The Portland Trail Blazers struggled NBA last season with their superstar point guard, Damian Lillard, ailing. Lillard played in only 29 games last season as he underwent a procedure on his abdomen and the Trail Blazers bottomed out.
They traded away numerous veterans to clear as much cap space and acquire as many assets as possible heading into the 2022 off-season.
The front office put a game plan in place for the draft and free agency and started rebuilding the roster around Lillard. Thus far, the moves that they have made have paid off handsomely as Portland is 4-0 and one of two undefeated teams remaining in the NBA. The other is the Milwaukee Bucks, but they have played only twice.
For years the Trail Blazers’ offense was built around Lillard and CJ McCollum essentially taking turns running the offense. They have a deeper supporting cast around Lillard now as Anfernee Simons is emerging. Jerami Grant was acquired from the Detroit Pistons via trade and was brought in to be a top-scoring option as well.
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That firepower is what has made Portland a dangerous team in the early going. One NBA scout likes what they have seen and believes there is another level for the team to reach.
“They’ve got a lot of scoring firepower next to Damian Lillard. He’s always going to put up big numbers, but now Anfernee Simons has grown into being that No. 2 threat. Jerami Grant brings a needed boost, too. I would like to see more 3-point shooting from their wings, though. The volume has been a bit lower than I’d like if I were them.”
Portland is currently 18th in 3-pointers made and 23rd in attempts. They are making the most of their tries, making 39.5 percent, which is good for seventh in the NBA in the early going. If they push that volume up, as suggested by the scout, their offense will reach new heights.
While this is Lillard’s team and Grant garnered a lot of attention this offseason, there are some strong, young players with upside on the roster. Nassir Little signed an extension before the season and Simons is only 23. Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford and Greg Brown III provide solid depth after receiving extended playing time last season.
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But, the one player that the organization and fans are most excited about is Shaedon Sharpe. The Trail Blazers took a big risk using the No. 7 overall pick on him in the 2022 NBA Draft as he didn’t play last season at Kentucky. He possesses tantalizing tools and potential, which the scout feels highly of as well.
“If Shaedon Sharpe can grow into being a consistent contributor come playoff time, the Blazers will be very tough to handle. That’s a lot of talent to have to account for.”
The real key to sustained success for the Trail Blazers is on the defensive end of the court. That has been a weakness for years and something they looked to address this off-season. Grant was a big part of those plans, but he is not alone. Josh Hart and Gary Payton II are two more players the scout mentioned that will help turn things around.
“Having a big wing like Grant that can play off-ball, create off the dribble, and guard multiple positions has been huge for Portland. It’s something they always lacked in recent years. … Josh Hart has rebounded the hell out of the ball, too. Gary Payton II will bring a boost in the dirty work department when he’s in the lineup as well.”
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The scheme is also important. Chauncey Billups wanted to turn things around on defense but it is tough when you don’t have the players to execute those plans. So, instead of forcing a square peg into a round hole, Billups adjusted the game plan to fit the personnel that he has.
It has led to improvements from Jusuf Nurkic, but the scout would like to see some changes to the center spot still.
“Billups not having Nurkic hedge on ball screens has been helpful. That’s improved their defense a lot. I’d like to see them still upgrade at the five. Nurkic will probably be a liability against teams with a lot of shooting or if they have an elite highball screen creator. There’s a lot of those teams for potential playoff matchups.
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Nurkic is certainly solid and gets the job done for Portland. But, he does have some injury history and is sometimes limited against certain opponents. Bringing in a big man more comfortable on the perimeter would do wonders for Billups to mix and match against opponents based on the matchups and provide the team with insurance in case Nurkic is forced to miss time again.
