the rest of Portland’s defenders kept the game in mud. This team needs games in the mud. 70-69 after three quarters? An ideal opportunity.
Portland couldn’t buy a basket inside and turned the ball over a season-high 24 times. But they didn’t get cheated or overwhelmed on the other end, so their obvious offensive struggles didn’t catch up with them until the closing minutes of the game.
The Blazers’ identity is becoming clearer with each game. They are a team that relies on three-point shooting to stay competitive and plays solid defense to keep games close. However, their half-court offense and turnover issues need addressing to turn these close contests into victories.
Against the Thunder, the Blazers made 12 of their first 25 three-pointers, but were undone by the turnovers and a dreadful halfcourt offense (a brutal 77 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt, per Cleaning the Glass)
For better of worse, Wednesday night in Oklahoma City was an identity confirming loss. This is who the 2024-25 Trail Blazer are.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Blazers’ evolving identity, tune into the Locked On Blazers podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Blazers Podcast:
- The impact of Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton’s absence on the team’s performance.
- A closer look at Scoot Henderson’s development and injury update.
A refrain I’ve increasingly heard from casuals, like the talking heads on the NBA’s biggest broadcast partners, is that the league is too homogenous these days, that every team just goes out there and chucks up threes. Every game is the same.
Leaving aside the shortsightedness of famous, influential media analysts dumping on their own product, it’s a common enough complaint that I felt an urge to investigate. My eyeballs tell me the league’s never been more diverse and fun, thanks largely to the absurd wealth of stars today with skill sets as bespoke as their draft night suits. Jokic’s Nuggets look nothing like Tatum’s Celtics look nothing like Brunson’s Knicks, and to suggest otherwise is willful ignorance.
As I wrote about for Basketball Poetry yesterday, the current top five offenses are Boston, Cleveland, New York, the Lakers, and Dallas. Those five teams rank first, 14th, 17th, 24th, and 21st, respectively, in share of shots that are triples. You certainly don’t need to launch a million threes relative to your peers to score the basketball successfully.
Of course, that’s a rather superficial analysis. Regardless of rank, what if the absolute numbers are all getting closer together? That would represent a growing sameness.
I looked at shot data from this season, a decade ago, and 20 years ago to see how much the share of three-pointers had changed.
Mike Shearer (@bballispoetry) has written about the NBA full-time since 2021 at various and sundry places. For more from Mike, check out his Substack bestseller, Basketball Poetry, where he uses unnecessary metaphors and the occasional haiku to discuss the NBA’s happenings with an analytical lens.
Home and Away
Replay The Portland Trail Blazers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a final score of 114-105. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 28 points. (Blazers Edge)
Analysis Donovan Clingan has quickly established himself as an elite shot-blocker for the Trail Blazers, showcasing his defensive prowess early in the season. (Oregon Live)
Stat Owen Phillips of The F5 looks at how often centers defend guards, how often perimeter players are involuntarily guarded by centers (aka the Tony Allen effect), and much more in his analytical newsletter.
Analysis Jared Dubin of Last Night, In Basketball discusses something related: what kind of players are guarding point guards these days?
Must Read Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic talks about the NBA’s increasing difficulty for defensive-minded, older players, but the real story is that Draymond Green claims to have started lifting just four years ago.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
The Randomness Of Fantasy Basketball On A Wednesday In The NBA
Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images|Petre Thomas/Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Top Five Fantasy Takeaways from Wednesday’s Games
1. Paul George’s Knee Injury Concerns
Paul George’s knee hyperextension during the 76ers vs. Grizzlies game is a significant concern for fantasy managers. While initial reports suggest no structural damage, his availability in the coming games is uncertain. This situation could open up opportunities for other players on the 76ers to step up, making it crucial to monitor updates closely.
2. Unpredictable Pelicans vs. Cavaliers Game
The Pelicans vs. Cavaliers matchup was a bizarre affair, with unexpected lineups and performances. Elfrid Payton started for the Pelicans, and Jaylon Tyson shone for the Cavs, but these anomalies are unlikely to have long-term fantasy implications. Managers should view this game as an outlier and avoid making hasty roster changes based on these performances.
3. Pacers’ Struggles and Tyrese Haliburton’s Slump
The Pacers are facing challenges, particularly with Tyrese Haliburton’s shooting woes. His road performance has been notably poor, possibly due to lingering back issues. Despite this, Haliburton’s track record suggests a turnaround is likely, making him a prime buy-low candidate for managers willing to take a risk on his recovery.
Click the button below to see how Norman Powell’s injury could open up opportunities for the Clippers, and a top 50 player returns to action.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Blazers podcasts.
Shaedon Sharpe Leads the Trail Blazers to a CLUTCH win over the Atlanta Hawks Sheadon Sharpe’s good. The Trail Blazers have real depth. A winning streak hath risen.
Portland’s Rebuild: Are the Trail Blazers Too Good to Tank? (or Did They Just Win 2 Games?) Justin Verrier of The Ringer joins the program to talk about the Trail Blazers present and future, discuss the necessity of trading veterans, and consider whether the Blazers are too good to tank.
Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan Lead the Trail Blazers to the Best Win of the Season Donovan Clingan dominated inside, Shaedon Sharpe delivered late, and the Trail Blazers earned their best win of the season.
