Portland Trail Blazers: Eight is not enough vs. Lakers
Ed Stein
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Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts has been using an eight-man rotation in the bubble. The strategy is understandable, but is it sustainable?
In the NBA talent is king. It trumps almost any intangible. That’s why teams shorten their benches in the playoffs. The talent level of the competition is higher, so the less talented players don’t get into games. For the Portland Trail Blazers, that means capping their roster to eight(ish) players. Right now, that’s not enough to maintain a competitive team for an extended series.
The eight
Damian Lillard has been the best player in Orlando, the past three weeks (sorry Devin Booker). At times, Dame has carried the team, however, it hasn’t been all one man, all the time. Other members of the team such as Jusuf Nurkic, Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum, and Gary Trent Jr. have shined. That’s five guys, and one of them is a sub.
Before Zach Collins injured his ankle in the final seeding game, he was marginal at best. His replacement Wenyen Gabriel, might not have the same tools, but no one can question his hustle or compete-level. But it’s here we start getting to the problem.
When Stotts wants to go big, he’s got Hassan Whiteside on the bench. Until Nurkic and Collins returned just in time for the bubble, he was logging over 30 minutes per game. It’s a great luxury to be able to call on the league’s shot blocker and number two rebounder. That makes seven.
Finally, we come to Mario Hezonja. At times he looks like he belongs on the court with the rest of the upstart Portland Trail Blazers. Other times he plays out of control and out of sync with what’s happening on the floor. Aside from Anfernee Simons, who occasionally gets to spell Lillard or McCollum at the end of a quarter, that’s the Portland Trail Blazers team. eight-and-a-quarter players.
Lack of depth shows
Any team can sustain playing with a short bench under regular circumstances. The bubble is far from ordinary. Aside from being defensively challenged, the Blazers commit lots of fouls. Maybe its the environment in Orlando or the lack of fans in attendance second-guessing their every movement, but the referees have not been shy about blowing the whistle.
After 10 games in the bubble, Portland’s lack of depth is becoming more noticeable. Even more so against the Los Angeles Lakers in Round 1. Setting the issue of increased minutes for the regulars on the shelf (although Nurkic looks exhausted in the fourth quarter of every game), there are times when putting a fresh body on the opponent can wear them down.
One person on the planet can stop LeBron James. That is King James himself. Anthony Davis is the NBA’s best center but he isn’t the matchup nightmare James is. The Trail Blazers have to get more physical with him.
If that means dragging Moses Brown or Jaylen Hoard out of mothballs to stick to “The Brow” like a mouse in a glue trap, so be it. Yes, Davis will do some damage, but the wear and tear will catch up to him.
Also, Los Angeles is a two-man team with a host of interchangeable role players. The talent level of their supporting cast is negligible. Don’t count out Lakers coach Frank Vogel using the same strategy of wearing down the Portland eight. He has enough bodies at his disposal to do it, without disrupting his two stars.
Do you think the Portland Trail Blazers are deep enough to beat Los Angeles? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.