NBA schedule for Wednesday: Grizzlies vs. Clippers rematch is a highlight

The role player has long been a hallowed figure on winning teams, but the appreciation for someone like Battier who didn’t need to score, rebound or dish to make a meaningful impact was on the verge of becoming a major component of roster building, thanks to analytically-inclined GMs like Houston’s Daryl Morey.

He is Battier with numbers and in some ways he’s the Too Many Stats All-Star. He does so many things well -- but few of them exceptionally well -- that he has been relegated to a supporting role in today’s pantheon. He can score, but at a tick below elite level. He can pass, yet point forward isn’t really his job description. Additionally, Iguodala’s shooting percentages are just meh and his efficiency numbers don’t exactly jump off the spreadsheet.

Blazers 116, Lakers 106

I can’t tell you how much joy, as a professional Laker hater, this 0-2 start has brought me. But let’s not ignore that the Blazers were darned good on Wednesday. Nicolas Batum, who got a fat contract back in July, played up to it. Wesley Matthews shot well. Damian Lillard was something like a dream. And while LaMarcus Aldridge wasn’t up to his standard, he got it done. Lakers fans will point to Steve Nash’s injury (here’s more on that), but Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol all played 38-plus minutes, all played really well ... and L.A. lost because it’s perimeter defense was completely absent. Great start, L.A. Keep it up.

Rockets 105, Pistons 96

Welp, so much for the idea that James Harden, elevated to a starting role, would lose a lot of his efficiency. In his Rockets debut, he put up 37 points on 14-25 shooting, 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals. Daryl Morey is somewhere plotting his revenge on the Twitter haters. Sam Presti is planning a vacation.

Lillard, who Portland selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, didn’t waste any time on Wednesday, finishing the the first quarter with five points and four assists. Lillard then followed that up with a strong second quarter and went into halftime with nine points and seven assists. He increased his scoring in the second half, scoring seven points in both the third and fourth quarters while also adding two assists in each quarter.

He will attempt to follow up his record-setting performance on Friday night when Portland travels to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder.

The key stat of the game? The Lakers had 24 turnovers and struggled to get into their offense.

The Lakers have now lost 12 of their last 14 games against the Blazers in the Rose Garden, and they have lost 17 of their last 21 in Portland in the regular season dating back to 2002.

The Lakers’ training staff said Nash injured his shin, and not his knee or ankle, but is expected to return in the second half, according to Mike Trudell of NBA.com.

The injury occurred after Nash had played 15 minutes against Portland. After scoring just seven points in his Lakers debut on Tuesday, Nash had scored two points on 1-of-3 shots before heading back to the locker room. He did, however, have four assists before leaving.

Blake Griffin has dunked. Let the season begin.

video via @cjzero

The Pistons led 85-77 with 9:37 left in the fourth quarter before the Rockets ended the game on a 28-11 run for the come-from-behind victory. The Rockets outscored the Pistons, 33-15, in the fourth quarter.

Harden had 37 points, six rebounds and 12 assists on 14-of-25 shooting from the field, including 4-of-10 from three-point territory, in his first game as a member of the Houston Rockets.

It’s sooner than many expected, as his clearance to practice in full came just days ago. He was noncommittal when asked about his anticipated return date, but clearly he and the medical staff are confident he will be able to contribute against Phoenix.

It’s a welcome sign for Warriors fans who have yet to see him on the court with his new teammates. The Warriors’ ability to improve on the 23-43 mark they had last year will depend in part on Bogut’s long term health.

In his return to Philadelphia, Iguodala’s shot was off the mark. He was just 5-for-13 from the field and finished with 11 points.

My question: what do the chains represent? Did they know Harden was about to become a max contract player?

(Photo via a screenshot of the broadcast).

Good lord. It was nice knowing you, Maude Flanders.

The Denver Nuggets are set to take on the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET.