Coming into the season with little to no expectations, the Trail Blazers were at the bottom of the Western Conference for the first three months. But this team has now found a renewed sense of confidence as they've officially turned the corner.
The first half of the season did not treat Portland well, as they had accumulated a record of 13-28, and they looked as if they were well on their way to another lottery pick in this year's draft.
Everything changed beginning on Jan. 19, when Portland went on an insane stretch where they won 10 out of 11 games, with their only loss coming to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Overall, since mid-January, Portland is 15-6 over their last 21 games and they're on a roll.
There are a handful of contributing factors as to why the Trail Blazers have been playing well as of late, from the young guys stepping up, a renewed belief in the coaching system, and even the defensive prowess of the team.
Trail Blazers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA
Seventh-year guard Anfernee Simons appears to have found his stride as of late and has been playing exceptional basketball over the last six weeks. Simons, in the last 20 games, has been averaging 20.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting an efficient 43.6 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from behind the arc.
Coming off a 34-point performance last night in Philadelphia, Simons recorded his fifth game of 30+ points this season, leading the team to victory after trailing in that first half of play.
"We was obviously struggling offensively, but I was able to get hot a little bit," Simons told reporters after last night's win against the 76ers. "Somebody steps up each and every night and tonight was my night."
Third-year guard Shaedon Sharpe continues to ascend as he's been averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in the last 21 contests. And the unsung hero of the Trail Blazers has been Deni Avdija, who's been an incredible veteran to the young players in the locker room.
Avdija, in the last 20 games, has been averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Avdija recorded the first triple-double of his career on Sunday afternoon in their loss to the Cavs, finishing with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“It's hard for me to think about the triple-double right now because I wanted to win,” said Avdija. “I don't think about it right now, but maybe tomorrow it'll make me smile a little bit. But I worked hard, worked hard and I couldn't have done it without my teammates making some tough shots.”
Defensive impact
Both rookie center Donovan Clinigan and forward Toumani Camara have proven to be exceptionally valuable as two cornerstone pieces on the defensive side of the ball.
For Clinigan, it's been an up-and-down rookie season as he's battled with some injuries, having appeared in 48 games and just 18 starts. But in his limited action, he has flashed a ton of potential and appears to be one of the next great centers in the game.
Donovan, in 17 minutes a game, has averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 points, and 1.6 blocks a game. Despite having played only 816 total minutes this season, he is number 14 in the league in total blocks (75), and per 36, he would be on pace to average a whopping 3.3 blocks a game.
Camara has been one of the most tenacious and versatile defenders in the NBA this season, and he will be vying for a spot on the All-NBA Defensive team this offseason. Portland, collectively, over this stretch, has stepped up their impact on the defensive side of the ball and they're currently number two in defensive rating (108.2) over the last 21 games.
Play-In opportunity
The Trail Blazers currently find themselves with a record of 28-34 and just four games back of the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.
The two teams ahead of the Trail Blazers in the standings are the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks.
Phoenix has now lost 8 of their last 10 games and appears to be becoming more and more frustrated internally with their play as of late. The Mavericks have been sputtering ever since the trade of Luka Doncic and with an injury to Kyrie Irving yesterday evening, things only appear to be getting worse in Dallas.
Portland has one of the most fun, exciting, and explosive groups of young players in the NBA, and it appears that this team is now headed towards a berth into the Play-In Tournament.