Blazers’ Scrimmage Games: Thoughts and Takeaways

Now, ignoring record, let’s take a dive in and look at the good and the bad of the Blazers’ play in the scrimmage games.

The Good:

The Starting 5 And 6th Man Look Good!

Finally, the Blazers are healthy. With Jusuf Nurkic coming back from a devastating leg injury, and with Zach Collins coming back from a shoulder injury, the Blazers have a much needed interior presence.

Nurkic has been very good in the games he has played, and has shown the ability to hit the 3-ball (albeit inconsistently). His defense, rebounding, and energy are all as strong as ever. He even retains his ability to get under other players’ skin, as he squared up to Serge Ibaka when the Blazers and Raptors faced off.

Collins has been fantastic. He defends, sets good screens, is an energetic rebounder, and can stretch the floor decently. Nothing bad can really be said about his play in the bubble.

Skinny Melo has seen improvement on the defensive end, and while his offense and passing remains inconsistent, he has remained a rebounding presence for the Blazers. His efficiency leaves much to be desired, but if he’s able to shoot at least 40% in the seeding games, he can be a plus on the court.

C.J. McCollum remains crafty as ever, hitting some excellent shots, including this filthy step-back 3.

Damian Lillard, while only going 1/5 (all 3 pointers) in the one game he has plays, is nothing to worry about. He’s too experienced a player to to falter in meaningful games. There was a lot to like about his passing in the 20 minutes he played.

Hassan Whiteside is in an interesting position. A no doubt starting level talent, he will likely be coming off the bench (unless him and Nurkic both start, which I’ll touch on later). He should be an excellent paint beast on both ends, and should feast on opposing 2nd units. His rebounding should be even more dominant, and it’s safe to say he should put up consistent numbers in this run.

Nassir Little Is Back

Some much needed perimeter defense is being infused into the Blazers’ lineup as Nassir Little returns from concussion. His offense is still largely unpolished, but he can stretch the floor from time to time. He can defend very well on the perimeter, and is solid inside the arc as well. His rebounding and energy remain as electric as ever, and his passing seems to have improved during the NBA hiatus.

Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons

Gary Trent Jr. has been a beast in the scrimmage games, averaging a little over 13 points a game on decent efficiency. His passing and rebounding are adequate, and his defense has been great. Look at this defense on Victor Oladipo.

Simons at times has looked lost on the court, but after an ugly 1st scrimmage game, Simons has put up 13 and 23 points, on 4/11 and 9/15 shooting respectively, along with an average of 4.5 assists across the 2 games. If he can keep up that forward momentum, he could be a very solid piece off the bench for the Blazers.

Wenyen GOATbriel?

Wenyen Gabriel has had a very good presence for the Blazers in these scrimmages. He’s actually been good offensively (about 9 points per game on 55% shooting), and his rebounding has been great (2 offensive rebounds a game). He needs to work on not fouling, but I am impressed.

Hezonja and Hoard Have Been Playable

While streaky, Hezonja has showcased his offensive versatility in these few games. He’s been solid on the boards and has been a solid passer. His defense hasn’t been half-bad either. If he keeps this up, he’s a solid wing for a team in need of depth at the forward positions.

Jaylen Hoard, while still very raw with a below average shot, has been a good rebounder and slasher. He’s not a minus defensively, and his plus-minus of +17 over 3 games has been promising. He could be another passable forward for the Blazers.

The Bad:

Carmelo Anthony’s Shot Selection

Please Melo. Take good shots. Stop doing that turnaround fade that you build brick houses with. Thanks.

Damian Lillard’s Foot

The injury bug bites again. Damian Lillard has been dealing with inflammation in his left foot. With him battling plantar fasciitis back in 2015, I have no doubt that he’ll be healthy enough to go. Still, it’s something to watch out for. Terry Stotts thinks Dame should be good to go on Friday, so hopefully he’s taking the measures he needs to be to heal up.

Hassan Whiteside’s Achilles

Hassan Whiteside has dealt with achilles soreness throughout the scrimmage games, limiting him to only 2 games and restricted minutes. It looks like he’s fine, and without any further complications he should be okay, but achilles injuries are always something to keep an eye on.

Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic Lineups

Though an intriguing lineup that boasts tremendous rebounding and paint defense, starting the two next to each other didn’t turn out so well for the Blazers. Though it’s inevitable that the two play together at some point, there’s no need to play them together more than necessary. Having both of them on the court leaves the Blazers’ perimeter exposed, which would be terrible in seeding or potential playoff games. It also clogs up the paint a-la Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Nurkic isn’t a true stretch big, so there’s no need to force him to play as one with this duo.

Inconsistency

This has plagued the Blazers all year. When one guy steps up and has a good game, another guy falters. We’ve seen inconsistency from Jaylen Adams, Mario Hezonja, Anfernee Simons, and more in these 3 games, and it’s something bound to bite the Blazers if it persists.

Bench Play

The Blazers’ bench isn’t the best unit. It didn’t show any improvement as a whole in the scrimmage games, which may be a result of Whiteside playing limited minutes. It’s likely that opposing teams go on runs with the Blazers’ bench on the floor. The starters will have to buckle up for some heavy minutes.

Turnovers

The Blazers have been sloppy with the ball as a team, posting 13, 14 and 21 turnovers. 16 turnovers a game is not good. While this may be a result of less serious scrimmage ball, the Blazers need to tighten things up, especially with how low they rank in terms of ball movement.

Final Thoughts

I believe it’s realistic for the Blazers to go 5-3 or better, and my opinion hasn’t changed after the scrimmages. While there’s a lot of room for improvement, the fully healthy Blazers’ starting 5 has been dominant in the 20 minutes we saw, and there’s a lot to like about the Blazers’ play in the scrimmage games. I see the Blazers as a dark horse and a team to watch out for.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!