Grading Portland Trail Blazers' Performance at 2015 All-Star Weekend

The Portland Trail Blazers were well-represented at All-Star Weekend, as LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews traveled to New York.

Although none of Rip City's representatives took home hardware, Matthews put together a strong performance in the three-point contest, while Aldridge and Lillard performed admirably in the big game Sunday night.

While it may not sound like a compliment at first, all three Trail Blazers were elected to perform in their respective contests by a higher authority than the fans. Portland's reps didn't pass the test that is the annual popularity contest, but they established themselves as worthy in the eyes of the league's authority figures. 

How did they play? While none showed out the way the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook did (the All-Star Game's MVP with 41 points), all three had respectable showings.

The Blazers should be proud of what Matthews, Aldridge and Lillard did this past weekend, as Portland needs players who can boost the city's recognition despite residing in the No. 22 NBA market. 

Wesley Matthews

Matthews was hard on himself following his performance in the three-point contest. "I wish I could get that first rack over again," Matthews said, according to TrailBlazers.com. 

He went on to say, "I was nervous from the jump. I knew I had to hit 25, 26 to be comfortable."

None of what Matthews said should be surprising. For starters: He should want that first rack over again. Despite entering the contest tied with Stephen Curry and Kyle Korver for most three-pointers made, he knocked down just two of his first five shots. 

Furthermore: It turned out that 25 or 26 was almost what was needed to advance to the finals.

In an NBA game, knocking down two of five long-range shots is fantastic. Forty percent is nothing to scoff at, but starting hotter than that in a long-range contest is crucial.

Following the first rack, the sharp-shooter picked up the pace. Only once in his final 20 shots did he miss three in a row, and he managed to hit eight of his last nine, including four straight money balls on the fourth rack.

Matthews was ultimately eliminated from the first round, but that's a testament to the quality of competition—not an indictment on his overall performance. 

The one-time "defensive specialist" finished Round 1 with 22 points. Unfortunately, the three-headed monster of Curry (23 points), Klay Thompson (24) and Kyrie Irving (23) outperformed him in the initial round, and he was left thinking about that first round as Curry went on to earn the crown as this year's champ.

Grade: A-

Damian Lillard

When it comes to Lillard and Aldridge, the following grades are based partly on expectations. Lillard outperformed his teammate in the 2014 All-Star Game, but that simply wasn't the case in the tandem's second showing.

In 2013, Lillard made history by earning an invite to all five major All-Star events. This season? It took an injury to Kobe Bryant and a subsequent injury to Blake Griffin just to earn an invite to the league's biggest exhibition game. 

Although it clearly bothered the point guard to be overlooked in the initial selection(s), he ended up playing 16 minutes in the weekend's biggest event. He scored 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but it was clearly a tale of two halves for the former Weber State product.

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

In the first 24 minutes of competition, Lillard played just 10 minutes off the pine. He recorded five points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field. 

Despite poor shooting—as well as a missed put-back dunk and a blocked throw-down attempt—the ultra-athletic guard stepped it up when it counted. It wasn't exactly #LillardTime, but the floor general hit two deep threes late in the contest before hitting the bench for the final five minutes. 

Although fans in Rip City would have liked to see a more dominant showing from the future of the franchise, they did get a second All-Star appearance in just Lillard's third season. That said: They also got something else. 

The city of Portland got recognition for having arguably the best rapper in the entire Association. 

Does flow on the mic have anything to do with proficiency on the court? Absolutely not. But for a city that has suffered from "small-market syndrome" for quite some time, having a presence in the mass media is huge.

Lillard's performance at the All-Star Game could have been better, but his overall presence at All-Star Weekend will be remembered (including his cameo as "Darius Lillard"). Lillard is a superstar, and Portland—as well as the rest of the NBA—knows it.

Grade: B-

LaMarcus Aldridge

Entering Sunday's contest, Aldridge knew he'd need to be aggressive if he wanted to stand out. His mid-range proficiency has never translated well in such a star-studded environment, which is why in three previous showings, he's averaged just 2.7 points per contest.

For the first time in his NBA career, Aldridge had an impact on the All-Star box score. Not only did he score 18 points (four shy of a franchise record), but he admitted he may not be "as boring" of an All-Star as he used to be, according to Trailblazers.com.

As silly of a quote as that is, it's actually quite important. This is coming from a player who has a history of being known for his soft personality, and him having confidence is just about as important as anything he does on the court. 

On the night, Aldridge played extremely well. Despite seeing the fewest minutes of any starter (18 minutes), he was the second-highest scorer among the first five. 

Above all else, Aldridge dominated the three-point line. He went 2 of 2 from deep in the first half, and he also went 2 of 2 consecutively from downtown (as well as 1 of 1 inside the arc) to start the West's run in the second. 

Are there things to critique for the big man's performance? Sure there are. He forced a few shots early, but nobody can blame him considering how little he's been involved in All-Star Games past.

However, you also have to consider the less-than-elaborate play-calling we saw from Western Conference head coach Steve Kerr—but who can blame a first-time All-Star coach for letting his players control the pace?

We saw only two rebounds grabbed from the double-double guy in this one. However, he did attempt to crash the rim offensively, which is something fans in Portland have become accustomed to over the years. 

Maybe the biggest compliment of all was when Kerr elected to put Aldridge back in with 5:22 to go in a close contest. He had minimal impact during his late-game stretch, but he earned the respect of the league on a night where he became the first Trail Blazer to start in the big game since Clyde Drexler did it in 1994.

Grade: A

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