WOW! PORTLAND OWNS THE PAINT. At one end, Yes.How long was it going to take for Enes Kanter to make a difference for Portland? It was instant. It even started before the game. The Blazers know that life is not fair in the NBA. Small market teams are at a disadvantage. Watching other teams scoop up free agents and buy-outs while Portland is trying to develop 2nd rounders gets old. You can talk chemistry and culture all you want. The Blazers have perennially been that shy nerdy kid at a middle dance hoping against hope that the kinda cute girl will ask him to dance. Kanter had good choices,and he chose US!

But it only matters if he has skills and fits in. What did we see tonight? Kanter has better moves than Nurk down low. He has great footwork and a soft touch. Enes is like having Ed Davis back going after offensive rebounds. On steroids. He sets solid screens. Portland is already completely confident feeding him in the low post. Kanter doesn't yet know the plays, but he sure knows how to play.

When you are the new kid, you want to make a great first impression. Enes did that. 18 points. 8-9 shooting. 9 rebounds, 5 offensive. Bone-rattling screens for Dame and CJ. In only 20 minutes. Kanter will give Portland an advantage every night against opposing reserve centers. He will give the Blazers a go-to scorer when the bench stalls out.

Portland came out with energy tonight, but not with their shooting touch. On the road that usually means another loss. But Nurk and Kanter were the difference in the game. 45 points and 21 rebounds. 18-24 shooting. Lillard has never been on a Blazer team that could dominate the center position on offense like these 2 did tonight. If this is the opening act, we can't wait to see the finished product.

SO KANTER IS A HOME RUN. Not so fast.We also saw the flip-side of the new acquisition. Enes is a sieve on defense. Ed Davis licked his chops and attacked Kanter at will. Ed Davis. And watching Kanter on defense is a lot like watching Meyers Leonard. From a few years ago. Luckily not a lot of 2nd units can exploit his weakness. But it is clear that the Turkish Trailblazer can be a great reserve but should never be a starter.

SO WHAT STORYLINES WERE THERE BESIDES KANTER. Lots.我们开始吧:

Rebounds:In a fast-paced game, Portland grabbed 60 rebounds, including 19 offensive boards. The Nets had only 49 for the game. On a cold shooting night for both teams, the Blazers got a lot of extra possessions, ending up with a staggering 105 field goal attempts for the game.

Defense:而进攻是可以理解的disjointed, the defense was energetic and effective. In the fight for rotation minutes, every player is aware that defense is going to be one of the keys. Portland had 9 blocks and 7 steals. Layman and Nurk both had 3 blocks. They held the Nets under 40% from the field and under 20% from behind the arc. Brooklyn certainly helped, but Portland was actively contesting most shots. (One warning: CJ and Layman have to avoid chasing so many block attempts. When they got pump-faked, the Nets were deadly with some wide open attempts.) Making long shots tightly contested will pay huge dividends. Getting faked out of the play will not.

Starting forwards:Chief was the only one hitting 3's early and finished 3-4 from deep. He ended up with 11 and 10. Harkless was active on offense and very impactful on defense. Mo ended up with 13 and 8, with 4 assists. If they hear footsteps, they had a positive response tonight.

Dame and trust:There were reports that Lillard was questionable for the game; instead he played 36 minutes. He shot 5-21, yet ended up +30 for the game. We already had reports that Dame's text was a factor in Kanter coming to Portland. We already saw his impact on making the new guy welcome on the court as well. Lillard had 8 assists and 8 rebounds, so he had a big impact on the game. Great scorers are always sure that the next shot will go in. Will Dame develop enough trust in this roster to give up more of his shots on nights when he is cold? We know Portland needs Dame to score on many nights. But Portland's ability to run great offense when defenses tilt their defense to stopping Lillard (as they will in the play-offs) is crucial.

Rotations:Kanter and Hood will cause changes in playing time. Clearly every meaningful minute at the 5 needs to go to Nurk and Kanter. Leonard will ride the pines without foul trouble or injury. Collins got a DNP tonight, and his minutes will be at the 4, if he gets any. Was ET hurt, or was it his 0-5 shooting that kept him on the bench in the 2nd half. Layman grabbed 24 minutes and only had 6 points. But he had 5 boards and 3 blocks. Hood had his first down day as a Blazer, going only 2-9. But he still shows he can create a shot when things break down.

FINAL GRADE: It was good to see all of the ex-Blazers playing a big role with the Nets. They bring a culture and skills, and are a big part of Brooklyn's play-off push. It was too bad to hear that Davis was bitter about being shown the door. This was a pivotal game on this road trip. There are 3 almost unwinnable games, and 3 Portland has a very good chance to win. Kicking off the trip with a 14 point win against a play-off team is a big-time win. Doing it while incorporating a brand new player is even better. Besides his play, Kanter brings a lot of personality to this team. Anyone who learned his English by watching SpongeBob SquarePants and the Jersey Shore is all right by me. The ceiling on this team just got a little higher. A