Injuries and defense were the story of the day for the Blazers in their second game in the Vegas Summer League. Portland’s defense turned into overdrive, bringing high energy against the sinking pelicans. After an early lead, New Orleans struggled to find points without rookie Dyson Daniels, who was knocked out in the first half due to injury. The Blazers outperformed the Pelicans 31-17 and 23-9 in the second and third quarters, respectively.
The game was dwarfed by the Blazers’ previous announcement of Shaedon Sharpe Suffered from a ruptured labrum in his left shoulder. Sharp, the seventh pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, injured the shoulder against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, and his recovery timeline is unclear.
This was expected to be a show for Sharpe and 8 Daniels pick. But Dyson became the third number one pick to suffer an injury in the Summer League (the other being Detroit’s Jaden Ivey), rolling his ankle while driving. The Pelicans looked unmistakably lost after their exit, with some prodding from Portland’s frantic defense.
players
All ratings of the Blazers players can be greatly reduced to “She didn’t pay well, but she worked hard in defense”.
Jabari Walker Look well. For any second-round pick, the hope is that they can hold their own in the Summer League, and Walker did just that. He fired the Blazers’ 18-point first half that turned the score and opened the game. He had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, steals and a block in 18 minutes.
Keon JohnsonHis defense led to multiple transformations, and his attack was just fine. Good night to Keon, who may have straightened his ankle at some point. He filled the stats sheet with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, but 3 turnovers.
Greg Brown IIIReminiscent of the team’s performance in the summer league last year. Tons of energy, lots of jumps, and it’s always visible. He finished with 7 points (on 2 shot attempts), 4 rebounds and the usual highlighting block.
Didi Lozada It was generally invisible. He did not score, but made 2 assists and 2 rebounds.
Trendon Watford He was a hard veteran on the team. It wasn’t too high, it wasn’t too low, and you knew where you were on the field. He led the team with two doubles, 17 points and 11 rebounds, in addition to 5 assists.
Brandon Williams She didn’t pay well, but she got enough tries to hit the double digits. He scored 14 points in a 4-14 shot.
Kyle Alexander (4-5, 9 points), Craig Randall II (6 points), and Colby Ross (4-5, 8 points) Each had a strong offensive performance, floating extra points to the Blazers at crucial moments off the bench.
Next game
The Blazers pick up Monday night against the New York Knicks.
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