After a difficult two-game trip, the Portland Trail Blazers are limping into the holiday season.
After dominating the Denver Nuggets (16–11) at home on Thursday, the Blazers severely regressed, losing 15–14 at San Antonio on Saturday and 19–10 at Dallas on Monday.
Portland (9–20) is moving a little more quickly than they did the previous season, when they lost by 20 points on December 21 at 7–20.
The current team has been much healthier than that one, which was severely impacted by injuries early in the season and throughout.
The Blazers are in a poor position most nights due to a difficult schedule and a general incapacity to shoot and handle the ball.
The Blazers averaged 101 points and gave up 123 points in the last two games, shooting 42.9% from the field and 27.8% from three-point range.
The Blazers suffered defeats to the Spurs 114-94 and the Mavericks 132-108. The Blazers had lost back-to-back games by more than 20 points for the third time this season.
At American Airlines Center on December 23, 2024, in Dallas, Texas, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups instructs his team during the first half of a game against the Dallas Mavericks. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Sam Hodde)Getty Pictures
Reducing the number of lopsided losses was one of the season’s objectives. The Blazers haven’t succeeded in that regard thus far.
Ten games have already seen Portland lose by 20 points or more. During the previous season, they suffered 14 such losses.
The Blazers will have a chance to get back into the win column during a three-game home stretch starting Thursday against the Utah Jazz (7-21), who contributed to Portland s list of blowout losses by winning 141-99 at the Moda Center on Dec. 6.
Deni Avdija’s play has been the team’s most encouraging improvement throughout their run of 12 straight losses.
Avdija has emerged as the most reliable player for the Blazers since losing his starting position after a poor start.
Over the last 15 games, he averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 49.1% from the floor and 42.9% on three-point shots.
At the very least, Avdija is proving valuable enough to make potentially trading Jerami Grant to a contender more palatable.
Should the Blazers land a high-end forward prospect in the 2025 NBA draft, they could move forward feeling good about adding that player to Avdija and small forward Toumani Camara moving forward.
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— Aaron Fentress |[email protected]|@AaronJFentress(Twitter),@AaronJFentress(Instagram),@AaronFentress(Facebook)
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