The Portland Trail Blazers are going through it right now. The Blazers are losers of 11 of their last 14 games, including a 143-120 beatdown at the hands of the cellar-dwelling New Orleans Pelicans in their last matchup. And, of course, Portland is still dealing with so, so many injuries.
On the latest episode of the “We Like the Blazers” podcast, cohosts Brandon Mullen and Conor Bergin talk about that bad loss, the rough patch and how much injuries are to blame as they try to make sense of a Blazers season
that is beginning to slip away.
While Conor and Brandon both agreed injuries were the major storyline and cause of Portland’s month-long descent, Conor wasn’t ready to let health issues explain away a bad loss against a similarly shorthanded Pelicans team that entered the matchup 3-22.
Conor: [The Blazers have] been doing a good job of hanging in games, and I think playing the right way…and then yesterday, it seemed like it was one of the first times in awhile they did not come with the right spirit — a popular term from last year.
Brandon: The requisite energy, intensity and focus?
Conor: Yeah. The Pelicans had 88 points in the paint. They dominated the fourth quarter. … You’re in such a rough patch. Your back is up against the wall a little bit or its getting close, and here’s a golden opportunity. And it seems like they just kinda went with the mentality of ‘We’re gonna just try to outscore this team.’ That is what was disappointing to me.
Still, in respite, both cohosts didn’t want to overreact to one real bad night in New Orleans at the end of a wonky five-game road trip. It’s hard to deny the reality of injuries and their effect on the Blazers right now. Plus, there’s a lot of season left.
Brandon: No one in the West is running away and hiding in the Play-in race, so there is still plenty of time. No major damage done. Right now the Blazers are 2.5 games back of the ninth-place Grizzlies. They’re four games back of the eighth-place Warriors, who the Blazers play in a few days. And they’re five games back of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns. We debated bringing this up as a point, I will just very quickly throw it out that if they keep losing, at some point we’ll talk more about: ‘Is it time to tank?’ It’s only December. I don’t think that conversation is appropriate right now.
Conor: I agree. It’s too early.
Brandon: It’s too early. There are lots of games left to play. And again, I’m not trying to oversimplify it, but like: ‘Oh, no, our team who we thought would be kinda good to mediocre is losing games when they don’t have a whole bunch of their players.’
On the subject of those injuries, the episode discussed the health updates Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter provided to reporters at Tuesday’s practice. While the injuries are a major problem and explanation for Portland’s woes, Conor noted the more troubling part is it doesn’t appear that problem will be fixed anytime soon.
Conor: Why the rope is starting to slip a little bit is the people who are injured — Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, I think they’ll be back quickly — but Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, we got updates from Tiago Splitter at practice on Tuesday, and it doesn’t seem like they’re coming back right around the corner.
Brandon: It didn’t sound great.
Conor: … So, if you’re like ‘as soon as the guys get back, they’ll come and save the day.’ That’s not gonna happen for awhile. The schedule is getting easier but I guess it just remains to be seen if they’re gonna be able to take advantage of it if they continue to be shorthanded.
The episode includes more conversation and around these topics and others. You can find We Like the Blazers on YouTube and basically any podcatcher.
