Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers.
Rip City is undergoing a youth movement. One of new Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin’s goals the last half year was to stock the roster with young talent.
Among all the players attending Blazers training camp this week, only Damian Lillard is over 30 years old (32). That’s quite a big change from last season when over a quarter of the opening day roster was 30 or older.
As a matter of fact, half of the 2022-23 Portland Trail Blazers opening night roster will be 23 or younger. The team has tons of potential, just waiting for their shot at the big time. Who will be Portland’s next breakout player? Let’s look at the Blazers’ Top 5 Under 25.
Greg Brown III – 21 years old
The 6’7” power forward averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game. At times Greg Brown III wowed fans with his dunking ability and raw athleticism. Raw is the big word there.
His body placement and footing need work. Maybe it was a confidence problem or just the young player’s jitters, but Brown seemed lost on the court at times.
Jabari Walker (20 years old)
Jabari Walker came close to cracking the Top 5 after his strong showing in the summer league. His size and all-around solid play could vault the former University of Colorado standout into a more significant role as the season presses on.
If given minutes, his rebounding ability and floor spacing would mesh well with both starters and bench units. Walker was selected with the next to last pick in the 2022 draft, but he could wind up as one of its biggest steals.
In 22 games for Portland, Keon Johnson put up 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 25.5 minutes per game. The former first round pick acquired in the Robert Covington / Norman Powell trade looked more comfortable as he got more time on the court.
Offensive consistency is something Johnson must continue to work on. During summer league, he had some standout games, but he also had some no-show games as well.
His defensive efforts stayed consistent, which will help him stay in the NBA. But with a packed Blazers backcourt, he might not see much of the court unless injuries pile up or the team consolidates some of its talent via trade.
A few games in the G-league could help further develop his potential.
Trendon Watford was probably the biggest surprise in the Portland Trail Blazers’ lackluster, injury-riddled 2021-22 season. Due to trades and injuries, he emerged as the team’s starting power forward late in the season. Watford embraced his new role, becoming a stabilizing player who showed more poise than most players do at his age.
The 6’8” forward put in a solid 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game while also showcasing solid defense. Watford continued to develop his game after the season ended. In the Summer League Championship Game, Watford was the MVP.
This season, expect to see him get a healthy dose of minutes as the Blazers’ first big man off the bench.
The 6’5” small forward started to have his breakout right around the same time as Anfernee Simons. But a late January left labrum tear put an end to his season. At the time, Nassir Little was just starting to show what he was capable of doing.
He ended the season averaging 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game. In the last month before his injury, Littles numbers jumped up to 13.1 and 5.7, respectively.
Most importantly, Little started looking like the team’s best perimeter defender. In recent seasons, perimeter defense is one area where the Blazers needed help.
Right now, the starting small forward position looks like Nassir’s to lose. Despite the injury (and May’s core muscle surgery), there is good reason to believe Little will continue where he left off.
Once thought to be the best player in the 2022 Draft Class, Shaedon Sharpe might have the highest potential of anyone on this list. He dropped to the Portland Trail Blazers with the #7 pick in the NBA draft after deciding not to play any college ball.
Other than simply getting on the floor and gaining experience, Sharpe doesn’t seem to have any obvious weaknesses in his game. A natural scorer, his abilities seem to go from highlight dunks to a strong mid-range game and range out to beyond the 3-point line.
Even if he just scratches the surface of his abilities, it could put Portland coach Chauncey Billups in a position where he can’t afford to keep Sharpe off the floor.
As with all lofty risk-taking, he also might not pan out and end up being a bust. His growth this season should dictate what Portland decides to do moving forward with its wing position players.
When debating between Sharpe and Simons on who was number 1, it was a battle of production over potential. Using the old saying that “A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.” production won out. Simons is more of a known quantity right now than Sharpe is, but the former is nowhere near his ceiling yet,
Blazers fans saw flashes of that talent throughout Simons’ first 3 seasons. But it was last season when injuries to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum finally allowed him to showcase that potential, and boy, did he showcase it.
After the calendar turned over to January, Simons averaged 23.4 points and 5.8 assists per game. Until his season ended in mid-march due to a knee injury, Simons established himself as a Star-level guard to be reckoned with.
He was an offensive weapon last year. He shot 44.3% from the field and 40.5% behind the arc. Even better, Simons nailed those baskets with opposing defenses mainly focused on stopping him.
Teams have to pay attention to Lillard once again, not to mention the newly acquired Jerami Grant on offense. How well will Simons shoot when defenses can’t double him?
This team is brimming with young talent. With only one player over 30, Rip City fans have to like the potential Portland has surrounding Lillard.
It will be interesting to see how the young players and offseason additions mesh with the team veterans. This roster isn’t finished yet. At some point during the season, Cronin will make a move to consolidate all this talent.
For the moment, though, it will be exciting to see which of these players made significant improvements to their game. Also, which ones will be part of the Portland Trail Blazers’ long-term solution to building a Championship contender.
Who are your Top 5 Portland Trail Blazers under 25? Let us know in the comments section below.