Sacramento, Calif. — With a fire pit glowing in the background and wine in the glass, the most veteran players… trail blazers We met last month for the first night of training camp in Santa Barbara, California.
It was a sudden gathering. Josh Hart When Jerami Grant I didn’t like the food in the hotel restaurant so I went out on the patio and came across it. Damien LillardThe trio grabbed the table. After a while, Justice Winslow Happened and attended at their table.
The product was ordered and the conversation flowed quickly.
“I’ll have some wine,” Winslow said with a smile. “And just talking.”
They talked about family. They talked about their summer. And they talked about the first practice earlier in the day.
That September night, especially the conversation over wine, was revisited after the Trail Blazers celebrated a come-from-behind win 115-108 on Wednesday. kings in Sacramento.
Among the many encouraging developments since the win, top of the list was how the game changed when coach Chauncey Billups went to a small lineup in the third quarter. Winslow replaced Yusuf Nurkic Grant, Hart, Lillard, Anphanie Simmonsthe Blazers became a deadlier lineup.
That’s exactly what four veterans were talking about and dreaming about on a Santa Barbara fire pit patio.
“As seniors on the team, we’ve been talking about this season, that, and the third,” Winslow said. “And I remember[playing small]was definitely one of the things we talked about.
Grant added: We knew we were a versatile team and had many players who could play in a variety of positions. pfft, that’s a lot of players who can stun near the play from 1 to 5. “
Funny enough, after we finished our wine and went back to our room, the topic became almost just a memory. He says he thinks he practiced. Lillard won’t go that far.
“I mean, we’ve never done it,” said Lillard.
I never have?
“That’s crazy. No. I never did that,” said Lillard.
It wasn’t just a small lineup that won Wednesday’s game. Simmons, who scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, earned him a new $100 million contract in one fell swoop. Rookie Shadon Sharp scored his 12 points in his 16 minutes and looked set to gain even more playing time in the upcoming games. And the night’s subplot was that the late nip-and-tuck game was sealed not by Lillard, but by Grant, then a memorable last-minute and-one from Hart.
Still, the idea that a September night got veterans more intoxicated than wine was perhaps the most interesting development of the night.
Billups said he could envision using a small-man lineup all season long if the team could keep up the rebound, and given that many successful NBA teams have versions of the small-man lineup, it’s a good idea for Port Billups dabbled in a smaller version throughout the game, but closed out the final 5:55 with Lillard, Simmons, Hart, Grant and Winslow, and the Blazers They beat Sacramento 19-9.
“As soon as we did it, we felt like it was good for us,” Lillard said. But when you go to that lineup, ‘we’re going to find something’ with this lineup, especially if you can get a stop and push it back. “
An integral part of the small lineup are two features that have made this Portland team so different from past iterations.Winslow, a stout 6-foot-6 point forward, guards center, while Grant, a 6-foot-8 power forward, can check out other positions.Wednesday, Grant saw the Kings jitter bug his point forward. guarded the guard of De’Aaron Fox Meanwhile, Winslow pushed and pushed on the Kings’ 6-foot-11-inch center. Domantas SabonisIt’s rare that the Blazers have so many options on defense, and certainly when an opponent has a telegraph pole-like stubborn center like Sabonis.
“Justice is a bulldog,” said Billups. “He’s strong. You’re not going to just back him off and throw him.”
Even when Lillard was out in the game, the lineup also had an advantage on the offense, as Winslow was a skilled hard-headed passer who spent part of the night carrying the ball to the court. His two biggest plays of the game—Grant’s and-1 with 50.4 seconds left turned a 106-105 deficit into his 108-106 lead. Hart’s and-one, who pushed the lead to 111-106 with 22.2 seconds remaining, both came in transition as the Blazers increased the pace.
The unspoken hard truth about Wednesday’s development: The move was essential as Nurkic struggled. powerfully. He finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers in 25 minutes, missing 6 of his 9 shots, all from close range.
Winslow played 19 minutes and Nurkic nine minutes in the second half. Winslow had 11 points and eight rebounds.
“We weren’t able to create an advantage offensively or defensively,” Billups said. “So we felt we had an opportunity by going smaller.”
In a perfect world, Nurkic would remain a valuable part of the Blazers’ offensive and defensive looks. thinks he may have found something.
Billups said the team used a small lineup in recent practice, but the players didn’t seem to remember it. Heck, the main characters in the lineup had already dreamed of it in Santa Barbara.
“I don’t want to say that you don’t have to practice when you have a player who can just play and is very versatile, but he can feel where he is and he can understand and play,” Winslow said. Easy to do on the fly. “
Grant added: I think you can run it in place and see if it works and revert if it works. “
Hart said: I’m her 6th year, Justise is her 8th year, Jerami is her 9th year, and Dame is like an uncle (11th season). We know him to be a very versatile player, guarding, rebounding the ball, shooting and reaching the rim.
The only difference between Wednesday and that night in Santa Barbara? Their palate was worth the win, not the wine.
(Photo of Justice Winslow: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
