Report Card
Last week’s record: 3-0
Grade: A
Synopsis: Streaking Portland gives itself a chance to catch Denver and Utah with a win tonight.
Recap: The Blazers are starting to make Nate McMillan a strong Coach of the Year candidate. And LaMarcus Aldridge is starting to make himself look like someone who can finish in the top 10 of the NBA MVP voting.
Portland began the week with a six-point win over the mighty Bulls on Monday, in which Aldridge’s career-high 42 points dwarfed Chicago point guard Derrick Rose’s 36. It continued with a six-point road win over the Raptors, in which Andre Miller scored seven of his 13 points in the fourth quarter. It was punctuated in Detroit on Sunday, where Portland’s five-point victory over the Pistons ran its winning streak up to four.
Have the last two wins come against great teams? No. Do you take any win on the road you can get? Absolutely.
Aldridge continues to make his All Star denial look absurd. He backed up Monday’s career-high with 37 points against Toronto and 36 vs. Detroit, making him the first Blazer to score at least 36 points in three straight games in franchise history. Will it net him his second Western Conference Player of the Week Award this season? Well, he’d have to beat out Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 37.2 points over four games — but won just once.
Portland also has been without Marcus Camby and Brandon Roy, who made the road trip and have been practicing, but are yet to return to action.
In Focus
Overshadowed by Aldridge’s prowess last week was Andre Miller, who’s having one of his better stretches of the season. In the Blazers’ past three games, the point guard has averaged 17.3 points and 10.3 assists while shooting better than 65 percent from the field. He also averaged seven points in the fourth quarter last week, and exposed Derrick Rose when he went for 27 points and 11 assists against the Bulls.
There was a tinge of drama last month when Portland’s backup point guard Patty Mills was seeing more fourth-quarter time than Miller, but based on the starter’s performance of late, that doesn’t seem likely to happen again any time soon. And if Roy does return this week, he’ll have a tough time arguing that the ball should be taken out of Miller’s hands.
By the Numbers
63
LaMarcus Aldridge’s shooting percentage last week. It’s not uncommon for stars to have stretches full of big numbers, but to score with Aldridge’s efficiency is rare. The fact that he can produce in the post or via deadly jump shots has to be driving defenders bonkers.
6
The most games the Blazers have been above .500 all year. They got to 25-20 when they beat Indiana last month but then dropped two straight. Sunday’s win over Detroit, however, put them at a greater distance from mediocrity than they’ve been all season.
.645
The Blazers’ winning percentage this season without Brandon Roy. They’re 20-11 in 31 games sans the three-time All Star, which is quite interesting when juxtaposed with their record of 10-13 with him.
