NBA Halloween: 5 scariest early-season trends
By Alex Mcewen
Running out of Dame Time
Damian Lillard is one of the 75 greatest players of all time, one of only 11 active players to make the NBA’s 75th-anniversary list. Since training camp began he has said all the right things regarding playing for the Portland Trailblazers.
Currently, the Blazers are 3-2, good for sixth in the West five games in, but it just feels disappointing. There is a lot of eyes on Portland this season given how they flamed out at the end of the post-season. Things were so bad they decided to make a coaching change, out with Terry Stotts and in with first-time NBA head coach Chancy Billups.
What did the 9 years say to the 4 games? … https://t.co/GwN2bJ82jw
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 28, 2021
Thus far, when the Blazers have won it has been convincing, they score 120.3 points per game in wins. In their two losses, that number falls down to a pedestrian 103.5 points per game. Portland’s two losses display many of the same problems that ailed the team last year.
It’s unclear what a solution would be for the Blazers other than tearing it down and starting from scratch, but that would be an absolute last resort. The eye test says Portland may have maxed out this team and it’s time to bid farewell to Dame, but it’s up to Billups to find more for them to give and propel the team onward.
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Those are five scary trends so far this season in the NBA. Happy Halloween everyone, have a safe and fun holiday. Dress up, enjoy some candy, and as always watch some NBA basketball.