Portland Trail Blazers: As the preseason begins, what to expect for the season
The Rookies
Although GM Neil Olshey gave away their draft picks, Portland got a promising rookie in Greg Brown III. They received the 43rd pick in the draft by trading the New Orleans Pelicans a future second-round pick, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.
Greg Brown III – I watched this young man ball out in Summer League. Brown held his own against vets that played on the Portland roster this Summer. He hung on every word of his coach in practice. In my opinion, he’s a solid rookie.
Trendon Watford – Trendon Watford is an undrafted rookie who is a two-way player on a two-way contract. The 20-year-old also did well in Summer League.
FANFEST WAS 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/LtGh4WFQ6K
— Trendon Watford (@trendonw) October 3, 2021
Trade addition
Maybe the best deal of the offseason (after re-signing Norman Powell) was getting Larry Nance Jr. For a team with no money and nothing to trade; this was a great move. Nance is perfect for Chauncey Billups’ defense-first coaching.
I didn’t see much of Nance in Cleveland, but I can’t forget him as a Los Angeles Lakers player. In addition to scoring, Nance was stealing, getting the defensive rebounds, and making it very difficult for any team to defeat them.