Blazers with thumb nose at Santa, show up for jazz game

It’s only December, but the battle for positioning in 2025 NBA Draft has begun. Friday night welcomed the Portland Trail Blazers to the final spot Utah Jazz to the Moda Center for a showdown to see who can improve their odds when it’s time to let the ping pong balls decide the fate of Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and other top draft picks. The Blazers drew first blood in this game to the bottom, losing to the Jazz 141-99 in front of a disappointed home crowd.

On paper, the Blazers’ starting lineup contained far more talent than the upstart Jazz, but you wouldn’t know it after the first quarter. Jerami Grant opened with a three to give the Blazers a 3-2 lead, but it was all Utah after that. The starting lineup of Grant, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Deandre Ayton went through the motions during the first half, getting beat in transition, rebounding and three-point shooting.

Unfortunately, the second half did not improve. Other than a two-minute, thirty-second stretch in the third quarter, the Blazers played like they couldn’t care less about this game. To say there was no effort would be paying the team a compliment. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Blazers were down 46 points to the 4-17 Jazz.

Percentages told the whole story tonight. The Blazers shot 38% from the field and 29% from three-point range. In contrast, the Jazz shot 55% from the field and 44% from distance. Utah got easy shot after easy shot after easy shot at the rim and at the three-point arc, while the Blazers missed open threes and layups. For Portland, the only bright spot tonight was committing just four turnovers in the first three quarters of the game. They would finish with 10 total for the game, which is below their season average.

I know one of the goals for the season is to compete for the worst record in the league, but why would the Blazers be so good at it tonight against the Jazz?

MVP of the game

I hesitated to give my MVP of the game tonight. It’s hard to call someone “valuable” after getting blown out at home against the last team in the conference, but the show must go on. The Blazers put together an 11-0 run in the third quarter, and it was all because Jabari Walker only has one gear, and that’s huddle.

At 9:30 in the third quarter, Walker flew into the stands to save a loose ball. It landed perfectly in the hands of Shaedon Sharpe, who hit Anfernee Simons for a wide-open three to force a Jazz timeout. Over the next two minutes, Walker would battle for rebounds, disrupt passing lanes and play solid defense.

Unfortunately, the Blazers weren’t able to sustain that effort, but Walker continues to provide a spark whenever he gets playing time. The stat line of 1 point, 3 rebounds and 2 assists doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.

What is your why?

The true story of tonight’s match is about effort and desire. This usually boils down to motivation. It was clear to me that the home team was not motivated to play this game. In terms of expectations for the season, the Blazers have probably exceeded them and then some. This list isn’t terrible either, but something is brewing and it doesn’t feel good.

Three of the five starters tonight (Simons, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton) have been at the center of trade talks. These will only intensify if the Blazers come out every game with this type of effort.

The Jazz out rebounded Portland 61-34. I had to triple that number because it was that bad. If that didn’t take your breath away, the Blazers also lost the second-chance point game 4-24.

These embarrassing statistics lead back to the question, why? The organization might be better off if the team loses as many games as possible, but the players still have to be proud of their craft when they come out every night and perform. The Blazers have talent, but it’s up to them to bring the effort, energy and desire.

Missing Kong and Rob

Portland played their best basketball this season as Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III manned the middle. Their defense makes a huge difference and gives balance to the rest of the team. Tonight, the Red Sea parted, and Utah scored at will in the paint, outscoring the Blazers 76-42 in that category.

The lack of interior defense was the most glaring issue tonight for the Blazers. The Jazz were able to use a pass to get a man open under the basket. When Utah’s players turned the corner on their defender, there was no help defense. Blazers didn’t communicate and it showed.

Lack of transition play

The Blazers found themselves down 13-3 at the game’s first timeout because they were beaten in transition. The Jazz were able to convert easy layups and three-point shots in the corner.

In high school you are taught to stop the ball. It is the first line of defense when guarding in transition. The Blazers never did. Their failure in this fundamental area opened up passing lanes for Keyonte George and Collin Sexton to score and get their teammates involved.

At the other end, the Jazz also let the Blazers run. The problem for Portland was their lack of execution at the rim and arc. The Blazers aren’t a great three-point shooting team, but the Jazz aren’t a great defensive team, so something had to give. Unfortunately for Rip City, Portland never established an offensive flow or set a good pick-and-roll. These are required to open the game.

Where to go from here?

Toumani Camara left the game early in the first quarter with an apparent rolled ankle. There’s no word yet on how serious this injury is, but the Blazers will at least have to make a short-term decision. Deni Advija has proven to be a solid contributor in the starting lineup. He can take minutes at the small forward or power forward spots. His playmaking and shooting abilities will be a good thing for the Blazers.

Next

Box score

The Blazers now travel to Los Angeles to meet Lakers Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m., Pacific Ocean.