Blazers eye 3-0 road trip amid turnaround

Portland looks to extend its 48-19 all-time series lead against Charlotte.

Are the Trail Blazers showing a glimpse of what they can be in the future? The team’s overall record can make it easy to miss their recent high level of play.

A three-game winning streak isn’t enough to determine anything, but some signs are encouraging. The last two wins have come on the road, and the Trail Blazers have a shot at going perfect on their current road swing if they secure the win over the Hornets on Friday. A win over Charlotte would give the Blazers their longest winning streak of the season and could inject some much-needed confidence into this young roster that is finding its footing.

Speaking of youth, some of the long-term core pieces have been playing very well for the Blazers during the ongoing winning streak. Anfernee Simons deserves a mention, as he’s recorded 21 and 24 points, in the road wins over the Magic and Heat. Simons’ production has been volatile at times, but his offensive ability is beyond any doubt. He’s one of the more proven scoring weapons on the roster, and when he’s at his best, it opens doors for this Portland offense.

One player deserving more attention is Deni Avdija. Acquired on a trade with the Washington Wizards during the offseason, the five-year veteran had an adjustment period with his new team early, but he’s been turning things around of late. He’s averaging 16.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game across nine contests since the beginning of January. If he were to post those numbers over the course of a full season, they’d result in career-high marks in each of the four categories. Plus, it’s easy to forget that Avdija is only 24 years old. He’s making a case to be one of the long-term core pieces of this roster.

Scoot Henderson, the first-round pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, has shown improvement in his second season in the league. Henderson is averaging 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game since the start of January. If Henderson is able to sustain those numbers on a long-term basis, it will be yet another building block for this team going forward.

A three-game winning streak may not move the needle much in the standings. However, progress is progress and this year is about building for the future while competing in the present for the Blazers. Capping off a clean sweep on an East Coast road trip would be another step in the right direction for this young team.