Anfernee Simons erupted for 38 points in the Trail Blazers loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Simons had a massive night after a couple quiet scoring games, showing his star potential once again even with a depleted roster around him. He's just really good.The Blazers have lost four straight coming out of the All-Star break which has quickly dashed any hopes of a play-in tournament run. This team is chasing losses and doing so with gusto, which means it's time to turn our eyes to the New Orleans Pelicans. Portland really needs New Orleans to falter down the stretch and miss the playoffs. It's crucially important to the Blazers short and long term success.Finally, we've talked about losing and why it's important but it's worth taking a closer look at the lottery odds for the Blazers as they continued to fall down the standings. Portland is losing admirably but they gotta keep it up and they could use some wins from Sacramento and San Antonio to help the cause along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices