Portland Trail Blazers Reportedly Signing a $50.5 million Deal With Celtics, Pending on…
The first makeover of the Portland Trail Blazers in almost ten years has provoked some of the most bizarre opinions and positions that the ordinary NBA fan would never consider.
Talkback radio and social media have been used as platforms to voice anger and displeasure against the coaching staff, playing group, and front office.
It makes sense. The Blazers were competing for NBA Playoff seeding for a considerable amount of time. A safe and reassuring expectation that kept the squad competitive for forty-one victories at all times.
The Blazers are breaking the cycle after Damian Lillard left nearly six months ago. In his wake, the losing and inconsistent play have raised more questions than answers, with many centered around the veteran players’ role and how much it should or shouldn’t be taken away from the young, developing core. Veteran Jerami Grant has participated in all but two of the Blazers’ 19 victories this season. I’m not saying the Blazers couldn’t have won any of those games. That tactic put butts on seats, but it made it difficult for the team to properly reset its playing group to have a real shot at playoff success beyond the first or second round.
It’s interesting to note that, more than 60 games into the season, those two victories—against the Toronto Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks—took place just last week.
Toumani Camara, Kris Murray, and Jabari Walker have had sixty nights to practice and polish their craft. On a team merely attempting to be competitive, two freshmen and a sophomore have been asked to play meaningful and, occasionally, significant minutes.
Even while none of the three can quite match Grant’s production on either end, they can each complement one or two of his strengths over time.
I should also bring up Frenchman Rayan Rupert, a second-round pick, who apparently gained inches in the last few months and yells upside down on the court. Though he is the youngest member of the brigade, he may have the biggest potential in the end.
