NBA Notebook: Turmoil in Portland

It was a turbulent week for many teams around the Association. We're here to help you get caught up with our latest NBA Notebook.

MAJOR COVID DISRUPTIONS DOG NBA SEASON

Distressing news around the NBA this week, as a number of teams are dealing with debilitating COVID-19 outbreaks. The Chicago Bulls are currently missing five players including DeMar DeRozan, the Charlotte Hornets are without another five including LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies are both currently in the protocols as well.

The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors both canceled practice on Thursday morning due to a COVID-19 scare, and shortly afterward Rick Carlisle and Masai Ujiri both entered health and safety protocols.

First and foremost, this is a serious matter of player health and safety, particularly given the context that Joel Embiid said he "thought he might not make it" after his recent bout with the highly infectious disease. But it also raises serious questions about the viability of this NBA season. It’s beginning to feel a bit like last year, where the integrity of the game is becoming compromised as so many teams miss key players. While no games have been postponed or canceled as of yet, it’s only a matter of time if this keeps up.

To its credit, the NBA has updated its vaccination requirements accordingly. Going forward, players will no longer be considered fully vaccinated unless they have received a booster shot. But if things keep trending this way, even more measures will have to be taken to preserve the NBA season and keep league employees safe.

TURMOIL IN PORTLAND

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a tailspin. A months-long investigation into now-former top basketball executive Neil Olshey led to his termination, mere months after signing Chauncey Billups to a five-year coaching deal. There are growing rumblings from players that Billups’ confrontational style isn’t going over well, and despite a supposed overhaul, the Blazers' defense is ranked dead last in the NBA.

Now, CJ McCollum is out with a collapsed lung, and Damian Lillard’s concerning abdominal issue has seen him sidelined as well. 

The Blazers are going nowhere fast, and it’s not clear how they can turn things around, or who even has the authority to do begin such a turnaround. But don’t expect this team to look the same come the trade deadline.

THE PACERS PIVOT TOWARDS REBUILDING

The Indiana Pacers are not a tanking organization. They haven’t picked higher than 10th in the draft since 1989 (hello George McCloud). And after they hired veteran head coach Rick Carlisle in the offseason, it seemed they were sticking to their old ways. But after an 11-16 start, the Pacers have suddenly reversed course.

As first reported by Shams Charania, it is now firesale time in Indiana, with Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris LeVert all available to be had in trade. Malcolm Brogdon might well have been made available too, had he not signed an extension that precludes him from being traded until after the deadline. Turner has since spoken to reporters at The Athletic, and came close to outright demanding a trade, arguing that his talents were being held back in the limited and shifting role he’s had to play as a Pacer.

Pacers ownership has long fought against a full rebuild, arguing the fan base would not abide it in Indiana. But the Pacers are now dead last in attendance, so it appears they now have nothing to lose.

KIRA LEWIS AND SOLOMON HILL SUFFER SEASON-ENDING INJURIES

Sad news yesterday, as it was announced New Orleans Pelicans guard Kira Lewis suffered both a torn MCL and ACL and is lost for the season. This severe of an injury is always troubling for a young player, but especially for Lewis, who relies so heavily on his burst to get his game going.

Solomon Hill, who has been playing important rotation minutes for the already injury-depleted Atlanta Hawks, suffered a season-ending hamstring tear. While we wish Hill a speedy recovery, it’s an open question if this might mark the end of the 30-year-old veteran's career.

ROCKETS TURNAROUND MAKES HISTORY

It wasn’t that long ago that the Houston Rockets were a grim watch. They’d lost 15 straight games, and even their promising rookies like Jalen Green were nowhere close to impacting winning. It’s a fine balance between development, tanking, and becoming a distracting embarrassment. Even though it was always planned as a rebuilding season, there were rumors that Stephen Silas’ job might be in jeopardy should the losing continue.

But those days are in the rearview mirror. After Wednesday's victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the Rockets have now won seven straight games immediately following their losing streak. No team in American pro sports had ever followed up a 15 game losing streak with a winning streak of six or more games inside a single season. The Rockets host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.