Portland Trail Blazers Forward Ed Davis Praised After Huge Game

After struggling through a two-week slump that featured atypically poor production combined with frequent miscues, Portland Trail Blazers forward Ed Davis finally broke out in last night's 108-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. As the Portland Tribune's Kerry Eggers points out, the world is noticing.

As Eggers points out, Davis got attention from star guard Damian Lillard:

"Ed was a beast," said Lillard, who scored 11 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter. "He caught passes in traffic, he finished over guys, he offensive-rebounded, he protected the rim. A lot of the shots he didn't block, he changed them. He had a huge presence for us based off all hustle. He doesn't get a lot of credit, but he does it all the time."

And more from Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts:

"Ed was very active," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "He competed for every rebound, loose balls, finished around the basket. He was good with the smaller lineup because they gave him a lot of space. He had a terrific game.

"I've never been one to preach offensive rebounds, but it's great when we have them. It takes a lot of work to get them. They don't just fall in your lap. He worked for them. Those energy plays are contagious."

The Blazers have been searching for a regular power forward in the absence of Meyers Leonard, who is down with a shoulder injury. Davis is the only forward they haven't tried in the starting lineup since Leonard went down. Might he be worth a look?

Eggers has much more, including Davis' effectiveness playing alongside Mason Plumlee, Lillard's assessment of last night's defense, and Stotts on the strong finish last night.