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After helping the Portland Trail Blazers withstand Sacramento for a pre-season 118-115 victory at the Moda Center, reservist Meyers Leonard granted an interview to the postgame on court and featured Thursday's match. opening of the team for the regular season.
Portland Trail Blazers striker Meyers Leonard dominates striker Harry Giles of the Sacramento Kings striker during the second half of an NBA pre-NBA basketball game in Portland, Oregon , Friday, October 12, 2018. (AP Photo / Craig Mitchelldyer)
"The environment will be incredible here," said Leonard.
As the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James go to town for a first televised match by TNT, Leonard's prediction seems like a sure thing. But what is less certain is how much the Blazers are ready to do it.
Friday was supposed to be a final update in which coach Terry Stotts could give Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum a 30-minute lead in the field. Both players managed to reach this goal, but behaved the same way as the guys from the previous match (Lillard shot 2 of 10 from the field and finished with seven points.
But Lillard and McCollum are one of the Blazers that nobody has to worry about in Portland. It is the players who surround them and play in their place when they go to the bench, who could make or break the 2018-19 season.
Perhaps the biggest question mark of the preseason has remained very in the air. Maurice Harkless, considered the starter of the little striker, missed the preseason. In the last two exhibition games, there was hope that he would play, but he was hit twice. The knee injury that ended his 2017-18 season continued to be a problem, and a new ankle injury became at least as serious.
Third-year Jake Layman made his debut for Harkless and scored 10 points two days after scoring a 28-point effort against Phoenix in the game missed by Lillard and McCollum. Blazer coach Terry Stotts said Layman, who has played a total of 70 games in his first two seasons, should at least play a role in the rotation.
"If Moe is healthy, then that changes the dynamics," said Stotts.
But would Layman start against the Lakers and potentially protect James? Or would Harkless automatically regain a starting role if he is able to play? Stotts did not want to tip his hand, but when asked if he was subscribed to the saying that a player should not lose his starting point because of an injury, he responded in the negative.
"I think it locks you up unnecessarily in a corner," he said. "I do not have where they proposed this unwritten rule, I would say that if Damian is hurt and he wants to come back, he will probably be a starter, but no, I will not subscribe to that theory.
The other starting points of the Blazers seem cemented, with Lillard and McCollum joined by center Jusuf Nurkic and power forward Al-Farooq Aminu. However, Aminu did not play Friday, which prevented the evening. Stotts kicked off sophomore Zach Collins, whose 7-foot-size gives Portland a different size than the Aminu 6-9, and who wanted to play with the 7-foot Jusuf Nurkic center, a combination rarely coached by the coach used last season, when Collins became an integral part of the rotation.
"I thought it was OK," said Stotts. "Last year, the minutes were limited and we did not really have a sample, but I thought it was fine."
Collins had his best pre-season match since he got 15 points, 10 rebounds and a block and shot 7 of 12 from the field, although a large part came in the second half, when & # 39; He played with which figures to be his teammate as second unit members.
Combined with a solid play from Leonard, the seven-year-old veteran who left the bench and scored 17 points and 9 rebounds for a total of 3 points, scored 3 points and the Blazers showed what could become a versatile bench.
Evan Turner, back from an absence of two games after being injured on one shoulder, played a leading role, handling the ball and finding fencers for six assists. Turner scored seven points, but all came close to the free throw line, leaving free shots to other players, including new guards Nik Stauskas (15 points) and Seth Curry (10 points).
"He took possession of the second group," said Stotts de Turner. "I think he and Nik and Seth have developed good chemistry when it comes to moving the ball. Evan has a very good idea of what he wants to play when he understands the point and gets the other guys moving. "
Aside from Harkless, the Blazers came off the pre-season in good health, and for a team that had a poor start over the last two regular seasons, it seemed like a victory in itself.
"I'm glad we managed to get through without major injuries," McCollum said of the pre-season.
And now, the big start, against the beginnings of James and the Lakers, is waiting.
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After helping the Portland Trail Blazers withstand Sacramento for a pre-season 118-115 victory at the Moda Center, reservist Meyers Leonard granted an interview to the postgame on court and featured Thursday's match. opening of the team for the regular season.
Portland Trail Blazers striker Meyers Leonard dominates striker Harry Giles of the Sacramento Kings striker during the second half of an NBA pre-NBA basketball game in Portland, Oregon , Friday, October 12, 2018. (AP Photo / Craig Mitchelldyer)
"The environment will be incredible here," said Leonard.
As the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James go to town for a first televised match by TNT, Leonard's prediction seems like a sure thing. But what is less certain is how much the Blazers are ready to do it.
Friday was supposed to be a final update in which coach Terry Stotts could give Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum a 30-minute lead in the field. Both players managed to reach this goal, but behaved the same way as the guys from the previous match (Lillard shot 2 of 10 from the field and finished with seven points.
But Lillard and McCollum are one of the Blazers that nobody has to worry about in Portland. It is the players who surround them and play in their place when they go to the bench, who could make or break the 2018-19 season.
Perhaps the biggest question mark of the preseason has remained very in the air. Maurice Harkless, considered the starter of the little striker, missed the preseason. In the last two exhibition games, there was hope that he would play, but he was hit twice. The knee injury that ended his 2017-18 season continued to be a problem, and a new ankle injury became at least as serious.
Third-year Jake Layman made his debut for Harkless and scored 10 points two days after scoring a 28-point effort against Phoenix in the game missed by Lillard and McCollum. Blazer coach Terry Stotts said Layman, who has played a total of 70 games in his first two seasons, should at least play a role in the rotation.
"If Moe is healthy, then that changes the dynamics," said Stotts.
But would Layman start against the Lakers and potentially protect James? Or would Harkless automatically regain a starting role if he is able to play? Stotts did not want to tip his hand, but when asked if he was subscribed to the saying that a player should not lose his starting point because of an injury, he responded in the negative.
"I think it locks you up unnecessarily in a corner," he said. "I do not have where they proposed this unwritten rule, I would say that if Damian is hurt and he wants to come back, he will probably be a starter, but no, I will not subscribe to that theory.
The other starting points of the Blazers seem cemented, with Lillard and McCollum joined by center Jusuf Nurkic and power forward Al-Farooq Aminu. However, Aminu did not play Friday, which prevented the evening. Stotts kicked off sophomore Zach Collins, whose 7-foot-size gives Portland a different size than the Aminu 6-9, and who wanted to play with the 7-foot Jusuf Nurkic center, a combination rarely done by the coach. used last season, when Collins became an integral part of the rotation.
"I thought it was OK," said Stotts. "Last year, the minutes were limited and we did not really have a sample, but I thought it was fine."
Collins had his best pre-season match since he got 15 points, 10 rebounds and a block and shot 7 of 12 from the field, although a large part came in the second half, when & # 39; He played with which figures to be his teammate as second unit members.
Combined with a solid play from Leonard, the seven-year-old veteran who left the bench and scored 17 points and 9 rebounds for a total of 3 points, scored 3 points and the Blazers showed what could become a versatile bench.
Evan Turner, back from an absence of two games after being injured on one shoulder, played a leading role, handling the ball and finding fencers for six assists. Turner scored seven points, but all came close to the free throw line, leaving free shots to other players, including new guards Nik Stauskas (15 points) and Seth Curry (10 points).
"He took possession of the second group," said Stotts de Turner. "I think he and Nik and Seth have developed good chemistry when it comes to moving the ball. Evan has a very good idea of what he wants to play when he understands the point and gets the other guys moving. "
Aside from Harkless, the Blazers came off the pre-season in good health, and for a team that had a poor start over the last two regular seasons, it seemed like a victory in itself.
"I'm glad we managed to get through without major injuries," McCollum said of the pre-season.
And now, the big start, against the beginnings of James and the Lakers, is waiting.
