TUALATIN — The Portland Trail Blazers have lost eight of their last 10 games. According to Wesley Matthews, nobody fears the Blazers right now.
“It’s about getting back to what we were, who we were, when we were feared. And we’re not feared right now,” Matthews said. “I don’t think teams come into the Moda Center and fear a game. I don’t think teams know that when they wake up and have shoot around at their place that the Trail Blazers are in town.”
When the Blazers face the Utah Jazz today, they’ll likely get back part of “who they were,” as Robin Lopez returns to the lineup.
Lopez returned to full speed practice on Monday for the first time since breaking two bones in his hand on Dec. 15. Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said “if everything goes well,” he should be active and the Blazers have upgraded him to probable.
As the Blazers go through their toughest stretch of the season and slog toward the All-Star break, the lift Lopez provided Monday was encapsulated best by Damian Lillard.
“Everybody was kind of watching him like we’ve never seen him play before,” Lillard said.
“Huge,” said Matthews of the mental boost that Lopez’s return provides. “What RoLo does doesn’t always show up in the box score. But you can’t measure his tenacity and his effort and his will, his IQ, he’s a huge piece of this team.”
While nothing could top, in terms of drama and impact on the team, Aldridge going from out two months to hanging 26 points and nine rebounds in Portland’s last victory on Jan. 24, Lopez’s impending return is already lifting spirits.
Over the last 10 games specifically, the Blazers defense has gone from one of the league’s stingiest to mediocrity, ranking 19th. One of the biggest differences is the team’s rebounding, ranking in the bottom 10 in the league since Lopez went down.
They were a top-five rebounding team prior to his injury and Lopez’s offensive rebounding has been missed.
Teams have also shot slightly better from the perimeter as of late against the Blazers and Lillard noted slippage in transition defense.
Opponents have been hitting 39 percent of their 3-pointers against Portland over the last 10 games.
Nic Batum’s game has struggled all year but Lopez’s absence left him without his main pick and roll partner. Lopez was the league’s most efficient finisher in pick and roll last season according to Synergy Sports. And with their rim protector back, the Blazers can be more aggressive guarding the 3-point line, with Lopez there to erase mistakes.
And there is no doubt among the Blazers that they are getting back a major piece to making them a team that must be taken seriously, let alone string some wins together.
But Stotts knows that the euphoria that will come from Lopez’s return doesn’t last for long.
“It will be an emotional lift for us,” Stotts said. “You know, that kind of wears off. You got to take care of your business on the court.”
“We were a team that was fun to watch and un-fun to to play against,” Matthews said. “And that’s what we got to get back to. And we will.”
