Trail Blazers Regrouping, Getting Healthy During Extended Break
The Blazers are 4-11 in their last 15 games with a break in the schedule coming up.
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📍TUALATIN, Ore. — You can count on one hand the number of times the Trail Blazers have been able to practice this season.
NBA teams rarely have time to practice during the year with the chaotic travel schedule, but Portland's first six weeks have been especially hectic. And even when they have had days off, they often haven't had enough healthy bodies to be able to conduct a full practice.
Coming off a four-game road trip last week during which they went 1-3, to drop to 9-15 on the season, the Blazers finally have a moment to breathe. Between now and Dec. 18, they will play two games. After coming home from Memphis following Sunday afternoon's loss to the Grizzlies, the Blazers have three days off before tomorrow's game in New Orleans. Then, they will have two more days off before playing Golden State at home on Sunday. Their next game after that won't be until next Thursday against Sacramento. And after they get home from playing the Pelicans later this week, they only have one road game through the end of the calendar year.
If ever there was a time to get back on the right track after going 4-11 in their last 15 games, it's now.
"We need to figure out a way to be more consistent," Toumani Camara said after practice on Tuesday. "We've shown a lot of good things in certain games, and then in other games we just go completely away from it."
A big part of the next few weeks, with a lighter schedule, will be getting healthy. They've been playing the last few weeks with barely any healthy guards, and it's shown. But reinforcements could be coming soon.
Matisse Thybulle and Jrue Holiday have both been doing non-contact work in practice and are said to be getting closer to returning. Thybulle, who underwent surgery in late October for a torn ligament in his left thumb, has been doing ballhandling and shooting drills. Given that he hasn't had to stay away from all physical activity during his thumb rehab, his recovery is more straightforward than Holiday's right calf strain, which is being treated with extra caution.
Scoot Henderson, who has yet to play this season after suffering a left hamstring tear before the start of training camp, is likely a few weeks away from making his season debut, but acting head coach Tiago Splitter said Tuesday that he's been able to do some individual on-court work.
Their injuries haven't been limited to the backcourt. Starting center Donovan Clingan missed the last two games of the road trip with a left lower leg contusion and didn't fully participate in practice on Tuesday. His backup, Robert Williams III, missed the loss to the Grizzlies with an illness; he's expected to be available in New Orleans.
With that many players out, the Blazers still had a chance to win two out of the three games they lost on the trip, in Toronto and Detroit.
"We competed for three games the way I like," acting head coach Tiago Splitter said Tuesday. "The last one was hard with D.C. and Rob out. It was just too much. Shorthanded. Injuries are a big thing. We've got to get guys healthy, get our mojo together to be able to compete for 48 minutes. That's what I'm waiting for."
They'll have an opportunity to do that on Thursday against the 3-22 Pelicans, exactly the kind of team you want in a get-right game.
"I think mentally, we're in a good space," Camara said. "We're still very together and very connected. We have a lot of things going against us right now, so being able to fight through that and go through that adversity, that's what we need for the stage we're at right now."
Despite their own losing record, the Blazers haven't been unraveling.
"The guys are good [mentally]," Splitter said. "The energy's good. They all understand what's going on."
The break in the schedule couldn't have come at a better time for a reset. But the Blazers have to start winning some of these games soon.
"We know what we're capable of doing," Camara said. "We've beaten good teams. We're in these games most of the time. We've just got to be able to go out there and close games and not have bad quarters.
"You see it last year, we had some great runs towards the end of the year. This year, we also have a lot of injuries. That's promising to the way we're going to be playing in the future."
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