2. Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have to figure out the direction they are taking the roster. They want to remain competitive, but this is a mismatched roster that needs a lot of work when it comes to building a contending team.

Figuring out what to do with Damian Lillard is an imperative step in the process. If they decide to lock him in long-term with another extension, they need to upgrade the roster around him. Marcus Smart would be a good fit.

Portland struggles to stop anyone defensively. Their backcourt of Lillard and C.J. McCollum are taken advantage of by opponents too easily, leading to constant breakdowns at the point of attack. Adding Smart to that mix would cut down the number of times that occurs.

Smart is an excellent defender and would help the Trail Blazers turn things around on that end of the court. He has shown an ability to defend multiple positions, as he can lock down both backcourt spots while also being a pest on the wing. Smart is tough and strong enough to bang with some big men as well.

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Portland hired Chauncey Billups to help turn the defense around, but there is only so much he could do with the personnel he was given. His schemes may be more effective with a player such as Smart spearheading them.