The games are coming fast and furious for the Portland Trail Blazers NOW. Their reward for being destroyed in two games by the LA Clippers is to turn around without rest and face the defending champions. After that, they’ll board the plane for a seven-game road trip, mostly on the East Coast. A thought for the players and staff.
The Denver Nuggets are taking shape well. Winner of seven of its last eight and 13 or 15 of its last, Denver has answered the critics and shown that it is likely to be a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. If you want to look for a narrative that gives the Blazers some hope, the Nuggets’ injury list is pretty long for a team that’s in the hunt for the number one seed. We’ll see if the Blazers catch a break — and if they do, if it matters.
Denver Nuggets (49-21) – Portland Trail Blazers (19-51)
Saturday March 22 – 7:00 p.m. Pacific
How to watch on TV: Root Sports, NBA League Pass
Trail Blazers Injuries: Robert Williams III (out), Shaedon Sharpe (out), Malcolm Brogdon (out), Jerami Grant (questionable), Matisse Thybulle (questionable), Deandre Ayton (questionable). Anfernee Simons’ status is unclear following her early departure Friday night.
Nuggets injuries: Vlatko Cancar (absent), Jalen Pickett (absent), Zeke Nnaji (absent), Jamal Murray (questionable), Nikola Jokic (questionable)
Questions from Blazer’s Edge readers
SoftFA:
Just like the mid-90s and how every team threw a high draft pick at slowest, slowest and strongest possible in order to try to compete with Shaq, should the Blazers focus the 2024 draft only on players who could possibly play defense against Jokic (or Wemby)?
The Blazers need a superstar. Until they know who their alpha is, nothing else really matters. If the Blazers were able to have a competitive team with a hole the size of Jokic (it’s a big hole), of course you want to make sure you have enough fouls to give him. It’s even better if you have someone who can slow it down without dirtying. After all, that’s probably the main reason Phoenix wanted Nurkic. Well, not the non-dirty part, but Nurkic at least had a few games where Jokic didn’t completely mock every living thing within a few square kilometers. It remains to be seen whether in 2024 Nurkic will really be able to defend Jokic in a playoff match. The biggest problem is that Jokic (and Wemby even more so) are not your dad’s centers. I’m not sure we really know the prototype of the type of player who can defend these guys. Maybe we’ll learn more in the playoffs, at least with Jokic.
To monitor
- Will the Nuggets mail this one out? Take a look at Denver’s injury report above. This certainly seems like an injury report tailor-made to give some guys a day off in a way that could pass league scrutiny. If Jokic and Jamal Murray sit, it certainly increases the Blazers’ chances of winning. Always really, Really long odds, but better.
- Faults. With Jokic on their team, Denver has to shoot millions of free throws per game, right? Well, it turns out that’s not so much the case. The Nuggets are 27th in caused personal fouls and 29th in free throws attempted. Do teams avoid fouling because they are so good at the line? In fact, they are 24th in free throw percentage. I’d be lying if I told you I knew what was going on here. I know though that if I was the coach and the game was within reach in the second half, I would tell my guys to be aggressive on defense and let the chips fall where they may.
What do others say
Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Post reports that Nikola Jokic sent a text message while the team was returning from the All-Star break, and coincidence or not, things have been going well since.
Even though the content of this message remains private, the results are difficult to dispute. Denver’s two losses came to Phoenix, when Jokic had a tough but workable game — especially for him — watching a game-winner in regulation before the Suns pulled away in overtime, and to Dallas, which won on Kyrie Irving’s superb buzzer beater. With a dozen games remaining in the regular season, the primary objective is to maintain the current level.
Paul Pierce explains how to beat the Nuggets.
Absurd.
