Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers: Four Takeaways, Butler Shines

Portland’s Many Struggles

Although the Bulls put together an impressive effort in this win, it would be misleading not to mention that the Trail Blazers also played far below their potential. They’re not without their weaknesses of course, as Rip City Project‘s Jeff Luten points out here, but this is a potent offense with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on the court, capable of much more than what we saw.

What we saw on Tuesday night was a team that succeeded in finding open looks, but failed to make the shots they found. Lillard missed his first 11 shots of the night, didn’t score a field goal until well into the second quarter, and finished the night with an inflated 19 points on 7-for-22 shooting.

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As a team, the Blazers shot 35.8 percent from the field. To put that number in context, the Orlando Magic currently have a field goal percentage of 41.0 percent for the season, and it’s good for dead last in the NBA.

Every team has its off nights, and this loss is certainly not a reason for any panic to ensue in Portland. The Blazers embark on a road trip of their own on Thursday, taking on the Rockets, the Pelicans, the Nets, the Knicks, and the Cavs. Provided they can go above .500 on the trip, Rip City fans should have no reason to worry.