of portland trailblazers broke the Sacramento Kings 115-108 on opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season.
If you want to see a quarterly description of the action you can find it with instant recappingAfter you’ve perused it, here are a dozen factors that influenced the game.
inside offense
The Blazers showed a clear and enduring commitment to getting the ball in the lane in this match. They attempted his 3-pointer of his 28 but scored 56 in the paint. It’s an inversion of their customary norms. They didn’t run away from long balls, but they weren’t the first choice. Instead, they shoved his jumper inside for a layup or step back. Sustained lane attacks had the side benefit of drawing fouls. Portland attempted his 33rd free throw tonight and fumbled his HECK from the Sacramento crowd.
run hard
Slowing the tempo of rebounding and turnovers was a big part of Portland’s offense. They played opportunistically every time the ball changed sides. As fast and hard as it was to see the Blazers team run forever, the fastbreak has long been a dead zone for Portland. Tonight they scored his 20 on the run. not bad.
16 forced turnovers didn’t pose a problem. To say Portland played a good defense would be an understatement, but they kept their hands busy and tried to force steals. They were out racing when they got it.
center screen
The Blazers ran into a bit of a problem when they got stuck on half court. None of the ballhandlers could individually pass Sacramento’s young and active defenders. When it came to one-on-one play, the Blazers fell short, with his throw free from the whistle providing the only real relief.
They solved that problem somewhat with the center screen. The Blazers have neither deep nor talent in midfield, but their bigs are able to stand up straight and absorb blows. Setting the pick, the Portland guards found a seam they could not have made on their own. For Anphanie Simmons, that was enough. Sometimes so did Lillard. Alternatively, the guard made a pass against a collapsing Sacramento defense and found a forward at the arc or rim.
The screen setting was one of the most consistent aspects of Portland’s half-court offense tonight. They deserve plenty of credit for sticking to the scheme and making it work.
Lillard Up and Down
Damian Lillard certainly looked confident when he got the floor for the first time in 10 months. His shot didn’t follow him on the court, and while his rare 3-point attempt looked decent off his hand, he rolled the dice to see where it hit the rim. did. His drive was hampered by his lack of speed compared to the defenders. When he managed to get inside, he forced his outstretched hand to shoot.
To be fair, Sacramento persistently locked Dame. He made them pay in the pass game. He seems dedicated to setting up his teammates and counting their scores as his own.
Lillard went 5-18 on field goals and just 1-8 on shooting from the arc, scoring 20 points and eight assists in his season debut.
Simmons In and Out
Anfernie Simmons helped lead the prosecution of insider attacks. He didn’t take many threes early on and instead focused on finding the rim. When he saw the arc open, he shot with confidence. It didn’t happen as much as it did in previous years.
However, it’s proof enough that it looks comfortable on the floor. Simmons did not appear in the preseason. That he seemed confident in his role bodes well for the Blazers.
Simmons went 9-22 with 22 on shooting and 3-10 from distance.
sharp play
Shadon Sharp separated on almost every driving attempt but had problems finishing. His first two steps seemed effortless, but as the players closed, he appeared to turn sideways.
But he had no such problem with catch-and-shoot threes. The rookie scored his 12th and shot his 3-3 off the arc in his NBA debut.
judging nulluk
Yusuf Nurkic was part of the impressive screening above. He also did well on the board, with 7 in 25 minutes.
The rest of the night was packed. Nurk looked slow. Both defense and offense seemed slow when he took to court, not to mention when the Blazers tried to work through him. Shot at 9.
I need more time to experiment, but this is worth noting. Sitting in Nurk is not an option. It’s just hard when the talentless center behind him seems to be playing faster, or at least tonight, better.
rebound
If rebounding was an issue for a team this height and weight challenged, it didn’t show up tonight.The Blazers had 11 offensive rebounds while the Kings had just four. Sure, Sacramento isn’t a huge team either, but it’s still promising.
Threes deficit
If you’re hoping for a return to past 3-point heavy offense Terry Stotts, you’ll have to wait a while. Portland shot from distance where he went 11-28 with a respectable 39.3%. They just didn’t generate any attempts, preferring to go inside.
The Kings had no such problem. Portland did a reliable job facing one-on-one shooters. They couldn’t finish any action. Sacramento arced and he shot at 17-44.
Do the math, that’s an 18 point deficit from the arc. It’s the stats to keep an eye on this season.
grant writing
Jerami Grant made a great debut in Portland. He was aggressive on defense as advertised. The Kings scored, but not much in his section. Additionally, Grant made the most of his Opportunity Bucket. He caught and shot and stayed on the sidelines of his threes, making him one of the few Blazers to actually hit from distance. When he had the ball, he drove quickly, converted layups or drew fouls on turns. He grabbed several boards, including an impressive offensive his rebound his stickback his dunks in the third.
Grant’s stats line was 23 points on 5-11 shooting, 3-3 from the arc, eight rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes. If the Blazers received it from him every night, they’d be ecstatic.
You Gotta Have Heart
Josh Hart was all over the floor tonight in his usual style. His greatest contribution was in the third term. Hart ran the floor and put the ball inside as Portland began to trail him by double digits. His layup and short his shot provided a consistent stream of points when nothing else worked. His continued aggression was evident. He and Grant set the team on fire in the second half. Hart’s final stats were 19 points, 8-11 shooting, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 38 minutes.
And Justice For All
Justice Winslow was key in the Blazers’ third and fourth periods. He played defense, changed layups, grabbed rebounds and even hit three-pointers. It was quite a testament to his efforts. Winslow had 11 points and eight rebounds (three offensive) on 5-9 shooting in 26 minutes. That’s one minute longer for him than Nurkic has played.
forward thinking
In case you were wondering, Portland forwards (Grant, Hart, Winslow) won this game for the Blazers in the second half. Their energy, rebounding and dedication to driving gave Portland the spark it needed.
almost outfox
De’Aaron Fox had no such problems, even if the Portland guards were upset during this contest. Sacramento points his guard off the arc, where he shot 12-21, 5-9 on the way to 33 points. The Blazers couldn’t answer him on defense. Get well soon, Gary Peyton II.
next
Blazers challenge Phoenix Suns Friday night at the home opener at Moda Center at 7pm Pacific.
