Portland Trail Blazers: Analyzing early offseason moves (and a conspiracy theory to watch for)
In conclusion- (hypothetical to look for)
Portland’s early moves were very solid, and the team has definitely improved. Whether or not that results in playoff success remains to be seen. Re-allocating talent and upgrading the starting power forward position, and allowing them to thrive will show an immediate impact. Not just for positional output but also how it takes pressure off of the guards and center to take on less pressure and be more impactful.
Monitoring the starting backcourt defensively might be the thing to watch early in the season. The log-jam at shooting guard becomes even more apparent if Sharpe looks NBA-ready. Should Sharpe be anywhere close to where rookie Lillard was, Portland Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups won’t have him riding the pine.
Lillard/Simons pairing is the one to watch. If Simons starts showing similar issues that McCollum had, the Blazers can’t ignore it. At that point, Cronin will start gauging Simon’s trade value at upgrading the Small Forward spot.
Portland can’t go another five years with a starting backcourt that can’t defend. Using Simons or Dame to bring in a high-level talent at small forward while using Hart as a stop-gap starter until Sharpe takes over would potentially put together the highest upside starting five that this team has had maybe in decades.
Either way, expect one more move out of this team between now and next summer. Likely the move that determines whether Lillard will be a part of the team’s future.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.