PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers have won two in a row, including an impressive road win against the Houston Rockets.
The Blazers (18-24) are still six games below .500 and a game and a half out of the playoffs. But against Houston, Portland showed that they can play four effective quarters and beat a good team, which has been a rare occurrence this season.
A couple weeks ago, it seemed like the Blazers had hit rock bottom when they were blasted by the Knicks for the fifth loss in a row. But since that game, Portland has won four of seven. It may just be a momentary positive blip in a lost season. But Blazers fans are hoping it might be the start of something more, the catalyst for a second-half surge the Portland faithful has grown accustomed to in the Damian Lillard era.
Meanwhile, the Feb. 6 trade deadline looms and some recent reports by national media have Blazers fans nervous about Portland's trade prospects.
On this week's episode of the 3-on-3 Blazers podcast, we talk about the win against the Rockets, the upcoming trade deadline and predict the next three games. We also answer your questions and play another rousing game of Rip It!
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1. Gotta talk about that Rockets game. First, was that the best win of the season? Second, does a win like that have any meaningful impact for the Blazers going forward?
Jared: Yes, it was the best win of the season. No asterisk on this one. Houston is one of the NBA’s best teams. They were completely healthy, it was on the road, and the Blazers controlled the game from start to finish. The team executed its defensive game plan, which consisted primarily of a box-and-1 or diamond-and-1 defense that relied heavily on effective one-on-one defense against James Harden as well as good defensive rotations and help defense. And the offense was good last night. They didn’t shoot the ball well, but they took care of the ball and were good enough to push back every time Houston tried to make any kind of run. Does the win have a meaningful impact going forward? That’s up to the Blazers. If they follow this win with a return to the boring, frustrating mediocrity we’ve seen so far this season, then the win means nothing. For this win to mean something, it has to be the start of something bigger. Could it be the catalyst to another second-half run like we’ve seen from Damian Lillard and Co. in the past? Maybe. But that’s on the Blazers. They have to prove it.
Orlando: The answer is yes, this was the best win of the season. First, it's a win over a team with a winning record. It's only the fifth time this season that's happened and Houston is the best of those teams. It's also how they won. They had arguably their most complete performance on defense and held the league's leading scorer to his lowest point total in two years with 13 points. Every Blazer who stepped on the court scored and the entire starting lineup scored in double figures. They also rebounded the ball and won on the road. This game proves they can play at a high level and beat a good team. Minimum, this is a boost of confidence. Maximum, this could be the turning point to the season. Now the question is, can they do this on a consistent basis or was this a one-time deal or even a fluke?
2. With three weeks to the deadline, the NBA trade rumor machine is whirring quietly, but there have been a couple reports about the Blazers in the past week. The Athletic's Sam Amick reported that sources close to the Blazers are downplaying Kevin Love as a viable trade option for Portland, and ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the message he's hearing that the Blazers are putting out there is they might "stand pat" at the deadline. Is this really going to be a quiet trade deadline for the Blazers?
RELATED: NBA power rankings: Latest trade reports point to a quiet deadline for the Portland Trail Blazers
Orlando: It would be a shame if this turns into a quiet trade deadline, but I still believe it won't be. The deadline is still a few weeks away and things haven't really even started happening league wide yet. Even though NBA insiders are saying this, we all know how the Blazers operate and not much gets out with them, especially when they are actively pursuing a deal or player. There's way too much time to accept the possibility nothing will happen by Feb. 6.
Jared: With those two reports, there are a couple things that could be happening. First, Amick and Windhorst are good reporters so let’s assume their sources are sound. The first potential scenario is that the reports are true. Maybe the Blazers don't want to trade for Kevin Love. Maybe they plan to sit out trade season. Maybe ownership values the expiration of Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore’s large contracts more than any potential return. Maybe the market is sluggish. Maybe Whiteside and Bazemore don’t have a lot of trade value. The second potential scenario is that the Blazers don’t have a lot of leverage and Olshey is trying to generate some ahead of the deadline. Every executive knows the Blazers’ most available trade pieces are the expiring contracts of Whiteside and Bazemore. Other front offices may be trying to use that knowledge as leverage against the Blazers in trade conversations. Putting out a message that Portland is unengaged could prompt front offices to improve their trade offers to the Blazers as we get closer to the deadline. I don’t know which scenario is more likely, mainly because I don’t know what ownership goals are right now. If ownership wants to save money, all bets are off. If that’s not a priority for ownership right now, then I expect Neil Olshey will do everything he can to try to make trades that improve this team.
3. The Blazers play three games between now and our next podcast. They've got two more on the road, Friday at the Mavericks (26-15) and Saturday at the Thunder (23-18), and then come back home Monday to face the Warriors (9-33). Which games do the Blazers win and which do they lose?
Jared: As impressive as the Rockets win was, for now I’ll trust the larger sample size when making these picks. With a few exceptions, Portland’s modus operandi seems to be losing to the good teams and beating the bad teams. With that in mind, I’ll pick Dallas and Oklahoma City to beat the Blazers and I’ll give Portland the nod at home against the Warriors.
Orlando: Who’s going to be prisoner of the moment? It's tempting to start picking more Blazers wins, but in Dallas I won't do it. It is going to take another one of those performances we saw in Houston for them to win in Dallas. The OKC game I'm struggling with. While the Thunder are playing well, Portland has had success against them this season winning two out of three, but I've gotta see more from the Blazers. Until then, I'm taking the team with a winning record in this matchup. I'll take Portland at home against the Warriors. This week they go 1-2.
SEASON PREDICTIONS RECORDS
- Orlando: 26-13
- Jared: 25-14
- Nate: 24-15
Jared Cowley is a digital producer who writes about the Blazers and other topics for KGW.com. Jared has written about the Jazz and Warriors as a sports editor at two daily newspapers.
Nate Hanson is a digital producer who contributes to KGW.com’s coverage of the Blazers, Ducks, Beavers and high school sports.
Orlando Sanchez is the sports anchor and reporter for KGW News, Sports Sunday and Friday Night Flights. Orlando has covered multiple NBA Finals, NCAA Basketball Tournaments and World Series.
