Portland Trail Blazers: 3 takeaways from their 3-game losing streak

More injuries and a murky future

In addition to the schematic issues, it looks like injuries are starting to nag at the Blazers once again. Al-Farouq Aminu has returned to the lineup over the last three games after being inactive for the previous 13 games due to a right ankle sprain. But two more injuries occurred to significant players during the Wizards game.

Maurice Harkless went down with a left quad contusion in the first half and did not return. Late in the fourth quarter, Jusuf Nurkic turned his ankle. After walking off the court under his own power and getting X-rays, it was determined that he suffered a right ankle sprain. It is currently unclear if either player will miss game time.

Unfortunately, things are not going to get any easier in the coming weeks. Portland’s next game is Saturday night against the Houston Rockets. Then they kick off another five-game road trip on Monday against the Golden State Warriors.

Next: 2017-18 Week 8 NBA Power Rankings

The Portland Trail Blazers seem to lost a bit of the fire they started with this season. Their shots aren’t falling and their defense isn’t as tight. As a result, they end up losing control of games and falling behind without being capable of coming back. It’s not clear how or when things can turn around, but the next few weeks are surely going to be a stress test.