Sahal Arwo

Independent writer covering @trailblazers and @NBA. Consider it a Two for One deal

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Hot off the press before the Moda Center parking lot is even empty.

My three instant takeaways/reactions from an action-packed preseason debut for your Portland Trail Blazers⬇️

#RipCity

https://t.co/TATPAT1Ew7

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@uncleblazer999 Players keep mentioning how good Scoot has been, has become the storyline of camp so everyone is trying to get quotes for their story.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Toumani Camara after practice today:

- Has become more of a vocal leader; comes from his coaches and teammates encouraging/respecting him.

- Coach Nori is very calculated and has a great line of communication with players.

- Nori consistently holds the players accountable, wants to fix things today and not tomorrow.

- The most unselfish team he’s played on; though they are still figuring each other out.

- Scoot has been “ putting it all together “
and is looking awesome.

#RipCity

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@Silent_Brown I agree. He thinks the game so well; if he pairs it with more confidence, he could take a big step this season.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Micah Nori after practice today:

- Taking care of the basketball is the most important and goes hand in hand with being unselfish.

- Ja, Dame, Deni and Scoot naturally will have the ball in their hands more.

- Wants his players to look to score first and playmake after; roles will continue to be figured out.

- Hansen has done a good job so far, can potentially be in the rotation if the situation arises.

- Clarified that Ja is and has been a leader; he is more comfortable leading in practice and one-on-one rather than being the voice of the team.

- Toumani is a vocal leader and a lot of players respect him as such. Loves that he has no ego about not having the basketball and still shows up to guard the best players every night.

#RipCity

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

I think he will still have a lot of opportunity this year and playing 28+ minutes a night. Ja and Dame don’t have the best health record either so we’ll pay attention to that too.

Still only 22 years old, I think Scoot will takeover this team in the future but still has to earn it in the regular season.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@ayocovi I agree, Stotts saw his physical traits and only really utilized those

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Sometimes you have to sit and think about what if Nassir Little had worked out in Portland.

All the intangibles of the modern NBA wing- health and just luck weren’t on his side.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@philly420pdx Wow, that's a pull, I can definitely see it

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@MrHanan Very athletic and very physical; can’t believe he’s still on 26! He could've easily plugged the hole we have in the frontcourt.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Looking at this Philly squad right now and there is no way David Stern would’ve let this slide.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Micah Nori discusses last night’s game:

- Watched the film today and still thought the game was ugly

- Disappointed that the emphasis of camp ( turnovers and defensive rebounding ) was still poor yesterday.

-Felt there were too many “ home run “ plays and over-dribbling

- Went through film with team today to clean things up and then went through it on the practice floor

- Felt the starters quit at halftime; in hindsight, would have them be done at halftime.

- Potter, Sochan, Cissoko and Yang played well.

- Unsure still about rotation plans for the B2B on Monday-Tuesday

#RipCity

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Scoot Henderson discussing his performance last night:

- Felt like he showed he can do multiple things on the floor and “ the sky's the limit “

- Has been a privilege to play with guards that he used to look up to and watch film on. Fits well with everybody

- Thinks the team should continue to push the ball down the court.

- Coach Nori wanting him to focus on getting to the rim and hunting his shot helps increase his chances of hitting the open man.

- Didn’t know Ja well before, but he has brought a lot of joy and laughs to the locker room.

- Has been taking advice from Ja throughout camp.

#RipCity

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

Ja Morant, after practice today, discussed last night’s game:

- 6.5/10 for himself last night; could have been better offensively.

- Was told by his teammates he was passive and noticed it when he watched the film. Dame and the coaching staff are encouraging him to play more aggressively.

- His first game since January, so he knew he wouldn’t be perfect.

- Has had a lot of joy with a fresh start and his new teammates.

- Believes Scoot is “ ready “ and could do everything he is capable of doing.

- Wants him and Dame to keep everybody in place, and it will open the floor for Deni to do what he does best.

#RipCity

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@joshpires7 @cfletcher1922 Correct, appreciate the catch

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

In last night’s game, Micah Nori ran an interesting guard rotation: outside the opening and closing to the halves, Lillard and Morant split minutes.

Lillard and Henderson
Morant and Holiday

Each combination has a quick guard who can get their feet in the paint to collapse the defense and another who is a very reliable three-point shooter.

The most intriguing part of it all: Morant and Henderson never shared the court; neither did Lillard and Holiday.

#RipCity

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@cfletcher1922 I’ll revisit and try to find out!

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@tchehy1004 I’m intrigued, would love to hear why.

[Sahal Arwo @ArwoNBA]

@cfletcher1922 Substituted for eachother at the 2:41 mark according to the NBA website.

[Conor Bergin @ConorBergin8]

Blazers fans rooted on their sports hero once again Wednesday — this time, with a new level of gratitude after his three-year-plus odyssey through Milwaukee and injury.

All at once, the night evoked nostalgia for the past and excitement for the present.
https://t.co/b48HnkR9qp