TUALATIN, Ore. — Blazers forward Nicolas Batum sat by his locker and reflected over his team’s Dec. 30 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. He reflected on his mistakes, but thanks to the result, they weren’t the focus of the night.
When asked if the 2013-14 Trail Blazers win the game in that fashion, shutting down a top-two offensive team, the conversation turned to something else.
Ahead of their first game of the new year on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, it’s not lost on the Blazers that they had a similar start last season. In fact, they’ve started an identical 26-7.
Like Batum’s mistakes against Toronto, the topic following their 26th win was minimized thanks to their hot start and Damian Lillard’s playoff heroics.
30-23.
“Last year we had the same start,” Batum said as Lillard walked by his locker to use one of the few mirrors in the locker room. Batum then asked Lillard if he remembered their record after their start to last season.
“30-23,” Lillard answered.
That was the Blazers’ record after their red-hot 24-5 start which made them the toast of the league in December.
“We were average,” Batum said. “We can’t do that. If we are a big team, we got to win those games.”
Head coach Terry Stotts emphasized the need for the Blazers to embrace the responsibility of being an elite team in training camp. After a gutsy overtime win the Blazers were concerned with their slippage.
“He’s just throwing it out there,” Lillard said about the reminders from Stotts. “We just talked about it a little bit. Just how of a great start we had. We were pretty much an average team for the rest of the season, but we created such a cushion it was kind of overlooked.”
Stotts didn’t leave much time Friday to focus on the past or even what they have to do on 2015. It was an upbeat practice with mostly “live” drills and focus on the Hawks.
“We see each other everyday,” Lillard said. “To be away for two days it was the first time in a long time it was like that. So everybody came back and everybody had a positive attitude.”
Defense has been Portland’s way this season, ranking third in the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions according to NBA.com.
Wesley Matthews thinks the Blazers have already been tested more this season.
“Last year it just got harder as the season got on,” he said. “I think we’re more prepared for that. I think we’re more equipped I think having dealt with injuries. And different rotations.”
The emphasis from the front office to coaches and players about necessarily improvement on defense early in training camp has shown through the first 33 games of the season.
The Hawks were only a half-game behind the Raptors for first place in the Eastern Conference before Friday’s games.
In their second season under former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, they have developed an identity for unselfish basketball featuring Spurs-like ball and player movement.
They lead the NBA in assist ratio, recording an assist 19.2 times per 100 possessions.
Two-time All-Star Al Horford has already played in more games this season than he did last year (29), which has helped bolster them on both ends.
Saturday should also be a 3-point parade featuring three of the league’s most prolific 3-point shooters.
Atlanta’s Kyle Korver (91) and Portland’s duo of Matthews (101) and Lillard (91) were the top-three players in the league in made 3-pointers before Friday’s games.
