We added another NBA win last night with a close result in the Magic-Suns game. I probably could have simply picked Phoenix to win; it turned out to be a fairly comfortable call. Still, a win is a win. There were just two games on the schedule last night, but tonight brings nine, including a matchup between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers that caught my eye.
Portland has been one of the season’s biggest early surprises. The Trail Blazers enter the game at 6-1, including a perfect 5-0 on the road. Deni Avdija was a major reason they were competitive last season, averaging 24.2 points per game—about seven more than his previous career high. He’s scoring 23.4 a night this year and has kept up his rebounding and assist numbers, too.
I was unsure about Portland before the season. The guard rotation looked crowded, and I wasn’t convinced Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday and Ja Morant—who is currently out—would fit together smoothly. So far, that concern hasn’t amounted to much. Portland has depth, defends well and seems to have found a workable rhythm on offense. Lillard has been especially good in his return to the team, putting up 20 points per game in just under 30 minutes.
The Lakers have also looked like one of the league’s stronger teams. They parted ways with LeBron James in the offseason, a significant change that hasn’t clearly helped or hurt them. It has, at least, given Luka Doncic room to take on even more of the offense. He’s averaging 38.5 points per game on nearly 50% shooting, along with eight assists. The tradeoff is five turnovers per game.
There’s a decent balance around him, too. Austin Reaves remains a reliable second option, while Walker Kessler has been an excellent addition. Kessler is averaging 14.4 points on 72% shooting, 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. Much of the rest of the roster is made up of role players, but that hasn’t stopped the Lakers from getting off to a 7-2 start. Their losses came on the road against Golden State and at home against Portland.
This feels like a chance for Los Angeles to respond after that earlier loss. Portland has been excellent on the road, winning its recent away games comfortably, but it has another game at home tomorrow. I tend to be wary of teams playing the final game of a road trip, and I expect the Lakers to be eager to avoid a second loss to the Blazers. I’ll take Los Angeles minus 2.5.
