BLAZERS GRADED: Portland 104, Milwaukee 97
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Almost as surprising as the coach Terry Stotts' selection of Robinson was the mercurial forward's inspired performance. Robinson was a burst of energy and finished with a with a game-high 16 rebounds to go with 15 points. The Moda Center faithful serenaded him accordingly.
Indeed, Robinson, who has mostly ridden Portland's bench until now, offered the Blazers a much-needed shot in the arm.
To put things in perspective, however, the Milwaukee Bucks were in an equally awkward, slap-dash spot--they too were without a starter for the first time. Promising rookie Jabari Parker was lost a game earlier to an ACL tear.
If that weren't enough, Milwaukee lost Giannis Antetokounmpo--AKA the Greek Freak, AKA one of the most exciting physical specimens in the NBA--to an ankle sprain in the first half.
So, yet again, the Blazers were somewhat fortunate in catching an opponent at the right time--even if they too weren't in the best of shape, what with the loss of Lopez.
But as they head to Texas, Friday, and in the games that follow, the Blazers will need everything that Robinson offered them Wednesday and then some.
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NICOLAS BATUM: C+
While Batum's shooting struggles have been somewhat of an afterthought, what with the Blazers healthy and winning, now that they're down a man pressure increases. Over the coming weeks the Blazers need Batum to snap out of it and make some outside shots. Even with six assists and six rebounds, eight points and 1-of-6 shooting from distance isn't going to be enough.
LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE: A
This was vintage Aldridge--shooting a high percentage and vacuuming up rebounds. Unlike Batum, Aldridge, who scored 23 points and grabbed 15 boards, picked up a little extra slack with Lopez out.
THOMAS ROBINSON: A
He brought a truck full of energy, the likes of which Blazers outside of Lopez and Wesley Matthews rarely display. His scoring would be a whole lot higher if he'd just made a few more free throws (5-15). In the future, should Robinson continue to be a liability at the line, it could become an issue. For now, though, Robinson's 15 points and 16 rebounds were gravy.
WESLEY MATTHEWS: B-
Pretty nondescript game from Matthews, who wasn't taking or making a whole lot of three's (he went 1-of-4 from downtown).
DAMIAN LILLARD: A-
Lillard was absurd in the first half, but slowed a bit in the second, especially when the Bucks pressed him full court. Still, he finished with 29 points, seven assists and three boards.
CHRIS KAMAN: C+
Kaman had no problem taking shots when they came to him, but made relatively few. Most notably, in the absence of Lopez, Kaman played almost exactly his average minutes (18).
JOEL FREELAND: B
He didn't get the starting nod this night, but Freeland played admirably nonetheless. He hit 3-of-4 shots to finish with six points and six boards in 13 minutes. And while Robinson looked like the savior Wednesday, that could all change in a heartbeat, and Freeland had better stay prepared.
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