The Portland Trail Blazers have added Deni Avdija to the starting lineup for the 2024-25 NBA season opener. The new forward has almost single-handedly revolutionized Portland’s approach on both ends of the court. But the end result of the game looked all too familiar. The Golden State Warriors made threes and rebounds to outscore the Blazers 139-104.
Dennis’ Grand Slam Breakfast
Deni Avdija showed Portland this summer the skills the organization covets. His defense was the most notable feature of the entire match. He was so good at staying in front of his men that his four teammates could focus on staying home instead of looking over their shoulders for help. With less ground to cover, all of Portland’s defenders immediately looked 50% better.
Avdija also showed impressive off-ball defense, sliding in for steals and blocks. Not only is he fast, but his timing is perfect. This combination makes him look easy to defend, but that’s definitely not the case.
Finally, Avdija also helped the Blazers pick up the pace offensively. He took the ball and the middle of the floor on a runout attempt. In the half court, he penetrated almost instantly and found perimeter shooters with efficient passes.
Avdija had a slightly less aptitude for his shot, but that wasn’t the reason he was hired. He fed the Blazers pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs. I didn’t even need French toast. That would just be greed.
Avdija scored 15 points on 4-10 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks and four turnovers.
pace salsa
Portland’s dedication to running and quick shots was on display early on and remained consistent throughout much of the game. They escaped all of their opponent’s mistakes. They wasted no time in the half court, stuffing the ball down the middle of the floor, getting layups in single coverage, and making threes when help came. Let’s not lie. It wasn’t always successful, and it wasn’t always pretty. But the passion was there and the game plan was clear.
However, the results were not the same. Portland had 5 fast break points in the lane and 48 fast break points tonight. That’s not great.
Unfortunately, Golden State stole away Portland’s momentum and ran even harder. They had 31 fast break points themselves. This will be something to keep an eye on if the Blazers continue to play fast.
defense
As with the pace of play, Portland’s defensive intent was clear, even if the defensive execution was a little slow. This year, there’s a crucial new problem in their plans. They rely on individual players to stay in front of their opponents and switch as needed to maintain containment. If help did come, it came late in the action, at the time of the shot, and served as a preparation for the pump to the rebound.
The result is a much better interior defense than what we’re used to seeing in Portland. Their height and speed worked well in the lane. The trade-off was a slight loss of surrounding integrity. On some plays, the Blazers looked golden, competing for three-point shots. This was generally true for the first unit as well. There were also times when Golden State’s modest passes were looked big. The Warriors obliged by missing open looks, but it was a dangerous game for Portland. In the end, they paid for it.
three
That 3-point shot played a vital role in tonight’s game, especially in the second period when Golden State built a lead. Simply put, the Warriors made long shots, 20-48, 41.7%. The Blazers, on the other hand, didn’t. His shooting percentage was 8-34, 23.5%. Portland looked good. They rarely took bad triples. they don’t fall.
The lack of deep conversions may end up hurting the team more than anything else this season. They certainly need to hit those shots in practice.
scoot
Scoot Henderson may be many things this season, but if his first game was any indication, quietness isn’t one of them. He aggressively drove to the hole, ramming his body into defenders like a pinball before attempting multiple layups. He could not change much of his gaze, but refused to be restrained. A clear improvement compared to last year.
Scoot finished with 22 points on 7-18 shooting, four rebounds, four assists and just two turnovers. He shot 0-5 from the 3-point arc, but drew nine free throws and hit eight.
Anfernee Simons’ catch and crank
Anfernee Simons will play off-ball most of the night, looking to make catch-and-shoot threes as Deni Avdija spearheads the first-unit offense and Scoot Henderson looks to do the same off the bench. It was. He didn’t have a good night, going 2-7 from distance and scoring 15 points overall. Let’s see if his percentages naturally increase as the season progresses. The Blazers also need to consider whether this is the best role for their leading scorer.
rebound
Any hopes the Blazers would make a comeback were dampened by their inability to rebound the ball in the second half. After the third period, head coach Chauncey Billups joined his players on the bench. The deeper Portland went into the pines, the deeper into the weeds on the boards. Golden State had a 57-42 rebounding advantage on the night, including 15 offensive boards. This led to an overall loss of Portland’s run outs and ability to score.
to the next
box score
The Blazers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night with tipoff at 7pm Pacific time.