Despite the improved performance of some players, the Achilles heel of the Trail Blazers has been the lackluster bench play.
Portland ranks dead last in bench scoring in the NBA, tallying just 16.5 points per game. Indiana is second to last, but averages almost 10 points a game better than the Blazers at 26.4.
The Blazers have lost fourteen games by six points or less. If the bench could have contributed an additional seven points in half of those games, the Blazers would be right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
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