Portland Trail Blazers: NBA Finals or bust in 2021
Gary Trent Jr., Portland Trail Blazers.
Surrounding the big three with talent
Last year though, something interesting happened. Not the bubble or the pandemic, Portland was finally able to acquire reliable complementary players who fit in perfectly with the big three, Trevor Ariza and Carmelo Anthony. Ariza never was or will be an NBA team’s lead player, but he’s a great third or fourth option. Melo’s days as his team’s top player are over, but he is certainly capable of being that guy on any given night. They are the kind of pieces that all championship teams have. Guys that aren’t the main stars but are solid contributors.
Can management bring back Anthony and Whiteside and keep Ariza? All while making sure Nurkic, McCollum, and Lillard are getting their touches and staying happy? Okay, Lillard will get his hands on the ball, so we don’t have to worry about him. Whiteside showed he could do exactly what Nurkic can, maybe even better than Nurkic. Will Whiteside want more playing time? Would Nurkic be ok with a reduced role?
The NBA 82 game schedule is long, so having depth is vital, especially in the tough Western Conference. But the 2020-21 season may not be 82 games. With the 2019-2020 season just wrapping up and commissioner Adam Silver suggesting the next season will begin in January of 2021 (if we’re lucky Christmas of 2020), we’re probably not getting a full 82 games. At this point, we’re unsure of the number of games that will be played next year or possibly where, if this pandemic is still ongoing. There’s also the NBA Draft that needs to happen, plus free agency.
There are many unknowns at this point, which makes putting together a winning roster difficult.