The Portland Trail Blazers played the first game of their Tiago Splitter era with effort, resolve, and verve on Friday evening. They hosted the veteran Golden State Warriors, led by former MVP and future Hall-of-Famer Steph Curry. Curry was everything advertised, scoring 35 points on 7-14 shooting from beyond the arc.

And it didn’t matter a bit.

Portland took the “G” right out of Golden State, running the visitors right out of the building to the tune of a 139-119 final score. Saying it was the best game of the season would induce chuckles, as there have only been two and the other one was a loss. It was definitely the best sustained effort we’ve seen from the Blazers in a couple years, though. Given the circumstances–losing their coach in scandalous fashion, trying to establish identity in the midst of chaos–it was a positive sign indeed.

Here are a few key observations from the game.

One of the questions about the Blazers coming into the year was whether they’d be able to generate enough offense to make their improved defense pay off.

In their first game of the season, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland scored 114 points…decent, not world-shaking.

Tonight, against the much-slower Warriors, Portland had 103 points at the end of the third quarter. That’s not good offense. That’s scary-good offense.

Golden State had 91 at the end of three themselves. It’s not like Portland stifled them. They flat-out outscored them.

Time will tell. We need a lot more runs before declaring the Blazers a high-scoring team. But dang…so far, so good.

For all the “new” style the Blazers are evidencing, they’re still fairly dependent on threes for success. Unfortunately, triples are a fickle relationship partner.

In one memorable sequence in the first quarter, the Blazers came down, shot a three, missed, got the offensive rebound, shot a three, missed, got the offensive rebound, shot a three, missed, got the offensive rebound, shot a three, and missed. They shot, like, 20% from distance in the first period and had to scramble hard just to keep even. Golden State turnovers and a few run-outs saved them in a 28-28 period.

In the second quarter, everything changed. Portland shot a sickening 10-11 beyond the arc. All of a sudden the game looked easy. They cruised to a 69-56 halftime lead, gaining 13 on the Warriors in the frame.

The shooting stayed hot the rest of the game. Portland finished 16-34, 47.1%, from the arc. I think it’s fair to say that when they shoot like that, they’re not going to lose much.

The long ball also played a critical role on the other end of the floor. Portland’s defense this year is good…opportunistic, rangy, dedicated. The one problem they have, especially when playing true centers, is closing out to the arc after action. The Blazers cover space on defense well, but despite their athleticism, they’re still vulnerable covering men. When Golden State got a step, the Blazers had to collapse to stop the drive. As soon as a seam opened up in the defense, the Warriors skimmed the ball right through it into the hands of shooters. The Blazers just couldn’t close.

Portland needs a little more commitment stopping the opponent’s first step, then slightly more awareness of where the ball is going off the drive. Teams are playing for the three nowadays. Yes you have to collapse to stop the drive, but it’s not always necessary to drop down all the way. Jab-stepping towards the dribbler enough to threaten and slow him allows the initial defender to get back in place. It also leaves the helper more able to get out and cover the arc.

All of that said, the Blazers are doing a good job getting to the rim. Their initial attack comes on the run. They scored 30 on the outright break tonight. But they’re also penetrating in the halfcourt. Portland had 66 in the paint, outscoring Golden State by a whopping 36 in that department.

Of note: The Blazers are trying to run even on opponent made shots now. They’re incessant.

This is the baseline for Portland’s offense, the stuff that won’t go away. That foundation is important as they set the table for the longer shots.

Donovan Clingan played 22 minutes tonight, Yang Hansen 7. The inside shots come a little easier when Clingan is in, the opponent’s looks harder. But the perimeter defense is much more spry, and forcing turnovers easier, when Portland goes smaller.

The big problem with running center-free lineups is a perilous lack of rebounding. It’s not like Portland can’t grab them without a seven-footer. They just have to work much harder, sending multiple players into the lane who otherwise would be pushing the other way.

This is going to become one the big conundrums of the season. It’ll be interesting to see how Tiago Splitter–a big man himself–leads his team through it.

Passing Lanes Belong to Us

How good are those centerless lineups, though?

The Blazers forced 25 turnovers tonight with 13 steals. The number isn’t as indicative as how they came. Portland ruled the passing lanes like interceptor fighters dueling biplanes. At times, the Warriors looked like they were passing TO Portland. That’s how buzzy and persistent Portland players were.

This is a hallmark of the new defensive approach. The Warriors shot 43.8% from the field, 42.1% from the arc. Nothing special defensively there. But Portland got up 93 shots against only 80 for their guests. THAT’S what those interceptions and run-outs do.

Substitutions a Little Calmer

Speaking of Splitter, he still subbed in plenty of bench players. The rotation was a bit calmer, not quite the “two players every minute” approach that the Blazers took in their game against Minnesota. Rotations were a little longer.

This had two effects. First, more of Portland’s best players were on the floor with each other in this one. Second, it felt like shooters developed a little better rhythm in the longer stints than they had on Wednesday night.

That’s an anecdotal observation, though. We’re going to need to see how the style evolves as the season continues, road milage accumulates, and back-to-backs ensue. Right now it appears as if the Blazers are trying to play just as fast, with slightly more regular substitution patterns. If they can keep it up, they might find the magic formula half the league appears to be looking for.

Portland’s home whites are mostly classic-style this year, but I have one objection. The border of the jerseys is white like the main material. That leaves an impression of a lack of color and line. The stripes across the waist and numbers on the back aren’t enough to carry the whole look. The overall effect is rather plain. I wish they added some kind of color around the edges to frame the outfit.

Deni Avdija led the the Blazers with 26 points on 11-18 shooting. He also had 6 assists. The scary part is that things aren’t clicking for him all the way yet. Avdija still looks like he’s rushing on the run, getting used to teammates in the passing game. If this is shakedown-cruise, figuring-it-out Deni, the full form is going to be scary.

Jerami Grant had another good night off of the bench, scoring 22 on 6-10 shooting with an impressive 8-10 free throw rate. The cool thing about Portland’s new offense is that there are always more shots to be had. That means Grant can indulge in a little creative shooting and playmaking without seeming like he’s gumming up the whole works or wasting precious opportunities.

A couple of wings played superhero for the Blazers this evening. Toumani Camara had 3 steals to go along with 19 points. He shot 3-7 from the arc, but the real secret there is that he started the three-point parade for Portland, loosening up the works for everybody else.

Matisse Thybulle had his best game in years, threatening every Golden State pass he was near on his way to 3 steals of his own and 10 points in 15 minutes off the bench.

Kris Murray blossomed in the second half, using his athleticism to run the floor and attack the rim. He played 27 minutes, responding to the confidence shown in him with 6-7 shooting, 2 steals, and 13 points. Murray looks like he fits right into this approach.

The Blazers travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Sunday night at 7:00 PM, Pacific.

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