Portland Path Blazers 2024-25 season preview: Can any of their prospects develop right into a star?

The 2024-25 NBA season is right here! We’re breaking down the most important questions, best- and worst-case situations, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 groups. Get pleasure from!

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

2023-24 end

Offseason strikes

• Additions: Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Bryce McGowans

• Subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon, Ibou Badji, Moses Brown, Ashton Hagans

• Complete roster

The Massive Query: Is there actually a cornerstone right here?

While you’re a fan of a really unhealthy workforce within the midst of rebuilding, what you’re in search of is a purpose to imagine. One thing to latch on to as a vessel in your hopes for a greater future, and ideally a someone: Devin Booker on the pre-CP3 Suns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the early decade Thunder, Victor Wembanyama on final yr’s Spurs, et al.

It’s not stunning that Portland doesn’t actually have that but, barely one yr faraway from the franchise-shaking decision to bid farewell to Damian Lillard. However after ending with the West’s worst document in 12 months 1 post-Dame — the Blazers’ fourth sub-.500 finish in the last five seasons — this roster nonetheless feels very very like a set of free-floating celestial our bodies in the hunt for a giant vibrant shining star to tug it into an acceptable prescribed orbit.

The Blazers’ two highest-paid gamers, ahead Jerami Grant and heart Deandre Ayton, are each productive veterans, however neither of them profiles as that type of organizing precept. Ayton came on late in his first season in Oregon, averaging 22.7 factors and 12.5 rebounds per sport after the All-Star break; his long-term prognosis in Portland received significantly cloudier, although, when the Blazers drafted the 7-foot-2 Clingan with the seventh total decide in June’s 2024 NBA Draft.

Grant, one in all just five players to common 20 factors per sport and shoot 40% from 3-point land in every of the final two seasons, is also a player of interest on the trade market … if would-be suitors can finagle a method to tackle the rest of his huge five-year, $160 million deal with out operating afoul of the apron. For his half, Avdija (who played very well final season, albeit in near-total anonymity on a nasty Wizards workforce with out a lot nationwide profile) occupies the same house to Grant — a succesful combo ahead who can plug a number of gaps on each ends of the ground, however extra a star-in-his-role complementary piece than a real No. 1.

Anfernee Simons has the athleticism, high-volume/high-accuracy 3-point capturing contact and off-the-bounce scoring juice to probably develop right into a high possibility. (His per-possession manufacturing over the previous few seasons really traces up fairly properly with what Lillard put up at the same age.) However a smaller combo guard who’s a extra pure scorer than playmaker (he’s hovered round a good-but-not-great 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio since becoming a starter) and a blaring fire-engine-red goal on the opposite finish (a slew of advanced defensive metrics marked him as one of many league’s very worst defenders final season) is a difficult piece to construct round until he’s a no-doubt-top-tier offensive expertise. (And, actually, even then. See “Hawks, Atlanta.”)

The highlight, then, falls on the Blazers’ different two extremely touted younger guards: 21-year-old Shaedon Sharpe and 20-year-old Scoot Henderson. The promising begin to Sharpe’s sophomore season — practically 19 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists per sport on .550 true capturing by way of the first 22 games — had been derailed by a core muscle injury that ultimately required surgery. Hopes for a equally sturdy begin to 12 months 3 have already hit a pace bump: a second tear of the labrum in his left shoulder, anticipated to sideline him by way of at the very least the primary few weeks of the season.

A (slight) silver lining to Sharpe’s delayed re-entry: It clears the trail for Henderson, who struggled mightily after coming off the board third total within the 2023 NBA Draft, to attempt to cement himself as a bona fide constructing block.

Doing so would require a dramatic shot-making uptick after a rocky freshman marketing campaign that noticed Henderson shoot a ghastly 47.3% on the rim (dead-last among 237 players to take at the very least 100 up-close tries) and simply 35% on all attempts outside the restricted area. For those who can’t end on the cup or knock down sufficient jumpers to make opponents honor you on the perimeter, you’re going to have an awfully onerous time being a constantly optimistic offensive power, regardless of how explosive you might be off the dribble.

With out important strides as a finisher or pick-and-roll facilitator, it’s robust to see Henderson creating into a real foundational piece of Portland’s future puzzle. If he could make a serious leap in a single or each respects, although, then he turns into a way more attention-grabbing prospect — one who, along with Clingan, Sharpe and whomever common supervisor Joe Cronin picks with what’s overwhelmingly prone to be an early decide within the 2025 NBA Draft, might at some point kind the core of the following legit Blazers workforce. Proper now, although, that day nonetheless appears a protracted, great distance off.

Greatest-case state of affairs

Ayton, Grant, Avdija and Simons spend the primary half of the season offering some semblance of a steady infrastructure wherein to judge Sharpe, Henderson, Clingan and the remainder of Portland’s younger items. A few of them present actual indicators of progress and improvement — the type of sparks and glints that enhance your confidence these guys actually can turn into the inspiration of what’s subsequent. After which, with that renewed perception in hand, Cronin’s in a position to spin off a number of of the veterans — most notably one in all both Ayton or Robert Williams III — to scale back Portland’s positional redundancy, clearing the runway for Clingan and the guards to expertise their rising pains whereas paving the trail to a different top-of-the-lottery decide to reinforce and solidify the younger core.

If every part falls aside

Scoot nonetheless can’t shoot, Sharpe and Simons nonetheless wrestle to contribute with out the ball of their arms, none of them can defend — and, worse, none of them can keep wholesome and accessible on the identical time, stopping Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups from getting an sincere gauge on which combos might need promise. The marketplace for Portland’s highest-paid vets proves chilly sufficient that Grant and Ayton keep put, serving to the Blazers win extra video games than they’d actually desire forward of the Cooper Flagg draft. The season ends not with a bang, however with a Pacific Northwest drizzle of a whimper: out of the play-in, out of the highest of the draft, within the mushy center of the league’s decrease class, with out proof of a transparent method again towards the highest.

Fantasy spin

Portland is without doubt one of the least intriguing groups in fantasy basketball. I’ve willingly drafted Simons as a result of his ADP is inexpensive within the seventh spherical, despite the fact that you may be capable to snag him within the eighth. Relating to drafting Ayton, I desire ready for a spherical or two to scoop a giant man who will not value a fifth-round decide.

Grant will most likely discover his method to one other workforce sooner or later, however till then, he is solely helpful for factors and 3s — a simple fade even at his ADP. Avdija is a participant I am anticipating to outperform his ADP. He is a sleeper going within the eleventh spherical with a flexible skillset for fantasy. Henderson is best for factors leagues, however in case you can abdomen his inefficiency and turnovers, he might make for an honest supply of factors and assists within the backend of drafts. — Dan Titus

2024-25 schedule

Hope springs everlasting within the preseason — which, on this case, means the Blazers will probably be each horrible on their deserves and in a position to offload their useful veterans with sufficient time to essentially rack up the L’s on the back-half of the schedule. I’ll take the below; it wouldn’t shock me if this yr’s mannequin offers the 1971-72 crew a run for its cash because the worst workforce in franchise historical past.

Extra season previews

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • Los Angeles Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz