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PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers, who passed the midway point of the 2017-18 season last week, find themselves in the squishy middle of the Western Conference, tied for sixth place with two other teams in what looks to be a five-team race for the four final playoff spots in the Western Conference.
With three weeks until the February 8 trade deadline, the intrigue surrounding the next 10 games is palpable.
It's time to check in on the Blazers with another edition of 3-on-3, a weekly KGW feature.
Every Thursday, three members of the KGW sports team will answer three questions about the Blazers. You can join the conversation on Facebook during a live chat with our panel every Thursday afternoon at 3. Can't join us on Thursday? Not a problem. You can listen later on the 3-on-3 Blazers podcast.
This week's questions focus on the future of Jusuf Nurkic, expectations for the second half of the season and predictions for the next four games.
The KGW sports team discusses the future of Jusuf Nurkić-BosnianBeast23 in Portland, the chances the Portland Trail Blazers surge in the second half of the season, and predict the next week of games. Questions or comments? Join the conversation below!
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LISTEN TO KGW'S 3-ON-3 BLAZERS PODCAST
Listen to the 3-on-3 Blazers Podcast each week with KGW's Orlando Sanchez, Jared Cowley and Nate Hanson. Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.
MEET OUR PANELISTS
- Orlando Sanchez is the sports anchor and reporter for KGW News, Sports Sunday and Friday Night Flights. Orlando has covered multiple NBA Finals, NCAA Basketball Tournaments and World Series.
- Jared Cowley is a digital media producer who writes about the Blazers for KGW.com. Before he came to KGW, Jared wrote about the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors as a sports editor at two daily newspapers.
- Nate Hanson is a digital producer who contributes to KGW.com’s coverage of the Blazers, Ducks, Beavers and high school sports.
1. In Tuesday’s win against the Suns, head coach Terry Stotts pulled Jusuf Nurkic just six minutes into the first half and played him only 22 minutes for the entire game. In five of the past seven games, he’s played 23 minutes or less. Is Nurkic falling out of favor in Portland? At the start of the season, most viewed Nurkic as a key piece of the Blazers future. What about now? Does Nurkic still have a future in Portland?
Nate: I’m not sure he’s falling out of favor in terms of falling out of the rotation but I don’t think the front office should see Nurkic as a key piece to the team’s future. The inconsistencies he’s shown this year is what plagued him in Denver and is one of the reasons the Nuggets dealt him and a first-round pick for Mason Plumlee. As this season has progressed, it’s become obvious he doesn’t have as monumental an impact on this team as he did during last season’s 20-game sample. For a team with money invested in so many underperforming players, it’s not logical for the Blazers to invest long term in another inconsistent, average player. If general manager Neil Olshey views Nurkic in a similar light, then he should trade him at the deadline. It was a worthwhile and at times mesmerizing experience, but given his performance this season, it’s time to move on from Nurk Fever.
Jared: This is an interesting question, because Nurkic's production this past month, even as he has played fewer and fewer minutes, hasn't been bad. He's shooting better from the field (52 percent) and free-throw line (67 percent). His per-36 averages look fantastic: 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals. But it does seem like Blazers fans are more frustrated with Nurkic than ever, and even if he hasn't "fallen out of favor" with Stotts, his reduced playing time (just 24 minutes per game over the past seven) has to mean something. What I don't know is what Paul Allen and Neil Olshey are thinking. Their opinion matters most when it comes to determining whether Nurkic is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers after this season. In my opinion, Nurkic's inconsistency, both in production level and effort, make any large, long-term commitment too risky for a cap-strapped team like Portland. There's still half a season left and things can obviously change, but if you ask me right now if Nurkic will be a Portland Trail Blazer next season, I think my answer is no.
Orlando: This is something to keep an eye on. Terry Stotts isn’t saying much about his decision to bench Jusuf Nurkic in the first half of the Suns game, but it was the right call. This hasn’t been the year many expected for Nurk; there’s been a lot of growing pains and inconsistencies in his game and it is a frustrating thing to see. When Nurkic plays well, the Blazers win games. He has that type of impact on the team, but it’s been a little while since we’ve seen that version of him on a consistent basis. The Blazers have a big decision this offseason on what to offer the big fella and right now, his stock is on the decline. The trade deadline is quickly approaching and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blazers are willing to move him. I just don’t know how other teams value him. I think most are rooting for Nurkic, they want him to be a Blazer for a long time and be a key piece to the future success of the team, but at some point soon he’s gotta step up.
2. The past two seasons, the Blazers started poorly and needed strong finishes to the season to fight their way back into the playoffs. Portland hasn’t started as poorly this season – they’re 23-21 after 44 games. But they’re not playing as well as many Blazers fans hoped and the perception of the team by many is they’re mediocre, at best. So, after watching the first half of the season, what do you think is more likely for the Blazers: A second-half surge or swoon?
Jared: I think this team has shown this season that they're too talented to swoon and not talented enough to surge. They haven't had a winning streak longer than three games this season. Their longest losing streak was five games. I think Portland will continue to hover around .500 the rest of the season. Their poor record against good teams — they are 9-16 against teams with records better than .500 — makes an impressive run like we saw the past two seasons seem unlikely. And their impressive record against bad teams — 14-5 against teams with losing records — makes a sustained streak of losing also seem unlikely. How boring an answer is that? But I believe that's what this team is. Unless they make a significant move or two at the deadline, I think what you've seen the first half of the season is probably what you'll see the rest of the way.
Orlando: This is an average team. Period. They don’t get too high or too low. No big win streaks or big losing streaks. Close games against most teams, this is who they are and likely what you’ll see the rest of the way. If I have to pick, I’m leaning swoon over surge. With much more games on the road than at home and a tough schedule, I think it is much more likely to see a dip in W’s. Every week is a rollercoaster ride with Portland, so I won’t be surprised if this team takes off or falls flat. I just have a feeling it’s right in the middle — where it’s been all season.
Nate: Neither. I think the Blazers will continue to stay within a few games of .500 and fight for one of the last playoff spots. Barring unforeseen roster moves, I don’t see this team dramatically improving upon their current record or going on a late-season dive. The schedule is tougher at the end of the season compared to the past couple seasons. But this team has shown the ability to beat better teams when they play well, and I think they’ll win just enough games to stay in the playoff hunt. The question is will a .500 record be enough to make the playoffs? And beyond that, do Blazers fans really care since it will likely mean a first-round matchup against the Warriors or Rockets?
3. Prediction time! The Blazers play four games between now and next Thursday. They host the Indiana Pacers (24-20) tonight and the Mavericks (15-30) on Saturday. They make a quick trip to Denver for a road contest against the Nuggets (23-22) on Monday, before returning home to face the Timberwolves (29-17) on Wednesday. Which games do the Blazers win and which do they lose?
SEASON-TO-DATE PREDICTIONS
- Nate: 29-15
- Orlando: 28-16
- Jared: 27-17
Orlando: This is a tough week to make predictions. Matchups against the Pacers and Nuggets could go either way. Indiana is rolling right now, winners of five out of their last six, their offense is efficient and Victor Oladipo is playing well. Still, I like the way the Blazers match up with them at home. Oddsmakers have this game as a pick ‘em basically, with the Blazers favored by 3.5. I think they follow it up with back-to-back wins, defeating a bad Mavericks team. Denver could go either way; they’ve split the last two meetings. The last one was ugly for Portland as Nikola Jokic won the battle in the paint. This game should be fun to watch. I literally flipped a quarter to make my decision. It landed tails, Nuggets win. Minnesota continues to make moves up the Western Conference, the Blazers won’t get in their way. I’ll take the T’wolves.
Nate: The Blazers will go 1-3 over the next four games. The Pacers have won five of their last six games, are a competent road team and one of the better offensive teams in the NBA. Even without Myles Turner, I think they beat the Blazers in a high-scoring matchup. The Mavericks are playing better than they were at the beginning of the season, but I’m going to give the Blazers the nod at home. Despite their recent struggles, the Nuggets are 16-5 at home this season and I expect they’ll beat the Blazers in a close, pivotal matchup. Given that the Blazers haven’t shown the ability to slow down the Timberwolves this season, I’ll go with Minnesota to pick up its third win against Portland.
Jared: I'm picking Portland to go 3-1 in these games. Indiana won't have Myles Turner, but that might not be as big a loss as it seems. The Pacers are 7-4 without him this season and Domantas Sabonis, who has averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds in 12 starts this season, is a pretty good replacement. I really like the Pacers and I expect this is a close game, but the Blazers have won four in a row at home, so I'll give them the edge. The Blazers will beat the Mavericks, who are better than their record, but probably not good enough to surprise Portland at home. The Nuggets are dynamite at home (16-5) and Nikola Jokic seemed to finally solve the Nurkic riddle in their last meeting. Denver wins that one. Minnesota is clearly on a higher plane than Portland right now, but they haven't been great on the road. They've lost three of their past four games away from home, including losses to Orlando and Brooklyn. I'm picking a Blazers upset.
If you'd like to submit a Blazers question for our panel to answer during the 3-on-3 podcast, send us an email here.