[Podcast] Where do the Trail Blazers Go From Here?

Why are the Portland Trail Blazers losing and what they can do to break out of this funk? Danny Marang and Tara Bowen-Biggs try to piece together what is going on with the team. Is their poor defense really just about effort? What lineup changes would we test out? What can coaches and players do to get them back to their early season success? How much of this could be fixed if everyone carried around a 100 pound hammer? Plus, we answer lots of twitter questions!

Download the episode

2:45 Dan thinks effort is the problem with the defense: Lack of communication, late for rotations, giving up on plays, dying on screens . . . Guys, you can’t waste a 37 point 10 assist night from Damian Lillard.

6:00 What has happened to communication?

8:00 Zach Collins appears like he’s in his own head, like he is trying to fight through these last few weeks of sub-par play.

9:30 Even Al-Farouq Aminu is getting caught out of position. Need to get back to the basics of communication.

10:30 Meyers Leonard and Collins playing together, is this a change to pair Collins up with someone?

12:30 Is it time to shake up the lineups, or try something new. What would you try?

13:20 What about adding Wade Baldwin to the lineup? Or moving Aminu to the bench and Collins into the starting lineup.

15:45 Twitter questions: Where do we go from here?

16:30 Tara: try mixing up the lineups or putting Jake Layman back in.

19:30 Dan: Team needs a swift kick in the . . . and Tara volunteers to have individual conversations with each of them about how they need to win so Dame can be a starter on the All Star team.

20:45 What happened to the flow of the bench unit? They only attempted 11 shots on Sunday night. Is it time to give Anfernee Simons minutes?

23:30 Jusuf Nurkic seems to be finishing inside well this season. Should he be getting more shots?

25:30 When Aminu is missing shots, why do they keep giving him the ball? That is the scouting report, telling other teams to leave him open.

26:30 Is C.J. McCollum getting more heat than he deserves? Dan thinks the heat is probably just about right.

27:45 Nurkic is putting up career high averages in most categories. What more can you ask for from him?

28:30 Why don’t the Blazers play Nik Stauskas more in the second half?

30:00 C.J. vs Gary Harris, on the court and in theory.

34:30 Its frustrating right now not to be able to talk about potential trades.

36:15 The schedule this season seams weird. Is there a different rhythm to it this year that might be behind the lack of focus?

38:05 Why do the Blazers hate us? Is it time to panic?

38:30 Why is every team exceeding their three point percentage average against the Blazers this season?

42:00 If effort is the problem, isn’t that the coach’s job?

43:30 Why has Layman fallen completely out of the rotation?

47:30 Coaches can’t tinker too much with lineups because then it looks like they don’t know what they are doing.

49:00 Everyone should get a 100 lb hammer to walk around with.

50:00 How do you take care of yourself after a Blazer loss?

52:30 There isn’t one thing we can pin the recent slump on. We just have to wait for the team to figure it out.

54:30 New play in the Blazer’s play book, the Damian Lillard/Meyers Leonard special 3 second pin-down on Patty Mills.

55:30 Wrap up.

57:30 Blazers Edge Night, March 27 against the Brooklyn Nets.