SneakerReporter Top 30 NBA Teams: #12 Portland Trail Blazers
FeaturedWe’re at 12 days on our countdown to the NBA Season, and today we got a first look at the new Brooklyn Nets square off against the Lakers in China. Staying on track, however, today we’re discussing our twelfth spot on the SneakerReporter Top 30, the Portland Trail Blazers.
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12. Portland Trail Blazers: Can Portland the momentum of last season’s Playoff run to blaze through the competition once again?
Portland is coming off quite an impressive season last year; a season in which they ranked 3rd in the Western Conference with a record of 53-29. They also had an impressive run in the NBA Playoffs, with a convincing 4-1 first round victory over the Thunder, and grueling yet exciting 7-game series against the 2nd seed Denver Nuggets, only falling to the 1st seed Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. The Portland Trail Blazers have solidified themselves as a strong contender in the Western Conference, and they believe that this is the year that they’ll seriously contend for this year’s title.
The Trail Blazers have revamped their roster in hopes of surrounding their core in Lillard and McCollum. They managed to add some very solid players from around the league, most notably Hassan Whiteside, Kent Bazemore, and Pau Gasol. For years the Blazers have been looking for a third scoring option and this year have many different options in terms of scoring the ball. All the additions that the Blazers made are solid offensive options, which is scary for other teams. It was rare for opposing teams to shut down both Lillard and McCollum in the same night, and only to add more options for scoring will make things more difficult for teams on the defensive side of the floor. Speaking of defense, the Blazers have also upgraded on the defensive end of the floor by adding Hassan Whiteside into their rotation. Also adding Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore, the Portland frontcourt has also become a problem, in addition to their already dangerous backcourt. They’ve added a lot of length and size during their off-season, which is something that the organization had last season as well, but perhaps were seeking to rebuild the supporting cast.
Although this Blazers team appears dangerous on paper, the issue is on the intangibles of the game. They lost 7 players on their roster through trades and signings, and have obtained six new players. Despite acquiring more veteran talent, it still may take some time for this team to truly come together and really make a Playoff push. The Blazers will really have to establish an identity this season, considering that they’ve essentially made a lot of moves to both their starting five and bench players. Realistically, however, it seems that the Blazers, mostly in part by franchise point guard in Damian Lillard, excels in rallying his team together, so there really may not be much to worry about for the Blazers this upcoming season.
Personally, I’m excited to see this team play. This Blazers backcourt has been something to watch ever since they’ve entered the league, and it seems as if they’re only getting better. The team overall has made very big strides in terms of overall ability, but the biggest obstacle lays in front of them, in a very stacked Western Conference. I can’t see the Blazers not making the Playoffs again this season, but it goes without saying that it’ll be even more difficult to get through all the way to the Finals.