In a wild double overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets in which the Portland Trailblazers clinched a playoff spot, the Blazers are by no means excited. At the end of the contest, they lost their third best player in big man Jusuf Nurkic to one of the gruesomest injuries since Gordon Hayward.
Within one freak fall, Nurkic’s leg bent opposite the way human anatomy intended, and just like that, the Blazers are without a reliable post presence and experienced interior starter. Jusuf Nurkic had been in the midst of the best season of his career with averages of 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, on 50% shooting from the field. His loss will create an astronomical burden for Portland’s dynamic backcourt in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
To date, the Blazers have had another impressive season as they currently sit in fourth place in the West while only a 1/2 game behind the Rockets for third. If they are able to make up that difference, not only would the third seed be an incredible accomplishment on its own in the West, but Portland would be able to avoid the Golden State Warriors until the Conference Finals if they were to make it that far.
The issue with Portland had always been that they have great regular seasons. They lift expectations for themselves but often fail to deliver in the playoffs. Take last year, for instance. Portland, behind a great regular season, clearly cemented themselves as the third seed, earning home court in the first round against the New Orleans Pelicans led by Anthony Davis. Granted, New Orleans was a good team last year, but it is inexcusable to be swept when they had home court. Jrue Holiday thoroughly shut down Portland’s explosive backcourt, and Rajon Rondo was allowed to once again look like Boston Rondo. Add those two efforts to the fact that no singular player on the planet can stop Anthony Davis, and the Blazers did not look like they belonged on the court even though it was their own home court in the Moda Center.
This year, expectations will not be a problem. Even if they capture the third seed before season’s end, nobody will expect them to go far with the loss of Nurkic compounding on the fact that we have seen failure from Portland far too many times. Right now, they are slated to face the fifth seeded Utah Jazz, a team that won a playoff series last year as the five seed as well. Most fans would pick Utah in that series now that Portland does not have a quality big to counter Rudy Gobert. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility for them to win that matchup. What is increasingly unlikely, though, is for Portland to get out of the second round since they are scheduled to face the Warriors. If they are able to avoid Golden State with some maneuvering in the standings, it is almost just as unlikely that they escape the Denver Nuggets, who possess one of the three best big men in the game in Nikola Jokic.
All that said, who knows? The Portland Trailblazers may relish finally playing on house money without any expectations. But with Jusuf Nurkic gone to a horrific leg injury, it seems inevitable that this will be another lost year.
FanTake Basketball 