🏀 Should The Lakers Fear The Surging Blazers?

Carmelo Anthony and the Portland Trail Blazers are one of the biggest emerging threats to LeBron's squad. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: The Portland Trail Blazers are brewing into a unit that no one wants to face in the playoffs ... we take a look at why T.J. Warren is the talk of the NBA bubble ... and we are treated to a jaw-dropping display of batting tricks. Looking too far ahead is a dangerous game in the NBA, not just in the bubble, but at any time. And yet, we do it time and again, rarely more so than in this shifted season where everything spins around Orlando and everyone is still figuring out the new norms. The earliest that the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers could meet in the upcoming playoffs would be nearly 40 days from now, with a week’s worth of regular season games and two postseason rounds to navigate before that seismic series could come into reality. Yet while it feels destined that an epic tussle for supremacy takes place between those heavyweights, a lot can happen to derail the most fantastic of all fantasy matchups. Indeed, one of the biggest emerging threats to the battle of Tinseltown looks to be just around the corner. No, we’re not stuck in a time warp here, but Carmelo Anthony is firing and dangerous - and the Portland Trail Blazers are brewing into a unit that absolutely no one will relish facing in elimination basketball. [STORY IMAGE 1] LeBron James and Anthony are firm, long-time friends. They came into the league at the same time, were jointly part of countless All-Star Games and collaborated on three Olympic teams. While James was always the bigger star, they were both NBA elites, until Anthony’s dramatic drop-off over the past couple of seasons. Yet after a failed stop in Oklahoma City and an embarrassingly short one in Houston, Anthony has emerged as a surprising force behind the surging Portland Trail Blazers, who are gunning for the eight seed and then wherever the journey takes them. “I'm surprised he got this opportunity when it looked like the league had given up on him,” [FS1’s Nick Wright said on First Things First](. “I'm not surprised he is making the most of it. He deserves his damn flowers from everyone in the media at large who acted like he could no longer be a viable NBA player.” Slimmed down, comfortable at small forward and brimming with motivation, Anthony has thrived as the Blazers have heated up. Having Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins back from injury means Portland perhaps benefited most of any team from the layoff. Couple that with Damian Lillard catching fire, much like he did in the playoffs last season, and this is a dangerous team, for anyone. [STORY IMAGE 2] Anthony’s best performance came against the Rockets on Tuesday, blocking P. J. Tucker late in the fourth before drilling a three-pointer. Having started the bubble hoping to lock up ninth and secure a play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Terry Stotts’ team is now hunting down the final seeded position. “Everybody just had something to say,” Lillard told reporters, when asked about the team’s acquisition of Anthony. “How he is in the locker room and all these things, why it didn't work out with these other teams. But he came to us, and he was laid back, a good teammate, good for our younger players. On the floor, he's talking whether he's having a good or bad game. Just all about the team.” A streaking potential first round opponent would not seem like such a big deal had it not been for the dismally slow start of the Lakers. LeBron James bagged a game winner on the first night back, but there has been little of substance since. The Lakers went down to the Rockets, the Thunder and the Toronto Raptors, all by double digits, and both James and his collective teammates have struggled to find their shooting touch. “It’s just some things that you can’t control that’s here, that I really don’t want to talk about, that’s off the floor,” James said, somewhat puzzlingly, when asked about the offensive troubles. [STORY IMAGE 3] It is hard to know what to make of this. James has always been a bit of a slow starter and despite all his physical work during lockdown, he is 35. Also, the reality is that the Lakers only had to do a minimal amount of work to seal their one remaining task, booking the No. 1 seed, and even that has minimal value with no home court factor in play. So yes, expect to see a more motivated James when crunch time arrives. But for now, the visuals don't necessarily back up the FOX Bet odds of favoritism. The Lakers are currently listed at +250 to win this year's NBA title, which makes them the co-favorites along with the Milwaukee Bucks. “Look at the Lakers in the bubble, the worst,” FOX Sports’ Kevin Wildes said. “Field goal percentage - the worst. Three-point percentage - the worst. Second worst on free throws. Bad news. They are second to last in assists and they are also turning the ball over. “Then look at the lovely Blazers who have a brand new team. But … LeBron. But … Anthony Davis. Sure (but Portland) has multiple ways to beat you. I would be very nervous (for the Lakers).” As enjoyable as the NBA return to action has been and as thankful as the sports world is that the bubble seems to have provided an effective seal against COVID-19, it is impossible to predict how the end of this tilted campaign will be affected by all the new realities. [STORY IMAGE 4] Some will thrive, others may falter. Few have found their stride as suddenly and emphatically as Anthony, who was welcomed into the Blazers fold by co-stars Lillard and CJ McCollum. This is how it was supposed to shake out for him with the Thunder. This is really how it was supposed to work in Houston. It didn’t in either place and suddenly Anthony was cast as damaged goods to the extent that it was felt he had little future in the NBA. No one is saying that now. If Portland finishes the job and forces their way into the bracket, an issue will arise in trying to figure out who can guard James. Trevor Ariza opted out of the restart and a fully firing James may be too much to handle. Even before that, the Blazers still have some work to do. And no matter what recent form says, L.A. would still be a heavy favorite. Yet Portland would be a live underdog, with more hope than they could have initially bargained for and no shortage of hunger. Basketball fans will continue to gaze ahead at tantalizing prospects on the horizon, but a first round gem is taking shape right before us. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers: “We've been unhealthy, that's true, but we still have a lot of good players and we haven't played to the level that we need to. But I think now, we're starting to trend in the direction to the kind of basketball team that we want to be. I knew that once we got here, we'd be one of the teams that would take advantage of it, and so far we have.” Richard Jefferson, former NBA champion: “I really dig what they (Portland) are doing right now. I like where they are. I think it would be a great postseason matchup. I think if the Lakers and (Portland) meet in the first round, that will be the most anticipated first round matchup that the NBA has seen in years.” Danny Green, Los Angeles Lakers: “I wouldn’t say that we fear anybody, but if we were to choose to have a first round matchup, I think we’d probably lean away from Portland. They have more experience, they have (Damian Lillard), they have CJ (McCollum). They have a lot of threats and they have a lot of experience. I’m not saying those other teams don’t have threats, but they are a bit younger. Memphis is very young. (The media) want to see the New Orleans matchup. Of course they want to see Zion, LeBron and AD, and of course that would be an exciting matchup for the fans, but for us realistically we probably see Portland as more of a threat because of their experience.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - T.J. Warren has reached new heights with the Pacers in Orlando and significantly brightens Indiana’s outlook. [Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix explains]( why Warren is the talk of the town. - Pete Alonso’s ambitions to play baseball were always clear. [ESPN’s Buster Olney tells the story]( of how Alonso overcame bullies growing up to become a big league superstar. - The Milwaukee Bucks clinched the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed with a win over the Miami Heat on Thursday, but it required them to stage a 23-point comeback against a team that played without their starting backcourt. [Mark Medina of USA Today writes]( why the Bucks’ inconsistency should not be cause for concern. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Just last week, we featured a video of incredible trick shots performed by quintuplets. This week, we’re trading in basketball trick shots for some baseball trickery. Instagram user @zigzigzog has filled our timelines with some impressive batting tricks, but his most recent post really makes you do a double take and question, “how in the world did he do that?” Take a look at this video, where he performs a series of three batting tricks, the third of which is truly mind-boggling. The user’s bio claims he is a “washed up athlete,” but words can’t describe how much we’d love to see this in a game setting. Take a bow, @zigzigzog. This this the type of content that truly does leave us in awe. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers (TNT, 6:30 p.m. ET) Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers battle Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic. Friday Night SmackDown (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Bray Wyatt returns to the Firefly Fun House, while Matt Riddle battles Sheamus on Friday Night SmackDown. Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors (TNT, 9 p.m. ET) Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics face Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors in a matchup of Eastern Conference powerhouses. Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (FS1, 9 p.m. ET) Griffin Canning takes the mound for the Los Angeles Angels, who go up against the Texas Rangers. Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates (Saturday, FS1, 4 p.m. ET) The Detroit Tigers travel to Pittsburgh to take on Colin Moran and the Pittsburgh Pirates. FOX PBC Fight Night (Saturday, FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Jamal “Shango” James battles Thomas Dulorme for the Interim WBA Welterweight Title. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry to Record a Double Double and Raptors to win: +450 The Toronto Raptors have been nothing short of spectacular since arriving in the Orlando bubble. Nick Nurse’s team is 3-0 since play resumed and are outscoring their opponents by an average of 10 points per contest. Part of the reason for Toronto’s success has been All-Star guard Kyle Lowry, who is averaging 18.3 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game in the bubble. As good as Boston has been at times this season, rolling with Lowry to record a double double and the Raptors to win at 4.5-to-1 seems like a worthwhile bit of action. [WHAT THEY SAID] "If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied." — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2020 FOX Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900