After starting the season 30-8, the Portland Trail Blazers have lost 9 of their last 14 games. Many of these losses have come against sub-par teams, and with a challenging month of February ahead, many difficult questions face the team. As the All-Star break approaches, the Blazers must focus on three things in order to get their season back on track.

Health

Health is the most pressing issue facing the Trail Blazers at the moment. Injuries have seriously hurt the Blazers this year.

Getting center Robin Lopez back in the starting lineup after missing 26 games with a broken hand is a good start. Other notable injuries are as follows:

Lamarcus Aldridge (torn ligament in thumb): Aldridge has been playing through his thumb injury for the last week or so after it was originally announced that he would be out 6-8 weeks. You have to wonder just how long the Blazers’ leader can continue to play through this pain.

Joel Freeland (shoulder): This Blazers’ backup forward has been out for the last month with a shoulder injury. He is expected to be back just after the All-Star break (Feb 13-16). Freeland was a key defensive player for the Blazers before his injury, and his return will be key to the Blazers’ success later in the year.

Nicolas Batum (wrist): Like Aldridge, Batum has been suffering through his wrist injury, coming in and out of games for the last few weeks. Batum got back on track last Thursday night against the Suns, scoring 20 points in the Blazers’ victory. The All-Star break will be key for Batum to rest his wrist, and hopefully get back on track.

Someone Stepping-Up Off the Bench

The Blazers have been known for having one of the worst benches in the NBA over the last few seasons. With all the injuries and inexperience, the Blazers need someone to step-up and start scoring for the second unit.

2nd-year guard C.J. McCollum is a very viable option off the bench for the Blazers. After hurting his hand early in the year, McCollum is finally getting back into the flow of the rotation. McCollum had a great showing in the first half on Sunday night against the Rockets, scoring 10 points and showing confidence on both ends of the court. Look for McCollum to have the opportunity to thrive in his role off the bench for the Blazers in the coming games.

Another great bench option for Portland is Meyers Leonard. With the injury of Joel Freeland, Leonard has gotten his opportunity and has made the most of it. Leonard has been making a difference with his 3-point shooting and his rebounding. At one point in the 4th quarter of Sunday’s game against the Rockets, Leonard scored 8 straight points for the Blazers. Look for Leonard to continue to get minutes, even with Freeland’s expected return over the next few weeks.

Get Back to the Basics

The main key for the Blazers is to get back to what got them off to such a good start at the beginning of the season. Or as Wesley Matthews says, “Get our swagger back”. In order to get this swagger back that Matthews is talking about, the Blazers need to keep shooting the ball with confidence and getting it to their stars when the game is on the line.

The Blazers have the seventh best 3-point field goal percentage in the NBA this season. They chuck up a lot of shots from behind the arc, and a lot of them go in. Despite cold stretches from Lillard and Batum, the Blazers need to keep looking for open 3-point attempts.

Early in the year, the Blazers were great at closing out games in the 4th quarter. Most of this closing ability can be credited to stars Lamarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. Portland needs to keep going to its stars down the stretch. Aldridge and Lillard are a proven duo that can close out games. There is no need to get cute or try anything out of the ordinary. Good teams go to their best players when it counts the most, and it should be no different for the Blazers.

***

Everything should fall in place for the Blazers soon. There is no need for Portland fans to hit the panic button. If the Blazers stick to the basics and continue to get solid bench production from McCollum and Leonard they will be able to get back on track. Once Freeland is back and Batum’s wrist is healed, the Blazers will have their full squad in place and ready to go for an exciting last few months in the Western Conference playoff race.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brewcaster/2225011030