Trail Blazers Show Offensive Promise Despite Preseason Finale Loss

The Portland Trail Blazers closed out their preseason slate on Friday night, and it was the team’s first loss of the four-game stint. Portland officially went 3-1 in the preseason after dropping its finale against the Golden State Warriors, 128-118. But there was still plenty to take away, and of course, the final score and preseason record overall don’t really matter.

Damian Lillard finished with 23 points, shooting 4-of-10 from the field, while Ja Morant put in 19 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Scoot Henderson finished with 17 points, and Deni Avdija added 12. Overall, Portland’s primary ball handlers did their job. And while there’s been plenty of conversation around whether there are too many guards in Portland and enough opportunities to go around, this was a game that showed how the Blazers’ offensive scheme can allow multiple players to be effective.

In terms of the flow of this particular game, Portland jumped out to a 15-4 lead early, but Golden State responded with a 23-4 run of its own and had a nine-point advantage after the first quarter. That remained the case heading into halftime, and then the Warriors pulled away in the third quarter, leading by as many as 25 points. Although the Blazers did make a late run, it still wasn’t enough.

Again, the final score isn’t necessarily the biggest takeaway here. What’s important is that Portland’s guards appear to work well together, and the offensive potential is evident. Lillard and Morant showed off the promise of their pairing, and although there were some defensive concerns that showed up in this game, the offense appears like it’s going to work.

Portland is expected to be a playoff team this season, just like it was last year. And although it’s a new-look team with a completely different outlook, and the Western Conference has gotten tougher, the talent on this roster is undeniable. That was evident throughout the preseason.

Even though the Blazers weren’t necessarily playing top-notch teams or facing full rotations in any of these preseason games, including Friday night, there’s still so much optimism surrounding this team after what we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks. The potential is clearly there, and now it’s about seeing how it all translates when the games actually count.

And it’s all going to unfold soon, as Portland opens its regular season on Wednesday, October 21, at home against the Phoenix Suns, with a 7 p.m. Pacific tip-off.