but that's kind of the problem with mediocre teams. They have trouble sustaining good play from game to game. They can shoot 42% on three's one game; shoot 23% the next. Have 9 turnovers one game; have 24 the next game. Control the boards one game; allow the opponent 17 offensive rebounds the next.
teams made up of inconsistent role players tend to play inconsistently. Even Portland's best player is inconsistent. Deni scored 20 last night on 15 shots, but he missed 5 of 9 FT's and had only 6 assists vs 5 turnovers, and 3 of those turnovers came in clutch time. It's always a game of whack-a-mole that usually results in as many losses as wins.
since Jan. 22, the Blazers are 14-16. That doesn't look too bad. But, 11 of those 14 wins have come against the worst teams in the league:
Memphis - 3 wins
Utah - 2 wins
Indiana - 2 wins
Brooklyn - 2 wins
Chicago
Milwaukee
and in the 3 wins they played Philly without Embiid; Phoenix without Booker, Brooks, and Allen; Minny without Edwards & Reid. That's not to say that Portland didn't play well in those games and haven't been dealing with injuries too. Just that their resume is a lot closer to lottery than playoffs; mediocre