Notes, analysis, observations, clips and more from the Trail Blazers 118-103 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at Moda Center.
- Detroit sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for a reason, and played without Jerami Grant, its only semi-reliable source of self-created offense. This version of the Pistons is one of the least talented and experienced outfits Portland has faced all season. The Blazers can only play who's in front of them, but don't let the lopsided nature of Saturday's game fool you. More than anything else, it's just another instance of Portland taking care of business against a bad team.
- Enes Kanter absolutely owned the glass from the opening tup, finishing with a career-high, franchise-record and NBA season-best of 30 rebounds – a whopping 12 of which came off his teammates' own misses, another team record. He played with outstanding energy and his typical physicality, at times overwhelming multiple Pistons for offensive boards and finishes in a crowd. Mason Plumlee, in particular, proved not nearly strong enough to bang with Kanter. Not all of his 24 points came on put-backs, though. Kanter, as always, benefited immensely from the attention Detroit paid Damian Lillard, finishing at the rim with ease after catching pocket passes on rolls to the rim. He was committed and engaged defensively, too, occasionally playing a part in the Blazers getting stops with active hands in the paint. Kanter's warts are well-known by now, and were still on display against the Pistons. What a luxury that Portland can rest its starting center for half of a back-to-back, though, fully confident Kanter will exploit an inferior frontcourt – even if the Blazers can't quite count on him making rebounding history every night.
- This was the second of Lillard's dunks on Saturday night, and only arguably the most authoritative. His other came in the first quarter, a halfcourt slam off two feet that recalled Lillard's high-flying finishes of his younger days. Maybe he wasn't making a statement by rocking the rim, but Lillard's teammates followed his lead anyway, playing with the brand of intensity and hustle they sometimes lack. It's easier to fight through mistakes against bottom-dwellers, obviously, but it's a good sign the Blazers responded to Thursday's disappointment by playing with some additional zip 48 hours later.
- Nassir Little was good enough early that Terry Stotts broke from his normal rotation, leaving him on the floor for the final 14 minutes of the first half. Jusuf Nurkic's absence might have been a factor in his new place in the rotation, but it's also telling that Anfernee Simons didn't get off the bench until extended garbage time. Regardless, Little's athleticism and defensive activity made an instant impact for the Blazers for the second straight game. He flashed some comfort in halfcourt flow of the offense, too. Confident rim attacks like below are a bonus from Little at this point, encouraging as they are. The bottom line is that Portland clearly needs the two-way jolt he's capable of providing, no matter whose minutes get cut as a result.
- Reports of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson joining the Blazers emerged over a week ago, but he only signed his 10-day contract on Friday. He made his Rip City debut against the Pistons, serving as a small-ball center in reserve units. Portland switched one-through-five with Hollis-Jefferson on the floor, and he showed off his playmaking feel on a slick no-look dump-off to Little from the post. Hollis-Jefferson's broken jumper, unfortunately, was on display, too. When Nurkic is available, Hollis-Jefferson won't have a permanent place in the rotation. His first game with the Blazers, though, was encouraging enough to lend credence to the notion that Hollis-Jefferson could be a useful change of pace for Stotts at backup 5 in certain matchups and situations.
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