With the NBA’s regular season fast approaching, our team-by-team previews are continuing to drop. Our focus shifts to the Portland Trail Blazers who won just 27 games last season with star guard Damian Lillard shut down in early January. In these previews, we will take a look at the key acquisitions, fantasy stars and predicted finish.
Key Acquisitions
Portland’s front office re-shaped the roster a little this offseason after trading away the likes of C.J. McCollum, Robert Covington, and Norman Powell prior to last season’s deadline.
They sent rookie Gabriele Procida, a future first, and two future seconds to Detroit for forward Jerami Grant who last season averaged 19.2 ppg and 4.1 rpg on .556 TS% in 47 games as a Piston. The 28-year-old was entrusted with a considerable offensive role in Detroit but is better-suited in a lower-volume role which will likely be the case in Portland. A disruptive and versatile defender, his athleticism and length will be a welcome addition to a Blazers squad that gave up a league-worst 116.9 points per 100 possessions last season.
They also signed Gary Payton II to a three-year, $28 million contract after he proved himself a reliable contributor for Golden State throughout their championship run. In 71 games with the Warriors last season, the 29-year-old averaged 7.1 ppg and 1.4 spg in just 17.6 mpg. One of the league’s premier on-ball pests, Payton II will help improve Portland’s defence on the perimeter whilst offering excellent guard rebounding and an uncanny finishing ability around the rim.
They used the seventh pick in the draft on guard Shaedon Sharpe, an Ontario-native who sat out his freshman year at Kentucky after committing to them as a five-star recruit. The role Sharpe plays with Portland this season remains unclear but his mix of uber-athleticism, scoring, and playmaking could help him earn minutes faster than expected.
Fantasy Stars
Six-time All-Star Damian Lillard is Portland’s engine and the team’s go-to fantasy star. Ranked eighth among all point guards heading into the fantasy season, the 32-year-old averaged 24.0 ppg and 7.3 apg in just 29 games last season but saw a dip in shooting efficiency across the board. With a healthy offseason under his belt and fresh roster, Portland’s brass will hope to see their star make a return to his Hall of Fame-level production.
Projected Finish
Jeremy and I are both anticipating Portland to sneak into the play-in although they may struggle progressing far beyond it. In a tough West, wins may prove difficult to come by even if Lillard recaptures his form from two seasons ago and rising star Anfernee Simons makes another leap. They have some interesting pieces but their defence is still a major concern for Chauncey Billups who is an untried head coach in his own right.
