Surging Blazers are making a run at the play-in tournament

Portland defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 119-102, Monday night. That gives the Blazers five wins in their last six games and moves them to 15-6 in their previous 21 games. 

Though Portland is still 28-34 on the season, it has been the NBA's second-best team by defensive rating since Jan. 19 and has the NBA's fifth-best net rating at +8.0 points per game.

Part of Portland's surge is the development of last year's No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson, who had a disappointing rookie year. He had a net rating of -13 last season, leading the NBA in turnovers per 100 possessions (5.9). In the last 21 games, Henderson's net rating is +13.2, he's leading the team with 5.4 assists per game and his defensive rating is a sparkling 105.3.

Another 2023 draft pick is dominating defensively. No. 52 pick Toumani Camara has been a defensive ace and all-around contributor, with a +11.6 net rating in Portland's surge. He's up to 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks in the last 21 games, upping his three-point shooting to 47.1 percent.

21-year-old Shaedon Sharpe has three games of 20+ points in his last four, Anfernee Simons had 34 points Monday and the Blazers are getting 18.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game from Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan combined.

Portland's excellent last six weeks have moved it to within a game of the Phoenix Suns for 11th place in the West, and four games behind the 10th-place Dallas Mavericks. That's a lot of games to make up in the final 20 games of the season, but the Mavs lost Kyrie Irving to a scary leg injury Monday night.

Unfortunately, their schedule gets much tougher with games against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers this week. Still, the long-term future of the Blazers looks bright, even if the rest of this week is worrisome.