There it might not be a statue of Clyde Drexler outside the Moda Centerbut nestled in the vaguely saucer-shaped building, a basketball game will be played between hometown residents. Portland Trail Blazers and the visit Houston Rockets.
Cheeky thematic and historical references aside, this should be a good game: Scoot Henderson could return of injury. Anfernee Simons seems to be finding her rhythm. And the rockets obtained 45 and 16 from Alperen Şengün the other day, a sentence that no one living in 2021 thought would be written in 2024.
While the Blazers won’t stress if they lose, it would be nice to have another competitive and interesting game that showcases the potential of Portland’s young players to give fans hope for the future. With some injury luck, that player could be Scoot, but it could be Duop Reath again, a Toumani Camara sighting or another blast from the second coming of Shaun-Livingston guard Dalano Banton. And that’s where we are in the season: watch for flashes of greatness, get excited about the youth, and enjoy the privilege of supporting your favorite team playing the greatest sport in the world.
Portland Trail Blazers (17-44) against. Houston Rockets (27-35) – Fri. March 8 – 7:00 p.m. Pacific
How to watch on TV: Root Sports, NBA League Pass
Trail Blazers Injuries: Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, Jabari Walker (questionable); Scoot Henderson, Deandre Ayton (questionable), Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe, Robert Williams III, (outgoing).
Rocket injuries: Jeff Green (daily); Steven Adams, Tari Eason (outgoing).
SBN Affiliate: The dream shake
Questions from Blazer’s Edge readers
As has been Blazer’s Edge tradition since the advent of the modern mechanical shower in 1767, we asked your questions for tonight’s match! Seek messages like this the day before the game, and we plan to pick one or two (or more!) for each game and answer them as best we can.
From ChalupaJabroni:
DA looked like Dominayton the last time he played, but inconsistent play has him oscillating between titillayton and frustrayton. Hopefully we can see him competing again this season to finish with some regularity. Do you think his injury is real or is he treating it (lactayton)?
Look, I don’t think Deandre Ayton is faking an injury. He got injured during a game, tried to play until the end, looked weird and didn’t come back. If anything, it’s him and the team being extremely careful AND knowing they don’t need to push hard to win.
And yes, it is inconsistent. We knew it when we embarked on this crazy marriage between a disappointing first choice and a franchise in full transformation. Suns fans tried to warn us, just like we tried to warn them about Nurk. I want to believe that his recent streak of play coincided perfectly with him being netted for his comments about having nothing to prove as a max player; that he had a moment of clarity and after thinking about it, he said to himself, “yeah, that’s a bad look.” »
The reality is that the Blazers are in contract with Ayton for the duration of his contract whether they like it or not. No NBA team wants to give up a max salary spot to a player who is at best a very good third option on a contending team. Therefore, it behooves us to wish him well, assume good intentions, and hope that he continues to master his craft to the best of his ability. Masterbayton, if you will.
…wait a minute…
From the teacher:
Who on the active roster is most likely to be able to slow down Sengun?
The aforementioned Ayton. Since he’s absent, probably Duop Reath? I’d love to say someone like Jerami Grant, but I’m not sure the “I play for my NBA reputation” pop is necessary to carry your energy on game days with a tank team. It’s not even a stunt, it’s just reality.
From Cervarello:
Who will score 71 this time since Queen is not there?
From Shelvino:
What does this mean moving forward if Simons continues his momentum for the rest of the year?
This means it will be easier for the Blazers to get a decent return when the time comes to send him to a new team. As we saw with the Miami Heat trying to trade Tyler Herro over the last seventeen years without success, an undersized guard who scores first is not the most attractive trade bait for others franchises. And if you’re one of those people who thinks Scoot and Shaedon can be maxed out while ALSO playing Simons 35 minutes a game…well, then bless your heart. I can’t make it.
From hasoos:
Can we catch the LakersThey are only 17 games ahead of us?
FALSE: They are only 15.5 games ahead. So yes, it’s easy!
From Kacee:
The most common topic of discussion on Blazer’s Edge seems to be whether we remove veterans and top off a full tank or continue to add to our core. Houston has fallen recently, as have OKC, Philly and Cleveland. Houston seemed to be soaring earlier this year, but now they’re in the lottery again. So my question is, given the experience of these teams, how many years did they spend in the lottery before they could even field a .500 team?
It’s different for every team, but the theory is the same: The NBA’s lottery structure rewards bad teams. It’s so simple. There’s a reason why teams like the Wizards (and the Blazers for a while) have been criticized for being mired in mediocrity for years, almost as much as other teams have been criticized for tanking. Losing is a viable team building strategy.
However, I want to pick OKC apart: the number of future assets they have is hard to believe, even when you see it right in front of you. They have THIRTEEN firsts, TWENTY seconds and a few choice trades between now and 2030. It’s unreal. They also have a true MVP candidate, a rookie who is already All-NBA adjacent, and are one game away from the best record in the conference. To say Sam Presti has done an efficient job of extracting assets in every deal and setting his team up for success is the understatement of the century, and I’m not sure people are prepared for the epic run the Thunder are on. the point of living. If I had to guess, I’d say they’ll be in the top 4 in the conference for the next decade.
This is not a route available to the Blazers. They’ll have a lot less room to maneuver, a lot less options, and a lot less hope of a dominant team, no matter how much they tank this year, next year, or beyond. We can explain why, but it’s the truth. If I had to guess, the Blazers will be an uncompetitive team for as long as it takes Joe Cronin, Mike Schmitz and the rest of the front office to make sure they have a franchise cornerstone on the roster. It could happen soon, and that player could be Scoot Henderson. But be prepared for things to turn out differently. I’m not saying they will, but they might, and in that case we’ll have to buckle up, because the tank machine will be running at full throttle for quite a while.
About the opponent:
James Piercey with The Dream Shake wonders if Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün can work together long term in Houston:
This is where the Rockets roster gets a little frustrating if you’re trying to project the future. It’s like a Rubix cube, but you start to suspect that it’s a fun gift that can’t actually be solved. It starts with Sengun. He’s brilliant, but he’s complicated. For the sake of argument, let’s first assume he continues to grow as a scorer and interior passer. Let’s also first assume he stagnates as a defender and shooter. ALL RIGHT. The Rockets should therefore put the right pieces around him. That means a co-star who is a three-level scorer, and if not, it means three-and-D guys. Yet it’s more granular than that. The Rockets could use some rim protection on the weak side. Thompson is a true weakside shot blocker. This isn’t something you’d expect to say about a point guard, but most point guards aren’t 6’7″ and aren’t one of the most impressive jumpers in the NBA. Is- Whether it can work offensively is another question.
Jonathan Feigen with the Houston Chronicle talks about the late-game collapse that doomed Houston’s last game:
After [Alperen] Şengün scored 45 points on Tuesday, he was seeing double and triple teams. When he looked to get away, the Clippers were much more active defensively in the second half than they were early on. He had just three points in the third quarter with two assists as the Rockets’ lead shrank to six points. Without his scoring, the Rockets scored enough 3-pointers until Şengün started in the fourth quarter. He finished with a career-high 19 rebounds and 14 assists, but the Rockets’ problem was on the other end… As with many teams, the Clippers were determined to keep Rockets center Alperen Şengün surrounded. They sent double and triple teams to defend him, emphasizing rebounds and passing.
Kelly Iko with The Athletic (subscription required) talk about Houston wings Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore and how they are contributing to the Rockets’ relatively successful season:
But part of the Rockets’ wacky schedule after the All-Star break involved back-to-back games against the Suns, which means four consecutive days spent in Phoenix. Such quirkiness allowed Green and Whitmore to spend more time together. Much like their chemistry on and off the field, their relationship was a pleasant surprise. It first bloomed at the Thomas & Mack Center last July during summer league, when Green showed up to watch the Rockets play. Initially, he had retreated into the locker rooms in search of Jabari Smith Jr., his teammate and second-year forward who had decided to play in Vegas. But once back there, Green had the opportunity to meet Whitmore for the first time. There could have been some apprehension or anxiety on both sides, since they occupy the same position. But nothing was forced or inappropriate. It seemed natural.
