Blazers start strong despite off-court turmoil

State of play: Sitting at 5-5, the team holds the 9th spot in the western conference.

• But last week, they handed the Oklahoma City Thunder — the defending champions with the NBA's best record — their first and only loss.
• They've also beaten the Warriors, the Nuggets and the Lakers, all teams with championship aspirations.

By the numbers: The team has been led by stellar play from forward Deni Avdija, who's averaging more than 25 points per game, and a resurgence from defensive-minded guard Jrue Holiday.

The intrigue: The team has done all this while navigating the season with a new and untested head coach.

• Tiago Splitter took over the coaching role last month after former head coach Chauncey Billups was placed on "immediate leave" by the team following his arrest on allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.

Between the lines: Some people expected the Blazers to be digging themselves out of a deep hole given the caliber of their opponents for the first part of the season. Those people, at least so far, were wrong.

• Full disclosure: I am one of those people.

What's next: The Blazers are in New Orleans on Wednesday to take on the Pelicans as part of an extended road trip.

• The game tips at 5pm local time.