As their old hometown hero Damian Lillard hit his first game-winning buzzer-beater in new threads against the Sacramento Kings last night, the Blazers were on the other side of the country losing against the Phoenix Suns. But it was a good loss, if that exists in the NBA. Without any of their veterans and only 8 guys available, Portland made Phoenix’ big 3 work for their win. They saw some solid contributions and more importantly energy from their young guys, as it becomes clearer by the day that the Blazers need to be a seller at the deadline.
When Damian Lillard left, it was wishful thinking and borderline disrespectful to his tenure in PDX if you thought that the Blazers would be able to make any noise this season. A rookie, no matter how talented, wouldn’t be able to replace him right away. It becomes even tougher when that rookie is heavily struggling with efficiency, the team is hit by injuries and by no means has enough talent to compete for anything.
That’s why a lot of people aren’t surprised at all. Competing was never the goal this season, and it was common knowledge that the Blazers would tank. But there was a stretch this season, when Anfernee Simons just came back and Shaedon Sharpe was playing amazing basketball, where it looked like the Blazers were closer to being good than expected.
That period was enough for some Blazer fans to not want to be a seller at the deadline. With Jerami Grant, DeAndre Ayton, Malcolm Brogdon and Matisse Thybulle on the roster, the Blazers have enough veterans to get some real young talent or draft capital. However, those players helped the team play well. Competitive losses against good teams and some wins? Why not see how far this team can go?
Well, the Blazers kind of had to. Not many trades happen before January 15th, when almost everyone who signed a contract in the summer can be traded. The Blazers had no choice but to see how those players played together. But after that good stretch of competitive games, the Blazers completely fell off. Shaedon Sharpe got injured, and upon his return was relegated to the bench once again for Scoot Henderson, not showcasing any of the flashes he had shown earlier in the season.
Young guards
For Scoot, the prized #3 pick this summer, the season has been rough as well. He is struggling heavily with efficiency and his shot, which was very much to be expected in his first year. The point guard position is tough to learn in the NBA. However, he has shown some incredible flashes of speed, athleticism and playmaking. It would be foolish to give up on Scoot because of the first half of his first NBA season.
As for Anfernee Simons, it looks like he’s more comfortable playing point guard rather than shooting guard. And right now, he should be the starting point guard. Not giving up on Scoot, doesn’t mean that you just have to hand him everything. Right now, he’s the 3rd best young guard on the team, while Ant & Shae have shown that they can play very well as the starting backcourt.
The 3 young guards are the core for Portland, and that’s a luxury. In their rebuild, the Blazers don’t have to worry about getting guards anymore. While none of the 3 is ready yet to the point where it would be feasible to try and push for a play-in spot, it’s clear that it’s a great core to build on for the future. Now, they can go all-in on surrounding that backcourt with versatile frontcourt players.
Assets plenty
That’s where those veterans come into play. Any trade for them needs to have some good draft capital or some young forwards that the Blazers believe in. Jerami Grant is easily the most sought-after player on this roster, and it wouldn’t be crazy that he could net them a young forward with potential and a pick. Say Jonathan Kuminga for example, or Ziaire Williams/Olivier-Maxence Prosper. There are enough teams out there with the means to go for Jerami, and who need his services at the forward position.
Malcolm Brogdon, the reigning 6MOTY, can also help teams, although he wouldn’t get them as much in return. The Blazers could still get something valuable in return, as they just have to analyze the field and the offers available. Brogdon could help a lot of contenders, as his shooting and playmaking off the bench is a security blanket for any team in need of perimeter shot creation.
Matisse Thybulle is a weird case, as his value is up in the air. Is his improved shooting this season something real? Is his defense actually valuable, or is he someone who gambles a lot? The best-case scenario seems to be an early second for the Blazers, which is perfect for a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, who have Portland’s early 2nd this season and are in desperate need of perimeter defense. Additionally, the Blazers could get Marjon Beauchamp (who has completely fallen out of the rotation) as well, provided they send some piece from a 3rd team to the Bucks.
Lastly, the market for DeAndre Ayton seems to be inexistent right now. The center, who came over from Phoenix in the Dame trade, hasn’t lived up to his potential in Portland, and hasn’t yet been able to change the narrative about his attitude and toughness. Not a lot of teams would take the risk on him right now, and can you blame them? Ayton’s contract is heavy, and his production is nowhere near what it should be. It looks like the Blazers are stuck with him until at least the summer.
Future
As for picks in their rebuild, the Blazers are kind of short right now, with only 3 extra first round picks other than their own and two swaps, but that’s why they have to get some draft capital for their veterans as well. The good thing is that the 2024 first from Golden State looks great right now, with the 4th worst record in the west, on top of their own first and two early seconds. If the Warriors pick converts (protected 1-4), it would be huge for Portland if it could stay around the top 10 (which is where it’s at now). Having good picks early in their rebuild helps a lot in not having the timelines too stretched out, which often leads to being stuck in a loop of rebuilds and having to do them over and over again.
As for actual current players in the front court, they have some solid talent. Toumani Camara has shown some real defensive ability, so has Jabari Walker. Both have struggled heavily with their shots though. Kris Murray has been way better since returning from the Rip City Remix in the G-League, while Rayan Rupert has shown some nice shooting and good defensive upside. These players can develop into very solid role players, but probably won’t be the main pieces at forward. In a rebuild though, having a lot of players is good, because you don’t know who will pan out, but the chances are high that one works out really well for the team.
At center, Ibou Badji has actually been quite good this season, showing some impressive athletic ability, especially on the defensive end. He’s been backing up Duop Reath in absence of both Ayton and Robert Williams, who is out for the season with a knee-injury. Reath has struggled defensively and is already older (27), but his shooting has been nice for a big, and he sets solid screens as well. But It’s Badji who looks like a piece worth developing or exploring for their future.
The Blazers are clearly not in a bad position. The big losses suck, but they’re expected. At one point this season they were playing their asses off and making games competitive, but a rebuild is deflating for a team’s energy, and so those losses shouldn’t be indicative of their talent level. It’s up to Chauncey Billups right now to prove he can get these young guys playing hard, because he’s on a scorching hot seat right now. But the talent is there for the future, and the Blazers are a couple of years away from being a serious team.
Courtside 